138: Chapter 138 Attacked on the Return Journey, Space Pirates

In the Seventh District of Star Ring City, at the temporary Heavenly Court office.

The resonance of the three star tokens had ended, and the holographic projection of the star map leading to the Trial Ancient Star now hovered in the center of the office.

Chen Hao, Zhao Wuji, and Qin Ruoxue were gathered around the star map, quickly recording the coordinates of every spatial node and marking every dangerous area along the route.

Lin Ye stood before the intelligent glass curtain wall, his gaze crossing the purple glow of the Titan Ring and landing on the deep, dark Void Realm dotted with sparse starlight in the distance.

The commercial negotiations in the Eternal Star Domain had been successfully completed, and the third star token now rested quietly in his Storage Ring, tightly adjacent to its two companions.

The business proposal for the Star Domain trade license had been submitted, with a review period of 3-5 working days; they could receive the results as early as when they returned from the Meteorite Belt.

Everything was proceeding according to plan.

However, the space between Lin Ye's brows never fully relaxed.

It was too smooth.

The Blood Prince's sudden concession at the auction, the tacit withdrawal of the Temple and the Eternal Kingdom, and even the identification of the mysterious consignor, the 'Scavenger'—every step was perfectly timed, and not a single opponent had reacted excessively beyond expectations.

This was not normal.

Given the Blood Prince's personality, after losing thirty Blood God Guards at Purple Mountain and being slapped in the face in public while having two star tokens taken away, it was impossible for him to give up the fight for the third star token simply because of 'insufficient cash flow'.

Unless...

Unless his original goal was never to compete with the Heavenly Court in financial resources at the auction.

Lin Ye's Jade Slip vibrated.

Qin Ruoxue's voice came from the Jade Slip, carrying a hint of suppressed gravity:

Lin Ye, the Blood Prince's vehicle left Star Ring City thirty minutes ago, and its course is... the route we must take to return to the Big Dipper Star Field.

Also, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's hidden sentries on the outskirts of Star Ring City detected that seven small and medium-sized player fleets filed for 'temporary departure' this afternoon, and the identity information of three of these fleets could not be verified.

Seven fleets.

Lin Ye repeated the number.

Seven fleets of unknown identity filed for departure at the same time, all heading in the direction of the Big Dipper Star Field.

This was not a coincidence.

Notify everyone,

Lin Ye turned around, his voice calm,

The return plan originally scheduled for tomorrow morning will be moved forward.

Set sail in two hours, adjust the course temporarily, bypass the L4-7 supply station, and detour along the outer edge of the Meteorite Belt.

Have Chen Hao check the space combat mode of chaos unit no. 1, ensure the energy core is full, and pre-charge the weapon Systems to 90%.

Shi Potian, enter combat status and be ready for boarding combat at any time.

Qingyue, how are the reserves of Vast Cold Spiritual Power?

Su Qingyue gently raised her hand, and a crystalline ice lotus condensed in her palm.

The lotus rotated half a turn, and the edges of the petals refracted a pale blue shimmer.

Enough to support three uses of Vast Cold Descent, each lasting 45 seconds,

she said,

In a space environment, the transmission medium for ice-type Spells is limited, so the effective range will be reduced by 40%, but the ice crystal solidification speed will increase by 25%.

Lin Ye nodded: Space combat is completely different from ground combat.

Weightless environments, three-dimensional battlefields, and energy weapon projectile speeds being three times faster than Spells... everyone must adapt.

He paused:

Including me.

Two hours later.

Star Ring City, Seventh District civilian port.

A silver-gray, streamlined spaceship about forty meters long was slowly detaching from its berth.

The ship's appearance was between a standard 'Nebula-class' fast transport ship of the Eternal Star Domain and an armed frigate, with four sets of additional energy shield generators installed on the surface and obvious signs of modification in the tail engine compartment.

