355: Chapter 355 The Chen Family Prepares for War, Morale High

The sandstorm had just subsided when the psionic broadcast array on the high platform in the center of the main city suddenly hummed and vibrated.

A figure leaped onto the stone steps, silver hair fluttering in the morning light, a Mechanical Prosthetic Eye glinting with a cold blue light.

Chen Wuwang stepped onto the communication base at the edge of the high platform, pressed his palm against the activation rune, and his voice exploded through the psionic network: "Everyone, hear my command!"

The entire Family encampment fell silent instantly.

In the Artifact Refining Workshop, the craftsmen wiping the mechas stopped their work; by the Medicinal Field, the managers carrying spiritual plants straightened their backs; on the Martial Arts Arena, the Disciples practicing together sheathed their swords; even the sentries patrolling in the distance halted their steps.

"The enemy is on their way," Chen Wuwang stood in the center of the high platform, his gaze sweeping in all directions. "But they don't know—we are no longer a clan of the ruins to be slaughtered at will!"

He suddenly raised his hand, his voice like a thunderclap: "In this battle, we will let the world witness the true strength of the Chen Family!"

"Kill!" someone roared first.

Immediately after, angry shouts rose in unison from all directions, the waves of sound soaring into the sky, making the runes on the city walls tremble slightly.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The young Disciples clenched their fists, their cheeks flushed, and some were so excited they jumped up directly;

Although the older generation of clansmen did not shout, they each straightened their backs, their eyes as sharp as blades.

The humiliation and anger that had been suppressed for too long finally found an outlet.

Chen Wuwang's lips curled into a smile. Without saying more, he turned and walked toward the Artifact Refining Workshop.

He moved quickly, followed by a string of messengers who shouted at the top of their lungs as they ran: "The Family Head has ordered! Combat teams to their posts! Logistics teams on standby! Expand the perimeter by three miles!"

The gates of the Artifact Refining Workshop swung open with a boom, and a wave of heat rushed out.

Chen Tiezhu was bare-chested and covered in grease, using a mechanical arm scanner to inspect the "Po Jun-Type III" mechas on the landing pad one by one.

His brow was furrowed into a knot as he cursed under his breath: "Mecha number three's energy circuit is off by 0.7 degrees? Who fixed this? Did you fall asleep during the last calibration? Huh?"

A young craftsman nearby shrank his neck: "Uncle... it was during the night shift the day before yesterday, a temporary replacement module... maybe... it wasn't pressed tight."

"Maybe?" Chen Tiezhu slapped the mecha's leg. "There is no 'maybe' on the battlefield! Being off by half an inch can get you killed on the charge! Tear it down! Recalibrate! Now! Immediately!"

He snatched the toolbox, squatted down, and began tearing off the panel, his mouth never stopping: "Notify the assembly line, activate Level 3 emergency response! Print two sets of spare conduction rings! Get another team of rune welders over here! Don't make me shout a third time!"

A messenger ran in panting: "Elder Tiezhu, the Family Head has arrived!"

Chen Tiezhu didn't even look up: "Tell him to wait! If this mecha isn't fixed today, I'm not eating!"

Chen Wuwang had already walked up behind him and laughed at those words: "Fine, then stay hungry tonight. I wasn't planning on cooking anyway."

Only then did Chen Tiezhu look up and wipe away some sweat: "You've come at the right time! Look at this piece of junk. Ever since the fight with Blood Butcher the day before yesterday, the cooling System has been acting up. If this keeps up, the mecha will roast our own people before it even explodes near the enemy!"

Chen Wuwang squatted down, took the scanner to check the data, and nodded: "It is indeed off. But there's no need to dismantle everything; a fine-tuning rune array will do. Have someone switch the automated assembly line to Track B and simultaneously load the calibration program I sent last night."

"Is your program reliable?" Chen Tiezhu muttered. "Last time you said it was 'absolutely stable,' but the mecha ended up spitting fire and nearly burned my pants off."

"That time, you changed the parameters yourself." Chen Wuwang stood up and tapped his shoulder. "Trust me this once. Within thirty minutes, all main mechas will return to their Peak state."

