Chapter 755: Mythic Empress
Chapter 755: Mythic Empress
Before Ying Kuang could make his next move, the second Eighth-Rank insectoid roared and charged over from a distance.
This was a Wingspire Monarch. Unlike the thick-skinned Tiger-Armored Monarch, it possessed wings as thin as cicada wings, granting it unparalleled speed.
In the blink of an eye, the monstrous figure, which had been tens of millions of kilometers away, transformed into a blur and streaked toward Ying Kuang’s flagship, before the surrounding mid- and low-rank Emberfire Warships could even react.
As the giant insect wings swept through the air, two black spatial rifts stretched out in their wake.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
All the Emberfire Warships in the path of the Wingspire Monarch were instantly cleaved in two, including two ordinary Annihilator Ships.
Without a doubt, these sliced warships sank immediately, and the captains inside were not spared.
The distraction caused by the Wingspire Monarch not only inflicted significant damage on the Emberfire Fleet at the Star Sky Great Wall but also prevented Ying Kuang from completely annihilating the Eighth-Rank Tiger-Armored Monarch.
Faced with the cutting beams that could penetrate even the protective light barriers of the Mythic Great Wall, even Ying Kuang, with his confidence, could not afford to ignore them and immediately took action.
The strength of the Eighth-Rank law field around his warship surged abruptly, and the energy shield surrounding the warship's hull also intensified.
As a result, while the spatial cutting beams were repelled, the Eighth-Rank Tiger-Armored Monarch seized the opportunity to create some distance.
Sssss!
A sharp hiss emerged from its fearsome mandibles, a special communication signal among the Star Sea insectoids. With this hiss, dozens of Seventh-Rank Monarchs, scattered throughout the insectoid swarm and already charging into the Great Wall's interior, responded.
Their massive compound eyes, composed of thousands of hexagonal facets, glowed red as they led their insectoid hordes toward the Eighth-Rank Tiger-Armored Monarch.
"This is a Bug Roar! Quick, stop them!"
"All members of the Third Assault Fleet, follow me and intercept any insectoids that pass by us!"
"First Legion of the Holy Royal Star Sea Fleet, follow my orders..."
...
The Ember Captains present were all seasoned veterans, well-versed in the ways of the Star Sea insectoids. With just a glance, many of them discerned the insectoids' intent. The fleet commanders and admirals quickly led their fleets into the fray, like moths drawn to a flame, intercepting the insectoids that flew past them.
The insectoid swarm had a significant numerical advantage, and most of the fleets had to split their focus to target the insectoids outside the Great Wall. This further widened the numerical gap. Most of the veterans on the battlefield knew that charging head-on would result in heavy losses, but they made this choice without hesitation.
It wasn't that they didn't value their lives, but everyone understood that if the Star Sea insectoids were allowed to gather and form a true super Bug Roar, it would be a desperate situation.
The Bug Roar is a unique combat technique or ability of the Star Sea insectoids. When in this state, the insectoids lose their ability to think and are driven by instinct to relentlessly pursue enemy units. Once they catch up, the insectoids will detonate themselves without hesitation.
The key was that these indiscriminate explosions were extremely powerful, and with their vast numbers, each Bug Roar activation would result in severe losses for the Emberfire Fleet.
An Eighth-Rank Sovereign Monarch leading over a million insectoids in a Bug Roar was undoubtedly a large-scale event. If it couldn't be stopped, the collapse of this section of the defense was only a matter of time.
The sound of continuous explosions filled the air, most of them from the Star Sea insectoids, but not a few from the Emberfire Warships.
Just as the captains were fighting to the death, a massive figure suddenly appeared, drawing their attention.
Ten thousand kilometers.
Thirty thousand kilometers.
One hundred thousand kilometers.
The rapidly growing Star Sea Titan Ape materialized on the battlefield, wielding a colossal Mace of Fangs. As soon as it appeared, it swung the mace without hesitation toward the Eighth-Rank Tiger-Armored Monarch.
The Tiger-Armored Monarch did not stay still to receive the blow. Its wings fluttered rapidly, trying to adjust its position.
The dark energy beam that had pierced its back earlier had left a massive wound, but it did not affect its speed.
