158: Chapter 158 Counterattack Plan: Straight to the Heart of the Enemy

Chaos Valley main hall.

The dome star map in the tactical conference room was still lit.

The map of the distribution of the ten thousand races, synchronized and updated from the Eternal Star Domain Reception Station and covering the entire Big Dipper Star Field and the first seven passes of the ancient road, was rotating slowly at a frequency of once every 3 seconds.

The golden cursor of the God Clan Council was still flickering at the entrance to the third pass of the ancient road, the dark red cursor of the Holy Demon Palace had crossed the third pass and gone deep into an unknown star region, and the cyan cursor of the Dragon Clan Alliance was scattered between the second and third passes.

And the Heavenly Court cursor.

It was still parked at Chaos Valley at this moment.

72 hours.

Lin Ye stood directly below the star map.

His HP had been stable at 21% for 17 minutes—that was the residual effect of the [Slow Healing] cast on him by Yun Qianxue using her last 4% of Mental Energy.

In another 11 minutes, this status would disappear.

He did not wait for those 11 minutes.

He spoke.

Blood Altar.

Qin Ruoxue's voice came from the communication terminal—not real-time audio, but an encrypted intelligence package she had preset before leaving Chaos Valley, which automatically unlocked after receiving the keyword.

[Blood Altar · Primordial Royal Court Yan State Frontline Command Node]

[Coordinates: Northern Territory of Yan State · Eastern Foothills of Cangmang Mountains · Underground Level 3 of Ruin No. 47 Resource Point]

[Construction Time: Era Calendar Year 1972, Day 271 (Day 47 of server launch)]

[Current Status: Activated]

[Stationed Forces:]

[1. Vampire Council Third Battle Group · Elite Guard: 47 people (Rank 58-62)]

[2. Shi Clan Tribe Seventh Brigade · Heavy Guard: 31 people (Rank 56-60)]

[3. Blood Prince · Main Body (or Projection): Irregularly stationed, 37% probability]

[4. Blood Altar Guardian: 1 (Rank 65 / Elite Unit)]

[5. Blood Energy Conversion Device: 3 sets]

[6. Yao Beast Pheromone Amplifier: 7 sets]

[Function:]

[1. Receive beast tide control commands from the Primordial Royal Court headquarters]

[2. Convert blood energy into Yao Beast berserk pheromones, coverage radius 300 km]

[3. Provide tactical coordination coordinates for frontline Yao Beasts]

[4. Blood Prince completed the second blood energy sacrifice to the Servant Master here (Era Calendar Year 1972, Day 317)]

[Defense System:]

[1. Outer Layer: Shi Clan Tribe heavy battle Formation (Physical Defense)]

[2. Middle Layer: Vampire Council blood energy shield (Energy Defense / Duration 7 seconds / Cooldown 60 seconds)]

[3. Inner Layer: Blood Altar Guardian main body (Blood Altar paralyzed after kill)]

[4. Emergency Plan: Blood Prince authorized self-destruct program (Blood Altar explodes after activation, all units within 500 meters radius take 70,000 points of true damage)]

[Weaknesses:]

[1. Shield briefly turns off when Blood Energy Conversion Device is overloaded (Duration 3 seconds)]

[2. Shi Clan Tribe guard change interval (Once every 47 minutes, duration 17 seconds)]

[3. After Yao Beast Pheromone Amplifiers are destroyed, the Blood Altar's control range over the beast tide will gradually decay (Radius -30 km per 1 set destroyed)]

[Suggested Tactics:]

[1. Surprise attack: Use the guard change interval to break through the outer layer]

[2. Simultaneously destroy at least 2 sets of Blood Energy Conversion Devices, forcing the shield into overload cooldown]

[3. Focus fire on the Blood Altar Guardian, with high burst units taking the lead]

[4. After killing the Guardian, use Chaos Power attacks to destroy the Blood Altar core]

[5. The whole process must not exceed 7 minutes—after 7 minutes, the Blood Prince projection will inevitably descend]

Lin Ye finished reading the last line.

7 minutes.

47 Vampire Council elites.

31 Shi Clan Tribe heavy guards.

1 Rank 65 Guardian.

3 sets of blood energy devices.

