252: New Body's First Battle and the Divine Power of "Hand-Rubbing"

A dark purple spatial rift, like a festering wound on the skin of the universe, stretched across the tranquil starry background, constantly oozing unsettling energy pulses.

The massive black warship that sailed out from the rift had a hideous design, resembling the skeletal remains of a primordial beast. Its entire body was covered in unnatural sharp protrusions and energy veins pulsing with dark red light.

It hovered there silently, without making any moves, yet it already emitted a pressure that made the soul tremble, as if even starlight passing around it would be distorted and devoured.

Excellence, having just completed the consciousness transfer, stood barefoot on the cold alloy floor of the laboratory.

The last trace of dizziness from the transfer process had not yet fully faded, and the strange sensations from his new body—the coldness of the floor seeping through the soles of his feet, the air flowing over his skin, the subtle pull of gravity on his muscles—were all incredibly clear and incredibly fresh.

He raised his head almost instinctively, his gaze seemingly possessing a certain penetrative quality, passing through layers of reinforced alloy walls, conduits, and structures, directly "seeing" the terrifying warship in the starry sky that had locked onto this location.

It was not "seeing" in the visual sense, but rather a brand-new Perception mixed with a certain spatial awareness and energy sensing.

He could feel that the giant ship was like a malicious gravity source, distorting the surrounding spacetime structure.

"World Devourer? Lord-class?" Excellence repeated in a low voice the warning information transmitted by "White Elder" in his mind.

His newborn body tensed slightly, not out of fear, but an instinctive combat-ready state when facing a threat.

He could feel that this body contained vast power far exceeding his expectations; every inch of muscle fiber, every bone, and even the energy veins flowing deep within his cells were awakening, emitting a low and battle-hungry Resonance.

But this power was still somewhat "unfamiliar" at the moment, like a peerless divine weapon just forged and yet to taste blood—sharp and imposing, but not yet fully in tune with the wielder's mind.

"Excellence! Don't go out!" The airtight door of the observation room was forcibly pushed open, and Su Mu rushed in with red eyes, followed by Evelyn and Wang Jianguo with grave expressions.

Su Mu's voice was accompanied by rapid panting, clearly having run all the way here. "Your body hasn't undergone comprehensive testing and adaptability training yet! The energy readings of that thing outside are ridiculously high, and all of our remote detectors are sounding alarms!"

Evelyn quickly operated the data pad in her hand, her speech fast but clear and logical: "Vital signs are stable, energy coupling is excellent, but the synchronization rate between the neural network and the 'Order Origin Core' is still fluctuating between 92% and 97%, with about 3% of unknown areas feeding back anomalies. We don't have any combat data regarding the so-called 'World Devourer', preliminary analysis of its energy level... exceeds any enemy we have encountered before, including partial body projections of 'Entropy'. Excellence, this is not the time to be stubborn."

Wang Jianguo did not speak, just watched Excellence with a calm gaze. In those eyes, there was worry, concern, and even more, respect waiting for his choice.

"Squad Leader, Sister Evelyn, Uncle Wang." Excellence turned around, the bright smile that once carried a bit of youthful silliness now converged, replaced by a focus as calm as a deep pool.

This focus added a majesty that transcended his age to his slightly green face.

He moved his neck and shoulders, his joints making a subtle and crisp "crack" sound, his eyes sharp as a blade just sharpened and reflecting cold light.

"System testing can be put off. Now, there are 'guests' who came uninvited, and they are even driving such a 'big' 'reception ship'..." He raised his finger, pointing upwards casually, referring to the giant ship in the starry sky, "Someone has to go 'receive' them and ask what 'gift' they really want to send."

His tone was calm, even carrying a bit of relaxed banter, but the composure and certainty that naturally radiated, belonging to a true powerhouse, choked the further dissuasion that had rushed to Su Mu's lips.

The Excellence before her eyes still vaguely had familiar contours, but the things settled deep within his eyes, the demeanor inadvertently revealed in his gestures, were as if a king who had experienced countless galactic battles and ruled over all directions, only temporarily putting away his crown.

