Chapter 81 Showdown

Chapter 81 Showdown

"Title: Dear friends, do you know Colonel Xu Qingran?"

The familiar Star Horizon forum greeted users once again.

Amidst a homepage flooded with gossip posts from various circles, this unique topic suddenly emerged.

It seemed almost like clickbait.

But netizens couldn't resist the lure of those three words, and they clicked into the post one after another.

The content of the main post gave people a sense of stepping back in time:

'What kind of place is this? I see many people posting to praise and confess their love to their brothers and sisters. I also want to give a shout-out from our village to someone.

Colonel Xu Qingran is absolutely incredible! A huge thanks to Silver Dragon for bringing him here, we all love him so much!

First time posting here, hope I’m doing this right. Mainly found such a lively place, yet there's no mention of Colonel Xu, so I thought I’d help spread the word about him.'

Before they knew it, autumn had rolled around again.

Coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, the entire country was gearing up to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Netizens were busy having fun online, so it was very lively.

"?"

"Ah this? Can’t tell if the OP is being genuine or just trolling for responses."

"Everyone knows how awesome the little lunatic is, but the OP's claim to boost his popularity, isn't that sarcasm? Our little lunatic has been tied up with work in the boonies lately, but he’s still the forum’s biggest draw, okay!"

The post quickly received replies from a wide range of netizens.

"A village, huh? Haven’t heard that term in ages..."

"Woc, wait, the OP’s IP is from Taiyue Star??"

"? Which Taiyue? The one we lost contact with ages ago?"

"What kind of place is Taiyue Star? Some foreign planet?"

Someone asked: "OP, where are you from? Why’s your IP showing Taiyue? Does anyone even live there anymore?"

The poster, who was on the Star Horizon forum for the first time, didn't know how to reply within the thread.

They jumped right in with a reply:

"OP: Are you calling me OP? Yep, I’m from Taiyue—South Continent, North City, to be exact!"

"OP: Oh yeah, Taiyue Star’s packed with people!"

Netizens chattered away.

"I know, Taiyue Star’s part of the Tianlong system! Heard it’s a real backwater—no internet or anything!"

"Heard they live in caves and up in trees?"

"I heard they don’t have cars, trams, or trains—just horses and elephants to get around!"

Before long, more IPs from Taiyue Star started popping up.

"Who said we don’t drive cars? What era are you living in, riding horses and elephants? Are you shooting a movie?"

"We are poor, but mainly because of the influence of the demon hordes! Now it’s different, with Colonel Xu Qingran supporting us, things are slowly getting better here!"

"That’s right, I’m from the Lower South Continent of Taiyue Star! I want to prove that our village is also connected to the internet, hehe!"

"Wow, this is amazing. As a veteran internet user with decades of experience, this is the first time I’ve seen an IP from the Tianlong system!"

"Why are there so many Taiyue IPs suddenly appearing?!"

"Previously, while browsing videos, I saw a few Taiyue IPs in the comments. I thought it was a system error, but it turns out Taiyue is really connected to the internet?!"

"If that’s the case, will nearby planets like Weiyang and Tianshui soon be able to establish contact with us as well?"

During the discussion, a netizen caught the key information.

"Wait, the OP said she’s from North City, Upper South Continent of Taiyue Star? How come I remember that North City has been separated from Silver Dragon and the Empire for a long time?"

"Isn’t Young Master Xu Qingran a representative officer of the Silver Dragon Battalion? Would the people of North City accept him?"

"Yeah, I remember there are rebel factions in North City. I recall fans of Young Master Xu Qingran were very worried he might get bullied."

"OP: The people of North City really like Colonel Xu Qingran."

"OP: Haha, Colonel Xu Qingran is the leader of our North City. Who dares to bully him? Our village head says it’s good enough if Colonel Xu Qingran doesn’t bully them!"

Netizens didn’t expect that in just a few months, Xu Qingran had already established control over the South Continent of Taiyue Star.

Especially a tough place like North City, how did Xu Qingran manage to persuade the stubborn and defiant military there?

—This matter goes back to a few months ago, when Xu Qingran forcefully brought Chen Bin into North City to find Deputy Officer Mao.

"Win first place?"