[ 'Chaos' ]

[ Type: Armed Fast Transport Ship ]

[ Rank: Suitable for Rank 55-65 ]

[ Source: Retired ship from the Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Star Domain, transferred at a discounted price through Dr. Ailin's coordination ]

[ Parameters: ]

[ Length: 42.7 meters ]

[ Maximum Speed: 0.15 light-seconds/second (sub-light cruise mode) ]

[ Jump Capability: Can perform short-range spatial jumps within a radius of 5 light-years (requires 180 minutes of cooling per jump) ]

[ Armor Material: Star-Glitter Alloy Type II Composite Armor ]

[ Energy Shield: Quad-mounted civilian-grade shield generator (modified) ]

[ Weapon System: ]

[ 1. Bow-mounted dual-linked particle cannon x 1 (adjustable power, maximum output Rank 65) ]

[ 2. Side missile launch nest x 2 (24 rounds of ammunition) ]

[ 3. Stern close-in defense machine gun x 2 (automatic interception, effective against mecha-level targets) ]

[ Carrying Capacity: 1 Mecha Hangar (can accommodate 1 Four Extremities-level mecha) ]

[ Crew: 8 people (including pilot) ]

This was the first interstellar spaceship owned by the Heavenly Court.

Although it was a retired ship, a civilian modification, and its weapon Systems were significantly behind the current main warships of the Eternal Star Domain, being able to complete the entire process from contact and acceptance to modification within three days was already the limit of what Dr. Ailin could achieve using her extensive personal connections.

Chen Hao stood in the mecha hangar, checking the parameters of chaos unit no. 1 for the last time.

The silver-blue steel giant maintained a semi-crouched posture on the fixed bracket, the energy core in its chest emitted a low and steady hum, and the particle cannon barrels on its shoulders were undergoing charge-discharge tests, with blue arcs of electricity jumping at the muzzle.

[ chaos unit no. 1 · Space Combat Mode ]

[ Status: Ready ]

[ Energy Core: 98% ]

[ Weapon System: ]

[ 1. Particle rifle (600 rounds of ammunition, can fire continuously for 12 seconds) ]

[ 2. High-frequency vibration blade x 2 (passed vacuum environment heat dissipation test) ]

[ 3. Shoulder missile nest x 2 (16 rounds of ammunition) ]

[ Special Modification: Magnetic anchors installed on the soles/back, can fix posture in a zero-gravity environment ]

Lin Ye stood in front of the observation window behind the cockpit, watching the outline of Star Ring City gradually shrink in his field of vision.

That city of technology suspended in the center of the gas giant's ring belt, those seven slowly rotating ring tracks, that Star Ring Grand Theater where he had bid for the third star token at the cost of five years of Spiritual Qi proceeds from Chaos Valley—

At this moment, in the tail flame of the 'Chaos', it was gradually turning into a pale purple point of light.

Jump engine preheated,

Zhao Wuji said, sitting in the co-pilot seat, his fingers quickly sliding across the operation panel,

Target coordinates: Outer edge of the Meteorite Belt, 3700 kilometers southeast of the L4-7 supply station.

Estimated jump time: 47 seconds.

Jump execution.

A pale blue halo lit up at the bow of the 'Chaos'.

This was the precursor to a spatial jump, and the space around the ship began to twist, compress, and fold.

The next moment, the entire spaceship, like a spear thrown with great force, pierced into the Void Realm.

Meteorite Belt.

This was a dangerous area stretching hundreds of thousands of kilometers between the Eternal Star Domain and the Big Dipper Star Field.

Countless meteorites of various sizes, asteroid fragments, and wreckage of space stations abandoned by ancient civilizations drifted slowly in this gravitationally chaotic airspace.

When the 'Chaos' exited the jump state, the hull vibrated violently for four seconds—this was the standard sequela of a short-range jump, as a tiny error in spatial coordinates caused the ship to graze a few fist-sized meteorite fragments.

Shield strength dropped by 12%,

Zhao Wuji reported quickly,

Recalibrating coordinates, a second jump is expected in three minutes.

Lin Ye did not speak.

His gaze fell into the depths of the chaotic Meteorite Belt outside the porthole.

There, in the pitch-black Void Realm, there were faintly three small points of light moving.

Not starlight.

They were the tail flames of spaceships.

There are ships approaching us,

Qin Ruoxue's voice came from the communication channel,

Three ships, model unknown, speed higher than ours.

Are they friends or enemies?

Chen Hao asked.

Qin Ruoxue was silent for 0.5 seconds—she was retrieving the ship identification database of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

No matching records in the friendly database,

she said,

The signal characteristics do not belong to any merchant ship, research ship, or patrol ship registered in the Eternal Star Domain.

The three ships are in a triangular attack formation, cutting off our retreat and flanks.

