295: Chapter 230: First Arrival at the Front Lines, the Cruel Scenery of the Shattered Starfield

On the open-air teleportation platform of the Iron Blood Fortress, the cold wind was like a blade.

This was not a natural wind, but a turbulent energy flow formed by the clash of chaotic spatial energy and residual Divine Power. Scraping against the body, even with Divine Power protection, one could feel a bone-chilling cold and a subtle sense of erosion. The air held a mixture of metallic rust, ionic burning, lingering bloodiness, and the indescribable scent of mourning laws—constantly reminding visitors that this was a world entirely different from a peaceful campus.

The reception officer, Lieutenant Carter, walked ahead with a straight posture, his military boots making crisp sounds on the cold alloy floor, long accustomed to the harsh environment. Lin Zhou and the other three followed closely behind, mobilizing their Divine Power to adapt to the violent energy environment while unable to resist casting their gazes toward the void beyond the steel railings.

The sight was shocking to the core.

There was no trace of the brilliant star rivers or orderly rotating star systems from their memories. As far as the eye could see was a cosmic junkyard that looked as if it had been smashed by brute force and then discarded at random.

Massive planetary remains, like gnawed apple cores, floated irregularly against the dark background. Some were half-melted, with hideous glassy substances formed after cooling flowing across them, emitting dark red residual heat; some were torn apart entirely, their cross-sections showing strange traces of crystallization or charred carbonization; others seemed to have been pierced by some immense force, leaving terrifying, translucent holes wide enough to fit several cities, the rock at the edges appearing as frozen waves of molten material—silently testifying to the destructiveness of that single strike.

Floating between these planetary remains were even more heart-stopping things—fragments of Divine Kingdoms.

They varied in size and shape. Some still showed original architectural outlines and landscapes, but their edges were jagged like broken mirrors, their internal laws completely silent, turning into cold, slowly spinning tombstones of death. Others were even more shattered, reduced to a mass of shimmering law-polymers barely maintaining a shape, like the final entrails of a dying giant beast, slowly disintegrating in the void.

Lin Zhou's gaze was fixed on a relatively large fragment. The fragment was about the size of a small town, with broken Gothic spires and dried-up fountain squares faintly visible on its surface. However, in its core area—a massive wound that looked as if it had been hollowed out by a giant claw—there remained an aura of sharpness, dead silence, and destruction that made the Soul tremble. Even from a distance, and even as that aura rapidly dissipated with the fall of the Divine Kingdom's master, Lin Zhou could still feel his LV249 Godhead giving a slight warning.

[Environment Scan (Li Mo's Shared Data Stream)]

Target: Unknown Divine Kingdom Fragment (Serial No. F-73-08)

Estimated Size: Approximately 15 square kilometers (Original volume unknown).

Residual Energy: Extremely weak, trending toward zero.

Law Status: Completely collapsed, inactive.

Spectral Analysis of Residual Divine Power Fluctuations:

Primary Band 1: Intensity (after attenuation) is approximately equivalent to the afterglow of a full-power strike from a Peak Lesser Divinity (LV400+). Attribute tendency: Sharpness/Tearing.

Primary Band 2: Intensity (after attenuation) is approximately equivalent to residual law erosion from Mid-Tier Divine Power (LV550+). Attribute tendency: Dead Silence/Withering.

Conclusion: This Divine Kingdom fragment sustained at least one strike at the Peak Lesser Divinity level and one at the Mid-Tier Divine Power level, leading to the total collapse of its law structure and the extinguishing of its Divine Fire. Estimated time of fall is within 3-5 standard months.

Danger Assessment: No active threat, but unstable law turbulence or residual curses may exist inside the fragment; approaching is not recommended.

“See that junk?” Lieutenant Carter, walking ahead without looking back, spoke coldly. “That is the most common ‘scenery’ on the battlefield. A Lesser Divinity is just slightly tougher cannon fodder here. Only Mid-Tier Divine Power barely qualifies to be a minor leader, but even they can turn into junk like that at any moment.”

