Chapter 637: Break Through the Fortress

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

The deafening impact echoed through the all-metal air raid shelter.

Inside the cold, dim fighter jet hangar, three members of the Special Operations Group, including Ming Luo, were fiercely battering the sealed warehouse door.

Outside, a fighter jet with its engines already roaring thundered on, while inside the cockpit a female Third-Stage warrior clutched a young girl tightly.

With a solemn expression, she turned to the middle-aged woman who was praying relentlessly and declared firmly:

“Don’t worry! We’ll get you and Ye Xiaoan out no matter what!”

“The Military has already arranged the extraction team ahead of time! This is likely just a temporary hiccup!”

At those words, Mother lifted her head, her eyes glistening with emotion, and forced a bitter, grateful smile:

“I know, I trust the Military. But what about Yenir… How is he, really?”

“You really needn’t worry about us—whether Ning’er might have run into trouble…”

Her voice choked with emotion. Ever since Yenir entered the National War, she and Ye Xiaoan have been secretly protected by the Military, whisked into the Underground Fortress and kept on standby to evacuate the Capital at a moment’s notice.

If things reach an irreparable stage, this all-Third-Stage Special Operations Group will ferry them to the Demon Hunting Legion’s base, ensuring they can start over. This was Yenir’s final request before entering the National War.

“But didn’t he come out, older brother!?”

“Why are we fleeing? Didn’t he secure first place!?”

“Was someone trying to harm him? Weren’t we all supposed to trust him?”

Despite her young age, Ye Xiaoan’s eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at the female Third-Stage clinging to her. No one explained what was happening, yet her keen mind sensed something was amiss with her brother.

Her brother had entered the National War in the Military’s stead! The murmurs among the soldiers implied that as long as he emerged, hope would remain.

Yet, just two hours ago, even as the National War announcement sounded, her brother had clinched first place!

Still, the Military Third-Stage officers, after their initial excitement, were overcome with worry—sensing impending disaster, they prepared to evacuate immediately!

“Xiao An, we…aren’t…”

Exchanging uneasy glances, the squad members managed a wry smile, realizing they had no words to answer Ye Xiaoan’s questions.

They dared not reveal that forces intended for Yenir to spark a rebellion! Yenir’s entry into the National War was practically a death sentence—forced upon him! The tangled enmity between the Rebels, Li Xuanguo, and others was beyond explanation.

The situation in the Capital was so complex and perilous that even the top brass couldn’t make sense of it.

“The announcement earlier was indeed good news. But… but…”

His face darkened, and before any gentle explanation could follow, Ming Luo’s voice rang out.

“Xiao An, I know you’re Yenir’s younger sister and that you’re no ordinary girl. There are things we can’t keep from you any longer, but please, you and Mother, brace yourselves!”

She took a deep breath.

Furious, Ming Luo pounded the locked hangar door with his fist, his eyes burning with sorrow.

“Yenir is indeed in danger! He was forced into the National War, and the Military predicts there’s little chance of his return!”

“Taking you out early was also Yenir’s plan—he wanted you to survive!”

“As for that earlier announcement…”

Ming Luo hesitated, clearly perplexed.

“For Yenir to emerge from the National War and even take first place is nothing short of a miracle—a tremendous good fortune!”

“But communications have been cut off! There’s been no word at all, which means the situation over there is grim. Yenir will likely pay a heavy price and face being surrounded once he gets out!”

“The Prime Minister and his men are there too! Damn it! Damn it!”

“Bang! Bang!!”

Mid-sentence, Ming Luo felt a raging fire burn inside him, igniting an unbearable torment.

The reason was simple: he knew exactly how many Peak Third-Stage fighters the Rebels had, while Fang Hao and the other two commanders commanded so few men.

Plainly put, no one expected Yenir to emerge! All their preparations were essentially about refusing to surrender and fighting to the bitter end. No one believed in miracles; the best-case scenario was that the Rebels, wary of the Prime Minister’s stature, wouldn’t strike too hard.

But who would have thought that Yenir actually made it out—and in first place!

“Exactly! That’s what makes this damn situation truly unforgivable!!!”

The entire Special Operations Group fell silent, understanding the depth of Ming Luo’s indignation.

It was pure, simple logic.

Even though Yenir had miraculously emerged, logically, he couldn’t possibly stand up to the Rebels.

With communications cut, the entire Capital was sealed off—its defenses rendered as impenetrable as an ironclad fort, and the intel they scraped together painted a warzone.

Thus, the Prime Minister’s side had likely already failed—even if Yenir had hacked his way out, he couldn’t have halted the Rebels!

Otherwise, things wouldn’t have turned out this way!

“Ming Luo, is it possible that our side might have won!?”

“The Prime Minister’s forces have locked down the entire city to prevent Rebel units from stirring up trouble in the Safe Zone. We can’t escape either—perhaps they didn’t have time to worry about us!”

“Yenir is number one! With all the rewards from the National War, he might even become Peak Third-Stage and unleash formidable power!”

Clinging to a final glimmer of hope, a dark-skinned squad member couldn’t help but voice his guess.

But as he spoke, his own confidence began to waver.

“The odds are too low… no, they’re practically non-existent!”

“Even if Yenir defies all odds—even if we truly win—do you really think the Rebels, with so many Peak fighters, wouldn’t manage to break through!?”

“If we win, it’ll be complete chaos—it might even escalate into a full-blown Safe Zone war!”

“The only way this could happen is if the Prime Minister’s forces were utterly overwhelmed—now the Capital is under Rebel control!”

Despite his clear mind—and though he hesitated to admit it—Ming Luo clung to a small hope.

But as a dedicated soldier, he knew they had to muster the courage to face the worst-case scenario!

Taking a deep breath, he glared at the three-layer-thick air raid door, sturdy enough to withstand a nuclear blast, and clenched his fists in determination.

“Everyone! Let’s break the door together!”

“At this point, no matter what happens outside, our mission is to protect the last of Yenir’s family!”

“Break the door! If it draws the Rebels’ attention, I’ll stall them as long as possible. Fly out immediately to the Demon Hunting Legion’s base!”

“We cannot let Yenir’s sacrifice be in vain!”

As his words faded, just as Ming Luo was about to exhaust every bit of his strength to ensure Ye Xiaoan and the others escaped,

a puzzling, resigned telepathic message suddenly echoed from outside the defenses:

“Who has sacrificed?”

“Boom!!!”

In an instant, as the eyes of Ming Luo and the others widened in shock, a dominating sword light—brilliant as endless radiance—pierced through layer upon layer of attack.

With a resounding crash, the entire underground facility trembled as a young man wielding a longsword floated in, his expression resigned.

He stared at Ming Luo and the others, whose mouths hung open in stunned disbelief.

Yenir tilted his head and let out a soft laugh;

“No need to look any further—it’s not an illusion.”

“The Rebels are dead.”

“I have wiped them all out!”

After a brief pause, Yenir lovingly turned his gaze toward the fighter jet, where Ye Xiaoan had just burst out of the cockpit after a startled scream, slowly opening her arms.

“This battle…”

“We’ve won.”

…

“Brother!! Waaaah!!”