When Di Yue heard Xu Qingran’s question, he couldn’t help but scoff at the man who was half his build. Even the surrounding members of the organization, who were either holding wolfhounds, spectating, or preparing to participate in the upcoming internal skirmish, laughed along.

Di Yue quickly regained his composure and arrogantly said to Xu Qingran, "If you can really win first place, you can have anything you want!"

Xu Qingran asked him, "Even if I want to become the leader of your organization, would that be allowed?"

Di Yue narrowed his eyes.

Previous commanders who came to challenge them only wanted to prove their strength and gain recognition. This guy, however, directly aimed for his position?

"Sure! If you really win, anything is possible, right brothers?"

Di Yue said this, but he didn’t believe Xu Qingran could do it. He himself was a top-tier 3S-level psychic. Even if Xu Qingran had the same level, given his age, Di Yue had more experience.

Hearing this, Xu Qingran said meaningfully, "With your word, I am reassured."

After saying that, he slowly walked towards the back mountain field with a knife in hand.

A subordinate whispered after his figure disappeared, "Boss, if he really does... should we really let him lead the organization?"

Di Yue glared at him, "What do you mean? Do you think a 3S-level psychic like me, who leads the Wolf King, can’t beat a young upstart?!"

Besides, even if Xu Qingran really won, he couldn’t become the leader of the organization.

Because he is an outsider, someone from another city, and an outsider who hasn’t signed a master-pet contract with a wolfhound, not recognized by the guardian beasts of North City.

According to the rules of Beicheng, unless he forms a bond with the wolf-dog clan, he cannot become the leader of the organization!

The mountain's rear is an open outdoor environment.

Surrounded by rocks and trees, it looks like it was originally a jungle area full of vegetation, but a space was deliberately cleared out and paved with the bluestone slabs, serving as a gathering spot for Beicheng's residents.

In the spacious arena, several people are already preparing.

Each of them is accompanied by a gray-black wolf-dog, interacting with their wolf-dogs until they notice the unfamiliar newcomer entering the arena, and all turn to look at him.

Those few people exchange glances and murmur to each other.

"Whoa, that guy’s hot!"

"I don't remember seeing him before, is he from our organization...?"

"Probably an unlucky outsider from District 22 today?"

Not only the organization members, but even the wolf-dogs are watching Xu Qingran.

However, compared to the slow reactions of their human companions, the wolf-dogs, with their more acute perception of deep energy, sense a powerful, familiar energy emanating from Xu Qingran, and begin pacing and circling nervously in place.

When they meet Xu Qingran's gaze, they bare their teeth menacingly, letting out low, threatening growls instinctively.

But at the same time, they tuck their tails and take a step back.

Xu Qingran watches the cute reactions of the wolf-dogs and can't help but let out a light chuckle.

Tough but scared.

Apart from the representative members from District 22, there are also people from other districts who have been internally selected and ranked in the top three in sparring matches. In total, there are over a hundred people fighting alongside Xu Qingran, the cream of the crop in their organization.

While waiting, Xu Qingran chills under a nearby tree, leaning against the trunk with his eyes closed.

The people of Beicheng don't know much about him, and his cold, intimidating demeanor often overshadows the warmth expected of a D-type. Without being told, no one would realize he is a dominator who can rest and recover, only thinking he is badly hurt and lightheaded from losing blood.

From the depths of the forest behind, comes the rustling sound of grass and leaves.

Xu Qingran cracks his eyes open briefly before closing them again.

More and more people gather at the scene.

Around noon, the battle kicks off.

Xu Qingran, the outsider attempting to challenge for leadership, naturally becomes the primary target for everyone.

As soon as the whistle blows, fighters from all sides charge at him. Those not participating in the competition and the wolf-dogs hang back to watch from the sidelines, and even from the surrounding slopes and rocks, many wolf-dogs inhabiting the Daming Mountain slowly emerge.

As if attracted by the excitement here, they gather together.

Xu Qingran doesn't wait idly for others to come to him; he turns and heads towards the nearest target that poses the greatest threat to him at the moment. The person doesn't have a knife but wears wolf-tooth claws, raising his hand to grab at him directly.

His speed is fast, even striking before Xu Qingran turns around.

