126: Chapter 126 Interstellar Isolation

The spaceship's engines emitted a low hum, shuttling rapidly through the dark universe.

Outside the porthole, the stars were like crushed diamonds, sweeping backward rapidly, forming a blurred band of light.

Lin Fan sat in the co-pilot's seat, his gaze fixed on the planet ahead that emitted a soft, milky-white halo—the Light Orb Clan Home Planet.

That planet, once regarded as a home by countless Light Sphere Race members and hailed by the Interstellar Alliance as the 'Gem of the Universe,' was now covered in dense red warning dots on the radar screen, like an invisible net firmly shrouding the entire planet.

His fingertips unconsciously rubbed his palm, where the faint coolness of Kate's body still lingered, along with the hard touch brought by the crystallized patterns.

Just an hour ago, Franklin had been successfully awakened, but before they could even catch their breath, the Light Orb Clan Home Planet sent out an emergency distress signal—the signal was weak and fragmented, mixed with the painful wails of the clansmen, and the cold, mocking laughter of Shadow, clearly transmitted to their spaceship.

'Warning, detected that the Light Sphere Race's global network has been invaded by an unknown program, mental frequency band uniformly locked to the Shadow frequency, match rate 99.8%.'

Franklin's mechanical arm operated the console rapidly, his electronic voice carrying unprecedented solemnity, every byte like a heavy stone, smashing into everyone's heart, 'All adult Light Sphere Race members have been controlled by Shadow's program. Vital signs are normal, but consciousness has been completely devoured, and they are in a forced puppet state.'

'The source of the distress signal comes from the Core Temple on the home planet. The signal strength is continuously weakening, and it is expected to disappear completely in ten minutes.'

Little Kate sat in the back row of the spaceship, her hands clenched into fists, her fingernails digging deep into her palms, leaving several clear red marks.

Her eye sockets were red, tear stains still remained on her face, and her eyes were filled with anxiety and self-blame: 'It's all our fault, it's all our fault for being too slow... If we could have been a little faster, if we could have arrived earlier, perhaps the clansmen wouldn't have become like this.'

She thought of AKai, thought of those Light Sphere Race partners who used to study at Starfall Academy with her and laugh together, thought of those gentle clansmen on the home planet, those soft-light plants covering the planet's surface, those light orbs that could be seen everywhere, emitting warm light.

But now, all of this might have already been destroyed by Shadow.

Lin Fan slowly turned his head to look at Kate, who was unconscious in the back row.

She lay quietly on the seat, her face pale as paper, half of her arm already covered by fine crystal patterns.

Those patterns were like growing vines, entwining her skin, emitting a faint white light, intertwined with the residual Light Orb energy in her body, appearing both eerie and heartbreaking.

During the process of waking up Franklin, Kate had almost exhausted all of her original Light Orb energy, her consciousness had fallen into severe chaos, and she could barely even recognize Lin Fan and Little Kate.

The doctor had warned them that Kate's body was extremely weak, the spread of crystallization was accelerating, and if she received strong mental stimulation or energy shocks, she might completely lose consciousness and never wake up again.

But now, they had no choice.

The Light Orb Clan Home Planet was Kate's home; her clansmen were there, her roots were there.

Even if there were mountains of blades and seas of fire ahead, even if doom awaited them, they had to go.

'Don't blame yourself.' Lin Fan's voice was low and gentle, but carried an unquestionable firmness.

He reached out and gently patted Little Kate's shoulder, 'We are not late, we have done our best. Now, what we need to do is to reach the home planet as soon as possible, find the source of the distress signal, see if there are any surviving clansmen, and see if we can find a way to save them.'

'No matter what they have become, that is Kate's home, it is the home of the Light Sphere Race. We cannot give up on them, and we cannot give up on Kate.'

Franklin's electronic eyes flickered, adding: 'According to current data analysis, although Shadow's program has controlled the adult clansmen, it has not completely devoured their souls, it has only blocked their autonomous consciousness. As long as we can destroy Shadow's control hub on the home planet and cut off the transmission of the Shadow frequency signal, there is a chance to wake up the controlled clansmen.'

'But the risk is extremely high.' Franklin's tone was even more solemn, 'Shadow's control hub is most likely located in the Core Temple on the home planet. It is now guarded by a large number of controlled clansmen, and Shadow is likely sitting there in person. Once we get close, we will be surrounded.'

