Chapter 109: The Tactical Core

Chapter 109: Tactical Core

After taking twelve shots at Qilin, Yun Yang finally managed to corner her, though he was quite unhappy about the process. Of those twelve shots, ten had been taken before he even entered the asteroid belt, landing with rhythmic precision—one every two seconds. Once inside the belt, he took two more hits from her pistol before finally catching her.

The chase then devolved into hand-to-hand combat. Despite Qilin’s superior martial arts skills, Yun Yang’s overwhelming physical strength allowed him to subdue her. He now held her arms pinned against an asteroid, grinning as he teased her.

"Heh, looks like you’re out of luck. I’m not afraid of chokeholds."

Indeed, Yun Yang had countered her chokehold through sheer brute force. Qilin was furious; she felt like he was cheating. At the same time, she realized she had forgotten to set proper victory conditions for their training.

Once Yun Yang let her go, Qilin rubbed her sore wrists and glared at him indignantly. "You’re cheating! How am I supposed to win?"

"I won fair and square. Why would you say I’m cheating?" Yun Yang knew he was in the wrong, but seeing her angry expression, he couldn't resist being playful.

"No, no, we have to set victory conditions. There's no way I can win otherwise—my bullets barely even hurt you." Qilin pulled out her pistol, fired a shot into Yun Yang’s calf, and gave him a helpless look.

Having been shot for no reason, Yun Yang was indignant when Qilin insisted it didn't hurt. He clutched his calf, crying out in exaggerated pain and demanding compensation. Seeing his performance, which was as fake as it could possibly be, Qilin rolled her eyes and muttered, "Childish."

Hearing this, Yun Yang stiffened, realizing he had indeed been a bit immature. He sat down on the asteroid and shrugged. "Alright, let's hear it. What are the victory conditions?"

"Five hits, or being subdued by a lethal tactical maneuver counts as a loss," Qilin said, holding out her palm. Yun Yang considered it and nodded in agreement.

The training resumed. Qilin hid again, but as soon as she was in position, she fired another shot at him.

"That one doesn't count! Can't you just say something over the comms instead of shooting me?" Yun Yang patted his stomach, looking exasperated. Because of that shot, however, he had pinpointed her general direction. He flew out of the asteroid belt, waiting for her next move.

Less than five seconds later, Qilin fired again. Yun Yang spotted the muzzle flash, activated his teleportation, and instantly appeared behind her. Qilin had anticipated his move the moment he left the belt; she turned to flee, but found herself staring down the cold barrel of a gun. She offered a bitter smile and raised her hands in surrender.

"This doesn't really serve as training, does it?"

"Fair point. How about we stick to hand-to-hand combat?" Yun Yang suggested after a moment's thought.

"No way. You’re too strong; I can’t beat you," Qilin shook her head, refusing.

"That’s exactly what makes it training. Being subdued by a lethal tactical maneuver counts as a loss," Yun Yang said, flashing a bright, innocent smile that suggested he was doing this purely for her own good.

The day’s training flew by. Yun Yang looked at Qilin, who was lying on the asteroid, panting heavily, and joined her on the rock. "I’ve improved quite a bit from this training. I used to rely entirely on brute force, but now I know some combat techniques too."

Qilin fought the urge to roll her eyes and punched him in the chest. Yun Yang felt a dull thud, though in the vacuum of space, there was no sound. Since she remained quiet and looked despondent, she sighed, "I feel so powerless. What if I encounter an enemy that god-killing bullets can't stop?"

Sensing her mood, Yun Yang switched to a lighter tone. "What are you worried about? We still have Chuangzi. There isn't a god out there who can survive more than a few hits from his axe."

Qilin fell silent for a moment before her expression softened. "You're right. We are the Black Troop; individual heroism isn't the point. We have the 'Great Wall No. 1'—the power to kill gods."

Yun Yang hummed in agreement and fell silent. He was exhausted—Qilin’s combat skills were far beyond his, and he had to hold back his strength to avoid hurting her, which made the sparring incredibly difficult. They both stared blankly into the vast expanse of space.

