43: Chapter 43 Money Arrives, Martial King Defeated on the Spot!

1:30 PM.

The light reconnaissance aircraft landed steadily on the tarmac of Fortress No. 7.

This was more than an hour earlier than the scheduled 3:00 PM.

The cabin door lowered, and Combat Staff Officer Song Qing stood at the wind tunnel with a stony face.

She held a clipboard in her hand, ready to check the attendance of the personnel being integrated.

A figure wearing a black combat suit walked out of the cabin.

Li Zhengyang carried the dragon gall golden spear on his shoulder as he walked down the ramp, dark red blood still dripping from the spear tip.

Combat Staff Officer Song Qing subconsciously covered her mouth and nose and looked into the cabin.

No one else behind him?

"Where are they?" Combat Staff Officer Song Qing stepped forward, her brows knitted together. "Those two people who brought the introduction letter from the Military District Logistics Department, Director Wang Dewen and Wang Ming. They boarded the aircraft with you, so where are they?"

Li Zhengyang stopped his steps and used his free hand to rummage in his pocket.

He pulled out a crumpled note and handed it over.

Combat Staff Officer Song Qing took it and unfolded it.

There was a line of writing on it:

"Director Wang Dewen and Wang Ming refused to heed advice and trespassed into the territory of a Grade 5 Abyssal Giant Lizard, where they unfortunately perished. This report is hereby submitted."

Li Zhengyang's name was signed at the bottom.

Combat Staff Officer Song Qing's breathing stopped for a second.

"You call this a death report?" Combat Staff Officer Song Qing shook the note, making it rustle loudly. "Two people, carrying a public introduction letter from the Military District Logistics Department, were entrusted to your lead. Less than two hours after going out, they are all dead? You didn't even bring back a severed limb or arm?"

Li Zhengyang reached out and brushed the dust off his clothes.

"They were chewed up and swallowed by the Abyssal Giant Lizard; they couldn't be brought back. There are bloodstains left at the scene; you can go and extract DNA for verification."

"Li Zhengyang!" Combat Staff Officer Song Qing raised her voice. "Do you think this is a child's game? These are two human lives! If the higher-ups investigate this, can you bear the responsibility?"

"They sought their own deaths; I tried my best but couldn't save them. The report has already been given to you." Li Zhengyang shouldered his long spear again. "I'm going to the logistics department to submit my mission. Excuse me."

Li Zhengyang bypassed Combat Staff Officer Song Qing and strode toward the interior of the fortress.

Combat Staff Officer Song Qing gripped the crumpled note, her lungs about to explode with anger.

She immediately turned around and hurried toward the command center.

On the second floor of the command center, in the Commander-in-Chief's office.

Commander Han Tieshan was looking at a defensive map of the Northern Wasteland Theater.

This supreme commander of Fortress No. 7, a powerhouse at the Grade 9 Martial King realm, sported short stubble and an old scar running across half his chin on the side of his face.

Combat Staff Officer Song Qing pushed the door open and slammed the handwritten note onto the desk.

"Sir, something has happened. The newly transferred Li Zhengyang has caused the death of the two assessment personnel sent by the Military District Logistics Department. This is the report he provided."

Commander Han Tieshan glanced at the note, picked it up, and examined it for two seconds.

"Go, call the pilot who took them out."

Two minutes later.

The pilot stood in front of the desk, his face pale, his legs together and standing straight.

"Greetings, Sir!"

"Report the situation. What happened after landing?" Commander Han Tieshan lit a cigarette.

The pilot swallowed hard.

"Report! Sergeant Major Li asked me to circle in the sky for half an hour. When I landed to pick them up after half an hour, the two personnel holding the introduction letters were gone. The scene was a mess."

"Continue."

"The ground was covered in blood and minced meat, along with shattered bone fragments. And…" The pilot's voice carried a hint of a tremor, "That Grade 5 Abyssal Giant Lizard is dead."

Commander Han Tieshan's hand holding the cigarette paused.

Combat Staff Officer Song Qing turned her head abruptly, staring fixedly at the pilot.

"What did you say?" Combat Staff Officer Song Qing doubted she had heard correctly. "The Abyssal Giant Lizard is dead? That's a peak Grade 5 demonic beast!"

