Chapter 771: Three Teams
“Every planet has at least one powerful progenitor. They are the root of the
aliens’ aggression and consumption power. I also believe they’re chiefly
responsible for the infection that poisons our people. Killing them will at
least ensure that no more people are transformed. Meanwhile our soldiers
will push the main attack which will keep the alien forces busy, too
distracted to retaliate against the innocent humans. Maybe we can save these
people.”
“Who knows if we’ll win the final battle; this plan may just be prolonging
the inevitable. But if this is to be humanity’s final moments then we must
do everything we can. This is my plan.”
The gathered Paragons quietly listened to his speech. When Lan Jue went into
detail as to how he planned to save these people, Satan and the Pontiff
looked at him with genuine surprise. They were Westerners, and the condition
of these people were their direct concern. Meanwhile their governments and
organizations were never friendly. On the contrary, the West had routinely
tried to cause trouble for its Eastern counterpart.
They’d assumed that their army’s presence here was all about
self-preservation. If they won the benefits to them were clear.
But when they heard him speak with such passion their opinions changed. They
were willing to risk their lives to save people from another Alliance! It
was completely impractical from a military standpoint. Nor was this a ploy
to curry favor, since the West was effectively destroyed. Who would they
hope to gain favor with?
It was as simple as people needing help, and them being in a position to
give it. Satan and the Pontiff shared a glance, and both could see their
surprise and disbelief mirror in the other’s eyes.
Lan Jue continued. “I want everyone to understand the dangers we will face.
Based on our experience each of these planets should have a planetary
doppelganger or royal alien as a defender. They will at least be equivalent
to a Paragon of the third degree, Nirvana – I expect some will have achieved
the Infinite. What’s more, there will definitely be lesser aliens
planet-side that help them. The progenitors themselves will likely be
Paragon-strength.”
“So, I believe it necessary to combine our strength in order to kill these
monsters. If at all possible, we should try to kill their powerful defenders
as well. We can save our fellow humans and weaken the enemy all in one
stroke. Each one we take down improved the chances for our main force.”
“Our plan of attack calls for the armada to take and occupy one of the
larger planets to serve as a base. This will be our first target. Once the
target’s been killed we’ll move on to the next one. Based on current
strength I think we can break into two teams, this will ensure a higher
level of safety. Are there any questions, ladies and gentlemen?”
The Skyfire Avenue Paragons remained silent. Lan Jue had already proved
himself to them. He had everyone’s utmost trust and respect. They were also
not suited for interstellar combat. It didn’t play to their strengths.
“I support the plan.” Satan was the first to speak.
The Pontiff slowly nodded his head, looking at Lan Jue with solemn eyes. If
he had the opportunity he would have torn this young man apart – he had been
responsible for a great deal of suffering for his organization. Now,
however, in the face of destruction enemies became friends. They had a
common foe that they could not face on their own. The time for personal
grudges was past.
The Terminator also nodded. “As do I.”
“Two teams isn’t going to work.” Jue Di was the voice of dissention. As the
strongest among them, his voice bore the most weight.
Jue Di looked at his son and spoke with a matter-of-fact tone. “Three teams.
I will be responsible for three planets myself. The remainder will be up to
the rest of you, two planets each.”
If anyone other than Jue Di had been so brazen as to make the suggestion,
especially before such a gathering of Paragons, they would have caused an
uproar. But this man wasn’t just anyone – wasn’t just any Paragon. When he
spoke everyone felt compelled to listen.
Lan Jue looked anxiously at his father. He wanted to say something, but
thought better of it.
“Alright. That being the case let me set up the groups. His Majesty Jue Di
will be team one, and will be responsible for three of the planets. For the
remainder, his Majesty the Terminator will be leading one group. This group
will be comprised of the Pontiff, Satan, the Cosmagus, the Epochrion, the
Arcane Magnate, the Karmic Scholar and the God of Wine. Eight Paragons in
total. The third group will be led by the Photographer. She will be
commanding the Arhat of the
Descending Dragon, the Driver, the Pharmacist, the Infernal Vanguard,
Qianlin, and myself.”
As he listened, the Terminator seemed apprehensive. Although the
Photographer had achieved Nirvana like him, the groups seemed stilted. His
own team was comprised of eight Paragons, with the Cosmagus and the
Epochrion both being Reflections of Heaven and Earth. Although Neither the
Pontiff nor Satan were of the same strength, they were well-versed in the
world of protogenia.
But the team Lan Jue was in had only five Paragons. Only the Photographer
had achieved Nirvana while the rest were only part of the Realm of
Protogenia. Lan Jue and Qianlin where not even Paragons. With Jue Di they
would have been fine, but without the man their team seemed weak.
With his brows furrowed, the Terminator shared his concern. “Perhaps you
should add another Paragon to your team. We can manage will one less.”
But Lan Jue shook his head. “Thank you, your Majesty, but to be honest with
you Qianlin and I will be achieving our breakthrough very soon. We will have
seven Paragons then. Qianlin and I also have a special style we employ
together, so I
believe this group is sufficient. In addition we will be responsible
for helping the armada take their first planet and will have the help of
Star Division thereafter, hence my grouping decision. So long as we’re
together we’ll be fine.”
Hearing this, the Terminator had no more problems.
Of course Lan Jue had his reasons for choosing these teams. For a start he
could not be on the same team as the Terminator, Satan or the Pontiff. It
wasn’t that he didn’t trust them, but that he didn’t want them to witness
his breakthrough with Qianlin. They were allies in this fight, but some
secrets had to be kept.
His team also had the Pharmacist and Occisus. Her skill on the battlefield
was no less impressive than a Reflection of Heaven and Earth. The Driver’s
yin-yang lightning was similarly imposing. In a fight, the strength of those
two was undisputed. With the addition of him and Qianlin and their
Harmonious Sword technique, the team was anything but weak.
Though both the Photographer and the Terminator had achieved Nirvana, they
were different. She had been immersed in the power of her station for many
years. Were it not for fear of universal protogenia, breaking through to the
Infinite under Jue Di’s tutelage was not out of the question. With her
leading
the team, they could also teleport to safety if things became too
overwhelming.
The team were set. All that was left were final preparations for the
operation.
Jue Di had chosen three neighboring planets to be responsible for. He didn’t
seem at all troubled by the scale of his job. Only a few of those in
attendance knew how powerful the man truly was. However, they were all
Paragons. The deep and mighty aura that surrounded him was felt by all.
The other two teams also discussed their targets and made their decisions.
Once finished the Paragons broke into their individual teams to discuss
specifics. Jue Di participated in Luo Xianni’s team.
“Father, your health…” Once the Terminator and the others left, Lan Jue
broached the subject.
Jue Di silenced him with a wave of his hand. “This is hardly the time to
worry about that. Besides that crystal has been helpful. At the least it
will help to employ my power. Perhaps I will be able to get more crystals to
help me further. In the end
this is likely the best decision for me, so you don’t need to fret over it.
So long as everything goes according to plan we’ll be fine. Those planets
and their denizens won’t trouble me unless the home worlds themselves
appear.”
“Alright, but look after yourself.” Lan Jue cautioned.
Jue Di chuckled at the concern in his son’s eyes. “Look after your mother
and make sure she doesn’t do anything rash.”
Luo Xianni sniffed. “Rash? Why don’t you say what you want to say, eh Chi
Bupang?”
Jue Di rolled his eyes. “Come now, you don’t think I know you by now? The
same goes for you, protect my son and daughter in law. Call if they run into
a problem!”
“Yeah I’ll call alright, I’ll shout right in your face!” Her words were
harsh, but her eyes never left Jue Di’s face. The faint light of concern hid
behind her disdainful expression. Even she wasn’t sure about her
spouse’s condition.
After years of cultivation in the Infinite Jue Di was at the
margin of what was permitted by natural law. However, unlike the alien home
worlds he had no way to conceal it from the universe and its uncaring
retribution. Though he had the knowledge and power to rise to new heights,
he knew it would mean immediate destruction.
Yet, with the potential of facing increasingly powerful enemies would
he be able to hold his powers back? Luo Xianni wasn’t sure she could, much
less Chi Bupang.
They would only know when the time came.
Three bastions and twelve interstellar fleets spread out in formation. They
quietly cut through the darkness of space toward the seven Western planets.
Chapter 772: Winning the Initial Battle
According to Lan Qing’s battle plan, the human forces would remain together
through the whole fight, amassing at a single point. The bastions would give
them support.
Although it was appearing more and more likely that the aliens were in the
process of their evolution, Lan Qing was still preparing for the eventuality
that they would join the better. Perhaps they completed their evolution
quickly, or this whole thing had been a set-up. No bastion would survive
being surrounded by the alien home worlds, their only shot was if they stuck
together and faced the enemy as a unified front.
Of course, this was the worst case scenario. Lan Qing was trying to stick to
the simplest strategy; stay together and punch through the enemy line. Head
right for their heart.
The plan was hinged on many objectives that each needed to be successively
achieved. Their first order of business was rather like life fire scouting,
though on a much higher scale than when Lan Jue did it.
Before long a withered purple orb swung into view of the bastions. The
poisoned planet was a shocking sight, as was the
horde of aliens in the space surrounding it waiting for a fight.
Obviously they had predicted the bastions’ arrival. There were three times
as many now as when Lan Jue had come knocking, probably gathered from the
other planets. Judging just by looks, the aliens seemed just as numerous as
humanity’s twelve fleets, perhaps even more. Meanwhile the purple planet
hung in the background, still and silent.
At least as far as they could tell, nothing looked different from when Lan
Jue left.