"Your power is still in the adaptation period; rashly engaging in high-intensity confrontation carries unknown risks." Evelyn insisted, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the edge of the data pad, exposing her inner anxiety. "We can activate all defense systems of 'Homeland' and try to negotiate or delay..."

"Therefore, I must go even more." Excellence smiled, a certainty in that smile that was inexplicably reassuring, as if stating a fact that couldn't be simpler.

"This body, the 'Order Origin' body, isn't it prepared just to deal with such 'unknowns' and 'out-of-spec' situations?" He paused, as if to strengthen his persuasiveness, or perhaps to verify it himself, he raised his right hand, palm upward, and moved his mind slightly.

Hum—

A warm, restrained, milky white ball of light appeared without warning three inches above his palm, floating quietly.

The ball of light was not dazzling; instead, it was as if a miniature galaxy was sealed within it, with countless tiny points of light flowing and appearing and disappearing along mysterious trajectories inside.

It emitted a stable, inclusive, and profoundly unfathomable Order fluctuation.

At the moment this ball of light appeared, all the lighting equipment in the laboratory seemed to dim for an instant as if the voltage was unstable, not because they were suppressed, but because its very existence made ordinary light appear crude and dim.

"This is..." Wang Jianguo's pupils contracted suddenly. As an experienced soldier and commander, he had an instinctive and keen Perception of energy.

The feeling this ball of light gave him was neither pure destructive energy nor a common protective force field; it was more like... an embodiment of rules.

"A 'little gift' that comes with the new body, or rather, a 'standard configuration'." Excellence explained, his tone so relaxed as if introducing an interesting new application, "It seems to be deeply connected to 'The Weave', so I don't need to worry about energy depletion for the time being. It's just that the feeling of controlling it is a bit... special, it needs a bit of practice."

He slightly closed his five fingers, and the ball of light changed in brightness accordingly, the speed of the galaxy's rotation inside also fluctuating between fast and slow, showing that he was not fully proficient, but the core of control was exceptionally stable.

Su Mu and Evelyn looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.

They could clearly perceive what kind of pure, vast, and extremely high-level energy was contained in that seemingly gentle ball of light; it had already exceeded the analytical scope of existing scientific theories.

And the way Excellence controlled it, although slightly exploratory and unfamiliar, revealed an innate, arm-like stability.

This was perhaps the intuitive embodiment of "synchronization rate"—it was not him mastering the power, but the power itself being a part of his extension.

"Activate full base level-one combat readiness! All defense platforms online, maximize energy output! Warm up the 'Ark' engines, charge the main cannon, aim at that black ship for me, and be ready to provide fire cover at any time!"

Wang Jianguo took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and made the final decision.

He patted Excellence's shoulder, which had not yet been covered by the energy armor, and what he touched was warm and elastic real skin, which slightly calmed his heart.

"Su Mu, Evelyn, return to the bridge immediately, activate all tactical analysis systems, I want real-time data! Excellence..." He gazed into the boy's eyes, "Be careful. Fight if you can win, if you can't... remember the way home."

"Understood!" Excellence nodded solemnly, and the ball of light in his palm quietly disappeared into his body, as if it had never appeared.

He no longer hesitated, his mind moved slightly, and outside the simple experimental suit he was wearing, a streamlined, close-fitting combat armor condensed from pure Order energy instantly covered it.

The armor was a matte silver-white, with a minimalist design to the extreme, without any unnecessary decorations or sharp angles, yet it naturally revealed a sharp beauty, perfectly fitting his body curves and blending seamlessly with his calm and sharp temperament at this moment.

This was the instinctive defensive reaction of the new body when facing a threat, and also the initial manifested form of his power.

He took a step forward, not towards the airtight door, but facing the thick alloy wall of the laboratory.

The moment he stepped, his body turned into a faint stream of light, seemingly composed of countless tiny light particles, and directly "merged" into the wall—not by violently crashing through or melting, but because the alloy structure there, under the influence of the extremely high-level Order force field, temporarily "acknowledged" Excellence's existence.

