12: Star Grudge 3

Cassius stood respectfully at the edge of the landing pad. The roar of the spacecraft's engine gradually diminished, and the blast of air made his clothes flap loudly. The hatch slowly opened, and a man in a crisp white suit stepped out—it was Karalda. He was followed by a team of well-equipped soldiers, each exuding a cold, murderous aura.

"Cassius, long time no see." Karalda nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of condescending arrogance.

Cassius quickly bowed his head in salute. "Lord Karalda, I have been waiting for a long time."

He secretly scrutinized the soldiers behind Karalda, feeling a hidden delight. It seemed this haul would satisfy the Master.

"What is the situation?" Karalda asked casually while surveying the desolate surroundings.

"Reporting, Lord, the Special Life Form has remained stationary ever since it reappeared." Cassius replied respectfully.

Karalda stopped, his brow furrowing slightly. "Stationary? What is he doing?"

"Well... forgive my ignorance, Lord, but I don't know his exact purpose. However, based on my subordinates' analysis of his behavior, he seems to be engaging in some kind of memorial activity." Cassius hesitated.

"Memorial?" Karalda narrowed his eyes, quickly searched his mind, and then suddenly opened them wide.

"Is he performing a Farewell Ritual?!"

Cassius twitched his ears.

"Lord, what is a 'Farewell Ritual'?" Cassius asked cautiously, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Karalda spun around abruptly, glaring sharply at Cassius. "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!" he roared. "Now, take us there!"

Startled by Karalda's sudden rebuke, Cassius shuddered, quickly lowered his head, and dared not speak again. He stepped aside and made a "please" gesture, cautiously leading the way, guiding Karalda and his soldiers toward Xiang Yan's location.

As the group moved deeper into the desolate plain, the surrounding scenery underwent subtle changes. Figures began to appear on the previously empty ground, hidden behind rocks and sand dunes. They wore identical uniforms, carried various weapons, and vigilantly watched everything around them.

Karalda noticed these hidden soldiers, and a look of confusion flashed in his eyes. He stopped, turned to Cassius, and asked in a deep voice, "What is the meaning of these people?"

"Lord, these are the guards I arranged to prevent the Special Life Form from escaping. It possesses incredibly powerful strength, and I stationed people here so they could react immediately if it made a move." Cassius quickly explained.

Karalda did not respond immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the surroundings. He noticed that as they got closer to the target location, the number of hidden soldiers increased, and their weapons became more sophisticated, ranging from ordinary Energy Guns to powerful Particle Cannons.

He re-examined Cassius, trying to find a flaw in his expression.

Fine beads of sweat trickled down Cassius's forehead. He forced himself to remain calm and explained, "Lord, according to the intelligence we gathered from our encounters with it, this Special Life Form likely possesses some special means of escape. Once it escapes, we won't be able to find it unless it reveals itself, so we must take preventative measures beforehand."

Karalda's gaze lingered on Cassius for a moment, but in the end, he said nothing more. He waved his hand, signaling the team to proceed. Cassius secretly sighed in relief, quickly sped up his pace, and continued leading the way.

After Cassius finished explaining, Karalda did not press further. However, the soldiers behind him exchanged glances, and one of them curled his lip in a barely perceptible sneer. Having followed Karalda for many years, they knew their Lord was suspicious by nature. Although Cassius's words made sense, they still couldn't make Lord Karalda lower his guard. Karalda's seemingly casual wave to proceed was actually a warning sign in sign language.

The group continued forward, but the atmosphere was more oppressive than before. Karalda's silence made Cassius's heart pound faster and faster. He felt like he was walking on a tightrope, liable to fall into the abyss at any misstep.

As they drew closer to Xiang Yan's location, the surrounding soldiers increased, forming a virtual encirclement that firmly trapped Xiang Yan in the center. The aiming Systems of various heavy weapons had already locked onto him, ready to fire at any moment. The atmosphere became extremely tense, filled with a murderous aura.