The three bastions advanced in a V-formation, with Middle Heaven in the
lead. On the left, Poseidon. Tyrannosaurus was on the right. Their support
ships fanned out around them with Capital ships at the fore and the weaker
ships behind.
The two sides maintained a safe distance and eyed one another
across a swath of empty space – what was soon to become their battleground.
The humans could see more alien forces approaching from far away to shore up
their defenses. Now that they knew where the humans intended to attack, they
concentrated their power to
try and repel them. That was one of the differences between human and alien
– they weren’t afraid to use everything at their disposal, any method no
matter how costly or cruel, to achieve their ends.
In the Shattered Starfields, they had used asteroids to pummel their ships.
In the North they had turned planets into time bombs. This time they looked
ready to face the human head-on, without aid. They were confident in their
numbers and ability.
Lan Qing’s voice resounded through all the ships. “Proceed with on-sight
preparations. Do a final system’s check. Get ready to execute the first part
of the plan.” It was wise to check that everything was in top condition
after a long flight, especially before a battle. It was standard practice in
interstellar battles.
The armada dimmed suddenly as ships conserved energy for the battle to come.
All of a sudden, twelve large ships launched forward. They were fast, and
charged ahead at full speed almost immediately. No one spacecraft followed.
These twelve ships were some of the strongest in the armada.
They were their fleet’s flagships, each of them sovereign-class Capital
ships. Although there was only a dozen of them, each ship was over ten
kilometers long, and they burned toward the planet with an indomitable will.
Meanwhile Middle Heaven pressed forward. The front-facing section of its
lithosphere actually split apart, revealing a honeycomb of densely packed
cannons. One thousand and eighty altogether, their muzzles three hundred
meters in diameter. Already an ominous light was growing in their depths.
Forget the aliens. The humans looked on in disbelief at what they were
witnessing. Weren’t they just told to hold and check their equipment? Why
the sudden attack? Where they just going to start shooting?
The Capital ships themselves already had their cannons extended. The space
around them crackled and they burned with energy, ready to rain destruction
upon the alien forces at a moment’ notice.
“Fire!”
“Fire!”
“Fire!”
“Fire!”
“Fire!”
…
The command was repeated through every ship, and in response their cannons
released a bone-jarring barrage into the enemy. They had just come into
range of their weapons, and their reactions were markedly sluggish. In fact
they had hardly reacted until the Capital ships had begun to pick up speed.
The space before them was covered in a hundred beasts about a thousand
meters long. They looked like silk worms, dumbly wriggling in space,
blocking passage forward. Their disgusting writhing became more frantic and
they stretched themselves out into fleshy cakes.
But they were too slow. The salvo from the human ships smashed into them
before they had a chance to completely transform.
Capital ships were equipped with anti-matter cannons that could only be
employed in space. Aside from a bastion’s main cannon, they were some of the
strongest weapons in mankind’s arsenal. The flash from their cannon fire
briefly turned the universe white with burning power.
But a strange scene was revealed when their attack reached the oval-shaped
beasts. They caved in as the beams of light reached them, but did not break.
Instead the borders of the oval creatures lit up and spat out the diffused
cannon fire. It seemed as destructive as before, but spread out in
horizontal waves.
If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed it.
However this wasn’t a complete rebuke of the Capital ship’s power. The
closest line of them couldn’t resist the antimatter energy and were slowly
dissolved into nothing. Still, their defenses served to greatly reduce the
destructive power of the volley.
It was to the humans’ advantage that these creatures were also slow. Gaped
still remained in their defensive line. Where
the cannon fire slipped through, all the aliens behind were burned away.
Screeches and sizzles filled the battlefield. The Capital ship’s attack was
lick kicking a hornet’s nest, serving to send the aliens into a violent
frenzy.
Their main cannons spent, the Capital ships swung around and blasted back
the way they had come. Their secondary weapons systems lit up as they fired
into the encroaching alien forces to cover their escape.
Even lesser weapons on a Capital ship were a sight to behold. They weren’t
called the strongest fleet ships for no reason. Likewise their defensive
were strong, and protected them valiantly as the ships fled from the field.
The front line of the alien attack was comprised of the shuttle- aliens,
which specialized in explosive speed. Although there were a myriad of breeds
in the alien species, each with different abilities, size always seemed to
indicate strength. This was the same for the shuttle aliens, whose front
line were all a thousand meters long or more. In a blink they were on the
Capital ships, smashing themselves into their shields.
Even dreadnaughts, mighty as they were, would have fallen to this assault.
But these were Capital ships, and their might was more than the aliens could
overcome. Their shields rippled as the aliens flung themselves against it
but did not break. What’s more, since they attacked from the limit of where
their guns could reach, only a small numbers of the enemy were fast enough
to catch them.
Suddenly the twelve Capital ships split, tearing off to either side. The
beasts chasing them did not follow, for they were caught off guard by the
enormous thing that had been waiting just behind.
Middle Heaven!
The array of cannons lit up, an angry red. Just the energy that radiated
from it was terrifying. So terrifying in fact that the aliens giving chase
broke off and scattered.
For a bastion like Middle Heaven, what sort of destruction could it achieve?
The slower aliens making their way closer reacted the same and fled for
their lives. The aliens were in disarray. Even those
creatures thousands of meters across heaved their lumbering bulks away,
desperate to avoid what was coming!
Without their home worlds there were no aliens that could withstand the guns
of a bastion ships. Instead, their only plan of attack was to overwhelm the
humans with superior numbers. However they had been drawn in before they
realized what was happening, and the glowing barrels of Middle Heaven’s
cannons proved it way already too late.
As Middle Heaven inched forward the light from its cannons brightened. The
promise of immediately destruction stopped the alien retaliation and sent
them running.
This is called 品 formation. You can see how the character is a pretty
spot-on representation of three death stars.
TJSS calls them ‘big mac-class’ in size.
Chapter 773: Profit at Another’s Expense
With the buffer given by Middle Heaven, the Capital ships safely made it
back to the safety of the armada. The other two bastions and their entourage
were still, silently watching what transpired.
They returned to formation quickly, just in time to bear witness to Middle
Heaven as its payload was released.
Blinding, angry red light erupted from the front of the remolded planet. It
was so fierce that it painted everything before it in the same blazing
light. Distant aliens were a riot of squirming bodies trying to flee.
But in the next instant they were stunned to find that the burst of fire
from them only extended a thousand meters or so. Middle Heaven shot backward
toward where the rest of the armada was watching.
Those weren’t cannons… they were thrusters? They were using them for a quick
retreat. Everyone – not just the aliens – were stupefied by the revelation.
What was Middle Heaven doing? Why thrusters? Those intimidating lights had
all just been its engines getting ready to fire?
By the time Middle Heaven returned to position at the head of the fleet, the
twelve Capital ships were back in formation and ready for orders.
After a moment of confusion the aliens gathered together once again. From
across space it looked like they were getting ready to charge with their
full strength. But the human ships were ready, their warships light up as
all checks were complete. Preparations were made to meet the enemy head on.
Human technology gave them an advantage against the aliens at long range.
Their enemies had nowhere to hide and no cover to protect them. The blitz
attack had also caught them off guard and broke their formation.
Unfortunately the monsters were not impulsive, they were possessed of a
superior intellect. They only surged ahead a short distance then stopped,
like an enormous creature baring its fangs but refraining from the attack.
Invisible sound waves brought a chorus of angry snarls and howls. A portion
of them shrunk back and concealed themselves behind the planet. Like
in the North they used the planet as a shield.
As the aliens retreated the ships dimmed once more. Things returned to a
quiet stalemate.
Lan Qing stood in Middle Heaven’s control room, staring at the screen before
him with grim countenance. He carefully watched everything going on. Their
brief skirmish had slain over four thousand six hundred foes and his people
got back without a scratch. It had only cost them energy.
Profit at another’s expense, this was the first part of their plan. With all
their troops the humans were still outnumbered and were in an unsafe
position, even without the addition of the alien home worlds. A direct
confrontation was not how they would snatch victory from their aggressors.
They wouldn’t be able to break the line, much less assault the enigmatic
planets hiding somewhere behind them.
Because of this Lan Qing’s plan was to weaken the enemy first. They would
whittle down their numbers through several means. It would be difficult if
not impossible for the humans to turn the battle to their favor if they
fought a typical war. Reinforcements from other planets would continue to
pour in if they got caught in a full assault and his own forces would be
hard pressed to keep formation.
At present humanity’s greatest advantage were their bastions, which were
unparalleled by anything the aliens could put before it. In addition, humans
had range whereas the aliens fought in close quarters.
Lan Qing’s plan was to take full advantage of their strengths.
Lan Qing had called it a rolling blitz.
Only the top commanders knew the whole plan, the rest only performed the
orders as they were given. These orders were given face to face, for fear
the enemy could hear their communications. The commanders themselves had
shared nothing with their people prior to the surprise attack. Lan Qing’s
order to prepare had been the secret signal to act.
How could the aliens, who saw the humans arrive on such weak footing,
imagine that they would attack so suddenly and so fiercely? They had taken
advantage of their Capital ships, Middle Heaven, and range to take them by
surprise.
The difference in strength between the two sides was not much, though this
was only because the alien home worlds were
not present. The humans were fewer in number but had three bastions, and
coming in for close range combat would cost the creatures dearly.
Lan Qing’s plan was meticulous, and hinged on a simple premise; win enough
small victories to win the war. Enough small changes can turn the tide of
war.
