After reading the introduction to Dance of the Dark Butterfly and experiencing its activation method, Wang Lan's expression was wooden. It wasn't that Dance of the Dark Butterfly wasn't strong, but that it was overwhelmingly powerful.

Even the potent transformation of Song of Life hadn't shocked Wang Lan as much as Dance of the Dark Butterfly did, causing him to forget what expression could possibly describe this Star Martial Skill.

Dance of the Dark Butterfly existed between the tangible and the illusory. Activating the Star Martial Skill instantly scattered ten black butterflies from his body. Fluttering their wings, the butterflies could appear anywhere within a hundred-meter radius as if teleporting, each one an ephemeral embodiment of Wang Lan. The moment a Nether Butterfly vanished marked Wang Lan's reappearance.

Furthermore, since the Nether Butterfly was an illusory creature, it couldn't be attacked during its manifestation. This skill was not only aesthetically beautiful and dazzling but also incredibly stylish. Simply put… I am in love with this ability.

However, the skill upgrade for Dance of the Dark Butterfly was terrifyingly cumulative, and Wang Lan's remaining fifty thousand skill points were insufficient. Flame Sword was at Gold Seven, Star Cloud Sword Dance at Gold Two, and both Crescent Arrow and Thunder Snake were at Gold Five.

Especially the powerful S-grade Star Martial Skills—Sentient Beings, Holy Shield, Gate of The Underworld, Weight Exchange, and Universal Decomposition—were all still at Gold One. Hm? Was something odd mixed in there?

Wang Lan decided he should still take care of the two skills that had reached Gold Nine.

Upgrading Meteor Fire Rain to Platinum level: Heavenly Fire Extinguishing World!

Upgrading Earth Surge Fire Sea to Platinum level: Earth Fire Roar!

Wang Lan stood up from the bed and pushed open the door. The slanting rays of the sun filtered through the doorway, warmly spilling across his face.

Suddenly, Wang Lan's body vanished. Ten black butterflies flickered their wings, shimmering like ripples on water. With each flutter, his form disappeared, only to reappear some ten-odd meters away in the next instant.

Then, Wang Lan's figure materialized from one of the butterflies. In a flash, his image flickered through the previous position of each butterfly before he came to stand quietly at the door, as if he had never moved at all.

"The speed and safety have improved severalfold, but the stealth aspect is still lacking. If someone could instantly memorize the positions of all the butterflies, they could predict where I'll appear… But then, can anyone really predict the flickering positions of the butterflies?"

「As night fell, a heavy atmosphere of pre-war tension suddenly permeated the camp.」

Although missions on global battlefields were familiar to senior students, every sortie carried the risk of classmates dying in action. This was an unavoidable reality of war; how could there be no casualties?

No one could guarantee they wouldn't be the next to fall.

「Meanwhile, in the royal court meeting room of the Kingdom of Ice and Snow, a fierce pre-war conference was underway.」

It was attended by King Cain of the Kingdom of Ice and Snow; Prince Kester; Danmailu, Minister of Defense; Jin Wenbing, Captain of the Black Tiger Army from the Northwest War Zone; and the Captain of Longya from Modu Star Martial Academy.

"I still propose attacking Different Dimensional Space number three first," Prince Kester passionately presented his argument. "The virus samples from number three were the first to be collected, and eighty percent of the initial batch of vaccines targets it. The Exotic Beasts from Different Dimensional Space number three are also the weakest. This will allow our warriors to familiarize themselves with the war environment and quickly adjust their morale. Once number three is dealt with, we can immediately clear out four, one, and five, leaving number two—the one with the most Exotic Beasts and the harshest environment—for last."

"Uncle," Princess Aier quickly interjected after Prince Kester finished speaking, "although the blueprint for the first batch of vaccines comes from number three, the Exotic Beasts in the five Different Dimensional Spaces are almost identical; the main difference is the environment. Though Space Node Two has the most Exotic Beasts and the most severe conditions, it's the closest to our residential areas and poses the greatest threat to our citizens. Securing Space Node Two would immediately alleviate the survival pressure on the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. Even if we cannot achieve a swift victory and must endure a protracted struggle, eliminating the threat from Space Node Two would give us breathing room."

"Aier, you say Space Node Two poses the greatest threat? Is the threat from Space Node One any smaller? Number one and number two, one to the south and the other to the north, both directly threaten our living areas. Why do you favor number two? Your Majesty, we should start with number three, at least to build some confidence. The size of Space Node Three is only a quarter of Space Node Two, and with fewer than eighty thousand Exotic Beasts, our chances are better."

Cain was not a decisive or opinionated king; both Kester and Aier surpassed him in that regard. As a king, Cain's greatest virtue was likely his character rather than his personal abilities.

He was a benevolent ruler, concerned with the people's livelihood and loving them as his own children, but that was the extent of it.

As expected, King Cain hesitated and finally looked towards his Minister of Defense. "Danmailu, what is your opinion?"

A contrived smile appeared on Danmailu's face as he inwardly cursed King Cain three times over. On one side was Prince Kester, and on the other was Princess Aier, the nation's idol—both of them the most esteemed members of the royal family. Which one could I, a mere Minister of Defense, afford to offend? My position as Minister of Defense was practically forced upon me. You want me to make a statement? Can't you two argue behind closed doors? What's the point of dragging me into this?

