226: Chapter 226 Ninth-Rank Rage! Who the hell dares to touch my nephew?! (Two Chapters Combined)

At the same moment.

Deep in the hinterlands of the Western Frontier, thousands of kilometers away from Black Spider Canyon.

Federal Western Military Region, "Heavenly Abyss" Heavy High-Dimensional Aerospace Launch Base.

The scorching sun hung high in the sky.

A massive, disc-shaped high-frequency energy field slowly dissipated above the base, revealing the silver-white launch tower that pierced the clouds below.

A circle of unclosed spatial wrinkles remained in the sky.

Hundreds of stabilization anchors operated simultaneously, pressing that twisted region back to its normal state.

The warning lights turned from red to green.

Inside the main control room, everyone was still staring at the main screen.

No one spoke.

In the center of the screen, the pitch-black recovery capsule was landing steadily into the tic-tac-toe-shaped flexible arrestor net.

Multiple layers of special fiber cables, combined with hydraulic damping devices, slowly absorbed the force, ensuring there was no rigid impact throughout the process.

This recovery capsule was only seventeen meters long, yet it was the heaviest round-trip mission in Federal aerospace history.

To precisely drag it back from a sub-space orbit 470,000 kilometers away from Source Star, the entire Heavenly Abyss base had been operating continuously for seventy-two hours.

Three large-scale Source Energy towers in the Western Frontier provided power simultaneously.

Sixteen seventh-tier spatial Awakened maintained the coordinates throughout the process.

An eighth-tier expert sat in charge of the main control.

Today was the maiden launch of the Long March series number ten.

It was also the first time the Human Federation had sent a hyper-space folding gravity bridge beacon into sub-space orbit and completed a full-status, non-destructive recovery.

On the main screen, the detection data refreshed rapidly. With every line that jumped, the breathing in the main control room tightened.

[Capsule main structure integrity: 97.81%]

[Gravity bridge beacon status: Operation stable, spatial folding precision met standards]

[Extraterrestrial sample containment unit: Airtightness intact, no energy leakage]

[Star core fragment activity: 12.7%, within safety threshold]

[Landing deviation: Horizontal 0.82 meters, vertical 0.47 meters, better than design indicators]

When the last line of data locked in, the tension that had gripped the main control room for seventy-two hours instantly exploded.

"Success!"

"We actually brought it back!"

Cheers swept through the room.

Someone slapped the table.

Someone hugged the colleague beside them.

Others leaned back in their chairs, looking up at the ceiling lights, unable to say a word for a long time.

The Federation had spent eleven years to take this step.

Outside the main control room, Huo Tianxing stood with his hands behind his back.

He had a burly figure and a resolute face.

He wore a crisp, dark gray military uniform, and there were no extra decorations on his epaulets, only nine dark golden star patterns.

Marshal Dingxi.

The supreme commander of the Federal Western Military Region.

Just by standing there, he possessed a majestic Aura that was as deep as an abyss and as steady as a mountain.

"Marshal, the 'Long March 10' beacon has successfully completed sub-space orbit recovery!"

"The extraterrestrial star core sample activity is stable, and the folded gravity bridge has not suffered structural collapse."

The base chief engineer walked up quickly and reported excitedly.

"As long as we complete the next round of verification, the Source Energy engine can enter the actual manufacturing phase."

Huo Tianxing took the report, his gaze still fixed on the recovery capsule in the isolation zone.

"What is the maximum payload?"

The chief engineer pushed up his glasses: "The current limit is 420 tons. If powered by an eighth-tier crystal core, the theoretical value can reach 1,200 tons."

Huo Tianxing shook his head.

"Not enough. An immigration ship has a minimum empty weight of 370,000 tons, and a single main engine core module alone weighs 1,400 tons, and it cannot be dismantled."

"With this little payload, we can't even send up a complete component."

The chief engineer did not argue:

"We will continue to overcome the challenges."

"Long March 10 is just a beacon, number 11 will test the life capsule, and number 12 will test the unmanned mining machine."

"As long as the gravity bridge can expand stably, 370,000 tons is not the end point."

Only then did Huo Tianxing lower his head to flip through the report.

The first page was the detection image of that extraterrestrial star core fragment.

It was only the size of a fist, but weighed over nine tons.

In the sub-space orbit, it had once released abnormal gravitational waves, almost causing Long March 10 to lose its coordinates.

He stared at the image for two seconds: "Send the sample to Heavenly Abyss Vault Zero, and raise the clearance level to SS. Without my order, no one is allowed to touch it."

"Understood!"

Huo Tianxing closed the report and handed it back, the corners of his mouth finally relaxing slightly.

Humanity in the Federation was one step closer to interstellar migration.

Even if it was just one step, it was worth it.

Just at this moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind.

An adjutant with a pale face, holding a blood-red encrypted terminal, rushed out from the command tower.

"Marshal! Something is wrong!"

Huo Tianxing frowned slightly.

The Heavenly Abyss base had strict operational protocols.

Running is prohibited in the core area.

"What is the meaning of this panic?"

"Marshal!"