7 sets of pheromone amplifiers.

1 Blood Prince main body or projection with a 37% chance of appearing.

He closed the intelligence page.

In the tactical conference room, 7 people.

Su Qingyue.

Shi Potian.

Zhou Tieshan.

Chu Yunxi.

Chen Hao.

Lu Xinghe.

Yun Qianxue.

And him.

8 people.

Blood Altar, Lin Ye said.

370 kilometers from Chaos Valley.

It is the core node for the Primordial Royal Court to command the beast tide in the direction of the Yan State.

As long as it exists, the Yao Beast tide will be endless—not three months later, but every single day.

He paused.

In the 72-hour bloody battle, we repelled 9,000 Berserk Blood Wolves.

But the Blood Altar is still operating.

As long as the Blood Prince is willing, at the same time tomorrow, another 9,000 Berserk Blood Wolves will cross the northern border of the Yan State from the other side of the Cangmang Mountains.

And the day after.

And every day after that.

Until the mecha wrecks of Chaos Valley pile up to the top of the third line of defense.

No one spoke.

But Shi Potian's left fist—that left fist with forty-seven shattered bones, necrotic muscle, charred skin, and now slowly peeling off old scabs to reveal new pink skin beneath—clenched tight.

So, Lin Ye said.

We won't defend anymore.

He raised his head.

Looking at those 7 people.

Go to the Blood Altar.

Destroy it.

[System Prompt: You have created a campaign-level mission Counterattack · Blood Altar Extermination Battle]

[Mission Type: Faction Mainline / Limited Time / High Risk]

[Mission Objectives:]

[1. Break through the outer defense line of the Blood Altar]

[2. Destroy Blood Energy Conversion Device × 3]

[3. Kill Blood Altar Guardian × 1]

[4. Destroy Blood Altar core]

[5. Survive and evacuate (within 7 minutes)]

[Mission Rewards:]

[1. Beast tide within Yan State permanently weakened by 70%]

[2. All strongholds of the Primordial Royal Court in the northern territory of the Yan State exposed]

[3. Captured Vampire Council secret technique fragment × 1 (exchangable)]

[4. Faction Reputation + 200,000]

[5. Unlock subsequent mission Purple Mountain · Judgment of the Blood Prince]

[Mission Failure:]

[1. Chaos Valley will suffer a second beast tide impact within 3 days]

[2. Primordial Royal Court obtains the main combat power assessment report of the Heavenly Court]

[3. Blood Prince completes the collection of clues for the ruthless ones inheritance ahead of schedule]

[4. All participating members Rank - 3]

Lin Ye closed the prompt.

He looked at Chen Hao.

chaos unit no. 1, can it still fight?

Chen Hao didn't answer immediately.

His right hand—which had withstood 170% recoil when the particle rifle exploded, and whose web between thumb and index finger was still wrapped in the first-aid bandage Yun Qianxue had used her last half roll for—pressed on the mecha status panel.

[chaos unit no. 1 · Current Status]

[Energy Core: 3% (Forced Sleep)]

[Particle Rifle: Destroyed (Needs replacement)]

[Right Arm Joint Hydraulics: 87%]

[Left Arm Joint Hydraulics: 91%]

[Sole Magnetic Anchor: 100%]

[Missile Nest: Empty]

[Outer Armor: Many scratches / No punctures]

[Pilot Chen Hao: HP 37% / Divine Power 11% / Mental Energy 72%]

3% energy, Chen Hao said.

Enough for it to walk 37 kilometers.

To the Blood Altar—370 kilometers.

He paused.

But we can carry it.

Lin Ye looked at him.

3 seconds.

Carry it.

Chen Hao nodded.

He started to dismantle the sole magnetic anchor of the chaos unit no. 1.

Not to dismantle and throw it away.

But to dismantle it—and install it on his own combat boots.

[Chen Hao · Engineering Check: Success]

[You have obtained temporary equipment: Sole Magnetic Anchor (Modified)]

[Effect: Movement speed on metal surfaces + 30%, climbing vertical metal surfaces possible]

[Durability: 47 minutes]

Lin Ye looked at Chu Yunxi.

Arrow.