Her voice had no fluctuations, but everyone understood.

Not friendly forces.

They are pirates,

Zhao Wuji's voice was dry.

As soon as he finished speaking, a hoarse male voice with a clear teasing tone suddenly interrupted the communication channel:

Good evening, friends on the 'Chaos'.

A few low, stifled laughs came from the channel.

This is the 'Star Remains' pirate group, the most hospitable hosts in this Star Domain.

We noticed that your ship just completed a big deal worth three million credits, so you must be very well-off.

We are not unreasonable people.

How about this—leave a toll of three million credits, the mecha on the ship can also be used as a discount, and then you continue on your way, and we continue to do business.

Fair trade, no deception.

The laughter grew louder.

Lin Ye did not respond.

His gaze fell on the radar screen—the distance of the three pirate ships was rapidly shortening, from 3000 kilometers, 2000 kilometers, 1000 kilometers...

[ Enemy ship information detected ]

[ Ship A: 'Blade' class armed interceptor ]

[ Rank: 58-62 ]

[ Characteristics: Fast speed, strong maneuverability, equipped with four rapid-fire cannons ]

[ Threat Level: ★★★★ ]

[ Ship B: 'Heavy Hammer' class armored gunship ]

[ Rank: 60-64 ]

[ Characteristics: Thick armor, fierce frontal firepower, but slow turning ]

[ Threat Level: ★★★★☆ ]

[ Ship C: Model unknown (suspected modified ship) ]

[ Rank: 55-60 ]

[ Characteristics: Many welding marks on the hull surface, equipped with multiple types of weapons ]

[ Threat Level: ★★★☆ ]

Three against one.

The other side was prepared.

Connect to their channel,

Lin Ye said.

Zhao Wuji was stunned, then immediately complied.

Lin Ye's voice, through the communication channel, clearly entered the command cabin of the opposing fleet:

Three million credits, I can give it.

The pirate channel was silent for a moment—apparently, the other side did not expect this seemingly weakly armed transport ship to be so straightforward.

However,

Lin Ye continued,

I want to confirm first that you are worth the price.

You are three ships, we are one.

You took the attack formation in advance, and we haven't even finished the jump cooling.

This looks like a sure-win situation no matter how you look at it.

But you still announced your name, ship type, and number of people before quoting the price.

This shows that you are not sure you can take us out without paying any price.

So—

Lin Ye's voice remained calm:

Who is your employer?

There was a three-second vacuum in the communication channel.

Then, the hoarse voice sounded again, this time with less teasing and more vigilance:

...Friend, asking about the employer's identity is not very polite according to the rules of the Eternal Star Domain.

I'm just confirming one thing,

Lin Ye said,

You are working for the Blood Prince, how much did he pay you?

There was no answer in the channel.

But Lin Ye had already gotten the answer he wanted.

The three seconds of silence was the answer itself.

A bunch of losers.

Another low voice suddenly interrupted the channel, cutting off the defense that the hoarse male voice was trying to organize.

Why talk nonsense with him? The three million credits are on that ship, grab it and leave!

Do it!

The first round of attacks broke out in the same second the communication was cut off.

The main gun of the 'Heavy Hammer' class armored gunship suddenly lit up with a dazzling orange-yellow light—this was the charging characteristic of a plasma cannon.

The next second, a hot plasma jet with a diameter of over two meters, like a flame spear thrown by a Heavenly God, tore through the Void Realm and pierced straight toward the side of the 'Chaos'!

Shields at full power! Hard right rudder!

Zhao Wuji roared.

Red light flashed in the cockpit.

[ Warning: Heavy energy weapon attack detected ]

[ Shield output increased to 120% ]

[ Estimated hit time: 1.7 seconds ]

Too late to evade completely.

Within 0.3 seconds, Lin Ye made a decision.

Chen Hao! Mecha launch!

Understood!

The mecha hangar door completed the depressurization-opening process within 0.1 seconds, and the silver-blue steel giant, assisted by the magnetic ejection System, shot out from the side of the hull like an arrow from a bow!

chaos unit no. 1 adjusted its posture in mid-air, its back thrusters sprayed at full power, moving horizontally by thirty meters, and used the additional armor on its shoulder to face the plasma jet head-on!

Boom—!!!

