Gao Wu: A centenarian old man, many children and good fortune! Chapter 051

Late at night, in Xiao Yan’s exclusive villa, inside the training room.

The training room was brightly lit, and the air was filled with a faint, refreshing herbal scent. This was the tranquilizing incense Zhang Jingyao liked to burn during her cultivation.

She sat cross-legged on the practice mat, eyes gently closed. Her otherwise slightly ordinary features exuded a unique charm due to her extreme focus. Beads of sweat, like glistening dewdrops, slowly trickled down her smooth forehead, dampening her temples.

Among the five women, Zhang Jingyao’s talent was indeed the most ordinary, and her personality was the most serene and introverted, never contending or striving. But it was precisely this serenity that gave her extraordinary patience and meticulousness in terms of comprehension and control.

At this moment, she was carefully following Xiao Yan’s guidance, attempting to control the extremely faint true essence qi flow within her body, which was like a flickering candle in the wind, to complete a most basic yet crucial small circulation cycle of energy. This was the most important step from a quasi-warrior to a true first-rank warrior—drawing qi into the body and unblocking the meridians.

“Focus your mind on your dantian, unite your spirit. Visualize that wisp of qi flow; don’t force it to move, but rather ‘feel’ it…” Xiao Yan’s voice resonated from the side, calm and low, yet possessing a penetrating power that reached deep into one’s heart. “Imagine it’s a small stream, your intent is not a dam, but the riverbed. Let it flow naturally, guiding it to where it should go…”

Zhang Jingyao held her breath, submerging all her focus into the chaotic expanse of her dantian, striving to capture that elusive sense of qi. She tried to relax her body, relax her mind, no longer rushing to “push” the qi flow as she had before, but instead calming down, listening, and feeling…

Time passed, bit by bit.

Sweat drenched her training attire, and her body began to tremble slightly from maintaining one posture for so long, yet her mind grew increasingly serene and focused.

Finally, as if water naturally found its course, that faint wisp of qi, in her nearly selfless state, gently trembled. Like a newly awakened sprout, it began to spontaneously, slowly, along an extremely subtle meridian pathway, to flow!

Though extremely slow, extremely weak, and seemingly capable of ceasing at any moment, this was… a breakthrough she had never experienced in years of arduous cultivation!

Zhang Jingyao’s body jolted, and her face revealed an expression of incredible surprise! She could clearly “see” it! For the first time, she could so clearly “introspect” the trajectory of her true essence flowing within her body!

“…Yes, just like that,” Xiao Yan’s voice chimed in at the opportune moment, carrying a hint of imperceptible approval. “Steady your mind, don’t get excited. Remember this feeling, remember this route. Slow down, slow down again… Feel the subtle changes as that warm current nourishes your meridians…”

Under Xiao Yan’s guidance, which was like a stabilizing force, Zhang Jingyao suppressed the wild joy in her heart, striving to maintain that ethereal state. She carefully guided that nascent true essence qi flow, slowly, with difficulty, yet with unwavering determination, to complete the first full small circulation cycle!

When the true essence qi flow returned to her dantian, though still faint, it was noticeably a tiny bit more condensed than before!

“Hoo…” Zhang Jingyao exhaled a long breath of turbid air and slowly opened her eyes.

Her face was still flushed with excitement, and her eyes were filled with indescribable joy and boundless gratitude towards Xiao Yan! The bottleneck that had troubled her for the longest time had been… broken through… under Xiao Yan’s meticulous guidance?! Although still some distance from a true breakthrough, this was undoubtedly the most crucial step!

“Thank you for your guidance, Lord!” She immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Xiao Yan, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.

Xiao Yan looked at her genuine joy, smiled faintly, and nodded: “The foundation is laid. Continue to practice diligently and do not slack off. You may go.”

“Yes, Lord!” Zhang Jingyao bowed again, then, filled with excitement and fatigue, left the training room.

Xiao Yan glanced at the time; it was already past midnight. He didn’t linger, simply washed up, and then returned directly to the special forces camp.