'Also, Miss Kate's consciousness is in a chaotic state. The Shadow frequency signal permeating the home planet will cause a strong impact on her spirit, which is very likely to accelerate her consciousness assimilation and make her a puppet of Shadow as well.'

Little Kate took a deep breath, wiped away the tear stains on her face, and her eyes gradually became firm: 'I'm not afraid. Even if I die, I want to be with my clansmen, and I want to save them. Sister Kate is so kind, she definitely wouldn't want to see her clansmen become puppets. I must help her, help her protect this home.'

Lin Fan nodded, his gaze cast back to the Light Orb Clan Home Planet outside the porthole.

The halo of that planet seemed even dimmer than in his memory, and a layer of gray-black energy could be vaguely seen covering the surface of the planet, like a stain, defiling this once pure and flawless gem.

'Land.' Lin Fan said in a deep voice, without the slightest hesitation, 'Target, near the Core Temple of the Light Orb Clan Home Planet. Try to avoid the sight of the controlled clansmen and find a safe landing point.'

'Understood.' Franklin responded immediately, maneuvering the spaceship and slowly approaching the Light Orb Clan Home Planet.

The moment the spaceship broke through the atmosphere, a strong feeling of oppression rushed over, instantly filling the entire cabin.

The surface of the planet, which should have been filled with soft-light plants and lush greenery, was now dead silent, with no sign of life to be seen.

The sky was covered by a thick layer of gray-black energy clouds, sunlight could not penetrate, the entire planet was in a dim state, and the air was filled with the painful breath of spirits being forcibly twisted, as well as the faint burnt smell after energy burning.

Those light orbs that were once visible everywhere and emitted warm light were now all dim, floating in mid-air like lanterns that had lost their souls.

And those Light Sphere Race members were floating neatly between the light orbs, their eyes were no longer the gentle and pure white light they once had, but a cold scarlet, without any emotion, without any thinking, only a mechanical, numb state, like a group of puppets, waiting for their master's orders.

The spaceship landed slowly, falling beside an abandoned light tower.

This had once been a communication hub for the Light Sphere Race, but now it was a mess, most of the light tower had collapsed, the ground was covered with broken light stones, and wires were exposed, emitting weak electrical sparks.

Lin Fan carefully picked up Kate, gently opened the spaceship door, and walked out first.

The ground under his feet was no longer the soft, soft-light grass it once was, but had become hard and cold.

Every step he took, he could hear the sound of gravel rubbing under his feet, which sounded particularly harsh in this dead silent environment.

Little Kate followed closely behind, holding the short blade that AKai had once given her, her eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, her body tense, ready to deal with emergencies at any time.

Franklin walked at the end, his body trembling slightly, his electronic eyes constantly scanning the surrounding environment, monitoring the location of the controlled clansmen, and providing warnings for them.

'Detected outsiders.'

Just then, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly came from ahead.

Lin Fan and the others looked up abruptly, only to see dozens of Light Sphere Race members floating in mid-air, their eyes scarlet, their gazes locked on them, their bodies in an attacking posture.

Their movements were uniform, without the slightest deviation, as if they were being controlled by the same person.

'Eliminate.'

Another uniform command, without any emotion, only pure killing intent.

The next second, countless light blades were emitted from the hands of those controlled clansmen, carrying a harsh whistling sound, like a rainstorm, rushing towards Lin Fan and the others.

Those light blades were no longer the gentle light orb energy they once were, but had been strengthened by Shadow's dark energy, carrying cold chill and deadly power.

Wherever they passed, the air was torn, leaving tiny black cracks.

'Defense!' Franklin roared, immediately activating his full-body energy shield.

A light blue light film instantly unfolded, firmly protecting Lin Fan, Kate, and Little Kate behind him.

Bang—bang—bang—

The dense light blades slammed into the energy shield, making a deafening loud noise.

The huge impact made Franklin's body tremble violently, his footsteps involuntarily retreated a few steps, and a red warning symbol flashed in his electronic eyes.

'Warning! Defense system overloaded! Energy consumption too fast!' Franklin's electronic voice carried a stutter, 'The opponent's attack intensity far exceeds expectations. Shadow's dark energy is eroding my shield. It is expected that the shield will completely shatter in three minutes!'

