Chapter 162: The Best Outcome for a Warrior

Chapter 162: The Best Outcome for a Warrior

"A year or two earlier than expected?" Li Yuan's heart trembled. He had previously thought that Teacher Xu Bo was merely injured and had lost some of his strength.

He never imagined it would be this severe.

Apparently, Teacher Xu Bo's expected lifespan was only a year or two left? Normally, Source Warriors could easily live beyond 150 years.

Li Yuan understood that given Teacher Xu Bo's personality, at this point, he was most likely not lying.

"Senior Xu Bo, don't you want to try?" Gao Hao couldn't help but speak up, "The medical flying vehicle is on its way."

Gao Hao was a martial arts prodigy from Jiangcheng.

Although he had never been taught by Xu Bo, as a member of Starfire Martial Temple, he had also heard of Xu Bo's deeds.

"No need."

"Elder Gao, the crisis at Nanhuang Elementary School has been resolved. You should go and carry out the next task. There's no need to worry about me." Xu Bo shook his head firmly, "The sooner we clear the Fish Spirit Surge, the fewer casualties there will be."

"Okay, take care, Senior." Gao Hao's eyes dimmed slightly, and he stopped persuading, giving a slight bow.

Buzz~

A flying vehicle descended, and Gao Hao leaped lightly, jumping over ten meters high, landing on the vehicle. Following the vehicle, he quickly departed and disappeared into the night sky.

Time was of the essence.

As a Source Warrior, he was an extremely important combat asset and could play a significant role.

"Teacher," Li Yuan turned to Xu Bo.

Xu Bo looked at Li Yuan and asked, "How is your body? Any serious issues?"

"No," Li Yuan shook his head.

"Then, let's form a new team with the uninjured members from your team and mine. You lead them to carry out the next task. Don't stay here," Xu Bo said, his face pale but composed, "The team you lead can still make a significant impact."

"No way," Li Yuan shook his head, "Teacher, I have to take you back."

"Follow the orders."

Xu Bo's eyes suddenly turned sharp, "Why aren't you listening to me? What can you do by staying here? Can you treat me?"

Li Yuan opened his mouth, his eyes reddening, but he couldn't speak.

In his heart, it felt like a giant rock was pressing down, and deep inside, there was a hidden sorrow spreading.

"Don't worry."

"I won't die just yet," Xu Bo's voice softened, "As a warrior, you've been at the university for half a year, and you should have experienced several combat assessments. Can't you distinguish between priorities?"

"Right now, the most urgent matter is to deal with the Fish Spirit Surge."

"This is a disaster that Jiangbei Province hasn't seen in over a decade, and Jiangcheng City hasn't experienced in centuries." Xu Bo looked at Li Yuan, "Now that you have the ability, go and make your contribution."

"Go!" Xu Bo emphasized, "Don't make me discipline you again."

"Yes," Li Yuan clenched his teeth.

... A few minutes later.

From the two small warrior teams, the surviving 16 members were reorganized into a new 10-person squad.

Led by Li Yuan, they boarded a flying vehicle and set off, following the instructions of the AI system to continue with their next task.

The remaining six, either with weaker abilities or injured, stayed behind to assist in the school's rescue efforts.

"Let's go."

Xu Bo watched as Li Yuan's team departed, managing to stand up and followed towards the half-collapsed classroom building in the distance. Hearing the cries for help coming from beneath the ruins, his heart ached slightly.

"Blame me."

"If we could have lured the Fish Spirit Clan away, this battle wouldn't have caused the building to collapse." Xu Bo clenched his teeth, enduring the pain throughout his body as he joined the rescue efforts.

Death? Ever since he learned of his incurable condition, he had prepared himself for this day.

...

In the darkness of the night, within the swamps.

A large number of Fish Spirit Clan members, who had been hiding there, were now frantically fleeing.

Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz~ In the sky above, numerous combat drones were converging from all directions, driving them away.

"Rat-a-tat-tat!" Metal bullets streaked through the night sky, relentlessly firing, and one by one, the Fish Spirit Clan members fell, their cries of agony filling the air.

"Boom!"

In the open fields outside the city, heavy drones finally unleashed their full force, dropping bombs without restraint, utilizing radar, thermal imaging, and other technologies.

The deafening explosions shook the heavens and the earth!

Farther away, there were also numerous ground forces composed of humans around level 10, surrounding and annihilating everything in their path.

On such a direct battlefield, not to mention thousands of first-rank Fish Spirit Clan warriors.

Even without second-rank strength.

Facing the overwhelming mechanical army, even tens of thousands or more of the Fish Spirit Clan would face total annihilation.

Over forty kilometers away from the center of Jiangcheng City, amidst the ruins of a street.

"Kill!"

"Triple Line Assault! Surround and annihilate them!" Li Yuan's voice was cold as he issued the command.