The opening salvo didn’t inflict heavy losses on their foes. Nor were they
able to recover vital crystals from those they killed. Still the humans had
got off cheap for the damage they caused. Although the blitz had been
costly, Capital ships were possessed of systems to recover energy from the
space around them. So long as they weren’t locked in continuous battle they
could restore what was lost through cosmic radiation. It was not so easy for
the aliens to recover their forces.
But there was a deeper meaning for this opening attack. Ever since the start
of this conflict the humans had suffered, and were ever at a disadvantage.
Every clash had resulted in their unmitigated defeat.
It would be foolish to assume this didn’t affect the morale of their
soldiers. Although the first exchange was quick and small, it had been
performed without any losses on the human side.
This had a marvelous effect on morale, and strengthened cooperation and
trust among the allied forces.
In this universe, truth was always more effective than promises. Actions
spoke louder than words. Seeing the truth through action strengthened the
bonds among soldiers. They saw themselves as a team, which was the basis for
any victory. Once that unity was focused they could achieve anything.
Moreover, Middle Heaven had thrown itself into the fray in order to give
their allies cover. It revealed its impressive maneuverability, and as
backup helped the Capital ships return without incident. As guardian it
allowed for them to test the waters, to see how strong their foes were and
how they planned to fight.
The simple act had revealed a lot to the humans. Describe it as a success
didn’t do it justice.
Both sides had withdrawn to their camps and – as before – stared at each
other from across a stretch of empty space. Only now the enemy was shown not
to be invisible. Middle Heaven had given them hope.
This latest bastion was brand new, so much that even the Eastern forces
didn’t know what it was capable of. But it was huge, no smaller than the
alien home worlds themselves, and could move with surprise agility. Everyone
was anxious to see what it could do.
Now that the surprise attack was finished, it was time to rest and
reorganize. Next would be the real battle. Lan Qing had enough confidence in
their formation and the strength of their ranged advantage that he didn’t
fear a sudden attack from the enemy. He would be happy if they tried.
Lan Qing called another meeting to confirm the next step in their plan. He
summoned all the commanders now that the stage had been set. He would need
everyone’s support for the fight to come.
“You look tired.” Lan Jue frowned as he walked into the control room and saw
his brother.
Lan Qing was seated behind his desk with his eyes closed, thinking of
something. Outwardly he looked normal, but they were brothers after all. It
didn’t take long for Lan Jue to see the sag in the way Lan Qing held
himself. The older Lan typically was an endless font of energy, so it was a
stark contrast.
Lan Qing opened his eyes. When he saw who arrived he sat up straight, and
the sharp look in his eyes returned.
“I’m fine. Take a seat.” He motioned toward a nearby chair.
Lan Jue took it.
“Congratulations on your initial victory. I’m hearing nothing but praise.”
Lan Jue said with a smile. Even he didn’t know about the plan for a sneak
attack.
Lan Qing shook his head. “We’ve only just started. Save congratulations for
when we win.”
The smile fled from Lan Jue’s face. “You… always so hollow.”
Lan Qing shot him a look. “Are you ready for your part? How you perform will
directly impact the success of our campaign. The arrow’s knocked, the bow is
drawn – there’s no going back. Once it begins I’m sure I don’t need to tell
you how dangerous things will be.”
“What is there left to prepare?” Lan Jue replied. “The Paragons are as
strong as they’re gonna be in a few hours.
Qianlin and I have reached our bottleneck.”
Lan Qing’s brows knit as he looked at his younger brother. “You have to get
back safely.”
Lan Jue was comforting. “Relax, I know what I’m doing. Even though the
Violet Prince and Monarch are somewhere close, I don’t think they’ll put
that much effort into hunting me down. We’re going to do everything within
our power, don’t you worry. If there’s really no way to save those people we
know the focus has to be on survival of the species.”
Lan Qing looked at him, surprise clear in his face. “I didn’t expect to hear
that from you. I expected to have you come in here and demand we hold
nothing back to save the hostages.”
Lan Jue smirked at him. “I know what’s important. Star Division will be
leading the ground assault team, and I’ll link up with them once our own
mission is finished. So, what’s next in your plan?”
Chapter 774: 48 Hours
Lan Qing fixed him with a flat stare. “You’ll know when you need to know.
All I can give you is a time. Forty-eight hours, then you start your
mission. We will have plans for our own actions at that time.”
“Alright! In that case I’m off to take a look at my division.” He rose to
his feet and bade farewell to his brother.
Lately the Paragons of the Division had experienced much change. It was the
soldiers that saw the greatest improvement. With the wealth of resources and
support from Skyfire Avenue, Star Division had spared no effort in their
training. Not only was their cultivation improved on an individual level,
but their equipment was also a cut above.
Everyone knew their military exploits were already enough for the exuvium
process. Skyfire Avenue had also assured them that if something should
happen in the course of their service, the rewards from their exploits would
be passed to their families. The people they love would be able to benefit
from their sacrifice. It effectively assuaged family considerations that
would have hampered their ability to act in the battlefield.
In contrast to the rest of humanity since the outbreak of war, Star Division
had been running smoothly in every aspect. They had never been defeated,
only forced to retreat. Star Division was the darling of military leaders,
and no one had to worry about their morale.
The more they worked together the better they performed as a team. It was
true for whole brigades and individual squads. In response their efficacy on
the field had skyrocketed.
Skyfire Avenue’s independent research had also confirmed what they knew,
that the aliens were especially susceptible to Discipline. Mechas flooded
with an Adept’s powers were especially potent.
Star Division had their own section aboard Middle Heaven, a jurisdiction won
through their continued success on the field. As they continued to develop
as Skyfire Avenue’s military arm, even the Bloodiron Khans couldn’t keep up.
In fact, there was no army that could compare.
Lan Jue drove a verti-car to the division’s encampment. It was quiet when he
got there, no one was immediately visible.
These guys… what are they up to?
Lately he had been busy performing scout missions and helping his brother
draw up battle plans. He had had no time to check on the status of his
division. But there were Paragons to look after them, and Su Xiaosu was
overseeing their training. He wasn’t concerned they were slacking. Still, as
commander he had to survey the troops before the big fight and make sure
they were up to snuff.
He parked the car and made his way to the training area. As he made his way
he was accosted by a familiar face.
“It’s you?” There were no honorifics or respectful exchanges.
There was just surprise, and something strange underneath.
Lan Jue felt similarly awkward, as the Savage Goddess Tan Lingyun came his
way.
It had been ages since their last interaction, ever since the creation of
Star Division. Aside from training and missions they had had no
interactions. He’d been too busy to spend time with his soldiers, and that
included her.
She didn’t seem any different on the outside, but the strength of her aura
had certainly improved. She’d definitely gotten stronger, more confident.
Her overbearing heroism was more refined and she held herself with poise.
Tan Lingyun’s eye- catching personage was helped by the skin-tight flight
suit she wore.
Still quite the figure… Lan Jue said to himself. Tan Lingyun’s body struck
all the right notes, enough that she turned a lot of heads wherever she
went. Lan Jue was a man and was just as susceptible.
“Why are you here?” She blurted out. Immediately regret passed across her
face. She was, after all, speaking to her commander.
Lan Jue smirked. “I’m here to check on everyone. How are things? Are you
accustomed to your post?”
Tan Lingyun’s voice was calm. “No problems. If there’s nothing then I’ll
head off.” She started to stride off, but paused when she came to his side.
But whatever she was thinking she reconsidered, and quickly left.
When she passed him Lan Jue had a strange sense – like this woman who had
given him so much trouble in the past was different all of a sudden.
He hadn’t noticed the moisture in her eyes. It wasn’t because of him, but
because of what she felt. She had felt conflicted about Lan Jue for a long
time, a fact which confused her deeply. She had assumed the moment she saw
him that he was garbage
– a pretty handbag with nothing inside. Etiquette teacher… he seemed like
such a joke.
But then she began to discover the abilities he had deftly hidden away.
First was his command of spacecraft, and that was the first time she thought
he might be worth more than he appeared. Then his spectacular display at the
Grand Adept Tournament, even winning Champion. It was then her estimation of
the man completely changed, when she realized he was the Lei Feng that had
touched her so deeply.
She was a strong woman, who had pursued perfection with a dogged will. Lei
Feng was the first man who had ever left such an impression. For a woman
like her, only a man who could conquer her on the field of battle had what
it took to conquer her heart.
Lei Feng had that power, but even Lan Jue didn’t know the sort of effect
he’d had on Tan Lingyun.
Because of this conflict Tan Lingyun liked the masked man the most. Cold,
expressionless, pure power… Lei Feng was her preference. Knowing who had
captured her infatuation had been startling, she would
much have rather found Lei Feng to be a stranger.
But the world was full of instances where you didn’t get what you wanted.
Every time she saw him the first thing she remembered was that effeminate,
composed professor. Her heart only started racing when he put the mask on.
She didn’t understand it herself. In reality they were the same person – she
should like Lan Jue. But when she looked on his face she still felt confused
and unsure, not excitement. Then he puts on the mask, and she feels like she
loses her self-control.
Later, when Lan Jue stopped wearing the mask so much, it was like Lei Feng
had disappeared. He was no longer a part of her life, but the brief moment
she’d spent with him was
something she would remember forever. She hoped he would return one day,
perhaps in a different form, and she searched for him in Star Division all
the time. After all, Skyfire Avenue’s soldiers were rife with strong
fighters. There should be someone suitable for her, she thought. But Lei
Feng’s impression had been first and had been deep, replacing him would be
difficult.
When she was passing him, in a moment of weakness, she had thought to ask if
he would wear the mask. Just so she could see Lei Feng for a moment. But
thought the words hung on the top of her tongue, how could she make such a
request?
