193: Conflict (3)

"Young Master Luo, the warm-up should be over! Show your true skills!" Tang Qi stopped testing and let out a low growl, blue light flashing all over his body! His body expanded rapidly, transforming into an eight-meter-tall, ferocious and majestic blue Thunder Dragon in the blink of an eye! His broad dragon wings spread out, causing the surrounding airflow to surge violently, and dark clouds actually faintly gathered in the sky, with the muffled sound of thunder!

"As you wish!" Luo Chen knew well that this battle concerned the clan's face, so how could he dare to be negligent? He took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incomparably sharp, a dazzling silver-white light glowing around him, and a set of silver-white battle armor quickly covered his entire body! Immediately following that, an eight-meter-tall, extremely solid phantom of the heroic spirit Luo Cheng suddenly appeared behind him!

That heroic spirit phantom had a face like white powder, lips like red paint, and phoenix eyes containing majesty. He wore a silver crown with hair tied up, and pheasant feathers trembled slightly in the wind. He was clad in silver-white fish-scale bright armor, the plates reflecting a cold glow under the light, the heart-protecting mirror shimmering with precious light. He held a Five-Hook Divine Flying Bright Silver Spear that was magnified several times, the spear tip flickering with cold light, five curved hooks revealing a strange murderous aura, and the spear tassel was like blood! He looked like a cold-faced young silver-spear general stepped out of a romance novel.

"Watch my spear!" Luo Chen shouted violently, and the person and the heroic spirit seemed to merge into one. The huge Luo Cheng phantom held the bright silver spear, carrying an indomitable momentum, and charged towards the Thunder Dragon surrounded by lightning!

"Roar!" Tang Qi let out a heaven-shaking dragon roar and met the attack with dragon claws entwined with electric light!

In an instant, the dragon roared and the spear rang, as thunder and silver light collided madly! The lightning spat by the Thunder Dragon struck the heroic spirit's battle armor, exploding into clouds of black smoke; while the elusive Five-Hook Divine Flying Spear of the heroic spirit Luo Cheng broke through the dragon scales time and again with tricky strikes, bringing out sprays of blood! Both of them had gone all out, and the battle entered a fever pitch!

Tang Qi suddenly flapped his wings and flew high, pulling apart the distance, his dragon head held high, and his huge dragon claws grasping at the empty air towards the sky.

"Lightning Flash Formula!"

Dark clouds in the sky rolled violently, and countless electric snakes gathered toward his claws. A dazzling lightning ball with a diameter of over several meters quickly took shape, emitting a destructive aura!

On the ground, Luo Chen's expression was solemn to the extreme. He swung his long spear like a wheel, injecting the energy within his body into the spear shaft without reservation. At the tip of the spear, a huge, cold energy arc like a crescent moon rapidly condensed and compressed, emitting a sharp edge that could cut through everything!

"Heavenly Absolute Spear Technique"

"Esoteric Art - Cold River Locking the Moon!"

Seeing that the two were actually going to perform such terrifying ultimate moves, the onlookers were scared out of their wits and scrambled to escape more than a hundred meters back.

Logistics Officer was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. Before the two started fighting, she had quietly dialed the communicator of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Zhang Lei, but no one had answered. She could only anxiously send a text message for help.

Just a moment ago, Zhang Lei's reply finally arrived late.

In the field, the two had accumulated their power to the peak! Tang Qi's lightning ball fell like a small sun! Luo Chen's crescent moon arc slashed upwards like a giant axe opening the heavens!

Two forces of energy capable of destroying heaven and earth collided! Terrifying energy erupted, and the two were still madly driving their Superpowers to enhance the power.

At this critical moment!

"Whoosh—" An apollo fighter jet broke through the air at an amazing speed and hovered above the battlefield. The hatch opened, and a figure with Ice and Fire Twin Wings fell like a meteor; it was Zhang Lei!

Zhang Lei was expressionless, his eyes cold. He didn't even spare a glance at the energy center below that was about to collide, but simply raised his hand casually.

"Buzz—" A twenty-meter-tall phantom of the Water God Gonggong, emitting an ancient aura, condensed behind him in an instant. The phantom shot straight into the clouds, majestic and vast, making everyone on the ground who saw it tremble in their souls!

"That... what is that? Is it the Great God Gonggong?!"

