83: Chapter 83: The Battlefield of Takeru

"Bullshit! Your Southern Military Region's pathetic resources are nothing to brag about? He must come to our Eastern Defense Line!"

Commander Chu Xiong, the commander of the Southern Military Region, slammed his hand against the wall panel, causing it to rattle.

"Your Southern Defense Line is any better? That last batch of weapons malfunctioned and almost blew up your own position. You want to send a genius like him there to die?"

Commander Chu Xiong was not to be outdone.

"Your Eastern Defense Line has been behind on meat rations for the theater canteen for three months now. What do you have to compare with us?"

The person in charge of the Central Military Region was a stout man, and he stood between the two to mediate.

He rolled two walnuts in his hand, creating a clicking sound: "You two, calm down. Let's not ruin the harmony. If you ask me, coming to our Central Defense Line is the safest bet; our logistical support is the best in all of the Great Xia."

Li Zhengyang set his teacup on the windowsill, brushed off his pant legs, and walked to the door.

He placed his hand on the doorknob and pulled it down.

In the hallway, five or six military bigwigs with golden stars on their shoulders were arguing until their faces were red.

Commander Chu Xiong, the commander of the Southern Military Region, was spitting everywhere as he spoke, his finger nearly poking Lei Qianjue in the nose.

The Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military Region had his sleeves rolled up, the veins in his neck bulging, looking ready to start a fight.

Although the person in charge of the Central Military Region didn't join the fray, he was fanning the flames with snide remarks.

These big shots, who usually had the final say on the various defense lines, had completely dropped their airs, looking exactly like aunties scrambling for vegetables at a wet market.

The door clicked.

The arguing stopped abruptly.

Everyone's gaze snapped directly onto Li Zhengyang.

Those gazes were terrifyingly intense.

The young nurse was so scared she shrank back against the wall, terrified of being caught in the crossfire of these big shots.

Li Zhengyang leaned against the doorframe and picked his ear.

"What are you arguing about? I could hear you bickering from all the way over there."

Commander Chu Xiong was the first to react; he lunged forward, forcing a Maitreya-like smile onto his weathered face.

"Li Zhengyang, right? My goodness, a hero truly is born of youth! I am Commander Chu Xiong of the Southern Military Region! Kid, come join us!"

Commander Chu Xiong patted his chest and made a loud guarantee.

"No matter what cultivation resources you have your eye on—high-level medicinal pills, rare spiritual materials, or top-grade cultivation techniques—as long as you ask, the military region's treasury will be open to you twenty-four hours a day! I'll make the call; all resources on the front line will be prioritized for you!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

The Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military Region shoved Commander Chu Xiong aside, his face full of disdain.

"Resources are nothing! Our Eastern Military Region doesn't deal in empty promises; we give power!"

He stared at Li Zhengyang, his tone excited.

"As long as you come, I'll go stamp the papers immediately, and you'll be directly appointed as a Deputy Commander!"

"You can pick any elite soldiers and generals on the defense line you want; if anyone refuses to listen to you, you can deal with them by military law—execute first, report later!"

The stout representative from the Central Military Region walked forward slowly and chuckled.

"My two brothers, your scope is still too limited."

He turned to look at Li Zhengyang and threw out his trump card.

"Young man, power and resources are merely external things; it's too tiring to fight for them yourself."

"Come to the Central Military Region, and I will grant you special access to the National Treasury. You can go straight in and take whatever you want from the core heritage that the Great Xia has accumulated over a hundred years."

Once this offer was made, the hallway fell momentarily silent.

Special access to the National Treasury—this was the highest level of treatment, something even ordinary generals couldn't obtain.

The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious; the interior of the Great Xia had always been very united.

Although everyone was arguing until their faces were red, it was all to pull the top genius of the human race to their own defense line to contribute, so no one had truly fallen out with the others.

Lei Qianjue stood to the side with a dark face, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

He was the Martial Venerable who guarded the Northern Territory; who would normally dare to poach talent right under his nose?

But this time, it wouldn't work.