Chu Yunxi pulled the last arrow from the quiver at her waist.

Not a refined steel arrow.

It was something she had dismantled from the bow arm of her broken flame feather bow during the 72-hour bloody battle—a bow arm fragment.

37 centimeters long.

3 centimeters wide.

0.3 centimeters thick.

One end had been whittled into an arrowhead shape with a dagger.

The other end was wrapped with cloth strips torn from the hem of her robe, serving as fletching.

[Flame Feather Arrow · Remnant]

[Type: Homemade Ammunition]

[Quality: Rare (Originally Epic)]

[Attack Power: 1,700-2,300]

[Special Effect: 17% probability to trigger a small-scale explosion upon hit (Damage 800)]

[Quantity: 1 / 1]

Enough, Chu Yunxi said.

Lin Ye looked at Zhou Tieshan.

Shield.

Zhou Tieshan took the spare shield off his back.

The 7-millimeter deep crack in the center of the shield face had extended to the edge of the shield.

He pressed the edge of the crack with his left hand.

Can still take one more hit, he said.

One charge.

Lin Ye looked at him.

One time is enough.

Lin Ye looked at Lu Xinghe.

Compass.

Lu Xinghe lowered his head.

The star compass, which had been broken into seventeen pieces and glued back together, had an optical path error of +17%, 0% Spiritual Power circuit, and the dial had completely stopped turning—

He placed it in front of his knees.

He gently flicked the needle with his thumb.

The needle moved from stillness—slowly rotating.

1 degree.

2 degrees.

3 degrees.

It stopped at 11 degrees north by west.

That was the direction of the Blood Altar.

...It can still point, Lu Xinghe said.

Lin Ye looked at him.

That's enough.

Lin Ye looked at Yun Qianxue.

Staff.

Yun Qianxue lowered her head.

The green lotus staff in her hand—the head of the staff was shattered, the staff body was covered in cracks, the Flame of Life inside was completely extinguished, and the three crystal petals on the head had been tied back into place with pale green embroidery thread—

She held it horizontally in her hand.

The staff body rested against the ground.

...It's still there, she said.

Lin Ye looked at her.

3 seconds.

Good.

Lin Ye looked at Shi Potian.

Shi Potian did not speak.

He just brought his left fist—that left fist with forty-seven shattered bones, necrotic muscle, charred skin, and now old scabs peeling off in patches to reveal new pink skin beneath—

Up to his chest.

Clenched tight.

Lin Ye looked at him.

...Right arm, Lin Ye said.

Shi Potian lowered his head.

His right arm—the nerve connection was not yet stable, he had torn off the nano-repair membrane with his own hands 72 hours ago, and now there were 47 fine, unhealed cracks on the new pink skin—hung at his side.

He lifted his right arm with his left hand.

Raised it to his chest.

Aligned with his left fist.

...Can hold, he said.

Lin Ye looked at him.

3 seconds.

Good.

Lin Ye looked at Su Qingyue.

Su Qingyue had no sword.

Her ice soul sword had broken 47 days ago.

That spare refined-grade longsword was stuck in the gap of the third line of defense of Chaos Valley 17 minutes ago—the sword body was 7 centimeters into the ground, and the hilt was facing the defense line.

She hadn't retrieved it.

She just stood at Lin Ye's side.

Her ice-blue eyes were as calm as a glacial lake that had not melted for eons.

...Vast Cold Descent, she said.

Cooldown is still 4 hours and 17 minutes.

But not needed.

She paused.

Blood Altar.

I can—freeze it for 3 seconds.

Lin Ye looked at her.

7 seconds.

He didn't say Is 3 seconds enough?.

He didn't say You only have 33% HP left.

He didn't make any attempt to dissuade her.

He just nodded.

Lin Ye turned around.

He faced the door of the tactical conference room.

A person was standing there.

Zhao Wuji.

Not a projection.

Not communication.

It was him in person.

He had come from the Eternal Star Domain Reception Station—using the last 70,000 coupons borrowed from III-7, starting the super-distance teleportation array that had been scrapped 47 years ago, under the conditions of 17% failure probability, 9% spatial turbulence risk, and 23% coordinate drift error—

He had forcibly teleported back.

