High-level martial arts: Contract cashback, invincible starting from the Zerg.

The wind and snow gradually buried the smoke of war.

Thousands of purplish-black Zerg corpses lay scattered across the ice field in front of the artillery position. Most of them had been scorched into charcoal by the high temperature, and their dark purple biological armor had melted into twisted, hard lumps, embedded in the frozen soil and emitting faint white smoke.

The third line of defense, guarded by the Great Xia Legion, had long since become ruins.

Broken cannon barrels, shattered automatic rifles, and the remains of Xia soldiers were mixed together on the defensive line, gradually buried by falling snow.

At this moment, no one had the strength to help them tidy their clothes or see them off on their final journey.

......

In front of the artillery position

The five martial gods were either standing or sitting, and all of them were injured.

The battle axe in Li Can's hand was chipped and nicked, and the blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his left arm was frozen stiff, causing the wound to throb with every movement.

Da Zhu's Martial God Armor was also badly dented, and the built-in windproof protector was nowhere to be found. He could only cover his shivering body with a blanket.

Chen Feng, however, stood at the very front, still shaken.

The Queen's armor had long since dissipated, but the muscle tingling from the Leviathan's energy depletion still lingered.

The Great Xia Kingdom won this battle.

The electromagnetic cannon precisely blasted the buildings above the nest and also directly destroyed the core of the underground nest. This caused the Purple Crimson Zerg on Hill 74 to instantly lose their commander, and the remaining thousands of fully-fledged Purple Crimson Berserkers scattered in all directions.

However, the price of this victory was far too heavy—three lines of defense were breached one after another, nearly two battalions of soldiers were killed, and all five warriors were wounded.

If Lu Ling's sniper rifle hadn't directly killed five Ziwei Imperial Guards, then everyone would probably have perished in the insects before the electromagnetic cannon could even finish charging.

After truly fighting a fierce battle with the Purple Insect Clan, Chen Feng finally understood why the Great Xia Kingdom's army, despite being stationed on the border for decades, had never been able to conquer the Purple Insect Clan's territory.

The terror of the Purple Insect Clan has never been the combat power of a single individual.

It is the combined power of numbers and command system.

They are like puppets that keep emerging from the permafrost, one batch dying and another taking their place. They have no fear, no fatigue, and dare to use sheer numbers to overwhelm the steel defenses.

Human soldiers will run out of ammunition, and the power of the War God will decline, but as long as the nest remains, new insects will always fill the gaps in their charge.

Just one of the insect swarm nests on the outer edge of the mother nest contained twelve Purple Guards capable of fighting the God of War head-on. They also knew how to split their forces for sneak attacks and how to contain the main force, their tactics were as clear as a well-trained army.

What about the nests deeper inside?

What about the heart of the mother nest?

Aren't there even stronger Desolate-Rank Insect Generals and War Nests than the Purple-Azure Guards, and even the legendary Purple-Azure Queen who can rival the strongest in the Great Xia Dynasty?!

"What are you thinking about, Chen Feng?" Li Yuanwei walked to Chen Feng's side and followed his gaze to the Zerg nest in the distance, which had become ruins. "To be honest, this is the first time I've encountered such a powerful army."

Chen Feng nodded: "I'm wondering if it's a good thing or a bad thing that we directly destroyed their hive core."

He had previously relied on the White Flying Insect Clan to have a smooth journey, and always thought that the Purple Insect Clan was just an insect clan with a larger organizational structure. However, today's battle made him realize that it was not that simple.

"Chen Feng, don't think too much about it. Today's battle is just the beginning," Li Yuanwei said with a wry smile.

The dull roar of engines grew louder as it approached.

Several B2 transport planes cut through the snow and slowly landed on the open ice field inside the Zerg nest.

The landing gear instantly rolled over the frozen ground and the flesh-covered blanket of earth, leaving two deep, dark purple tracks.

As soon as the hatch closed, squads of fully armed Xia soldiers filed out, their brand-new cold-weather combat uniforms still carrying the dry smell of the rear warehouse. Their ranks were straight as knives, and they quickly spread out across the ruins of the nest.

