by <unknown>
You are just a minor Immortal Cultivator. How can you understand the strength hidden deep inside the Draconic Phoenix?
This is a Colossus that once killed a real 'god'!
Three minutes passed.
At the periphery of the comprehensive supply starship, the most distinguished Exos of the federation and their tough opponents from the Imperium were engaged in a fierce battle. The reverberation of fighting will of the qi-trainers raised tides of hot blood even inside the soundless vacuum.
But during those three minutes, everybody slowed down subconsciously because they saw that a Colossus from each party had crawled into the depths of the comprehensive supply starship, one from the head and the other from the rear.
On the federation's side, it was 'Blazing Tyrannosaur' Ding Lingdang, the pillar on the battlefield. On the Black Wind Fleet's side, it was a well-known expert, too!
The competition of two Colossi might not be enough to decide the outcome of the entire battle, but at this moment, all the Cultivators and Immortal Cultivators could not help but pay their attention to it!
The comprehensive supply starship exploded nonstop. Fireballs rose up and moved to the center of the starship like crimson monsters. The starship was about to completely fall apart. Everybody's heart was grabbed as they stared at the battle.
"Argh!"
Thousands of cries echoed on the communication channels of both parties at the same time.
A Colossus rushed out of the enormous fireballs. The deep black shell and the additional heads and arms were clearly visible. It was the Imperium's!
However, before the Immortal Cultivators of the Imperium could cheer in the communication channel, somebody noticed some anomalies. The six arms of the Colossus were all dangling helplessly, as if the joints all over its body had been blown up. The power rune arrays were dimmer than ever, too.
At this moment, a dazzling streak of redness jumped out of the debris of the starship and rushed to the above of the first Colossus, punching the enemy with fists like two shooting stars—no, two meteor showers that consisted of thousands of shooting stars!
Chapter 1806: Enmeshed |
For the soldiers both on the federation's side and the Imperium's, when the two destructive meteoroid showers triggered such dazzling brilliance, it seemed to bombard their pupils and brains directly, bringing them unparalleled excitement.
The Colossus that had been excavated from various primeval relics through all kinds of trouble and repaired with the precious resources of several Sectors, making it more valuable than a super starship, exploded abruptly under Ding Lingdang's attack and ended up being the most expensive debris in the whole universe.
The devastating scene cast the communication channels of both parties into a brief silence before they were filled with cries and shouts each higher than the last.
Moans and screams were ringing nonstop inside the communication channel of the Imperium, but all the soldiers of the federal army were roaring the same name.
"God of War! Our God of War! The invincible Blazing Tyrannosaur!"
In the previous engagement, the three thousand crystal suits of the federal army had been besieged by the enemy. After a few clashes, almost a thousand of them had turned into cold corpses. The morale had begun to drop, but then it was boosted to the sky by Ding Lingdang's shocking performance. Every Exo was refreshed like an unkillable man made of iron and charged unstoppably at the Black Wind Fleet's weak spots!
"Huchi… Huchi… Huchi…"
Ding Lingdang heard the exclamations in the communication channel, but she really did not have the strength to respond.
Redness as intense as ink was emitting from the control interface, suggesting that various performance parameters of the Draconic Phoenix were plummeting.
The three-headed and six-armed Colossus had not been the mediocre opponent she encountered during the Battle of Firefly ten years ago after all but a real top-tier expert.
The price of killing the enemy splendidly was the heavy wear to the Draconic Phoenix and the excruciating pain inside her head as if it was being burnt and chopped by a high-heated axe.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Another three Colossi of the Imperium lunged at her crazily as if they had gone mad. It seemed that they had all recognized her identity as the 'God of War' of the federation and were in a hurry to reverse the landslide of the morale.
In the meantime, her every nerve was like a burning rope, delivering explosive strength to the deepest part of her brain.
But… so what?
For both herself and Li Yao, this was not the first time that they had come close to death, was it?