They were on the precipice of a war like none of them had ever seen. She
didn’t know if she would make it back. Perhaps Lei Feng would always have to
remain a pleasant memory.
It was just a passing feeling, but one she was not accustomed to. It made
her feel weak and out of control.
When she passed him, Lan Jue stood with furrowed brow as though thinking.
Then a moment later he continued on his way.
The inside of the training area was just as silent as the
exterior, a fact that made Lan Jue even more curious. Shouldn’t they be
training, he thought? Why was it so quiet? They were just about to go into
battle and needed to be in peak condition.
Just then his communicator buzzed. It was Su Xiaosu.
“Boss?” She sounded a little excited. “Any instructions?”
“Xiaosu,” he replied. “I’m in the Division training area, why isn’t there
anyone here? Where is everybody?”
He could hear her snickering. “Oh – oh, we’re at the second training field.
Wait there, I’ll come get you.” She asked where he was specifically then
hung up.
A short time later Su Xiaosu came running up to him. She was also in the
Division’s flight suit, and it certainly treated her well. Lan Jue was
surprised to feel her acting like he hadn’t seen since she was the Moonfiend
Empress. It seemed giving her command of the Division had brought back that
old fire.
“You’re looking well.” Lan Jue said with a smile. Seeing her like this also
made him feel better. He knew the Division was in
excellent hands.
Su Xiaosu answered with a smile of her own. “Not just me, everyone is doing
great. The troops have improved, and I think I can honestly that the
Division can outperform all those fleets out there. Of course, including the
Paragons.”
Lan Jue nodded. “The soldiers, then? Why don’t I see anybody?”
“Come with me,” she said. “They’re training in the second field.”
Lan Jue hadn’t come to the area An Lun had set up for Star Division, this
was his first visit. Su Xiaosu quickly led him to the second field. When he
arrived he understood why things were so quiet.
He stood in a spotlessly white warehouse filled with sim pods. They were the
upgraded DreamNet pods, and each one of them had the red flame of Star
Division painted on the side. The sheer amount of resources that must have
gone in to acquiring all of these was staggering to think about.
The troops were logged in, training.
Of course! How could he forget? Lan Jue slapped his forehead. In both
Discipline and mecha piloting his soldiers were among the best. The sheer
amount of destruction they could cause, even by accident, was too much to
risk. A thousand Adepts in their suits would have torn up the bastion’s
surface.
After DreamNet’s upgrade they could employ their Disciplines in the
simulation, and didn’t need to hold back when training with their mecha
suits. This was the advantage to having a warehouse full of new pods.
Chapter 775: The Mighty Star Division
Safety concerns were just as true for mechas as they were for Adepts. In
DreamNet it was almost impossible to tell the distinction between simulation
and reality, even when piloting a suit. What’s more, no one needed to fear
accidents, safety was assured. DreamNet was undoubtedly the most suitable
place for Star Division to train.
“How is the training going?” He asked Su Xiaosu.
She responded. “Very well. It was like the upgrade was tailor- made for us.
The simulation is precisely what they would encounter in real life, even
emulating levels of exhaustion. Training at full capacity their progress has
been spectacular. Some of our people are god-ranked pilots already – one
fourth of them, to be precise. And it’s not just me saying it, boss. You may
not be the best pilot in the crew anymore.”
Lan Jue smirked. “That good, eh? That’s excellent news.”
Su Xiaosu stared at him. “Why do I get the sense you don’t believe me?”
Lan Jue was playful in his reply. “Oh, it’s not that I don’t believe you!
But to make sure don’t you think we should test that out?” He was anxious to
see whether their progress really was as good as she was saying. If it was
they would perform well when their time came to infiltrate the planet. Once
he was familiar with their strengths and limitations he could put them to
most efficient use when the fight started.
“Alright!” She replied without hesitation. She brought Lan Jue to an open
sim pod and had him enter. She then returned to her own.
Lan Jue deftly entered his login information. He wasn’t playing with Newblet
or any training mecha today. He would be piloting DreamNet’s version of
Thor. Of course this was an older version, sans the upgrades the real Thor
enjoyed. In addition DreamNet could not handle any protogenic powers.
The technology that went into this upgrade was astounding. Not an ounce of
energy users poured into the pod was wasted. It was also equipped with an
energy recycling system that stored charges from Discipline for portable
use, like on a bastion. A single person using a single pod wouldn’t generate
much, but a thousand high-class Adepts together could create quite a
stockpile.
It was a positive cycle.
Lan Jue re-familiarized himself with Thor’s controls, testing the waters.
Everything was as fluid as it always had been, and he felt comfortable even
after so long away from the simulated world.
“Boss.” Su Xiaosu’s voice caught his attention.
“I’m here.” He answered.
She went on. “How about I gather a small group for you to spar with, so you
can see what I’m talking about.”
Lan Jue chuckled. “Alright! But do you think a small team can compete?
Perhaps you should make it a little bigger.” He wasn’t being boastful, he
knew his own capabilities. At his level of mastery the number of opponents
hardly mattered anymore, especially against less skillful contenders.
Lan Jue was a God-ranked pilot. With the evolution and improvement of his
Discipline his body had also developed. He suspected his hand speed was
about as good as the ‘fastest hands
alive’, the Coffee Master. He could easily top one hundred commands per
second. Once a pilot was able to reach those kinds of speeds all manner of
complicated techniques were open to them. He was also a ninth level Talent.
All things considered, he suspected that even if the Clairvoyant came back
from the dead and came at him with his old mecha, he would stand more than a
fighting chance.
Lan Jue was also well versed in martial arts, another style which could be
employed with mecha suits. He’d tried it before with some success.
“We’ll start with a small team then go from there. Boss, you mustn’t hold
back alright?” Su Xiaosu urged. Her mirthful voice sounded a little
sinister.
“Alright, bring it on.”
No sooner did he say the words than an invitation to spar popped up on his
screens. He accepted, and half a moment later Thor was standing in a large
arena. It was a standard competition-style battleground.
Head to head… at least they’re confident. Lan Jue smirked to
himself in the sim pod.
There was a flash of light, and ten more mecha suits appeared on the far
side of the arena. They came in all different shapes and sizes, with the
only similarity being the Star Division flame standing out against the
metal.
Star Division received tremendous support, not only from Skyfire Avenue but
from the Eastern government itself. All of their pilot data was stored on
DreamNet, so as a result they were given two sets of mechas made
specifically for them. One was for use out in the real world, and the second
was for DreamNet. The two were exactly the same.
Lan Jue urged Thor to wave at the distant competitors. “Come!”
Their formation seemed sloppy, but the moment they say Thor they shaped up.
They raced at him in a semi-circle to try and surround the sapphire mecha.
Nothing special? Lan Jue mused. At first glance it didn’t even look like
they were working well together. They approached all at different speeds,
but all of them seemed built for melee
combat. There wasn’t a single long-range fighter among them.
Lan Jue felt an excitement boiling within him. He had spent so many days in
silence with Qianlin, stabilizing his Discipline. It was time to make a
little noise.
He wasn’t yet using his Discipline, but Thor raced ahead like a thunderbolt
regardless. He made no overtures to juke or break the encirclement – he
charged right in.
Lan Jue had great confidence in his piloting ability, a confidence that came
from years of experience. Even if he was facing ten times the number of
suits he was sure he could handle them easily. Thor would weave among them
like a fish darting through water and destroy his adversaries.
Thor was fast, blasted ahead like a beam of light. In no time it reached met
the small team. The first one Thor encountered was a larger mecha, a kind
he’d never seen before. It was at least twice as large as Thor.
A large size meant more energy, power and weight. But it also typically made
this sort of suit cumbersome to pilot. Heavy attackers all suffered from
this deficiency.
Appearing right in the midst of them so suddenly was also Lan Jue’s attempt
at seeing how they’d react. In a flash it vanished again and appeared at
their flank. A sword crackling with electric energy was in its grip –
Lan Jue’s new preferred weapon.
He couldn’t use Occisus in the simulation, obviously. But now that he’d
chosen to use it in real combat, it was also his weapon of choice in
DreamNet.
He thrust forward, aiming for the mecha’s armpit. From here the sword would
slip right through the armor and into the opponent’s cockpit, immediately
putting the suit out of commission.
Even such a simple strike was made very dangerous because of Lan Jue’s
speed.
The other team members saw it from a different perspective. The blue beam of
light that was Thor appeared suddenly in front of their team leader. Then,
leaving behind a warped afterimage, their target swept sideways and stabbed
at their comrade.
But the expected did not occur.
His sword hit its target, but Lan Jue immediately felt like something wasn’t
right. He didn’t sense any obstruction, his sword sliding in all the way to
the hilt. This definitely was not normal.
He hadn’t used any Discipline, and this sword wasn’t especially sharp. What
about the suit’s shields? How could his attack have landed so easily?
As he pondered the enormous suit toppled on top of him like a corpse.
Accompanying it was a powerful vacuum force that came from nowhere. In the
same instant the other nine suits fell upon him like a swarm, suddenly
several times faster than they had been.
The disjointed unit was suddenly on him, a circle of metal suits that gave
him no route of escape.
Surround and destroy?
Lan Jue’s smile spread bigger. They had a plan after all.
The large mecha was also changing. After falling it had actually started to
get larger, trying to keep Thor pinned. His sword and half his suit’s arm
was stuck in the expanding trap. This thing seemed less like a suit and more
like an ooze. Lan Jue was slowly being devoured by it.
What a unique suit! Liquid metal?