Material particles orderly made way for a passage, and after he passed through, they quickly returned to their original state, leaving only a light mark on the wall that rippled slowly like water waves and finally closed.

"This brat! Just came back and already playing such scary tricks!" Su Mu couldn't help but stomp her feet, but the worry in her eyes was eventually replaced by a hint of irrepressible pride and expectation.

She fiercely wiped the corner of her eyes, turned around, and rushed towards the command post at the fastest speed, "Evelyn! Hurry! Let's go to the bridge! Old Wang, ground defense is up to you!"

...

In the cold starry sky, the black giant ship—the "World Devourer Lord Ship"'s main cannon had already finished charging.

That giant cannon located at the bow of the ship, shaped like multi-layered sharp teeth spiraling open, the dark red energy light condensed at the muzzle was so dazzling that even distant stars were eclipsed.

The destructive fluctuations caused the surrounding space to ripple uneasily, and small meteorite dust silently turned into basic particles.

The prelude to destruction had already reached its climax.

Just at the critical moment when the torrent of destruction was about to burst forth, a white stream of light, not dazzling but exceptionally solid, shot out from an exit of the "Homeland" base.

Its speed did not seem to be at its limit, but it carried a strange sense of space, like "shrinking the ground to an inch," as if ignoring part of the distance, crossing the long void in the blink of an eye, and arriving directly in front of the giant ship's hideous main cannon, standing steadily in the air.

The light dispersed, revealing Excellence's figure.

He stood barefoot, floating quietly in the absolute vacuum, the silver-white energy armor shimmering with a serene light under the reflection of the distant galaxy, his short black hair fluttering slightly in the invisible force field he emitted.

Compared to that black giant ship, as huge as a moving mountain and exuding monstrous fierce power, his figure was as tiny as a speck of dust.

However, the moment he stood firm, an invisible, stable, and seemingly capable of calming all chaos "Order" feeling quietly spread out with him as the center.

That was not an energy shock released deliberately, but more like a declaration of a state of existence.

At the edge of this invisible force field, the violent, surging dark red energy at the giant ship's main muzzle actually showed a trace of imperceptible lag and disorder, as if a fierce beast had encountered its natural nemesis, instinctively feeling wary.

【Tiny... insect... dare to... block the way?】 The chaotic thoughts transmitted from the giant ship were full of fury, disdain, and a trace of irritability from being offended.

It no longer waited, and the destructive energy accumulated to the peak in the main cannon erupted with a boom!

Hum—Boom!!!

A torrent of dark red energy with a diameter sufficient to easily swallow a small satellite, like the bloody mouth of a cosmic beast, tore through the tranquil space, carrying the terrifying aura of annihilating matter and corrupting energy, roaring towards Excellence, and the "Homeland" base flickering with the glimmer of civilization behind him!

Wherever the beam of light passed, space was pulled into broken black ripples, and everything on its path, whether Stardust or wreckage, instantly returned to nothingness.

Inside the "Homeland" base, shrill alarms echoed in every corner.

All screens were occupied by the scene of that world-destroying attack.

Countless people held their breath, their hearts seemingly gripped by an invisible hand.

Su Mu stood before the bridge console, gripping the edge of the metal surface tightly, her knuckles turning white from the effort, her eyes locked onto the massive tactical holographic projection ahead.

Evelyn stood beside her, her hands flying across various auxiliary control interfaces, attempting to analyze the attack pattern and energy composition, but fine beads of sweat had already begun to form on her forehead.

Wang Jianguo, his face ashen, continuously issued Orders through the communication channel to adjust the defensive formation and prepare to withstand the impact.

Faced with this torrential wave of destruction that seemed capable of piercing the stars, Excellence, floating directly in front of it, performed an action that made the hearts of all who witnessed it stop.

He did not dodge, did not raise any form of energy shield, and did not even adopt any defensive or offensive stance.

He simply, calmly raised his right hand, his five fingers naturally splayed, his palm facing squarely toward the roaring dark red beam of destruction, and then, with a clear and steady voice, softly said one word:

"Stop."

His voice was not loud, and it could not propagate through a medium in a vacuum.