But the swinging motion doesn't hit his vital points, narrowly brushing past his shoulder. Xu Qingran grabs his wrist, using the force of his swing against him, not only throwing him out but also tossing him onto someone else.

Whether by chance or some terrifying precision, the man's unretracted motion as he is thrown out accidentally grabs another person in the arena.

The other person is instantly annoyed and can't help but kick the fallen wolf-tooth claw man: "Did you do that on purpose?!"

And those who were knocked down by him were ambushed in the chaos.

They also blamed him for their troubles.

On the other side, Xu Qingran, after throwing someone out, had already started attacking his next target.

He fought one after another, and even with so many people ganging up on him, none could defeat him. If someone managed to sneak an attack and injure him while the crowd distracted him, that person would precisely become his new target after he dealt with the previous one.

Even if the path was blocked and crowded, Xu Qingran's vengeful streak would chase them to the ends of the earth.

The chase was just the start; being caught by him was where the real trouble began.

When not fighting, Xu Qingran seemed like just a slightly aloof psychic.

But once in combat, his eyes and aura changed completely, his movements swift as the wind, his strength formidable, his reactions lightning-fast, and his strikes both painful and ruthless. They all aimed for his weaknesses, but those who succeeded often got beaten even worse than others.

Bruises and swelling were nothing; at least a few bones had to be broken.

The pain level depended on how severe the ambush attack was. Yet, he was incredibly tough; while others would grimace from a stab wound, he wouldn't even flinch if stabbed again in the same spot.

He didn't make a sound.

Even when a dozen or twenty people ganged up on him, during the most intense moments, he stayed calm. He waited for the right moment, seized it, broke free, and then beat his attackers even harder.

The crowd, who had been cheering for their comrades and loved ones, slowly went quiet.

Halfway through the fight, half the participants had already dropped out.

At some point, it turned into a one-sided beatdown by Xu Qingran and Di Yue. Di Yue made sense—he was their leader, so losing to him was expected.

But how could they not beat that outsider?

The crowd, confident and eager to see Xu Qingran lose, was stunned.

After the brutal fight, Xu Qingran's old wounds reopened, staining his bandages red and making him look even scarier.

He held a knife, and countless times he almost stabbed someone to death on instinct.

But each time, he remembered Bai Quan and realized this wasn't the Tower of Evil's arena, so he'd twist the blade, avoiding fatal hits.

"I... I give up, I give up!"

On the field, a buzz-cut man, grabbed by the collar by Xu Qingran and slammed repeatedly onto the hard stone floor, weakly raised his hand and shouted his surrender during a brief moment of breath, avoiding being smashed to death.

He was then carried out, a pitiful sight.

In the end, only Di Yue and Xu Qingran were left standing.

Of course, Chen Bin, watching from the crowd, wasn't surprised at all.

Di Yue, gripping a large machete, was panting heavily, facing Xu Qingran.

Compared to Xu Qingran, he wasn't much better off, covered in wounds of varying depths.

Although the organization members had agreed to stick together, people, especially those with power, harbored some ambition. Di Yue had been leading the organization for nearly a decade, and everyone was eager to overthrow him and take his place.

Facing such a formidable enemy, they had to act together while they had the numbers.

So, apart from initially targeting Xu Qingran, some who had figured this out had already shifted their focus to Di Yue. Unfortunately, with the 3S psychic power enhancing his physique and stamina, and another crazed Xu Qingran, they ultimately failed to succeed.

Xu Qingran was also soaked in sweat by this point.

Their eyes locked, and without a moment's hesitation, they clashed again.

This was the pinnacle of today's duel.

Even the watching wolfhounds were roused; those lounging lazily stood up, craning their necks to watch. Whether grappling or wielding knives, each attack was met with a counter, leaving them evenly matched and locked in a stalemate.

At least, that's how it appeared to the spectators.

But only Di Yue, locked in combat with Xu Qingran, knew his defenses were faltering, his footing growing unsteady.

...It seemed they'd met their match in the North City today.

To hold his own like this, this colonel must be at the 3S mental level.

Di Yue's reaction mirrored that of others in Shangnanzhou when they first discovered Xu Qingran's identity.

