468: Chapter 403: Initial Reconnaissance, Encountering an Attack by the Chaos Shadow Clan
The reconnaissance mission in the Seventh War Zone entered its fifth day, and Lin Zhou led the advance team deep into an area about two thousand kilometers from the fortress.
The concentration of Chaos energy here had reached eighty times that of the outside, and the rule Chaos degree was twelve times that of normal space.
Spatial rifts flickered frequently in the Void Realm like black lightning, each flicker accompanied by an outpouring of Guixu energy.
On the surface of the soldiers' rune armor, the Fire of Civilization coating glowed slightly, resisting the erosion.
[Team · Status (Deep into 2,000 km)]
- Chaos energy concentration: 80 times the outside
- Rule Chaos degree: 12 times
- Godhood load: Average 135%
- rune armor durability: Average 92%
- Civilization Projection consumption: 5,000 Divine Power per minute
Lin Zhou stood at the bow of the ship, and the dark blue ark of Civilization Projection shrouded the team. His gaze swept across the void ahead and suddenly stopped.
About fifty kilometers ahead, there was an abnormal "shadow." It was not a spatial rift, nor was it a remnant of a divine kingdom, but a swimming, translucent, grayish-white substance.
They had no fixed form; sometimes they resembled mist, sometimes water flow, and sometimes countless tiny insects wriggling.
Their movement speed was extremely fast, leaving behind twisted trajectories in the Void Realm.
[Unknown Unit · Detection Data]
- Quantity: About 30
- Form: Indefinite (translucent grayish-white)
- Movement speed: About 500 km per second
- Energy fluctuation: Weak (similar to Guixu energy, but more "active")
- Behavior: Currently devouring a remnant of a divine kingdom
"Li Mo, what is that?" Lin Zhou asked.
Li Mo's projection analyzed quickly in the communication link, his electronic voice carrying a rare hint of tension: "Captain, there is no exact match in the database. But based on the energy characteristics and behavioral patterns, this is very likely a creature unique to the Chaos Star Domain—the Chaos Shadow Clan."
[Chaos Shadow Clan · Basic Data]
- Origin: "Semi-existence" produced by the long-term Fusion of Guixu energy and Chaos rules
- Form: Indefinite (can merge into Chaos energy, difficult to detect)
- Rank: LV350 - LV500
- Characteristics:
1. Merge with Chaos: Can merge into Chaos energy, immune to 80% of physical attacks
2. Existence Erasure: Attacks carry an "Existence Erasure" effect, reducing the integrity of the target's godhood by 5%
3. Rule Erosion: Can erode divine kingdom rules, accelerating rule corruption
4. Group Perception: Shared perception; once prey is discovered, the entire group hunts
- Weakness: Fire of Civilization (has a restraining effect on Existence Erasure)
"Chaos Shadow Clan..." Lin Zhou frowned. He had seen similar things in the memory fragments of The Transcendent, but those were native creatures from the depths of the Guixu, and they should not appear on the edge of the war zone.
"They might have been pushed over by the Guixu energy tide," Li Mo analyzed. "Recently, the Seal has been stable, and the Guixu energy fluctuations have weakened, so some creatures originally in the depths have started to migrate toward the edges."
"Thirty of them, Rank LV350 - LV500," Wang Meng gripped his battle axe. "Captain, should we fight?"
Lin Zhou did not answer immediately. He observed the actions of those Shadow Clan—they were devouring a remnant of a divine kingdom, and the runes on the remnant were rapidly dimming and shattering under their erosion. If left unchecked, they would continue to move into the war zone, threatening the safety of the fortress.
"Fight," Lin Zhou ordered. "But do not engage in a hard fight. Use the Fire of Civilization to attack; physical attacks are ineffective. Surround and suppress them in groups, and do not let them scatter and escape."
He turned and looked at the five hundred soldiers behind him.
"First group, Wang Meng, lead two hundred people to flank from the left. Second group, Qin Qing, lead two hundred people to flank from the right. Third group, I will lead one hundred people to attract them from the front."
"Yes!"
The team dispersed.
Lin Zhou led one hundred soldiers as they approached the Shadow Clan from the front. The light of the ark of Civilization Projection was particularly striking in the grayish-white Void Realm.
