High Martial Arts: Slay enemies to become stronger, forge invincibility from billions of corpses.

The wind whistled in my ears, and the earth rushed past beneath my feet.

When the ruins of Changqing City reappeared in view, Song Chen saw the spaceship.

There were three ships in total, with the Great Xia national emblem painted on their dark blue hulls, featuring a coiled dragon.

These are military transport ships, each over 100 meters long.

Three spaceships landed in a triangular formation on the open ground outside the ruins, their psionic shields gleaming pale blue in the sunlight.

The area around the ruins has changed.

More than fifty military tents were pitched in a circle outside the ruins, forming a temporary camp.

Outside the camp, psionic artillery arrays were being set up, with engineers manipulating large psionic robotic arms to fix the gun mounts to the rock.

Inside the camp, hundreds of martial artists were gathering and lining up.

They were all wearing standard combat uniforms, with the Great Xia military insignia on their chests.

Second-order, third-order, and fourth-order, the queues were neat and orderly.

"Wow, that was fast, only a few hours ago."

After a sigh, Song Chen and Zhou Wangyue landed at the camp entrance.

The fifth-level martial artist standing at the very front suddenly stood at attention.

"Everyone, salute!"

Hundreds of people raised their hands at the same time, their movements so synchronized that they looked like a single person.

The engineers behind the psionic cannon array also stopped what they were doing, turned around, and saluted.

A fifth-level martial artist quickly stepped forward; he was in his forties, had a buzz cut, and bowed to the two men.

"Councilor Zhou, Councilor Song, and the Fifth Engineer of Great Xia, Division Commander Fang Tiefeng, report for duty with their troops."

"Our unit has been ordered to garrison the ruins of Changqing City and establish an underground river base. Subsequent engineering troops will arrive within 24 hours."

"The base design plan has been approved by the council, and once completed, it will become the largest psionic resource base in Great Xia!"

It took Song Chen half a second to realize that they were calling him, Councilor Song...

Honorary councilors of the Great Xia Dynasty have the same power as regular councilors.

When Zhou Wangyue told him this on the ruins, he was still sitting next to the broken wall of the clock tower.

At that time, the title "Honorary Councilor" was just a designation, similar to "First-Class Combat Hero".

Only when hundreds of people lined up to salute him did he realize what the title meant.

He turned his head and glanced at Zhou Wangyue.

Zhou Wangyue's expression didn't change, but Song Chen saw a hint of a smile in his eyes, the kind of "you'll adapt on your own" expression a teacher has when watching their student being lifted up.

"You've worked hard." Song Chen adjusted her mindset.

Fang Tiefeng lowered his salute and his gaze lingered on Song Chen for a moment.

"It's not hard work."

Song Chen walked past Fang Tiefeng and entered the camp.

Hundreds of martial artists followed his gaze, and many recognized his face—the young man from the Qinghu Base City video who sliced ​​open a Blade Armor Dragon Lizard with a single stroke.

He walked through the middle of the camp, and the warriors on both sides unconsciously made way for him.

He left the camp and flew towards Anning City.

It took Song Chen half an hour to fly from the ruins of Changqing City to Anning City.

The city gate of Anning City came into view.

The guard at the city gate was still Old Wu, who was looking down at the entry and exit registration form.

He caught a glimpse of someone falling from the sky out of the corner of his eye, without even looking up: "Identity documents. Reason for entering the city."

He looked up halfway through his sentence and saw Song Chen.

Then he saw the person who was falling down behind Song Chen.

With gray hair and a dark long robe, the aura of a sixth-level grandmaster was not deliberately concealed, resembling a moving mountain range.

Old Wu dropped his registration form.

"Song...Song Chen, who is this...?"

His voice trembled slightly.

"My teacher."

Old Wu's lips trembled slightly; of course he knew who Song Chen's teacher was.

Zhou Wangyue, the president of Tianhai University and a sixth-level grandmaster, is now standing outside the city gate of Anning City.

"Principal Zhou... Principal Zhou." Old Wu stood up straight and gave a standard military salute.