"The reinforcements from the permafrost fortress have arrived." Li Can struggled to his feet, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping. "They've finally arrived."

Da Zhu, wrapped in a tattered blanket, glanced over there, but his lips, which were purple from the cold, didn't utter a single word.

Chen Feng glanced at the well-organized reinforcements, but then turned his gaze back to the third line of defense ahead, which was gradually being obscured by the wind and snow.

The snow had already covered the bodies of those young soldiers with a thin layer of frost. The lucky ones were still in the position of pulling the trigger, their fingers stiffly embedded in the cold gun barrel.

Some had half their bodies pinned down by the collapsed Purple Insectoids, with only a section of their dark brown sleeves showing.

A familiar chill suddenly rose from the deepest part of Chen Feng's heart.

It was a chilling cold that seeped into your bones, a chill that carried a sense of powerlessness.

Chen Feng killed a lot of insects.

He had personally cut down the Purple Guards, single-handedly broken through the insect swarm array, and even, with inferior forces, managed to hold out until the electromagnetic cannons completed their artillery barrage.

He has always been the sharpest blade on the battlefield, and the pillar of strength in everyone's eyes.

The system gave him the ability to fight beyond his level, and the Queen's Armor gave him the confidence to confront the Imperial Guards head-on.

However, he could not stop the war ravages of the berserkers, nor could he stop ordinary soldiers from falling one after another under their blades, nor could he stop the surging tide of racial warfare.

That does sound pathetic.

...

As Lu Ling walked down carrying the "Godslayer" sniper rifle, her steps were as steady as measuring distances on flat ground, her cool and aloof eyes displaying only her usual indifference and precision.

She walked straight up to Chen Feng, ignoring the several martial gods sitting or standing around her, and the lingering smell of burning on the battlefield.

"The promotion appointment from the Permafrost Fortress Military Command was just sent over by transport plane."

Chen Feng withdrew his gaze from the ruins of the defensive line and frowned.

"Chen Feng, the deputy commander-in-chief of this operation to attack Hill 74, from this moment on, all five martial gods present and their respective squads will be under your unified command. Tactical decisions will not need to be reported to the rear of the fortress. You will be able to make decisions on the spot."

Upon hearing this, Li Can, who was holding a battle axe beside him, paused, and Li Yuanwei also turned his head to look over, but neither of them said a word.

Lu Ling continued, "The second item is a special approval from the military headquarters. The entire 79th Marine Regiment, originally stationed on the western front of the Permafrost Fortress, will be placed under your direct command. Its organization will be directly incorporated into the Purple-Blue Zerg frontline combat sequence. The regiment's supply and attached artillery companies will all be under your command. Personnel resupply and equipment applications will go through a dedicated channel, and your signature will be sufficient for the application to take effect."

Upon hearing this, the martial gods exchanged bewildered glances.

The 79th Marine Regiment was the main field regiment of the Permafrost Fortress, with a full strength of nearly 1,500 men. It was also equipped with heavy firepower companies and armored companies, making it a truly capable and battle-hardened army, far superior to the hastily assembled ragtag legions.

"What's the reason?" Chen Feng's voice was a little hoarse, showing little joy at being promoted.

"Your successful assault on the 74th Highland nest, destroying the nest core with inferior forces, demonstrates S-level tactical execution and battlefield decision-making. The Fortress leadership believes that your approach to Zerg warfare is more effective than that of conventional commanders."

Chen Feng fell silent.

He looked down at the calluses and unwashed insect blood on his palms, and the deathly silence that seemed to still echo in his ears from the last line of defense.

Before the remains of the two battalions of soldiers could even be wrapped, Chen Feng turned around and took command of a regiment.

This is not a reward... it simply puts even more lives into his hands.

Lu Ling added another sentence, raising her hand to gently tap the sniper rifle on her back.

"Also, if you need my assistance for your next operation, I can consider it." Lu Ling said this with a very faint smile.

The smile was fleeting, as quick as falling snow brushing against an icicle, gone in an instant.