From the time Li Yao and Skeleton Dragon were teleported to somewhere far away on Boneyard, to the time when she trained by herself in the depths of the Grand Desolate Plateau, to the time when Li Yao fought the revived member of the Pangu Clan on Kunlun, and to her soul-stirring, life-and-death adventures in the Nether World Sector and the Uranian Ring Sector, they had persisted through all of them just for the day to come and for their promise to each other.
"Li Yao…"
Faced with the three Colossi of the Imperium that were lunging at her aggressively, Ding Lingdang put on a touching or even 'gentle' smile inside the body of the iron giant, one that she had never shown to any outsiders before. At that moment, the God of War of the federation and the Blazing Tyrannosaur were both gone. The only person that existed was a woman and a wife.
Ding Lingdang mumbled, one word after another, "You will come back, and I will wait until you are!"
Boom!
The Draconic Phoenix's flames of light that dimmed a moment ago flourished again. The nine furious dragons soared in the galaxy like the most brilliant and unique lighthouse in space that blossomed for only one person!
The three Colossi of the Imperium had already dashed to Ding Lingdang's front when they came to an abrupt halt. Hesitating for a moment, they retreated to where they came from.
The moment they retreated, beams of blue brightness swept over and protected Ding Lingdang.
The Black Wind Fleet's battle formation had new changes. They were in a hurry to get rid of the Colossi and the crystal suit team of the federation. Even at the loss of dozens of starships, they were determined to regroup into a solemn battle formation.
Ding Lingdang was slightly dazed. She immediately understood everything. There was no need for her to turn back. Countless starry spots were shining on the light beam of the crystal processor, which marched into the battlefield in a flawless square.
"You're finally here!"
Ding Lingdang could not help but shout in the communication channel. Countless soldiers roared at the same time with her.
The elites of the Burning Prairie Fleet had finally arrived. The space battle that would decide the future of the federation was finally approaching the climax.
It was the same barrage, but the Burning Prairie Fleet was much tougher than the Heaven's Origin Fleet that had blocked the Black Wind Fleet at the beginning. Because of the relentless and fearless efforts of their comrades, they were able to regroup and lock onto their targets unhurriedly, raining the fiercest firepower upon the slightly disordered Black Wind Fleet at the first second.
The Burning Prairie Fleet played the strongest note in its symphony of destruction!
In terms of theoretical combat ability, the Black Wind Fleet was still well above the many fleets of the federation combined.
But they did not expect that the Big Bai Fleet would rush out of nowhere or that the Big Bai Fleet would be so difficult to deal with. Because of that miscalculation, they were caught up in the pace of the Big Bai Fleet and the federal army.
The piercing harassment of the Big Bai Fleet and the assault team of Colossi made them unable to regroup into the standard defensive battle formation before the Burning Prairie Fleet arrived, nor did they have time to lock onto the important targets in the Burning Prairie Fleet.
After the firs
t round of bombardment, both parties suffered heavy losses.
But the Burning Prairie Fleet was well prepared. The solemn battle formation was utterly undisrupted. When one starship was destroyed, a second starship would immediately take its place to ensure the accuracy and continuity of the firepower. The Black Wind Fleet, in comparison, grew even more disordered. A lot of starships were separated by the enemy's firepower. The Big Bai Fleet and the assault team of Colossi were still moving and attacking within them, destroying the defense star beacons one after another whenever they had an opportunity.
The war was too awful.
On the bridge of Black Swirl, Heiye Ming—who was soaked in the nervous interaction liquids and absorbing the tremendous information in the battlefield with his soul deeply melded with the mainframe crystal processor—was more anxious than ever!
The battle could not continue like that.
Even if the two parties suffered equally heavy losses, the three space gates on the enemy's side were only paralyzed and could be repaired at any moment to summon more reinforcements.