Yet, a peculiar fluctuation of intent, containing the rhythm of some supreme rule, resonated clearly and unmistakably within the "consciousness" of every entity on the battlefield capable of Perception, whether it was the humans inside the "Homeland" base or the chaotic "World Devourer" within the black giant ship.

The next moment, a scene that caused the thoughts of the "World Devourer" and all observers to nearly freeze—a scene they would never forget—shockingly unfolded.

That dark red torrent of destruction, capable of leveling a planet's surface and vaporizing small celestial bodies, was less than a hundred meters from Excellence—a negligible distance for an attack traveling at the speed of light—when it slammed into an absolutely invisible, yet absolutely impassable wall of sighs, like a prehistoric beast sprinting at full speed, or as if the time axis of the entire universe had been stripped away and paused at this very moment, in this very place.

It stopped, completely and inexplicably, in the void!

It was not neutralized by energy, not deflected or refracted by a force field, but was the purest, most direct, and most contrary-to-all-known-laws-of-physics—stagnation!

The dark red energy, violent to the extreme, remained in the most ferocious dynamic posture of the moment it erupted, frozen there.

Its light no longer flowed, its energy no longer diffused, as if it were a painting of destruction eternally frozen in time, a still life of death hanging before Excellence, painted by the enemy's own hands.

【Im...pos...sible!!!】 The chaotic intent emanating from the black giant ship was instantly overwhelmed by unbelievable shock.

The fluctuations of that intent were so violent that they even affected the stray energy streams around the hull, causing them to flicker erratically.

Inside the "Homeland" base, time also seemed to have stopped.

The bridge was dead silent, save for the faint hum of operating instruments.

Everyone had their eyes wide open and mouths agape, yet they could not make a sound, their brains falling into a brief blankness as they processed this scene that exceeded the limits of their understanding.

Even Excellence himself, looking at the destruction beam forcibly "frozen" before him, blinked, a subtle, almost puzzled expression appearing on his face, and muttered in a low voice: "Huh? The effect is this direct? The 'Local Spacetime Stasis' command within the 'Order' authority consumes less than expected, and its priority is absurdly high... It seems, I might have used a bit too much force?"

This self-talk, which carried a tone of experimental surprise and serious evaluation, was barely captured and converted by the "Ark"'s high-sensitivity passive energy field pickup, vaguely transmitting back to the bridge's communication channel.

Su Mu: "..."

Evelyn: "..."

Wang Jianguo and all bridge personnel: "..."

Used too much force?! Stopping an attack capable of destroying a star is called using too much force?! Then what would be called 'just right'?!

Everyone's expression became extremely strange, a mix of absurdity and shock surging in their hearts.

Excellence, however, paid no mind to the cognitive shock he might have caused.

He examined the frozen "artwork" before him with great interest, then looked up at the black giant ship in the distance that had temporarily fallen into silence due to excessive shock, tilting his head as if seriously considering how to handle this "generous gift" that had been "paused."

"Hmm..." He pondered for half a second, then, facing the solidified dark red energy pillar, spoke again.

This time, his tone carried a touch of experimental rigor and a hint of faint humor: "Leaving it here isn't really right. Courtesy demands reciprocity, don't you think? So... Turn."

The "Stop" command had not yet fully dissipated, but the rule of "Turn" had already been injected.

The frozen dark red torrent trembled violently!

It was not the vibration before an explosion, but a more fundamental, rule-level tremor.

Then, what was reflected in the "eye" (if it had such an organ) of the "World Devourer" lord ship was a scene that made its soul core feel icy cold—the destruction beam it had fired itself, which had condensed terrifying energy, began to defy all laws of energy conduction and causal logic, turning around in place!

It was as if a pair of invisible giant hands had grabbed the "head and tail" of the light beam, forcibly twisting it.

The dark red energy stream surged back along its original path, in a posture even more rapid and violent than when it was fired!

Space was torn apart once again by this counter-flowing beam, emitting a silent wail.

"Roar——!!!" The black giant ship emitted a hiss mixed with fury and fear.

