Chapter 328: Mental Preparation

Shi Gang licked his lips. "Major, just killing him and running... doesn’t that feel a little gutless?"

"This isn’t an arena match. This is war," Luo Cheng said coldly. "The five of you are more valuable than a hundred ordinary Martial Artists. The Federation doesn’t need you to play the hero. It needs you to come back alive and continue to grow stronger."

Shi Gang fell silent.

"Any other questions?" Luo Cheng asked.

Lin Zhaowen pushed up his glasses. "Can we confirm the time of Milo’s appearance?"

"We can’t," Luo Cheng said, shaking his head. "The decoy team will do their best to apply pressure, but when Milo will strike—or if he’ll strike personally at all—are unknowns. You’ll need to be patient. You might have to lay low for a few days, or even longer."

Liu Yue spoke up. "What about supplies?"

"The base will issue you standard ten-day supply packs, including high-energy food, water, medical supplies, and basic ammunition. If there’s no progress after ten days, you can decide for yourselves whether to withdraw."

Luo Cheng looked at Xu Wuyi. "Do you have any questions?"

Xu Wuyi was silent for a few seconds before asking, "What if Milo doesn’t use the Celestial Wolf Illusion?"

"Then you won’t need to do anything," Luo Cheng said. "Shi Gang and the other three are enough to handle Milo in his normal state."

"But according to the intel and video analysis from Old Cat, Milo habitually summons the Celestial Wolf Illusion to end fights quickly when he faces a strong opponent. It’s his pride as a Divine Son, and it’s also his weakness."

Xu Wuyi nodded, indicating he understood.

Luo Cheng looked around at the group. Seeing no further questions, he added, "Everyone, this is a highly unusual operation with far too many uncertain factors."

"It’s possible Milo has already returned to the Celestial Wolf Star Realm. It’s possible he’s hiding a secret killing blow. It’s even possible the Werewolf Race has already anticipated our move today."

His expression darkened slightly. "The Werewolf Race is a complete civilization with over twenty Grandmaster Level experts. Their individual intelligence is not to be underestimated."

"If Milo’s appearance is itself a trap, with other masters lying in wait, designed solely to lure out and assassinate the Federation’s Geniuses..."

At these words, the expressions of all five, including Xu Wuyi, turned grim.

’They seemed to be the hunters on this mission, but was it possible they were actually the prey?’

"Of course, that possibility is rather slim," Luo Cheng said, shaking his head. "However, we can’t ignore any possibility. You need to be mentally prepared."

"If an unexpected situation arises, your personal safety is the priority. The mission is secondary."

"Alright." Luo Cheng checked the time. "It is now 2:10 PM. You have thirty minutes to prepare. We depart at 2:40 sharp."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the five of them.

"Old Cat gave his life for this intel. Don’t let it go to waste. Come back alive, and avenge them."

...

「2:40 PM, Launch Platform 5.」

A shuttle-shaped aircraft, painted jet black, rested on the platform. Its engines were already running, emitting a low hum.

The aircraft was smaller than any model Xu Wuyi had ever flown in. Its streamlined fuselage bore no markings, and its surface was coated with a special radar-absorbent material.

"Shadow-III Special Infiltration Craft," Lin Zhaowen said in a low voice, standing next to Xu Wuyi. "It’s the Federation’s newest model of stealth aircraft. It can fly silently at Mach 3 at low altitudes, and its radar cross-section is only about the size of a bird."

Shi Gang was already on board, checking his equipment: an alloy shield half as tall as a person and a heavy power hammer.

Liu Yue stood by the boarding ramp, her arms crossed, her gaze sweeping vigilantly over the surroundings.

Zhou Ming was the last to arrive.

He carried a specialized case for his sniper rifle on his shoulder, and a few special-tipped rounds were visible in the tactical pouch on his waist.

"All aboard," Luo Cheng said, waving to them from the edge of the platform.

The five of them boarded the craft one by one.

The interior was slightly larger than it appeared from the outside, but it was still cramped.

Six fixed seats lined the walls, leaving a narrow aisle down the middle.

Several screens were embedded in the bulkheads, displaying flight data and the external environment.

Lin Zhaowen naturally took a seat at the very front, opened his data pad, and began working.

Shi Gang chose a seat toward the back, resting his shield by his feet. Liu Yue took a window seat in the middle section and closed her eyes to rest.

Xu Wuyi sat down across from Zhou Ming.

The craft’s hatch closed without a sound, and the hum of the engines grew louder.

Through the viewport, Xu Wuyi saw the platform begin to descend, the entire launch pad moving underground.

Thirty seconds later, they entered a sloping underground tunnel.

Glowing blue guidance lights lined the tunnel walls as the craft accelerated along a track, moving faster and faster.

"We’re using an underground launch silo," Lin Zhaowen said without looking up. "We’ll punch straight through the planetary crust into low orbit, then jump to the coordinates for the Celestial Spirit Star Realm. This route offers the best chance of avoiding detection."

Xu Wuyi nodded. He had a general understanding of these concepts, but only at a textbook level; he’d never delved into the details.

Before the New Century, humans believed that beyond the planet lay only the void of space—an empty nothingness. Even the probes they sent out couldn’t detect any Energy orbits.

It wasn’t until the great proliferation of Martial Arts that humanity’s understanding and application of cosmic Energy deepened, leading to the discovery that the universe was filled with a strange, omnipresent Energy.

Orbits of different Energy Levels envelop planets layer by layer, and can only be accessed at specific frequencies. The outermost of these layers is what’s known as the edge of a Star Realm.

By executing an Energy Level transition on this outer edge, one can jump to other orbits of the Same Ability Level. This is the principle behind traversing Star Realms.

This method used to be called "wormhole travel," but as the exploration of the spatial Domain deepened, it was eventually given a new name.

Xu Wuyi glanced over at Zhou Ming again.

Zhou Ming was inspecting the components of his sniper rifle. His movements were steady and focused, and he examined each part with meticulous care.

"Zhou Ming," Xu Wuyi began.

Zhou Ming looked up, and a faint light glinted off the tactical eyepiece over his left eye.

"Old Cat..." Xu Wuyi hesitated. "Did you know him?"

He’d noticed earlier, when Old Cat’s face had been shown, that it wasn’t just him who had been visibly affected; Zhou Ming had a similar reaction.

The movements of Zhou Ming’s hands stopped for a moment.

After a few seconds, he resumed checking the components, his voice calm. "I knew him. Three years ago, we fought side-by-side for three months in the ’Iron-Blooded Star Realm.’ He saved my life once."

Xu Wuyi fell silent.

Zhou Ming loaded a custom round into the magazine and engaged the safety. "He was a good soldier. His death was a waste."

"Then we’ll have to make Milo’s death count for more," Shi Gang interjected from the back, his voice laced with venom.

Zhou Ming glanced at Shi Gang but didn’t say anything, simply closing his eyes.

The craft had already burst out of the underground tunnel and was now entering low orbit.