Leave It to Me, Trust Me

Twenty-five standard days later.

The Shadow Shuttle smoothly entered the fortress airport.

Without pausing, Lin Yi went straight to the Star Dust Afterglow Tavern.

When he arrived, Moon Abyss and the other two were already waiting in their usual booth.

When Mingluo saw Lin Yi's clone, whose appearance hadn't changed much, but whose aura was noticeably deeper and sharper, her eyes lit up. Ming Luo stepped forward and patted Lin Yi's shoulder forcefully. "Goodness! This feeling is definitely different. Has your Space Law broken through 30%?"

Lan also showed a look of curiosity.

Lin Yi smiled slightly, "There has been some progress. As for the specifics, everyone will find out when we deal with the Shadow-Skimming Locust later. In short, I definitely won't disappoint you."

After all, his improvement has been quite significant. If we talk about it now, his teammates will have to verify it in actual combat. It's better to let the facts speak for themselves and give everyone a surprise.

Upon hearing this, Moon Abyss smiled. "It seems you've made quite a bit of progress. How about this: during the Shadow-Skimming Locust mission, we'll stick to the same strategy as before. Ming Luo will be in charge of the frontal assault, Lan will handle defense and crowd control, I'll provide support and deliver the fatal blow, Lin Yi, you'll continue with support and disruption. We'll adjust the division of labor for subsequent missions based on your newfound strength. How does that sound?"

This is a prudent move, Lin Yi nodded and said, "I have no objection."

"The mission briefing and tactical plan have been sent to you. The Star Silence will depart in six standard hours," Moon Abyss said.

"Yes, Captain."

Six standard hours later, the Star Silence, carrying the four members of the Star Stillness Squad, departed the fortress and entered the warp drive towards the XT-7783 star sector.

XT-7783 sector.

This is an area located on the edge of the territory controlled by two major powers.

The starry background was dim, the stars were sparse, and the spatial parameters were relatively stable, but occasionally subtle unnatural spatial folds could be detected, which were traces left by the activity of the Shadow-Skimming Locust.

The Star Silence shut down most external signals and entered stealth mode.

Based on mission intelligence and Lan's detection, they quickly located an area with unusually active spatial fluctuations.

"A large number of bio-space signals have been detected, belonging to the guard swarm of Shadow-Skimming Locust. The mother larva's signal is well hidden, but it should be in the central area," Lan said.

"Proceed according to plan," Moon Abyss ordered. "Lan, launch a wide-area attack to control the area, covering the outer perimeter of the suspected nest. Ming Luo, clear out the approaching swarms. Lin Yi, you and I will flank from the side and search for the Main Body. Be careful, stay alert; we're near the edge of the Devouring Race's territory."

"Understood," the three replied in unison.

The hatch of the Star Silence Ship opened, and four figures rushed out.

Lan's wings of light unfolded, scattering countless points of light that quickly wove together into a giant net of light, which began to contract and compress inward.

Wherever the light net passed, the translucent, giant locust-like locust Sub-body, moving at incredible speed with claws and teeth flashing with a spatial-tearing Shadow-Skimming Locust, were all slowed down and burned.

Ming Luo roared and swung his giant axe into the densest part of the insect swarm. The dark golden, sharp axe blade cut through everything in its path, and a large number of guarding locusts were shattered.

Moon Abyss and Lin Yi, like two ghostly figures, cut in from the folds of the side space.

The Moon Abyss's Life and Death Law spread silently, precisely stripping away the life force of the insect swarm ahead, clearing a path for the two.

As usual, Lin Yi took on the lightest task.

Although he was eager to prove himself, he wasn't in a hurry since the captain had assigned the task this way.

Therefore, he simply stayed close to Moon Abyss's side, his Sky-Evasion Shuttle circling around him, easily eliminating any who slipped through the net.

Soon, the group broke through the outer swarm of insects and saw the true appearance of the nest.

It was a semi-transparent, sac-like structure made of viscous spatial energy and biological tissue, attached to a huge meteorite remnant. Inside, a huge, constantly writhing shadow could be vaguely seen, emanating a restless aura.

"Found you." Moon Abyss's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand, ready to unleash a killing move.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

The Star Silence spaceship's intelligent warning system sounded urgently in the minds of the four members of the team, "Alarm! High-energy reaction detected at an ultra-long distance. Five god-level auras are rapidly approaching from position D-7. According to data comparison, they are the Devouring Race god-level squad."

The distant starry sky.

Five figures exuding a violent aura were speeding through the void.