All remaining functional defensive energy organs on the hull flashed frantically, and layers of dark energy shields, resembling rotten flesh, rose hastily, overlapping in front of the ship's bow to form a thick barrier.

Rumble——!!! The returning torrent of destruction slammed solidly into the shield the giant ship itself had raised!

An explosion, far more dazzling and violent than before, bloomed in the starry sky like a deformed dark red flower.

The terrifying shockwave, carrying shattered energy fragments and spatial ripples, expanded in a spherical shape in all directions, pushing the giant ship's massive body backward for thousands of kilometers like a falling leaf in a gale.

At the core of the explosion, the dark shields flickered, shattering inch by inch until they completely collapsed.

Large sections of the armor plates on the giant ship's surface melted and twisted, several smaller energy cannons exploded from overload, spewing filthy energy flames; it was clearly severely damaged.

"The defensive strength is decent; the energy nature leans toward 'Chaos Corruption' and 'Devouring Assimilation,' with some resistance to conventional Order energy, but weak resistance to highly ordered rule reversal."

Excellence hovered in place, letting the aftermath of the explosion pass by him, smoothed out by his own Order field.

He commented casually, like an on-site analyst, his gaze calmly sweeping over the damage to the giant ship.

"However, the structure seems to have quite a bit of redundancy and biological characteristics—sacrificing some efficiency for strong survivability? A typical predatory evolution route."

Before the words had even faded, his figure quietly faded from the spot.

The next second, a silvery-white light lit up directly above the retreating giant ship.

Excellence's figure appeared like a ghost.

This time, he seemed not to intend to frequently use the Order authority that approximated "word becomes law," perhaps feeling that while the consumption was not large, it was too "tricky," or perhaps wanting to more tangibly experience the power of his new body.

He clenched his right fist, pulled his arm back, and adopted the most archaic posture for exerting force.

The light of the silvery-white energy armor accelerated, flowing along his arm toward his fist.

It was not a simple accumulation of energy, but the Power of Order, highly condensed, compressed, and woven under his will.

The void around his fist began to collapse slightly inward, light twisting, as if forming a miniature, all-consuming Order singularity.

There was no dazzling light, only a heart-stopping sense of weight that seemed capable of suppressing all chaos.

"Just learned it, lesson one of combining theory with practice——" A sharp light flashed in Excellence's eyes, he exhaled, and his fist struck down like a meteor! "Order · Collapse Punch!"

Boom——!!! A dull sound, extreme in its intensity, did not propagate through the air but acted directly upon the spatial structure itself, even faintly shaking the mental plane of the observers.

Centered on the point of Excellence's fist, the giant ship's thick bio-alloy armor, which could withstand large meteorite impacts and even briefly resist bombardment from medium-power ion main cannons, dented and cracked downward without resistance, like a brittle biscuit struck by an invisible giant hammer!

There was no fire, no melting.

Instead, countless radial cracks, shining with pure white Order light, spread instantly at a speed exceeding physical propagation, covering dozens of square kilometers of the hull surface!

These cracks were not simple physical destruction; the Power of Order, like the most efficient disinfectant, eroded and disintegrated the "biomass" and energy veins of the giant ship, which were composed of chaotic energy, along the cracks.

Wherever it passed, the dark red energy light, like a snuffed-out candle flame, quickly dimmed, disintegrated, and lost its activity; those wriggling, muscle-like structures quickly dried up, solidified, and then turned into grayish-white dust and drifted away.

From within the giant ship came even more painful, frantic shrieks, along with the continuous, dull roars of collapsing structures and bursting energy pipelines.

This punch not only caused massive physical destruction but also inflicted serious "conceptual" damage to the very foundation of its existence—the chaotic energy system.

Inside the "Ark" bridge, there was a chorus of gasps.

Wang Jianguo subconsciously clenched his fists, his palms sweaty; despite being a veteran of many battles, he had never seen such a bizarre and domineering attack method.

Su Mu covered her mouth, her eyes wide, forgetting to breathe.

