162: The Disappearance of the Seventh Fleet

Night fell, and the twin moons unique to the Molten Heart World hung in the sky, one crimson, one violet.

On Dingjun Mountain, Infinite City and the mountain's defensive array were perfectly integrated, with golden and silver energy light screens flickering on and off.

The temporary camp at the foot of the mountain was brightly lit, and the clamor could be heard from afar; it was the alliance soldiers releasing their long-suppressed emotions.

Su Jin led Bai Xiao and the others towards the command camp.

At the camp entrance, General Wei had been waiting for a long time. He had changed out of his armor and was wearing a relatively casual officer's uniform.

Seeing Su Jin and his group, he laughed heartily and walked quickly to greet them.

“Lord Su Jin, you're finally here!”

General Wei enthusiastically clapped Lord Su Jin's shoulder with considerable force.

“If you hadn't come any sooner, all the wine in my camp would have been drunk by those lads!”

His gaze swept over the few people behind Lord Su Jin, lingering for a moment on Zhui Yun and Mu Yang, finally resting on Bai Xiao.

There was a mix of curiosity and scrutiny in the old general's eyes.

“This must be… Sir Bai Xiao, right?”

General Wei's tone became much more polite.

Bai Xiao merely nodded slightly in response.

He stood there like an iceberg, silent, as if the surrounding revelry had nothing to do with him.

General Wei wasn't embarrassed and laughed heartily.

“A master's demeanor, I understand, I understand! Come on, everyone, let's go in. We won't go home until we're drunk tonight!”

The banquet hall was already bustling with noise.

On the left side, lords and professionals wearing various alliance uniforms rose to their feet and raised their cups when they saw Lord Su Jin.

“Lord Su Jin! I toast you! If you hadn't arrived in time, our 'Raging Tide Fortress' would have been erased from Youfeng Valley today!”

A burly lord whose arm was still wrapped in bio-regeneration gel shouted.

“That's right. Lord Su Jin! I toast you!”

“Lord Su Jin, if there's anything you need from our 'Anvil Camp' in the future, just say the word!”

On the right side, the atmosphere was distinctly different.

They wore various silk battle robes embroidered with exotic beast totems, exuding a majestic aura. These were the generals of the Molten Heart's native dynasties.

Their gazes towards Lord Su Jin were complex, containing both respect for a strong individual and a hint of awe.

An old general with a three-strand long beard, wearing a crimson-gold dragon scale patterned robe, stood up and bowed to Lord Su Jin from afar.

“Lord Su Jin, your righteousness is profound. The Crimson Flame Dynasty will never forget this act of assistance.”

Lord Su Jin raised his cup in return, a faint smile on his face, calmly responding to the enthusiasm from all directions.

In a corner, a young warrior who appeared to be in his early twenties looked at Lord Su Jin, who was surrounded by everyone, and a hint of defiance flashed in his eyes.

He whispered to the middle-aged man beside him.

“Isn't he just lucky to have gotten a powerful legendary subordinate? Look how proud he is, just a Level 7 territory…”

Before he could finish speaking, he was sharply stomped on by the middle-aged man beside him.

“Shut up! What the hell do you know?!”

The middle-aged man lowered his voice and reprimanded him sternly.

“Lucky? Do you know what 'True Name Liberation' means? That's the potential of a demigod!”

“Let alone one, even ten Golden Warriors like you and me wouldn't be enough for one sword stroke in front of such an existence! The only reason Youfeng Valley was saved today is because of him! If you want to die, don't drag me with you!”

The young warrior's face turned pale, and when he looked at the white-clad swordsman again, only fear remained in his eyes.

......

After several rounds of drinks and dishes.

General Wei clapped his hands, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

“Everyone, today's feast is a celebration and a welcoming banquet! Let us once again thank Lord Su Jin and his Infinite City!”

After thunderous applause, General Wei's tone shifted, and his expression became serious.

“However, the battle is far from over. The Dark Star Empire has suffered such a great loss and will certainly not give up. We must prepare for the worst.”