Zhao Hao's throat moved as he swallowed; his previously soaring Battle Intent was doused by a bucket of ice water by the sight before him. He considered his Red Dragon Legion formidable, but if faced with an attack that could cause such wounds... he feared he would suffer heavy losses in a single encounter. Wang Meng clenched his fists; his Behemoth intuition made him extremely disgusted by that residual aura of destruction, while also feeling a heavy pressure. Li Mo, meanwhile, was recording data while muttering to himself: “Modeling law collapse... Divine Power dissipation curves... analysis of multi-attribute composite attack residues... precious, too precious...”

Lin Zhou remained silent, but he felt the greatest internal shock. He had seen powerhouses at the academy and even simulated combat against seniors at the Peak of Lesser Divinity, but those were ultimately sparring matches that stopped at the right moment. This shattered starry sky before him was a raw, unadorned display of death. Mid-Tier Divine Power! That was an existence he currently needed to look up to, yet even they could fall silently here, their Divine Kingdom turning into cold ruins.

Besides planets and Divine Kingdom fragments, other things drifted in the void: eternal, strangely colored elemental flames burning quietly on a piece of rock rich in special minerals; slow-moving gray-black mists composed of pure negative emotions and Soul residues; occasional spatial rifts that flashed by with incredible speed, swallowing nearby fine dust without a trace; one could even see in the far distance massive, creature-like shadows crawling slowly in the deeper void, emitting an unsettling sense of pressure.

“Those are ‘Void Abominations’ or monsters manifested from the residual laws of divine wars,” Lieutenant Carter explained casually, seemingly noticing their gazes. “As long as you don't provoke them or intrude into their ‘territory,’ they generally won't attack frontline outposts. But if you're unlucky enough to run into them... pray for yourselves.”

They moved through the interior of the fortress. It felt more like being inside a massive, complex, and efficient war machine. The sides of the corridors were thick armored plates covered in repair marks and energy conduction patterns. From time to time, squads of fully armed, cold-faced soldiers hurried past, carrying the scent of gunpowder and a faint bloodiness, their eyes as sharp as eagles. They only gave indifferent glances to the new faces of Lin Zhou and the others, who clearly carried a “student air.” There were also some existences that were clearly deities, either walking alone or leading a small number of elite subordinate race guards, all in a hurry and maintaining a wary distance from each other.

Oppression, business, and danger were the main themes here.

They were taken to a simple office where identity verification and the granting of temporary military ranks (Second Lieutenant) were completed. A cold, military-issue personal terminal watch with basic communication, positioning, and simple shield functions was placed on Lin Zhou's wrist. Simultaneously, temporary military channels linked to their respective Divine Kingdoms were established, allowing them to deploy portions of their subordinate races in projected or physical forms (consuming their own Divine Power and Faith) to designated areas within permitted limits.

“The four of you are designated as ‘Eaglet Squad Three,’ with Lin Zhou as the temporary captain.” Lieutenant Carter projected an electronic mission briefing onto a light screen. “Your first stop is the secondary frontline outpost ‘Lone Star-III.’ Your mission is routine garrison and patrol for a duration of fifteen days. After fifteen days, depending on performance and battlefield conditions, you may be rotated or receive new Orders.”

The briefing showed the approximate location of the “Lone Star-III” outpost—situated in a relatively “calm” peripheral corridor of the Shattered Star Domain, three short-range spatial jumps away from the Iron Blood Fortress. The outpost was small, with a permanent force of about one standard company (around 300 people, including deity commanders and their subordinate races, a few mechanical units, and logistics personnel). Its primary responsibility was monitoring the surrounding area, warning of small-scale Orc infiltrations, and clearing any Astral Parasites or Void Aberrations that might appear.

