223: Chapter 223 War Alerts Raging! You Call the King of Cool a Freshman?!

Two Abyss Knights advanced step by step; each time their dark gold heavy swords fell, they cleaved two or three-meter-long fissures into the ground.

The range of movement for Ye Canglan and the others was compressed bit by bit, until they finally retreated before a fractured rock wall.

There was no path left behind them.

Ye Canglan looked up at the sky.

The Six-Point Soul-Locking Array was still spinning, its six layers of spatial cross-sections grinding against each other; the white light within the array had not weakened in the slightest.

Su Ming's figure had been completely engulfed.

Could even he be trapped?

This thought had barely crossed Ye Canglan's mind when the knight in front raised its heavy sword and slashed down directly at Young Master Gu Lingfeng.

Just as the Mystic Gold Flowing Sand beneath Young Master Gu Lingfeng's feet surged up, the other knight pressed in from the side.

One in front, one to the side—the two heavy swords simultaneously sealed off their retreat; the sand wall could not possibly cover both sides in time.

Night Crow gripped [Dawn] tightly, the shadow beneath his feet spreading outward, preparing to force a displacement.

Yet, the heavy sword on the side paused for a moment in mid-air.

It didn't even last half a second.

The blade was pulled backward by a force, its landing point deviating by half a meter, grazing Young Master Gu Lingfeng's shoulder as it struck the rock wall.

Boom!

Debris grazed Young Master Gu Lingfeng's ear, hitting his cheek and causing a stinging pain.

Night Crow seized this opening, his shadow wrapping around Young Master Gu Lingfeng's waist and dragging him back to the dead-end corner of the rock wall.

"That scared the hell out of me!"

Young Master Gu Lingfeng panted heavily, looking down to touch his shoulder.

His clothes weren't torn, and his arm was still there.

"How did that sword strike deviate just now?"

Ye Canglan did not answer.

Would an Abyss Knight miss?

Or would such a large deviation in the landing point occur during a pincer attack?

He stared at the fissure carved by the heavy sword, his dark purple vertical pupils narrowing slightly.

In the instant the blade paused just now, several nearby stones also slid a few inches in the same direction.

That wasn't a knight's error.

It was gravity.

Ye Canglan looked toward the Six-Point Soul-Locking Array in the sky again, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Su Ming was not only fine, but he was also staring down below.

"Dad?"

Night Crow noticed his reaction.

Ye Canglan was silent for a moment, then reached out a hand toward him.

"Xiao Mo, give me your phone."

Night Crow was stunned: "What?"

"A communication terminal, do you have one?"

Night Crow realized what he meant and immediately pulled out his military terminal to take a look.

The top right corner of the screen was completely blank.

The underground sinkhole was a signal dead zone, and with the Divine Court Empire's dark gold barrier covering the outside, ordinary communication bands couldn't get through at all.

Night Crow gripped the edge of the terminal.

"No signal! I can't reach the Southern Military Region..."

Before he could finish, a purple-gold terminal flew over from the side.

"Use mine, catch!"

Ye Canglan raised his hand and caught it.

Embedded in the back of the terminal was a circle of tiny crystals, and a flashy golden logo was printed in the center of the screen.

Babasiba, Supreme Collector's Edition.

Ye Canglan pressed the screen to light it up, not holding much hope to begin with.

The terminal skipped through the satellite, Source Energy tower, and military relay channels in succession, finally locking onto one bar of encrypted signal.

Good grief, it actually works!

Young Master Gu Lingfeng wiped the blood from under his nose.

"As long as the planet is spinning, there's a signal."

"The annual service fee is 3.6 million; I didn't think it was worth it usually, but today it's paid for itself!"

Ye Canglan glanced at him.

This young man's face was covered in gold sand and bloodstains, his combat suit was slashed open in several places, yet the communication terminal he pulled out was expensive enough to buy a set of Tier 6 combat armor.

He swept his gaze over Ye Xiao, who was outputting damage while holding up his pants, and finally looked at the Six-Point Soul-Locking Array still spinning at high speed in the sky.

I haven't returned to the Federation in five years; have the young people outside really grown into this?!

The heavy footsteps of the knights drew near again.

Ye Canglan didn't delay any longer, inputting a string of numbers he hadn't dialed in five years from memory.

"Beep—" "Beep—"

The call connected.

"Who is this?"

A rough male voice came from the other side, accompanied by the sound of flipping files.

Ye Canglan braced himself against the rock wall.

"Chief Zheng, it's me."

"Ye Canglan."

There was a clattering sound on the other end of the line, a cup fell, and the legs of a chair dragged across the floor with a harsh noise.

No one spoke for a full three seconds.

Then, a roar of abuse slammed into the speaker.

"Which bastard is messing with me using a martyr's communication line?!"

"Report your location now! I'll bring troops myself to skin you alive! I—"

"Serial number E735."

"Western Frontier Shadow Legion, third encrypted password: Cold Crows Do Not Cross."

Ye Canglan interrupted him, reporting his military serial number and adding a battlefield verification password that only the two of them knew.

The cursing on the phone stopped.

All that remained was increasingly heavy breathing.

The two knights had already slashed through the last layer of spider silk and were less than twenty meters away.

Night Crow and Young Master Gu Lingfeng stood in front, while Ye Xiao held up his waistband with one hand and gathered lightning in the other.

"Ye Canglan?"

Zheng Baichuan's voice trembled.

"You son of a bitch... you're still alive?"

"I took the entire Western Frontier search and rescue team and combed that damn canyon for three months!"