After a long while, reflecting on his journey across tens of thousands of light-years, watching different stars every day, Yun Yang remarked, "The stars back home are still the most beautiful."

"Yeah, they really are," Qilin replied, pulled from her thoughts.

Though he knew she didn't fully grasp the weight of his words, he didn't explain. "Ready to go back?"

"Yes."

With that, Yun Yang grabbed her arm and teleported them back to Earth.

The next day, to keep the enemy as far from Earth as possible, everyone boarded the *Tianren 7*. Although they couldn't use the 'Judgment of Tianren' due to concerns about the sun's stability, the ship still served as a formidable fortress of war.

Squads of enhanced soldiers in exoskeleton armor marched onto the *Tianren 7*, forming ranks in the main plaza, ready for the battle ahead. Lin Hua was one of these soldiers. Originally a scout, he had been recruited into the 'Enhanced Warrior Project' by the Black Wall due to his exceptional performance.

At first, Lin Hua was reluctant; he wanted to avenge his fallen comrades and had no interest in some secret project he’d never heard of. It wasn't until his commander told him they would be fighting alongside the Black Troop that he enthusiastically joined. After injections and three months of hellish training, he had become a superhuman warrior.

Although he hadn't seen the members of the Black Troop yet, he was certain they would fight together. He knew they were part of a special force. A week ago, they learned they were 'Space Soldiers,' a specialized unit for extraterrestrial combat. They were the first batch—the seeds of a new era.

Despite it being his first space battle, Lin Hua felt no fear, only excitement. Not only could he avenge his comrades, but he had also seen the Black Troop's warriors in black armor. He hadn't seen the red-haired Qiangwei, but he remembered the moment his unit was wiped out and he was on the verge of death. It was the voice of Qiangwei saying, "The Black Troop is with you," that had given him the courage to keep fighting.

As the soldiers finished boarding, Ge Xiaolun flew out from the crowd and cleared his throat. "I believe you all know me, so I’ll skip the introductions. This might be your first space battle, but don't be afraid—it’s not much different from the ground. Besides, our armor can take three or four hits from anything short of a Taotie main cannon. We might only be five thousand strong, but to me, each of you is worth a thousand. We can hold off millions! Am I right, soldiers?"

"Yes!" The roar echoed through the *Tianren 7*. The angels on duty glanced over, and the humans of the Black Troop felt their spirits soar.

"Xiaolun’s really starting to sound like a commander," Zhao Xin said, watching him, a hint of envy in his voice.

"Good. Now, I’d like to invite Angel Zhixin to explain the precautions for space warfare," Ge Xiaolun said, saluting before heading back down.

As soon as he landed, Ge Xiaolun ran toward the Black Troop, looking excited. "Hey, Xin, Chuang, Yang, how did I do? Did I sound like a leader?"

Zhao Xin covered his face. "Everyone, just pretend I never said anything. Damn it, I misjudged him."

The others nodded, looking at the approaching Ge Xiaolun with strange expressions. Noticing their looks, he stopped and turned to Yun Yang for an answer. Yun Yang gave him a teasing response, which finally made Ge Xiaolun realize he’d been acting silly. He coughed awkwardly and found a seat.

The group gathered to discuss battle deployments. The team fighting the Taotie would be led by Leina and Sun Wukong; Leina would initiate with a solar flare bombardment while Sun Wukong pinned down the flagship, leaving the enhanced soldiers to mop up.

For the Heavenly Scum, Qilin and Angel Zhui would be the tactical core. Qilin would provide sniper support, and Zhui would use the *Tianren 7*'s processing power for large-scale strikes. Ge Xiaolun would suppress the enemy’s processing capabilities, and Liu Chuang would take on the strongest foes. Yun Yang would provide processing support and protect Qilin, as taking on hundreds of Heavenly Scum with fewer than forty people was a tall order.

Soon, Zhixin finished her briefing, and the signal was given to enter the battlefield. A massive voice echoed through the *Tianren 7*: "Ascending..."

As the ship rose, the blue sky and white clouds gave way to the pitch-black void of space.