In comparison, the star beacons on his own side were being destroyed one after another. The number would soon reach the tipping point where it was impossible to assemble them into a standard space gate!
If they did not have a space gate, they would not have reinforcements. Even if they could annihilate the enemy, so what? Was it impossible for him to attack the Wall of Heaven's Origin with the remnants of his troop and occupy the home planet of the Heaven's Origin Sector? The star fortresses and the defensive forces within the atmosphere on the federation's side would certainly not be easy to deal with!
The commander of the Burning Prairie Fleet was well aware of their dilemma. He focused eighty percent of his firepower on the star beacon troops, forcing Heiye Ming to rescue the troops with his main force in the ugliest battle formation time and time again. Despite the enormous combat ability on paper, his hands and feet were tied up, and he could not have been more uncomfortable.
Besides, there were still the Colossi. Quite a few Colossi that could not be purchased even if they had the money had been lost. One of them had even been entirely blown up by the Blazing Tyrannosaur. Not the slightest remnants that could be recycled were left behind.
Heiye Ming felt his heart aching when he thought of that.
War was always an extension of politics. The people of the Black Wind Sector had come to this place after such a long journey to gain wealth, food, and territory. If the few Colossi that he had were mostly destroyed there, such a loss would not be covered even if the entire federation was razed later!
In his anxiety, Heiye Ming showed signs of exhaustion.
He had to calculate an accurate number of working star beacons, the new changes of the fleet's battle formation, and the possible developments of the battle. Then, he would have to decide the number of Exos to be deployed and the timing to take the last wide gamble. Despite the computational ability of the Divinity Transformation Stage, the burden was still too heavy for him to handle. His brain cells were all exploding like the soap bubbles under sunlight.
To this moment, Heiye Lan still believed in the victory of the Imperium.
It was because he still had not resorted to his last trump cards. Naturally, the Black Wind Fleet, as a magnificent expedition army from the Imperium that had gathered the elites of five Sectors, had brought many more than the ten Colossi.
But as for exactly how the remaining Colossi should be made use of, he had to think about it carefully. Those invaluable treasures were certainly not cannon fodder that could be consumed casually.
Thinking quickly, Heiye Ming drafted a flawless trap, hoping to lure the Burning Prairie, the flagship of the Burning Prairie Fleet, closer so that the remaining Colossi could destroy the flagship of the federation!
However…
There was a sting that was vaguely aching in his mind.
It was Su Changfa, the Immortal Cultivator of the Imperium who came to the federation a hundred years ago.
The Black Wind Fleet's devastating situation right now was only partly due to the unexpected attack of the Big Bai Fleet. The most important reason was that he believed in Su Changfa's cr*p!
It was exactly because Su Changfa had sent tremendous critical intelligence about the federation via the Spiritual Nexus and claimed that he could completely paralyze the space gates and the entire network in the Heaven's Origin Sector, even showing certain unquestionable 'evidence' to him, that he had drafted such a highly risky plan of assault.
But from what he had seen, Su Changfa's words could only be half believed. He had indeed paralyzed the Spiritual Nexus of the federation, but the damage level was far lower than expected. Not only was the Big Bai Fleet unaffected, even the damn Burning Prairie Fleet had recovered quickly!
*sshole.
According to the plan and the 'ability' that Su Changfa had demonstrated, he should have been able to paralyze the Burning Prairie Fleet, the Big Bai Fleet, and even the defense system on the home planet simultaneously for at least twenty-four hours!
Right now, the Big Bai Fleet was not influenced by the paralysis of the Spiritual Nexus at all. It seemed to foresee their tactic and stab into their belly brutally.
Although the Burning Prairie Fleet had been disrupted, it had completely recovered after only three hours.
Therefore, the Black Wind Fleet seemed to be a victim of its own scheme now.
Did Su Changfa overestimate his ability, or had he long betrayed the Imperium for the federation, everything being just a trap?
