Peony squeezed over from the side with her team of maids, placing eight trays in front of the Buddha Hall squad.
On the trays were three types of magical artifacts:
Eight trigram plates inlaid with crystal cores, rectangular plaques engraved with black runes, and several specially made psionic bombs wrapped with crystal cores.
In addition, there were twenty pure crystal cores each.
These pure crystal cores were also purified by the Buddha Hall squad.
Besides attending classes, the eight of them usually worked overtime to produce pure crystal cores for the users of those crystal core greatswords.
Wang Jixuan gave a brief introduction: "This rectangular plaque is made from the spine of a King-level Blade Beast. It is locked with the aura of the King-level Blade Beast and engraved with your codenames, but it won't be used in this martial arts competition."
Zheng Shiduo raised his hand and said, "I know! If we die in battle, and our corpses are shattered or burned to ashes, this can be used to identify us!"
An old aunt-level psionicist gnashed her teeth and scolded, "If you can talk, just say a little more! Really! You can't expect ivory from a dog's mouth!"
Zheng Shiduo chuckled embarrassedly.
He never argued with women.
Mainly because he couldn't win.
"Peony, please introduce our target this time."
Wang Jixuan snapped his fingers and went to take a seat in the corner.
Two mechanical maids stepped forward, raised their hands, and four slender hands lit up a simple holographic terrain map.
Peony stepped forward, bowed slightly, and began to introduce in a brisk tone:
"Everyone, please take a look. Our target is located in the southwest of the D3 Comprehensive War Zone, not too far from the border of our D5 War Zone."
"The commander-in-chief of the D3 Comprehensive War Zone is aware of our actions. He will remain silent afterward and expects us to remove this stone weighing on their heads."
"Please don't be too optimistic. The D3 military cannot provide us with any operational support."
"Many important facilities in D3 have been completely controlled by Psionic Metropolis. Eliminating a single S-rank psionicist can only alleviate the pressure on the D3 War Zone Command and cannot directly change the situation."
"Our target this time is hiding near a major water conservancy hub in the northwest of D3, where there is a huge fortress."
The holographic projection showed a magnificent dam, with natural mountains on both sides, enclosing a huge reservoir.
On a cliff on the left side of the reservoir stood a six-story domed building.
The holographic terrain map clearly showed several giant destruction cannons placed under the dome on the top floor, and dense firing ports set up on each floor of the building.
This was a large bunker, guarding the strategic terrain and protecting the safety of the dam.
Peony tapped her finger, and the internal structure of the cliff was displayed in front of everyone.
Embedded inside was a fortress.
[Ironclad Fortress].
Unlike the normal vertical design of fortresses, this fortress extended horizontally.
The cliff and the mountains behind it were hollowed out, and behind the cliff was the [Outer City] of the Ironclad Fortress.
The Outer City was a purely military area, equivalent to the Upper City of Fortress 76.
Extending inward from the Outer City was the [Mid-Section Industrial Zone], which supported hundreds of thousands of people, and behind the industrial zone, the [Inner City], marked in gray, whose population could not be accurately calculated.
The overall trend of the Ironclad Fortress sloped gently downward, with the Inner City already below sea level.
"This fortress is called Ironclad Fortress."
Peony quickly introduced:
"Twenty-three years ago, the Ironclad Fortress was secretly controlled by psionicists. From military to politics, it became an appendage of Psionic Metropolis. S-rank psionicists began to rotate and station here, replacing one every three to four years."
"According to rumors circulating in Psionic Metropolis, this place is called Paradise, and high-ranking psionicists of Psionic Metropolis are breaking their heads to be stationed here."
"More importantly, a branch of the Thirteenth Institute is hidden inside, which can steadily produce a large number of low-level psionicists every year."
"Our primary goal this time is to eliminate the S-rank psionicist here. The secondary goal is to blow up this branch of the Thirteenth Institute and collect as much evidence of their crimes as possible."
"S-rank psionicists are generally stationed in the Outer City, which is this area."
A flashing red square appeared on the map, not far from the outer facade of the cliff, and also the area with the most intense firepower.
Peony turned the map and pointed to the entrances of the ventilation pipes distributed in the mountains.
She continued to introduce:
"We will enter the Ironclad Fortress from the connecting area between the Inner City and the Mid-Section Industrial Zone."
"According to the intelligence we have collected in advance, the internal system of the Ironclad Fortress has been systematically corrupted and has an extremely bad atmosphere. Please be mentally prepared in advance and do not let personal emotions affect the progress of the mission."
"We will need to divide into four groups later."
"Ensure that each group has a minimum of three A-level combat units, and at least one loyal wingman to ensure electronic warfare advantages and be able to pass each checkpoint."
"The four groups must arrive at the throat of the Ironclad Fortress within the scheduled time, and then launch a general attack on the area where the S-rank target is located."