The Shadow Clan sensed the light and stopped devouring. Thirty translucent, grayish-white figures turned toward Lin Zhou's direction simultaneously. Their "gaze" had no physical form, but Lin Zhou could feel a cold, all-consuming malice.
[Chaos Shadow Clan · Status (Prey Discovered)]
- Behavior: Switched from "eating" to "hunting"
- Group perception: Activated
- Movement speed: Increased to 800 km per second
- Attack desire: High
"Scatter!" Lin Zhou ordered.
One hundred soldiers quickly scattered, forming a semicircular formation. The Fire of Civilization burned in everyone's palms, illuminating the darkness ahead.
The Shadow Clan moved.
They turned into thirty streaks of grayish-white light and lunged at the team. Their speed was as fast as lightning, and even Lin Zhou's dynamic vision could only capture blurry trajectories.
[Chaos Shadow Clan · Attack — Existence Erasure]
- Attack power: Full power strike of LV400
- Effect: Target's godhood integrity - 5%
- Additional: Divine fire contamination (if hit three times in a row, the divine fire may be extinguished)
"Shield of Civilization!" Lin Zhou raised his hand, and cyan-gold flames condensed into a huge shield in front of him.
The Shadow Clan crashed into the shield, making a sizzling sound. Their bodies burned in the flames, and the grayish-white mist was evaporated. But there were too many of them, and a few bypassed the shield from the side, lunging at the soldiers on the flanks.
[Soldier · Engagement Data]
- Number of people attacked: About 20
- Successful dodges: 15
- Hit: 5
- Godhood integrity decrease: 5%
- Divine fire contamination: None (rune armor of Fire of Civilization automatically purifies)
"Steady! Don't panic!" Qin Qing's voice came from the right. Her Net of Law unfolded, and pale gold chains entangled a few Shadow Clan, restricting their movement.
"Wang Meng, attack from the left!"
Wang Meng led two hundred soldiers to flank from the left, the battle axes of the Behemoth Berserker attached with the Fire of Civilization, and every axe strike could slash a Shadow Clan to pieces. The bodies of the Shadow Clan turned into grayish-white mist under the axe blades, then condensed into tiny rule fragments, floating in the Void Realm.
[Chaos Shadow Clan · Death Drop]
- Rule fragments: 1-3 dropped per kill
- Fragment attribute: Chaos, Void, Existence fragments
- Absorbable: The river of civilization can convert them into Order essence
The battle lasted about ten minutes.
Of the thirty Shadow Clan, twenty-eight were killed, and two saw that the situation was bad and merged into the Chaos energy to escape.
[Battle · Summary]
- Kills: 28
- Rule fragments dropped: About 60
- Our losses: 12 slightly injured, 0 seriously injured
- Lin Zhou's Divine Power consumption: About 50,000
Lin Zhou stood in the Void Realm, looking at the floating rule fragments. The river of civilization surged out from his divine kingdom, wrapping, washing, and transforming the fragments. The grayish-white fragments gradually turned pale gold and then merged into the river.
[river of civilization · Absorbing Rule Fragments]
- Absorption quantity: 60
- Converted Order essence: 60 units
- river of civilization water level: 5000% → 5002%
- New characteristic: [Chaos Affinity] — In the Chaos Star Domain, river of civilization consumption - 5%
Lin Zhou withdrew the river and turned to look at the soldiers.
"Those injured, go to the medics for treatment. Everyone else, continue forward."
"Captain, why did these Shadow Clan appear on the edge of the war zone?" Qin Qing walked over.
"The Guixu energy tide pushed them over," Lin Zhou said. "After the Seal stabilized, the energy fluctuations deep in the Guixu weakened, and some creatures originally in the depths lost their suppression and began to migrate outward."
"Is this just the first batch?"
"Yes. There may be more behind."
Qin Qing was silent.
"So, we need to speed up the reconnaissance," Lin Zhou said. "Find the migration route of the Shadow Clan and set up defenses in advance."
He led the team and continued to move deeper into the war zone.
Three days later.
The reconnaissance team returned to the fortress.
Lin Zhou handed the reconnaissance report to General Rex.