The dazzling orange light exploded in space, turning into a visible energy shockwave.

chaos unit no. 1 was blasted back nearly a hundred meters by the huge kinetic energy, three charred gullies were melted on the surface of the shoulder armor, and the energy shield reading plummeted from 100% to 31%.

[ chaos unit no. 1: Shield severely damaged ]

[ Shoulder armor durability: 47% ]

[ Pilot Chen Hao: Took impact damage, HP -12% ]

But—

Blocked.

Damn it, they have a mecha!

exclamations came from the pirate channel.

What are you panicking about! A piece of junk civilian mecha, what waves can it make? Team 2, Team 3, prepare for boarding combat! Board the ship first and grab the stuff!

The three pirate ships began to maneuver at the same time.

The 'Blade' class interceptor, like a shark in the deep sea, cut toward the stern of the 'Chaos' at a tricky angle, and its four rapid-fire cannons sprayed a dense orange-red barrage.

The 'Heavy Hammer' class gunship was charging its main gun for the second round, and the orange-yellow light gathered at the bow again.

The modified ship of unknown model slowed down, and three hatches opened on the side of the hull—these were the exit ports for the boarding party!

Lin Ye took a deep breath.

He had never fought in space before.

There was no earth to support his steps, no air to conduct his perception, and no Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for him to absorb and refine.

The combat power of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body in a vacuum environment would be reduced by at least 30%.

But he had Chaos Heaven Opening.

That move he fully comprehended during the Four Extremities Heavenly Tribulation, the one that wounded the Blood Prince at the edge of the Purple Mountain altar, costing 50% of his Divine Power, increasing attack power by 500%, and carrying a 50% defense-ignoring effect—

The strongest strike.

Qingyue,

Lin Ye's voice sounded in the private channel,

Give me three seconds of the Vast Cold Domain.

Coordinates: Directly behind the stern, 27 degrees vertically downward.

Su Qingyue did not ask why.

She just closed her eyes and formed a complex ice crystal Spell seal in front of her chest.

[ Vast Cold Descent · Localized Expansion ]

A miniature Vast Cold Domain with a diameter of only five meters, centered on the stern of the 'Chaos', suddenly exploded!

Within the Domain, extreme cold Spiritual Power froze all the free particles in that part of the Void Realm, forming a visible, pale blue ice crystal mist belt.

The 'Blade' class interceptor was cutting into this area at a speed of over 800 meters/second—

The pilot didn't even have time to react.

The moment the bow hit the ice crystal mist belt, a layer of three-centimeter-thick solid ice instantly condensed on the surface of the cockpit porthole.

Infrared sensors, optical aiming Systems, radar receiving arrays—all failed within 0.3 seconds.

What's going on?! Isn't this a Spell of a cultivator? How can there be ice in space?!

Terrified curses exploded in the channel.

But Lin Ye could no longer hear them.

He stood at the edge of the emergency exit at the stern of the Chaos, wearing no space suit—the physical strength of his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body was sufficient to sustain combat capability in a vacuum for 27 seconds.

His right hand gripped a light blade nearly five meters long, condensed entirely from Chaos Power.

The light blade was not a physical object; it was a manifestation of Law, forged with his will as the core, his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body as the furnace, and 50% of his Divine Power as fuel.

"Chaos..." Deep within Lin Ye's eyes, a vortex of Chaos and the trajectories of stars emerged simultaneously, intertwining into an ancient imagery from the beginning of the world that transcended words.

"...Heaven Opening." He swung his sword.

He did not strike at the disabled interceptor, but at the Hammer Class Armored Gunship behind it, which was currently accumulating energy for the second charge of its main cannon.

This sword strike crossed seven hundred meters of vacuum.

This sword strike ignored the energy shield of the gunship, which had been pushed to maximum power.

This sword strike was not even captured by any radar, infrared, or optical detection System—because before it reached its target, it was merely a probability cloud that had not yet been observed.

Only the moment it touched the target did it boom into a true, destructive reality.

The sword light plunged into the bow of the Hammer Class gunship—from the main cannon's muzzle.

From the muzzle where it was charging, where energy density reached its peak, and where any external disturbance could trigger a catastrophic chain reaction.

The next instant, that heavy gunship, sixty meters long with armor over four hundred millimeters thick and known in the Eternal Star Domain pirate circles as the "Unsinkable Turtle," exploded from within.

