365: Chapter 366 The Arrival of the Sky Assassin and the "Safe House"

The moment the flanking fleet appeared, the rhythm of the entire battlefield changed.

The main Heavenly Court fleet, which had been launching a frontal assault, suddenly tightened its formation. Instead of charging the Law Field at any cost, they shifted to hit-and-run harassment, as if... stalling for time.

"They're waiting," Luo Chen stared at the battlefield situation map, "waiting for the Heaven's Thorn units to complete the decapitation strike. Once that's done, the frontal battlefield will collapse on its own."

Wen Youyi certainly knew this. But the problem now was the division of forces.

Most of the defensive forces had already been committed to the frontal battlefield: three Law Fields were running at full power, twenty thousand ground troops were scattered across three defensive lines, the forest and Yao Race hunters were grappling with the landing Heavenly Soldiers, and Blood Fiend Old Demon and Sword Maniac were leading the High-Threat Handling Team, charging through the enemy ranks...

If personnel were redirected now to protect the rear, the frontal battlefield would collapse.

If they weren't redirected, who could stop thirty elite decapitation ships once the Heaven's Thorn units broke into the rear?

"Silver Thorn," Wen Youyi spoke, "has the energy signature of the Heaven's Thorn fleet been analyzed?"

"Completed," Silver Thorn's voice rang out over the communication channel. "Thirty warships, each capable of carrying thirty 'Heaven's Thorn' class warriors. These warriors' training levels are five times that of ordinary Heavenly Soldiers. They are equipped with the Heavenly Court's most advanced individual weaponry and excel in infiltration, assassination, and surgical strikes."

"In other words, nine hundred people at most."

"Nine hundred people are enough to slaughter the undefended rear base within half an hour."

Wen Youyi fell silent for half a second, then said:

"Then let them come."

He turned to the communication channel:

"Lin Jiang, where are you?"

"Rear base, perimeter of the Safe House," Lin Jiang's voice came through. "I'm in charge of the perimeter security."

"The Heaven's Thorn's targets are me and Little Girl. Let them come for me. You only need to do one thing—protect Little Girl."

"Understood."

Wen Youyi switched channels:

"Yun Zhi, how is Little Girl's condition?"

"Very calm," Yun Zhi's voice sounded somewhat complex. "She is... singing."

"Singing?"

"It's that nursery rhyme. 'Little Swallow Wearing Flowery Clothes.' She says it helps her not feel afraid."

Wen Youyi was silent for a second, then said: "Let her sing. Tell her that when the battle is over, I'll treat her to three pieces of rainbow potato."

"Alright."

The sky cracked open once more.

This time, the rift appeared at the back of the New Homeland, the area where the Law Field's coverage was weakest.

Thirty pitch-black warships slid silently out of the rift. Unlike the golden brilliance of the main fleet, they were entirely matte black with no markings on their surfaces, like thirty ghosts.

"Heaven's Thorn units have entered the atmosphere!" Aila's voice was tense. "They're extremely fast! Estimated to break into the rear base in three minutes!"

"Can the Law Field cover the back?" Wen Youyi asked Senior Brother Zhang.

"It can, but it needs thirty seconds to adjust the energy distribution! During those thirty seconds, the strength of the frontal Law Field will drop by 40%!"

Wen Youyi gritted his teeth. "Adjust it! It's better to let the main fleet find a gap than to let the decapitation units break in!"

"Understood! Adjusting now—"

The light shields of the three Law Fields flickered simultaneously. The glow at the back brightened significantly, while the front dimmed quite a bit.

The main fleet immediately caught this change. Their harassing formation instantly tightened, and three main cannon ships simultaneously aimed at the weakest area of the Law Field—

BOOM—!!!

Three thick golden beams of light slammed into the Law Field. The light shield trembled violently, and cracks became visible to the naked eye.

"Frontal Law Field energy consumption is surging! East sector at 43% remaining, North sector at 39%, West sector has only 31% left!" Senior Brother Zhang's voice had changed pitch.

"Hold on!" Wen Youyi stared at the screen. "Let the Heaven's Thorn come! I'd like to see if thirty decapitation ships and those nine hundred people can break through the rear!"

Rear base.

Calling it a base, it was actually just a collection of temporary tents and simple fortifications. Living here were the elderly, children, pregnant women, and the sick—everyone unsuitable for combat.

But now, this "unsuitable for combat" area had become the target of the Heaven's Thorn units.

The first batch of black landing ships dived down, the hatches opened, and hundreds of black shadows were ejected. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and they landed silently, like a pack of true ghosts.

Then, they were stunned.

What greeted them wasn't panicked, fleeing elderly or children, but...

Rows of elderly people holding pots, pans, and bowls.

An old woman in a wheelchair held a kitchen knife, staring at the nearest Heaven's Thorn warrior. There was no fear in her eyes, only anger.

"Come on! You little brats! I've lived for eighty years; what kind of scene haven't I seen!"

Behind her, a group of old men and women likewise held various "weapons"—hoes, sickles, rolling pins, and even a few holding jars of their home-pickled vegetables.

The Heaven's Thorn warriors looked at each other in bewilderment.

What kind of tactic was this?

"What are you standing there for!" a squad leader shouted sternly. "Mission first! The target is in the Safe House! Charge!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a jar of pickled vegetables flew over and smashed right into his face. The jar shattered, and cabbage that had been pickled for three years smeared all over his face.

"God damn it—!!"

Before he could finish cursing, the second wave of "attacks" arrived. This time it was boiling water—several old women carrying pots of boiling water splashed it over them. Although the Heaven's Thorn warriors' equipment was sophisticated, the gaps in their visors still felt the searing pain.

"These old things are crazy!"

"Ignore them! Charge through!"