[Seventh War Zone · Reconnaissance Report (Phase I)]
- Exploration range: 5,000 km in diameter
- Marked danger points: 73
- Encountered Chaos Shadow Clan: 3 times, killed about 80
- Rule fragments obtained: About 200
- Predicted Shadow Clan migration routes: 3, all pointing toward the fortress
General Rex looked at the report, his brows furrowed.
"Chaos Shadow Clan... This thing appeared once a hundred years ago, causing the fall of three fortresses at that time. They suddenly disappeared later; I didn't expect them to come again now."
"Their migration routes all point to the fortress," Lin Zhou pointed to the Star Map. "If we don't intercept them, within a month, at least ten thousand Shadow Clan will gather on the outskirts of the fortress."
"Ten thousand..." General Rex gasped.
"So, we need to take the initiative to attack," Lin Zhou said. "Eliminate them one by one before they gather."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Lin Zhou nodded. "The Fire of Civilization is their nemesis. As long as we are well prepared, we can have zero casualties."
General Rex was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Good. Tell me whatever resources you need."
"I need an upgraded version of the Fire of Civilization coating so that every soldier can directly attack the Shadow Clan. I also need more space anchor points to facilitate rapid transfer."
"I will have the logistics department fully cooperate."
Lin Zhou nodded and turned to leave the command post.
He stood on the city wall of the fortress, looking toward the Chaos Star Domain.
In the grayish-white mist, more Shadow Clan could be vaguely seen swimming. They were like a pack of hungry wolves, waiting for prey to appear.
"Captain, what are you thinking about?" Qin Qing walked over.
"Thinking about how to block them outside the fortress."
"Is there a way?"
"Yes," Lin Zhou raised his hand, the Fire of Civilization condensing in his palm. "Use fire to burn out a line of defense."
He turned and walked off the city wall.
"Call Li Mo, Wang Meng, and Chen Xuan to a meeting."
In the conference room, Lin Zhou stood in front of the Star Map.
"Brothers, there are three migration routes for the Shadow Clan, all pointing to the fortress. We need to eliminate them one by one before they gather."
He pointed to three locations on the Star Map.
"The first location is in the northwest of the war zone, about three thousand kilometers from the fortress. There is a dense area of spatial rifts there, and the Shadow Clan may use the rifts to move quickly."
"The second location is in the northeast of the war zone, about four thousand kilometers away. There is a gathering area for remnants of divine kingdoms there, and the Shadow Clan feed on the remnants."
"The third location is directly in front of the war zone, about two thousand kilometers away. That is the intersection of the Shadow Clan's migration routes, and a large number of Shadow Clan are expected to gather there."
"Our plan — split into three routes and clear them simultaneously."
Wang Meng asked: "Captain, which route will you command?"
"I will command the third route. It is the most dangerous, and there may be a Shadow Clan King."
"Shadow Clan King?" Qin Qing frowned.
"Yes," Lin Zhou nodded. "The Shadow Clan are group creatures, and every group has a king. The king's Rank is at least LV600, possibly higher. If it is allowed to gather ten thousand Shadow Clan, the fortress will be in danger."
"So, we must kill it before it gathers."
"Yes!"
The next morning, the three teams set off simultaneously.
Lin Zhou led one hundred and fifty soldiers and moved toward the front of the war zone.
The ark of Civilization Projection unfolded, and the dark blue light illuminated the path ahead. On the soldiers' armor, the upgraded Fire of Civilization coating emitted a faint cyan-gold light.
[Fire of Civilization Coating · Upgraded Version]
- Defense: Resistance to Shadow Clan Existence Erasure + 80%
- Attack: Normal attacks carry the effect of the Fire of Civilization, damage to Shadow Clan + 500%
- Consumption: None (Passive)
After traveling one thousand kilometers, Lin Zhou saw the Shadow Clan.
Not dozens, not hundreds, but — thousands.
They swam in the Void Realm like a grayish-white river, surging toward the fortress. The "source" of the river was a huge Shadow Clan — twice as large as other Shadow Clan, its body more solid, with dark red patterns mixed in the translucent grayish-white.