The leader was a Eclipse Devouring Race creature whose carapace was covered with dark gold and mysterious patterns, and whose compound eyes gleamed with a cold, rational light. The pressure it exuded was clearly at the level of a powerful god. Behind it were four Devouring Race gods of different forms, all of whom were ordinary gods.

"Captain, there's a strong energy fluctuation ahead—it's the Shadow-Skimming Locust's nest area, and there's a battle going on!" reported a Devouring Race deity resembling a giant moth.

The Devouring Race God's eyes flashed as it instantly received and analyzed the information transmitted by its team members. "Oh? Someone Shadow-Skimming Locust us to it with their might—it's a team from the Pan-Spirit Alliance."

"Four deities. Hmm? That mechanical god-like body is the Fearless War God!"

Its compound eyes instantly locked onto the silver-gray figure in the Star Stillness Squad, and it immediately recalled the relevant information.

"According to intelligence, the only person controlling the Fearless War God that the Pan-Spirit Alliance has been active in this star field recently Lin Yi of the Human Race. The so-called First Heavenly Prodigy prodigy is actually at the Star Vortex level, and he barely reaches the threshold of an ordinary god by relying on his mechanical god body."

The soul fluctuations of the Devouring Race God resonated in the consciousness of the four team members, carrying a hint of greed and killing intent.

"Destroying a Fearless War God is equivalent to permanently banning a god-level being!" another scorpion-shaped god hissed in response.

The Devouring Race God quickly assessed the situation. "The enemy is the Star Stillness Squad. Their four deities, with Captain Moon Abyss being slightly stronger than me, are troublesome but not too difficult to deal with. As for the other two ordinary deities, and that rookie Lin Yi, I'll hold off Moon Abyss. You four, quickly eliminate the other three, especially Lin Yi! Prioritize destroying the Fearless War God, then join forces to surround and kill Moon Abyss!"

As it spoke, it took out a black hexagonal crystal that emitted strange ripples, crushed it without hesitation, and an invisible but powerful spatial disturbance wave swept out.

Using such a precious, one-time-use item was certainly painful, but the Devouring Race god only saw cold calculations. "As long as we can capture them all, destroy the Fearless War God, and kill Lin Yi and Moon Abyss, the battle merits and clan rewards will more than compensate for the cost. This deal is worthwhile!"

"I've already used the Chaos Space Crystal to try and save them all!"

"Yes!"

The other four deities echoed in unison, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

The five figures increased their speed again, carrying undisguised killing intent, tearing through the starry sky and heading straight for the Star Stillness Squad.

The Star Stillness Squad was suddenly caught in a dangerous situation, being ambushed by a powerful Devouring Race god squad.

Moon Abyss, Lan, Ming Luo's expressions changed drastically.

"It's the Edge-Devouring Squad of the Devouring Race," Lan said with a wry smile. "Our luck is really bad, especially since it happened right when we were fighting the Shadow-Skimming Locust."

Lin Yi's expression was also very solemn. "I just sensed that the surrounding space has been disturbed, which will affect the accuracy of long-distance spatial travel."

Ming Luo chopped down several flying locust guards that charged at him with an axe, and said in a deep voice, "They should be treasures like the Chaos Space Crystal, Captain, what do we do now?"

Lin Yi immediately understood upon hearing this.

He knew about the Chaos Space Crystal. It was a one-time treasure created by a god of Space Law with great effort. Its only function was to cause a slight spatial shift in a large area. This slight spatial shift would hardly have any effect on short-distance teleportation, but it would cause great interference to precise spatial jumps over extremely long distances.

Because even a slight error can lead to Qianli mistake.

After the enemy uses the Chaos Space Crystal, even if our own Space Law deities are willing to expend a large number of deities for long-distance traversal support, they will not be able to pinpoint the location accurately and will need to spend a lot of extra time calculating and sorting out the position.

Moon Abyss's gaze swept over the five rapidly approaching Devouring Race figures, then glanced at the swarm of guardian insects that were launching a frenzied attack and the locust queen that was staring intently at them with her compound eyes. A cold glint flashed in his pale purple eyes.

"Mission aborted! I'll cover your retreat. You all immediately disengage from the battle and leave at full speed."

Upon hearing Moon Abyss's words, everyone's expression changed.

Everyone was smart enough to understand Moon Abyss's meaning perfectly: she was going to stay behind alone to cover the retreat, while also holding back the enraged Shadow-Skimming Locust Queen and drawing away the approaching Devouring Race squad, thus buying time for the other three to evacuate.

This is almost tantamount to sacrificing herself.

"Captain!" Lan immediately objected, "If we're going to leave, we'll leave together!"

Ming Luo also panicked. "Yes, Captain, let's give it our all!"

