Chapter 1054: Eighth Rank Skyfighter

TL: GoldenLung

Just as Lan Xuanyu was about to relax and take a bath, his soul communicator rang.

“Captain.” Lan Xuanyu answered, and Yan Xinghe’s voice came through on the other end.

“Xuanyu, you're finally back. Come see me immediately,” Yan Xinghe said warmly and cheerfully—it was clear he was in a very good mood.

“Yes, sir.”

Lan Xuanyu quickly put on his uniform, the stars on his major general epaulets gleaming. After informing his teammates, he boarded a shuttle car and headed straight for the command center of the Dragon Three warship.

When he arrived, Yan Xinghe was already waiting. The command center was empty of other high-ranking officers.

Lan Xuanyu stood at attention before Yan Xinghe and saluted.

Yan Xinghe chuckled. “You don’t need to salute me anymore. Come, let’s talk in the meeting room.” He led Lan Xuanyu into the conference room.

Activating the confidentiality shield, only the two of them remained inside.

Looking at the handsome young man before him, Yan Xinghe sighed in admiration. “Truly, heroes emerge from youth! I’ve always thought I was part of the military’s younger generation, but compared to you, that title barely applies to me anymore.”

Lan Xuanyu smiled. “Captain, no need to be modest. You're the youngest admiral in the military and a candidate for Minister of Defense. Don’t think I don’t know.”

Yan Xinghe laughed. “That’s something for the distant future. So, how did things go on your return to the home planet?”

Lan Xuanyu nodded. “Pretty smoothly. I reported everything to the academy and spent a few days cultivating. That’s why I’m a little late getting back.”

“Do you know how anxiously we’ve been waiting for your return? The military has been sending urgent letters to Shrek Academy non-stop—probably enough to fill their entire mailbox,” Yan Xinghe said helplessly.

Lan Xuanyu was stunned. The academy hadn’t said anything to him, clearly choosing to ignore the military’s pressure.

“Was it that urgent?” Lan Xuanyu asked, puzzled.

“How could it not be?” Yan Xinghe replied. “The intel you brought back underwent confidential analysis by the Federation and turned out to be of immense value. It’s crucial to our understanding of the Dragon-Horse Galaxy’s various races, especially the Dragon Clan and Celestial Steed Clan. This contribution rivals the significance of the entire war effort. Up to now, the Dragon-Horse Galaxy has completely blocked us from accessing intel on their true military strength. We’ve never even seen their Dragon Knights or Celestial Steed Knights in battle—and these are their strongest forces.”

Lan Xuanyu nodded slightly. He had already known this.

*And that piece of Spatial Source Crystal you brought back—our Federation Research Institute director was full of praise. With it, many stalled space technology projects can now resume, especially those just on the verge of breakthroughs. In short, your contribution was enormous.”

Yan Xinghe paused and looked at Lan Xuanyu. Despite all this praise, the young man remained calm and composed. For some reason, Yan Xinghe felt Lan Xuanyu had changed a bit since his return—more steady, more grounded.

“Given your team’s contributions, the Federation has issued a special commendation. Everyone on your team has been promoted to 6th-rank Sky Fighter. And you—have been specially promoted to 8th‑rank Sky Fighter.”

At this, Yan Xinghe’s tone turned serious.

8th‑rank Sky Fighter? Lan Xuanyu was momentarily stunned.

Back when they first started performing Sky Fighter missions, he and his team had reviewed the permissions of lower-ranked Sky Fighters—but only up to rank six. The privileges beyond that were unknown to them.

Looking at Yan Xinghe’s expression, Lan Xuanyu understood that being an 8th-rank Sky Fighter was indeed something extraordinary.

“There was some debate within the Federation about promoting you to this level. After all, the Skyfighter Hall holds a unique position in the Federation, and 8th-rank Sky Fighters possess immense privileges.”

Yan Xinghe emphasized the final word—privileges.

“What kind of privileges?” Lan Xuanyu asked. “I don’t know much about the higher Sky Fighter ranks.”**

Yan Xinghe replied, “In terms of status, you’re now equal to me. That’s why I said you don’t need to salute me—we’re no longer in a superior-subordinate relationship, but peers.

“The Federation considered giving you another promotion in military rank, but you’ve risen too fast already. It’s not feasible to let you command a fleet yet. Your strengths lie more in special operations. So the Skyfighter Hall ministers decided to specially promote you to 8th-rank Sky Fighter. As for your privileges…”*

A hint of envy appeared in Yan Xinghe’s eyes. “You now have the authority to mobilize any Federal warship below Dragon King–class escort ships.”

Lan Xuanyu was shocked. Mobilizing anything below a Dragon King–class escort ship? He knew exactly what that meant: he could command any ship in the 7th Fleet—except the flagship. That was an immense level of authority.

“Are there any limitations?” he asked.

Yan Xinghe explained, “You can mobilize one Dragon King–class escort ship, or the equivalent firepower—say, three warships. You also have the right to recommend full fleet mobilization to support your missions.”

After his recent training with the Nirvanic Divine Lightning, Lan Xuanyu had become much more composed. Still, he had to take a deep breath to steady himself.

“8th-rank Sky Fighters, especially those on active missions, often face extreme danger. They’re considered national treasures by the Federation, and fleets are obligated to protect and assist them in completing high-risk missions. Honestly, that piece of Spatial Source Crystal you brought back played a big part in this. If you manage to get more in the future, the Federation’s top researchers will treat you like royalty. They've already sent you an invitation—any time you visit the Federal Research Institute, they’ll equip you with the latest tech and weapons.”

“Beyond that, unless you betray the Federation, you’re practically immune to prosecution. It’s like holding a royal pardon. If you want, you’ll be eligible for a seat in the Federal Parliament—though not just yet. You’ll need to be at least thirty years old. Or, if your merit reaches the level of a 9th-rank Sky Fighter, the Parliament will open its doors to you immediately.

“You also gain partial control over Federation resources. For instance, if you want to craft your own mecha suit or Battle Armor, the Federation will assign top-tier blacksmiths and artisans to assist you. They’ll even design a personalized god-rank mecha for you. In short, you’re now more important to the Federation than I am.”

Lan Xuanyu had imagined the privileges of an 8th-rank Sky Fighter—but not to this extent. If this was what 8th-rank meant, then what about 9th-rank? Would they be able to command entire space fleets?

Yan Xinghe gave him a deep look. “Currently, there are only three 9th-rank Sky Fighters in the Skyfighter Hall. I can tell you their identities now: the head of the War God Temple is one of the department’s vice ministers. The head of the Sea God Pavilion at your Shrek Academy is another—though she’s mostly uninvolved in Skyfighter affairs. And the Hall Master of the Skyfighter Hall is also the Minister of Defense—our top military leader, the Supreme Commander of the Federation Armed Forces.

“As for 8th-rank Sky Fighters—there are only eight known before you. You’re the ninth.”

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