These people were holding special approval from the General Military Committee.

Facing this group of shameless rogues who came to snatch people, he had no right to interfere with Li Zhengyang's choice and could only sigh in frustration.

Li Zhengyang stood where he was, squinting as he listened to their offers, nodding from time to time as he evaluated the conditions given by each side.

Just then, an old man walked down the end of the hallway.

The old man had gray hair, wore an old-style military uniform, and had four golden stars hanging on his epaulets.

His posture was straight as a ramrod, and every step he took carried the heavy weight of an army pressing down on the border.

The General Military Committee of the Great Xia, a veteran of the state-guarding level, Qin Zhan.

Qin Zhan walked up close, and the previously noisy bigwigs automatically cleared a path.

The old general looked Li Zhengyang up and down, making no effort to hide his appreciation for talent.

He had read the battle report.

A 5th Grade Martial Emperor killing a Martial Venerable, forcefully slaying a Hegemon—the battle record was so fierce it was hard to believe.

But he felt that since the young man had just achieved such a great feat, it was inevitable that he would be impetuous, and being arrogant would easily lead to stumbling on the battlefield.

As an elder, he wanted to knock him down a peg and test whether this kid's foundation was truly stable.

Qin Zhan took half a step forward.

An invisible aura poured out from his body.

The pressure of a late-stage Martial Venerable was not aimed at anyone else, but locked directly onto Li Zhengyang.

The air in the hallway suddenly sank.

This aura was extremely strong; even though only a sliver was released, the few star-ranked generals nearby were pushed back half an inch by the aftershock.

The old general's original intention was just to suppress Li Zhengyang's sharpness, to let him know there is always someone better, and to maintain a sense of awe.

However, facing this pressure that felt like Mount Tai pressing down, Li Zhengyang did not retreat.

Instead, he laughed out loud.

"Testing me?"

Li Zhengyang sneered.

Tyrannosaurus Bone, activate!

The aura of a 1st Grade Martial Venerable that he had just broken through to no longer held back in the slightest.

Boom!

A terrifying pressure exploded from Li Zhengyang's body!

The power that had been forcibly suppressed in the ward just moments ago found its release at this very moment.

Crack! Crack!

The walls on both sides of the hallway, built from special alloys, instantly cracked under the pressure.

The bulletproof reinforced glass couldn't withstand this pressure and shattered directly into a pile of powder.

The entire medical building shook violently under this violent aura, and alarms blared everywhere.

The few military bigwigs who bore the brunt of it were caught off guard; hit in the chest by this genuine Martial Venerable aura, their blood surged, and they all retreated three steps in unison.

Commander Chu Xiong widened his eyes and swore outright.

The aura that Qin Zhan had released was brutally crushed.

The old general stood his ground, hard-carrying the backlash, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

He stared fixedly at Li Zhengyang, his voice cracking.

"Martial Venerable?!"

"A twenty-year-old... Martial Venerable?!"

Not a single person in the hallway made a sound.

The bigwigs who had just been making empty promises to snatch him were all stunned, their minds completely blank.

The battle report clearly stated in black and white that he was a 5th Grade Martial Emperor.

How did he cross the chasm and become a Martial Venerable in just one day?

Is this cultivation speed even humanly possible?

Lei Qianjue was also dumbfounded.

Twenty minutes ago, when he checked on him, he was clearly still a Martial Emperor; how did he become a Martial Venerable in the time it takes to change a pair of underwear?

How on earth did this kid do it?

He didn't understand, but he didn't ask.

Li Zhengyang was his man; the stronger he was, the more confident he felt.

Commander Chu Xiong stuffed the approval document into his pocket: "Old Lei, let's make a deal; let me have him. I'll give half of our military region's cultivation resources for next year to your Northern Territory for free."

Lei Qianjue sneered and didn't take the bait at all.

Li Zhengyang withdrew his aura.

His gaze swept over the dumbfounded bigwigs in front of him.

His tone was completely calm as he spoke a single sentence.

"Everyone's conditions are quite good, but I choose to stay in the Northern Territory."