"My god! It's... so big!"

The Gonggong phantom waved the huge energy halberd in its hand and lightly slashed at the intersection of those two terrifying energies!

It was as if the heavenly river had poured down! A surging flood appeared out of thin air, like a blue canopy overturning, falling from the clouds and instantly swallowing the lightning ball and the crescent moon completely!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a sizzling sound of being forcibly "extinguished" and the muffled sound of energy annihilation. That terrifying wave of energy, enough to level a radius of dozens of meters, was like a campfire washed by a flood, instantly dying down and dissipating into nothingness. The remaining water vapor turned into a cool drizzle that fell on the terrified onlookers, and the destructive pressure from before vanished without a trace.

The Gonggong phantom then dissipated. Zhang Lei slowly landed between Tang Qi and Luo Chen.

The invisible Heavy Water Domain was released. Tang Qi and Luo Chen, who were already near collapse due to their full-strength strikes, suddenly felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on them. Their legs trembled violently, and they almost knelt on the ground!

Zhang Lei glanced at the two indifferently and slowly withdrew the domain's pressure.

Once the pressure was released, both of them stumbled, barely managing to stand firm, gasping for breath, their faces full of horror. Just a trace of pressure suppression had left them powerless to resist!

Tang Qi was the first to react. Enduring his weakness, he straightened his body and raised his right hand in a standard military salute, his voice hoarse but firm: "Deputy Commander-in-Chief!"

Zhang Lei nodded slightly, stepped forward to support Tang Qi's arm, and his tone softened a bit: "Brigade Commander Tang, how are your injuries?"

"Reporting to the officer! It's just exhaustion, nothing serious!" Tang Qi stabilized himself and replied.

Zhang Lei turned his gaze toward the pale Luo Chen. His tone betrayed no emotion, yet it carried an unquestionable command: "Young Master Luo, right? Arrange a quiet place; I have something to announce."

Luo Chen was deeply shaken. The means by which Zhang Lei had effortlessly neutralized their ultimate moves just now, as well as the unfathomable aura on Zhang Lei at this moment, made him clearly realize that the difference in strength between the two sides was like clouds and mud. He didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest and hurriedly bowed in response: "Very well, Officer Zhang Lei, please follow me."

Luo Clan Meeting Hall

Zhang Lei sat boldly on the main seat that originally belonged to the old clan leader of the Luo Clan. He just sat there without deliberately releasing his aura, but the invisible pressure formed by being in a high position for a long time and commanding thousands of troops had already made the atmosphere of the entire hall incomparably heavy.

Tang Qi stood solemnly to one side, and Logistics Officer quietly stood behind him. Luo Chen stood below with his hands down, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Luo Hui and several other clan elders rushed over. As soon as they entered and saw Zhang Lei sitting in the main seat, Luo Hui's expression changed and he was about to flare up, but he was hurriedly stopped by Luo Chen's stern gaze, and Luo Chen quickly whispered a few words in his ear.

After hearing this, Luo Hui's face instantly turned pale. He gave Zhang Lei a look of awe and stood aside obediently, not daring to show any more dissatisfaction.

They had long heard of Zhang Lei. The ice fire divine lord before them, who was famous throughout Huaxia, was a figure highly valued even by the highest levels of the National Government. He held heavy troops and possessed supreme power; he was definitely not someone a local clan like theirs could afford to offend. Even if it were the top-tier noble families in Kyoto, they would not dare to be rude in front of this legendary hero of Huaxia.

Soon, the senior officers of the Mixed Brigade and the core elders of the Luo Clan all arrived. Not a single person dared to sit down without permission; they all stood respectfully with their hands down, waiting for Zhang Lei to speak. The entire meeting hall was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, with only the sound of everyone's suppressed breathing.

After a long while, Zhang Lei slowly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone present, and said: "Everyone, take a seat."

Those four simple words made everyone feel as if they had been granted a great amnesty. They all sat down cautiously, but their backs remained straight, not daring to relax in the slightest.

Zhang Lei leaned back slightly, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, and was the first to break the silence. His voice was steady and powerful: "The Luo Clan has always had a reputation for chivalry. I have observed along the way that although the people are in the apocalypse, they can still live and work in peace, with little sign of famine or panic on their faces. It can be seen that they can usually eat their fill and dress warmly.