The explosion did not start from any cabin, any ammunition depot, or any reactor. It started from its very "existence."

Chaos Power proliferated, expanded, tore, and assimilated wildly within its hull. Metal was no longer metal, energy was no longer energy; armor, keel, engines, circuit boards—all crumbled before that gray, erosive power that seemed to originate from before the opening of heaven, returning to the most basic, amorphous state of Chaos.

2.7 seconds. That heavy gunship, worth over four million credits, turned into a cloud of metal debris spanning over three kilometers.

[System Prompt: You successfully sank the Hammer Class Armored Gunship]

[Total damage dealt by this attack: 4,870,000 points]

[Chaos Heaven Opening · Space Environment Adaptability Modifier: Attack +30% (Zero resistance in vacuum)]

[Chaos Heaven Opening · Energy Weapon Restraint Effect: 300% damage dealt to charging energy weapons]

[Chaos Heaven Opening · Divine Power consumed: 57,300 points (Current remaining: 11,200 points)]

[Status: Severe lack of Divine Power, all attributes reduced by 20%, lasts for 15 minutes]

In the cockpit, Zhao Wuji watched the rapidly expanding cloud of debris on the radar screen, his mouth agape in a huge "O" shape.

"One strike... just one strike..."

In the channel, the pirates' communication fell into complete Chaos.

"The Hammer is gone! He blew it up in one strike!"

"What the hell is that?! That's not a mecha! That's a person! A fucking person floating in space, blowing up a gunship with a light blade!"

"Retreat! Retreat!"

The Blade Class interceptor finally broke free from the freezing of the Vast Cold Domain. The pilot, almost instinctively, pushed the thrusters to their overload limit, turned the bow 180 degrees, and fled at full speed into the depths of the Meteorite Belt.

The modified ship of unknown model was even more decisive—it didn't even have time to close the boarding team's hatch before activating its emergency jump engine, disappearing into a distorted blue halo.

Only the slowly expanding cloud of Hammer Class debris remained in space, along with a few escape pods that had fled the explosion.

"Boss..." Chen Hao piloted the chaos unit no. 1, flying slowly back to Lin Ye's side, his voice filled with the lingering fear of surviving a disaster and irrepressible admiration.

"That just now... what was that..."

Lin Ye put away the Chaos sword.

He did not answer.

His gaze fell on a particularly large, relatively intact fragment in the center of the metal debris cloud.

[Pirate Ship Debris · Hammer Class Core Section]

[Type: Dismantlable Loot]

[Quality: Epic]

[Description: Debris salvaged from the core position of the destroyed Hammer Class Armored Gunship, containing the complete power cabin section, partial armor modules, and remnants of the weapon System.]

[Dismantlable Materials (Estimated):]

[1. Star Brilliance Alloy Type II: Approx. 800-1200 kg]

[2. High-Energy Capacitor Array: 3-5 sets]

[3. Plasma Main Cannon Core Component (Damaged): 1 piece]

[4. Jump Engine Debris (Irreparable): 1 set]

[5. Pirate Group Private Storage Box: Several (Requires cracking)]

[Dismantling Requirements: Advanced Engineering, Intermediate Mechanics]

[Dismantling Time: Approx. 4 hours]

[Valuation: Approx. 180,000 - 250,000 Tech Resource Credits]

"Drag this piece of debris back," Lin Ye said.

Chen Hao was stunned for 0.5 seconds, then nodded vigorously: "Understood!"

The chaos unit no. 1 extended its mechanical arm, firmly grasped the six-meter-square metal fragment, and dragged it toward the cargo bay interface of the Chaos.

Zhao Wuji watched the two fleeing dots on the radar screen—one jumping away, one fleeing at overload speed into the depths of the Meteorite Belt—and suddenly said in a low voice:

"They ran away."

"The Blood Prince hired killers just to create an 'accident' on our return trip."

"But he didn't expect..."

He paused, his voice filled with complex emotions:

"He didn't expect that, Boss, you are even more terrifying in space than on the ground."

Lin Ye did not answer.

He stood at the edge of the emergency exit at the stern of the Chaos, watching the slowly receding cloud of debris, watching those metal fragments dispersing silently in the vacuum.

He thought of the sword strike just now.