How had such a military prodigy ended up in Shangnanzhou?

Then came another wave of disbelief.

At their level, with a bonded wolfhound at his side, he should have had the upper hand. How was he barely holding his own against Xu Qingran, his stamina slipping further behind?

The white wolfhound at the front of the crowd kept its eyes locked on Di Yue.

Then it turned its critical gaze to Xu Qingran, its expression growing graver by the moment. Finally, it lay down, tail limp, as if conceding defeat on its master's behalf.

The two fought for half an hour before a clash sent them reeling apart, locking eyes once more.

Di Yue's mental energy was visibly drained, his face etched with exhaustion, drenched in sweat.

Xu Qingran, though not unscathed, still had a calm, sharp gaze, brimming with energy, as if ready to fight till nightfall.

Ten seconds later, they were at it again.

But this time, Xu Qingran dominated.

When Xu Qingran kicked Di Yue clear out of the arena, leaving him too spent to rise, the crowd fell silent.

The referee froze, the crowd too stunned to cheer, the injured eliminated fighters groaning and clutching their sides.

It felt like a dream to everyone.

...Since when were the Silver Dragon Battalion's slackers this strong?

Xu Qingran hurled the knife down, its blade slipping between the stone slabs to bury itself deep in the earth.

Then he strode toward Di Yue.

Blood marked his path.

Di Yue was still lying on the ground, panting and resting.

One of his eyes had been punched at some point, with a bruise forming around the eye socket.

Xu Qingran looked down and said, his voice icy, "I won. So, will you listen to me now?"

Di Yue looked up at the swaying leaves above and let out a dry laugh.

He shot back, "Congrats, you won. But unfortunately, even if you take the top spot, you can't become our leader."

"Both the North City organization and its people only follow a leader bonded with a wolfhound."

"By the rules, an outsider like you, without a wolfhound's nod, is just a successful challenger."

As Di Yue spoke, wild wolfhounds leaped from the arena's heights, encircling Xu Qingran.

But just a few meters away, they halted abruptly, as if catching a whiff of something unsettling.

They snarled, baring teeth, then tucked their tails and slunk back. This odd behavior made the North City folk think Xu Qingran had something the wolfhounds couldn't stand.

Di Yue took a moment, then heaved himself up with effort.

Watching the wolfhounds back off, he scoffed, "Colonel, the pack won't even have you. Forget ruling North City. You'd better get out while you can."

"After tomorrow, our deal to let you go is off."

Xu Qingran stayed cool, unfazed.

He shrugged, "So, if I get a big dog, I'm in?"

Di Yue's lips curled into a smirk.

He lounged, one leg bent, arm resting on it, and drawled, "Colonel, not just any mutt will cut it. It's gotta be one of North City's special wolfhounds."

He gestured around, "This breed. If you're good, maybe one of these wild dogs will bond with you."

Xu Qingran gave a small smile, "I’ve already got a dog. No need for a new one."

"How about I show you mine? Let’s see if it meets your standards."

With that, Xu Qingran whistled sharply.

From the nearby woods, a rustling grew, like a beast charging through.

In a flash, a white blur shot from the bushes, landing by Xu Qingran.

Its snow-white fur gleamed silver in the sun, flowing like silk.

Its icy eyes, cold and piercing, marked it as the pack's regal queen.

The crowd gasped as the dog, known to shun humans, circled Xu Qingran, tail high, brushing his arm like a royal seal.

The white dog's arrival wiped the smirk off Di Yue's face.

His face twisted in disbelief—"No way!"

"That’s—that’s the legendary White King of Tian Guang Mountain?!"

The dog Xu Qingran had formed a bond with was actually the White King!

Any resident of North City, especially members of the Wolfhound Guard, would recognize it.

They had once discussed whether the White King would wait for the appearance of a bond it deemed worthy. If so, what kind of exceptional individual would that be!

The wolfhounds of North City possess exceptionally high intelligence and heightened sensory awareness.

In ancient legends, the more powerful a wolfhound is, the more intelligent it becomes, and thus, the pickier it becomes about choosing a bond. After all, it's not an essential partner in their canine lives. If they don't meet the right one, they would rather not get involved in human affairs than compromise for the sake of novelty or experience.