[Zhao Wuji · Current Status]

[HP: 19%]

[Divine Power: 0%]

[Stamina: 7%]

[Spatial Adaptation Adverse Reaction: Severe]

[Current Behavior: Vomiting]

He was holding onto the door frame.

His face was as white as paper.

But he raised his head.

Looking at Lin Ye.

...Blood Altar, he said.

I'll take you there.

17 minutes later.

North Gate of Chaos Valley.

8 people.

1 chaos unit no. 1 with a dormant energy core, dragged behind Chen Hao with engineering cables.

3,000 guardian type iii mechas—not all of them, of the 1,100 units remaining combat-capable after battle damage, the 3,000 units with remaining energy core endurance exceeding 47 minutes?

No.

It was 47 units.

47 command-type mechas.

The 47 command-type units sent by Carl Reynolds in the second batch of reinforcements.

They had not participated in the 72-hour bloody battle of Chaos Valley.

They had been on standby the whole time.

On standby next to that old-model adapter on the 3rd underground level of the Chaos Valley main hall.

On standby for 72 hours.

At this moment.

47 command-type mechas, simultaneously started their energy cores.

47 Nebula II energy cores, pulsing simultaneously at a frequency of 1.7 seconds/time.

The resonance of 47 sole magnetic anchors adsorbing to the ground, in the gray morning light of the 4th day of Chaos Valley, converged into a low, continuous 3-second roar.

47 mechas.

47 pilots: None.

47 AI cores.

47 serial numbers.

From 47-1925-07-13 to 47-1972-10-07.

[guardian type iii · Command-Type Mecha Group]

[Current Command: Follow]

[Target: Blood Altar]

[Tactical Positioning: Fire Support / Information Node / Self-Destruct Unit]

Lin Ye stood at the very front of the team.

He turned his head.

Took a look at Chaos Valley.

On the third line of defense, that refined-grade longsword stuck in the ground with the hilt facing the defense line—Su Qingyue's sword—was reflecting a very faint, almost invisible cold light in the morning sun.

He withdrew his gaze.

Walked forward.

370 kilometers.

8 people.

47 mechas.

1 chaos unit no. 1 with a dormant energy core.

1 star compass pointing 11 degrees north by west.

1 arrow whittled from a flame feather bow arm fragment.

1 spare shield with a 7-millimeter deep crack in the center, ready to break at any moment.

1 right arm with an unstable nerve connection, forcibly lifted to the chest by its owner.

1 green lotus staff with a shattered head, a body full of cracks, and three crystal petals on the head tied back with pale green embroidery thread.

1 pair of combat boots modified with sole magnetic anchors.

1 figure who had just recovered from spatial teleportation sickness and was still shaking slightly.

1 Vast Cold Spiritual Power that would freeze everything within 3 seconds.

1 star compass needle pointing to the Blood Altar.

A Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body with 570% meridian load, 21% HP, and 0% Divine Power.

---

They had walked for 4 hours and 17 minutes.

It was not that they could not walk anymore.

They were waiting.

Waiting for the Blood Altar's shift change gap.

Once every 47 minutes, lasting for 17 seconds.

The 4th hour and 17th minute.

The 6th shift change gap.

---

[Blood Altar · Outer Defense Line]

[Shi Clan Tribe Seventh Battalion · Heavy Guard]

[Current Status: Changing shifts]

[Gap Duration: 17 seconds]

[Elapsed: 7 seconds]

---

Lin Ye did not say 'Charge.'

He simply pointed his sword forward—that refined iron longsword brought back from the Trial Ancient Star, the crack in the center of its blade stained with the blood of the Vampire race, still pulsing with a faint dark red light—

forward.

The magnetic foot anchors of the 47 command-type mechas switched from 'adsorption' to 'propulsion' in the same instant.

47 silver-blue steel giants cut into the Blood Altar's outer defense line simultaneously—at the 9th second of the 17-second shift change gap.

---

11th second.

The first set of Blood Energy Conversion Devices was hit by a volley from the main cannons of 3 command-type mechas.

[Blood Energy Conversion Device · No. 1]

[Durability: 100% → 0%]

[Blood Altar Shield: Active → Overload Charging]

[Shield Duration Remaining: 0 seconds]

[Shield Reactivation Countdown: 3 seconds]

---

13th second.