"It's too late." Moon Abyss shook his head. "The mother locust has locked onto us. If we don't suppress it temporarily, none of us can escape. Only I can deal with it alone. The Edge-Devouring Squad will be here soon. Once they get involved, together with the mother locust and the swarm, we'll all be trapped here."

Her gaze swept over the three team members, and she spoke rapidly, "I've already sent a distress signal to the fortress, but the surrounding space is being interfered with, affecting the accuracy of long-distance teleportation. Even if a deity skilled in Space Law were willing to come to our aid, in my experience, it would take nearly three standard hours. We can't hold out that long!"

"My battle merits are enough to cover the cost of one resurrection. You all leave immediately, that's an order!"

The news that reinforcements would take three standard hours to arrive weighed heavily on Lan and Ming Luo's hearts.

At these three standards, in the current situation, it's practically equivalent to having no reinforcements.

Clearly, the captain was willing to risk his life to give them a chance to survive.

As a powerful deity, if it were to remain, it would inevitably become a priority target for the opposing side.

Although Lin Yi knew that Moon Abyss was referring to the optimal solution based on the current situation, Lin Yi had no intention of letting the captain cover the rear while he fled for his own life.

He quickly asked in his mind, "Xuanji, what is the specific strength composition of this Edge-Devouring Squad?"

"Master, according to the Pan-Spirit Alliance battlefield public intelligence database, the Edge-Devouring Squad is a god-level squad of the Devouring Race operating in this star field. They have quite a reputation. The captain's strength is assessed as mid-level powerful god, and the other four members are all ordinary god-level." Xuanji quickly replied.

"One powerful god, and four ordinary gods. I see."

A glint of silver flashed in Lin Yi's eyes, and the last trace of doubt in his heart dissipated.

"Captain, if I can take down this mother locust, can you hold off the Edge-Devouring Squad for now?"

Upon hearing this, both Ming Luo and Lan were taken aback and looked at Lin Yi in surprise.

Even Moon Abyss raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her pale purple eyes. After a moment's thought, she said in a deep voice, "It's possible. The captain of the Edge-Devouring Squad is only slightly weaker than me. We're three against five, which is a clear disadvantage, but if we're just holding them off, we won't collapse at the first touch. However, even if we disregard the loss of divine power and unleash our full power, we can only hold them off for less than a standard hour at most."

A standard timeframe, in a battle at the god-level, is neither long nor short.

"That's enough!" Lin Yi said immediately. "It won't take that long. I'll deal with the mother locust and kill her. I'll come back to support you right away."

"Kill?"

Ming Luo almost blurted out, "This is Shadow-Skimming Locust Queen with the peak strength of an ordinary god, brother!"

Although Lan didn't say anything, she kept her eyes fixed on Lin Yi.

Not long ago, Lin Yi was struggling to deal with the Void-Eating Jellyfish and needed the captain's help.

How long has it been?

He went back and switched to another clone, and now he dares to claim he single-handedly killed a peak-level ordinary god-level mother worm?

Knowing the situation was urgent, Lin Yi immediately abandoned his previous idea of surprising his teammates and replied, "My current strength can barely be considered that of a powerful god."

"Leave this Shadow-Skimming Locust Queen to me. Trust me."

Powerful god-level!

Ming Luo and Lan were immediately shocked. Judging from Lin Yi's previous performance, he must have made great progress, but they never expected it to be so shocking!

It went from being a weak point that needed to be taken care of to becoming a being with powerful god-like combat strength!

"Brother, you're amazing! This... this is the rate at which the First Heavenly Prodigy prodigy improves?" Ming Luo instantly became excited. "Does that mean we have a chance to turn the tables on them?"

What was originally a desperate escape has suddenly turned into a potential counterattack against the enemy. Even with the composure of veteran deities like Ming Luo and Lan, the difference is so striking that it excites them greatly.

Unlike Ming Luo, Moon Abyss did not react violently. She simply gave Lin Yi a deep look, her pale purple eyes seeming to pierce through the body of the Fearless War God and see into his soul.

She didn't ask for details, nor did she have time to.

On the ever-changing battlefield, one of the captain's responsibilities is judgment and decision-making, and she believed that Lin Yi would not joke about such a thing.

"Okay." Moon Abyss uttered only one word, then immediately adjusted the commands. "Ming Luo, Lan, change formation, with me at the core, Lan defending the front, Ming Luo flanking and supporting, we'll go in and hold them off!"

"Yes, Captain!" Ming Luo and Lan responded in unison, their fighting spirit instantly soaring.

After all, if we could kill a few, that would be a huge harvest!

