Chapter 61: Vast and Boundless Earth, Who Rules the Destiny of the World

Thunder-class Aerial Fortress.

The bow of this towering flying leviathan served as the command core of the entire fortress—the bridge hall.

At this moment, the hall was a scene of bustling activity.

The bridge crew members were busy at their posts, their fingers flying rapidly across the keyboards while their eyes remained fixed on the shifting data displayed on the screens.

The most eye-catching feature was a massive holographic display screen that occupied almost the entire wall.

It showed the Thunder's position, speed, course, and various theater information.

"Power system operating at seventy percent capacity, nuclear fusion reactor output stable, energy reserves abundant."

"Defense system fully activated, electromagnetic shields continuously charging."

"High-energy laser cannons, particle beam cannons, and close-in weapon systems are all on standby."

"Communication links stable, encrypted transmissions verified."

"Real-time data transmission to the ground command center in progress."

Accompanied by the self-diagnosis reports of various systems within the bridge, the Thunder Aerial Fortress moved steadily forward beneath the vast firmament like a precisely operating war machine.

......

At the side observation deck of the Thunder.

"Elder Zhu, I truly didn't expect to find you here," a hearty voice rang out.

Li Jiaren, the president of Central South University, walked over with a smile to stand beside a white-haired old man.

"I'm getting old. Riding the Thunder is a chance to experience some new technology," the old man turned around, revealing himself to be Zhu Jingshan, the principal of Yali High School.

He was already over two centuries old, having lived through more than two whole centuries and experiencing countless storms and trials alongside Great Xia.

Even though Li Jiaren was a Transcendent and held a position of immense power, he could only be considered a junior in front of him.

Hearing this, the corners of Li Jiaren's mouth curved into a smile: "That's true. When you were young, this aerial fortress didn't even exist yet. Construction only began sixty years ago, and there aren't many of them in total."

"It can truly be called a pillar of the nation!"

"This is a fine piece of machinery. If we had this fellow back in the day, our casualties would have been much lower," Zhu Jingshan sighed.

Li Jiaren stood by the window, gazing at the rolling, rugged mountain ranges below: "This spatial anomaly appearing in the Luoxiao Mountains can be considered a blessing in misfortune."

"Aside from the densely populated area of Gutong County, the rest of the region spanning over a thousand kilometers consists of towering mountains with no human habitation."

"Compared to the pressure of ensuring the personal safety of tens of millions of people in a major city, these deep mountains present fewer worries in that regard."

Zhu Jingshan watched the continuously distorting dark red spatial rift below, his eyes narrowing: "According to the spatial parameters, has the other side of this otherworldly portal been confirmed to be the Abyss Realm?"

Li Jiaren nodded: "Confirmed without a doubt."

"The Abyss Realm is not easy to deal with," Zhu Jingshan sighed.

"Jiaren, I remember when I was still at Central South, I used to take a group of junior and senior students out for combat training and trials. You must have been there too, right?"

"Yes. During those years when I was studying at Central South University, you happened to be serving as the president," Li Jiaren said with lingering emotion.

"I remember the opponents in that cross-realm war were from the Abyss Realm. Their corrosive power was truly a headache."

"Who would have thought that after so many years, we would encounter the Abyss Realm again."

Standing before the alloy window of the observation deck, the two men began to reminisce about the past and discuss the present, talking about everything from history to current affairs.

A moment later.

Zhu Jingshan changed the subject, speaking leisurely: "Ah, I just remembered another matter. Do you still remember your heroic deeds when you first entered university?"

"Huh??"

"Could it be you've forgotten that magnificent feat of climbing the girls' dormitory building that year?" Zhu Jingshan shot him a sideways glance.

"Ahahaha, ha..." Li Jiaren never expected Zhu Jingshan's memory to be this sharp.

He was actually dredging up old scores from a century ago!

Truly worthy of being the old principal!