The second set of Blood Energy Conversion Devices was continuously hit by the particle rifles of another 3 command-type mechas.

[Blood Energy Conversion Device · No. 2]

[Durability: 100% → 0%]

[Blood Altar Shield: Overload Charging → Double Overload]

[Shield Reactivation Countdown: 3 seconds → 7 seconds]

---

15th second.

Su Qingyue stepped forward.

She had no sword.

She only had 3 seconds.

She pressed her left hand—that hand with an empty palm, the hilt remnants long since placed into the deepest part of her Storage Ring—

against the surface of the Blood Altar's core shield.

[Vast Cold Spiritual Power · Residual]

[Current Divine Power: 17%]

[Skill: Ice Seal]

[Target: Blood Altar Core Shield]

[Duration: 3 seconds]

---

Within 0.3 seconds, solid ice 0.7 meters thick condensed on the surface of the shield.

Inside the ice layer, the Blood Altar core—1.7 meters in diameter, suspended in the center of 7 pheromone amplifiers, pulsing with dark red light at a frequency of once every 1.7 seconds—

stopped pulsing.

---

16th second.

Zhou Tieshan's shield—that spare shield with a 7-millimeter deep crack in the center, which he held by the edge to keep from shattering—

slammed head-on into the chest of the Blood Altar Guardian.

[Blood Altar Guardian · Level 65 Elite]

[HP: 470,000 / 470,000]

[Current Status: Unbalanced]

[Unbalanced Duration: 1.7 seconds]

---

17th second.

Chu Yunxi released the bowstring.

The arrow, whittled from a fragment of the flame feather bow's limb, pierced through the gap between the 3rd and 4th armor plates on the Guardian's chest in the final 0.3 seconds of its 1.7-second unbalanced state.

[Weak Point Hit]

[Damage Dealt: 7,300]

[17% Explosion Probability: Triggered]

[Extra Damage: 800]

[Guardian HP: 470,000 → 461,900]

---

18th second.

Shi Potian.

He smashed his right fist—that fist with nerves not yet stabilized and 47 unhealed cracks on the newborn pink skin—

into the gap in the armor plates at the junction of the Guardian's head and neck, torn open by Chu Yunxi's arrow.

[Damage Dealt: 4,700]

[Guardian HP: 461,900 → 457,200]

---

19th second.

Chen Hao.

He had no mecha.

His chaos unit no. 1 was still dragging behind him, its energy core dormant.

But he had magnetic foot anchors—the pair he had salvaged from the chaos unit no. 1 and attached to his own combat boots.

He stepped onto the Guardian's chest armor and climbed vertically onto its shoulder.

Then, with his right hand—which had gripped the control ball for 2,820 seconds during a 47-hour extreme load test and withstood 170% recoil when the particle rifle exploded—

he shoved a piece of energy core debris salvaged from a scrapped mecha into the gap between the Guardian's helmet and chest armor.

[Energy Core Debris · Forced Overload]

[Detonation Countdown: 3 seconds]

---

20th second.

Zhou Tieshan's shield.

It shattered.

That spare shield with a 7-millimeter deep crack in the center, which he had held together with his left hand for 4 hours and 17 minutes, broke completely from the central crack under the Guardian's third strike.

Two halves.

In his hands.

He didn't throw them away.

He used these two halves—one in each hand—to continue blocking the Guardian's strike path.

[Zhou Tieshan · HP: 41% → 33%]

[Right Arm Bone Plate: 97% → 89%]

---

21st second.

Energy core debris.

Explosion.

[Guardian HP: 457,200 → 411,700]

---

22nd second.

Lu Xinghe knelt on the ground.

His star compass—that star compass which had split into seventeen pieces and was glued back together, with a +17% optical path error, 0% spiritual power circuit, and a completely frozen dial—

was placed before his knees.

He used his fingers.

On the surface of the ice layer remaining on the Blood Altar's core shield.

He carved 47 array patterns.

Not spiritual power.

Physics.

It was the result of his 47 days of silence in his mental sea, 47 failures, 47 times starting over, 47 times unconsciously tracing and erasing marks on his knees—

all trained into him.

