"The legion commander has passed away, his body preserved in a Space Crystal," Apophis slowly removed the space pendant, placing it gently on the table before him.

John's reaction to the news was far more violent than Apophis's at the time; his whole body nearly collapsed. Fortunately, he was psychologically prepared and able not to fall apart completely, his body thumping down into a chair as his normally pale and rosy complexion changed unpredictably... It took a while before his violently pounding heart finally seemed not to burst out.

"You're saying, the legion commander is inside the Space Crystal?" At this moment, John, with tears cascading down, pointed shakily at the Space Crystal and stated each word with a tremble.

"Yes, only the two of us within the legion know of this matter, including the upper echelons of the Federation."

John's gaze remained fixed on the Space Crystal, but he took no further action, almost reluctant to confirm the truth of Apophis's words, and said, "Do you know the cause of the legion commander's death?"

"Yes." Thus, Apophis recounted to John every detail of the day Xiu Yi arrived at the Flaming Legion and how he found him, without missing a word, "This is how it happened, after all, it was the legion commander's last order; hence, I did not report the news upward while the deputy commander was on his mission."

John could no longer bear to hear this. Of course, he had heard of Xiu Yi before, and he also knew that the legion commander had been corresponding with a boy named Xiu Yi for years. However, Xiu Yi wasn't the main point—the main point was, who was responsible for the legion commander's death.

"Have you been investigating this recently?"

"Yes."

Originating from a civilian Ancient Martial Arts lineage, and having interactions with secluded sects in the past year, Apophis easily connected the Jade Clear Sect with the event itself through technical reconstruction.

"Is that so..."

Upon receiving definite news, John, who suddenly seemed much older, waved his hand dismissively at Apophis, as if lacking the heart to pursue further, "You may go now. I want some solitude. Remember how the legion commander often said I had a terrible temper? Indeed, I should have changed it long ago."

John's voice was calm, as if he was reminiscing, while signaling Apophis to leave and muttering to himself.

Apophis paused for a moment, wanting to say something but ultimately left the room without uttering a word, his heart heavy with emotion...

He knew the deputy commander's personality all too well. Yet today, John was unusually calm, not getting angry as he usually would. It was as if losing the pillar that was the legion commander made even the deputy commander grow a great deal in an instant.

Deviation from normal is a sign of coming turmoil; a man's anomalous behavior foreshadows an edge hidden beneath. Perhaps, this was but the final tranquility before a storm abruptly arrives.

Only after Apophis had left and sent away all the soldiers did John truly calm down and start focusing on the task at hand. He didn't want to think about any memories related to the legion commander; he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control his emotions.

Emotions, the more they are suppressed, the stronger they rebound. An hour later, an enraged John smashed the computer to pieces, buried his face in his pillow, and wept bitterly—a rarely seen display of weakness in this warrior, crying like a child who has lost something precious, his sobs loud and uncontrollable.

He then ordered the guards to bring wine, as much as they could, and a thoroughly drunken John eventually fell asleep on the bed, clutching a wine jug...

In dreams, the hazy scenes vividly linger before his eyes, he would never forget...

At that time, many comrades had died, they were brothers who had fought side by side for years.

At that time, the legion commander reprimanded everyone with his tone of frustration and comforted everyone, 'Why cry? A true man sheds tears only in secret. Look at your small number of attendees. Victory and defeat are common in military affairs, especially for you who won the battle. Do you think the defeated Saudi soldiers should all commit suicide?'

Back then, when the rebellion camp was in dire straits, it was also the legion commander who led everyone to fight against the empire's soldiers, passing on his valuable combat experience to all.

The legion commander was full of heroic spirit at that time, and John faintly remembered that moment of brilliance. He had said: 'I am an Atlan Federation soldier, for a noble mission; to unite the resistance; to protect our homeland; and to defend our inviolable dignity that I risked my safety secretly entering Saudi territory. No matter how outstanding my personal abilities are, they are but a drop in the ocean against the forces of the empire - although our secret camp has reached 2,000 people, there are less than 500 actual combatants, with very few mobile warriors, and scant resources that cannot be sustained for long, so we must gather all possible strength.'

He also said: 'Temporary comfort will not reverse the future, nor will it change the status quo. The resistance camp can't even have a full meal, and waiting here will only lead to decay, just like a walking corpse slowly withering away after losing hope. If the belief in resistance is only at this level, the outcome will certainly not satisfy you. In the end, seclusion is just a spurious excuse for cowardice. A single spark can start a wildfire; since we fight for belief and freedom, why fear mountains and rivers? I alone have braved foreign lands to fight lonely battles, yet such a dependable force has not been utilized to its true potential.'

The legion commander's heartfelt words touched every member of the resistance camp. It was he who led the rebellion soldiers out of the hellish death throat; led everyone out of the Saudi Empire's cage; it was he who made everyone see that the light was no longer afar, yet he left so suddenly. This really was his consistent style, too strong to require remembrance; those who understood him did not need to worry, and those who didn't understand him didn't need to worry either. He did not want everyone to see a face full of remembrance, which would only intensify their longing all the more.

John repeatedly murmured Feng Yi's name in his sleep, waking from his victorious dreams time and again, only to realize in a daze that it was all but an illusory bubble. He fell asleep again and again, and halfway between dreams and waking, John could no longer bear such torment.

Yes, he had once promised the legion commander that he would not get angry over trivial matters anymore, that he would control himself, but please allow him to be selfish just this once more.

The next day, John finally decided to carry on the will of the fiery legion commander Feng Yi, bearing this heavy responsibility. As for reporting this matter to the higher-ups, he had no heart to care for now, because before that, John had to do something as the legion commander, just as he had thought before, please allow him to be selfish just this once more.

"Fuck Jade Clear Sect, a man who doesn't seek revenge is no man at all."

Early the next day, the entire Flaming Legion with a total assembly of 270,000 men, took three hours to be fully equipped and ready. The legion did not even inform the capital and set off without further ado, at this moment, there was a calm on John's face, yet also an indescribable bloodthirstiness and fierceness. At the moment the command was issued, the super fleet slowly ascended with the roar of the engines, the sword pointed directly at the Zana Republic.

This battle was a fight of "slaying gods if gods stand in the way, and slaying buddhas if buddhas do," how could a command from the capital matter? Besides, the Atlan Federation might not insist on peace after learning of the legion commander's message.

By virtue of the authority of Flaming Legion Commander and Capital Commander Feng Yi, it was already possible to initiate an armed movement, it was just that John's authority was not yet sufficient. But who was John? A battle-hardened faction leader who had fought wars for decades, a true iron-blooded warrior, a born desperado, why the hell would he care so much.

The super fleet, like countless shining stars, stretched out a procession hundreds of kilometers long, dangling in the night sky, dimming and brightening, like the Milky Way sprawling across the heavens, a magnificent spectacle.

Even the farmers on the ground gazed up in groups, admiring the most spectacular fleet departure...

The massive fleet initially set sail at a not-so-fast pace, even slow to describe, and under the flickering and extinguishing of lights, the warships quickly turned into distant stars and disappeared into the dark skies, like meteors chasing the moon.

The steel torrent, unslowing, straight left Bermuda, passed through the Caribbean Galaxy, crossed various regions of the Federation, and finally entered the Zana border after three days, directly heading toward the Gemini constellation.

Such momentum was not a threat, it was clearly a fight to the death. The Zana Republic was suddenly caught off guard by the Federation, or rather, by the Flaming Legion's sudden strike.

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