Evelyn had entered a state of scientific frenzy, her hands flying across the console, recording various energy readings, spatial fluctuation data, and the enemy's structural collapse patterns, muttering unconsciously: "Rule-level erosion... simultaneous disintegration of physical and energy structures... this has exceeded simple energy-level confrontation..."

The "White Elder," watching from afar, had his hand stroking his long beard frozen in mid-air, a sharp light flashing in his eyes as he whispered to himself: "Good! What a body forged from the 'Order Origin'! What masterful control of power, lifting the heavy as if it were light! This child has not only inherited the authority of 'Order' but has also integrated it into his combat instincts! That punch, seemingly brute force, was actually a 'rule strike' that used his own highly ordered force field to instantly cover, penetrate, and disintegrate the opponent's chaotic structure! Remarkable! It seems this task of 'mending the heavens' might truly have a turning point..."

In the starry sky, Excellence hovered above the damaged giant ship, shaking his slightly numb right wrist—the strength of the new body was unquestionable, but the adaptation to the recoil of such extreme power output was still being fine-tuned.

"The linearity of the power output feedback needs fine-tuning; I used about seventy percent of my strength just now, and the spread range was fifteen percent larger than expected; the concentration wasn't enough."

He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps making a combat record, frowning as he looked at the giant ship below that was still cracking and wailing.

"I intended to punch a penetrating hole, striking directly at the potential core area, so why did it cause such large-scale structural tearing? The repair costs... oh, right, they probably don't care about that, or rather, do they use biomass for self-repair? The efficiency probably isn't high."

His troubled muttering was again faintly captured.

The people on the bridge were already somewhat numb.

Thinking about how to cause more "economical and affordable" damage to the enemy?! Isn't this line of thinking a bit too advanced?!

Just then, the "World Devourer flagship," having suffered heavy damage and appearing to be in a desperate situation, was thoroughly enraged while simultaneously sensing a fatal threat.

On the surviving hull, hundreds of previously hidden, pustule- or tumor-like dark red energy cannons opened simultaneously. A more evil, more chaotic dark purple energy, one that seemed capable of corrupting the spirit and twisting sanity, began to gather frantically, even causing the surrounding space to twist unnaturally and produce noise like The Whisper.

At the same time, the area at the rear of the giant ship, which had originally been eroded by Excellence's Power of Order, forcefully surged with filthy energy, attempting to tear open a spatial rift once more. The posture suggested it was planning a final, suicidal outburst, or perhaps... preparing to escape at all costs?

"Trying to fight to the death? Or do you want to run?" Excellence's eyes turned cold, his surrounding Order force field suddenly strengthened, and his silver-white battle armor shone brilliantly.

Regardless of which possibility it was, he had no intention of letting this malicious warship leave intact. At the very least, he had to leave behind enough research samples and sever its coordinate lock on this star sector.

However, just as he gathered his strength, preparing to launch a more lethal strike or forcibly seal the space, a sudden change occurred!

Deep within the giant ship, in a core area protected by layers of chaotic energy and biological tissue, an extremely obscure but terrifyingly high-ranking consciousness—like an ancient god sleeping at the bottom of an endless abyss—was startled by the violent turbulence outside and a certain special "Order" aura, and it slightly "swept" across the battlefield.

Merely the trace of the aftermath leaked unintentionally by this consciousness, like the cold, slimy tongue of a venomous snake licking his soul, caused Excellence's thought processes to stutter slightly, and his newborn body transmitted an instinctive sense of discomfort and vigilance.

That was definitely not a consciousness that this "flagship" could possess on its own! It was more like a deep imprint, an accidental projection of a "gaze" from a higher dimension, a "mark" belonging to some unimaginable existence.

【Interesting... Order aura... New coordinates... Marking... Complete... Energy signature... Recorded...】

A cold, indifferent fragment of consciousness, seemingly from the end of all things in the universe, flashed through the minds of Excellence and all sentient beings whose Perception had reached a certain level. It carried no emotion, only pure information transmission and recording.