Because early this morning, he was to attend an emergency military meeting.

…

Early morning, City Defense Army Third Division, Combat Command Center, Level 2 Encrypted Conference Room.

Xiao Yan, dressed in a crisp general’s uniform, stepped into the solemn conference room. This was not the highest hall of the General Staff Headquarters, but the command center of his Third Division, specifically used for handling important tactical matters and regional crises.

Around the oval alloy conference table, several familiar and new faces were already seated.

At the head of the table was the commander of the Third Division, a composed and resolute middle-aged general, whose general’s star on his shoulder indicated his mid-tier Transcendent strength. He was the one who had officiated Xiao Yan’s wedding.

Next to the Division Commander sat Deputy Division Commander Lin Tao, his expression more grave than usual.

On the other side of the conference table sat two other Special Forces captains, both experienced veteran generals, their strength also around Transcendent Rank 3. Behind them sat their respective deputies.

Xiao Yan and Lin Wei, who followed closely, took their seats. The atmosphere in the entire conference room felt somewhat oppressive and heavy.

The Division Commander’s sharp gaze swept across the room, particularly lingering on Xiao Yan for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, then he spoke in a deep voice: “Everyone, I believe you all know the reason for this emergency summons.”

He motioned to Lin Tao.

Lin Tao stood up and brought up a holographic projection. Immediately, it displayed the grim casualty report summary from the First Division’s Special Forces, along with the shocking intelligence and preliminary analysis of the Brain-Eating Terror Worm.

“Our brothers from the First Division paid a heavy price to bring us preliminary intelligence about the unknown threat in the south of the city,” Lin Tao’s voice was low, tinged with sorrow and anger. “According to analysis, what we are now facing is very likely the terrifying entity that has appeared before and destroyed our shelters—the Brain-Eating Terror Worm!”

The projection switched, displaying the parasitic method of the Brain-Eating Terror Worm, the adult form breaking out of the skull, and its terrifying characteristic of plundering the host’s abilities.

A collective gasp echoed through the conference room! All those present were experienced generals, and they naturally understood what such a bizarre and powerful enemy implied!

“What’s worse,” Lin Tao’s tone grew even graver, “according to the intelligence, the maturation period of the Queen Worm… might be less than three months! Once it fully matures, the consequences will be unimaginable!”

“The General Staff Headquarters and the Security Department have classified this as a top-level threat! The ‘Guardian’ sequence has intervened and is fully engaged in searching for the Queen Worm. However,” Lin Tao changed his tone, his gaze sweeping over the three Special Forces captains present, “we cannot place all our hopes on the ‘Guardians’! Before the Queen Worm is found and destroyed, our City Defense Army, especially our Third Division responsible for the city’s southern defense zone, must take on the heavy responsibility of containing the spread of the insect plague and weakening its forces to the maximum extent!”

The Division Commander took over, his voice as hard as steel: “The General Staff Headquarters’ order has been issued: activate the ‘Scorched Earth’ contingency plan! From this day forward, with our three Special Forces teams as the main force, we will conduct a comprehensive cleanup and… purification of all known monster strongholds, suspicious areas, and abandoned facilities within the five to ten-kilometer range south of the city!”

The two words “purification” sent a shiver down everyone’s spine! It meant that, if necessary, large-scale destructive weapons could be used, even at the cost of destroying an entire area!

“I know this mission is extremely dangerous, and the cost could be very high!” The Division Commander’s gaze sharpened. “But this is an order! And it is our duty as the guardians of the Fourth New Nanjing!”

He paused, his gaze finally settling on Xiao Yan.

“Captain Xiao Yan,” the Division Commander looked at him, his tone carrying inquiry and expectation, “you were the first commander to encounter clues suspected to be the Brain-Eating Terror Worm, and you personally slew the parasitic Transcendent Wolf King and its larvae. What are your thoughts and suggestions for the upcoming cleanup operation?”

Instantly, everyone’s gaze in the conference room focused on this newly risen, unfathomably powerful century-old general.