But the elderly's "craziness" wasn't over. Some threw stones, some scattered flour, and some released their home-raised chickens, ducks, and geese—those poultry had been trained to be exceptionally fierce, specifically pecking at the enemies' ankles and knees.

"Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck-a-dee—!"

A large rooster flapped its wings and pecked hard at a Heaven's Thorn warrior's calf. The warrior jumped in pain, nearly falling over.

"What kind of hellhole is this!!!"

In the chaos, a Heaven's Thorn squad leader finally reached the door of the Safe House.

He raised his weapon and aimed it at the simple wooden door—

The door opened.

Yun Zhi stood at the doorway, her white clothes as pure as snow, holding a longsword in her hand.

"You want to go in?" she asked.

Without a word, the squad leader pulled the trigger.

A golden energy beam shot toward Yun Zhi—only to be blocked by a silvery-white curtain of light.

The curtain of light came from behind Yun Zhi, from a Little Girl holding Bright Fur Ball.

Little Girl.

She had her eyes closed, still humming that nursery rhyme. Bright Fur Ball crouched on her shoulder, its silver fur standing on end, emitting a soft, faint glow.

That was Silver Thorn's symbiotic unit running at full capacity—using all its energy to construct a protective shield, shielding Little Girl and Yun Zhi inside.

"Target confirmed!" the squad leader cried out in joy. "It's her! That special-type threat! Everyone, concentrate fire!"

Dozens of energy beams simultaneously shot at the silvery-white curtain of light.

The light curtain trembled violently, and Bright Fur Ball's fur began to dim.

"Little Girl," Yun Zhi light-heartedly said, "are you afraid?"

Little Girl opened her eyes, looked at the constantly trembling curtain of light, and then looked at the enemies outside.

Then she shook her head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because Uncle Wen said that after the battle is over, he'll treat me to three pieces of rainbow potato."

Yun Zhi was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Then let's wait until the battle is over."

She gripped her longsword and turned to face the enemies who were frantically attacking the light curtain.

"Bright Fur Ball, how much longer can the light curtain hold?"

Bright Fur Ball let out a weak "meow."

"Long enough for me to charge out and kill ten of them."

Yun Zhi took a deep breath and was about to charge out of the light curtain—

The ground suddenly shook violently.

In the open space outside the Safe House, the earth surged, and countless thick tree roots burst from the ground! Those roots were like living things, frantically lashing out at the surrounding Heaven's Thorn warriors. Some were swept up and thrown away, some were tangled by their ankles and dragged into the soil, and some were knocked unconscious on the spot.

"It's the forest!" a Heaven's Thorn warrior shouted in terror. "The trees! The trees are coming up from underground!"

The silver-blue forest had somehow spread its roots to the rear base.

They were protecting Little Girl.

The girl who had once awakened them.

"Charge in! Hurry and charge in!" the squad leader shouted desperately.

But it was too late.

The tree roots grew more and more numerous, becoming denser, like a giant barrier that completely sealed off Little Girl's Safe House.

Meanwhile, a roar came from the sky.

It was Hidden Dragon.

The small silvery-white warship dived down from the clouds, its bow aimed at the Heaven's Thorn units' landing ships, its energy cannons firing at full blast!

"Wen Youyi!" Yun Zhi's pupils constricted when she saw the ship.

In the cockpit of Hidden Dragon, Wen Youyi stared intently at the screen showing the chaotic melee at the rear base.

"Aila, have Silver Thorn notify the forest to pull back the roots and form a corridor—force the Heaven's Thorn units to attack from only one direction."

"That will concentrate the pressure!"

"I know," Wen Youyi gritted his teeth, "but only this way can we cluster them together, and then..."

He switched communication channels:

"Senior Brother Zhang, is the Seed Crystal ready?"

"Ready! Just waiting for your signal!"

"Wait for my signal."

Hidden Dragon made a sharp turn, dodging an energy beam shot from the ground, the hull shaking violently.

Wen Youyi stabilized the control stick, staring at the Safe House that was getting closer and closer.

Little Girl was inside.

Yun Zhi was inside.

Those elderly people with their pots and pans were also inside.

"Just hold on a little longer," he whispered, "just a little longer."

On the battlefield, Blood Fiend Old Demon was covered in blood—some was his own, but most belonged to the enemy.

He had already lost track of how many Heavenly Soldiers he had killed. Twenty? Thirty? Fifty?

It didn't matter.

What mattered was that he was still killing.

A golden figure suddenly pounced from the side. Blood Fiend Old Demon instinctively turned, but the person was too fast and struck him on the shoulder with a palm.

BOOM—!

Blood Fiend Old Demon was sent flying, stopping only after crashing through two trees.

"Cough, cough..." He coughed up a mouthful of blood and looked up.

Standing before him was a Heavenly Court general clad in deep-gold armor. There were three stars on his epaulets—he was a Star Lord level existence.

"Blood Path remnant," the general spoke coldly, "you should have been purged seven hundred years ago. Letting you live this long was the Heavenly Court's mistake."

Blood Fiend Old Demon slowly stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Three stars... a Star Lord..." He grinned. "In all my life, I've never killed a Star Lord."

"With just you?"

"With just me."

He took a deep breath, and the blood qi around him surged.

The general was taken aback, and his expression shifted slightly. "You're burning your life force?!"

"So what if I'm burning it," Blood Fiend Old Demon's eyes turned pure red. "It's been seven hundred years; I've lived long enough. Dragging a Star Lord down with me before I die is worth it!"

He turned into a streak of bloody light and pounced at the general.

In the distance, Sword Maniac sensed that soaring blood light, and the longsword in his hand paused.

"Old Devil Head..." he whispered, "you go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

The sword light rose again, and another enemy ship was cut down.

(End of Chapter)