"Your Respected Majesty," Danmailu began, "Prince Kester's strategy of gradual progression is the safest and most secure. Princess Aier's strategy, on the other hand, aims to strike at the heart of the problem, potentially changing the country's difficult situation with a single battle. Both approaches are viable. As for which proposal to adopt... that requires Your Majesty's decision."

Fuck, he's such an expert at muddying the waters.

Even King Cain, usually good-tempered, showed an annoyed expression.

With a huff, King Cain eventually turned to Jin Wenbing and Longya.

"I am a teacher at the Star Martial Academy," Longya began, then looked at Jin Wenbing. "If you ask me about localized strategies, I might be able to offer some thoughts. But for a strategy concerning the overall situation like this, my abilities are somewhat lacking. When it comes to warfare, you are the expert, Jin Wenbing. You should speak."

Jin Wenbing said, "If this choice were presented in Jade Country... hahaha... there wouldn't even be a need to think about it. Of course, we would wage war on multiple fronts! But the Kingdom of Ice and Snow is in a difficult position; they can only focus their forces in one place. I still lean towards Princess Aier's suggestion: stabilize Space Node Two first."

"Hmph! Is it because Space Node Two threatens the energy ore veins?" Prince Kester's face immediately darkened.

"No, it's because we have absolute confidence in our strength. It's only one Different Dimensional Space. If our combined forces of five thousand troops can't handle it, then our assistance would be a joke. Moreover, we need a secure rear area. Eleven years ago, the Kingdom of Ice and Snow had a chance to close Space Node One. As far as I know, you almost reached the space-time node of Space Node One, but then Space Node Two suddenly opened. To save your citizens, you had to withdraw from Space Node One, leaving only a small force to guard the entrance. But after that, while defending Space Node Two, you no longer had the strength to launch a full-scale assault on Space Node One. I don't want the same situation to happen again. Space Node Two is too close to the civilian residential areas. I don't want to be on the brink of victory at the front, only to be unexpectedly stabbed in the back."

"But Space Node Two has over two hundred thousand Exotic Beasts, and we only have five thousand warriors."

"But we have over thirty Star Sea realm masters. With such power, we could expand our territory by fifty kilometers even in a Pioneer Space. What's a mere Different Dimensional Space in comparison?"

Jin Wenbing's words seemed to instill confidence in King Cain, who silently nodded. "Fine, let's focus on Space Node Two then. Second item: tactical planning."

「The royal court was brilliantly lit; even though it was past midnight, there was no sign of the lights being extinguished.」

Wang Lan also felt restless and couldn't sleep, so he climbed onto the rooftop to gaze at the sky.

The night sky of the Kingdom of Ice and Snow was beautiful, filled with brilliant stars. Having spent a long time in Suzhou City and then in Modu City, Wang Lan's memories of such a starry sky had become a blurred recollection.

"Can't sleep?" a voice suddenly asked beside him. Wu Shaohua, who had appeared beside Wang Lan without notice, continued, "First time participating? Feeling excited?"

"How could I? I'm not some greenhorn who's never been on a battlefield. I've been through many life-and-death battles, each one extremely perilous."

"Oh, I almost forgot, you're a senior special agent with the Tianjian Bureau. I heard you've already been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Yeah!"

"Awesome! A lieutenant colonel in the Tianjian Bureau is considered equivalent to someone at least three ranks higher in the regular military. If you were in the military hierarchy, wouldn't that make you a high-ranking commander?"

"That's just a rumor. At best, one might get a one-level promotion when assigned outside, and there's a greater chance of being dispatched to special departments. By the way, Mr. Wu, why didn't you attend the meeting?"

"What's there to attend? It's none of our business anyway."

"Why?" Yu Ruoyun's voice suddenly interjected from the side. Her arrival had gone completely unnoticed by the two of them.

"We're responsible for guarding the rear. Especially you, Wang Lan. If a new type of Star Martial Toxin is discovered at the front line, you must create a vaccine and produce an antidote as soon as possible. The rest of the time, you'll provide Star Martial medical treatment for us."

"I can understand that arrangement for Wang Lan, but what about me?"

"Your task is to ensure Wang Lan's safety," Mr. Wu sighed leisurely. But everyone understood that Yu Ruoyun's *actual* primary concern was her own safety—or rather, ensuring she *remained* safe. She might have forgotten the pain once her scar healed, but others hadn't. If she were to have another accident, could Jade Country even manage? Besides, as a princess of Jade Country, her personal presence in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow for aid carried more political significance than the aid itself. Her greatest value was to demonstrate Jade Country's sincerity to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow and to tell the whole world that Jade Country was determined to secure this feast that was the Kingdom of Ice and Snow; not even the God of Heaven could take a share.

"Sigh! To think that our Team Seven, despite being the strongest of the thirty squads in the Academy's volunteer group, has been assigned to the rear..." Yu Ruoyun understood the reasoning behind the arrangement, but she still felt a pang of melancholy.

"It's precisely because of our strength that we've been uniquely tasked with holding the rear."

"Is there really a need to guard the rear?"

"Yes!" Before Mr. Wu could speak, Wang Lan interjected sternly, "That T, and the people behind T, won't let us complete our assistance mission so easily. The medical teams outside the Different Dimensional Space and the delivery of supplies are the responsibility of the Defense Forces. However, Mr. Wu, I suggest that you and Ruoyun covertly escort them, especially the vaccines. Any small accident could completely ruin our efforts."

"I understand. We almost forgot about that, but you still remembered?"

"Of course. I may not hold grudges, but if someone slaps me and I haven't been able to return the favor, I might dwell on it for a very long time."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.