Lan Jue had to make a decision. He was in a dangerous spot, but even now he
was not alarmed. He’d seen a lot on the battlefield, and though they had
taken him by surprise this wasn’t going to throw him.
Thor’s body lit up as bolts of electricity shot out in all directions. A
sound like thunder burst out from the suit, the sound of its shields. Lan
Jue’s mecha was God-ranked, hand- built. Of course it had its own tricks to
employ.
The electric wave tearing through the air in the midst of the explosion
caused the incoming mechas to pause. Lan Jue used the brief respite to get
Thor free. The suit dissolves into a flash of lightning and rose, tearing
itself from clutches of the hulking lump of metal keeping it down.
Chapter 776: Sparring
Lan Jue’s face betrayed the ghost of a smile and his fingers danced over the
controls like flowing water. Thor moved so fast its image blurred, breaking
through a gap in their encirclement before soaring into the air.
But Lan Jue didn’t escape without cost. The sword Thor bore had been buried
too deeply in the liquid metal mecha, and he’d been unable to pull it free.
Said mecha reformed into its typical portly form before crouching low. The
other attackers quickly spread out, unperturbed by Lan Jue’s escape.
Star Division’s commander didn’t press the attack. He was more interested in
seeing how well this team worked together, how strong they’d become. Their
opening gambit had been pretty good. If he had been slower, if it wasn’t for
Thor’s superior construction, that fat mecha would have gotten him.
Lan Jue wasn’t given much time to think about it. The large mecha suddenly
launched itself into the air like a cannonball, heading straight for him. In
response he pulled Thor to the side to try and dodge – one could imagine the
damage something that heavy could do, even if it clipped you.
But just then Lan Jue felt the controls grow sluggish. Though he dodged the
fat mecha’s charge something had set him off balance. His sapphire mecha
staggered in the air. He instinctively looked to the ground where he found
another mecha who’d captured him in a beam of yellow light.
Gravity capture, he suddenly understood. The Adept below was using their
gravity Discipline to try and pin Thor down. But it was still the fat mecha
that surprised him most. Hovering behind him in the air it underwent a
tremendous transformation.
Its lumbering body compressed, changing from a silvery soldier to an angry
violet orb. Tentacles lurched out from within it and tried to wrap around
Thor.
An alien planet?
He was flabbergasted, it was the last thing Lan Jue expected to see. Could
an alien planet just appear here? His shock and alarm took its toll, Thor
hesitated. Another mecha appeared over his head, while the one that had been
dragging him from below vanished.
The sudden change in the gravitational field put him off balance again. He
pulled Thor around and urged the sapphire mecha toward the ground. But, just
then, an explosion burst from above him. A rush of air struck his Thor,
sending it careening out of control right for the liquid metal warrior.
Alright guys, time for my Discipline.
Violet tentacles groped at Thor, ready to wrap him up. Lan Jue was forced to
employ his Discipline. At just the right instant a blue light sprang up from
within the mecha to create a net of electricity around it. The airburst
behind it was cut off, and the tentacles in front met a wall of lightning.
Thor descending toward the ground and extricated itself from between its
foes.
Fighting in the air against a gravity Adept was inadvisable. Although the
Discipline didn’t effect Lan Jue much, its effects were significantly
magnified against Thor’s weighty body and made control much more difficult.
On the ground the adverse effects wouldn’t be as dramatic.
He had to deal with the enemy’s battlefield control first. He
came up with a plan.
Opponents who could control the flow of battle were the most troublesome.
Through their skills they broke one’s rhythm and forced them to fight on
their own terms. The fight was already ten on one, making his position even
more precarious. So, Lan Jue’s first target was that gravity-manipulating
Adept.
Thor slowed as it reached the ground – a result of increased gravity.
Clearly this Adept was pretty strong, ninth rank he suspected. Anything less
wouldn’t be effecting him so dramatically.
Lan Jue figured it out, but by now it was already too late to use the
information. His only course was to reach the ground and deal with the Adept
with his lightning Discipline, in order for Thor to be able to use its speed
advantage.
Lan Jue was heading right for his target, but all of a sudden his path was
blocked by another. A large mecha appeared with a mighty shield between it
and Thor.
Thor suddenly sped up and punched at the shield with a fist. A sword
constructed of amalgamated lightning burnt into being
within its free hand. Making a weapon with his Discipline was no difficult
feat for the Demon Drillmaster.
Boom! Thor laid into the shield with the full force of its weight behind it,
but the shield bearer only retreated half a step. He watched the shield
undergo three changes in rapid succession; first it shook, bent, then
snapped back into shape.
The expertly timed flexibility diffused Thor’s attack. What’s more, it
stopped the mecha in its tracks.
Impressive shield control.
He only had a moment to appreciate the skill before a blinding light and
teeth-clenching impact struck.
Lan Jue had only just coalesced his powers into the shape of the sword, so
Thor would need a moment before the weapon could be employed. Evidently his
opponent had planned for this and was ready. His foe would not be thrown
aside.
But Thor staggered backward a few steps.
Meanwhile, the ‘alien planet’ above them descended to join the fight. The
others mechas surrounded him again.
Lan Jue figured the shape-shifting orb of metal was his wretched apprentice.
There were others besides him who’s Disciplines involved metalmorphosis, but
none so crafty as to know that changing into an alien would frighten his
opponents and give him an edge.
The one who got him with the sneak attack in the air had to be an Adept with
control over air. Their mecha piloting abilities were stellar, he hadn’t
seen the attack coming until he was right on top of him.
The door in front of him had also left an impression. Crowd control and
shield defense. The defender’s Discipline had to involve the shield somehow,
otherwise they wouldn’t have such precise control.
Screech! The ear-splitting sound of an alarm filled the cockpit.
Lan Jue’s screens were reading an energy systems crash.
“What?” Lan Jue looked at the error messages, which told him the energy
transfer line had been cut. Thirty percent of
Thor’s energy was gone.
Cloaking! His fifth enemy had the ability to make themselves invisible –
their whole suit invisible. But that was impossible! Did the mecha have a
cloaking system as well?
He had to react. Thor split into identical copies, each one going a
different direction. Ghosting. The invisible opponent just made this fight
much harder.
One on one things would have been different Lan Jue would be able to make
quick determinations and enact a plan. But this wasn’t one on one! There
were ten enemies, and each of them were formidable. With all this support
the cloaking mecha had plenty of opportunities to make his life hell.
He suddenly realized Su Xiaosu must have cheated him.
This couldn’t be a single unit. All of them were at least ninth level – what
team had so many strong adepts? It’s was the only way to explain how much
trouble he was having.
But I hope you don’t think you’re beating me.
Lan Jue grunted, and he drew his electric sword through the in air a circle.
Both Thors performed the same action to separate itself from the series of
successive attacks.
One of the double images vanished, revealing only the true form. He thrust
forward with his sword, and the arena shook from the sound of crashing
waves.
Focused flow!
As he struck with the weapon, Thor seemed to enter an entirely different
state. It sparkled with a deep blue light like it had suddenly become a
living gemstone.
To his opponents, it felt as though the air had turned thick like mud. Their
speed suffered markedly. Although Thor pierced only the air with its weapon,
to the other pilots it felt like that sword was coming right at them.
Everyone felt it, powerful and overbearing. A beam of blinding light was
spat from the crackling weapon that drew all the light from the blade
itself, leaving it a deep cobalt blue.
All at once the arena looked as though it was submerged in water, everything
was painted that shade of blue. Waves of energy crashed through the opposing
mechas.
Discipline and martial arts. It doesn’t matter if your Disciplines change a
thousand times, I’d still keep you down with this. Direct strength
overcomes!
This is all he did. But then something happened he did not expect.
After a moment of surprise his enemies reacted. They were slower but could
still move – after all they were ninth level Adepts with mechas that
enhanced their abilities.
Chapter 777: Pleasant Surprises
A blinding light erupted from behind the mecha with the shield as its
thrusters sparked to life. Its shield also flared with illumination, and
emerging through the blaze was a bright yellow tiger’s head.
A wave of vigorous energy answered Lan Jue’s own, as lofty and indomitable
as a mountain. Behind the glare was the fat mecha, almost certainly piloted
by Tang Xiao. He’d transformed back from the alien planet to a standard
mecha shape and hid behind the defender. All other members of their team
quickly followed and lined up for protection.
Gravity went wild. One moment it was almost too much for him to move his
arms, the next he was completely weightless. The constant, erratic changes
were making it impossible to control Thor in its descent toward the line of
contenders.
A figure suddenly appeared behind him. The deadly glint of a swiping dagger
was coming at him again, aiming for another energy transfer pipe.
Thor’s armor and shields were impressive. How else could they get past his
defenses unless by sneak attack? His opponent
knew it too, so they had no delusions of destroying Thor outright. Evidently
their plan was to cripple him, and give their companions an opportunity to
land more devastating blows.
The speed of these fighters was top-notch.
Lan Jue acted as though he didn’t see the mecha from behind, and did not
immediately react. Thor’s sword was pointed firmly ahead toward the others.
But just as the blow was about to land Thor seemed to give in to the gravity
and dipped – just enough to avoid the deadly daggers.
Ting! Thor’s sword rang against the metal shield. At it did the tiger
emblazoned on the shield grew clearer, and almost seemed to move like it was
biting at the sword.
Unfortunately for the shieldbearer a surge of energy burst from Thor’s
weapon, submerging the tiger in electric power and eventually swallowing up
the mecha that bore it.
It was immediately consumed, leaving no trace behind.
The team’s defender was no more.
