"Hmm?" Shao Qi curiously glanced at him, gripping his wrist. The life stone activated, and he immediately felt a surge of powerful inner energy.

"Another advancement?" Sha Qi looked on enviously. "How does Zhou You's training seem so unorthodox? His progress is incredibly swift. It's been less than two months since our last mission in the northwest."

"I'm not entirely sure. Next time, I'll bring my disciple to test it out," Zhou You mused, wondering if this method was exclusive to him or if others could also utilize it.

"But we should keep it under wraps for now. We wouldn't want someone recklessly trying it on themselves."

"You seem reckless enough," Sha Qi grabbed his arm, "Did you secretly embark on dangerous tasks alone while I was away? Are you trying to kill me with worry? What would've happened if you encountered trouble without anyone to help you?"

Feeling slightly guilty, Zhou You managed a sheepish grin, "It wasn't that dangerous, really. Xiao Bai was with me. I wasn’t completely alone."

"Seriously? If something happened, could Xiao Bai have saved you or even alerted me?"

"Calm down," Zhou You said, trying to placate him. "See? I'm fine. Besides, I owe a great deal to Master Gu. He provided invaluable insights."

Sha Qi snorted, "Then I'll thank him on your behalf when we return."

Climbing out of the pit, they looked up to see a massive transport plane descending slowly. Hovering about a hundred meters above the pit, it extended a large tube downward.

Zhou You watched intently as the tube suctioned up the insect shells, a process that took a full three hours to complete.

Just as the plane began retracting the tube, Zhou You sensed a familiar spiritual energy. Expecting to find another live insect, he was perplexed to see the pit entirely empty, devoid of even a small stone.

Could it be hiding underground, like the last time? After another thorough scan with his spiritual senses and finding nothing, he began to doubt his initial feeling.

Even if there were a few live insects, they wouldn't pose a significant threat.

"Let's go, we need to board the plane and head back."

Zhou You and Sha Qi boarded the fighter jet together. As they ascended, Zhou You thought he caught a glimpse of the white tiger sitting by the pit's edge, looking up as if saying goodbye.

Ever since he went to Dawn City, he couldn't bring the little white tiger along. Their interactions would decrease, and perhaps one day they'd lose touch entirely.

Or, the next time they met, the tiger might not even remember him. They might find themselves on opposing sides and even come to blows.

"Sha Qi," Zhou You called out softly, his face pressed against the window.

"Hmm? Feeling sentimental?" Sha Qi confessed he felt the same. After seeing it grow from a cub, how could they not get attached?

"I don't really like Dawn City," Zhou You murmured.

Not wanting Sha Qi to misunderstand, he explained, "Your family's great. It's just the environment in Dawn City I’m not fond of. It’s too comfortable; prolonged stay might dull one’s ambitions. I want to keep growing stronger."

Sha Qi leaned in, resting his head on Zhou You's shoulder, "I'll follow you wherever you go, work wherever you do. Wherever you are is home to me. Do you prefer Jiangnan Base or Yang City Base?"

"Let's explore first. There are many places I've yet to visit. Once we’ve seen them all, we can decide."

"Alright, I'm with you every step of the way."

As the plane entered Dawn City's airspace, news of their arrival spread fast. Many prominent companies even waited outside the airport, eager to get a piece of the action.

The first batch of weapons forged from insect carapace is about to be released. According to tests, these are poised to be among the forefront of high-end weaponry.

Given the current weapons market, quality materials are scarce and expensive. Top-ranking weapons, unsurprisingly, are in limited supply, leading to demand outstripping supply. Many newcomers to the warrior class struggle for a while to acquire a good weapon.

With this new batch of raw materials, these problems can be resolved. Affordable high-end weaponry is something many warriors have only dreamt of.

Looking at the bustling scene below, Shao Qi told the pilot, “Take us to the No.2 airfield.”

“Yes, commander.”

Shao Qi explained to Zhou You, “Half the credit for this insect carapace goes to you. According to the plan I previously discussed with the research institute, you will receive 30% of the total profit. The military gets another 30%, 20% goes to the research institute, and the remainder, after taxes, will be directed to the Warrior's Foundation, to further develop and train warriors.”

“It wouldn’t be prudent to publicly acknowledge my role, would it?”

“Don't worry; I’ll find a plausible reason.”

As the aircraft landed, Zhou You said, “I want to meet Gu Zhou.”

“What for? Discuss martial arts with him?” Shao Qi teased, “Or do you wish to challenge him in the arena?”

Zhou You shook his head, “No need for an arena challenge. I just want to gauge the depth of his understanding of psychic power. It's crucial to know your enemy.”

“He couldn't even defeat Zhang Huaishen. I don't see him as a threat.”

“That was his oversight. In terms of skill, they're on par. However, Gu Zhou's strategies are unconventional and devious. In a life-and-death battle, Zhang, the Sect Leader, wouldn’t be his match.”

“Alright, arrange a meeting with him; he will surely be elated.”

After his loss in the duel, Gu Zhou hasn’t been seen outside. It's not about saving face; experts of their caliber are a rare breed, invaluable.

He's been reflecting on himself and reassessing the three major sects. He realized that his prior knowledge of them was too superficial.

And there’s the Emei sect. Han Xi deceived him; he will settle this score in due time.