'Abandon ship! Evacuate here immediately!' Lin Fan made a decisive decision, hugged Kate, turned, and ran towards the abandoned light tower not far away.

The terrain here was complex, with many obstacles, which could temporarily avoid attacks and also buy them some time.

Little Kate followed closely, running while waving the short blade in her hand, hacking away the light blades coming towards her.

Her movements were flexible, her eyes were firm, although her heart was full of fear, she did not shrink back at all—she knew she couldn't hold them back, she had to protect Sister Kate, and fight side by side with Lin Fan and Franklin.

'They are really killing us...' Little Kate said, choking while running, her voice full of pain and disbelief, 'They are clearly my clansmen, they were clearly so gentle before, but now, they are like strangers, dealing lethal blows to us...'

Lin Fan didn't answer, just hugged Kate tightly and quickened his pace.

His heart was also full of pain and helplessness.

He looked at those Light Sphere Race members who used to smile gently at Kate and were friendly to humans, now their eyes were empty and murderous, and his heart felt like it was being stabbed by sharp knives.

Shadow was not destroying them, but enslaving them.

He wanted to turn the entire Light Sphere Race into his puppet army, into tools for him to devour the universe and destroy everything.

This cruelty was more heinous than killing them directly.

'Lin Fan...'

Just then, Little Kate suddenly let out an exclamation, her voice full of urgency and worry.

Lin Fan looked down abruptly at Kate in his arms.

Kate slowly opened her eyes, her pupils were full of confusion, as if she had lost all coordinates, her eyes were empty, without focus.

She looked at the familiar yet strange environment around her, looked at those clansmen floating in mid-air with scarlet eyes, a look of bewilderment appeared on her face, her lips moved slightly, and she made a weak sound: 'Where... is this?'

'It is, we are home, Kate.' Lin Fan tried to make his voice as gentle as possible, gently stroking her hair, trying to wake up her chaotic consciousness, 'This is your home, it is the home planet of the Light Sphere Race. Don't be afraid, I am here, Little Kate is also here, we will protect you.'

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Kate's eyes remained dazed as she slowly rolled them, looking at Lin Fan and then at Little Kate. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Her body trembled faintly, and the crystallized patterns on her arms began to flicker with a weak white light upon contact with the surrounding video frequency signals, forming an eerie resonance with the crimson glow emanating from the controlled clansmen.

Just then, several controlled Light Sphere Race warriors suddenly broke free from Franklin's restraint and rapidly closed in on them. Their eyes were crimson, and dazzling white light condensed in their hands—a light that was no longer gentle light orb energy, but assimilation rays carrying a coercive force.

"Unpurified individual of the same race detected."

"assimilation program, initiated."

A cold command rang out, and several soft yet irresistibly forceful white lights instantly entwined around Kate's limbs. Those white lights were like vines, wrapping tightly around her and constantly permeating her body, attempting to bring her consciousness under Shadow's control as well.

This wasn't an attack; it was assimilation.

Shadow wanted to turn Kate into his puppet too.

Kate's body jolted, the confusion in her eyes deepening. Looking at her clansmen and the white light entwining her, she instinctively wanted to draw closer, to merge into that white light, and to return to her people's side. That feeling was like an instinctive summons, an irresistible temptation that stripped away all her resistance.

"Kate! Don't go over there!" Lin Fan growled, a surge of intense fear rising in his heart. He knew that once Kate was assimilated, once her consciousness was swallowed by Shadow, she would no longer be Kate—no longer that gentle, kind, strong, and brave light orb clan princess. She would only become another puppet under Shadow, a soulless, emotionless killing tool.

But Kate seemed unable to hear his voice. Her steps moved forward uncontrollably, her body leaning slightly as she approached the controlled clansmen. The crystallized patterns on her arms flickered brighter and brighter, their frequency gradually synchronizing with the video frequency signals on the controlled clansmen. Her eyes began to turn hollow, gradually becoming stained with a hint of crimson.

She was about to be pulled back into that collective consciousness controlled by Shadow.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

Watching Kate walk step by step toward the controlled clansmen and seeing her consciousness being swallowed bit by bit, the pain and anger in Lin Fan's heart erupted instantly. Ignoring the burning of the white light wrapped around Kate and the stinging pain of the light eroding his own body, he lunged forward, grabbed Kate's shoulders, and used all his strength to force her to lift her head and look directly into his eyes.

