Chapter 188: Testing New Talents

Facing Li Xuanguo’s questioning, Hu Zhiping only smiled lightly as he began to explain in a calm and measured tone:

“Prime Minister, I fully understand the gravity of the situation.”

“But haven’t you forgotten that the intercontinental instance is about to start? The resources from this run are crucial to us. Our recent failures have already compromised our strategic reserves in the Battle Zone. This time, there must be no mistakes.”

“In the intercontinental instance scheduled for half a month later, participants are limited to those below Third-Stage Advanced. The output from that instance is key to the Spirit Crystals needed for our Spiritual Energy Fighters.”

“If we end up with too small a share, a large number of our fighters will become nothing more than scrap metal! Our strategic reserves are already in a precarious state!”

His expression briefly tightened.

Li Xuanguo listened without interrupting Hu Zhiping.

Of course he was aware of the severity of the issue; just a few days ago, many high-ranking military officials had confided their concerns to him during a meeting.

If the Spiritual Energy Fighters were to grind to a halt, it would mean that the Huaxia Battle Zone would lose its air superiority—a scenario that would not only jeopardize the security of every battle zone but also embolden neighboring countries.

“You want Yenir to participate in this instance?”

Li Xuanguo asked in confusion, though he had already guessed Hu Zhiping’s line of thought.

Nodding slightly, Hu Zhiping sighed:

“Prime Minister, as you know, our entire Battle Zone is suffering from a gap between generations. While we have plenty of top-tier forces, our mid-level capabilities are lacking. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be in a rush to launch the Fire Seed Plan.”

“Most resource instances impose a power cap. And in those that don’t, it’s extremely hard to get a Peak Third-Stage in. After all, the Four Commanders must guard their respective territories and cannot easily leave. We simply don’t have enough hands where they’re needed.”

“If Yenir and the other seeds can help bridge that gap, it would be nothing short of ideal.”

“Yenir wants to vent his frustrations by challenging fighters from other tiers. This will also serve as a perfect opportunity to gauge his true strength—especially since fighting an Awakener is a whole different ballgame compared to battling mutants.”

“Some excel at fighting mutants, but they aren’t as proficient when it comes to an Awakener.”

“If Yenir continues to excel, we can absolutely consider letting him lead a team into the instance!”

As he spoke, a flash of excitement lit up Hu Zhiping’s eyes:

“Especially since there are hints that Yenir might be capable of fighting beyond his current tier! If he can pull that off after Third-Stage, transitioning from basic to intermediate, or intermediate to advanced—even more impressively—it could be a game changer for us!”

Listening to Hu Zhiping’s explanation, Li Xuanguo couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

Indeed, judging by Yenir’s talent and performance, it seemed entirely possible. He even wondered if Yenir might possess peak combat strength as an advanced Third-Stage—a potential that would be immensely valuable!

Even with the power cap in the instance, couldn’t Yenir just wreak havoc and secure all the resources for them?

As for Hu Zhiping’s idea to test whether Yenir could handle an Awakener in battle, Li Xuanguo understood the rationale.

After all, in all the data gathered so far, there hadn’t been a single record of Yenir facing an Awakener in combat.

Whether it was the intelligence reported from Tianfeng or data from the Trial Tower, all encounters had been with mutants.

He was genuinely curious to see what Yenir was truly capable of.

“So, you believe a deathmatch is the best way to truly test his strength? Just to see how he performs?”

“But if Yenir really goes all out during the deathmatch, Zhang Meng’s side might just lose it…”

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Xuanguo still felt that it might be too extreme.

Seeing Li Xuanguo’s hesitation, Hu Zhiping casually reassured him in a soft tone:

“Prime Minister, there’s no need to worry about the deathmatch.”

“We’re only testing, not actually sacrificing lives. At worst, we can station a few Third-Stage Advanced soldiers nearby during the match.”

“If Yenir wants to vent, let him. When the critical moment comes, we’ll step in to save him.”

“Besides, the deathmatch will also give us the chance to evaluate everyone else’s performance.”

“Frankly, if it weren’t for Yenir’s spectacular performance, the selection for the Fire Seed Plan would have been quite satisfactory even without it. In the midst of a life-and-death situation, we can still spot suitable talents.”

After hearing Hu Zhiping’s proposal, Li Xuanguo gave a slight nod of approval, accepting the plan.

Having Third-Stage Advanced soldiers on standby should be sufficient.

………

After everyone had left, only a few Third-Stage soldiers remained patrolling the hospital room. Fang Hao looked on with keen interest at the hospital bed where Yenir lay.

“What do you say? Interested in joining the Sixth Legion?”

“If you come, I can have you command a detachment. The Sixth Legion is specialized in eradicating mutants, operating independently without having to answer to those featherbrained bureaucrats.”

Fang Hao’s invitation was sincere, and as he spoke, one of the Third-Stage soldiers trailing behind him couldn’t help but feel a jolt of excitement.

Although Yenir’s future status would be sky-high, right now he had just stepped into the Third-Stage. Without at least seven to eight years of growth, he simply couldn’t catch up.

Every one of the Four Commanders is a prodigy, but even the fastest from basic to peak Third-Stage took no less than 19 years.

Seven to eight years is almost a given for someone with Yenir’s SSS-level talent. To directly command a unit is a privilege reserved for Third-Stage Advanced at best.

Yet, surprisingly, when facing Fang Hao’s invitation, Yenir simply shook his head gently and chuckled softly:

“Commander Fang, I still plan to focus on strengthening my abilities first.”

“Commanding a unit isn’t really my forte.”

Yenir held a favorable impression of Commander Fang. He knew that the invitation was purely because of his potential, and it was also a way to keep him away from the whirlpool of politics.

To onlookers, his actions today might have seemed a bit overboard.

Even the most talented need a long time to progress from basic Third-Stage to their peak. Unlike Second-Stage, where Spirit Crystals can accelerate growth, absorption efficiency drops drastically after the Third-Stage, and the required amount becomes frighteningly high—an obstacle to mastering one’s strength.

In the coming years, no matter how lavish the treatment is in the Capital, there would inevitably be enormous pressure in the background.

Especially since he had no backing at all—only his potential to lean on.

Staying away from the swirling politics to nurture personal growth and rise to prominence is the optimal solution.

But Yenir was confident he had a method to overcome the growth bottleneck post-Third-Stage. In just a few months, he could reach Peak Third-Stage—and he was even confident of breaking into Fourth-Stage! With his absolute strength, no problem would be insurmountable!

No one knows exactly what Yenir’s true plans are.

Only by staying in the Capital, right at the core of the Huaxia Battle Zone, could he possibly complete his scheme!

Facing Yenir’s refusal, Fang Hao smiled nonchalantly and pulled out a card, placing it beside him.

“If you’re not interested, that’s fine.”

“I’ll be in the Capital for a while and will leave in a bit.”

“If you need anything, feel free to contact me.”

He gave Yenir a knowing smile before turning and leaving with his group. Had he not seen a bit of his former self in Yenir, he wouldn’t have done so.