353: Chapter 354 The Enemy Lure Plan

"What exactly is the source of radiance?" The moment he passed through the final defensive gate and stepped into the main control hall, Lin Muyang's gaze was firmly drawn to the object hovering in the center of the hall, and he couldn't help but ask. Despite having fought a bloody path through several Zerg blockades, being truly present at the core of this warship still slightly shook him at the sight before his eyes.

The main control hall was magnificent and grand, its towering arched dome composed of countless perfectly cut energy crystals. Though it flickered now due to unstable power, one could still imagine its glory in its prime.

Dozens of holographic consoles flickering with various streams of data surrounded the hall, though most were dim or damaged. A massive Holy Light magic circle, spanning the entire hall, was engraved on the floor with complex and profound lines. Most areas of the circle were dimly lit now, with only the core still flowing with a dazzling halo.

And at the center of that halo was the so-called source of radiance.

It was a diamond-shaped crystal about the size of a human head, crystal clear throughout and manifesting the purest warm white color. It was not static but rotating slowly; with every rotation, ripples of warm and vast energy, visible to the naked eye, undulated outward.

These ripples seemed to contain countless tiny sacred runes and phantom hymns, carrying a great Aura of purification, protection, and the bestowing of life and hope. The light emitted by the crystal itself was not blinding, yet it possessed a soul-reaching Penetration that made everyone in the hall feel a sense of mental tranquility and a slight reduction in fatigue, while the light-attribute power within their bodies became active and resonated with it.

However, in cruel contrast to this divine scene was the tragic defensive posture around the crystal. Over twenty high-ranking angels, wearing ornate silver-white runic armor and possessing two or four wings, were formed into tight layers of defensive circular arrays centered on the crystal.

Most were wounded, their armor damaged and wings stained with blood. Their faces were pale from the excessive consumption of holy power, yet their gazes remained firm as they gripped their light blades, holy shields, and staves, pointing them toward the perimeter. Outside the circular array, the metal walls, pillars, and even parts of the dome were covered in shocking claw marks, acid-etched pits, scorched marks from energy burns, and a large amount of sprayed Zerg mucus and severed limbs that had long since dried and turned black.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, burning, and a hint of the acid-rot smell unique to the Zerg, strangely mixing with the holy Aura emitted by the "source of radiance" to create an extremely discordant battlefield atmosphere.

"That is a sacred crystal formed from the purest source of Holy Light energy, nurtured and condensed through our clan's secret methods over tens of millions of years," the angel captain leading the way beside Lin Muyang explained in a low voice. His voice was hoarse and weary, but when he mentioned the source of radiance, his eyes still revealed incomparable reverence.

"It not only significantly enhances the strength, recovery speed, and Holy Light skill effects of angel warriors within its range, but it can also form a stable sacred force field to purify evil, resist mental erosion, and even interfere with the operation of void energy to a certain extent. One could say it is the most important strategic support and source of power for this holy radiance, and even for our clan's many strongholds in this star sector."

He paused and looked at the crystal, a flash of pain and helplessness in his eyes: "But it is precisely because the Holy Light energy it contains is too pure and too powerful that its energy fluctuations are like the brightest torch in the dark universe to the Zerg, who possess special sensory abilities. These damned predators have an almost instinctive greed and craving for high concentrations of energy. The existence of the source of radiance is the greatest incentive for them to attack the holy radiance frantically at any cost. They want to devour it, or destroy it."

Lin Muyang nodded slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the defensive formation nodes around the crystal, which were clearly reinforced temporarily and flickering with different lusters. "In other words, you are currently relying entirely on these formations and your own power to forcibly suppress and shield some of the leaking fluctuations of the source of radiance while using its power for defense? But this is just drinking poison to quench thirst; the Zerg can still locate this place, and the attacks will only get more intense."

"Exactly," Captain Remiel nodded bitterly. "We've tried various shielding methods, but the energy nature of the source of radiance is outward-reaching and radiative. Forcibly suppressing it not only greatly weakens the buffing effect it has on us but could even cause energy disorder within the crystal, leading to unpredictable consequences. We have never faced a situation where we needed to hide it completely. In the past, wherever the Holy Light reached, all evil retreated." His words carried a hint of past pride, but more of a sense of powerlessness as if a great building were about to collapse.

Shen Muyao, Gu Shuanglin, and the other Blue Star young ladies, seeing such a wondrous sight for the first time, couldn't help but gasp in low voices. The energy level contained within that crystal was so high that it caused subtle resonances and palpitations within their bodies.

"So this is why the Zerg are willing to break through here at any cost..." Shen Muyao murmured, her beautiful eyes reflecting the brilliance of the crystal.

"Energy is both power and a lighthouse, and even more so, a bait." Lin Muyang withdrew his gaze and turned to Remiel, his tone calm yet carrying a convincing steadiness. "Relying solely on passive defense and suppression will eventually lead to being worn down to death here. The number of Zerg far exceeds ours; they can afford massive casualties, but we cannot."

