When Chen Feng once again set foot on this familiar land—Outpost No. 1—he was surprised to find that in just one year, this once moderately sized outpost had undergone earth-shattering changes.
Today, its area has doubled in size!
Moreover, various defensive fortifications, which were already quite sturdy, continued to spring up like mushrooms after rain.
The city walls became higher and thicker, with many watchtowers and firing ports added; the trenches were dug deeper and longer, forming a complex defensive line; and the towering bunkers stood like steel behemoths, silently guarding this territory.
Most notably, a huge warehouse was built on one side of the stronghold.
From the outside, you can see that the warehouse is filled with all kinds of supplies, but all of these supplies are tightly covered by a thick green tarpaulin, making it impossible to see what is hidden inside.
In addition, a fully armed and well-trained force is stationed around the warehouse.
They cooperated with the garrison at Outpost One, but were clearly distinct from each other, obviously not under the direct jurisdiction of Outpost One.
However, according to orders, Outpost One is required to assume the important responsibility of assisting in the defense of this mysterious warehouse.
"Company Commander, what supplies are stored over there? What are they for?" Chen Feng asked.
"To be honest, I don't know either. The reinforcements were added in the last two months. The guards were directly dispatched by the military. We were just assisting in the defense and knew nothing about anything else," Si Yuniang said, shaking her head.
Chen Feng didn't ask any more questions. After all, for soldiers, following orders is all that matters. Other things might involve military secrets, so no one would ask too many questions or pay too much attention to them.
When Chen Feng stepped into Outpost No. 1, he was greeted by a bustling scene.
Numerous figures could be seen busily practicing in the spacious area, each focused on different training exercises.
Some people stood firmly, their posture as upright as pine trees, and were concentrating on practicing stance training.
Each breath was accompanied by a slight rise and fall of the body, as if it had become one with the surrounding environment.
Others brandished their longswords, their swordplay sharp and swift, creating a stunning storm of sword energy that swept through the air.
Further away, a group of soldiers stood in a tight formation, changing their positions in perfect unison with each command, displaying the formidable power of a well-organized military formation.
Just as Chen Feng was observing, a tall, steady soldier walked towards them.
This man has a resolute face and sharp eyes, revealing a seasoned and determined temperament.
What is striking is that his left arm was severed at the root, the empty sleeve fluttering in the wind, while his remaining right arm appeared remarkably strong.
"Company Commander, who is this?" The one-armed soldier approached and asked in a loud voice, his gaze falling curiously on Chen Feng.
“Deputy Company Commander Fang, this is Dongfeng, sent by Tianlang Pass to assist our operation. He is Fang Zhongda, the deputy company commander of our stronghold. He lost his arm in the battle with the werewolves,” Si Yuniang introduced.
In fact, Chen Feng recognized Fang Zhongda immediately, after all, they had fought side by side before, and it was not appropriate for him to reveal his current identity.
"Hello, Company Commander Fang," Chen Feng greeted respectfully.
"Thank you for your help, Brother Dongfeng. With such a great expert like you, our mission will be much easier." Fang Zhongda said with a smile as he shook hands with Chen Feng. It seems that Si Yuniang had introduced Dongfeng to him beforehand.
Chen Feng sensed that Fang Zhongda was now a mid-stage sixth-rank martial artist, having advanced a small realm compared to the same time last year. Losing an arm had not affected his progress.
In addition, Chen Feng also saw his former squad members, Little Madman, Squirrel, Little Fish, Swift Legs, Broom, Autumn Wind, Rainstorm, and Steel Ball, among the soldiers he was training, but a few of them were missing.
"The original four members of Class Six, namely, Thread Ball, Egg, Stone, and Bullet, sacrificed themselves in the battle. However, those who survived have made great progress. Five of them broke through to the early stage of the sixth rank, and the other three are at the peak of the seventh rank."
Not only that, their stance training has also improved significantly, and their mastery of Sword Qi Storm has been quite remarkable. Four of them have already learned C-level Sword Qi Storm, and the other four will soon be qualified to learn it as well.
Si Yuniang led Chen Feng on a tour of the training troops. When she noticed that Chen Feng's gaze was fixed on the people in the sixth platoon, she quietly introduced them.
Because Chen Feng laid a solid foundation for the hundreds of soldiers at the stronghold last year as a temporary instructor, and they persisted in training over the past year, many eighth-rank martial artists broke through to the seventh rank.
Most of the original seventh-rank martial artists broke through to the sixth rank, bringing the strength of the entire No. 1 stronghold to its peak, almost equivalent to the total strength of the surrounding strongholds.
Over the past year, Si Yuniang has organized several raids on the werewolf tribe by sixth-rank experts from the stronghold, obtaining a large amount of resources, which in turn accelerated the cultivation speed of many soldiers in the No. 1 stronghold.
Currently, Chen Feng has sensed more than 30 sixth-rank experts in the No. 1 stronghold, the vast majority of soldiers are seventh-rank martial artists, and only a small number are still at the peak of the eighth-rank realm.
Previously, the Sirius Army had sent a 300-strong elite force to reinforce Outpost No. 1. However, after arriving, this force discovered that the proportion of strongmen at Outpost No. 1 was actually higher than theirs, so they obediently followed Si Yuniang's command.
"Yes, everyone's morale is excellent; they're ready for battle. By the way, Company Commander, what's the mission this time?" Chen Feng nodded and then asked.
"The military has only told us to stand by; we haven't been given specific instructions yet. However, all our preparations are complete, and we can carry out orders at any time," Si Yuniang said, shaking her head.
"The entire forward outpost must have been reinforced. It seems there will be a major operation this time," Chen Feng thought to himself.
He still remembered that not long after he entered the school last year, the human race launched a major war because of the emergence of the Fenglang Sword, pushing the forward strongholds forward by a hundred miles and occupying more territory.
And this time, because of his intelligence, the human race might launch a similar war, and the forward outposts might be pushed forward another hundred miles.
Of course, this was just Chen Feng's own guess. As for what the human race's higher-ups would do specifically, or how large the scale of this war would be, he had no idea. He just needed to prepare to complete his mission.
However, that afternoon, the Sirius Army unexpectedly sent another 300-strong force to garrison the No. 1 outpost. Not only the No. 1 outpost, but all of the hundreds of outposts at the front line were also equipped with corresponding forces.
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