The adjutant panted heavily, his forehead covered in sweat.

"Zheng Baichuan, the commander of the Western Frontier Source Abyss Garrison Sector... he, without review by the military region staff office, has directly triggered the highest war alert!"

"What?!"

Huo Tianxing's pupils constricted.

Highest war alert?

That was the highest authority level that would only be activated when facing a large-scale invasion by alien races above the eighth tier, or when a hostile nation launched a total war!

Had that kid Zheng Baichuan gone crazy?!

The adjutant handed over the terminal, his voice trembling: "He... he also forcibly connected to the Marshal's private line,"

"Saying... saying that his subordinate Ye Canglan, who went missing five years ago and was posthumously awarded as a martyr... has 'returned from the dead' and brought back shocking military intelligence!"

Huo Tianxing snatched the terminal, his face sinking completely.

As soon as the connection was made, Zheng Baichuan's roar came through directly.

"Marshal! Black Spider Canyon is under surprise attack by foreign forces!"

"Tongyuan Society's First Beast Seal Envoy, Mountain Fiend, and Third Beast Seal Envoy, Tiger Fiend, have all appeared!"

"Twelve Abyss Knights from the Divine Court Empire have crossed the border!"

"The team is led by the Black-robed Judge, Samuel!"

"They are already fighting in the sinkhole! Ye Canglan is on the scene, and the situation is critical! Requesting supreme combat support!"

Huo Tianxing's eyes darkened.

The air in the main control room stagnated for a moment.

"Crack!"

Cracks appeared on the half-meter-thick special high-steel glass outside the main control room.

The two seventh-tier officers responsible for the base's security turned their heads simultaneously.

Only a trace of his ninth-tier Aura leaked out, and the surrounding space began to deform.

The adjutant took a half step back and immediately raised his hand to signal the researchers to retreat into the main control room.

"Samuel crossed the border?"

Killing intent flashed in Huo Tianxing's eyes.

"Is the information confirmed?"

"Confirmed!"

On Zheng Baichuan's side, the sounds of keyboard tapping and military order transfers could be heard constantly.

"Ye Canglan saw it with his own eyes!"

"The border monitoring station also captured the reaction of the Holy Radiance Law!"

Huo Tianxing suppressed his anger.

The Divine Court Empire had a ceasefire agreement with the Federation.

Eighth-tier powerhouses were not allowed to cross the border without reason.

Not only did Samuel come, but he also brought twelve Abyss Knights.

How dared he?

"Who is their main force besieging?"

Huo Tianxing took two steps forward.

"Ye Canglan?"

"Those two Beast Seal Envoys from the Tongyuan Society?"

"Or did some Divine Artifact appear in Black Spider Canyon?"

Doubts flashed in Huo Tianxing's mind.

He had some impression of Ye Canglan; he was a decent talent, but when he went missing five years ago, he was only at the sixth or seventh tier.

Even if he had some fortuitous encounter, it shouldn't be enough for the Divine Court to mobilize such a luxurious lineup to encircle and suppress him, right?

Could it be that this kid was hiding some shocking secret?

The other end of the phone suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Zheng Baichuan seemed not to know how to explain it.

"Don't stutter!"

"It's not aimed at Ye Canglan!"

"And it's not the Tongyuan Society."

Zheng Baichuan's voice became extremely strange, even carrying a hint of breakdown.

"The one they want to catch is a... a prospective freshman!"

"What kind of student?"

Huo Tianxing heard it, but didn't quite hear it...

Crossing the Federal border.

Deep into the Western Frontier Source Abyss.

The target was to catch a student who had just finished the college entrance exam?

Had the Divine Court Tribunal collectively gotten drunk?

"That student... is named Su Ming!"

"Who is Su Ming?"

Huo Tianxing was completely stunned.

The other end of the phone got stuck again.

This time it wasn't because Zheng Baichuan didn't know how to explain it.

It was because he didn't expect the Marshal really hadn't heard of him.

"Marshal! It's that Su Ming!"

"The young man whose file clearance was suddenly raised to SS level a while ago, causing a big stir in the Southern Military Region!"

"The examinee from Jiangcheng!"

"A Body Cultivator without Source Energy!"

"The one who beat the Tongyuan Society's Scorpion King to death head-on, and was fought over by six top military academies for special recruitment!"

"The perverted kid whose online alias is 'King of Posers'!"

"King of Posers"?!

The moment those two words entered his ears, a not-so-pleasant memory surfaced in Huo Tianxing's mind.

Seven days ago.

The highest-level private communication channel of the four military region marshals was usually as quiet as a zombie group.

As the pillar of the Federation, every time Shen Hongyuan took the initiative to pop up in the group, it was basically to show off his precious daughter in an all-around, no-dead-angle way.

Of course, that girl Qingci was indeed a once-in-a-century Prodigy, and the three marshals all doted on her dearly.

Their ears were almost calloused from listening, but they could only pinch their noses and echo, sending a few thumbs-up emojis.

Then "proactively" offer some elder gifts.

Logically speaking, it had only been two days since Old Marshal Shen's last "showing off his daughter and receiving gifts" in the group.