【Next time... true body... or projection... will arrive in person...】

The moment the consciousness dissipated, the damaged giant ship and the space around it, which had begun to fluctuate unstably, suddenly underwent violent distortion and contraction! It was not a simple opening of a jump window, but as if the entire existence itself was about to collapse inward and self-annihilate, or as if it were being forcibly dragged back by some invisible, immense force from a distant end.

"Want to leave? Leave something behind as a souvenir!" Excellence snorted coldly. Although he felt a sense of awe at the "arrival in person" hinted at by that higher-level consciousness, his movements were faster.

He pressed his hands forward into the void, and a vast and pure Power of Order surged out. No longer condensed into a fist, it transformed into countless "Order Chains" shimmering with pure white light, woven from the most fundamental rule patterns.

These chains ignored physical distance and instantly coiled around the giant ship's broken hull and the collapsing space Node, attempting to forcibly anchor it here, or at least... strip away some valuable "structures."

The "Order Chains" successfully coiled around a large, relatively intact section of the giant ship's rear hull, as well as the edge of the collapsing spatial rift. The forces of both sides began to wrestle frantically; the white light of Order and the chaotic dark purple and filthy red energy clashed fiercely, eroding and wearing each other down, tearing that patch of space like a tattered rag, presenting an extremely unstable and bizarre scene.

At this moment of stalemate, the "White Elder," who had been observing quietly as if merely a bystander or recorder, finally made a move. The seemingly ordinary staff in his hand, made of neither metal nor wood, was gently raised and pointed vaguely toward the center of the deadlock.

There was no earth-shattering explosion of light, no deafening roar of energy. There was only a more profound and mysterious ripple, like a pebble dropped into an ancient well, spreading silently. The ripple seemed to act directly upon certain underlying "parameters" of the universe, carrying a nuance of "harmonizing" and "combing."

The giant ship and the rift, which were wrestling with the Order Chains and attempting to complete their annihilation and escape, suddenly stalled! It was like a speeding vehicle having its brakes slammed and its handbrake pulled at the same time.

Immediately after, under the full-force pulling of Excellence's "Order Chains" and the subtle interference of the White Elder's mysterious ripple on the spatial structure and the opponent's energy stability—Boom! Crackle—!!

A teeth-grinding sound of spatial tearing and material disintegration erupted. A large, relatively intact section of the giant ship near the rear, accounting for about one-tenth of its total volume, along with several energy cannons that had not yet fully closed and were still flashing with dangerous red light, as well as a large patch of special biological armor covered in thick chaotic energy, was forcibly torn and cut away from the main body!

As for that dark purple spatial rift, after emitting a shrill, unwilling screech that transcended the range of hearing and pierced straight into the soul, it completely collapsed and dissipated, leaving behind only a briefly twisted spatial "scar" that slowly self-repaired.

The huge wreckage that had been torn off, still over a dozen kilometers in length, lost its main body's energy supply and dominant consciousness. Like the limb of a giant beast that had been severed, it tumbled and drifted in the cold void.

On the surface of the wreckage, sporadic dark red energy sparks still jumped, attempting to struggle, but its main structure had been deeply polluted and eroded by Excellence's Power of Order, its vitality rapidly draining away, becoming deathly silent.

The "World Devourer flagship," its main body scarred and emitting plumes of energy smoke, wrapped in endless malice and fear, vanished completely within the purple-black light of self-annihilation, leaving behind only some tiny fragments and energy residue as proof that it had once been there.

The starry sky regained its profound tranquility. Only the silently tumbling massive wreckage, the slowly dissipating energy afterglow, and... Excellence, standing in the void with his silver armor shining quietly against the backdrop of the galaxy, composed a new scene.

Inside the "Ark," there was silence. After a full few seconds, as if a binding spell had been lifted, a deafening cheer mixed with ecstasy, catharsis, and disbelief erupted!

Many people hugged and wept, and even more waved their arms vigorously, shouting aloud.

They had won! No, it was their "Hope," the youth they had witnessed growing up, who had, in the posture of a newly obtained body, in a near-mythical manner, repelled and severely damaged that terrifying "World Devourer Lord"!

Su Mu's legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the floor, but was caught in time by Evelyn beside her. Tears streamed freely down her face, yet she couldn't help but grin, her facial expression management completely lost.

