The expedition fleet had struggled through the deathly silent sea of stars for nearly a month, losing almost thirty percent of its ships before finally reaching the outer region of the Abyssal Starfield of Annihilation marked in the intelligence. The spatial structure here was extremely unstable, filled with torn spatial rifts and violent energy currents. Ordinary starships simply could not pass through. Starlight had grown dim and warped here, as though swallowed by some invisible force.
Yet just as the fleet prepared for one final long-range spatial jump to approach the coordinates of the spatial gate, their greatest fear came true.
Without warning, dozens of enormous spatial vortices split open in the void around the fleet like shattered mirrors! One massive, grotesquely shaped Finality Council capital warship after another surged out of the vortices like hunters lying in ambush! At their head were three "Destruction Sovereign"-class flagships, each radiating the pressure of a quasi-Saint! Their numbers far surpassed any enemy force they had encountered before!
They had been ambushed! The enemy had clearly anticipated that the Alliance would send forces to interfere and had deployed a heavy army here!
"All forces, heed my command! Form the Heavenly Stars Battle Formation! Maximum defense! Open a path for the Dawn!" Ling Xiao Sword Master's furious roar echoed through the fleet channel.
In an instant, every surviving ship in the expedition fleet blazed with light. Their energies connected, forming an enormous defensive battle formation interwoven with countless sword lights, formation patterns, and verdant life energy, like a brilliant star lit within the dark void.
However, the Finality Council fleet held an absolute numerical advantage and had been waiting at ease. Dense artillery fire poured down on the Alliance formation like a raging storm, bursting into clusters of destructive radiance. The formation shook violently,