"Given Captain Zheng's own strength, he will be equipped with the precious X-Armor. Everyone must be uniformly equipped with the new 'Stalker IV' armor."
"This is good equipment that hasn't even been equipped to the army yet."
The members of the Buddha Hall squad smiled.
Zheng Shiduo covered his face with his hands, rubbed it hard, and said that a small C like him could be mixed in with a group of A and B-level psionicists. It was really…
A chicken among cranes!
Wu Man raised his hand and asked, "Where will our plane land?"
"In a canyon dozens of kilometers away from this area," Peony explained softly. "Everyone, be prepared to travel quickly."
"What about the information on the S-rank psionicist?" Ji Xiao asked.
"This is what I'm going to introduce next. Everyone, please take a look."
Peony's shoulders emitted several rays of light, spreading out a holographic projector above the holographic map.
Inside appeared a middle-aged woman wearing a fishtail dress, with three-dimensional features, quite beautiful, a hot figure, hands on her hips, proudly raising her head.
— This should be a photo taken from a poster.
Peony continued to introduce: "Philry, code-named 'Scarlet Smoke', a non-awakened S-rank. The abilities she has shown are three: extremely powerful mind control, controlling fire and water, and strengthening her own body…"
"Let me add a few words."
Wang Jixuan opened his mouth from the side:
"Everyone, don't have too much pressure. This woman is not a Fireborn, just a low-end version of Xing Dian, the bottom of the S-rank, known to be ranked seventy-eighth."
"According to intelligence, her personality is extremely narcissistic. Lao Zheng can start from this aspect when mocking her."
"The difficulty this time is actually the armed forces inside this horizontal fortress."
"This is different from before. Before, we were defending inside the fortress. The terrain was in our favor, and our military strength was also our advantage. Now this advantage has turned into a disadvantage."
"So, we must be careful and careful when we sneak in later. If one group is exposed, retreat immediately."
"Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Well, Peony, continue to introduce the grouping plan. Everyone, use your brains a little. If you encounter an S-rank psionicist in advance, you don't have to form the Seven Star Sword Formation. Fight if you can, run if you can't."
"Teacher Wang, don't worry, we guarantee to complete the mission!"
Wang Jixuan: …
What he was worried about was that these eight guys were not afraid of sacrifice and were stubborn.
The Daoist hasn't planned to open a teaching class recently.
"Good luck," Wang Jixuan closed his eyes to rest. He was afraid of overdoing it and didn't dare to continue encouraging them.
An hour and a half later, the transport plane flew at low altitude into the canyon.
The escort team that had been waiting on the ground for a long time immediately unlocked the holographic camouflage on one side of the mountain forest, revealing an area where leveling operations had been completed in advance.
The transport plane landed vertically and stopped steadily. The holographic camouflage was activated again.
The Pinnacle Maid Corps and the Buddha Hall squad, a total of sixteen people, were divided and dispersed into four groups, A, B, C, and D. All four groups were equipped with stealth armor, entering optical stealth and electromagnetic shielding simultaneously.
The members of the escort team hiding outside could only hear the clanging footsteps and vaguely see a few transparent figures depicted by 'distorted light'.
Wang Jixuan stretched lazily in the cabin and walked to the small compartment behind the cockpit, yawning as he pushed the door open.
Commander-in-chief Fu Jian, who was carefully examining a holographic newspaper, looked up at Wang Jixuan.
Daoist Wang asked helplessly, "Why are you, a commander-in-chief, following us on this kind of raid mission?"
"To rescue you if necessary."
Fu Jian turned a page of the newspaper, found that it was already the end, and put down the newspaper somewhat bored.
He stood up: "Aren't you changing into the X-Armor?"
"Huh?" Wang Jixuan pointed at his nose, "Am I going too? Aren't I here to grade them?"
"Now that you're here, let's go."
Fu Jian sighed:
The newest and most complete novels are all here! Read it now!
"I'll take you to see the evil deeds of the Thirteenth Institute so that you can firmly stand on the side of normal humans."
Wang Jixuan shrugged: "What's there to see? Isn't it just like those in the lower city of Fortress 76?"
"I must remind you that the 中古 Basin Fortress 76 is in the area under my rule. The tragic fate of the people in the lower city stems from the fortress mechanism, coupled with the depravity of human nature."
Fu Jian urged:
"Quickly go change your armor. If I don't let you see the systemic depravity of the psionic system, you won't be able to understand the evil of the Thirteenth Institute."
"Alright, I'll go now."
Wang Jixuan coughed weakly twice:
"I was seriously injured to take down Fireborn. I dare not take action casually this time."
Fu Jian pretended to believe him.
…
Two hours later, at noon.
Wang Jixuan, wearing a slightly upgraded X-Armor, arrived with Fu Jian above the 'Inner City' of the Ironclad Fortress.
They arrived at the ventilation shaft that Team Ding had previously entered. Fu Jian skillfully released a miniature robot and operated the small screen that popped up on his arm. The monitoring system inside the ventilation shaft malfunctioned for the second time.
