202: What is exclusive customization?

Pluto Orbit, Star Gate Activation Ceremony Site

"Third Federation cargo ship 'Amaterasu' is about to pass through the Star Gate!" The host's voice was still enthusiastic.

The dusty gray spaceship slowly drove into the Star Gate's energy field.

Just as the ship's body completely disappeared—

Boom!!!!

A white light even brighter than a star erupted from the center of the Star Gate! The terrifying shockwave instantly tore apart the entire Star Gate's structure! The silver-white metal rings twisted and deformed in the high temperature, then shattered into countless fragments!

The live broadcast signal shook violently, eventually turning into static.

Oceania Secret Base

"We succeeded!!!" Kurosaki slammed his fist on the control panel, laughing maniacally with a twisted expression, "We succeeded!!"

A burst of frenzied cheers erupted in the base. Sato and Yamamoto embraced excitedly, and several young researchers even shed tears.

"The Company's invincible myth has been shattered by us!" Kurosaki spread his arms towards the holographic screen, "From today onwards, the entire Solar System will know—"

A piercing alarm suddenly blared throughout the base!

"Warning! Unauthorized armed warship detected!"

Kurosaki's smile froze on his face. On the monitoring screen, a five-hundred-meter-long pitch-black warship appeared out of thin air above the base, with the Interstellar Peace Corporation's logo painted on its hull.

Good news: there was no Luofu Fleet logo on it.

Bad news: it bore the emblem of the Interstellar Peace Corporation's Executive Department's 'titan' team.

"Impossible..." He staggered back, "How could they be so fast..."

Outside the base, high in the sky. A pitch-black warship hovered above the clouds, with the Interstellar Peace Corporation's silver emblem on its bow and the 'titan' team's emblem on its side.

The hatch slowly opened, and a slender figure stepped out, standing in mid-air.

Yanqing's hand rested on his sword hilt, his blue and white uniform flapping in the wind. He looked down at the secret base, disguised as an abandoned factory, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Senior Gideon, thank you for your assistance." He chuckled softly into the communicator, "If that jar of Five-Grain Jade Nectar suits your taste, please let me know. I still have plenty."

Gideon's helpless voice came from the other end of the communicator: "You rascal, you truly live up to your reputation as the Company's most famous battle maniac. You even want to join in on such a small scene?"

"You're using Luofu's special liquor for such a small matter? You're quite generous, kid. Five-Grain Jade Nectar, tsk tsk tsk, good stuff."

"Hehe, I don't drink anyway, Mr. Gideon. As long as you like it, that's good."

Yanqing's figure plummeted like a meteor, abruptly decelerating a hundred meters from the ground. He lightly raised his right hand, and six flying swords whistled out from the sword box on his back, circling around him to form a silver light wheel.

"Activate defense system!" Kurosaki's furious roar came from deep within the base.

Although he didn't know Yanqing's identity, from what he saw now, Kurosaki knew that today might be his downfall.

Pathstriders are unstoppable by anything less than an army. This was already a recognized fact throughout Blue Star.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The automatic machine gun turrets on the base's periphery opened fire simultaneously, their dense barrage weaving a net of death that sealed off the entire entrance area impenetrably.

Yanqing's lips curled slightly, and his figure suddenly accelerated its descent. Just as he was about to touch the ground, he lightly tapped his toes, and his entire body floated up like a feather, as the six flying swords shot out simultaneously!

Ding ding ding—!

The flying swords accurately pierced the machine gun turrets' ammunition depots. Amidst the explosions, Yanqing's figure ghosted through the gaps in the firepower. His coattail was grazed by a bullet, which instantly crystallized with ice before being shattered by sword qi.

"First line of defense breached." He murmured softly, his steps unbroken, "Not bad."

Inside the base's passage, heavy alloy doors slammed shut in front of Yanqing, with a bone-chchilling cold seeping from the gaps. This was the base's emergency freezing system, capable of turning the entire passage into an ice cellar within ten seconds.

Yanqing chuckled softly, bringing his right hand's sword fingers together: "Frost Edge Points Cold Light, Break."

The six flying swords drew perfect arcs in the air, their tips simultaneously piercing six key nodes of the door, as ice-blue sword qi spread along the cracks.

Crack!

With a crisp sound, the thirty-centimeter-thick alloy door exploded, countless ice crystals dancing in the passage. The guards behind the door didn't even have time to raise their weapons before they were struck by the flying ice shards, falling to the ground unconscious.

Yanqing walked leisurely, his flying swords circling beside him. At the end of the passage, a second team of guards had already set up cover.

"Fire!"

Dozens of large-caliber bullets whizzed in. Yanqing neither dodged nor evaded, forming a hand seal with his left hand and swinging his long sword horizontally with his right—

"River of Heaven Descends."

A crescent-shaped sword qi swept out. Wherever it passed, bullets were frozen, clattering to the ground. The sword qi's momentum remained undiminished, directly splitting open the cover and freezing the guards behind it, along with their weapons, into ice sculptures.