And the White King is currently the most special and famous wolfhound king in North City.

The people had already said that the person it would choose in the future would be someone truly unmatched. Compared to their own judgment of people, they trusted more in the discriminating judgment of the wolfhound king.

Di Yue was stunned.

Xu Qingran, with a slight smile, asked him, "So, how about it? What do you think of my dog?"

Di Yue: "..."

That was absolutely acceptable.

Those who form bonds with wolfhounds already enjoy a certain level of prestige in North City.

And if it's a bond with a wolfhound king like the White King—there's no doubt, no matter how unwilling they are, they have no choice but to acknowledge Xu Qingran as the new leader of their organization.

Among the people present, perhaps only Chen Bin, the true enthusiast, was the happiest.

It was as if he had watched an epic show, leaving him feeling thoroughly satisfied.

He had wondered why Colonel Xu hadn't brought such a valuable asset as the White Hound to North City.

It turned out that the White King had been secretly following all along, likely at Xu Qingran's behest, so it didn't show up immediately even when he was in trouble. Otherwise, as early as in District 22 of North City, Xu Qingran could have used the White King's prestigious status in North City to sweep through every challenge.

Upon closer thought, the reasons Xu Qingran didn't do so were likely limited to a few key points.

He habitually prefers to opt for the most difficult path in challenges.

And, he wanted to rely on his own fists and abilities to make the people of North City submit, and then deliver a humiliating blow as a grand finale.

In fact, Xu Qingran truly believed this.

After so many days, he had a good grasp of the importance of the White Hound to North City.

However, relying on it to pass the gates was ultimately surface-level acknowledgment, and the honors added to him were just the White Hound's past achievements.

What Xu Qingran wanted was for the people of North City to refer to him in the future as 'that colonel with the White Hound,' not 'that man recognized by the White Hound.'

Anyway, compared to the dangers of his past life, these trivial episodes were just insignificant scenes, so why not. Moreover, his White Hound is quite cautious and vigilant, often preferring to stay hidden when going out with him, keeping pace with his vehicle, so he didn't deliberately let it show up along the way.

Thus, the people of North City, who had been defeated by Xu Qingran, had no choice but to accept it.

From then on, the leader of the North City Wolfhound Guard was officially announced to be replaced.

Xu Qingran was invited to rest at their headquarters for a few days, almost completely healing his external injuries and recovering his spirit pool to a large extent. Everyone was shocked again, and then discovered his identity as a rare D-type.

They were even more confused.

Is this what a D-type is like? Why is it different from the rumors?

Isn't it said that D-types are too gentle and not good at fighting? This guy's ruthless moves make it more believable to say he's an extreme E-type!

After resting, Xu Qingran took Di Yue to continue exploring North City.

Why bring Di Yue along?

After all, he is a local and a former key figure of the organization. The locals know him well, making it easier to explain the situation. As for the military, he doesn’t plan to spend too much time negotiating with Chen Jianguang. Now that most of the people in North City are about to side with him, the North City military guards under Chen Jianguang’s command won’t stand a chance, even if they resist.

Now that the people of North City no longer back them up, and he can just snap his fingers to mobilize personnel from the other three cities—the North City military guards might not realize that the guards from other districts in Shangnan Prefecture are now armed with state-of-the-art weaponry, which is completely different from the past.

To be honest, it would be extremely easy for Xu Qingran to take over the North City military through sheer force now.

He simply chooses not to.

Aside from the waste of manpower, he’s also thinking about the residents of Nan Prefecture.

Most of the military guards in Nan Prefecture are made up of local residents. Ordering them to attack North City, part of the same region, might stir up some internal resistance. Even if they seize it by force, it could lead to problems down the line.

He thinks that North City should have been worn out enough by now.

In any case, it’s a situation that can be resolved one way or another. Rather than wasting time and resources, it’s better to let them surrender on their own.

This approach would be far more satisfying.

·

Chen Jianguang and Deputy Mao waited at the North City main camp for several days.

Deputy Mao pointed out that, given Xu Qingran’s personality, he’d never use military resources to negotiate with North City.

