40: Void Engine, Phantom Fall

"Damn it, does the codex extraction absolutely require him to be alive?"

At this moment, in the control room of the Phantom Spaceship, Zod looked at the old man beside him and asked. This was their science officer, primarily responsible for providing scientific support and advice.

From the moment Clark refused him, Zod's attitude towards Clark's actions had become intolerable. Initially, he had hoped to persuade Clark to willingly hand over the codex, but now it seemed impossible.

Since that was the case, he had to prepare for two possibilities, such as... forcibly taking the codex!

"No, my respected commander."

"All I need is him, the person himself."

Facing Zod's question, the science officer immediately gave an answer. Although the codex had been integrated into Clark's blood by Jor-El, as long as he could extract the other side's heart blood—the most core blood—he could extract the codex's information from it.

Therefore, as long as he could get the heart blood, whether he was dead or alive truly didn't matter that much.

"If that's the case, then you can just wait to extract his heart blood."

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Zod's eyes. He already knew what to do next.

"Activate the Void Engine!"

"I will make Earth and Kal-El become the nourishment for the Second Krypton!"

At this moment, Zod's face was filled with cold, iron-willed determination.

At the same time, because the Phantom Spaceship had been affected by the battle between Superman Clark and Namek, it was no longer able to remain suspended in the air. Therefore, after Zod ordered the Void Engine to be launched, it began to fall definitively towards the ground of Metropolis.

Rumble~

Inside the Phantom Spaceship, which was shaking uncontrollably, Li An was still fiercely battling a group of Kryptonian soldiers. Against these soldiers, Li An naturally didn't need his Energy Field, as his own attributes were already considerably stronger than theirs.

From the information he saw on the Kryptonian soldiers, their attributes generally fluctuated around 145, and only their Strength attribute could reach 145. Their other three attributes were far lower, ranging between 120 and 130 points.

Therefore, Li An had already put away his Energy Field. He was now fighting the Kryptonian soldiers relying entirely on his physical strength, and the Combat Expertise ability he had absorbed from Deathstroke was also at play.

In the continuous combat, his punching style and force were constantly changing, and his application of power became increasingly refined, allowing him to distribute every bit of strength more rationally. At the same time, his combat experience was continuously growing.

In fact, Li An wouldn't have needed much time to truly eliminate these Kryptonian soldiers. It was all because Li An still needed to grow; he needed more combat experience against enemies and to understand the Kryptonians' fighting style.

Only then could he be more confident in the upcoming great battle!

"Damn it, has Clark broken free?"

"Such a huge commotion, who is he fighting?"

The immense commotion within the Phantom Spaceship made Li An almost instinctively think of who could cause such a disturbance. It wasn't hard to guess, as only Zod and his elite subordinates possessed such great power on the ship, but it was their ship, and these Kryptonians naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to destroy it.

Considering that Superman Clark had entered the Phantom Spaceship with him, there was only one possibility: Superman Clark had broken free and was engaged in a fierce battle with his fellow Kryptonians.

Thud~

Just then, a huge dull thud suddenly echoed through the shaking ship. Li An, who was inside the ship, felt the descent speed suddenly accelerate. He almost instantly lost his balance and, like the surrounding Kryptonian soldiers, was directly thrown into a daze.

However, after only a few seconds, relying on his formidable physical strength, Li An reacted first. At the same time, he used his keen reflexes and speed, which far surpassed that of the Kryptonian soldiers, to move swiftly.

Following this downward trend, a hint of unease gradually emerged in Li An's heart. Although he couldn't see the outside situation, he could tell that the current situation was definitely unfavorable for him, which instinctively made him want to escape from the ship.

"No, I can't stay here any longer; I must get out quickly!"

As the feeling of unease arose, Li An immediately lost the desire to continue entangled with these Kryptonians. He began searching for an exit, preparing to escape from the Phantom Spaceship.

At the same time!

Clark and Namek, who caused this huge disaster, were still fighting fiercely. Under the collision of their terrifying powers, the surrounding ship facilities were completely ruined, with only scattered electronic parts still emitting sparks, instilling fear.

"Namek, kill him."

"Kal-El, as a Kryptonian, your only contribution to Krypton will be to become nourishment for the Second Krypton."

However, at this moment, as the two were still colliding furiously, Zod's voice suddenly rang out from all directions. His tone was filled with coldness and ruthlessness. At this point, Zod harbored no pity whatsoever; since Clark chose to refuse him, he no longer had a reason to exist.

After all, extracting the codex didn't require Clark to be alive.

"Second Krypton, what have you done?!"

Clark, who was still fiercely fighting Namek, first punched Namek away, then looked at the empty surroundings and let out an angry roar.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled the opponent's plan to rebuild Krypton. Had that plan already begun to be implemented?

"Heh heh, naturally, it's to rebuild Krypton."

"My life, the meaning of my existence, is all for Krypton. I will dedicate everything I have; I will... create the Second Krypton!"

Through the remaining, relatively intact communication systems within the ship, Zod's voice continuously echoed inside the Phantom Spaceship. At this moment, not only Clark but Li An as well heard Zod's voice.

This caused Li An's expression to change instantly, and he secretly thought, "This is bad."

"That old bastard wouldn't have already released the Void Engine and intends to transform Earth into the Second Krypton in one fell swoop, would he?"

Li An's heart immediately pounded. Because of his intervention, Lois hadn't boarded the Phantom Spaceship, causing the current plot to deviate from the original story and develop in an unpredictable direction. Therefore, he didn't know what would happen next.

"No, I can't just sit back and wait; I must stop Zod!"

A thought flashed through Li An's mind. He knew very well where his advantage lay. In the original story, there were two Void Engines: one located in a mysterious Eastern great power, and one above Metropolis. These two engines, when linked, could transform Earth's ecological environment, making it suitable for Kryptonian habitation.