In the Big Dipper Star Field, the maximum range of Chaos Heaven Opening was thirty meters. Atmospheric resistance, the turbulence of Spiritual Qi, and the suppression of Law—all constrained the true power of this Divine Ability.

But in space, in this vacuum without air, without gravity, and without the strong suppression of the Heavenly Dao rules—

Chaos Heaven Opening showed its true face as the "Heaven Opening" for the first time.

It was not a slash.

It was the forced reversal of "existence" within an area into "non-existence."

The consumption was still terrifying—fifty-seven thousand Divine Power, which was almost 85% of Lin Ye's normal Divine Power reserves. After using it, he would fall into a severe weakness period lasting fifteen minutes, with all attributes reduced by 20%.

But the power was also more than three times that of ground combat.

"Remember this," Lin Ye's voice sounded in the team channel, calm as usual:

"The rules of space warfare are completely different from those on the ground."

"Spell propagation is limited, but Law-based attacks have no attenuation."

"Energy shields have excellent resistance to physical attacks, but have almost no defense against the erosion of Chaos Power."

"Speed is life. Whoever's thrusters overheat first, dies first."

He paused:

"This is our first time fighting a space battle."

"It won't be the last."

—

Four hours later.

The Chaos sailed out of the edge of the Meteorite Belt and entered the relatively safe public route of the Eternal Star Domain - Big Dipper Star Field.

In the cargo bay, Chen Hao and Zhao Wuji were dismantling the huge pirate ship debris. Dr. Ailin, via remote communication, was guiding them step-by-step on how to cut the hull structure into sections without damaging the core Materials.

[Dismantling Progress: 37%]

[Obtained: Star Brilliance Alloy Type II x 420 kg]

[Obtained: High-Energy Capacitor Array x 2 sets]

[Obtained: Pirate Group Private Storage Box x 1 (Encrypted)]

Qin Ruoxue was trying to crack the electronic lock of the storage box.

Shi Potian guarded the cargo bay door, maintaining his combat stance.

Su Qingyue stood beside Lin Ye.

She did not speak, but gently placed a new protective jade pendant, condensed from Vast Cold Spiritual Power, into his palm.

"That sword strike just now," she said softly, "if the target wasn't you, but the Blood Prince, he wouldn't have been able to block it."

Lin Ye gripped the jade pendant.

"...Still far from enough," he said.

"I burned 50% of my Divine Power just to sink one Level 60 gunship."

"If the opponent had three warships of the same level firing at the same time, we would have already been sunk."

"If that modified ship hadn't run away, but cooperated with the interceptor to entangle the chaos unit no. 1, the outcome would have been hard to say."

He paused:

"Star pirates are just amateur organizations of players, with backward equipment and crude tactics."

"The real enemies—the Temple's fleet, the Primordial Royal Court's capital ships, the fleets of Outer Gods that may appear in the future Dark Turmoil..."

"They won't give us the chance to blow them up in one strike."

Su Qingyue did not refute.

She just looked at Lin Ye's eyes, which were slightly tired from the overdraft of Divine Power, yet still deep and calm, and nodded gently.

"So," she said, "we need to become stronger."

Lin Ye looked at her.

In the cargo bay, the steady hum of Chen Hao's plasma cutting gun sounded, Zhao Wuji was counting the list of Materials from the second batch of dismantling, Qin Ruoxue's fingers were moving like shadows on the virtual keyboard, and Shi Potian's breathing was as steady as an anvil.

Outside the window, the fragment zone at the outermost edge of the Meteorite Belt was slowly receding, and ahead was a temporarily calm, dark void dotted with sparse starlight.

"Hmm," Lin Ye said.

"Become stronger."

—

Eight hours later.

The Chaos completed its last short-range jump and entered the airspace of the Yan State in the Big Dipper Star Field.

Outside the porthole, that familiar life planet, wrapped in a pale blue layer of Spiritual Qi, was slowly revealing its outline in the morning light.

The communication tower of Chaos Valley had already captured the recognition signal of the Chaos, and Zhao Wuji was confirming the landing coordinates with the ground control center.

Chen Hao poked his head out of the mecha hangar, covered in oil, but his eyes were startlingly bright:

"Boss! The second batch of dismantling is complete! Total output—"

He took a deep breath and quickly reported the numbers:

"Star Brilliance Alloy Type II, one thousand three hundred and sixty kilograms!"