When he thought about that, a shivering lightning flashed inside Heiye Ming's brain. He could not help but recall the 'liaison' that was still caged deep inside Black Swirl, Su Changfa's true disciple, Lu Qingchen!
Chapter 1807: An Immortal Cultivator Who Loves the Federation |
Maybe it was his imagination, but Heiye Ming suddenly felt unusual fatigue. Every thought inside his brain was galloping rampantly like a wild horse. Even a lot of his brain nerves were producing weird noises.
It was something that had never happened before in his long military career. He could tell that it was a sign of mental derangement!
Am I really too old now? Or maybe I was too heavily wounded in the battle a hundred years ago, and I never had a good chance to rest well in the journey over the past hundred years.
Heiye Ming secretly sighed to himself.
I wasn't like this in my prime. At that time, when I participated in the large-scale battles between the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance with the strongest fleets of dozens of Sectors, even if the fierce battles lasted a whole month and I burnt my life and soul again and again, I was never as exhausted.
Now, I'm just annihilating a bunch of wretched brutes at the edge of the cosmos, and yet everything has become a mess…
Calming himself down, he focused his attention on the battle at hand.
The Burning Prairie Fleet, the Big Bai Fleet, and the Colossi of the federation, despite their unexpected combat ability, were still within the acceptable range. It was only a matter of how much he was willing to pay for the victory.
But as for Su Changfa and Lu Qingchen…
Heiye Ming thought of something. He retrieved the surveillance interface of Lu Qingchen's brainwaves and physical parameters again.
At this moment, Lu Qingchen was sealed in an iron coffin tightly and hung in midair, branded with the cruelest barriers to ensure that the slightest twitch of any muscle, vein, or nerve would be sensed by Heiye Ming. Even the feeblest ripple inside his brain would be manifested on the main frame crystal processor clearly.
From the time he was locked up, Lu Qingchen's brainwaves had been abnormally peaceful, so peaceful that Heiye Ming even suspected that something was wrong with the surveillance equipment. He had to summon more advanced crystal processors and facilities again and again to connect Lu Qingchen's brain to the main frame crystal processor deeply, in order to ensure the veracity of the feedback of
brainwaves.
But when he checked again, Heiye Ming discovered, to his surprise, that Lu Qingchen's supposedly peaceful brain was erupting like a volcano. It surpassed the Refinement Stage, the Building Foundation Stage, the Core Formation Stage, the Nascent Soul Stage, the Divinity Transformation Stage, and even the limits of human beings in only one second!
It was not even waves that could possibly be triggered by the brain of a human. A supernova seemed to have exploded deep inside Lu Qingchen's brain and unleashed infinite energy!
How is this possible?
What are the guys in the surveillance room doing? Why didn't they report such an anomaly to me?
Is this a fault of the crystal processors, or…
Heiye Ming activated his soul to the maximum, controlling different crystal processors and crystal cameras while dialing through more than ten communication routes at the same time.
Right when he was about to summon a large batch of subordinates to look into Lu Qingchen's situation, the abruptly rising curve of brain activity dropped in an equally steep manner, until it hit the bottom and turned into a straight line without any ups and downs.
Lu Qingchen's brainwaves returned to zero.
Theoretically speaking, it was a sign of death.
Of course, some experts who practiced special techniques could reduce their heartbeat, breathing, brainwaves, and all other biophysical indices to little to none. But right now, more than thirty probe pins had been deeply pierced into Lu Qingchen's brain. It would not be easy for him to play any trick even if he wanted to.
Heiye Ming suddenly had an ominous feeling.
It was the natural instinct of a seasoned warrior in extreme danger.
A 3D light beam was slowly unfolded in front of his eyes. In the picture, Lu Qingchen was still hanging in midair, shaking slightly. There was no telling whether he was dead or alive, but the Immortal Cultivators who were supposed to watch over him were all lying on the ground, drooling, bleeding, and cramping uncontrollably.