Next Thor swung its left fist backward, as though for a wild punch. Yet a
dragging vacuum force sprang up from behind. It was strong enough to nearly
freeze the sneak attacker, just enough for Thor’s fist – flickering with
black and white power – to come crashing into it.
Boom–! The cloaking mecha exploded, filling the air with thunderous noise
and shards of smoldering metal. Two opponents down, but they could take
solace in the fact that their loss wasn’t a deficiency of skill. It was due
to the enormous difference in Discipline. Lan Jue’s peak-ranked power,
Thor’s outrageous construction, and his martial arts knowledge had turned
the tide of battle. Lan Jue managed to defeat the most menacing of his
enemies, the cloaker. Focused flow All-Heaven lightning removed their
shieldbearer from the equation.
The advantage of strength was revealed.
Thor continued to power forward, through where the defender had been,
following the course of the sword as it headed for the fat mecha. The sounds
of crashing waves grew louder.
Momentum was focused flow’s strong suit. It struck with the strength and
consistency of mighty ocean waves. Just like the
ebb and flow of the tide, Lan Jue’s next attack came on the heels of the
first.
The large mecha didn’t try to dodge. In fact, it couldn’t. Instead it lunged
forward to meet the electric blade without hesitation.
Liquid metal can’t survive All-Heaven lightning, why is he acting stupid?
Lan Jue silently chastised. But when he saw his disciple dissolve into a
puddle of mush and avoid the strike he didn’t know whether to laugh or
curse.
If he hadn’t had to spin around and deal with the sneak attacker he could
have focused on the sword, becoming one with the technique. But as it stood
his flow had been broken as had his forward momentum. Of course, part of the
reason he had to stop was for fear of being stuck in the puddle of student
beneath his feet.
The floor of the arena was metal, and under Tang Xiao’s direction it turned
to sludge below Thor. In the same instant a crushing gravitational pressure
pressed down from above, hastening its sinking.
Even Lan Jue had to admit the team of Tang Xiao and this gravity Adept was
something to behold.
Now the other mechas were coming in to attack. However, it was evident that
Thor’s display of power had frightening them and changed their tactics. If
they didn’t go all out now, they may not have another chance.
Two reached him first. One of them was shaped like a beast and lunged at him
without a sound.
Good job, kid. It was Jin Tao, Lan Jue noted. From the beginning he had been
hiding behind the others, hiding his presence from his teacher. Now he burst
out, holding nothing back.
He chopped with his sword, while in the same moment channeling his
Discipline through Thor’s feet. The fluid metal holding him down fractured
into minute splinters.
Lan Jue narrowed his eyes as the electric light of his blade carved through
the air, right for Jin Tao. But just as it looked like the lion-shaped
mecha would be put down, it suddenly shivered and split into two, completely
avoiding the strike.
Ghosting? Jin Tao’s that fast?
That technique was something only god-level pilots could pull off, and Jin
Tao already seemed to have a good grasp on it. It was no accident he used it
in just that moment.
Impressive job kid, you’re improving quickly! In a flash the metal lion was
within clawing distance. Both images closed in on him from either side.
Lan Jue was adept at ghosting, and knew its benefits. Thor took a step back
and whipped its sword around in a circle – Taiji sword style.
Jin Tao only felt the energy in front of him change, and half a breath later
his mecha could hardly move. He saw himself moving toward the arc of the
electric blade almost in slow motion.
With a deep and guttural roar Jin Tao’s mecha fused back into one and
reached out with its claws. A golden light burst from within him and spread
out in a corona of light. The force of it wrenched him free from Thor’s
control. Its two front appendages, claws glinting, tore toward Thor’s head.
Lan Jue was positioned just right to thrust his weapon into the lion’s
chest.
Jin Tao did not dodge. His name, the Frenzied Lion Mastiff, was not given in
vain. In every fight he viciously fought in the face of death. His opponents
feared him. What’s more he was an expert at close combat, and it could be
said he was the hardiest soldier in Star Division.
If Lan Jue went ahead with the thrust it would leave him open to Jin Tao’s
claws. He would hit his mark, but not without being punished for it.
Lan Jue didn’t back down, he had faith in the strength of his Discipline. He
saw that Jin Tao wasn’t going to retreat either. The young man was assured
his ferocity and outright strength would shake his opponent to their core.
The lightning sword slipped into the lion’s chest, its doughty armor was no
match for All-Heaven lightning. As electric light coursed into the mecha he
could see it struggling.
But in a move that shocked the Jewelry Master, the lion mecha’s claws
blasted off at the wrists and toward either side of
Thor’s head. If it was just Lan Jue he could easily have dodge the surprise
attack, but Thor was less nimble. By the time he was preparing the mecha to
react, it was already too late.
Bang-bang! The two blows, one on top of the other, caused Thor to shake. The
lion’s claws were lodged on either side of its head.
“Not good!” Lan Jue muttered to himself.
He barely got the words out before a bone-jarring explosion erupted above
him. The claws’ explosions were so intense it actually knocked the other
mechas back a few steps.
Thor, of course, got the worst of it. In this critical moment Lan Jue didn’t
hold back and reached out with the full breadth of his lightning Discipline
to try and mitigate the concussive damage.
But it was too quick. Thor’s head and shoulders were a mangled wreck.
Thankfully his Discipline had saved the cockpit.
Insane. That was the only words he had to describe his disciple.
Little more than half of his mecha remained, but Lan Jue wasn’t out of the
fight yet. Thor sprang to its feet and lashed out with its sword. The
movement birthed a hail of electric bolts that covered the ground. Tang
Xiao’s slippery mecha was instantly shot full of holes.
Liquid metal twice as strong would be no match for All- Heaven lightning!
Tang Xiao was taken out of the fight.
Like a demon-possessed corpse Thor flailed. The unstoppable power of focused
flow tore erratically across the battlefield. All of the remaining mechas
were annihilated, but in the end more than forty percent of Thor had been
obliterated.
Their tactics had been strange, but Lan Jue could tell his opponents weren’t
working wholly in unison. If they had, things would have turned out worse
for him.
There was a flash, and Thor’s lumbering remains appeared outside the ring.
The pilots he’d battled against were waiting.
“Professor!” Tang Xiao’s beaming face met him.
“Professor!” Jin Tao’s happy greeting was half a second behind.
Lan Jue grunted. “I see how it is! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you
two, and this is how you greet me?”
Chapter 778: Guardian Angel
“Heh heh!” Tang Xiao chortled. “We just wanted to show off a bit for you,
Professor. We haven’t been lazy! You should blame Jin Tao, he’s overzealous.
It was him who damaged your mecha.”
Lan Jue also chuckled. “Enough finger-pointing, tell the truth. The claw
thing was your suggestion.”
Jin Tao spoke up without giving Tang Xiao a chance to answer. “Professor is
so wise!”
Tang Xiao yelped at the injustice. “I’m not responsible for everything bad!”
Lan Jue scowled at him. “If not you, then who? You’re right, you both have
improved quite a lot lately, it was I who was lacking. I haven’t been around
to guide you. Later I’ll make sure to direct your cultivation.” As he spoke,
an insidious grin spread across his face.
Never mind Tang Xiao, the markedly tougher Jin Tao also shook at the
prospect. “Professor, we have cultivation to attend
to. We have to go.”
The two of them fled, with the others from their team in hot pursuit. The
Demon Drillmaster’s particular brand of instruction was well
known throughout Star Division. They weren’t anxious to experience it
unnecessarily!
“Boss,” Su Xiaosu’s voice interrupted. “Are they up to your standards?”
Lan Jue looked her way. “They were one unit?”
She stuck out her tongue at him. “Leaders from ten units, but I didn’t have
a choice. Everyone wanted a chance to spar with you when they heard you were
here. I had to pick the best representatives. Their cooperation was less
than perfect, as I’m sure you noticed.”
Lan Jue watched his soldiers as they fled. “They have pretty good
battlefield experience. That puts me at ease.” Indeed he could tell that
group only just started working together. However, although their teamwork
could use some polish, they were still able to play off each other’s
strengths. A battle rhythm can’t be rehearsed, it comes through cooperation.
That
was the only way to kick their efficacy up to a new level.
With this in mind Lan Jue was very pleased with the result. If all of Star
Division’s unit leaders were like them, his group of fighters was in
excellent shape.
“Let’s go,” Lan Jue said to her. “I want to look in on their training.”
Su Xiaosu led him to another area. He didn’t join them, but instead looked
down from his bird’s eye vantage as they drilled below. He could tell at a
glance that the individual units’ tactics had been trained into their
marrow. Surprisingly, this training area was a lot like Monteux, complete
with simulated alien foes.
These sorts of war games were especially helpful for Star Division. They
must have recorded the environmental data of Monteux and the aliens
themselves to use in their training, so that it was as true to the real
thing as possible. It was clear this hard work over the last few days was a
result of their passion and resolve.
As he looked down from on high, the battlefield was like a raging fire that
spread out in all directions. His soldiers were
stable, methodical, and worked well with their brothers and sisters in other
units. Close-range and long-range specialists were well coordinated. Then
there were support fighters and their myriad abilities which counteracted
alien attacks.
“It looks like there are even more aliens than when we were really on
Monteux!” Lan Jue swept his eyes over the horizon.
Su Xiaosu confirmed. “Yes, by quite a lot. This is a prerequisite for this
maneuver. The more pressing the odds, the more likely they are to fight to
their full potential. Anyway, who’s to say how many enemies we’ll face when
the real fight begins? Right now they’re simulating a situation where they
have to fight a vastly stronger enemy force on limited energy reserves to
see how long they can hold out. I think it’s very useful for them.”