His voice carried a tearing force, striking clearly into Kate's chaotic consciousness word by word. Every syllable was filled with his urgency, his worry, his deep affection, and his resolve:

"Look at me! Kate!"

"You are not a puppet! You are not data to be manipulated by anyone!"

"You are Kate! The light orb clan princess! The person I, Lin Fan, want to protect with all my might!"

"You are yourself! You are not anyone's tool!"

"Wake up! Wake up now!"

Lin Fan's voice was like a clap of thunder, exploding within Kate's chaotic mind.

Those memories locked away by Shadow, the consciousness that belonged to her, the scenes of her fighting alongside Lin Fan, Little Kate, and Franklin, her longing for her clansmen, and her love for her home—in this moment, a crack was forcibly torn open, and they began to wake up bit by bit.

Kate's pupils constricted sharply, and a glimmer of light and clarity gradually appeared in her dazed eyes. Seeing the urgency and worry in Lin Fan's eyes, seeing the exhaustion and scars on his face, feeling the warmth of his palms and the deep affection in his heart, a corner of her heart was struck hard.

"Lin... Fan?"

Her voice was weak and trembling, carrying a hint of uncertainty and the daze of someone who had just woken up.

Upon hearing her voice, the white light entwined around her instantly began to peel away, separating from her body with a sizzling sound, as if destroyed by some force.

Kate suddenly snapped back to her senses, gasping for breath as her chest heaved violently. Tears rolled down without warning, hitting the back of Lin Fan's hand, scalding and warm.

Around them, the controlled Light Sphere Race members continued to approach in a steady stream. Their eyes remained crimson, and the light blades in their hands still flickered with lethal brilliance. Their killing intent was cold, without the slightest retreat.

Looking at those once-familiar clansmen, their hollow eyes, and their mechanical movements, Kate's heart was filled with pain and despair. She reached out, wanting to touch them, wanting to wake them up, but Lin Fan held her back firmly.

"Don't go over there, it's too dangerous." Lin Fan's voice was gentle yet heavy. He could feel Kate's pain and understand her feelings, but he couldn't let her fall into danger again.

Kate turned around to look at Lin Fan, tears streaming down as her voice trembled, asking the question that no one dared to face or could answer:

"Lin Fan... if... if they really can't be saved..."

"If, no matter what we do, we can't wake them up or rescue them from Shadow's control..."

"Will you take action?"

"Will you personally kill my people?"

The air instantly froze.

There was no wind, no sound—only the approaching footsteps of the controlled clansmen and Kate's suppressed sobbing, which sounded exceptionally desolate and heartbreaking in this deathly silent environment.

Little Kate turned her head away and gripped her short blade tightly, her eyes red. Tears welled up but she forced them back. She didn't know how to answer or what to do—to act would be to slaughter an entire controlled race, people who were once her clansmen and kin; if they didn't act, they would all die, and Shadow would use this puppet army to devour more planets and harm more people.

Franklin's chassis vibrated slightly as his electronic eyes flickered, rapidly calculating various possibilities, but in the end, he couldn't reach an optimal solution. He was an AI, but at this moment, he too was caught in a dilemma—he could precisely calculate attack angles and defensive timing, but he couldn't calculate the weight of the human heart, nor the balance between 'salvage' and 'survival.'

Lin Fan fell silent.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He could be ruthless toward Shadow, and he could swing his blade without hesitation at enemies who harmed his companions or those he cherished. But he couldn't do it—he couldn't bring himself to kill a group of clansmen who were acting against their will.

Those controlled clansmen were not at fault.

The fault lay with Shadow—his cruelty, his cunning, his greed, and his evil. They were merely victims, stripped of their consciousness and enslaved by Shadow.

But if they didn't act, all of them would die.

Kate would be assimilated again, Little Kate would be killed, Franklin would be controlled once more, and he himself would be completely eliminated by Shadow. At that point, Shadow would lead this puppet army to sweep across the entire Interstellar Alliance, destroying more homes and harming more people.

On one side was the life of an entire race; on the other was the survival of himself and his companions. On one side was salvation; on the other was destruction.