"Hmph, I'm watching." Chen Tiezhu waved and shouted, "Someone! Switch to Track B! Load the Family Head's program! And bring two bottles of chilled spiritual spring water! This damn weather is hot enough to kill someone!"

On the other side, Sword Qi crisscrossed over the martial arts square.

Chen Xiaodao stood at the center of the formation, his laser sword unsheathed by half an inch. He said coldly: "Again! Meteor Triple Strike! The first wave's rhythm was slow, the second overlapped too early, and the third's closing was sluggish—are you here to fight or to dance?"

A group of young Sword Cultivators flushed red and lowered their heads to reform the formation.

"Xiao Qi! That strike just now was off by fifteen degrees. Whose head were you trying to cut off? Mine?"

"A-Yan! Your Spiritual Qi output is unstable. Did you sneak into the Medicinal Field last night to steal Spirit Fruits?"

"And you, Wang Meng! You're from the mecha team. What are you doing standing here? Just watching the show?"

Wang Meng scratched his head: "I didn't... I heard about the sword formation drill and wanted to learn a few moves... In case the mecha breaks, I can still draw a sword and fight for my life..."

"Get out!" Xiao Dao rolled his eyes. "If a real fight breaks out, your amateur skills wouldn't even be enough to stop someone from slapping you away."

Before his voice could fade, he suddenly drew his sword. The sword light exploded like a rain of stars, and the world suddenly darkened as if a meteor truly streaked across the sky.

"Look closely!" he shouted. "The first strike falls from the sky, the second sweeps the ground, and the third blocks the retreat! The three waves of Sword Qi must interlock like gears, perfectly seamless! Whoever makes another mistake will train for an extra six hours tonight!"

Everyone responded in unison and began the form again.

This time, the sword lights intersected with precise rhythm, and the resonance of Spiritual Qi formed a spiral sword shadow in the air that lingered for a long time.

Chen Xiaodao nodded slightly: "Not bad. Practice three more times, then go collect your new armor. The Family Head said those who perform well in this mission will have priority in testing the dual-core engine mechas."

"Really?!" Everyone's eyes lit up.

"Nonsense! When has the Family Head ever lied?" He sheathed his sword. "Continue! Don't slack off! The enemy won't wait for you to finish warming up before they strike!"

Meanwhile, in front of the master control terminal on the high platform, Chen Wuwang had connected to the global surveillance.

His fingers slid quickly across the control panel, bringing up real-time images of various areas: in the Artifact Refining Workshop, the mechas were restarting one after another, and energy readings were returning to normal; on the Martial Arts Arena, the sword formation was running smoothly, and Spiritual Qi fluctuations were stable;

In the Medicinal Field area, Bai Ling was reinforcing the Tree-vein Defense Network, with roots coiling like dragons and snakes; the energy hub had sufficient spirit crystal reserves, and the power supply was steady.

"Report!" a messenger rushed up. "The Family Emergency Command Protocol has been activated! The three modules of combat, logistics, and security are all in place! All posts have confirmed their status!"

Chen Wuwang stared at the screen and slowly exhaled: "Very good."

He pressed the communication button, and his voice spread throughout the clan: "Remember, this battle is not for revenge, nor is it to show off. It is to tell everyone—the Chen Family is not to be trifled with!"

"Protect the Family! Move forward!" the clansmen roared spontaneously, their voices shaking the clouds.

He stood at the edge of the high platform, facing the morning sun, his silver hair fluttering, and his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye reflecting the silhouette of the entire main city.

In the distance, steam rose from the Artifact Refining Workshop, the sword light on the Martial Arts Arena had not ceased, and the clansmen were running and calling out, their steps firm.

There was no panic, no fear, only a calm and majestic power quietly gathering.

Chen Tiezhu gave a thumbs-up in front of the last mecha in the Artifact Refining Workshop: "Done! The energy core restart test passed! All mechas are ready for battle at any time!"

Chen Xiaodao sheathed his sword in the center of the Martial Arts Arena and commanded in a low voice: "Rest in place, maintain vigilance, and be ready for a second assembly at any time."

Chen Wuwang stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping over the monitoring screens, confirming that every node had entered a state of combat readiness.

He whispered to himself: "No one shall set foot in the Eastern Wasteland."

His fingertip tapped lightly on the control console.