That the Luo family could stand up in a time of crisis and protect the local people, such a righteous act is worthy of the name of a heroic family. I, Zhang, am deeply impressed." His words were sincere and not just perfunctory, making the Luo Clan elders present involuntarily straighten their backs, with looks of pride on their faces.

However, Zhang Lei's tone shifted slightly. His voice remained calm, but it carried an unquestionable weight: "However..."

He turned his gaze toward Tang Qi and Luo Chen, "Brigade Commander Tang is here by the order of my legion to recover the lost land of Sword City and rescue the people. He is a general I personally promoted. Before joining the army, he was already a respected hero in Lingchuan City. You two families should have worked together to overcome the difficulties. Now, because of a few verbal disputes, you have reached the point of meeting in battle. This makes me... very disappointed." He shook his head slightly, his regret evident. These words both affirmed the Luo Clan's contributions and maintained Tang Qi's face, while also highlighting the greater cause of cooperation.

Luo Chen was a smart person and immediately heard the conciliatory intent in Zhang Lei's words as well as his unchallengeable authority.

He hurriedly stood up and bowed to Zhang Lei and Tang Qi respectively, his attitude humble: "Officer Zhang Lei, you overstate it! Today's matter was truly a misunderstanding! I was only sparring with Brigade Commander Tang. As for the friction among the subordinates, it was all due to poor communication. It was my fault for not managing my family strictly and for my lack of control over my subordinates! I, Luo, solemnly apologize to Brigade Commander Tang here!" This statement of his could be said to have provided a sufficient way out.

Tang Qi was no fool either. Seeing his superior intervene and Luo Chen take the initiative to back down, he immediately stood up and followed: "Officer, I am also at fault for this matter. I failed to restrain my subordinates, resulting in a misunderstanding with the brothers of the Luo Clan. I should also apologize to Young Master Luo Chen." He cupped his fists toward Luo Chen.

Seeing this, a faint smile finally appeared on Zhang Lei's face, and he clapped his hands: "Good! Very good! It is better to resolve a dispute than to keep it. That you two can set aside your past grievances and cooperate sincerely in the future is the blessing of the people of Sword City and the fortune of the nation!"

His gaze fell on Luo Chen again, and his tone softened considerably: "Young Master Luo."

Luo Chen quickly responded: "Officer, you are too polite. You can just call me by my name."

Zhang Lei waved his hand and said seriously: "Comrade Luo Chen, the merit of your Luo family is exactly as I just stated. When this matter is concluded, I will personally report the situation to the National Government to request rewards for the Luo Clan and petition for a gold plaque inscribed with 'Loyal and Good for a Thousand Years' to be bestowed to honor your family's loyalty during the national crisis!"

As soon as these words were spoken, not only did Luo Chen show excitement, but all the Luo Clan elders present were even more overjoyed! A plaque bestowed by the National Government—what an honor! It was enough to bring glory to the family and be remembered for generations! This was more moving to these traditional clans than any practical benefit! Everyone stood up and bowed to Zhang Lei in thanks.

Zhang Lei nodded slightly and looked at Tang Qi again: "Brigade Commander Tang, your performance in capturing the three towns this time has been remarkable. After I return, I will discuss with the Commander-in-Chief to fill your brigade's ranks as soon as possible, complete the establishment of three regiments, and allocate a batch of heavy firepower equipment to enhance your brigade's assault capabilities. I also hope you can continue your efforts and not fail this heavy responsibility."

Tang Qi immediately stood tall, saluted, and said loudly: "Thank you for your cultivation, Officer! I, Tang Qi, will definitely do my best and not fail my mission!"

"Alright," Zhang Lei stood up and concluded, "Everyone, in this apocalyptic crisis, surrounded by powerful enemies, we should be united and point our guns outward. I hope that after today, the Mixed Brigade and the Luo Clan can completely resolve their past grievances and move forward hand in hand." His gaze swept across the room, commanding respect without anger, "Tomorrow, Brigade Commander Chen Hao of my unit will lead a main regiment to Sword City. At that time, please have the Luo Clan assist in planning the camp to facilitate the garrison. Everyone is dismissed."

Everyone responded in unison and respectfully watched as Zhang Lei was the first to leave the meeting hall.