Lin Fan fell into endless struggle and pain. His fists clenched tightly, nails digging deep into his palms as blood dripped from his fingertips, hitting the cold ground and blooming into a small patch of striking red. His gaze became exceptionally complex, filled with pain, struggle, helplessness, and a faint, hard-to-detect resolve.

He didn't know how to answer, nor did he know what to do.

Time passed bit by bit.

The controlled Light Sphere Race members had already closed in on them, with less than ten meters remaining. Their eyes were crimson, and the light blades in their hands had already condensed a dazzling brilliance, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

"Watch out!"

Little Kate suddenly cried out and forcefully pushed Lin Fan and Kate away.

Just then, several red lights shot out from the hands of the controlled clansmen, carrying lethal power as they blasted toward Lin Fan and the others. Lin Fan reacted extremely quickly, immediately shielding Kate behind him as the dark matter energy in his palm erupted, forming a thick black barrier in front of them.

BOOM—

The red light slammed hard against the black barrier with a deafening roar. The massive impact threw Lin Fan backward, his back crashing heavily against the abandoned light tower behind them as a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Clear cracks appeared on the black barrier, as if it would shatter at any moment.

"Lin Fan!" Kate cried out, wanting to support him, but Lin Fan held her down firmly.

"I'm fine." Lin Fan wiped the blood from his mouth, his voice low and firm as his eyes fixed on the controlled clansmen ahead. "Protect yourself, protect Little Kate. Don't come over here."

Amidst the intense light of the energy collision, a small figure suddenly ran out from behind the collapsed light tower.

It was a Light Sphere Race Young Child, looking only seven or eight years old, wearing small traditional Light Sphere Race clothing. A weak white light emanated from his body, forming a sharp contrast with the crimson glow of the surrounding controlled clansmen. In his arms, he tightly clutched a small stone pendant carved with complex star patterns. The pendant was ancient and worn, with a faint soft light embedded in its center, like a sleeping star.

Most shocking of all, the child's eyes were still pure white light, uninfected by Shadow's program and without a hint of crimson. His gaze was full of fear and cowardice, yet exceptionally clear, like a pool of pure spring water.

"That child..." Little Kate gasped, her eyes full of disbelief. "He's okay! He's not controlled by Shadow!"

Everyone was stunned.

The adult Light Sphere Race members had all been controlled by Shadow's program without exception, turned into mindless puppets. Yet this tiny child was completely immune to the program's intrusion, still maintaining his own consciousness and the original purity of the Light Sphere Race.

How was this possible?

Shadow's program was powerful and eerie; if even adult Light Sphere Race members couldn't resist it, how could a small child be immune?

Just as everyone was plunged into shock, Shadow's voice fell from the sky again, carrying mockery and cruelty, along with an arrogance that controlled everything, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Do you see? Lin Fan, Little Kate, and you, Princess Kate."

"Pure souls are untainted by data and uncorrupted by darkness."

"Unfortunately, such souls are too few."

Shadow's laughter, cold and crazed, echoed in the air like a frigid dagger stabbing into everyone's hearts.

"Lin Fan, you have two choices now."

"One: watch as these puppets I control tear you all to pieces and turn this one pure child into my puppet as well, letting you see all hope completely shattered with your own eyes."

"Two: personally destroy these puppets, personally kill your people to save this one child and preserve this insignificant glimmer of hope."

"Choose."

"I give you one minute."

As the voice faded, the controlled Light Sphere Race legion slowly closed in once again. Their movements were uniform, their eyes a crimson red, and their killing intent cold as they surrounded Lin Fan and the others. The gray-black energy clouds in the sky grew thicker, the light dimmed further, and the entire planet was shrouded in an aura of despair.

Lin Fan protected Kate and Little Kate with his back against a broken wall. Before them were countless controlled clansmen, and behind them was a bottomless abyss—there was no retreat and no choice.

Kate gripped Lin Fan's arm tightly, her nails sinking deep into his skin. Tears fell incessantly as her voice trembled, filled with pain and self-reproach. "I've never hated my own power so much... I hate myself. I hate that I don't have the ability to protect my people, I hate that I can't stop Shadow, and I hate that I can only watch helplessly as they turn into this..."

"Why... why does it have to be our family? Why does it have to be my people?"