[Physical Array Carving · Spirit Gathering]

[Effect: In a non-spiritual environment, guides surrounding free Spiritual Qi through physical carvings]

[Current Spirit Gathering Efficiency: 7% of a normal array]

[Duration: 17 seconds]

---

17 seconds.

47 carvings.

On the surface of the ice layer remaining on the Blood Altar's core shield, extremely faint, almost invisible light blue filaments—began to flow.

---

23rd second.

Su Qingyue's 3-second Ice Seal—ended.

The Blood Altar core began to pulse again.

1.7 seconds / time.

---

24th second.

Lin Ye's sword.

That refined iron longsword brought back from the Trial Ancient Star, the crack in the center of its blade stained with the blood of the Vampire race, was now pulsing—at a frequency perfectly synchronized with the Blood Altar core.

1.7 seconds / time.

He stabbed the sword.

Into that crack on the surface of the Blood Altar core—a primitive crack that had existed since it was first sealed 470,000 years ago, and had never been touched by any external force—

[Hit: Blood Altar Core · Ancient Seal Node]

[Damage Dealt: 0]

[Effect Caused: Chaos Power Injection]

[Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body · Resonance with Ancient Relic: Triggered]

---

The Blood Altar core's pulsing.

Stopped.

Not overload.

Not destruction.

It was 'awakening'.

---

[Blood Altar Core · Seal Status Changed]

[Current Seal Integrity: 100% → 97%]

[Seal Breaker: Night Emperor (Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body)]

[Seal Release Progress: 3%]

[Full Release Requires: Continuous injection of Chaos Power for 470 seconds]

[Or—]

[One-time destruction]

---

Lin Ye did not have 470 seconds.

He only had 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, the Blood Prince's projection would inevitably descend.

---

He withdrew his sword.

From the crack in the center of the blade—those drops of Vampire blood, contaminated during the 72-hour bloody battle in the Chaos Valley, actively absorbed while pursuing Collins, and resonating on the surface of the Blood Altar core—

were forced out of the blade by him.

One drop.

One drop.

47 drops.

Suspended in mid-air.

Each drop was dark red, its surface shimmering with the extremely restrained fluorescence unique to Vampire blood energy.

---

He injected these 47 drops of blood.

Simultaneously into the 47 Spirit Gathering patterns—carved by Lu Xinghe using physical array carving on the surface of the Blood Altar core.

[Chaos Power + Vampire Essence Blood + Physical Spirit Gathering Array]

[Unknown Reaction · Calculating...]

[Calculation Successful]

[Effect: Blood Altar Core Forced Overload]

[Overload Countdown: 7 seconds]

---

25th second.

26th second.

27th second.

The pulsing frequency of the Blood Altar core accelerated from 1.7 seconds/time to 0.7 seconds/time.

0.5 seconds/time.

0.3 seconds/time.

0.1 seconds/time.

---

28th second.

The Blood Altar Guardian—that Level 65 elite who had been smashed by 4 fists from Shi Potian, shot by 1 arrow from Chu Yunxi, stuffed with 1 piece of energy core debris by Chen Hao, and blocked 3 times by Zhou Tieshan's shield remnants—

fell.

[Blood Altar Guardian · Killed]

[Contribution: Entire Squad]

[Experience Points Distribution: 47,000 points each]

[Lin Ye Rank: Level 60 → Level 61 (Peak Four Poles → Transforming Dragon First Layer)]

[System Notification: Congratulations on your Breakthrough to the Transforming Dragon Secret Realm]

---

Lin Ye did not look at the notification.

He stared at the Blood Altar core.

Overload countdown: 3 seconds.

2 seconds.

1 second.

0 seconds.

---

BOOM—!!!

That was not an explosion.

That was 'annihilation'.

The Blood Altar core—that core sealed by the ancestors of the Archaic Race 470,000 years ago, awakened 47 days ago by the Blood Prince using the blood energy of 17 Vampire elites, and 7 minutes ago had 3% of its Seal released by Lin Ye's injection of Chaos Power—was now, under the triple overload of Chaos Power, Vampire essence blood, and the physical Spirit Gathering Array—

reduced to ashes.

