1136: Chapter 1135 Hei Yan is domineering and strikes first.

In an instant, countless fine threads of light bloomed in front of the Hundred Flowers Star Domain fleet, like a giant spider web suddenly unfurling in the Universe, each thread carrying a spatial viscosity effect.

But Marshal Hei Yan's reaction was a step faster.

"Shielding Star Rings, operate at full power," he ordered calmly.

Within the Black Cloud Empire main fleet, three hundred shield ships advanced simultaneously, their bows unfolding honeycomb-shaped hexagonal energy barriers.

The barriers interlocked, constructing a massive arc-shaped wall spanning tens of thousands of kilometers in space, blocking all of the Hundred Flowers Star Domain's binding light threads on the outside!

In that split second, one hundred Night Nightmare ships had transformed into one hundred dark purple meteors, speeding toward Blue Star with an initial velocity approaching a warp jump.

They cleverly utilized the shadow of the barriers created by the Black Cloud Empire main fleet as cover. By the time Yan Huang roared orders for the Red Sun fleet to flank them, the assault fleet had already escaped the most dangerous fire coverage zone.

"Marshal Hei Yan! How dare you—" Yan Huang's beard and hair bristled with energy sparks from his rage.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Marshal Hei Yan slowly rose from his command seat. The star map behind him suddenly magnified, reflecting in his bottomless eyes.

"Article 37, Supplementary Clause: If multiple forces arrive at a disputed planet simultaneously and cannot reach a consensus on priority, each party is permitted to dispatch no more than one hundred warships for a 'Vanguard Race.' Whoever controls fifty percent of the planet's surface first gains the right to lead development—this was something all three Star Domains signed off on."

Lan Xi's fingertips turned slightly pale. She certainly remembered that supplementary clause, but it was originally a buffer design meant to avoid full-scale conflict. No one had ever used it as a blatant pass for forceful seizure like Marshal Hei Yan did!

"Even so, does Marshal Hei Yan think that with just one hundred warships, you can land safely under the watchful eyes of the Hundred Flowers Star Domain and the Red Sun?"

Her voice remained cold, but around the Flower Spirit, countless brilliant light buds began to condense—the precursor to the charging of the Hundred Flowers Star Domain's famous "Star-Shattering Spear" projection array.

Marshal Hei Yan smiled; it was a smile that truly belonged to a predator.

"That is why I have remained here." He spread his arms, his pitch-black cloak unfurling like bat wings in the bridge's artificial gravity field. "To use nine hundred 'Star-Splitting' honor guard ships to keep you two... well entertained."

As if to verify his words, the remaining fleet of the Black Cloud Empire simultaneously erupted with terrifying pressure. The dark purple patterns on the hulls suddenly lit up, pulsing like veins as energy flowed through them.

The main turrets slowly rotated to adjust their angles, and deep within each muzzle, dark purple spheres of destruction began to condense—these were "Dark Matter Decomposition Cannons" capable of instantly vaporizing even asteroids.

Yan Huang and Lan Xi's expressions became completely grave; only now did they truly see the true appearance of the fleet led by Marshal Hei Yan.

The armor thickness, energy readings, and weapon specifications of those warships far exceeded the standards of conventional interstellar warships, and were even significantly more elite than the honor guard fleets of their respective Star Domains!

"So that's it... you had this planned." Yan Huang gritted his teeth, his muscles bulging beneath his golden armor. "Using a hundred ships for a beachhead and your main force for containment—even if we forced a Breakthrough, by the time we reached Blue Star, your hundred Night Nightmare ships would likely have already established planetary defensive fortifications."

"And if we split our forces to pursue," Lan Xi continued, a cold glint flickering in her eyes, "you would use your superior force to destroy the remaining fleets on the scene one by one. A fine calculation, Marshal Hei Yan."

Marshal Hei Yan did not commit, simply raising his hand lightly.

"Now, make your choice." His voice echoed like an abyss. "Will you stay here and spar with my Star-Splitting fleet, or will you split your forces to pursue, and gamble on whether your interceptor fleets are faster, or if my Night Nightmares will be the first to take root?"

The sea of stars trembled in silence. The three fleets maintained a delicate balance, with energy readings fluctuating around the critical point. Every second that passed meant those one hundred Night Nightmare assault ships were one step closer to Blue Star.

Yan Huang and Lan Xi's gazes met briefly in the virtual communication window. No words were needed; the two commanders had read the decision in each other's eyes—they absolutely could not allow the Black Cloud Empire to take Blue Star so easily!

"Red Sun Third and Seventh Squadrons, detach from the main formation immediately and pursue the enemy assault fleet at full speed!" Yan Huang roared, and the two blazing golden-red fleets behind him tore through the formation in response.

"Hundred Flowers Whisper Detachment and Thorn Guard, coordinate with the Red Sun allies to conduct interception operations." Lan Xi's order was equally decisive, and the two Hundred Flowers sub-fleets, known for their agility and swiftness, spun out gracefully like falling petals.

But almost at the same instant, a cold light surged in Marshal Hei Yan's eyes.

"Star-Splitting fleet, matrix charge. Target—the main formations of the Red Sun and Hundred Flowers."

Nine hundred dark purple giant ships suddenly pressed forward, like a tsunami of black clouds devouring the starlight. The fleet did not charge in disarray but maintained an extremely precise geometric formation, with every three warships forming a triangular fire unit, and every nine units forming an autonomous defensive array.

They constantly fine-tuned their positions during the advance, as if they were a single star-spanning beast with a unified consciousness.

"Want to split your forces? Ask my artillery groups if they agree first."

The first volley began. Thousands of dark matter decomposition beams tore through the vacuum, drawing a purple grid of death across the starry sky.

The Red Sun and Hundred Flowers main fleets were forced to raise joint shields, with iridescent energy ripples surging wildly across the shield surface.

Marshal Hei Yan gave his opponents no chance to split their forces for reinforcements; he used overwhelming firepower to tell the two commanders, "Neither of you will be leaving this poker table easily."

On the other side of the distant deep space, one hundred dark purple meteors were penetrating Blue Star's thin outer atmosphere, trailing scorching wakes like a retrograde meteor shower, stabbing fiercely toward the surface of that azure planet.

Above the firmament, hundreds of dark purple meteors tore through the clouds, trailing blazing wakes as they scattered across various parts of Blue Star. The scene was both spectacular and terrifying, like an apocalyptic painting unfolding before everyone's eyes.

"Attention everyone! Alien fleet has breached the outer defense! Landing point predictions have been sent to the command centers of all war zones!"

The siren at the Human Alliance headquarters on Blue Star pierced the sky. Three thousand seven hundred air defense positions globally were activated simultaneously, countless energy turrets turned toward the sky, and pale blue shields flickered above major cities.

Ordinary citizens looked up in confusion, most not yet realizing what had happened. But powerhouses across the globe instinctively sensed the pressure coming from the firmament—it was an energy fluctuation vastly different from Earth's life system, cold, strange, and full of hostility.

At the Kunlun Base, Dragon Xuanyuan stood with his hands behind his back on the stargazing platform, his perception like an invisible net shrouding the entire Blue Star.

He could feel those three vast, star-sea-like auras deep in the Universe colliding violently, each energy clash causing the Void Realm to tremble.

"Is this... a Tier 5 Powerhouse?" Dragon Xuanyuan muttered to himself; the energy fluctuations of every participant were horrifying.