However, strangely, the mace continued to descend, and the Tiger-Armored Monarch's wings continued to flutter, but its body remained motionless.
Several black light bone chains, emerging from the void below, had tightly bound its legs.
As it struggled, the Tiger-Armored Monarch hissed again, but by then, the giant mace in the Eighth-Rank Star Sea Titan Ape's hand had already torn through the starry sky and struck down.
Under Song Chi's deliberate control, the Star Sea Titan Ape's blow landed precisely on the ghastly wound on the Tiger-Armored Monarch's back. This was a devastating blow for the Tiger-Armored Monarch.
The intense pain made its scream even more piercing.
Mountain and Sea Colossus · Mountain Shattering Strike!
The more heavily wounded the Tiger-Armored Monarch was, the more delighted Song Chi became. With his mental command, the Star Sea Titan Ape unleashed its most powerful bloodline ability.
Strands of the law of force flowed through the golden Mace of Fangs, combining with the terrifying strength of the Star Sea Titan Ape. The mace once again struck the Tiger-Armored Monarch's back with immense force.
This time, the back armor of the Tiger-Armored Monarch was shattered. The Star Sea Titan Ape was renowned for its formidable physique, even surpassing the Eight-Armed Serpent Demon clan in terms of physical strength. A full-force strike from an eighth-rank Star Sea Titan Ape was unimaginably powerful.
With a single blow, the Tiger-Armored Monarch's back caved in, and foul blood sprayed everywhere.
At one moment, a bright red light surged from its body, clearly indicating its intention to self-destruct, seeing no hope of escape. At that moment, a special energy beam shot from a distance.
This energy beam penetrated the Tiger-Armored Monarch's body, instantly suppressing its internal energy and forcibly interrupting its self-destruct attempt.
Swish!
Without hesitation, the Star Sea Titan Ape swung its massive Mace of Fangs again, thoroughly crushing the severely wounded eighth-rank Monarch Bug.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
With the initial summoning by the eighth-rank Tiger-Armored Monarch gone, the surrounding insect swarm, which had been flying in a coordinated manner, suddenly halted. The previously orderly flight patterns turned into utter chaos, with the insects flying aimlessly.
Even the more than twenty seventh-rank Monarch Bugs found it difficult to maintain control.
Seizing this opportunity, all the Emberfire Warships around opened fire, trying to take advantage of this rare chance to inflict as much damage as possible on the insect forces that had breached the Great Wall.
Above the Star Sky Great Wall, a silver Annihilator Ship hovered.
At the forefront of the warship, an endless amount of sword qi rapidly gathered. In an instant, ten thousand giant quantum sword beams converged, centered around the silver Annihilator Ship.
Heaven-Entrapping Sword Array · Convergence of Ten Thousand Swords!
Swish, swish, swish!
Ten thousand quantum sword beams shot out, directly aiming at the densest area of the Star Sea insect swarm.
Subsequent explosions echoed one after another.
A rough estimate suggested that at least six hundred thousand Star Sea insects perished in this round of sword beam explosions.
"Super Quantum Sword Array, it's Lord of the Vast Skies!"
"Yes, it definitely looks like Lord of the Vast Skies' attack method."
"I didn't expect Lord of the Vast Skies to be here on the endless insect front. That eighth-rank Star Sea Titan Ape must have been summoned by him, right?"
...
During the nearly two-thousand-year-long Civilization War, Song Chi had used the Heaven-Entrapping Sword Array · Convergence of Ten Thousand Swords multiple times. This unique attack method, distinct from other warships, was easily remembered by the Captains below.
Song Chi had anticipated this and, for that reason, had discreetly summoned the Skygale of Tianxu mirror warship in advance.
In the formation of Annihilator Ships that accompanied Ying Kuang, there were still 52 ships, which did not raise any suspicions.
If not for this, he would not have acted so freely.
With the swift intervention of the Skygale of Tianxu, the insect forces within the Star Sky Great Wall were almost entirely wiped out in a short time. The addition of 52 new Annihilator Ships to the battlefield quickly restored the balance of the battle.
Seemingly recognizing the change in the battle situation, the hidden insect queens and mothers did not continue. The vast insect swarm outside the Great Wall quickly retreated.
"They're retreating, the insect tide is retreating, we've won!"
