Above the secret temple, the holy ground.

The elite troops that were stationed a day ago were nowhere to be seen but, in their place was another battalion of mechanized troops, tanks, helicopters, and even a few artillery.

Smoke was prevalent in the atmosphere above the troops, indicating that there was a round of firepower unleashed in the area; right at the transparent barrier.

Inside a military tent that was draped in armor, a few personnel were gathered as they seemed to be in the midst of a heated discussion.

"A failure, huh... No bother, I approve to use continental missiles once we retreat from this area." A man with a uniform and armor similar to the one the general wore, said as he shook his head.

*Bang!~*

"General Wang Ke, you can't do this!"

The man who gave the decision to blow up the entire place with a continental missile looked at the man who denied his opinion and spoke, "General Yuan Kong. You are already removed command from this area. Please don't tell me what to do and what not to do..."

Yuan Kong's eyes twitched, "You are insane... You think a mere continental missile would be able to put a dent in that defensive barrier!"

Wang Ke smirked, "We do not know that, and just because you can take down a battalion by yourself, don't get full of yourself, General Yuan Kong. The first step you should take towards the unknown should be dominant, aggressive yet cautious."

"It's precisely because of the latter that I'm asking you to stop right now! The way we are now if we ever were to wage a battle against that young cultivator, we are doomed to die!" Yuan Kong's eyes flashed.

However, he believed, 'Could it even be called a battle?'

"Hehe, General Yuan Kong. I didn't think you were a coward when faced with someone stronger than you... Don't you know that we should never bow our heads to threats!?" Wang Ke grew increasingly angered as he spoke.

Yuan Kong's eyes trembled as he slowly raised his finger to point at Wang Ke but before his hand could ascend completely, he dropped his hand down and tried to calm down by taking a deep breath.

With a solemn voice, he tried to persuade Wang Ke again, "You can't even begin to fathom the threat we're facing right now."

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I already told you and those top brass about the reason for my decision to retreat."

"You say he's a threat, the top brass also deems that he's a threat, but have you people ever stopped to consider that we can establish contact with the other side with the help of that young man?"

Wang Ke narrowed his eyes as he realized that General Yuan Kong also had a point. He creased his brows and was about to reply when the other party continued.

"Although the young man's words were dominant and even forceful, couldn't that also mean that as long as we don't bother him, he won't take action against us as well?"

Wang Ke nodded his head in a rare moment of agreement, "True... We received information from our intelligence department that two unidentified flying objects in the shape of a human were flying above the air space of various parts of the world. Especially India, USA, Australia which tried to make contact with them, only to be shot down from the skies... though reports indicated that all the pilots who tried to establish contact were alive and well..."

Yuan Kong's eyes flashed, "See! As long as we don't offend the other party, there might be negotiations to speak of, but if you were to be aggressive, then..."

Wang Ke frowned as he shook his head, "General Yuan Kong, I already launched a round of barrage at the defensive barrier. We've already bared our fangs. It is too late to back down now..."

General Yuan Kong was about to retort that the young man would not take this measly rounds of a barrage as an offense.

...However, a sneer emerged on Wang Ke's face, "Just because of your god-daughter, you became this subservient?"

*Crack!~*

Clenching his fists, Yuan Kong had the sudden urge to punch Wang Ke in the face, fracturing his cheekbones.

He wanted to retort that 'Don't you have a wastrel who managed to join the general police in a high position through nepotism!?'

'Don't you have a wastrel who only enjoys picking woman through his status instead of doing work?'

However, he curbed himself from doing so, instead, he calmed himself down for the nth time and sighed exasperatedly that his cultivation was not enough even though he was the strongest human on Earth.

Even though he was a High-Level Meridian Refinement Stage Cultivator, he felt immensely exhausted from the lack of sleep these days, plus the stress and exhaustion.

He was already old in age, however, looked middle-aged due to cultivating to High-Level Meridian Refinement Stage, but the middle-aged general in front of him had been time and time again, testing his patience, trying to make him vomit blood from losing vitality.

He couldn't understand how Wang Ke's and the minds of the top brass whirled as they thought for the country.

Were they retarded? Why couldn't they understand how crucial for them to not offend the cultivators?

They knew about Senior Viktor's prowess but chose to challenge the authority of a young cultivator who at least seemed to be from the same place as Senior Viktor.

For all he knew, the young man could be a young master like existence from the other side with beauty in tow, just to sightsee. He even informed the top brass of his speculation it but they seemed to brush off his words and instead, put this idiot Wang Ke in command.

He couldn't help but lament at his countrymen's irresponsible decision but could also understand their motive.

'They don't want to lose this holy land...' He didn't know full and well but could assume on what the top brass was planning on arranging once they find the way to the other side by using various forms energies to make the spatial formation work.

They had tried using various types of energy, except nuclear which would instead curb them from entering the holy land.

Losing this ancient site meant, losing the initiative to become a cultivator land; a cultivator empire.

Though he was also enticed, he didn't lose himself to the temptation and greed.

Losing the holy land only meant that they could not become a cultivator land but losing the battle meant that the Chinese Heritage will be lost in history forever.

He was clear on what to do but the top brass seemed desperate to hold on to their greedy wishes. However, he had overlooked their greed and failed to convince.

Yuan Kong lowered his head as he could only grit his teeth and pray that something bad won't happen in the future with this miserable decision of theirs.

"Alright, since the decision has been made, tell my troops to evacuate the zone." Wang Ke waved his hand and a soldier who was listening in on their conversation, saluted, "Yes..."

But before he could move out of the tent to relay the command personally rather than through communications in caution of sabotage by other country's military, a figure came running in with panicked movements.

"General! They... they are back... Those cultivators are back..." As soon as the soldier relayed the message, General Wang Ke's face scrunched up as a barrage of the same reports echoed from his earpiece.

Yuan Kong's face turned aghast as he quickly ran out, his speed completely unleashed even though he felt exhausted.