Cassius pointed at the figure floating in mid-air ahead, his voice carrying an undeniable excitement. "Lord, that's him! The Special Life Form!"

Karalda's gaze fell upon Xiang Yan. He felt a powerful energy fluctuation emanating from Xiang Yan, and a sense of unease rose in his heart.

When they were still one kilometer away from Xiang Yan's location, Karalda raised his hand, signaling the team to halt. The two soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward and retrieved a complex instrument from a specialized box. The instrument was silver-white, covered in various flashing indicator lights, looking highly futuristic.

"Confirm the target life form's characteristics." Karalda's tone was calm, yet carried undeniable authority.

The two soldiers immediately aimed the instrument at Xiang Yan, who was suspended in mid-air. The instrument emitted a faint hum, the indicator lights began to flash rapidly, and a string of complex data appeared on the screen.

Cassius nervously watched the instrument's screen, feeling anxious inside, his palms slick with sweat, yet outwardly he showed no sign of it, remaining utterly respectful.

Time passed minute by minute. The indicator lights on the instrument flashed faster and faster, and the data on the screen grew more complex. Suddenly, the instrument let out a sharp shriek, and the data on the screen began to fluctuate violently, as if being subjected to some kind of interference.

"What's going on?" Karalda frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in his tone.

The two soldiers quickly checked the instrument but found no anomalies. They aimed the instrument at Xiang Yan again. The data on the screen began to fluctuate once more, but this time the amplitude was greater and the frequency higher than before.

"Reporting, Lord, the detection results are abnormal. The target life form's energy fluctuation is extremely unstable, preventing accurate analysis." One of the soldiers cautiously reported.

Karalda's gaze deepened. He stared at Xiang Yan in the distance, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes. He had never encountered such unstable energy fluctuations before.

"Continue the detection and collect as much data as possible." Karalda ordered in a deep voice.

The two soldiers reactivated the instrument, this time setting its power to maximum. The instrument emitted a piercing shriek, and the data on the screen jumped wildly, looking as though it might crash at any moment.

Finally, after several minutes of continuous detection, the indicator lights on the instrument stopped flashing, and the data on the screen stabilized.

"Reporting, Lord, although the detection results still show some anomalies, they generally match the target's characteristics. Further information will only be known after the target life form is brought back to the Federation for testing." a soldier reported.

Karalda nodded slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He turned to Cassius and slowly said, "It seems your intelligence was correct. After this matter is concluded, you will return with us."

"Thank you, Lord." Cassius said excitedly.

"Special Life Form confirmed. Energy fluctuation is abnormal. Recommend initiating Class A Capture Procedure." A soldier uploaded the detector data to Karalda's terminal and offered the suggestion.

"Initiate the Class A Capture Procedure. Ensure the target is captured alive." Karalda nodded slightly. His tone was low, carrying unquestionable authority.

As Karalda's order was issued, a small Starship slowly rose from the back of the team. Several mechanical arms extended from beneath its hull, glinting with cold metallic luster. The ends of these mechanical arms were connected to special Energy Capture Nets, capable of binding the target and suppressing its energy fluctuations.

Just as Karalda was about to order the advance, Cassius suddenly interjected, "Lord, may I be excused from participating in the capture? I fear an accident, and I wish to return to the Federation alive."

Karalda nodded upon hearing this, then instructed Cassius to remain where he was and led the team forward himself.

The team continued forward. When they were about five hundred meters from Xiang Yan, Karalda ordered again: "Initiate the capture procedure!"

The mechanical arms rapidly extended, and the Energy Capture Net shot toward Xiang Yan like a predatory giant python. It was at this moment that the unexpected occurred.

Deafening explosions suddenly erupted in the previously silent wilderness. The ground trembled violently, and streaks of fire shot up into the sky. The troops behind Karalda were instantly engulfed in a sea of flames.

Attacks from various high-energy weapons poured down from all directions—Energy Beams, Plasma Shells, Gravity Bombs... like a violent storm, they swallowed Karalda's team.

