Chapter 80: The Empress Dons the Phoenix Robe

If the first two events made Lin Fan a revered figure among the soldiers of Great Xia—a legendary idol, the supreme commander of the highest command center—then the last event shattered that distant image. In that moment, Lin Fan was no longer an untouchable symbol, but a comrade in arms, a man of flesh and blood, just like the rest of them.

The fact that the grand commander would risk his life to save an obscure worker who had fallen into danger? That, after having completed the mission and retreated to safety, he would turn back into the fray? These actions, on the surface, seemed almost foolish.

Yet it was precisely this "foolishness" that won Lin Fan an unprecedented sense of kinship from these soldiers.

He was their commander-in-chief. But he was also their brother-in-arms.

If the Lin Fan who beheaded the Corpse King had seemed almost mythical in the soldiers' eyes, then Lin Fan, braving peril alone to save Zhao Guochen, pulled that legend back down to earth.

Because these soldiers were just like Zhao Guochen—ordinary men. And the young commander before them was willing to risk everything to protect even the most inconspicuous among them.

Never abandon a single citizen of Great Xia.

That was the belief that defined Great Xia.

“Lin Fan! Lin Fan! Lin Fan!” Across the returning waves, the soldiers called out his name in a chorus.

“Don’t… don’t do this…” Lin Fan’s face flushed. Though he was the commander-in-chief, he was still just a high school student at heart and had never stood before such a scene since taking command.

Old Jin chuckled. “What’s the harm? You’ve earned it.” Then, raising his voice to the surrounding soldiers, he called out, “Alright, that’s enough! Lin Fan just returned—he’s tired and wounded. Don’t make a fuss.”

“Back to your posts, all of you! And get the military doctor over here!”

Old Jin could see that Lin Fan’s steps were already faltering.

At Old Jin’s stern command, the soldiers—who had been on the verge of hoisting Lin Fan aloft—hurriedly dispersed and returned to their duties. The military doctor quickly approached, checked Lin Fan’s injuries, and said, “Bring a few men to support him. We’ll get him to the infirmary.”

By now, Lin Fan’s face had grown pale; the strain of reversing his cultivation technique could no longer be suppressed, and his whole body felt drained of strength.

But Lin Fan shook his head. “No… don’t call for soldiers… Don’t let them see me like this.”

He remembered the looks of admiration and the soaring morale he’d just witnessed. For them to see their commander suddenly so gravely wounded—it would dampen their spirits.

Old Jin understood what Lin Fan was thinking and quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ll take you myself.”

Supported by Old Jin and the military doctor, Lin Fan made his slow way toward the infirmary. Along the way, he forced a bright smile through his pain and exhaustion, waving to the soldiers who looked on with such respect, pretending all was well.

At last, they reached the infirmary.

The moment he arrived, Lin Fan could hold out no longer and collapsed to the floor.

“Old Jin, help me get him onto the bed,” the military doctor instructed.

With their help, Lin Fan was laid on the bed, his voice weak. “How… how is Gongshu Ming?”

After all, the entire Godslayer squad had reversed their cultivation methods. Their condition could be no better than his own. Especially Gongshu Ming, whose left arm had been severed.

“Mr. Gongshu is unconscious, but his condition is relatively stable. However, with his arm gone, I’m afraid…” The doctor sighed, then added, “The others are in better shape. Their bodies are exhausted and wounded, but nothing too serious. Though… there will likely be lingering aftereffects.”

Lin Fan nodded.

Reversing one’s cultivation was a desperate gamble—a cruel overdraw of one’s potential. Such harm to their foundations could not be healed by medicine or machines.

“I’ll give you a nutrient injection, then prepare a blood transfusion. Later, you’ll need a CT scan to check for any broken bones…” The doctor pierced Lin Fan’s arm with a syringe.

But Lin Fan’s mind was elsewhere, worrying about the other members of Godslayer Squad One who had reversed their techniques alongside him.

“I owe them… If their foundations aren’t healed, they’ll never progress again.” Lin Fan’s eyes glinted with anxiety. “If the gods descend and Great Xia loses me—and the first squad—then…”

“I must find a way!”

Lost in thought, Lin Fan searched his memory for any way to mend their damaged foundations.

Beside him, Old Jin gazed at Lin Fan’s wounds and couldn’t help but click his tongue. “How did it come to this… Are the people from the Phoenix Society really so terrifying?”

Lin Fan had slain the Corpse King with a single blow—how could the Phoenix Society from the Free States be even more formidable?

“It wasn’t them,” Lin Fan replied, waving his hand.

Old Jin was taken aback. “If not the Phoenix Society, then who…”

Suppressing his pain, Lin Fan grinned. “Old Jin, help unbutton my shirt—I have something precious to show you.”

Seeing Lin Fan’s mysterious air, Old Jin shivered. “Now, don’t play tricks on me. I’m too old for such things…”

“Come on, Old Jin, look at the state I’m in. Stop joking and help me out,” Lin Fan replied, exasperated. “Just take it out.”

Old Jin undid Lin Fan’s buttons.

From Lin Fan’s chest, Old Jin caught sight of a corner of red.

It was soft to the touch, yet radiated a strange warmth.

“You brought a red flag with you on a mission to the Free States?” Old Jin was stunned. “Were you planning a ceremony?”

“Take a closer look,” Lin Fan said.

Gripping the red corner, Old Jin gently pulled it free.

It was—

A crimson cloak!

Golden phoenixes, resplendent and lifelike, adorned the cloak, their eyes burning with a living flame.

“This is…” Even Old Jin could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary item.

“National treasure of Great Xia,” Lin Fan pronounced each word with care. “The Empress’s Phoenix Cloak!”

“The Empress’s Phoenix Cloak…” Old Jin echoed, bewildered. “The Empress… Phoenix Cloak… Could it be…”

“Exactly as you think,” Lin Fan nodded.

Old Jin fell silent for a moment, then clapped Lin Fan’s shoulder and burst out laughing. “Lin Fan, you’ve accomplished something tremendous!”

The Empress’s Phoenix Cloak!

This was a national treasure of Great Xia.

Old Jin’s hands trembled as he held the cloak, fully aware of its significance.

Once, Great Xia had slumbered, and a band of thieves had battered down its gates with cannon fire, looting countless treasures.

The Imperial Jade Seal, the Empress’s Phoenix Cloak, the Dragon Emperor’s Command Token… All these peerless relics of Great Xia vanished without a trace.

But now, the Empress’s Phoenix Cloak had returned to Great Xia.

For this alone, Lin Fan’s name was destined to be inscribed in the annals of history.