Chapter 57: The Elite of the Elites

"You are really putting extra pressure on me." Martial Shen Yu fully understood what Interstellar Shen Yu meant, but he also felt somewhat speechless.

Top-tier body-refining martial arts, and in a sufficiently large quantity—wouldn't that only be found among the people of the Earth Martial Sect?

Those were a group of extremely difficult and formidable powerhouses.

Martial cultivation was never easy, but the arduous nature of body-refining martial arts stood out remarkably among all mainstream martial disciplines.

Right from the beginning, one had to undergo crazy physical training, constantly pushing one's body to its absolute limits, and then break through those boundaries with the aid of primordial energy and cultivation techniques. Later on, when condensing the Earth Fiend Qi, the process became even more perilous and agonizing.

In terms of the degree of torment, only some inhuman, niche martial arts could surpass it.

One could well imagine the temperament of the experts forged under such circumstances.

However, no matter how difficult it was, it wasn't as tough as dealing with the apocalypse. Reviewing the trump cards in his hand, Martial Shen Yu gradually formed a plan.

"I will do it as soon as possible," Martial Shen Yu finally said. "At the very least, I'll make it worth that battleship of yours."

"What's a battleship?" Interstellar Shen Yu chuckled. "I'll help you build a large-scale survival base later! Built to the highest standards, where you can live comfortably no matter how harsh the environment of the planet is."

"It's a deal!" Martial Shen Yu's heart surged with excitement.

This was also one of his current major headaches; even if food was temporarily sufficient, the harsh environment remained a massive problem.

There were still disaster victims continuously freezing to death in the biting, cold winds.

The future would only grow more severe.

"Rest assured, the martial arts foundation accumulated by your civilization is definitely worth this much." Interstellar Shen Yu's tone also turned solemn.

"Good!" Martial Shen Yu responded firmly.

Both he and Shen Yu had actually noticed something.

Interstellar Shen Yu had undergone a slight change; not only was he more active, but he also exuded much greater confidence.

If it were before, he would not have made such an explicit promise, as he himself couldn't be certain.

But now, things were clearly different.

However, this was bound to happen sooner or later. Every single one of them ought to possess this kind of confidence.

"I'm facing a new crisis on my end as well." Shen Yu took the opportunity to share the new situation here.

After listening, both of them were somewhat amazed.

The meteorite monsters, having developed for over three months, had already become this terrifying.

Overwhelming vines attacking wildly—just thinking about it made it seem extremely tricky.

"I'll prepare an all-purpose flying reconnaissance hive for you first," Interstellar Shen Yu spoke up first. "No matter what, let's gather intelligence on the monster first."

"That's right," Martial Shen Yu chimed in. "Based on past experience, as long as we can resolve the crisis, that's the beginning of the harvest. The greater the number of monsters, the higher their value. Our home planet can even get rich by selling monsters."

Naturally, this was just a joke to lighten the mood, but it was also a genuine expectation.

Shen Yu felt a lot more grounded.

Subsequently, he discussed several other matters with the two Shen Yus.

For instance, the trade manifest prepared by the interstellar civilization, and Martial Shen Yu's progress in cultivating the *Withered and Flourishing Nirvana Scripture*, specifically whether he needed to use the gray mist.

Ever since the connection was established, information exchange among the three of them had been very frequent.

Time passed unawares.

Shen Yu finally arrived at his destination.

Sitting inside the armed helicopter, he could clearly see the endless forests and mountain ranges in the distance—a sight Shen Yu had never witnessed with his own eyes before.

"Nature." He slowly exhaled, feeling as though this forest, which ought to be full of vitality and vigor, had instead become dead and perilous.

The helicopter landed directly at a nearby military facility, obviously temporarily constructed, where numerous excavators could still be seen at work.

Yet what attracted Shen Yu's attention the most was a squad of soldiers assembled early in the square below.

They were clearly different from those Shen Yu had seen before.

Their numbers were small, just over sixty people, but every single one of them possessed more specialized equipment, including night-vision goggles, personal computer terminals, and portable drones. Shen Yu even spotted heavy shields in the hands of several individuals.

Clearly, their division of labor was precise.

Coupled with the green camouflage paint smeared across their faces, the identity of this troop of soldiers went without saying.

Special forces!

Sure enough, after Shen Yu stepped off the aircraft, the leader stepped forward, saluted Shen Yu, and shouted loudly: "All members of the Old Thirteen Special Operations Team report to the Commander!"

"Old Thirteen..." Shen Yu silently repeated the name, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Generally speaking, shouldn't the names of such teams sound a bit more imposing?

Like Snow Wolf, or Battle Hawk.

Old Thirteen sounded somewhat lacking in momentum.

However, he didn't say anything, turning instead to look at another unarmed soldier standing nearby whose demeanor was more akin to that of a civilian cadre.

"Consultant Shen, hello. My name is Song Yao, and I am the political instructor for the Old Thirteen Special Operations Team." Song Yao stepped forward, also saluting Shen Yu with a military salute, and then said, "We have received instructions from our superiors to fully cooperate with you in investigating the meteorite monster inside the First National Forest Park. You may issue any order; even if it's a mission with a ten-percent survival rate and a ninety-percent death rate, we will resolutely complete it. All members of Old Thirteen are ready to make the ultimate sacrifice at any moment."

When he uttered the last sentence, his tone did not fluctuate much.

Nor did any of the soldiers standing before him show the slightest change in expression.

Shen Yu immediately understood that this team was likely the elite of the elites.

In a relatively peaceful Eastern Country, elites of this caliber shouldn't be too numerous, yet they had been dispatched to him, accompanied by such an attitude. It could be said that the determination represented behind this—ranging from frontline soldiers to high-ranking commanders—was completely conveyed to Shen Yu.

It also brought a certain amount of pressure.

However, after a brief moment of silence, Shen Yu still nodded and said, "I understand. When there's a need, I will give direct orders."

"Yes!" Song Yao saluted once more, then stepped back a few paces and stood motionless.

"When did you arrive here?" Shen Yu directly raised his wrist, and the personal terminal on his arm projected a map of the entire forest.

"Reporting to the Commander, we arrived forty-three minutes ago."

"Where is our current location on the map, and where is the meteorite crash site?"

"It has been marked for the Commander."

"Were people sent in for a deep investigation earlier? Where are they now?"

"Several hours ago, they were placed under tight protection. If the Commander has a need, we can coordinate and have them sent over."

"Not yet, let's take a look first. You should all know the general situation by now. Do you have any thoughts?"

"..."

Shen Yu's final question seemed to have stumped them. The other soldiers remained still, but Song Yao, after glancing at his comrades, said in a deep voice, "I believe we should complete the investigation as soon as possible, ideally capturing a live monster. We are willing to venture deep into the forest, approach the meteorite crash site, and execute the reconnaissance and combat mission!"