"Protect the Lord!" Two soldiers immediately shielded Karalda, raising an Energy Shield to fend off the dense attacks.

Cassius hid behind a boulder. He secretly watched the situation on the battlefield, an imperceptible cold sneer flashing in his eyes.

The attack lasted for several minutes. The explosions were deafening, flames shot high, and thick smoke billowed.

Finally, the attack ceased.

As the smoke cleared, Cassius cautiously peered out from behind the boulder, only to be horrified to find Karalda and the others standing there completely unharmed. A translucent Energy Shield enveloped them, shimmering with a faint blue light.

Cassius's heart sank abruptly. He seemed to understand something, and his face turned exceptionally grim.

Karalda stared coldly at Cassius, his eyes flashing with icy killing intent, like a chilling wind from an ice cave, aimed directly at Cassius.

"Cassius..." His tone was terrifyingly calm, every word hammering Cassius's heart like an ice pick.

Cassius fully emerged from behind the boulder, forcing a calm expression, but his trembling legs betrayed his fear. "Lord, what... what exactly is going on here? Your subordinate truly doesn't know..." he stammered in explanation, realizing his voice was shaking and his weak defense seemed utterly futile. He secretly glanced at Xiang Yan, who was still suspended in mid-air, and a wave of despair rose in his heart.

Just as Karalda's attention was completely fixed on Cassius, the unexpected change occurred.

Xiang Yan, who had been trapped in the Energy Cage and appeared motionless, suddenly erupted with a terrifying energy fluctuation. Black mist surged like rolling tides, emitting bloodcurdling shrieks. The Energy Cage trembled violently, groaning under the strain. The next second, accompanied by a deafening explosion, the cage shattered completely.

Xiang Yan's figure burst out from the shattered cage. Black mist coiled around him like maggots clinging to bone, then suddenly erupted and shot straight toward Karalda and his men.

"Dodge!" Karalda reacted swiftly, flashing violently to the side at the critical moment, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. However, the few subordinates behind him were not so lucky. The black mist instantly consumed them, and their screams abruptly cut off, replaced by a chilling silence.

"You thought... you caught me?" Xiang Yan looked at Karalda and spoke, his tone full of mockery. He slowly raised his right hand, and the black mist condensed in his grasp, forming a Black Longsword that radiated an aura of destruction.

"Now... the game has just begun..." Xiang Yan's voice was icy cold. The Black Longsword in his hand slashed down violently... A Black Sword Light tore through the air, cleaving toward Karalda with destructive force. This time, Karalda did not dodge. A layer of dazzling white light suddenly illuminated his body, forming an Energy Shield. The sword light slammed fiercely into the shield, erupting in a deafening roar, and the resulting air current swept up the surrounding rubble and dust, creating a small storm.

Although Karalda blocked the fatal blow, he was still knocked back several steps by the powerful force. He steadied himself, his face terribly grim. Just then, a shrill scream came from behind him. He spun around and saw that the remaining few servants had been consumed by the black mist, leaving nothing but bone fragments.

At this moment, Cassius scrambled to Xiang Yan's feet, prostrating himself completely, and said, trembling all over, "Great Master, please forgive your humble servant! I am incompetent and failed to carry out your instructions, allowing these blasphemers to defile your Holy Land..."

Xiang Yan glanced down at the prostrate Cassius, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. He ignored Cassius's confession and refocused his attention on Karalda.

Watching Cassius grovel, Karalda instantly realized that this entire situation was a trap. He took a deep breath and said coldly, "So that's it. It seems this planet is already completely under Your Excellency's control, isn't it? That makes sense; I should have realized this, given that Your Excellency is a remnant of the stars."

He pulled out a highly futuristic Crystal Stone, gleaming with blue light, from his waist. He spoke in an icy tone: "I originally didn't want to make a move, but now it seems I must capture you myself."

"Just you?" Xiang Yan's voice was full of contempt and mockery. He slowly raised his left hand and crooked a finger at Karalda. "Come on, let me see what you can do..."