Evelyn also let out a long, deep breath, only then realizing that in her tightly clenched fists, her nails had dug deeply into her palms, and the combat suit on her back had been soaked with cold sweat, but her eyes shone with an incomparably bright radiance.

Wang Jianguo slammed his fist heavily onto the sturdy console, emitting a dull "thud," and a look of relief and great heroic spirit appeared on his face: "Good! Well done! This kid... really made me proud!"

In the starry sky, Excellence slowly retracted the light around him and descended from the void—in reality, the Order force field under his feet had condensed into a stable platform.

He first looked at the floating wreckage, which was of great research value, thinking about how to safely recover it. Then, his gaze turned toward the direction of the "White Elder" in the distance, nodding slightly in greeting, thanking the other party for their help at the critical moment. Finally, he frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

"True body... arrival in person?" He ruminated on the short message left by that cold consciousness, and alarm bells rang softly in his heart. That was definitely not an empty threat; the level of indifference and certainty meant the other party truly possessed such capability and intent.

At the same time, he carefully sensed his new body, noting the faint, almost imperceptible sense of sluggishness and slight fatigue that followed the continuous high-load activation of the Power of Order, especially after the final contact with the aftermath of that higher-dimensional consciousness and the forced tearing of the hull, as if touching upon some "carrying limit" of his current body.

This body was incredibly powerful, its potential unfathomable, but it clearly was not without limits. And future enemies might be more unimaginable than the last.

"It seems this duty of 'Patching the Sky Coordinate,' this burden of protection, is much heavier than expected, and... much more interesting, too." He murmured to himself, but the corners of his mouth slowly curled into an arc. In that smile, there was a mixture of clear excitement, a soaring desire for challenge, and a heavy sense of realization.

"That's fine. If the road ahead were smooth and flat, wouldn't it be a waste of this fortune, a waste of everyone's hard work?"

He turned around, facing the direction of the "Homeland" base, his gaze seeming to pierce through the vast distance and thick bulkheads, seeing Su Mu weeping with joy on the bridge, seeing the excited Evelyn, and seeing many familiar or unfamiliar faces overflowing with the joy of surviving a catastrophe.

The smile on his face became warm and real, shedding the sharpness and divinity of the battlefield, and once again taking on the human touch that belonged to "Excellence."

"Squad leader, Sister Evelyn, everyone... I'm back." He said silently in his heart, "This time, I'm back for real, completely. With new power, and with new responsibilities."

Starlight shone on his newborn body, his silver armor shimmering with a soft luster, as if absorbing the blessings of the stars. The first battle was a victory, resounding and glorious, enough to be recorded in the annals of this exiled civilization. But Excellence knew this was just a beginning. The threat of "arrival in person" was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over the civilization. And his own body, powerful yet reminding him that there were still "limits" to break through, also signaled that the path of evolution was endless.

However, those were all issues to be faced tomorrow, or even in the more distant future.

Right now, the fierce battle had just ended, and he only wanted to return to that warm "home" first, to properly experience the sensation of hot water running over his skin (the sensory experience of his new body filled him with curiosity), and then, perhaps he could look forward to a meal made by the squad leader herself, not some synthetic nutrient paste, but a truly delicious meal. He missed that taste a little.

Oh, right, there was also that wreckage; he had to organize the recovery quickly; Sister Evelyn was probably already impatient. And Senior "White Elder," that last move of helping to "cut" was done with effortless ease, revealing a completely different kind of mystery; he had to find a time to ask for advice...

Amidst his fluttering thoughts, Excellence's figure once again turned into a peaceful stream of light, no longer sharp, but carrying a hint of the relaxation of returning home, crossing the silent starry sky, flying toward the "Homeland" base that was flickering with warm light.

Behind him were the gradually cooling battlefield wreckage, the still-brilliant billions of stars, and... a brand new legendary chapter, opened by his own hands, destined to be magnificent, filled with both crises and opportunities.

The starry sky was silent, the legend newly forged. And the road for the youth returning home was lit with welcoming lights.