158: 'Molten Core' World! Coming

The Boundless Sea of Realms stretches infinitely, with countless planes like stars.

Molten Heart is an exceptionally brilliant 'world'.

This is a supercontinent, flat and circular, with a total area exceeding 50 billion square kilometers.

At the core of the world is a gigantic crystal suspended in the subterranean firmament of the continent.

It pulsates eternally, releasing endless lava and heat, nourishing this land and shaping the fierce and violent nature of its billions of living beings.

This crystal, due to its resemblance to a human heart, was named "Molten Heart," and the world was named after it.

As the Blue Star Alliance's most crucial strategic stronghold in the Southern Region, Molten Heart is not only a resource-rich area but also a front-line bastion against the encroachment of the Dark Star Empire.

Currently, this ancient continent is shrouded in the shadow of war.

Hundreds of thousands of Alliance Lords and tens of millions of professionals, along with a coalition of various empires and dynasties native to Molten Heart, are fiercely battling the Dark Star Empire's "Obsidian Legion" across the 'world'.

...

Youfeng Valley.

A treacherous, jagged canyon in the southern war zone of Molten Heart.

This is one of the critical nodes of the entire world's defense field; the stability of its energy hub directly impacts the safety of all Molten Heart.

Therefore, this place has also become the most brutal meat grinder where both sides are locked in a desperate struggle.

Deep within the canyon, in a temporary command center constructed from alloy and energy shields, the atmosphere was oppressive.

"Where are the reinforcements?!"

Commander General Wei, a gray-haired, sunken-eyed Major General, stared at the 3D tactical sandbox before him with bloodshot eyes.

On the sandbox, the blue dots representing his side were being overwhelmed by a large number of red dots, and the defensive line was being torn open by a massive breach.

His voice carried a suppressed fury.

A staff officer's forehead was beaded with cold sweat, his fingers rapidly tapping on the virtual keyboard, but the data he pulled up only made his face paler.

"Reporting, General! The Dark Star Empire has deployed four Legendary-tier combatants this time, and we... we only have Flame Heaven Sword Master and Giant Rock Titan supporting on the front line!"

"Four against two?" General Wei slammed his fist onto the control panel, leaving a shallow dent in the sturdy alloy surface, which vibrated with a hum.

"How can we fight this battle?! What do we use to fill the gap?!"

He almost roared but quickly forced his emotions down, then asked, "Where is the nearest strategic mobile unit?"

"Reporting... it's the Seventh Fleet, but they are entangled with the enemy's main force, and it will take at least... at least three standard hours for them to provide support."

The staff officer's voice grew fainter and fainter, barely audible at the end.

"Three hours..."

General Wei closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only determination remained.

"By the time they arrive, Youfeng Valley will have long become a historical term."

He took a deep breath, as if expending all his strength.

"Pass on my order! All second-line units and reserves, deploy immediately."

"Also, tell Flame Heaven Sword Master and Giant Rock Titan that they need to hold back the four enemy Legends for me; we need time."

"Order all units on the front line, spare no cost, spare no expense! Hold... the line."

"General!" The staff officers were aghast.

This was no longer fighting a war; this was gambling human lives on a remote, nebulous possibility.

General Wei ignored them, simply turning his gaze back to the rapidly collapsing sandbox.

His previously straight back seemed to be bent by an invisible heavy pressure at this moment.

Front line.

The sky was stained a dull iron-gray by the Dark Star Empire's floating battle fortresses, and countless hideous demon-bat fighters swarmed overhead like locusts, dropping energy bombs.

The ground had long lost its original appearance; charred earth, twisted metal wreckage, and incomplete corpses mingled, forming a hellish scene.

A young Alliance Lieutenant, Li Mo, was gasping for breath behind a half-melted bunker.

The energy indicator on his power armor was flashing a dangerous red, and the barrel of his Gauss rifle was so hot it could fry an egg.

"Ammo! Medic! Right flank needs fire support!"

In the communication channel, various voices mingled, forming a cacophony of static.

He peered out and his heart sank sharply.

The right flank's position had been breached.

A group of monsters over four meters tall, covered in Obsidian-like carapaces, were wielding massive axes, splitting the last resistors in half.

Those were the Dark Star Empire's ace units — Obsidian Destroyers.

Above, the battle was even more perilous.

A swordsman engulfed in flames, the Alliance's Legend 'Flame Heaven Sword Master', was there.

Each swing of his long sword unleashed a thousand-meter-long flame sword qi, vaporizing large swathes of enemy troops.

But at this moment.

He was being jointly suppressed by a shadowy Dark Star Legend wielding a massive black scythe and an Abyssal Worm as large as a mountain, facing extreme danger.

On the other side, "Giant Rock Titan" had transformed into a hundred-meter-tall rock giant, locked in fierce combat with two other Dark Star powerhouses, also of Legendary-tier.

Each of his steps made the earth tremble, and each punch carried the might to shatter mountains and crack the ground.

But one of his opponents transformed into a black hole devouring all, while the other manipulated endless shadowy tendrils, constantly eroding his strength.

"I can't hold on..."

Li Mo murmured, despair evident in his eyes.

Not far away, a massive Obsidian Destroyer noticed him.

Its crimson compound eyes gleamed with cruel killing intent, and it charged towards him with heavy steps, making the ground tremble.

Li Mo gripped his Gauss rifle; this was his last magazine.

From afar, he could already smell the sulfurous odor emanating from the monster.

He prepared to pull the trigger, making his final stand.

Just then—the sky ripped open!

Everyone, in unison, looked up.

The iron-gray sky above Youfeng Valley, stained by the fires of war, was unexpectedly torn open by a massive rift tens of thousands of meters long.

A quietblue passage appeared.

Everyone on the battlefield, whether Alliance soldiers or Dark Star forces, instinctively stopped their actions, staring blankly.

In General Wei's command center, the alarm blared piercingly.

"Super-dimensional spatial jump detected! Energy readings... Oh my god! Is that a city?"

A monitor's voice trembled as he looked at the main screen.

Under everyone's gaze, a majestic giant city slowly emerged from the quietblue spatial passage!

It was a city suspended in the air!

The city walls were a deep dark gold, inscribed with intricate and profound patterns, glowing with a captivating radiance under the dim light of Molten Heart World.

Above the city, a celestial palace, seemingly carved from pure crystal, floated, emitting spiritual energy fluctuations that suppressed all.