Xu Qingran would likely come alone, first verifying with the North City military guards whether they’d release the hostages. Since Chen Jianguang is too proud to speak up, he’d pretend to be swayed by logic and emotion during the talks, along with some arm-twisting, and grudgingly agree to cooperate with Xu Qingran.

If they still can’t back down gracefully, they’d just stall for time.

Stalling would only lead to Xu Qingran resorting to force, eventually overpowering the North City military guards and successfully rescuing the hostages.

This approach is riskier.

First, they’d have to endure a beating, and second, any cooperation that follows wouldn’t be as smooth as hoped. So Deputy Mao advised Chen Jianguang to just go along with it, take the offered compromise, and wrap things up.

Chen Jianguang wavered, saying he’d wait until Xu Qingran showed up.

As a result, they waited for many days. They almost ran out of patience and still didn’t see Xu Qingran coming.

Chen Jianguang even asked Deputy Mao, “…How exactly did you become a deputy? Could it be that he has no affection for you at all and doesn’t plan to come and rescue you?”

Deputy Mao remained silent.

That is to say, such a thing happening to Xu Qingran is not impossible.

After all, he always thought their new colonel was a crazy and cold-hearted person.

Deputy Mao said lightly, “So I reminded you from the beginning, you guys overestimated the importance of this little deputy. Capturing me was just a stupid decision.”

In their melancholy, Chen Jianguang and the others finally got news of Xu Qingran.

It was said that Xu Qingran had come to North City.

And he had forcefully broken through the checkpoint at District 22, and the city gate still hasn’t been repaired.

It was also said that Xu Qingran had come to their headquarters district.

But it seemed he had no intention of coming to their camp area and was instead touring the city with the residents of the North City Wolf Dog Guard Organization.

Chen Jianguang was stunned: "How did he get mixed up with those civilian organizations? Wasn’t he driven away?"

The people of North City are so xenophobic!

The reporting soldier scratched his head: "Well, word is that our new colonel single-handedly stormed their headquarters, and with their most respected and recognized White King as his bonded pet, he... he’s now the boss of the North City folks."

Chen Jianguang: "...?"

What?

Deputy Mao: "..."

Damn, Xu Qingran is really something else.

After not seeing him for a few days, he went straight past the North City military guards and took over the North City folks??

He knew the White King was important to the North City folks, but he didn’t expect it to be this big of a deal. Xu Qingran got really lucky, hitting the annual re-election day for the Wolf Dog Guard organization. A day earlier or later, and he wouldn’t have had this chance.

Chen Jianguang couldn’t help but ask: "Didn’t anyone remind him that our North City still has an army he needs to take over?"

The soldier hesitated, almost crying: "We did."

"But this colonel doesn’t play by the rules. He said our North City military guards have been doing just fine, and there’s nothing he needs to step in for. He told us to do our thing, as long as we keep North City safe."

"He’s pretty happy and doesn’t have any demands for us."

Chen Jianguang: "..."

But now we’ve got demands!!

That same night, news broke that the big meteorite at Tian Guang Mountain in District 18 had exploded.

Rumor has it that some military folks nearby were doing repairs when, out of curiosity, they secretly used a psychic weapon on the rock’s shell to see what would happen. As a result, the rock cracked from the inside and eventually blew up.

Not only did it blow up, but it also woke up the creatures inside.

Unfortunately, it was their biggest enemy—the devils.

Inside, along with the common low-tier Class II devils, there were also Class III mid-tier devils that could jam mechanical and detector signals.

Class III devils are grayish-white, small in size, and the only known standalone individuals among the devil types. They have wings and can fight in the sky. The waves from their fast wing flapping can mess with human signals.

This is why the North City people couldn’t detect any life forms inside the large rock initially.

Most importantly, there was also a high-tier Class X devil in that rock!

It’s as big as a giant! Just thinking about it is overwhelming!

At the same time, the research team’s analysis of the rock samples also yielded results.

Turns out, it wasn’t a rock at all, but a mix of saliva and silk from some insect race that once attacked the Kayan Empire in space. It’s as hard as steel, unaffected by the atmosphere, and can act as an insulator to block electricity.

The reason this insect race can no longer attack the empire is that they fear the Kayan Empire’s ultrasonic repellers.