The two of them entered as if they were strolling down the street, landing silently at the corner of the pipe.
Wang Jixuan relied on controlling and utilizing his aura, while Fu Jian relied on magnetic rings.
The four teams occasionally communicated through their earpieces. Having been inside for over half an hour, they were now reporting their positions to each other, constantly approaching the cliffside area.
So far, everything was going smoothly.
D5 could be considered unique in the field of military technology.
Wang Jixuan's spiritual sense expanded, and the smile on his lips quickly faded, replaced by a frown.
Fu Jian, who had originally intended to show him around, instead followed behind him, heading deeper into the inner city.
The structure of the transverse fortress was similar to that of a normal fortress, but the 'inner city' here was completely different from the lower city of Fortress 76.
It resembled an ant's nest, with capillary passages connecting individual 'compartments'. The compartments were divided into living and residential areas, and each family's private space consisted of individual tents.
In terms of environment, it was better than the lower city of Fortress 76 because it was not far from the surface, and optical transmission systems could be used, so the light was relatively sufficient.
However, unlike Fortress 76, the drainage system was relatively inadequate. To avoid polluting the reservoir's water source, the drainage pipes extended far outward, which often led to blockages.
Wang Jixuan and Fu Jian, using optical camouflage, stopped outside a compartment and looked inside.
Over a hundred people lived there.
Most of the adults were lying or sitting, wearing clothes that clung tightly to their bodies.
They were staring blankly, each with a dirty gasbag at hand. Every now and then, they would bring the gasbag to their mouths, take a deep breath, and then fall into a state of ecstasy.
There were also children over the age of six, who stayed by their parents' sides, watching the gasbags with longing, waiting for their parents to fall asleep or become unconscious so they could grab the gasbag, bring it to their noses, and take a light sniff.
Fu Jian whispered, "This caused a huge uproar over a decade ago. It's a new type of anti-darkness drug. Most war zones have banned this gas-based drug, but fortresses controlled by psionics have preserved it."
Wang Jixuan nodded, not saying much.
He and Fu Jian continued to stroll, looking along the capillary passages, his spiritual sense constantly expanding.
All areas were similar.
Fu Jian asked, "Do you think they can still be called human beings?"
"I don't know how to evaluate this," Wang Jixuan said softly. "Their souls have already decayed."
"That's their purpose," Fu Jian said with some emotion. "Fortresses like these won't have uprisings, so the psionics can rest easy."
Reports from each team began to come through the communication channel.
Peony: "My team has arrived at designated location number one."
Wu Man: "We'll need about three to five more minutes. Please wait."
Zheng Shiduo cursed, "This place is disgusting. Remember to turn on the air purification function of your armor."
Ji Xiao said, "Don't worry, psionics are immune to this toxin."
Wang Jixuan instructed, "Don't rush the operation. Be patient."
The team leaders responded simultaneously.
Fu Jian patted Wang Jixuan on the shoulder. "Let's speed up a bit and go to the Thirteenth Institute's branch. There might be those walls there."
"Okay," Wang Jixuan replied, his spiritual sense already covering half of Ironclad Fortress.
He could see that most areas of the 'inner city' were similar scenes, with people clutching gasbags, constantly immersing themselves in illusory dreams.
The industrial area was much better.
The most important part of every fortress was the industrial area, like the middle city of Fortress 76. It was where production took place, maintaining the operation of human society and producing materials to fight against the Blade Beasts.
However, the use of gasbags was prevalent in the industrial area. Most people ran back to their residences after work, or gathered in groups, using the gasbags before eating.
The patrolling security team was like that, and so were the ordinary law enforcement teams.
Many people, having 'run out of stock,' would abandon all dignity and kneel before those thugs, being wantonly humiliated.
Those thugs would kneel before the law enforcement teams composed of low-level psionics, offering various resources, including the young men and women they controlled with the gasbags.
The entire fortress's political order had become ineffective.
The only area that remained relatively clean was the outer city, where the army was stationed.
The stationed army blocked all passages leading to the interior, only accepting external supplies and rotating with other fortresses.
The Thirteenth Institute's branch here had an inexhaustible supply of materials.
"This is the world controlled by psionics," Fu Jian said calmly.
He turned to look at Wang Jixuan, wanting to admire the young man's expression, which would probably be filled with suppressed anger. Unfortunately, the X armor's demon helmet blocked that expression.
Wang Jixuan suddenly said, "The branch has some good stuff. Let's go take a look."
"Hmm?" Fu Jian couldn't help but ask, "Don't you have any feelings about this?"
"Feelings are useless. We must eradicate evil completely."
Wang Jixuan quickened his pace, urging, "They're about to fight over there. The gates will probably be lowered everywhere. Let's hurry. It seems like there really is an original infusion wall…and some psionic mechs?"
Mechs? Grandpa Fu's interest was instantly piqued.