As a result, late that night, this old marshal suddenly appeared in the group again.

This time, he crazily sent twenty-five messages in one go!

Huo Tianxing thought a Source Beast Dominator had attacked Jiangcheng at that time!

When he clicked to look, he saw.

The first message was a fragmentary combat image of a teenager hard-shaking a sixth-tier Scorpion King with his bare hands.

The second message was a medical report with most of its content deleted.

And the remaining twenty-three voice messages were all crazy showing off in a roundabout way.

Things like "physical fitness is passable".

Things like "combat awareness is barely acceptable".

Things like "this kid, very much to my liking".

Things like "he is young and prone to mistakes, everyone please take care of him when you pass by".

In the end, he was even more smug to the extreme!

Saying that the kid was simply a perfect successor tailored for the Federal military Soul!?

It was also that day that Su Ming's file was upgraded from S level to SSS level.

Key figures in the four military regions all received separate notifications.

And with the blessing of the internet, the fame of the King of Posers also spread throughout the military region overnight!

Huo Tianxing was still at the Long March 10 base at that time, and only scanned it a few times without investigating deeply.

After all, that was someone Shen Hongyuan had taken a fancy to.

Who would dare to really investigate that kid as an ordinary newcomer?

There were four people in the group, and three of them were brought up by him.

Someone had been his personal adjutant.

Someone had been trapped in a desperate battle line with no chance of survival, and was dragged back by him alone after killing through the Source Abyss.

Huo Tianxing himself was Shen Hongyuan's closing Disciple back then.

He entered the eighth tier at thirty-three.

After that, he was stuck for a full seventeen years!

In the end, it was Shen Hongyuan who personally took him into the twisted Void Realm, and in a collapsed star relic, risked his life to find an Opportunity for him, before he entered the ninth tier.

A mentor who taught him,

A superior in military rank,

A benefactor of rebirth!

Just taking any one of these would be enough for him to remember for a lifetime.

And he, Huo Tianxing, occupied all three.

"Old Shen, did you take a closing Disciple?"

At that time, the Northern Marshal asked back.

Shen Hongyuan waited five minutes before replying.

"No."

The Eastern Marshal followed up and asked.

"Then is he your son who was lost outside?"

It was no wonder he thought too much; what else could make Old Shen so uncomposed besides having a boy?

Huo Tianxing also teased and sent a sentence.

"It couldn't be a son-in-Law picked for Qingci, right? ... (smirk jpg)"

This time, Shen Hongyuan didn't reply for two full hours.

Until late at night, he sent a string of words.

"..."

"It's not impossible to let that stinky kid call me dad...!"

Holy crap!

Now the three of them understood!

It really was a future precious son-in-Law?!

...

Huo Tianxing turned his head abruptly, his gaze piercing through thousands of kilometers of the Void Realm, directly locking onto the direction of Black Spider Canyon.

He closed his eyes, and his ninth-tier Divine Thought, as vast as the sea, swept across.

The next second, his face changed drastically!

Sure enough!

Deep underground in Black Spider Canyon, a terrifying forbidden spell fluctuation that could threaten the stability of the regional space was crazily gathering!

That energy level had already reached the eighth-tier Peak!

King of Posers... no, it was the mentor's son-in-Law, who came to my Western Frontier territory?!

And is being locked on by an eighth-tier old dog using a big move?!

"Damn it!"

Huo Tianxing cursed angrily, no longer caring about any marshal dignity.

"How dare you touch my nephew?!"

Zheng Baichuan on the other end of the phone was directly dumbfounded.

What the hell?

Your nephew?

Marshal, since when did you have a nephew surnamed Su?

Aren't you an only child?

Didn't you just ask "Who is Su Ming" a moment ago?

This relationship is climbing too fast!

Huo Tianxing, however, had no time to explain to him.

In those eyes of his that contained the birth and death of stars, only monstrous anger and awe-inspiring killing intent remained.

"Pass my military order!"

"The military region's direct Ninth Special Reaction Fleet, 'Heaven's Punishment' Heavy Source Energy Railgun Regiment, all mobilize! Block the three-thousand-kilometer airspace around Black Spider Canyon!"

"All combat units, authority level opened to war status!"

"No warnings needed, any foreign target that enters the blockade line without permission, whether it's a spaceship or a fly, shoot it down on the spot!"

A military order that could shake the entire Western Frontier was issued one after another from his mouth.

After giving the order, Huo Tianxing didn't even look at the adjutant who had already petrified on the side.

He casually tore at the Void Realm in front of him.

Chi la...

The spatial barrier, which was strong enough to withstand the bombardment of an eighth-tier powerhouse, was as fragile as paper in front of him, easily torn open into a pitch-black crack.

Opposite the crack was the underground sinkhole filled with destructive Aura.

Huo Tianxing stepped into it, and his figure disappeared into the spatial passage.

Leaving behind only a cold, bone-chilling sentence that echoed over the "Heavenly Abyss" base for a long time.

"I want to see how the dogs of the Divine Court dare to run to my Western Frontier to bite people!"

...

(There will be another chapter later!)