He looked at Lord Su Jin and the other few lords who seemed to hold the highest status, as well as the old general from the Crimson Flame Dynasty, and gave them a knowing glance.

“Gentlemen, let's step aside and talk.”

In a secret room adorned with a large tactical map, the atmosphere was heavy.

Besides General Wei, there were three Level 9 lords and the 'Dragon Scale General' from the Crimson Flame Dynasty.

They were the highest decision-makers for this defense line.

“The situation is worse than we imagined.”

General Wei got straight to the point, pointing to a red-marked area on the map.

“This is the Seventh Fleet's planned route. According to the original plan, they should have arrived at Youfeng Valley four hours ago.”

A Level 9 lord named 'Wenshan', wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking refined, interjected.

“But we haven't received any news from them to this day. I've tried emergency communications on all frequencies, but they've all vanished without a trace.”

Another burly lord with a fierce aura, 'Butcher', slammed his fist on the table.

“Damn it, the Seventh Fleet is one of the alliance's main fleets in the southern Molten Heart! ”

“Three 'Star Beacon-class' battlecruisers and hundreds of frigates—even if they encountered the Dark Star's main forces, they should at least be able to send out a distress signal.”

“They just vanished without a sound?”

Everyone present understood what this meant.

A fully formed fleet losing contact silently either meant they encountered a terrifying force far beyond expectations, or... they collectively defected.

But the latter possibility was extremely slim.

“What I'm more worried about is that the enemy has mastered some means we don't know about.”

The Dragon Scale General said in a deep voice.

“My dynasty's 'Star-Gazing Platform' observed strange energy converging in that starfield last night, seemingly involving space and illusion, but it was fleeting and could not be captured.”

“Space and illusion?”

Lord Su Jin spoke, and the others turned to look at him.

“To make an entire fleet disappear silently, it probably goes beyond conventional means. Could it be some kind of… 'Domain'-level ability? Used for shielding and deception.”

General Wei's eyes lit up, and he nodded: “Possible.”

“However, to uncover the truth, we still need to send people for deep reconnaissance. Only with intelligence can we make correct judgments.”

“Indeed,”

The few people present expressed their agreement.

“The problem is who to send. Conventional reconnaissance aircraft and scout teams would probably be wiped out before they even got close. To go, it must be elites, they must have powerful stealth capabilities, and they must have sufficient strength.”

Everyone fell silent again.

Such a team would be hard to find.

Lord Butcher irritably scratched his bald head.

“Although my 'Flesh Hounds' are not weak, they make too much noise, and stealth is not their strong suit.”

Lord Wenshan also pushed up his glasses and gave a wry smile.

“My 'Rune Golems' aren't afraid of death, but they're too rigid and lack adaptability.”

Just then, Lord Su Jin's voice sounded again.

“My people can go.”

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.

“I have a special reconnaissance unit under my command, called 'Shadow',”

Lord Su Jin said unhurriedly.

“They specialize in stealth, surprise attacks, and intelligence gathering. In addition, I will send a team of Ling Shu Sword Guards to act in coordination.”

“Ling Shu Sword Guard?” The Dragon Scale General was a little confused.

“Their perception is very special,” Lord Su Jin explained.

“They also have extremely strong detection capabilities against illusion and stealth-type energies, and working together, they can even deal with ordinary domains.”

General Wei's eyes lit up.

Stealth assassination, coupled with anti-illusion, anti-stealth, and powerful strength—this was simply the perfect combination tailor-made for this mission!

He had been worried earlier, but he hadn't expected Lord Su Jin's high-end combat power to be so extraordinary, and even his regular troop configuration was so outrageous.

“Good!” General Wei slapped his thigh, no longer hesitating.

“Then it's settled! We will also send out our most elite 'Ghost' special forces team, who will be responsible for leading the way and providing tactical support. Let them go together!”

He turned to Lord Su Jin, his tone solemn.

“Lord Su, this mission is extremely dangerous. You are sending out your precious assets, I…”

Lord Su Jin waved his hand, interrupting him.

“When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.”

His gaze swept over the crimson area on the map representing the unknown, his eyes calm and profound.