In these street ruins, they had to be cautious of the many civilians still alive, making it impossible to use heavy weapons.

This was the opportunity for first-rank warriors like them to make a difference.

"Roar!"

A Fish Spirit Clan warrior, hidden within the ruins, suddenly pounced, and a dazzling blade of light slashed through the darkness.

"Clang!"

A long spear swung, blocking this terrifying killing blow.

"Boom!" Li Yuan's figure was like lightning, and with a fierce charge, he directly collided with the massive body of an 18th-level Advanced Fish Spirit Clan warrior.

The enormous body was sent flying backward.

"Pffft!"

A spear shadow sliced through the sky, instantly piercing the massive body, and this scene froze in mid-air.

Blood flowed.

The spear swung too fast.

"Pfft!" "Bang!" Li Yuan quickly retracted his spear, its tip pointing downward, and blood flowed down the shaft.

The 18th-level Fish Spirit Clan warrior's body fell heavily to the ground, still trembling.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" Two more spear slashes, and the Fish Spirit Clan's head and four arms were instantly severed, its body torn into pieces.

Silence.

Li Yuan had always been a good listener to his teachers.

"You have consecutively killed Rank 1 beings, obtaining Spiritual Essence, and your Spiritual Awakening level has reached 25.2%." A Divine Palace prompt flashed across Li Yuan's field of vision.

Li Yuan was momentarily stunned.

"I've killed six or seven First-Rank Fish Spirit Clan warriors before, and there was no response, so I thought I couldn't improve my Spiritual Awakening level without killing a Second-Rank warrior." Li Yuan thought to himself, "So, killing a single First-Rank alien is no longer enough to increase it by 0.1%."

Li Yuan could imagine that as he progressed, when his Spiritual Awakening level reached 40% or 50%, every small increase in spirituality would likely require the slaughter of numerous aliens.

"Then let's kill."

"Kill every single alien." Li Yuan's eyes turned cold, his heart filled with murderous intent.

Originally, breaking free from the Divine Palace's shackles and further improving his Spiritual Awakening level should have been a cause for great joy.

But at this moment, Li Yuan couldn't feel any happiness.

All he wanted to do was to carry out more missions and kill more Fish Spirit Clan warriors.

...

For the entire Jiangcheng City, this was an incredibly long night.

It was a disaster of unprecedented scale in over a century.

In the past, the Fish Spirit Star Realm had launched frequent attacks, but most were small-scale, and the only three major ones targeted the nearby Star Realm entrances of Schou and Yizhou.

Jiangcheng City had never suffered such a large-scale attack.

Thus, the initial outbreak of the Fish Spirit Surge dealt a devastating blow to the entire Jiangcheng City, causing tremendous casualties.

However, the city's well-developed patrol system, SkyNet, mechanical legions, and numerous warriors quickly mobilized, Jiangcheng City's war machine swiftly sprang into action.

Additionally, neighboring counties and provinces provided immediate assistance.

When the morning sun shone once more.

The unprecedented scale of the 'Fish Spirit Surge' had been largely suppressed.

Most of the invading Fish Spirit Clan warriors had been annihilated, with only a few escaping into lakes, rivers, or underground caves.

But human warriors in flying vehicles continued their pursuit.

Countless combat robots also tracked and attacked the aliens.

...

"According to preliminary statistics,"

"After a night of intense fighting, Jiangcheng City has regained peace, and the Star Realm creatures have been largely eliminated." The host on the Star Realm channel spoke with a heavy tone, "Preliminary statistics show that over 110,000 people have died in Jiangcheng City, more than 120,000 are injured, and economic losses exceed... A rough estimate indicates that over 60,000 Rank 1 Star Realm creatures have been killed... This is a painful lesson."

"This was a targeted attack on the vulnerabilities of our country's 'City Defense System'."

"We have reported to the Seven Star Alliance and will make comprehensive adjustments to the City Defense System."

...

At 11 AM on December 12th.

Li Yuan's squad no longer received any missions from the Smart Ring.

"The war missions have mostly concluded."

"Warrior Li Yuan, your combat video will be uploaded along with the Smart Ring Display's monitoring... After the Jiangcheng Defense Battle concludes, there will be a unified award ceremony." Li Yuan received a reminder.

"I received it as well."

"We've been instructed to return home and rest, awaiting further orders." Xing Jing and Fang Longhu spoke up, all eyes turning to Li Yuan.

After a night of battle.

Their respect for Li Yuan had reached its peak.

"Okay."

"Let's head back." Li Yuan's eyes were bloodshot as he gave the order.

Whoosh! The flying vehicle sped towards the Starfire Nanhu Neighborhood.

A regular rescue mission? Ordinary people across the city had been quickly mobilized.

...

The Starfire Nanhu Neighborhood remained as peaceful as ever, seemingly untouched by the war's flames.