"We held them off, hahahaha!"
"Lord of the Vast Skies is awesome!"
As the dense insect swarm outside the city walls receded like a tide, cheers echoed through the communication channels.
Many were even shouting "Lord of the Vast Skies" in high spirits.
Indeed, although Song Chi had only intervened a few times, his actions had a real and significant impact on the entire battle. The veterans on the front line had sharp eyes; they could clearly see the crucial role played by "Lord of the Vast Skies."
Because of this, not long after the battle, the highest commander of this front, an Eighth-Rank veteran Galaxy Captain from the Chi Yu Divine Empire, Ji Xuan, personally summoned him.
The conversation was largely about expressing gratitude on behalf of the millions of Captains along the front for his timely assistance. Ji Xuan assured him that he would report the matter directly to the Emberfire War Headquarters, and that the commendations and rewards would not be lacking.
While Song Chi was dealing with the front's commander, the mirror warship also took action.
Since the fleet was not in active service, once the battle ended, Ying Kuang naturally led his fifty-two Annihilator Ships away immediately.
Moreover, after such a battle, it was unlikely that the insectoids would launch a second offensive in this sector anytime soon.
As he followed the fleet, Song Chi suddenly noticed a question from an unfamiliar Captain in the communication group chat.
"That Star Sky Great Wall looked very familiar, almost like our civilization's Great Wall of Culture!"
"From your words, you must be a first-timer on the Endless Insect Sea front. Who said the Great Wall of Culture is only one?"
"???"
"Well, it is indeed the Great Wall of Culture, but it's not the true one. The true Great Wall of Culture is the one currently standing in the Octopus Demon Star Cluster."
"What about this one, then?"
"Have you heard of Chaos Mirror Stones?"
"No!"
"These are rare resources exclusive to the Chaos Divine Land, ranked first among our Ember Human Civilization’s ultra-strategic resources."
"Chaos Mirror Stones are extremely rare, even in the vast Chaos Divine Land, usually taking thousands or even tens of thousands of years to form. Currently, they are classified into three grades: lower, middle, and upper."
"Lower-grade Chaos Mirror Stones can mirror Star Sea Oddities up to the black level, middle-grade can mirror lower-colored Star Sea Oddities, and upper-grade can mirror higher-colored Star Sea Oddities."
"Of course, each Chaos Mirror Stone can only be used once. Once it mirrors something, it cannot be changed. This Great Wall of Culture is a mirror image."
"Unfortunately, each Star Sea Oddity can only be mirrored once. Otherwise, our Emberfire Civilization wouldn't be confined to the City of the Human Emperor in the Chaos Divine Land."
...
The Captain in the group chat clearly had extensive knowledge, explaining the relationships in just a few sentences.
Hearing this, Song Chi's curiosity and anticipation for the Chaos Divine Land grew even more. The Chaos Mirror Stone, a resource akin to a divine creation, almost functions like a weaker version of a miracle cloning pod. Just hearing about its magical effects piqued his interest.
The miracle cloning pod, to Song Chi, was now as valuable and important as a lower-colored Mythical Component, if not more so.
But another thought crossed his mind.
Using a Chaos Mirror Stone to mirror a miracle cloning pod, and then selling it, could potentially earn him at least a new, ultra-high-quality Colored Mythical Component.
At the very least, he could use it a second time as a soul-devouring altar, choosing to evolve a satisfactory Mythical Artifact on his own.
...
Under Ying Kuang's lead, the more than fifty warships flew at an incredible speed, quickly leaving the rear front and vanishing into the dark expanse of the cosmos.
This region of space was over a hundred billion light-years from the Ember Human Civilization, with multiple galaxy clusters in between. Beyond the insectoid front, there was a medium-sized galaxy cluster.
This galaxy cluster was named the Sky Thrust Arm Galaxy Cluster. The cluster was primarily dominated by three major races, and due to the proximity to the insectoid-infested regions, none of the three dared to initiate internal conflicts. Thus, they had remained divided for hundreds of thousands of years.
In the northern part of the Sky Thrust Arm Galaxy Cluster, the territory of the Pegasus Clan.
The Ninth-Rank Floating Continent, the Pegasus Continent.
