Chapter 1224: This Battle, to the Death

Within seconds, everyone at the resettlement site knew the truth. That inspiring phantom of a demonic ape was the peerless combat technique of the Eighth-Grade Vice Admiral, Zhao Zhuangyuan. And this time, he had overdrawn his strength to cast it, directly sacrificing his own life. There was no turning back.

All the officers and soldiers of the Zhenqin Corps stood as straight as javelins, maintaining their salutes. Everyone’s hands trembled uncontrollably, unable to calm down. Many among these soldiers were Zhao Zhuangyuan’s subordinates, soldiers he had personally trained. And now, he had sacrificed himself.

In the Zhenqin Corps, apart from Wang Yetao, another god-like powerhouse had laid down his life for the country.

To the rest of the Divine Land, the one who sacrificed himself was a Vice Admiral, a hero. But to the soldiers of the Zhenqin Corps, the one who sacrificed himself was their commanding officer, their big brother, their father, and even the role model and belief they had always learned from and pursued.

Many young Martial Artists were in tears, temporarily unable to accept this reality. They simply couldn’t believe that Zhao Zhuangyuan was dead. He was a mighty Eighth-Grade expert, after all.

Su Yue sat on the ground, gripping a handful of plastic bags tightly. It was the only thing nearby he could grab onto. His heart ached terribly.

Truthfully, this was Su Yue’s first time meeting Zhao Zhuangyuan. In terms of their relationship, they had only exchanged a few words. Yet, in Su Yue’s heart, he had long since become one with these soldiers. Sometimes, the camaraderie between men stemmed from just a single meeting or sharing common ground. It was just like with Zhao Qian’en back then.

But this time, there would be no opportunity to grab some barbecue and shoot the breeze with Zhao Zhuangyuan. This Vice Admiral, who had spared no effort to forcefully evacuate him to the resettlement site, was dead. He had died right in front of his eyes.

Wuteng Feng walked over and simply gripped Su Yue’s arm, offering no words of comfort. In truth, Wuteng Feng was grieving as well. He did not know Zhao Zhuangyuan, but the Vice Admiral had died for his sake.

Yet, he could bear the sorrow. Having experienced it before, Wuteng Feng knew this was simply the nature of war. War had always been a realm of tragic partings, mountains of corpses, and seas of blood. Casualties were inevitable. War was never a romantic tale of heroes penned by poets. It was cruel and cold. Death and destruction—that was the true essence of war.

“The general clearly didn’t need to sacrifice himself. He could have just abandoned the third shield and led the other major generals to slaughter the puppets.

“General Zhao’s sacrifice wasn’t worth it!”

Right then, a Martial Artist assisting with the rescue efforts at the resettlement site frowned and voiced his analysis. He was quite young, not even thirty years old. Although he was not a Martial Artist from the Military Department, his face showed no fear.

Through the live broadcast screens, the people at the resettlement site had a clear view of the battle inside the Research Institute. The fierce winds had already ceased by then, and the wounded at the resettlement site were no longer in immediate danger. One Vice Admiral, along with seven or eight major generals, could have easily defended the three main gates. He didn’t need to lay down his life without a second thought.

Truthfully, the young Martial Artist thought Zhao Zhuangyuan’s sacrifice was somewhat reckless. Of course, he admired the Vice Admiral’s spirit of sacrifice. It just felt tactically unsound.

“Silly kid, do you think the Vice Admiral didn’t consider that?

“You have to understand that the enemy we are facing this time is a supreme powerhouse intending on mutual destruction.

“The gale had indeed vanished, but who knew for how long? If the winds rose again, who would protect the wounded?

“Furthermore, a Sixth-Grade Grandmaster would find it very difficult to kill a puppet, and even an Eighth-Grade expert wouldn’t be able to instantly kill one. If the third shield had been withdrawn and those puppets had turned to slaughter the wounded, what then?

“Only the shield could block those puppets. There was simply no other way.

“Moreover, General Zhao seized the fleeting window of opportunity in this battle. By sacrificing himself to expand the third shield, he successfully secured two entrances. Thus, the Underground City only has one entrance left exposed. With three major generals remaining, we can absolutely ensure its protection.

“General Zhao wasn’t actively seeking death. He merely saw the only ray of hope for victory and sacrificed himself without hesitation.

“That kind of courage and fearlessness is not something just anyone possesses.”

As the young man finished speaking, a major general saluting nearby slowly offered this explanation. He wasn’t angry. It was a good thing that the young people of the Divine Land were willing to analyze the battlefield. However, he still felt compelled to explain the intricacies behind General Zhao Zhuangyuan’s sacrifice to the public.

In war, every second counted. A situation that could alter the entire outcome could occur in the span of a single breath. If a sliver of a chance for victory presented itself, it had to be seized. Facing the overwhelming pressure of a supreme powerhouse, Zhao Zhuangyuan traded his life to reinforce and expand the third shield. By doing so, he instantly eradicated all the puppets in that area, leaving behind only one entrance for the three major generals to defend.

As a result, the Underground City was at least temporarily safe. His solitary sacrifice had entirely reversed the tide of the battle. That, in itself, was a victory.

SNAP!

When the major general finished speaking, the young man who had voiced his doubts immediately snapped to attention and delivered a profoundly solemn salute. He realized he was the reckless one. Compared to these battle-hardened generals, his tactical foresight was downright laughable.

Inside the second shield.

The heavens shook and the earth trembled. The fierce winds that had just subsided were howling once again. The screeching blasts wailed like weeping ghosts and howling wolves, so piercing that they made everyone’s ears ache.

RUMBLE!

RUMBLE!

A terrifying earthquake caused much of the metal-reinforced ground to contort. The magnitude of the tremors was several times more violent than before.