Lin Fan didn't speak; he simply held Kate's hand gently, feeling her tremors and the pain in her heart. He knew that Kate's suffering at this moment was deeper than anyone else's. She was the light orb clan princess, burdened with the responsibility of protecting her people and her home, yet now she could only watch her clansmen be enslaved and manipulated by Shadow while she remained powerless.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the controlled clansmen, their hollow eyes, and their mechanical movements. The struggle and pain in his heart were gradually replaced by a steadfast conviction.

He could not give up.

He couldn't bring himself to kill these clansmen who were acting against their will, nor could he allow Kate, Little Kate, or this uniquely immune young child to fall into Shadow's hands.

He had to find a third path—a way to both save the clansmen and protect the companions by his side.

Just then, his gaze inadvertently fell upon the pendant the young child was clutching tightly in his arms.

The pendant was simple and ancient, engraved with star patterns that were identical to the Star Core Rune Kate had drawn on paper before, without the slightest deviation. At the center of the pendant was embedded a faint soft light. That light was pure and warm, carrying a powerful energy fluctuation that bore a striking resemblance to the energy of the Light Sphere Race's holy land.

That was—the holy land key!

Lin Fan's pupils suddenly contracted, and a strong surge of hope instantly rose in his heart.

He remembered Franklin once saying that the Light Sphere Race's holy land had been sealed for a thousand years, and the key to open it had always been guarded by the royal bloodline. Kate was the light orb clan princess and the heir to the royal bloodline, yet she hadn't known the whereabouts of the holy land key.

As it turned out, the holy land key had been guarded by this young child all along.

Shadow didn't know.

Or rather, Shadow didn't care at all.

He thought he controlled everything, that he had enslaved the entire Light Sphere Race, and that he had cut off all hope. But he had missed this singular crack leading to hope; he had overlooked this child who was uniquely immune to his program and this key that could open the holy land and save the clansmen.

The young child looked at Kate timidly, his small body trembling slightly. His eyes were full of fear, yet he still summoned the courage to whisper, "Sister..."

This call of "Sister" was faint and childish, yet it was like a warm current that instantly flooded Kate's heart.

Kate was startled and slowly looked up at the child. She saw his pure eyes, the pendant in his arms, and the familiar Light Sphere Race attire he wore. The pain and despair in her heart were instantly replaced by a glimmer of hope.

She remembered her own childhood, the playmates she had grown up with, and the words her mother had once told her—the hope of the Light Sphere Race always lies within the purest of souls.

It was this faint cry of "Sister" that instantly transformed her complete breakdown into determination.

She wiped the tears from her face, gently pushed Lin Fan aside, and slowly stood up. Her gaze was no longer lost, pained, or despairing. In its place was the steadfastness and majesty befitting a light orb clan princess—a resolve to protect her people and her home at any cost.

"Shadow, don't get too ahead of yourself." Kate's voice, though weak, was exceptionally firm and rang clearly across the battlefield. "I won't let you destroy our home, and I certainly won't let you turn my people into your weapons for murder."

In the sky, Shadow's laughter rang out again, filled with heavy mockery. "With just you? A piece of trash whose consciousness is in chaos and is about to be consumed by crystallization? Do you really think you can stop me?"

"I can." Kate didn't flinch in the slightest, her eyes fixed firmly on the sky. "I am the light orb clan princess, and I bear the responsibility of protecting my people and my home. Even if I'm about to be consumed by crystallization, even if my consciousness is on the verge of collapse, I will not give up."

She reached out her hand toward the young child and spoke softly but firmly, "Child, come here."

"Give the thing in your hands to Sister."

The child hesitated, looking at the controlled clansmen around him and then at Kate. The fear in his eyes began to dissipate slightly. He seemed to sense the kindness from Kate and the determination in her heart. He nodded and, clutching the pendant, ran toward Kate, weaving through the gaps between the controlled clansmen.

The controlled clansmen tried to block him and reach out to grab the child, but for some reason, their movements suddenly lagged for a moment, as if interfered with by some force, and they failed to catch him.

Lin Fan immediately understood. Dark matter energy erupted from his palm, transforming into several black chains that instantly bound the nearest controlled warriors, forcibly restraining their movements to clear a safe path for the child.

"Franklin! Cover us!" Lin Fan roared.