As one of the closest Ninth-Rank life-bearing Floating Continents to the insectoid front, the Pegasus Continent was both the ancestral homeland of the Pegasus Clan and one of the main logistical bases for the front-line space war.
In this situation, it also means that the Pegasus Floating Continent is home to far more than just the Pegasus Clan.
Emberfire Humanity
Necro-Emperor Clan
Sky-Rending Bird Clan
Battle Ghost Clan
Essentially, any creature that can be seen on the frontlines of the starry war can also be found on the Pegasus Continent.
One day, a fleet of Emberfire Humanity, numbering only in the dozens, arrived at the Pegasus Continent.
Even though this fleet included a Galaxy Ship and several dozen Annihilator Ships, it did not attract much attention.
This was simply because such a scenario was far too common on the Pegasus Continent.
As the premier backup base behind the endless insect sea frontline, the Pegasus Continent not only stockpiles a vast amount of resources but also houses elite armies from various races, ready to reinforce the frontlines at any moment.
At any given time, the Pegasus Continent is teeming with high-tier combatants. At its peak, it has seen the simultaneous presence of several Ninth-Rank Sovereigns, over a hundred Eighth-Rank Overlords, and over five hundred Seventh-Rank Overlords.
In comparison, although Song Chi’s group could be considered formidable, it was still far from attracting the collective attention of the numerous beings on the Floating Continent.
Pegasus Continent, Emberfire Humanity Fleet Base.
Under Ying Kuang’s lead, Song Chi and dozens of others landed at a hidden base located thousands of miles away from Emberfire City.
This base was not large but was extremely well-concealed, with multiple large-scale composite illusions for cover. The base itself was situated deep within a massive mountain range.
This was the secret base of Ying Kuang’s lineage on the Pegasus Continent. As soon as they entered the mountain, they heard two elderly voices.
"Ancestor Kuang, how did the journey go?"
Song Chi, who had already arrived via the Pantheon Market, mingled with the crowd, glancing at the two figures in front of him.
As expected, the elder who had been in the base all along was a Galaxy Captain, radiating the powerful aura unique to an Eighth-Rank Guidance Technique.
This confirmed what the Qin Yue Merchant Tower had mentioned in their invitation: this operation would be led by three Galaxy Captains.
After being introduced by a Ying Clan Annihilator Captain, Song Chi and the others learned that one of the Galaxy Captains was an elder from their lineage, while the other was an old friend of Ying Kuang. Although not a member of the Ying Clan, this friend’s warship was also a veteran Galaxy Ship.
The detailed introduction was clearly meant to bolster their confidence, ensuring they would not be held back during the subsequent operation.
...
"The Ancient Empress has just ascended and is currently consolidating her power. Her exact location is as follows: two million light-years behind the Star Sea insect frontline. This is the current situation. Does anyone have any questions?"
After his explanation, Ying Kuang turned the topic over to Song Chi and the others.
Their final destination was the rear of the Star Sea insect forces, a place of considerable danger. It was best to address any concerns now rather than regret it later once they entered the Star Sea insect territory.
After a long silence, someone in the crowd finally spoke up.
"Lord Kuang, as I understand, the Star Sea insect frontline is overseen by the Ninth Primordial Empress. She is a legendary figure who commands at least three Primordial Emperor Bugs. If we truly venture two million light-years behind the frontline, how can we ensure we won’t draw her attention?"
"Furthermore, if we manage to successfully kill the Ancient Empress, how can we ensure our safe return?"
It was not Song Chi who spoke, but the one who had previously explained the "Mirror Civilization Great Wall."
This individual clearly held significant influence, and even in the presence of a Galaxy Captain like Ying Kuang, he had no reservations about voicing his concerns.
Ying Kuang did not mind and explained earnestly:
"My lineage has been secretly planning for thousands of years, and we have our arrangements!"
"Firstly, the Ninth Primordial Empress commands not just three Primordial Emperor Bugs, but four..."
At this, the dozens of Annihilator Captains in the base collectively drew a sharp breath.
Four Primordial Emperor Bugs represented four mythic-level combatants. Although the Star Sea insect forces were generally weaker at the same rank and relied more on numbers, a mythic combatant was still a mythic combatant—far beyond the reach of lesser beings.
(End of Chapter)
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