The devils aren’t afraid of this, but they fear the empire’s power supply. To invade, the devil horde actually collaborated with the insect race that was expelled by the empire, using this method to lock onto the power stations in their landing areas, destroying them and then launching attacks.

As soon as the news broke, Chen Jianguang, forgetting his sneaky plan to get military resources from Xu Qingran, immediately called the sub-camp in District 18. After making preliminary arrangements, he took a fighter jet and rushed to District 18 at top speed.

Some areas in District 18 had already lost power supply due to damage to the power plant.

If the demon horde were to charge down the mountain at this moment, the nearby residents would face a catastrophic disaster. Just imagining it made Chen Jianguang feel a chill run down his spine. He didn’t have the heart to complain about how such unlucky events had befallen Beicheng at this time.

However, when he hurriedly arrived, the towns near the foot of the mountain did not show the chaotic scenes of being trampled by the demon horde as he had imagined.

Even the residents inside had already been safely evacuated with the help of the military guards and volunteer civilian groups. The areas that had lost power were now ghost towns, and even if they were unfortunately attacked by the demon horde, there would be no casualties.

The leader in charge of the military guards in District 18 saw him and hurried over.

His hurried steps, oddly enough, seemed almost cheerful.

Chen Jianguang glanced at the orderly military guards around him and asked in confusion, "...What's going on?"

The leader's eyes lit up as he said, "Didn’t you, the lieutenant colonel, call for reinforcements?"

"We heard that the new colonel from Shangnan Province has tamed the White King of Tian Guang Mountain and has become the leader of the Beicheng community. We thought you had also accepted and cooperated with this colonel, so you sent him ahead to help with the arrangements?"

Chen Jianguang could hardly believe his ears: "You mean, the colonel has already arrived?"

"Yes," the leader nodded, "and he led a team up Tian Guang Mountain. They've been up there for an hour."

X-type demons are of a higher class than I-type, but detecting source crystals is, strictly speaking, equally difficult.

I-type's advantage is that the source crystals on their bodies can constantly shift, which tests the detector's mastery of the source crystals. X-type, on the other hand, is similar to the low-level II-type; they do not belong to the looser combined form of I-type but are instead fused tightly together after merging, forming a fixed, integrated form.

Therefore, the source crystals on their bodies do not move; they are just very, very small.

X-type cannot be dealt with immediately.

But Xu Qingran can lead others to handle the smaller classes first.

Tian Guang Mountain is still the territory of the White Dog. With a howl like a wolf's, all the dog packs on the mountain sprang into action, engaging with low-level demons that closely resembled them.

The source crystal information Xu Qingran shared remained impressively clear.

Both Beicheng's military guards and the civilian guard teams were impressed by his superb combat skills and mental detection.

Seeing that this new colonel could suppress most of the demons that had been troubling them, the original residents of Beicheng, who had reservations about him suddenly becoming their leader, now had no complaints whatsoever.

They had waited so long and finally found a capable colonel!

Such a rare talent—they'd be fools to want to drive him away, wouldn't they?!

The battle on the mountain barely ended at dawn.

When the X-type enters a dormant state, it does not become shriveled but maintains its original form, with nine tails firmly nailed into the ground, securing the territory it occupies. If someone attempts to move or attack it at this time, its body's defense mechanism will automatically counterattack.

It's a particularly tough target.

That night, the elite team led by Xu Qingran was responsible for dealing with the X-type.

Especially him, this exceptionally brave colonel who seemed not to know the meaning of death. Probably because it was his first encounter with the X-type and he knew nothing about it, he spent the whole night experimenting, suffering many stabs, and ended up with a hole in his back.

Xu Qingran didn't complain once.

He calmly arranged the aftermath, urging the people of Beicheng to speed up the repair of nearby power stations, aiming to at least set up the first layer of protection on the mountain top before the next nightfall.

The primary goal is to prevent the X-type from coming down the mountain.

It is said that the X-type can also randomly spawn demons of a lower class as a mother body. Even if they are born, they must all be locked on the mountain first. Otherwise, once the range expands, it will be even harder to handle.

After giving his instructions, Xu Qingran planned to leave the matters here for the North City military guard to handle.