After letting out a few dry laughs, Li Jiaren hastily and rather sheepishly changed the subject: "Elder Zhu, how are things with you at Yali nowadays?"

"Good, very good," Zhu Jingshan stroked his long beard, his small eyes narrowing as he smiled: "Staying there is like living in retirement. Watching a bunch of young people makes me feel much younger myself."

"Elder Zhu, speaking of which, there is a small matter I'd like to report to my former leader," Li Jiaren leaned in closer, lowering his voice.

"Oh??"

"You should know that the municipal training camp has been training at Central South recently."

"I know. Yu Guochuan has been keeping tabs on that. What about it?"

"Xia Xingqiu from our Martial Dao Research Institute wishes to invite Shi Yu to his side to study techniques and advance his martial arts training."

Li Jiaren deliberated his words: "Shi Yu's aptitude and talent are already self-evident. To be frank, the elite classes for seniors at Yali hold little significance for him."

"Instead of missing this opportunity, it would be better to let him spend more time at the Martial Dao Academy."

"If Shi Yu learns more and cultivates faster, he'll be more confident when challenging the Heavenly Rankings next year. What do you think, old leader?"

Zhu Jingshan's white eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked at Li Jiaren: "Behind this, Xia Xingqiu must be the one stirring things up, right?"

"The Xia family has taken a fancy to Shi Yu?"

"You possess discerning insight, Elder." Seeing that his former leader had seen through it with a single sentence, Li Jiaren stopped trying to conceal it.

"From what I understand, the Xia family is indeed very interested in Shi Yu. Not only Xia Xingqiu, but Xia Yuan of Tianheng as well."

Li Jiaren continued: "I feel this matter has no downsides and benefits all parties involved."

"Whether it's Yali, Central South, or the Xia family, including Shi Yu himself, everyone stands to gain immensely."

Zhu Jingshan looked at the azure firmament and wisps of white clouds outside the window, pondering for a moment before saying: "It seems you left one person out."

"Who?"

"Little Song," Zhu Jingshan said slowly. "She pays very close attention to Shi Yu. Do you know what her thoughts are?"

Li Jiaren smiled amiably: "That depends on whether you are referring to Song Yunwei of Yali, or Song Yunwei of the Song family."

"You rascal!"

Zhu Jingshan couldn't help scolding: "Of all things to learn, you picked up my old habits."

"Haha, that's because of your brilliant guidance, old leader."

"Alright, I'm aware of this matter," Zhu Jingshan waved a hand. "I'll have a word with Little Song."

"Splendid, the old leader is always so decisive!"

"I won't disturb your view any longer, please carry on." Seeing that his task was accomplished, Li Jiaren took his leave cleanly and decisively.

"Why do I feel like the only reason you came over to chat with me was precisely for this matter?"

"Ahahaha, big matters or small matters, they're all matters anyway!"

Li Jiaren walked away with brisk strides, disappearing down the corridor.

Zhu Jingshan shook his head slightly and looked back out the window.

In the airspace surrounding the Thunder, hundreds of drone swarms were constantly weaving back and forth to provide escort.

These Sky Watcher heavy drones were all equipped with supersonic cruise capabilities, stealth technology, and advanced radar systems.

Whether in air-to-air or air-to-ground combat, they could flawlessly execute their missions.

He shifted his gaze down toward the rugged earth below.

The Luoxiao Mountains stretched endlessly, resembling ancient, winding dragons whose spines flickered in and out of view amidst the clouds and mist, looking both mysterious and solemn.

Among the numerous mountain ranges, a red torrent could be seen continuously weaving forward.

That was an iron column composed of countless Great Xia Starfire battle flags!

And at the deepest point, the otherworldly portal was writhing and gestating into shape.

Space continuously twisted, expanding and contracting while radiating an indescribable aura.

"Such magnificent rivers and mountains ultimately require someone to guard them," Zhu Jingshan sighed with emotion.

"How vast and boundless! Asking the murky earth, who decides the rise and fall?"