"Second line of defense breached." Yanqing twirled his sword, "Their coordination is decent, but unfortunately, their fundamentals are still lacking."

In front of the central control room, the final line of defense was guarded by twenty elite guards. They wore specialized heavy armor and carried heavy electromagnetic weapons purchased at high prices from the black market.

Seeing Yanqing's figure, the leader pressed a button without hesitation: "Initiate self-destruct sequence!"

Boom!

The control room door began to slowly close, and the piercing alarm and dazzling red light already indicated their purpose.

Yanqing's eyes chilled: "Such a bother."

His figure flashed, and six flying swords shot out like meteors, drawing six ice-blue trajectories in the air. The flying swords precisely pierced the gaps in each guard's armor, and the extreme cold sword qi instantly froze their joints.

At the same time, Yanqing himself swept like a phantom towards the rapidly closing door. When the gap was only a hand's width, his right hand's long sword plunged in—

"Breakthrough Song, Open!"

Ice-blue sword qi erupted along the blade, and the entire door was forcibly frozen and cracked. Yanqing kicked out, and the heavy alloy door shattered like a fragile ice sculpture.

Meanwhile, outside the base.

Dozens of the Company's security robots descended from the sky. They were pitch-black, with the Interstellar Peace Corporation's silver emblem on their armor. These robots moved in perfect unison, like well-trained soldiers, quickly securing all exits of the base.

When they marked the low-threat personnel who had surrendered and were spared by Yanqing's flying swords, the robots immediately moved forward, controlling them with precise electromagnetic restraint devices.

Their movements were elegant and efficient, like a meticulously choreographed stage play.

A researcher tried to escape, but after only two steps, he was precisely captured by a restraint net shot by a robot. Blue currents flickered on the net's ropes, ensuring the captive could not break free but would not suffer permanent damage.

Inside the control room, Kurosaki was frantically operating the terminal, trying to activate the final self-destruct sequence. Hearing the loud noise behind him, he spun around, meeting Yanqing's cold gaze.

"It's over." Yanqing pointed his long sword, six flying swords hovering behind him, all their tips aimed at Kurosaki.

Kurosaki's face was ashen, then he suddenly grinned hideously: "You think this is over?"

Yanqing's figure flashed, instantly appearing in front of Kurosaki. Kurosaki didn't even have time to react before he felt a chill at his neck.

Yanqing's sword tip was already pressed against his throat, directly interrupting his spellcasting.

"Mr. Kurosaki," Yanqing's voice held a hint of boredom, "I have no interest in watching your death throes. Save yourself some dignity."

Kurosaki feigned composure: "What, the Company's lackeys are still so rule-abiding? Hmph! How does it feel to have the Star Gate destroyed? Not good, right?"

Yanqing didn't answer, but instead raised his hand and waved. A holographic projection unfolded, showing a live broadcast of a perfectly intact Star Gate quietly suspended in Pluto orbit, with blue energy ripples still undulating.

The first batch of ships' passage ceremony was still underway, everything was as lively and peaceful as ever.

"This..." Kurosaki was struck as if by lightning, "This is impossible! We clearly..."

"What you blew up was merely an experimental item, which was going to be recycled anyway." Yanqing chuckled, "Since the Eastern Federation couldn't afford it anyway, there's no harm in using it as a trap."

"Of course, there's also the live broadcast tailored exclusively for you. You should feel honored, after all, you are the first 'capable person' to cause 'trillions' of credit points in losses to the Company."

He flipped his wrist, and the sword tip lightly lifted Kurosaki's chin: "By the way, I have some good news for you. Because of your 'feat', the Company has just jointly drafted and passed the 'Solar System Security Assurance Act' with the Eastern Federation."

"From today onwards, you and 'you all' will become the Company's 'special assets'."

Yanqing sheathed his sword, turned and walked towards the door, leaving behind one last sentence: "Congratulations, you have successfully burdened the entire Oceania and half of humanity with three hundred years of debt."

Behind him, the Company's security robots surged into the base like a tide, surrounding the ashen-faced Kurosaki and his companions.

In the warship's command center, Yanqing looked at the dejected Kurosaki on the monitoring screen and yawned boredly: "Is that all?"

Gideon's laughter came through the communicator: "What, haven't had enough fighting?"

"Opponents of this caliber aren't even qualified for sword practice." Yanqing pouted, "I should have gone to spar with Ms. Kafka instead."

"Alright, alright." Gideon laughed, "Is that what you call sparring? You'd just be taken down by one of her Spirit Words."

Yanqing shook his head helplessly, took one last look at Kurosaki and the others being escorted away by the Company's robots, then turned and walked towards the rest cabin.

His figure slowly rose in the dim light, hovering in mid-air in a meditative posture. The spaceship vibrated slightly before leaving, leaving behind only the ruined secret base and a completely altered future.