Lan Jue nodded in agreement. “Very good. It’s also integral that they learn
as much as they can about alien fighting styles. You all have been working
hard.”
Xiaosu beamed at Lan Jue. All of their progress was, of course, under her
direction.
Lan Jue looked back down at the others. “Our offensive begins in forty-eight
hours. Let them rest for the last twelve hours before we’re dispatched. No
training, let them regain their strength. We want them to be in top shape to
avoid casualties. I won’t be commanding them in the beginning, Xiaosu. I
need you to do that for me.”
“Of course, boss!” She responded without hesitation.
Lan Jue left without interrupting his soldiers’ hard work. He was impressed
by what he saw, pleased by progress he hadn’t anticipated. He was even more
confident of their chances now, when the final hour arrived.
He wasn’t privy to all of Lan Qing’s plans, there were some aspects of the
assault he wasn’t clear on. He didn’t know anything about how he intended to
face the creatures outside the planet. Lan Jue wouldn’t be involved in that
part. Most importantly for him was taking care of what he was responsible
for.
When he returned to his cabin, Lan Jue looked more relaxed than when he’d
left. Qianlin was seated on the bed in silent meditation. A pale white light
hung over her. It wasn’t bright, but thick with mystical energy like the
aura of an immortal.
Lan Jue walked over to her side and sat, but did not meditate.
Instead he just sat there and watched her.
Lately the sense of manifest destiny pushing things along had followed him
wherever he went. Everything the Clairvoyant had told them had come to pass,
all but the end result. Lan Jue had been striving now for a long time to
help humanity’s chances. For his friends, for Qianlin. No effort would be
spared to save them from a gruesome death at the hands of a heartless enemy.
I dragged Qianlin into this, he thought. But she isn’t the only one –
everyone’s affected. Everyone must be considered. She will be safe by my
side.
After some time, seated cross-legged across from her, Lan Jue also slipped
into a meditative state. These last few days he had refrained from
cultivating with her, since they were both at the border of ninth level. If
they continued to work together as they had, it was likely neither would be
able to hold back their breakthrough. It was better to work independently to
stabilize their own Disciplines and prepare for that fateful moment. They
had to hold back as long as they could to get the best result.
ζ
Two days passed quickly. For forty-eight hours a strange calm settled over
the human armada, although troops moved consistently from one place to
another. On the eve of the attack Lan Qing had his people within view of a
mid-sized planet in the outskirts of Europa’s system.
He moved like this to keep the aliens guessing and confound their planning.
If they didn’t know what the humans were up to they couldn’t formulate a
plan of defense. Lan Qing also knew that many aliens were hiding on the far
side of the planet, a fact he wouldn’t be aware of were it not for Lan Jue’s
scouting data.
Forty-eight hours may have sounded like plenty of time at first, but the
soldiers soon found the time vanished like a message written in water. Their
preparations were done quietly and orders were often given in person to
prevent interception by enemy forces.
Each division, brigade and unit was only given enough information to perform
their part of the plan. Only a select few had all of the information.
Zeus-1 quietly slipped out of Middle Heaven’s hangar. The moment it was free
of the small planet’s orbit the ship engaged its Blinding Stone. Aboard were
all of the Paragons who were to participate in the operation, as well
as Lan Jue and Qianlin. Zeus’ Amazons were responsible for piloting the
vessel.
Everyone’s face was hard and solemn. For good reason – the task before them
was daunting, perhaps more important than any other part of the plan. The
main force could retreat if the situation started to sour. Lan Jue and his
people didn’t have that luxury.
Several days had passed since their last scout mission, and it was
impossible to know how many survivors remained on the planet before them.
But Lan Jue held out hope that there would still be many lives to save.
Innocent humans were being kept as hostages, as experiments, harvested for
their genetic material. They would be saved, even the ones that had been
twisted by the poison of the progenitors.
Zeus-1 approached the planet from the side. A direct assault would result in
failure. There were too many aliens for that to succeed. They had to slip
in, and avoid psionic detection to the best of their abilities.
The planet that was chosen had an auspicious name; Angel. Snow covered vast
swaths of its frigid land mass, which was shaped like a seraph with its
wings spread wide. Sadly, its once pure white hue had been corrupted and
stained purple.
The second part of Lan Qing’s plan had a code name. He called it operation
Guardian Angel.
Zeus-1 approached at a forty-five degree angle relative to the armada. It
came to a stop when it got close and cut all electronic systems. There, in
darkness and silence, it quietly waited for its chance.
Jue Di had not come with them. He was strong enough that there was no need
for him to use a spaceship. He had left before them to prepare, for he was
responsible for taking three of the planets by himself. No one knew how he
intended to do it, but everyone had faith that he would succeed.
Chapter 779: Again the Main Guns Brighten
Lan Jue sat quietly aboard his ship, looking out at Angel through the
window. Qianlin sat behind him with dull expression, although from time to
time her eyes would flit his way. She had come to rely on him, and when he
wasn’t around she was visibly agitated.
Lan Jue’s team, Team Three, was led by the Photographer. Under her command,
besides Lan Jue and qianlin, were the Arhat of the Descending Dragon, the
Driver, the Harbinger Faerie, and the Gourmet – seven people altogether.
Zeus-1 would drop them off on Angel first before moving on to the other
planets. Because of Angel’s importance to their overall battle plan, they
would be dispatched first. They were just waiting for their moment.
The Driver made his way over to Lan Jue’s side. “Are you nervous?” He asked
quietly.
Lan Jue cast him a sideways glance. “Are you?”
His friend chuckled in response, his words heavy with pride. “Don’t forget
my name – I’m the Driver! I’ve been chasing adrenaline my whole life. It
doesn’t look like there’ll be a more heart-pounding mission for me to
participate in for all the rest of my days. I’m thrilled. If you’re scared
big brother can intervene, ask the Photographer to leave you behind.”
“We’re all going!” Lan Jue quickly retorted in irritation.
The Driver sat beside him. “My only regret is never having found a wife. I
was always looking for the next adventure, keeping women at arm’s length.
Ah…”
“Are you afraid you won’t be coming back?” Lan Jue asked.
The Driver shook his head. “Whether I do or not isn’t an issue, really. I
just wish I had a son of my own. Someone to pass my skills on to from a
young age. I would have trained him to be the greatest Driver in the
universe. Who knows whether that day will ever come.”
Lan Jue shrugged. “Who’s to say it won’t? On the contrary, it must. Did you
think you would be a Paragon one day? Now you are, what does that tell you?”
The Driver laughed gently. “This is true. You know these ladies that follow
you around are quite something! When did you plan on introducing one to me?”
Lan Jue stared at him flatly. “You have a mouth, introduce yourself and
leave me out of it.” Introducing other men… it would spell the death of him.
Those ladies were already nursing hefty resentments against him, Lan Jue
didn’t dare even think about offending them again. If they survived this
fight then he would have to find a way to solve his women problems, but they
had to live first. Thinking about it made his head hurt. These weren’t the
old days, when having many wives was common practice. He couldn’t just wed
them all, nor was he such a man.
At this time Luo Xianni also came wandering over. “What are you two young
gentlemen talking about?” She asked. Outwardly she didn’t look much older
than either of them, but they knew the truth.
He glanced at her and chuckled. “Auntie, we’re talking about having
children.”
Her eyes immediately lit up. “Children? Children are wonderful! A-Jue, have
you decided to have kids soon? You should, quickly and en mass. I’ll help
look after them, I’d love
the opportunity since I’ve never had any of my own.”
Lan Jue cast his adoptive mother a helpless look. “Alright, alright – at
least wait to see if we live through this fight.” He didn’t dare tell her
the prospect of her looking after his kids worried him. Without question the
sentiment would not go over well.
“Eh?” She said suddenly. “It’s starting?”
Lan Jue’s pupils contracted. He shot to his feet and peered out the window
toward the armada. Just as she said twelve ships had separated from the
others. They weren’t moving forward, but instead were spreading out. Middle
Heaven was in the lead, a bright spot against a deep black backdrop.
The twelve ships followed as the East’s bastion pressed forward.
The other two bastions – Poseidon and Tyrannosaurus – were on the move as
well. They slowly moved forward in a triangular formation with Middle Heaven
in the front and the support ships filling in the spaces in between.
They weren’t fast. On the contrary, they moved at a snail’s pace, but ever
forward toward their destination. It filled everyone with a suffocating
sense of pressure, like a rolling war machine that promised to crush
anything before it into dust.
The aliens reacted, with beasts surging toward the planet from all
directions. They also arranged in formation. It was then a strange scene
emerged.
A thick and impenetrable mist gushed out around them – a violet smokescreen
that was belched from beasts that looked like mutated pufferfish. They
waddled to the front lines with their big bellies and spat the smog before
the arrayed defenders. It took only a few moments before everything was lost
in a purple haze.
The Keeper stared at the spectacle with furrowed brow. “This smoke likely
isn’t just to hide their positions. It will affect our radar systems, too.”
Zeus-1 was still keeping its position secret, so its systems were still
offline, including radar. However the Keeper’s hypothesis was sound, and
they knew enough about their cunning foe to know their actions were anything
but random. There was a reason for this.
As time stretched on even Angel disappeared in the poisonous fog. A vast
swath of space was hidden from view.
But the human armada made no signs of stopping. They advanced with the same
slow, indomitable pace. Middle Heaven revealed its honeycomb of guns once
more, their barrels glowing ominously.
As it had shown before, Middle Heaven could use this barrels to launch
itself backward and out of harm’s way. This time the rest of the human army
was spread out behind it like the wings of a swallow, with nothing behind
it. This meant Middle Heaven could advance and retreat at a moment’s notice.