Upon returning home.

Li Yuan exchanged a few words with his family.

Then he entered the underground martial arts room and consumed a High Source Spirit Spring.

Then, he silently cultivated the Great Sun Star Sky Scripture and the Various Heavens Stars.

The relentless combat against the Second Rank Aliens and the injuries he sustained had left him utterly exhausted.

This cultivation continued for over five hours.

Until 5:00 PM in the afternoon.

Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes, feeling completely drained.

His internal injuries had mostly healed, and he even felt more energized.

"Source Power inherently aids in recovery." Li Yuan sighed inwardly, "Combined with the observation technique, unless it's a fatal injury, one can quickly recover."

Li Yuan's peripheral vision subconsciously glanced at the Divine Palace Panel.

---

【Life Tier: 15.9 (First Rank)】

Punch Power: 17,345 kg

Speed: 59.2 m/s

Spirit Power: 24.8

Willpower: 29

Spirit Awakening Level: 25.4% (Current Limit: 30%)



Star Vessel: 10

Skill Realm: Spear Technique (Fourth Rank 99%), Body Technique (Fourth Rank 99%), Punch Technique (Fourth Rank 99%)



...

Judging solely by the Divine Palace Panel data, aside from the Spirit Awakening Level, the changes in other aspects were minimal.

But in reality.

This night of bloody battle, everything he experienced—the streets resembling ruins, the deceased civilians, the elderly and infirm wailing in collapsed buildings, Teacher Xu Bo—all of these deeply moved Li Yuan's heart in a way that surpasses even ten practical combat assessments.

This is something that cannot be compared to over a hundred general history lessons.

...

At 6:00 PM in the afternoon.

Li Yuan rushed to the ninth floor of the First Hospital in Guan Shan District and headed straight for the Advanced Ward.

Li Yuan inquired about many people, including Principal Tan, and confirmed that Xu Bo had been brought here.

Being a Source Warrior himself and having made numerous contributions... Xu Bo was forced to come here, despite his reluctance.

"Uncle Wan." Li Yuan spotted Wan Qinghe and an unfamiliar black-clad woman standing at the door.

"Li Yuan? You're here?" Wan Qinghe noticed Li Yuan.

"Are you Li Yuan?" The black-clad woman stared at Li Yuan with a kind gaze.

"Uncle Wan." Li Yuan nodded and looked at the black-clad woman, "Senior, who are you?"

Through his Divine Palace's probing, Li Yuan could confirm that the black-clad woman was a 24th-rank Source Warrior.

"She was a former teammate of your Teacher Xu." Pavilion Master Wan spoke softly, "Li Yuan, we'll talk later. Go in first. Your teacher... doesn't have much time left."

Li Yuan's heart trembled, and his eyes turned slightly red.

Stepping past the two Source Warriors, he entered the ward, where several other people were present.

They all looked at Li Yuan.

"It's Li Yuan, Old Xu's student."

"Li Yuan is here." Most of these people had average strength, and among them was a youth who bore a resemblance to Xu Bo.

Li Yuan instantly understood that these people were probably Xu Bo's family.

"Li Yuan." Xu Bo, lying on the hospital bed, looked extremely pale.

Compared to the robust man who had fought fiercely against the Second Rank Aliens the night before, it was like night and day.

"Teacher." Li Yuan's nose twitched, and he knelt by the bedside.

Li Yuan could clearly sense that Xu Bo's vitality was indeed waning.

"Teacher, is there really no cure for your illness? Are heavenly treasures of no use?" Li Yuan's heart trembled, still holding onto a sliver of hope.

However, Elder Gao Hao's strength and insight were not to be underestimated, and he had said that it was nearly impossible. The chances were high that it was true.

Moreover, Li Yuan had asked many people throughout the night and into the morning.

The answers he received were either 'impossible' or 'unattainable.'

"Don't overthink it. Your teacher has many friends, and even Sky Soarers have come to help me before." Xu Bo lay on the hospital bed, his voice weak, "The fact that I've managed to prolong my life for these years is already a miracle."

"I understand what you're thinking. In this world, how can everything go as planned?"

"Even the Eastern Extremity can't achieve that."

"Last night, being able to fight alongside you, my student, and slay a Second Rank Alien together, is already more than enough." Xu Bo looked at Li Yuan, his pale face breaking into a radiant smile, "At least it proves that I, Xu Bo, will die in a blaze of glory! A radiant death!"

"This is the best end for a warrior."

"You also prove that I, Xu Bo, was not bad as a warrior and a teacher."

"Before, I had hoped to see you succeed in the Global University Martial Arts Competition, but it seems I won't be able to."

Li Yuan's eyes were now completely red, his teeth clenched as he struggled to hold back his tears.

"Xu Ling, come here and meet your Senior Li." Xu Bo suddenly scolded in a low voice.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end