[Shadow Clan King · Data]
- Rank: LV700
- Body size: Five times that of a normal Shadow Clan
- Characteristics:
1. Group Command: All attributes of Shadow Clan in range + 50%
2. Void Devouring: Can devour Guixu energy in spatial rifts to recover quickly
3. Existence Erasure: Attacks carry "Existence Erasure" effect, godhood integrity - 15%
- Weakness: Fire of Civilization (damage doubled)
"Captain, there are too many..." Wang Meng's voice was a bit dry.
"Don't be afraid," Lin Zhou said. "Fire overcomes them."
He raised his hand, and the Fire of Civilization condensed in his palm.
"Civilization Projection — Expand."
The dark blue light suddenly expanded, shrouding the void within a radius of ten kilometers. In the light, cyan-gold flames fell like a rainstorm into the Shadow Clan group.
[Civilization Projection · Attack Mode]
- Coverage: 10 km in diameter
- Attack power: Full power strike of Mid-Tier Divine Power × 100
- Consumption: 10,000 Divine Power every 10 seconds
- Effect: Damage to Shadow Clan + 500%
The Shadow Clan screamed in the flames, their bodies turning into grayish-white mist, condensing into rule fragments.
Thousands of Shadow Clan lost about thirty percent in the first wave of attacks. But the Shadow Clan King was not killed. It let out a silent roar, the dark red patterns on its body lit up, and the group command effect was activated.
[Shadow Clan King · Group Command]
- All attributes of Shadow Clan in range + 50%
- Shadow Clan movement speed + 100%
- Attack desire + 200%
The remaining Shadow Clan lunged crazily at Lin Zhou.
"Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin!"
Fifty thousand light swords flew out from behind Lin Zhou, shooting toward the Shadow Clan group.
The light swords penetrated the bodies of the Shadow Clan, pinning them one by one in the Void Realm.
The Shadow Clan King roared and charged at Lin Zhou, its huge body like a mountain.
Lin Zhou did not retreat.
He jumped up, the zhan nian sword in his hand, the green lotus sword at his waist.
"Civilization Judgment — Slash!"
The cyan-gold sword light slashed at the head of the Shadow Clan King. Its body was split open, the dark red patterns shattered, and the grayish-white mist surged wildly.
[Shadow Clan King · Status]
- Integrity: 100% → 50% → 20% → 0%
The body of the Shadow Clan King turned into countless rule fragments, floating in the Void Realm.
It was dead.
The remaining Shadow Clan lost their command and began to flee.
"Chase!" Wang Meng led the army to pursue the fleeing Shadow Clan.
Lin Zhou stood in the Void Realm, looking at the floating rule fragments.
The river of civilization surged out, absorbing the fragments.
[Battle · Summary]
- Kills: About 1,200 Shadow Clan, 1 Shadow Clan King
- Rule fragments dropped: About 3,000
- Converted Order essence: 3,000 units
- river of civilization water level: 5002% → 5010%
- New characteristic: [Shadow Clan Nemesis] — Damage to Shadow Clan + 1000%
- Our losses: 30 slightly injured, 5 seriously injured (no deaths)
Lin Zhou withdrew the river and looked toward the fortress.
In the grayish-white mist, the river of Shadow Clan had disappeared.
At least, this road was temporarily safe.
"Captain, the other two routes have also sent back news," Qin Qing walked over. "The clearance was successful. A total of about two thousand Shadow Clan were killed, and our casualties are controllable."
"Good," Lin Zhou nodded. "Go back and rest. Tomorrow, continue reconnaissance."
The team returned to the fortress.
Lin Zhou stood on the city wall, looking toward the Chaos Star Domain.
The grayish-white mist was still surging, but it was a bit lighter than before.
"Captain, what are you thinking about?" Qin Qing walked over.
"Thinking about why the Shadow Clan are migrating."
"Perhaps it is because the Guixu energy has weakened, and they have lost their living environment."
"Perhaps," Lin Zhou said. "But, there is another possibility — they are avoiding something."
"Avoiding?"
"Yes. Deep in the Guixu, there may be something more terrifying that drove them out."
Qin Qing was silent.
"Then what should we do?"
"Be prepared," Lin Zhou turned. "No matter what is in the depths of the Guixu, we must hold on."
He walked off the city wall and returned to the barracks.
The Fire of Civilization was burning.
It illuminated the path ahead and also illuminated the unknown fear.
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