"Understood!" Franklin responded immediately, activating his full-body energy cannons to fire at the surrounding controlled clansmen. Pale blue energy beams blasted toward them with great power; while they couldn't completely destroy them, they could temporarily pin them down to buy time for the child.

"Little Kate, protect that child!"

"Leave it to me, Lin Fan!" Little Kate immediately rushed over, standing in front of the child with her short blade gripped tight, alertly scanning the surroundings to prevent any sudden attacks from the controlled clansmen.

The child trotted all the way to Kate's side. He looked up at her and carefully handed the pendant in his arms into Kate's hands.

Kate knelt down and gently took the pendant. The moment her fingertips touched it, the pendant instantly lit up with a soft yet dazzling white light. The light was pure and warm, carrying powerful energy fluctuations that flowed slowly through her fingertips into her body, intertwining with the light orb energy within her.

Her previously chaotic memories gradually became clear; her depleted energy began to flow back bit by bit. The crystalline patterns on her arm flickered with a light that grew softer, and the speed of their spread slowed down significantly.

Kate slowly raised her head, looking at the dark-shrouded sky and then at her red-eyed clansmen before her. Tears fell again, but they were no longer from despair or pain, but from a sense of resolve and hope.

She stood up, looked at Lin Fan, and asked softly, her voice weak but exceptionally firm, "Lin Fan."

"What if... I have a way to save them without killing them?"

Lin Fan was stunned, a flash of surprise and disbelief in his eyes. "Kate, you... you have a way?"

Kate gripped the holy land key tightly and gave a faint smile. Her eyes shimmered with tears, yet they held an unquestionable resolve.

"That holy land that has been sealed for a thousand years..."

"It seems the doors are about to open."

In the distance, the controlled Light Sphere Race legion approached again. Their eyes remained crimson, their light blades still flickered with lethal radiance, and their killing intent was cold. Shadow's laughter fell from the sky once more, cold, crazed, and filled with disdain and mockery.

But this time, there was no fear or despair on the faces of Lin Fan, Kate, Little Kate, and Franklin—only steadfastness and hope.

The holy land key was in their hands.

The final hope was held in Kate's grasp.

interstellar isolation was not the end.

It was not the end of destruction, but rather—

The entrance to redemption.

Kate gripped the holy land key tightly, feeling the powerful energy contained within it and the light orb energy gradually recovering in her body. She looked resolutely toward the distant Core Temple. That was Shadow's control hub, the place where her people were enslaved, and the battlefield where she would redeem her clansmen and protect her home.

"Lin Fan, Little Kate, Franklin." Kate's voice was firm and powerful. "Let's go."

"To the Core Temple, to open the holy land, to save our people, and to utterly defeat Shadow!"

"Alright!"

Lin Fan, Little Kate, and Franklin responded in unison, their eyes filled with determination.

Lin Fan stepped forward and gently held Kate's hand, standing side by side with her. Little Kate protected the young child, her gaze alert and firm. Franklin stood behind them, his mechanical body vibrating slightly as his energy cannons finished charging, ready to attack at any moment.

The controlled Light Sphere Race legion had already closed in right before them.

The battle began once again.

light blades clashed with dark matter, and energy explosions rang out one after another. On this deathly silent planet, the contest between hope and despair and the struggle between redemption and destruction echoed.

Kate gripped the holy land key, feeling the ancient power within it and the companionship and support of her friends. Her heart was full of resolve. She knew the road ahead was fraught with danger and the unknown; Shadow's power was formidable and eerie, and the Core Temple would surely be filled with traps.

But she would not retreat or give up.

Because she was the light orb clan princess, and she had to protect her people and her home.

Because by her side were her most cherished companions, the people she wanted to protect with all her might.

Because in her hand, she held the key to hope and the prospect of redeeming her people.

The gray-black energy clouds in the sky remained thick.

The controlled clansmen remained frenzied.

Shadow's laughter remained cold.

But this time, they were no longer fighting alone, nor were they despairing and helpless.

They had hope, they had conviction, and they had companions fighting by their side.

They would go all out and fight to the end to break the shackles of this interstellar isolation, save their enslaved clansmen, utterly defeat Shadow, and let the Light Sphere Race's home planet radiate with life and light once more.

This battle concerning life and death, redemption, and the future had only just begun.

And they were ready.