"High-Energy Capacitor Array, four complete sets, two damaged!"

"Jump engine debris, although the core is broken, the shell and cooling System are intact. Dr. Ailin said it can be removed and used to upgrade the cooling module for the chaos unit no. 1!"

"And—"

He held up a black crystal the size of a palm, engraved with blood-colored patterns on the surface:

"Sister Qin cracked that storage box, this is the most valuable thing inside."

[Blood Energy Amplification Core (Damaged)]

[Type: Mecha Modification Part]

[Quality: Legendary (Incomplete)]

[Description: A product of the combination of the Primordial Royal Court's Bloodline secret arts and technology, which can convert the pilot's blood into temporary energy output for the mecha. The current core is severely overloaded. After repair, it can restore 30% - 50% of its function.]

[Repair Requirements: Bloodline Player of the Blood Race x 1 (Voluntary blood donation), Advanced Energy Science x 2, Advanced Mechanics x 2, Star Brilliance Alloy Type I x 50 kg]

[Effect after repair: Mecha enters "Blood Rage" state, Attack +40%, Movement Speed +25%, consumes 1% of pilot's maximum HP per second]

Blood Energy Amplification Core.

The same core component as the Blood Prince's "Blood Rage · Modified."

—Obviously stolen by the pirate group from some discarded supplies of the Primordial Royal Court.

"This thing..." Zhao Wuji looked at the crystal, his brows furrowed, "Trading HP for combat power is too evil."

"But it's strong," Chen Hao said, "If we can repair it, even if it only has 30% functionality..."

He looked at Lin Ye, waiting for a decision.

Lin Ye took the blood crystal, feeling the faint pulse like a heartbeat coming from his palm.

"Keep it for now," he said.

"It might come in handy in the future."

"But not now."

The chaos unit no. 1 slowly landed on the main docking platform of Chaos Valley.

The hatch opened, and Lin Ye stepped onto the familiar, solid ground mixed with the scent of soil and grass.

The morning breeze brushed his cheeks, carrying the rich Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi unique to the Big Dipper Star Field.

Behind him, Chen Hao and Zhao Wuji were directing logistics personnel to transport the thousands of kilograms of Star Brilliance Alloy Materials.

Qin Ruoxue was quickly arranging a new round of intelligence missions for the Heavenly Secret Pavilion in the communication Jade Slip.

Shi Potian had already rushed to the Martial Arts Practice Field, eager to test his newly comprehended Tyrant Body battle technique.

Su Qingyue stood beside Lin Ye, her ice-blue long hair shimmering with a faint luster in the morning light.

"Next," she said softly, "the Meteorite Belt."

Lin Ye nodded.

"The Meteorite Belt."

In his Storage Ring, the three star tokens were placed quietly side by side, their resonance already stable and lasting.

The complete star map leading to the Trial Ancient Star was clearly imprinted in the depths of his consciousness.

Ancient Star Road, the first pass.

He had waited for five months.

The Heavenly Court had waited for five months.

In the entire Big Dipper Star Field, no force knew yet—

The star arena leading to the contention of ten thousand races, the shortcut to the Saint Realm and even higher Realms, the key to the deepest secrets of the game—

Had already fallen into the hands of this nascent force that had only been open for five months.

Lin Ye withdrew his gaze from the main hall of Chaos Valley and turned to walk toward the Mecha Workshop.

The morning light stretched his shadow, merging it with this territory he had built with his own hands and exchanged for at a huge price.

His voice was very soft, yet it clearly reached the ears of every busy companion:

"We leave in three days."

"To the Meteorite Belt."

"To walk that road that no one has walked for twelve thousand years."

In the distance, the chaos unit no. 1 was undergoing its first comprehensive inspection after the battle in the hangar, with the mechanical arm precisely replacing the damaged shoulder armor under the engineer's control.

Further away, the Spiritual Gathering Array was still running day and night, continuously transporting rich, Chaos-attributed Spiritual Qi to every corner of the Heavenly Court.

30% of that Spiritual Qi would no longer belong to the Heavenly Court starting from 0:00 on the 1st of next month.

But the token they exchanged for it was currently lying quietly in Lin Ye's Storage Ring, waiting with its two companions to open that long, unknown star road.

Ancient Star Road.

The end of civilization, and the prologue. These two