"It's really dead." The pilot wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Its neck was pierced with a large hole, and its spine was completely shattered. Its head was sliced open, and the beast core is gone. Sergeant Major Li returned alone carrying his spear; I didn't dare to ask more."

The office was so quiet that only the sound of the exhaust fan spinning remained.

Commander Han Tieshan crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray and remained silent.

"Sir, this matter involves the Military District Logistics Department…" Combat Staff Officer Song Qing reminded him.

"Bullshit! What Logistics Department! Old Xiao is over there taking bribes and stuffing people in for gold-plating; do they really think the Northern Territory is their family's backyard?" Commander Han Tieshan snorted coldly. "The people were eaten by a demonic beast; that is fate. Send out the notice: no one is allowed to cause trouble for Li Zhengyang over this matter."

At the same time.

Fortress logistics exchange office.

The lobby was deserted, and Old Ma at the front desk was fiddling with a calculator out of boredom.

The door was pushed open. A thick, bloody, and baleful aura surged in directly.

Old Ma jumped in shock and looked up to see a young man wearing a tattered combat suit walking over.

Li Zhengyang walked to the counter and unfastened his space ring.

Clatter.

A large pile of Grade 4 Rift Scorpion stingers, severed limbs, and intact carapaces, still dripping with green bodily fluids, slammed onto the counter, forming a small mountain.

Old Ma stood up, choking and coughing from the pungent smell.

"You… single-handedly took on a scorpion nest?" Old Ma picked up a stinger to examine it and gasped in shock. "All of them have cut surfaces from one-hit kills; the quality is excellent. The quantity of thirty-six, I'll package them for you."

Li Zhengyang didn't speak.

He pulled a black beast core covered in mucus from his pocket.

As soon as this thing was taken out, the temperature around the counter seemed to drop a few degrees, and the air was filled with violent spiritual energy fluctuations.

Bang.

The beast core slammed directly onto the counter surface.

Old Ma stumbled back two steps, his back hitting the shelf behind him.

"A… a Grade 5 Abyssal Giant Lizard beast core!" Old Ma's eyes widened as he looked at Li Zhengyang's face. "You killed it alone?"

"Stop the nonsense, calculate the money." Li Zhengyang tapped the countertop.

Old Ma trembled as he took the calculator and pressed the buttons frantically.

"Grade 4 Rift Scorpion materials, package price 1.2 million. This Grade 5 Abyssal Giant Lizard beast core is top-grade; there is a large shortage in the market, so I'll take it for 800,000. That's 2 million in total."

"Add the A-Zone cleanup mission I just completed, 1 million. Transfer it to my account."

Three minutes later, the personal communication terminal on Li Zhengyang's wrist vibrated.

3 million received.

Adding the 4 million he had saved previously, the total account balance reached 7 million.

Li Zhengyang walked to a lounge chair in the corner of the exchange office and sat down, closing his eyes.

He chanted silently in his heart.

"System, top up everything."

[Top-up successful!]

[Top-up amount: 7,000,000]

[Obtained Blood Qi Value: +70,000]

[Current Blood Qi Value: 162,628]

[Blood Qi Value threshold breakthrough detected]

[Realm breakthrough: Grade 5 Martial Grandmaster → Grade 1 Martial King!]

Boom!

The meridians in Li Zhengyang's body were instantly expanded by a massive amount of Blood Qi.

70,000 points of Blood Qi surged wildly through his limbs and bones, directly crashing through the thick barrier blocking the path to the Martial King realm.

The Blood Qi vortex at his Dantian expanded crazily, and the originally gaseous energy began to compress rapidly, little by little turning into liquid blood-colored True Essence.

Muscle fibers reorganized, and his bones emitted a fine, cracking sound.

Critical point breakthrough!

Grade 1 Martial King!

Li Zhengyang sat there without moving, but the air within half a meter around his body distorted violently.

Old Ma hid behind the counter, his legs weak, not daring to show his head at all.

Li Zhengyang opened his eyes, feeling the power in his body surging exponentially.

The explosive power brought by the liquid Blood Qi was not on the same level as the Martial Grandmaster realm.

He stood up and glanced at the wall clock.

2:50 PM.

Ten minutes until the meeting at the command center.