Ultimate Fighting

TL: GoldenLung

"In other words, in terms of influence, as an Eighth-Rank Sky Fighter, your influence within the Federation already ranks among the top 100—and you're only eighteen years old."

As Lan Xuanyu listened to Yan Xinghe's explanation, the shock in his heart gradually faded, and he calmed down. As the saying went, great power came with great responsibility. The high status the Federation had granted him naturally meant he had to bear corresponding responsibilities. Without a doubt, continuing the undercover mission on Dragon Horse Planet was something the Federation urgently needed him to do.

"Major General Lan Xuanyu, I am now officially asking on behalf of the Federation if you have any requests. Within reasonable limits, I can promise them on the Federation's behalf and have them implemented immediately," Yan Xinghe stood up straight and saluted Lan Xuanyu.

Lan Xuanyu hurriedly returned the salute and said, "Captain, I have a few requests. First, I hope all members of the Thirty-Three Sky Wings can be transferred to the Dragon Three warship to operate under a unified command and accept my leadership. Second, I'd like you to allocate a separate area for us here, where no one is allowed entry without my permission. Third, if we manage to obtain more resources from Dragon Horse Planet, I hope the Federation can coordinate with Tang Sect to use those resources to prioritize building god-level mechas for all members of the Thirty-Three Sky Wings. That's all for now. I understand the Federation's mission—once the fleet gives the green light, we're ready to depart and return to Dragon Horse Planet."

Yan Xinghe nodded. "The first two requests are not an issue—I can approve them right now. As for the third, I need to report it to the Commander and the military for authorization."

Lan Xuanyu said, "The resources required for building the god-level mechas can be deducted from what we bring back from Dragon Horse Planet. The resources we submit will definitely far exceed what is needed for this."

Yan Xinghe said to Lan Xuanyu, "Xuanyu, from now on, I will be your exclusive liaison, responsible for contacting you. If you encounter danger, you can notify me at any time. The Dragon Three warship will lead its fleet to assist you as quickly as possible. Regarding the resources obtained from Dragon Horse Planet, the Federation is most concerned about the Space Origin Crystals. Aside from those, other resources are of lesser importance. Additionally, there are two missions the Federation wants to assign to you. First, gather more intelligence—anything related to the Dragon Horse Galaxy is of urgent need. Second, investigate the actual combat capabilities and methods of the Dragon Knights. From the data we've gathered so far, the Dragon Knights appear to be the true top-tier combat force of the Dragon Horse Galaxy."

Lan Xuanyu nodded. "I understand. That's something I want to investigate thoroughly as well."

The Federation truly valued Lan Xuanyu's safety—not only because he was the son of Tang Wulin, the Golden Dragon Moon Song, but also because of his identity on Dragon Horse Planet.

Infiltrating Dragon Horse Planet was extremely difficult. Without the Treasure Seeking Beast's ability to mask all forms of detection, disguises would be ineffective. Lan Xuanyu's successful infiltration opened up limitless possibilities and had immeasurable implications for the Federation's future ambitions in the Dragon Horse Galaxy. A spy like him was too valuable—and irreplaceable.

"I understand," Lan Xuanyu nodded.

The Federation's promotion of him to Eighth-Rank Sky Fighter sounded impressive and came with significant authority, but in reality, it didn't come with that many tangible benefits. In this regard, it didn't compare to what the academy had provided. However, that was also because he had given the academy ten Space Origin Crystals and the Space Worm.

Tang Wulin had made it clear that there was no need to conceal information about the Space Worm from the academy. In the future, the academy would have a dedicated site for producing Space Origin Crystals. What did that mean? One had to understand—the Space Worm was essentially the progenitor of the Spaceborne Clan. Space Origin Crystals were not something that ordinary rare materials could compare to.

Infiltrating Dragon Horse Planet was also something Lan Xuanyu wanted to do—whether for the Federation, for the academy, or for helping the members of the Thirty-Three Sky Wings grow stronger, or even for the evolution of the Eternal Tree. He needed to establish a foothold there and reap the benefits.

The gains from Dragon Horse Planet had allowed him to break through to six rings, saving him years of effort. If he were cultivating on the home planet under normal conditions, advancing further would be extremely difficult. But the abundance of resources on Dragon Horse Planet was far beyond what Douluo Planet could offer.

Lan Xuanyu not only needed to become stronger himself, but he also needed to help his companions grow stronger using Dragon Horse Planet's resources. That was his fundamental goal. Understanding the Dragon Knights' combat power was necessary—but even more important was understanding their cultivation methods.

There were many secrets on Dragon Horse Planet, and he needed to uncover them one by one.

"You also need to go see Admiral Bai Ling. The Commander will officially present you with your Eighth-Rank Sky Fighter badge. It's a treasured item and a symbol of your status. Anywhere in the Federation, it will serve as a way to identify you and grant access to all necessary assistance," Yan Xinghe's voice pulled Lan Xuanyu back from his thoughts.

"Alright. Once I visit the mothership, I'll return to Dragon Horse Planet as soon as possible. I'm not sure when I'll be able to come back next."

Yan Xinghe nodded. "Same as before—safety first. Maintaining your identity on Dragon Horse Planet and keeping yourself safe is far more important than completing the mission right away."

"I understand."

After leaving the conference room and returning to the rest area, Lan Xuanyu had to wait for notification from the mothership. As Admiral Bai Ling was the fleet commander, he was extremely busy, and Lan Xuanyu had to wait for his availability.

Lan Xuanyu also needed time to reorganize his strategy for his return to Dragon Horse Planet.

Tianlong should have returned by now, and Dragon City was in upheaval because of the Spaceborne Clan incident. He no longer had any Space Worms, so he didn't need to worry about being discovered by the Spaceborne Clan again. But Dragon City was now strictly off-limits—they couldn't go there.

Xiuxiu's identity had been accepted. As for Fenglong City, it was unclear when Huang Yuanlang would return. He seemed interested in Xiuxiu, which made things a bit complicated. Lan Xuanyu certainly wouldn't let Xiuxiu suffer even a little just to maintain her cover. Besides, if they wanted to maintain a long-term infiltration and truly penetrate the enemy's core, Xiuxiu alone would be too vulnerable.

Previously, he had no way to help, but after his recent breakthrough to six rings, things were different. He could now use his Martial Soul True Body—or more accurately, his Dragon God Transformation had entered a new stage, granting him a second form.

"Xiuxiu, is now a good time to come over?" Lan Xuanyu initiated the call.

"Come on over," Bai Xiuxiu replied naturally.

"Wait for me—I'm coming now," Lan Xuanyu said as he walked out of his room. Bai Xiuxiu's room was right next door.

The door opened, and Bai Xiuxiu, dressed in a white bathrobe, let him in.

As soon as he entered, Bai Xiuxiu raised her hand and said, "Keep at least one meter away from me."

Lan Xuanyu grinned mischievously and deliberately struck a pose before playfully lunging toward her.