Xu Wuyi remained at the very front. His *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* technique, at the Minor Success Realm, gave him the immense power needed for sustained combat.

His long spear was like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, reaping lives with precision and efficiency.

His Soul Suppressing Domain activated intermittently, always managing to slow the Star Beasts at the perfect moment and create openings for his teammates.

In such a high-intensity, high-pressure battle, time seemed to stretch on indefinitely.

Sweat drenched his combat suit, clinging to his skin, only to be baked dry by the heat radiating from his own steaming Qi and Blood.

The repetitive motions and constant slaughter tested not only their strength, but more importantly, their willpower.

Xu Wuyi could feel that it wasn’t just him who was growing—the entire squad was rapidly transforming in this trial by blood and fire.

Tana’s Hammer Technique had lost some of its recklessness and gained a touch of cunning; Luo Liang’s defense was more solid, no longer easily baited out of position; Li Hao, Ding Haichuan, Zhao Qingwei...

More than two agonizing hours slowly ticked by.

When the clear voice of the major finally crackled through the comms channel, everyone let out a subconscious sigh of relief.

"Attention all combat units: The Star Realm Rift has been successfully closed! I repeat, the Star Realm Rift has been closed! Residual Star Beasts in the core area are being purged, and the threat in the main passage has been mostly neutralized."

"On behalf of the military, I thank you for your valiant efforts and contributions!"

It was over.

The emergency extermination mission, which had lasted for several hours, had finally come to an end.

Their taut nerves suddenly slackened, and an intense wave of exhaustion washed over them.

Xu Wuyi propped his long spear on the ground, panting lightly as he felt the waves of emptiness from his severely depleted Qi and Blood.

The other team members were in a similar state, their faces pale and their breathing erratic.

"Mission complete. Let’s fall back," Zhao Qingwei said, her voice laced with unconcealable exhaustion.

The group followed other squads who had also finished fighting, making their way toward the mine exit along the cleared main passage.

The closer they got to the exit, the brighter the light grew and the fresher the air became.

When they finally stepped out of the deep mine entrance and saw the dim, yellow sky once more, many of them felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Hundreds of people had now gathered in the open space outside the mine.

There were military Martial Artists in standard-issue combat suits, still busy with logistics and maintaining a perimeter. There were also various Martial Artist squads, just like Xu Wuyi’s group, who had just withdrawn from the mine, looking battered and resting on the spot.

There were also quite a few miners wrapped in blankets, their faces filled with relief, being tended to by medical staff or guided onto transport vehicles.

The scene was somewhat chaotic, yet it pulsed with the vitality of those who had survived the ordeal.

The Star Martial Squad found a relatively quiet corner and sat down, each member pulling out rations and water to silently recover their strength.

Just then, a figure approached them.

The person who approached wore a cyan combat suit and had a ramrod-straight posture. It was the member of Squad Gale from before, the lightning-fast Martial Artist who wielded short blades.

She walked up to them and took off her tactical helmet, revealing a young face. Though tinged with fatigue, her features were sharp and distinct, with a heroic air about her eyes.

She looked to be around twenty years old, not much older than Xu Wuyi and the others.

"Are you freshmen from Star Martial University?" she asked. Her voice was raspy from the battle, but her tone was gentle.

As the captain, Zhao Qingwei stood and replied, "Yes, Senior. We’re this year’s freshmen, Star Martial Squad, designation 1723. Thank you for your timely help earlier."

The Female Martial Artist waved her hand, a slight smile on her face. "Don’t mention it; it was our duty. I’m also from Star Martial University. Name’s Mu Bing, a second-year in the Combat Department. I guess that makes me your senior sister."

’A second-year? And already a Martial Artist?’

Hearing this, Xu Wuyi and the others all looked up in surprise.

Reaching the rank of Martial Artist as a second-year was definitely a rare feat, even at Star Martial University.

Meeting such a powerful upperclassman from their own university right after such a brutal battle filled them with an indescribable sense of kinship.

"So you’re Senior Sister Mu Bing!" Tana was the first to react, exclaiming excitedly. "Senior Sister, you were amazing just now! WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH! That big spider couldn’t even react!"

Mu Bing chuckled, amused by Tana’s blunt praise. She looked at the girl from the West Desert and said, "Your strength is impressive, too. Those hammer strikes were powerful and heavy, very much in the style of our West Courtyard."

She had clearly taken note of Tana’s combat style.

"You flatter me, Senior Sister," Tana said, uncharacteristically scratching her head in embarrassment.

Mu Bing’s gaze then landed on Xu Wuyi, her eyes filled with admiration. "When we arrived, we saw you confronting that Demon Spider Commander. For a Martial Artist to be able to hold your ground against a Commander Level Star Beast without being defeated... you must not be far from achieving the rank of Martial Artist yourself."

Startled at being singled out, Xu Wuyi stood up and shook his head. "You’re too kind, Senior Sister Mu. If you hadn’t arrived when you did, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have held out for much longer."

Mu Bing smiled. "No need to be so modest. Your team’s strength must be top-tier among the freshmen, right? In the future, you’ll all definitely surpass us."

"If you ever run into trouble at the university or on a mission, feel free to contact me."

As she spoke, she brought up the add-friend screen on her personal communicator.

Naturally, Zhao Qingwei, Xu Wuyi, and the others didn’t refuse, and they all stepped forward to exchange contact info with Mu Bing.

"Alright, get some proper rest. This was an intense mission. It’ll be good for you to go back and properly digest what you’ve learned from the experience."

With that, Mu Bing turned and left. It was clear her squad, Gale, still had more to do.

Watching Mu Bing’s retreating figure, then looking at the new name in his contacts, Xu Wuyi felt a stir within him.

This mission had been dangerous, and they had even witnessed death, but it had also brought them into contact with higher-level Martial Artists and shown them the path forward.

The rank of Martial Artist... this was essentially the backbone of the Federation’s martial forces.

Grandmasters were exceedingly rare, and Innate Martial Artists operated mostly on the Star Realm Battlefield. Thus, for work within the Federation, Martial Artists were typically the highest level one would encounter.

...

The night was deep. A military transport aircraft, carrying the exhausted Martial Artists, landed smoothly at the Third East Airfield of Star Martial University.

The hatch opened, and Xu Wuyi followed the flow of people down the ramp.

The cool night wind on his face couldn’t dispel the bone-deep weariness that had set in.

The dual drain on their spirit and stamina from hours of high-intensity combat now surged back like a tide.

It wasn’t just physical soreness. The cold report that had come over the comms deep inside the mine—"Two KIAs"—weighed on the freshmen’s hearts like an invisible boulder.

There were no cheers, no celebrations. The returning squad members were mostly silent. They simply nodded to one another before dispersing, their figures melting into the campus night.

The reward points had already been credited—150 points per person. It was a handsome reward that would make many upperclassmen green with envy, but at this moment, any joy they might have felt seemed to have been diluted.

Back at Villa #7 in the Hidden Dragon Garden, Xu Wuyi stripped off his combat suit, which was stained with the filth of Star Beasts and the dust of the mine, and stepped into the bathroom.

The warm water washed over his body, carrying away his fatigue and the heaviness in his heart.

’Since I’ve chosen to walk the path of Martial Arts, I should have known a day like this would come sooner or later.’