---

[Blood Altar · Core Destroyed]

[Blood Energy Conversion Device: 3/3 destroyed]

[Yao Beast Pheromone Amplifier: 7/7 paralyzed]

[Blood Altar's control radius over the beast tide towards Yan State: 300 km → 0 km]

[4,000 Crystal-Armored Giant Rhinoceroses currently gathering 17 km north of Chaos Valley: Lost command, beginning to disperse]

[Yan State Territory · Beast Tide Threat Level: Red → Yellow]

---

Lin Ye stood where he was.

His sword was still in the posture of having stabbed the core.

The tip of the sword was pressed against empty air.

The crack in the center of the blade, stained with Vampire blood, had now turned completely gray.

That was the mark of the Chaos Power having completed its erosion.

---

He sheathed his sword.

Turned around.

'...Let's go,' he said.

---

7 minutes.

3 minutes and 17 seconds remaining.

---

[Blood Altar · Self-Destruct Sequence Activated]

[Authorized By: Blood Prince]

[Authorization Method: Remote Command]

[Self-Destruct Countdown: 60 seconds]

[Explosion Radius: 500 meters]

[Explosion Damage: 70,000 True Damage]

---

47 command-type mechas, in the same instant—all turned toward Lin Ye.

Not standing by.

It was 'interception'.

47 AI cores.

47 serial numbers.

From 47-1925-07-13 to 47-1972-10-07.

47 silver-blue steel giants.

Simultaneously initiated forced energy core overload.

47 Nebula Type II energy cores, within 0.3 seconds, surged from their remaining 17%-31% power—to 470%.

[guardian type iii · Command-Type Mecha]

[Current Command: Self-Destruct Interception]

[Target: Blood Altar Self-Destruct Explosion Shockwave]

[Expected Interception Success Rate: 97%]

---

31st second.

The 1st command-type mecha—serial number 47-1925-07-13—detonated its energy core 17 meters directly in front of the Blood Altar explosion center.

The orange-red fireball, under the gray sky of the eastern foothills of the Cangmang Mountains in northern Yan State, was like a miniature sun.

33rd second.

The 2nd mecha.

35th second.

The 3rd mecha.

37th second.

The 4th mecha.

---

47th second.

The 47th command-type mecha—serial number 47-1972-10-07—detonated its energy core 3 meters directly in front of the Blood Altar explosion center.

Its AI core, 0.1 seconds before the explosion, sent a command to Lin Ye containing only 7 characters:

[47-1972-10-07]

[Content: 'Clear the 7th stage for us.']

---

Explosion.

70,000 points of True Damage.

47 mechas.

47 interception lines.

47 simultaneously detonated energy cores.

Everything within a 500-meter radius of the Blood Altar—the 31 corpses of the Shi Clan Heavy Guard, the 47 remnants of blood energy from the Vampire elite guard, the charred remains of the 7 pheromone amplifiers, the molten fragments of the 3 Blood Energy Conversion Devices—was swallowed by the orange-red sea of fire.

But the sea of fire did not cross the position where the 47th mecha self-destructed.

It stopped there.

3 meters behind Lin Ye's back.

---

[Blood Altar · Destroyed]

[Primordial Royal Court Yan State Frontline Command Node: Permanently disabled]

[Beast Tide Control Hub: Paralyzed]

[All Yao Beasts attacking Human Race strongholds within Yan State: Lost tactical coordination, entered a state of dispersal]

[Mission 'Counterattack · Blood Altar Extermination': Completed]

---

Lin Ye did not look back.

He looked ahead.

Toward the direction of Chaos Valley.

370 kilometers.

The path he had walked for 4 hours and 17 minutes.

He walked back.

---

Behind him.

The wreckage of 47 command-type mechas was slowly cooling.

Fragments of 47 energy cores reflected an extremely faint, fading warmth on the gray-white dusty ground.

47 serial numbers.

From 47-1925-07-13 to 47-1972-10-07.

They had once waited for 47 years in the storage warehouse of the Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Starfield.

After 47 years.

They were in the Big Dipper Star Field · Yan State · Eastern foothills of the Cangmang Mountains.

And waited for their final command.

---

[Chapter 158 · End]