Meanwhile the smog was only growing thicker. It billowed like a cloud of
cosmic dust that no human instruments were able to penetrate. Indeed the
aliens had many tricks up their sleeves, and this was one they’d never
encountered before. It was a tactics well suited to their weak ranged
fighting capabilities.
Human ships could not see the enemy, nor could their systems get a lock on
any target. The advantage of their ranged guns was severely curtailed.
“Admiral, sir! All of our scanning and targeting systems are unable to
penetrate the fog. Our guns can’t find their targets.” Lan Qing and his
people discovered the problem quickly.
He nodded. “Keep our scanners up, stick to the plan.”
“Aye, aye!”
Lan Jue was seated behind his desk in the control center, with a hundred
soldiers busily checking systems all around. Middle Heaven was different
from traditional bastions. The Admiral was, of course, responsible for all
of the ship’s final decisions. However, he also personally managed several
of the ship’s systems. The control board in front of Lan Qing was large and
complicated.
The opposing sides were drawing nearer by the second, and human ships had
all begun to shine as their weapons were charged. The battle was about to
begin any moment. Yet the humans could no longer see any sign of their enemy
through the fog.
Lan Qing spoke through the special communications channel they’d set up.
“Begin!”
“Aye, aye!”
With his calm command Middle Heaven’s myriad guns blazed orange in much the
same way it had before. The aliens, meanwhile, remained a mystery though
there was no sign of movement. They hid behind the screen, seemingly
unperturbed by the threat of Middle Heaven’s weapons. Their bastion’s guns
would strike the planet first, and the explosion of a planet would
obliterate anything near it – including the humans. What’s more, the aliens
were sure their attackers wouldn’t put their own planet in danger.
Judging solely by Middle Heaven’s size, its main guns were more than likely
capable of destroying a planet. The aliens believed this without a shadow of
a doubt. This was their reasoning behind using the planet as a shield.
If their leaders decided to cast out their misgivings and destroy the
planet, the morale of their people would collapse. It would be pointless
anyway, because the humans could not know the location of the home worlds
behind the seven planets. If they dared to push through they would be
surrounded and summarily destroyed. The power of the home worlds had been
revealed to the stubborn humans more than once.
Finally, Middle Heaven slowly came to a halt a short distance behind where
it had been during its first attack, though still within firing distance.
The aliens did not rush to meet them. They just waited… waited for their
prey to come closer.
If the humans fled from the mist that would serve their purposes just as
well. They would not pursue them. Their main objective was to stall for
time, so they did not rush to engage.
Suddenly Middle Heaven lit up – more accurately, its guns flared to life. A
wall of angry red energy burst forth. They fired without pretense, not in a
sustained stream but instead as a hail of energized orbs. They sizzled and
burned as they made their way toward Angel.
Without question, this was Middle Heaven’s main weapon.
Were the humans really going to disregard the safety of their own planet?
Because Zeus-1 was position closer to the side of the planet, Lan Jue could
spy some of the condition behind the mist. He saw the aliens moving
erratically as the orbs neared.
Chapter 780: Circular Attack
Of course, no alien was interested in facing a bastion’s main gun! They
quickly moved to the sides, trying to avoid Middle Heaven’s attack.
Kang Hui, who had been seated behind the control board in Tyrannosaurus,
shot to his feet when he saw the red orbs. He thought he knew the plan, but
it didn’t involve attacking one of their own planets!
Wasn’t the plan to use their ranged advantage to weaken the enemy? Why,
then, would Lan Qing use his main guns right out of the gate? It was
completely different than what they’d discussed!
He didn’t know the full scope of Middle Heaven’s capabilities, but he could
guess. Lan Qing’s confidence in it, he had to assume the East’s bastion was
formidable.
Angel would be no more.
Angel wasn’t a particularly large planet. If Middle Heaven’s blast didn’t
outright destroy it, at the very least the damage
would be apocalyptic. It would likely never recover or be used for human
habitation ever again.
Yet as he watched, a scene unexpected by all revealed itself. As the orbs
reached the halfway point between the bastion and the planet, they changed.
Where they had been tightly packed spheres of energy, now they began to
break apart.
Their angry red light flared brighter, like the corona of light from a space
ship’s engines. At first it was kept close but soon spread out as the orbs
themselves vanished into nothing.
All of that for nothing? Was Middle Heaven really so useless? Doubt filled
the minds of those who looked on, let down by the spectacle. The aliens were
just as confused.
But the truth was quickly revealed. Indeed the individual orbs had
dissolved, but that didn’t mean their energy had dissipated. The many
tightly compacted salvos of energy had broken apart and merged into a
sweeping blast of power.
The scope of it had obviously been precisely calculated. As it collided with
the wall of mist a magnificent display was revealed to the human spectators.
A breadth of misty space was burned away in a circular shape. A red light
burned at the borders that disappeared as the mist receded. Then, with a
burst of light and an ear-splitting roar, an explosion of red light emerged.
It was so bright and so fierce that Angel was lost in its glow.
What was that?
The concussive force of the blast rippled all throughout the purple haze,
ripping it apart. Its shockwave roared across space and burned away the fog
like the crisp morning sun. The alien forces behind were revealed.
The blast embraced and surrounded Angel, but caused it no damaged. The
aliens that had fled from the assumed trajectory of Middle Heaven’s attack
now found themselves in the middle of it.
In an instant scores of aliens were reduced to a field of mangled flesh and
blood. Those creatures which where specialized in defense survived much of
the initial damage, but only just. This was Middle Heaven’s might, and
destruction was unavoidable! Countless scores of the beasts were no more.
The shock of what they witnessed stunned every spectator. Not only did it
clear away the mist, it also ripped their enemies apart. The surprise was
similar to their first fight against the alien home worlds, though this time
the bitter realization that they knew nothing was suffered by alien and not
human victims.
Lan Qing had pondered over a solution to the alien tactic of hiding behind
planets since witnessing it in the North.
Middle Heaven’s primary power source was molinite. It powered the ship’s
engines as well as its engines – the main gun array included. Because the
element was so unstable by nature, it would have been impossible to amass
enough of it in a single shot. Eastern scientists then came up with a novel
solution; prime diffusion.
By using rare metals that reacted well with molinite, they constructed an
array of guns instead of a single cannon. They were constructed all over
Middle Heaven and could be used either as weapons or as engines. How they
were used depended on the amount of energy used and how it was channeled. It
just needed to be programmed in advance. This attack had been modeled after
the burn patterns from rocket engines.
If the payload had maintained their orb shape it would have frightened the
aliens, but otherwise not caused a lot of damage. At beast it would have
pressed them together, or had them hide behind the planet.
But the humans’ tactics were clever. What started as a salvo of compressed
energy quickly broke apart at the halfway point, just long enough for the
aliens to have moved from their path. However, they couldn’t fly fast enough
to avoid the detonation.
Strike where it is not expected. This single surprise attack had killed far
more than the twelve Capital ships from before had put down. The alien
forces around Angel were thrown into chaos.
The human armada sped their approach and quickly charged their weapons. With
high spirits, riding the momentum of Middle Heaven’s opening attack, they
charged into the fight.
Was this the true power of Middle Heaven? Admiration was clear on Kang Hui’s
face as he witnessed the aftermath of Lan Qing’s initiative. Scope, power,
control… that attack worked flawlessly on all fronts, designed to blaze a
path for them to follow.
Preparing everything in two days had not been an easy feat. Yet Lan Qing, in
silence and alone, had set everything up perfectly. His opening move had not
only annihilated their foes but also inspired his troops. In a blink
everyone was in position and moving in to press the attack.
The twelve Capital ships rushed into the remaining alien forces, guns
blazing. They held nothing back. Meanwhile Tyrannosaurus and Poseidon
pressed ahead without engaging. They were quietly waiting in the wings,
though just their presence was a deterrent against alien aggression.
Just then, an orb of dark purple was launched from Angel’s surface. At first
it was inconspicuous but quickly broke atmosphere and entered space. It
garnered notice when it shrugged off three blasts of Capital ship fire.
It was revealed to be an enormous creature in the shape of an enormous
globe. The only reacted it had from taking three direct hits was to flatten
out, and thus deflect the shots away.
This alien was over ten thousand meters in diameter – among the largest
they’d ever seen. When the danger of the Capital ships had passed it
stretched again to create a protective shell that warded off five more
shots. It hung there brazenly denying
the power of human technology.
All of a sudden the creature began to spin as though it were caught in a
whirlpool. Several of its smaller brethren were sucked into its orbit, saved
from destruction. All the while shots from human vessels bounced off its
surface.
For a moment it seemed as though the titanic beast collapsed in on itself,
only to burst out like an overripe tomato a moment later. A host of aliens
were blasted from its corpse right into the human armada, over a thousand of
them.
In an instant the separation human ships were depending on was gone.
But they had a plan. Once the Capital ships had come into firing range and
released their payloads, all the support ships had begun to slow. Lan Qing
adhered to the principle of exploiting one’s advantage to the fullest, and
humanity’s range was among their greatest assets.
The soldiers slowed, then stopped, then sped up, then stopped. The timing
and rhythm closely followed Lan Qing’s commands. The tactic was employed to
make sure all ships
stayed in formation, and didn’t break from the alien assault. It protected
his troops from losing focus as the alien forces were flung their way.
The first ship to react was Middle Heaven, and it did so without quarter.
Beams of red light fired from the forward array. The barrels glowed like
angry eyes, glaring at the encroaching aliens.