"I presided over your memorial service, and that damn military medal is still in my drawer."

"Do you know what your son has been through these five years—"

"Old Zheng, there's no time."

Ye Canglan stared at the approaching dark gold heavy swords, his speed of speech increasing.

Having not spoken normally for five years, his vocal cords ached, and a metallic taste filled his mouth.

The other end of the line paused for half a second.

Under normal circumstances, this kid wouldn't call him Old Zheng directly!

"Speak."

Ye Canglan turned on coordinate synchronization and held the terminal close to his mouth.

"Report to Marshal Huo immediately."

A loud explosion came from behind; another Tier 6 Magic Spider was cut in two by a heavy sword, its green body fluids splashing onto his back.

Ye Canglan did not turn around.

"Black Spider Canyon, wilderness sinkhole coordinates."

"The first and third Beast Seal Envoys of the Tongyuan Society have appeared."

"Twelve Abyss Knights of the Divine Court Empire, led by the Black-Robed Judge Samuel, have launched a cross-border raid!"

"Specifically requesting the highest combat power reinforcements from the military region!"

On the other end of the line, a chair slammed into the floor.

Zheng Baichuan's brain was buzzing!

He was a veteran of the Western Frontier Military Region's staff office; what kind of storms hadn't he seen?

Beast Seal Envoys? The first and third? Twelve Abyss Knights? A Black-Robed Judge? An Tier 8 Divine Court powerhouse entering the territory?

This was not a simple border crossing. It wasn't a frontier conflict either. This was a war-level event. A national war-level event capable of shaking the entire Federation's upper echelons.

He pushed open the office door and rushed toward the command center.

"Ye Canglan, you hold on for me!"

"I'm connecting to Marshal Huo now, ten minutes, ten minutes at most!"

"Don't be a hero, find a Source Abyss rift and hide first!"

"Is it that those two complete-form Beast Seal Envoys of the Tongyuan Society are fighting the Divine Court?"

"Let them take the heat, you take your people and hide far away, don't get involved!"

"This..."

Ye Canglan glanced at the battlefield in front, his lips tightening.

"...Not entirely."

The two Abyss Knights had already launched a charge simultaneously.

Night Crow lowered his body, preparing to cut into the flank.

Young Master Gu Lingfeng pushed all the remaining Mystic Gold Flowing Sand forward, and the lightning in Ye Xiao's palm shone to its limit.

Two dark gold heavy swords slashed down.

Just as the blades were less than five meters from the three of them, the sound of metal vibrating pierced their eardrums.

"Hum—"

Both heavy swords stopped in mid-air simultaneously.

This time, it wasn't just the swords that were held down.

An invisible pressure crashed down, causing the two knights to sink half a step downward with their swords; the rock layer beneath their feet exploded on the spot, and the armor on their knees was pressed down with a muffled sound.

Night Crow and the other two seized the opportunity and quickly retreated to the sides.

Ye Canglan looked up.

The Six-Point Soul-Locking Array was still cutting frantically; in the center of the white light, only a blurry human silhouette could be seen.

But that gravitational force from just now clearly came from within it.

Ye Canglan gripped the terminal tightly.

"The situation is more complicated than you think."

Zheng Baichuan was swiping his authorization at the command center door, and upon hearing this, his footsteps stopped.

"What situation?"

Ye Canglan first looked to the left.

The Mountain Demon was being chased and slashed by two knights, and its hundred-meter giant ape manifestation had already lost an arm.

It was clutching its head while cursing the Divine Court Empire for having no martial honor.

To the right, Tiger Fiend's silver fur had been shaved bald in two spots, looking like a Tom cat scurrying everywhere.

Those two complete-form Beast Seal Envoys weren't holding the line.

They were clearly getting beaten up!

"The two Beast Seal Envoys of the Tongyuan Society are being chased and slashed by four Abyss Knights."

"Four?"

Zheng Baichuan's voice paused for a beat.

There's no reason for a cross-border raid to be a 1v1 tournament!

"Then what about the others?"

"Who is Samuel fighting?"

Ye Canglan looked up, gazing at the blurry silhouette in the center of the Six-Point Soul-Locking Array.

Samuel was hovering higher up, the space around his bone staff contracting layer by layer; he was clearly charging up a skill.

"A prospective freshman of the Federation."

There was no sound on the phone.

Zheng Baichuan had already connected to the Marshal's dedicated line, but his finger hovered over the war alert button.

The next second, his roar directly shattered the noise on the terminal.

"Ye Canglan!"

"I, Zheng Baichuan, failed you back then when I couldn't break through the encirclement to save you!"

"If you have anger in your heart, take it out on me; why are you joking with me about a military crisis?!"

"Have you been trapped down there for five years and lost your mind?!"

"Get your words together and repeat your answer."

"Who! Is fighting the Black-Robed Judge Samuel and the other Abyss Knights?"

Ye Canglan felt this was absurd too, but it was the truth!

He was also very helpless!

He looked at that six-pointed star, his voice hoarse, yet every word was clear.

"An active-duty captain of the Southern Military Region."

"A special admission candidate for the six-university coalition."

"He just finished the college entrance examination this year."

"Su Ming."

On the other end of the line, Zheng Baichuan jumped up!

He slammed his palm down on the highest war alert button.

The piercing alarm sound instantly resounded throughout the Western Frontier Military Region command center.

He grabbed the military line terminal, his voice cracking as he shouted.

"F— f— f—... You you you... You call the King of Posers a freshman?!"

...