Chapter 730 - 697: One-Man Army

The two stood together for a while longer before Zhao Kun took his leave to arrange the outpost’s defenses.

Xu Wuyi turned and walked back into the outpost, finding an empty break room to sit down in. The room was sparsely furnished with just a bed, a desk, a chair, and an old air conditioner mounted on the wall.

Sitting in the chair, he closed his eyes and let his awareness sink into his sea of consciousness. There, the pale blue Heart of Order continued its slow rotation, though its glow was much dimmer than before. The previous battle had taken a significant toll. He quietly watched it, sensing its gradual recovery—a process that required no deliberate effort to accelerate, only patient waiting.

Time slipped by in the silence. Sometime later, a knock sounded at the door.

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes, stood up, and went to open it. A young Martial Artist stood outside. Seeing Xu Wuyi, he immediately gave a respectful bow.

"Grandmaster Xu, Grandmaster Ren requests your presence. He says there’s news from the military."

Xu Wuyi nodded and followed the Martial Artist down the corridor to a larger conference room. Several people were already seated inside. Ren Bai sat at the head of the table. Tang Xiuqi had also arrived, flanked by several top-tier Innate Martial Artists, alongside second-tier mainstays like Su Yueling and Zhao Kun.

Seeing Xu Wuyi enter, Ren Bai pointed to an empty seat beside him. "Sit."

Xu Wuyi sat down next to him, his gaze falling on the holographic screen in the center of the room. The screen displayed a communication interface, featuring a middle-aged man in a military uniform. He had resolute features and sharp eyes, and the epaulets on his shoulders bore the rank of Major General.

Seeing Xu Wuyi take his seat, the middle-aged man nodded. "Since Grandmaster Xu is here, let’s get straight to business."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. "The military has received Grandmaster Ren Bai’s report. After emergency analysis and discussion, the Supreme Council and the military have reached a joint decision: we agree with Grandmaster Ren Bai’s proposal to permanently close the Profound Abyssal Rift."

As his words fell, a heavy silence blanketed the conference room. No one spoke, but everyone’s expression grew solemn. Permanently closing a Rift was no small matter. The Profound Abyssal Rift had existed for many years and had always been a primary target of the Federation’s surveillance. Shutting it down completely would require a massive investment of manpower and resources. It would demand the combined efforts of multiple Grandmasters, alongside precise equipment and technical support. The entire process would take anywhere from half a month to two months, and absolutely no mistakes could be made during that time.

The middle-aged man continued, "The military has assembled a specialized task force led by Grandmaster Shen Jin, which is expected to arrive at the Profound Abyssal Rift tomorrow morning. They will be accompanied by thirty professional technicians and a full suite of Rift closure equipment.

"Grandmaster Ren Bai and Grandmaster Xu Wuyi, we request that you continue guarding the Rift until Grandmaster Shen Jin arrives to ensure nothing goes wrong. Once Grandmaster Shen Jin is on site, he will take unified command of the closure operation."

Ren Bai nodded. "Understood."

The middle-aged man then looked at Xu Wuyi. "Grandmaster Xu, you’ve only recently broken through. Logically speaking, we shouldn’t involve you in such a dangerous mission.

"However, you have spent time at the Profound Abyssal Rift and are familiar with the situation. Furthermore, the battle just now has proven your strength. Therefore, the military hopes you can continue to assist until the Rift is completely closed."

Xu Wuyi replied, "No problem."

The middle-aged man nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Good. Then we will be troubling all of you. Once the Rift is closed, the military will record the merits of everyone involved."

The communication ended, and the holographic screen went dark.

Quiet descended upon the conference room once again as all eyes fell on Ren Bai.

Ren Bai remained silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking. "You all heard the military’s orders. Tomorrow morning, Grandmaster Shen Jin will arrive with a technical team to begin the Rift closure operation. Until then, our mission is to guard the Rift and prevent any accidents from happening."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "I know everyone is exhausted from this recent period, and many of you are injured. But this is the critical moment. No matter how tired you are, you must hold on. Once the Rift is closed, you can all take a proper rest—for as long as you want."

The crowd nodded in agreement; no one voiced any objections. After outlining a few specific arrangements, Ren Bai dismissed the meeting. Everyone gradually stood up and left, leaving only Ren Bai and Xu Wuyi alone in the conference room.

Ren Bai leaned back in his chair and let out a long exhale.

"With Shen Jin personally leading the team, the military is truly resolute this time," he said, a hint of deep emotion in his voice. "It’s for the best. This Rift has existed for far too long; it’s about time we resolved it once and for all."

Xu Wuyi looked at him and asked, "Grandmaster Ren, will there be any danger during the Rift closure process?"

Ren Bai nodded. "Of course. The essence of closing a Rift is to use an Energy Neutralization Device to forcibly break the Rift’s spatial structure, allowing it to slowly heal.

"However, during this process, the Star Realm behind the Rift will instinctively resist. This could trigger violent Energy tides, and might even result in another massive surge of Star Beasts."

He paused, his tone growing even more solemn. "The most dangerous period is the few minutes right before the Rift fully closes. At that moment, the spatial structure is at its most unstable. Any slight mishap could cause the entire Rift to collapse, triggering a spatial implosion.

"If anyone is still near the Rift at that time, they will likely be swept into the turbulent spatial currents, never to return."

Listening to this, Xu Wuyi gained a much clearer understanding of just how difficult closing the Rift would be.