Zhou Wangyue nodded.

The two passed through the city gate.

The streets of Anning City are exactly the same as they were a few days ago.

But the atmosphere on the street changed the moment Song Chen walked in.

Two young martial artists were sparring under the sycamore tree when they caught sight of Song Chen out of the corner of their eye and stopped.

The breakfast stall owner was giving change to a customer when she looked up and saw Song Chen, causing the coins in her hand to fall onto the counter.

The hardware store owner squatted at the door, smoking, the cigarette slipping from between his fingers.

They weren't looking at Song Chen, but at Zhou Wangyue, who was following behind him. Few people in Daxia didn't know him.

As Song Chen walked down the street, pedestrians on both sides automatically made way, their eyes filled with shock and awe.

Someone raised their phone, but didn't take a picture—not because they were afraid, but because they forgot.

Everyone had the same thought in their minds: What has Song Zhuangyuan killed this time after we haven't seen him for a few days?

At the entrance of the garrison commander's residence.

Shen Qingshan stood on the steps.

The garrison commander of Anning City, mid-fifth rank, wore a dark blue garrison commander's uniform with three rows of medals hanging on his chest.

Behind him stood more than twenty martial artists: the adjutant of the garrison commander's office, the president of the Anning City Martial Arts Association, the master of the Shenlong Martial Arts Academy, and the principal of the Third Martial Arts High School.

Everyone was dressed in formal attire, with medals on their hands.

When Song Chen reached the entrance of the garrison commander's mansion, Shen Qingshan took a step forward.

Stand up straight and salute.

"Councilor Song, Principal Zhou."

More than twenty people behind him saluted at the same time.

The words "Associate Song" rang out loud at the entrance of the garrison commander's mansion, and all the pedestrians on the street stopped in their tracks.

Song Chen stopped in her tracks.

Not long ago, in the garrison commander's office on the fifth floor, Shen Qingshan sat opposite him, pushed over the investigation report on the Earth Dragon King, and then found Xie Yunqing to be Song Chen's guide.

Now he stands at the entrance of the garrison commander's mansion, dressed in formal attire and wearing medals, saluting Song Chen and calling him "Councilor Song".

Song Chen was somewhat emotional.

Then he raised his right hand and returned the greeting.

"Commander Shen, where are my parents?"

Shen Qingshan lowered his hand and glanced at Song Chen. He could sense that a great battle had just taken place, but he didn't ask any further questions.

"Congressman Song, your father and mother have returned home."

Song Chen nodded. Instead of entering the garrison commander's mansion, he turned and walked towards the Shenlong Martial Arts Academy's residential area.

"By the way, I've already killed that earth dragon king, so there's no need to worry."

He didn't turn around, but the wind carried his voice back.

Shen Qingshan stood there, stunned.

Shenlong Martial Arts School Family Community.

Song Chen went downstairs. The kitchen range hood was running, and the sound of spatulas and woks clashing came down from the second floor.

His mother is cooking.

Song Chen listened for three seconds, then went inside.

Li Xiuying came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of braised pork, calling out, "Old Song, tidy up the table."

She looked up and saw the person at the door.

The plate in Li Xiuying's hand wobbled slightly.

Song Chen reached out and steadily caught the plate; the broth from the braised pork sloshed around but didn't spill.

"mom."

Li Xiuying's eyes reddened.

She reached out to touch his face, but pulled her hand back halfway and wiped it on her apron.

Then she saw the person standing behind Song Chen.

Song Zhengye stood up from the living room, the chair leg scraping against the floor with a short, sharp sound.

"Principal Zhou...?"

Zhou Wangyue stood at the door, his gaze sweeping across the house. On the TV wall, in a framed photo, Song Chen was wearing a martial arts uniform.

A photo of Song Chen and his parents at the entrance of the Third Martial Arts High School. Song Zhengye is smiling so hard his eyes are almost closed, while Li Xiuying is holding his arm and tilting her head towards his shoulder.

It's a very warm and cozy home.

Zhou Wangyue looked at it for three seconds, then stepped over the threshold and came in.