Shi Tao stood in front of a house, and looking around, she knocked on the door. This place was in a high-security area, had no digital equipment, and only spirit arrays worked here. Shi Tao was here to visit someone.
The door opened after a few moments, and a man peeked from the inside. He sighed and wanted to say something when Shi Tao said, "I was not followed."
The man sighed and let her inside. He said, "Tao, you cannot pop up here anytime you want."
Shi Tao did not pay attention and confidently walked inside the place. She said, "It is almost time for the decisive war. He needs to be here, Mister Milo. You better tell me where he is. The people are not having a good time."
The man sighed and replied, "All I can tell you is that he will return in a few days, as promised. Tao, you do not need to get so worked up."
Shi Tao shook her head and said, "I cannot wait for it anymore. Do you know how long he has been gone? The guardian department had secured so many talented people, and we intend to put up a special unit, but you all. He only told you where he was heading for his training, and that was it. What about the rest of the people?"
Milo adjusted his glasses and said, "The others do not miss their father as you do."
Shi Tao stopped moving around and said, "Uncle Milo, do you want to fight with me?"
Milo shook his head like a rattle and said, "I do not wish to end up in a med bay. You are just like your father."
Shi Tao almost revealed a smile, but then she affirmed her resolve. She asked coldly, "Where is he?"
At this moment, Milo's communicator buzzed. He raised his hand to look at the message, and with a smile, he said, "He will be here tonight. You can go and prepare the guardian department. Do your best to beat him up."
Shi Tao did not ask or say anything else. After the initial shock, she left the house. Milo sighed and said, "You sure are a slave driver, boss."
It has been forty years since the day the federation went on for war preparations. The face of the world had gone under such a transformation that it was almost unrecognizable. After several months of training and arrangments, Shi Lang told everyone he would dwell around the galaxy to increase his power.
Amelia and the rest did not know what to say. Although he maintained contact, it was only with the few closer people who had any clue about his actual location. Forty years, everything has changed, and everyone has changed. The people had all grown up and grown stronger.
...
Shi Tao came out of Milo's house and vanished from her spot. She appeared a thousand miles away, in front of a shack at the peak of a mountain. She walked inside the shed and moved a table to reveal a flight of stairs. Stepping forward, a golden veil appeared in front of her.
She pressed her palm against the veil, and a voice sounded in her mind, 'Welcome, Commander Tao.'
Shi Tao was now the commander of the guardian division. This was the strongest division in the existence of the federation. Every member of this unit was at the peak of the primordial soul realm, and some had even touched the threshold of the nirvana realm.
Those were the regular members; this unit had thirteen spears apart from that. These spears were all members with special physiques. They had all reached the Mahayana realm. They were all around thirty or fifty years old.
Shi Tao was now forty-seven, but she looked like twenty years old. However, if someone noticed the center of her brows, they would find that the lady had a mark of a snowflake in icy blue color.
After the golden veil disappeared, Shi Tao entered the place with calm strides. The flight of stairs took her to the depth of their base. This place was dug inside a mountain. The entire granite giant served as the walls, and the site was laced with arrays. They had covered every inch of the mountain surface with defense and attack arrays.
The hut on the summit was not only protected from the ground but also from the air. Only a few people knew what path they should take to avoid the isolation barrier. Shi Tao descended the stairs calmly and soon reached the end of it, greeted by a constantly rolling countdown.
At this moment, the time displayed thirty-four days and was still rolling. Suddenly a voice greeted her, "What happened? How many times have you fought them over the years? They will never leak out where is that Shi Lang."
Shi Tao turned to look at the man behind her and said, "Mind your tongue."
The man scoffed and said, "What if I do not? What can you do about it?"
Shi Tao said, "I can beat you and break every bone in your body with a crackling sound. You can try attacking me."
The man hesitated, and Shi Tao said, "That was what I thought Manx."
Then she turned around and walked away. The man she met was one of the spears, and he was just behind Shi Tao in strength. His greed for the top position has always made him act rather arrogantly.
Shi Lang was a milestone that the people wanted to reach, but when the world was heading towards the most significant crisis, the man was nowhere to be found. Every single day of his absence made the people panic a bit more. Shi Tao was suffering from all the pressure too, and the people thought the lady had achieved her level because she was Shi Lang's daughter.
The girl had worked hard in the past forty years and made a name for herself. However, a few people, like Manx, still did not acknowledge her. She walked inside the meeting room and pressed the summon switch. All the spears appeared inside the room in a blink. They all had bland expressions, but Shi Tao said, "He is coming back tomorrow. The title of Ace waist us. Are you ready?"
She quickly stated the fact, and the people opened their eyes wide. They did not expect her to say something like this. This sentence sent an explosion through the minds of the people. Manx asked, "The news is confirmed?"
Shi Tao nodded and wanted to say something when Manx asked, "What is the plan? Where has he been? When did you find out about his return."
Shi Tao slapped the table in front of her and left a deep impression on her hand as she said, "I might not be able to kill you, but I can send you to solitary confinement."
Manx froze, and Shi Tao said, "Activate the net. Monitor everyone who comes inside the federation. Also, ready the division, he will have to get through us to land on the ground."
The people were not surprised, Shi Tao loved her father, but she was also dutiful. She would never let her emotions get the best of her. Manx wanted to say something when Shi Tao said, "The meeting is over, just implement the instructions, and we will deal with him."
The people gradually left the room, leaving behind only one girl. This person asked, "Sister Tao, can we defeat him?"
Shi Tao smiled and nodded as she replied, "Do not worry, Lili. We will defeat him."
This girl was the daughter of Jane and Lucas. She was born with jade meridians and has been capable of cultivating since she was two years old. Shi Tao had guided her personally; now, Lili was the youngest spear in the guardian division.
Lili smiled faintly and said, "I wonder how all the old people would react if they got to know."
Shi Tao chuckled and said, "Granny is going to beat him. Regardless of his victory over us or not, he is getting beaten. You are invited to watch."
Lili giggled and said, "Maa is also waiting for him to return so she would beat her and Grandma too."
Shi Tao shook her head and said, "He made a lot of enemies in his life."
The ladies talked for a bit before suddenly. They received a spike warning. Upon checking, Shi Tao said, "He will not wait for tomorrow. He will come tonight. Mobilize everyone you have."
Then she rushed out of the base with Lili on her heels. The other spears also got the notification and rushed toward the spike.
...
A man stood in the void a thousand miles from the base. His body was flawless, and so was his face. This guy looked like an immortal from the heavens. His hair ran long, and his eyes were crystal clear. The man floated in the void and looking around he sighed and said, "Home sweet home."
"Sorry, the welcome is not going to be that happy for you, General Lang.", a clear voice sounded in the void.
Shi Lang smiled and said, "Good response time, but why am I being called General Lang?"