Captain Remiel's lips moved as if to argue, but he could find no reason. Facts spoke louder than words; the tragic state outside and the faltering condition of the angels in the hall all confirmed Lin Muyang's words.

"Leave it to me to handle." Lin Muyang suddenly smiled slightly, a smile carrying an indescribable confidence. He spoke no more and stepped forward, passing through the somewhat wary and puzzled gazes of the angels, heading straight for the "source of radiance" at the center of the hall.

The closer he got, the more he could feel the vast power contained within that crystal. The warm energy washed over his body like a tide; it wasn't an attack, but rather an inclusive attempt to assimilate or buff him.

However, when this energy touched the invisible composite force field composed of countless God-Tier Auras on Lin Muyang's body, it seemed to encounter an incomprehensible barrier and slid away gently, unable to penetrate even an inch. The essence and level of Lin Muyang's system of billions of God-Tier Auras seemed fundamentally different from this Holy Light source energy, yet it formed an immunity on a higher dimension.

Lin Muyang stopped about three paces before the crystal and extended his palm, not touching the crystal directly but hovering it a foot away. He closed his eyes, his mind sinking into the Aura system within his body that was as vast as a sea of stars.

"Energy Resonance!" "Law Inscription!" "Void Concealment!"...

Several God-Tier Auras related to energy manipulation, rule simulation, and existence masking were quietly activated, adjusted, and attempted to establish a connection or synchronization with the source of radiance before him at specific frequencies and combinations.

Buzz—!

The "source of radiance" seemed to sense something; its rotation speed suddenly quickened slightly, and the energy ripples it emitted showed subtle disturbances. A hazy, constantly color-changing halo began to emerge on Lin Muyang's body, forming a peculiar contrast and fusion with the holy white light of the "source of radiance." He was trying to analyze the energy structure of this sacred object and use his own way to "understand" and "simulate" its fluctuations.

A moment later, Lin Muyang opened his eyes, a flash of realization in them.

"It really works," he whispered to himself, as if confirming a hypothesis. "However, relying solely on the pseudo-fluctuations simulated by the Aura for interference or masking has limited effects and consumes a lot of energy, making it hard to sustain. The Zerg's perception of energy is extremely keen; they'll still see through it after a long time."

He withdrew his hand, the halo on his body slowly fading, and turned to look at the crowd gathering around—including the young ladies he brought and the angels led by Remiel, who were full of tension and expectation.

"Get ready." Lin Muyang's voice rang out clearly in the slightly noisy hall, carrying a quality of unquestionable decisiveness. "Passive defense ends here. Next, we are going to counterattack, lure the enemy, and take the initiative on the battlefield."

He raised his hand and pressed down slightly, signaling everyone to be quiet, his steady gaze sweeping across every face, some familiar and some strange.

"The energy fluctuations of the source of radiance cannot, and need not, be completely shielded. What we need to do is change its presentation and target of effect." Lin Muyang's pace of speech was steady but organized. "Since the Zerg treat it as a lighthouse and a delicacy, we will make a bigger, more fragrant, but poisonous cake and place it on a dining table of our choosing, inviting them to eat."

"Lure the enemy?" Captain Remiel's brow furrowed, struggling to keep up with Lin Muyang's train of thought.

"Exactly, lure the enemy deep and annihilate them collectively." Lin Muyang nodded. "We will lure the Zerg's main force from their current dispersed state of attacking everywhere to a relatively enclosed area where we've pre-set a trap. Then, utilizing the terrain, our strength, and the characteristics of the source of radiance itself, we will conduct a thorough, large-scale purge. This is far more cost-effective than letting them continuously strike the warship's vital points and fighting a war of attrition with us."

He looked at Shen Muyao: "Mu Yao, what is the maximum range your Absolute Zero: Frozen Century and Frost Domain can stably cover? How much time do you need to prepare so it can be maintained for a long period?"

Shen Muyao thought for a moment and answered certainly: "If it's just to create a low-temperature environment to delay and weaken the enemy, combined with illusion-type skills to create energy fakes, I should be able to cover a spherical area with a five-kilometer radius and maintain it for a relatively long time. But if I need to form an Absolute Zero field with extremely strong lethality and control, the range will shrink to about three kilometers, and the preparation time will take at least ten minutes, with the maintenance time shortened accordingly."

"Very good. A five-kilometer delay and weakening field, combined with illusions, is enough to create a realistic energy source projection." Lin Muyang praised, then looked at Feng Ling. "Feng Ling, your Nirvana Fire and World Purifying Flame have certain similarities to Holy Light in attribute, both possessing purification and destruction traits. I need you to cooperate with Mu Yao to create a fake energy core at the center of that pre-set trap area that continuously emits high-intensity light and heat energy fluctuations."

"The fluctuation frequency should simulate the source of radiance as much as possible, but the interior should be mixed with your Phoenix Fire characteristics, making it smell very fragrant to the Zerg but be deadly to eat."

Feng Ling's molten-gold eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Understood! I can do it, and I can even add some Destruction Flame characteristics so those bugs won't be coming back once they get close!"