Just as he was about to descend the mountain, he saw a rather robust man walking up to him with a serious expression. The man was wearing a military uniform, unlike an ordinary soldier, and Xu Qingran quickly surmised.

Seeing the man's grave expression, Xu Qingran wondered if he was here to chew him out for unauthorized deployment of the North City military guard.

However, the man suddenly raised his hand and gave him a very formal salute, his voice deep: "Colonel Xu, hello, I am Chen Jianguang, the commander of the North City military guard."

Xu Qingran raised his eyebrows slightly.

Chen Jianguang's eyes were a bit red, perhaps from embarrassment or the relief of finally shedding a long-held burden.

Xu Qingran's calm gaze lightly brushed over Chen Jianguang's face.

After a moment, Xu Qingran's eyes crinkled slightly: "Lieutenant Colonel Chen, hello."

The residents and military guard of North City ultimately pledged allegiance to Xu Qingran.

Naturally, they also enjoyed the benefits of other cities, with military resources arriving and the standard of living for the people being taken care of. The maintenance work on Tian Guang Mountain was going relatively smoothly, and locking onto the source crystal of the X-class would take some time, so they could only try to keep it at bay.

As for the cleanup of other disaster areas, with new equipment, the cleanup speed skyrocketed.

Some time ago, the network across South Continent finally achieved a degree of unification.

So people started going online, accessing the world beyond South Continent, and making contact with people from other star systems.

However, these new things were still too unfamiliar to them, and they fumbled through using them, with few people initially active.

It wasn't until they gradually became familiar and stumbled upon the Star Horizon forum that the earlier events occurred. Now, the people of North City are Xu Qingran's biggest fans in South Continent. With his dual identity as a colonel who's both strong and handsome, and the halo of having subdued the White King, he is particularly dedicated to South Continent, making him the ideal leader they dreamed of.

The post went viral shortly after it was posted.

"Who understands? I'm so jealous of the residents of South Continent!"

"I knew that the little lunatic would shine wherever he goes. It's like watching your own kid grow up so well, isn't it?"

"Wow! Have you seen the latest military news? Young Master Xu is making headlines again!"

The discussion thread was blowing up when a netizen who's always on top of current events caught the latest news on social media.

#Dragon Moon Star: South Continent's North City X-class devil perfectly sniped!#

After months of hard fighting, the North City army, led by Xu Qingran, finally took down the X-class devil that had landed on Tian Guang Mountain in North City. But what surprised netizens even more was that the Silver Dragon Battalion was back in the news in the Dragon Star region!

The last time it was mentioned was when the old Silver Dragon City in Silver Star was completely lost.

Apart from that, no news from the Dragon Star region, whether about local incidents or foreign invasions, ever made the headlines.

Netizens just started discussing it in the hot thread.

Amid the chaos, the original poster quietly added another comment.

"OP: ...Huh? You guys just found out? This happened two days ago. Your info from the prosperous star systems is that slow?"

"..."

"Damn, never thought I'd get roasted by someone from the slums of Dragon Star."

"I... you... Silver Dragon, can your news get any slower!"

"Quick update! The young master is live-streaming! He finally started a live stream!!!"

After a long wait, fans flooded in.

The stream wasn’t even fully set up yet, but the number of viewers skyrocketed, hitting a hundred million in no time.

"Ahhhh, it’s been forever, young master!!"

"Little lunatic, you’re finally live! Where’s the QR code? Put it up already!"

"Is the young master gonna update us on South Continent like the general did?"

After some rustling, the camera finally turned on.

But the scene wasn’t as formal or serious as fans expected.

Xu Qingran was wearing an ordinary casual shirt, and the background looked like a quiet little garden, with a plainly dressed woman sitting beside him.

Fans were momentarily speechless, and the chat went silent.

Xu Qingran smiled at the camera and greeted everyone.

In the next second, he pulled out half a dozen jars of honey from under the table and pitched them like a pro: "Pure natural wild honey from North City, South Continent, hand-collected, 100% pure, no additives, sweet and fragrant, good for the stomach and health, guaranteed genuine, fair to all."

"Mid-Autumn Festival deal: buy five, get one free."

"Free shipping for a limited time—get it while you can!"

Netizens: "…………"

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