352: Chapter 352 The Challenge Arrives, the Nascent Soul Stage Begins

Just as the morning light suppressed the night atop the city walls, Chen Wuwang's fingers had already tapped seven times on the edge of the main control console.

One, two... the rhythm was exactly the same as last night, but this time, his brow twitched slightly.

Deep within his consciousness, a whisper exploded soundlessly—

"A Nascent Soul stage expert challenge will arrive within three days."

The corner of his mouth twitched; he didn't smile, instead, it looked like a blade scraping across an iron plate, cold and astringent.

The communication talisman array lit up with a "pop" of red light. He pressed it three times in succession, connecting two lines.

"Tiezhu, come to the main control hall."

"Xiao Dao, stop practicing, sheathe your sword, and come over."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail hammered into the air.

In less than ten breaths, a muffled "boom" came from the direction of the Artifact Refining Workshop, like a heavy hammer hitting a cooling mold. Immediately after, the sound of metal boots stepping on the ground approached from afar—heavy, hurried, and carrying a sense of fury.

Chen Tiezhu kicked open the side door of the Council Hall, a half-removed Spiritual Energy Conduit still hanging from his shoulder. His face was stained with dust, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Something happened again?" His voice was loud enough to shake the beams. "Is it those cowards trying to pull something underhanded again?"

Chen Wuwang didn't look up; his fingers were still tapping, but he changed the rhythm to three short and one long—the "true signal" agreed upon between them.

"Not cowards," he finally spoke, his voice low. "It's a bastard—a Nascent Soul who dares to show his face."

Chen Tiezhu froze for a moment, then grinned, revealing teeth yellowed by the furnace smoke: "Ha! I've been waiting for this! My new batch of 'Pojun-IV' just finished installing Dual-Core Cannons yesterday. I was just worried about not having a target to test them on!"

He slammed a fist against the wall, making the entire alloy plate hum incessantly: "Let them come! Once they arrive, they can forget about leaving on their feet!"

Before his voice had even faded, the wind outside tightened.

Chen Xiaodao landed soundlessly, his scabbard touching the ground. His whole being was like a string pulled to its limit. He didn't speak, only looked at Chen Wuwang with clear eyes that hid an irrepressible fire.

"You called?" he asked.

Chen Wuwang nodded: "The System just gave the command. A Nascent Soul challenge will definitely arrive within three days."

Chen Xiaodao's breath hitched, and his right hand slowly rested on his sword hilt.

In the next instant, before the sword was even unsheathed, a sharp intent soared into the sky, slicing straight through the clouds!

The spiritual energy sensing array on the roof "dinged" an alarm, and three red lights exploded one after another. In the distance, the pressure-testing stone at the Martial Arts Arena "cracked" with a fissure, exploding in half from the middle.

Chen Tiezhu cursed: "Tone it down! If you blow up another piece of my Materials, I'll dock your rations for half a year!"

Chen Xiaodao ignored him, only staring at Chen Wuwang: "Where's the fight? I'll go set up the formation first."

"No rush." Chen Wuwang raised his hand, pulling up a projection map of the entire Eastern Wasteland. Blue light covered the entire wall. "We don't know if he's taking a shortcut through the Chuanyun Sect on the North Slope, circling around from the West Desert Sand Clan, or even directly tearing through a space rift to drop in. There's too little information; we can't move blindly."

He paused, his finger sliding across the map to circle two valleys southeast of the main city: "But no matter how he comes, he has to land eventually. Our advantage is the home field—we have the energy grid, the mecha groups, and you two lunatics."

Chen Tiezhu spat: "Stop the flattery and get to the point."

"My point is," Chen Wuwang sneered, "since he dares to challenge us, then don't blame us for not following the rules. This time, we're not playing defensive counterattack; we're setting a trap ourselves."

"Speak!" Chen Xiaodao's eyes lit up.

"Tiezhu, immediately order all 'Pojun' series mecha to be put on combat readiness, especially those with Shockwave Hammers and Rune Cannons, and incorporate them all into the first echelon."

"Also, bury the 'earth dragon' thirty zhang underground and activate silent mode. Wait for my signal to break ground."

"I want the enemy to think we only have an aerial sword formation, and then—"},{