“A reminder,” Lieutenant Carter looked at them, his tone serious. “Don't think ‘Lone Star-III’ is safe just because it's on the edge. Orc Wolf Riders and stalkers love exploiting these gaps. The spatial structure of the Shattered Star Domain is unstable; unexpected jump points or rifts can appear at any time. Also, watch your Divine Kingdom fluctuations. Orc Shamans are extremely sensitive to unfamiliar Divine Power, especially those with the scent of ‘Order’ and ‘Civilization.’ Is that understood?”

“Understood, sir!” the four replied in unison.

“Alright, collect your standard supply packs (containing some basic potions, energy batteries, and simple scouting equipment). In one hour, at Teleportation Platform 3, there is a scheduled transport ship heading to the ‘Lone Star-III’ sector. Hurry up.”

The supply packs were quickly collected. They were military-issue items, reliable in quality but far inferior to what Lin Zhou had prepared himself. They packed away the useful parts.

With a bit of time before departure, Lin Zhou and the others climbed onto an open observation deck of the fortress, wanting to see more of this cruel and real battlefield.

From here, the view was more panoramic. Shattered planetary remains, drifting Divine Kingdom graveyards, twisted energy belts, and the faint flashes of explosions from distant war zones... formed a grand, savage painting filled with the aesthetics of death.

Suddenly, Lin Zhou's personal terminal vibrated slightly, receiving a more specific warning message forwarded through Su Yueyao's Family channels: “It is believed that recently, near the KT-73 to KT-75 Astral Corridor (the general area where ‘Lone Star-III’ is located), there have been signs of activity from the Orcs' new war beast, the ‘Bloodthirsty Kodo.’ Its accompanying Shamans may possess enhanced blood-sacrifice Spells; be alert for large-scale sacrificial summons. Additionally, weak but abnormal ‘Nihility’ fluctuations have been detected appearing at the edge of that sector. The source is unknown and may be related to remnants of the ‘Void Sect’ or an unknown third party. Exercise extreme caution.”

Bloodthirsty Kodo? Nihility fluctuations? Lin Zhou's eyes narrowed. As expected, even in the so-called “peripheral” areas, it was by no means peaceful.

“Boss, look over there!” Zhao Hao suddenly pointed toward the far diagonal front.

In the shadows where several massive planetary remains intersected, space rippled violently like water. Immediately after, a dark fleet of dozens of crude star-skiffs covered in spikes and totems appeared abruptly like a pack of sharks leaping out of the water! On those skiffs, one could faintly see dense numbers of green-skinned, muscular figures and fluttering, hideous beast-head battle flags!

“An Orc patrol!” Li Mo whispered, immediately activating his scan. “Quantity... about fifty small assault skiffs, each estimated to carry 20-30 Orc warriors. No large war beasts or Shaman capital ships found... wait, the lead skiff's energy readings are high; there might be a Hero unit or a Shaman Priest!”

That Orc fleet clearly discovered the conspicuous target of the Iron Blood Fortress as well, but they did not approach. Instead, after a brief pause—seemingly performing some kind of reconnaissance or ritual—they turned around and headed deeper into the Shattered Star Domain in the opposite direction of “Lone Star-III,” soon vanishing behind more shadows of debris.

“Are they... patrolling? Or do they have some other purpose?” Wang Meng asked in a low voice.

“I don't know.” Lin Zhou shook his head, but the string in his heart tightened further. Orc activity was more frequent and closer than he had anticipated.

An hour later, Lin Zhou and the others boarded the old military transport ship “Resilience,” which had multiple repair marks on its hull. With a violent spatial tremor, the transport ship detached from its berth at the Iron Blood Fortress and sailed into that cold and cruel starry sky composed of shattered stars and dead Divine Kingdoms, beginning its first frontline jump toward the “Lone Star-III” outpost.

Looking through the porthole at the rapidly passing scenes of destruction and feeling the slight vibrations of the transport ship's hull from impacts with fine spatial fragments and energy turbulence, Lin Zhou slowly closed his eyes.

This was the true stage to test whether Way of Civilization was truly resilient and whether the Hundred Schools of Thought could bloom amidst iron and blood.

Cruel Shattered Star Domain, here we come.