"Lin Yi, the mother insect is yours. Finish this quickly!" Moon Abyss gave Lin Yi one last look, then his moon-white battle robe shone brightly, and the gray-white halo of the Life and Death Law spread out like a tide.

She transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards the five rapidly approaching figures.

At the same time, Lan's wings of light suddenly unfolded, and countless solid points of light flew out, quickly forming layers upon layers of light barriers in front of the three of them. Ming Luo let out a low roar, and the Armor-Piercing Law on his dark golden giant axe condensed to its limit, closely following Moon Abyss's side.

Like shooting stars moving against the current, the three of them took the initiative to meet the enemy head-on.

Lin Yi's clone watched the three leave, a multitude of thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant.

Since Captain Moon Abyss said he could hold out for nearly a standard time, this judgment should not be too far off.

After all, unlike him who had just been released from the secret realm, the other gods had been fighting for five thousand years and knew each other's information quite well. And at the god level, it was rare for there to be such a rapid improvement in a short period of time.

The Edge-Devouring Squad is one of the more well-known squads, and its combat information was recently updated in the intelligence system. Moon Abyss made this judgment based on that information.

The reason he volunteered to stay behind and deal with the mother locust alone, instead of confronting the enemy, was not out of cowardice, but because he had a clear understanding of his own and his team's current situation.

What are his weaknesses?

It's god-like combat experience and a high level of tactical coordination with teammates.

If the most experienced and strongest Captain Moon Abyss were to deal with the Mother Locust, while Lin Yi, along with Ming Luo and Lan, faced an attack from a powerful deity leading four ordinary deities, Captain Moon Abyss might be able to defeat the Mother Locust faster. However, given his current level of teamwork with his teammates, he would likely be defeated before that could happen, leaving Captain Moon Abyss vulnerable to a pincer attack.

On the contrary, it would be the best solution under the current circumstances for him to take on the relatively "simple" mother locust alone, while letting the well-coordinated Moon Abyss and his two companions hold off the more cunning and cooperative Devouring Race team.

In this way, he can use his powerful divine strength and his familiarity with the Space Law to quickly eliminate the mother locust, and then join the main battlefield to bully the ordinary gods of the Edge-Devouring Squad.

Therefore, while strength is important, tactics are equally crucial.

"We must finish this quickly."

Lin Yi muttered to himself, casting his gaze toward the enormous, semi-transparent nest not far away.

It seemed that the sudden departure of Moon Abyss and the other two, and Lin Yi's act of leaving alone, was seen as a provocation by the Shadow Shadow-Skimming Locust Queen, or perhaps she saw an opportunity. The Queen Locust in the nest let out a furious hiss, and the remaining guard locusts around her went berserk and rushed towards Lin Yi from all directions.

On the other side.

The captain of the Edge-Devouring Squad, leading four members, was rushing towards them with murderous intent, his Soul Power already locking onto the four members of the Star Stillness Squad.

According to its estimation, the enemy will most likely leave one to cover their retreat while the others flee in panic. Then, it will quickly gain a victory and then pursue and kill them, especially Lin Yi, whose Fearless War God body must be destroyed.

However, what happened next caused a flicker of surprise in the compound eyes of the captain of the Edge-Devouring Squad, which quickly turned into a furious rage at being slighted.

The Star Stillness Squad didn't flee; instead, they split up!

The captain, Moon Abyss, along with the Holy Radiance Race and the burly Human Race, actually took the initiative to greet them.

Their primary target, Lin Yi, who carried the Fearless War God, was left behind alone, facing the enraged Shadow-Skimming Locust Queen and her swarm.

"Arrogant!"

The captain of the Edge-Devouring Squad was stunned for a moment, then he unleashed his full Soul Power, scanned the surroundings, and after confirming that there were no other Pan-Spirit Alliance reinforcements nearby, he suddenly flew into a rage.

Its soul fluctuations instantly exploded in the minds of the four team members. "Do they think they can stall until reinforcements arrive? Or do they think they can intimidate us and then go help Lin Yi? They're courting death!"

To the captain of the Edge-Devouring Squad, this was an absolute joke.

It was well aware of the Star Stillness Squad's intelligence; in its view, honestly admitting defeat and cutting off its tail to survive was the most sensible choice.

As for the lords, they all have their own important duties and usually don't interfere in battles between gods. If they do get involved, they'll just have to accept their fate; there's no escaping it now.

"Captain, they're looking down on us!" hissed the scorpion-like Devouring Race.

"Since they want to die, then so be it!" The captain of the Edge-Devouring Squad was seething with killing intent. "Change the plan. First, crush Moon Abyss and his two companions as quickly as possible, then I'll personally crush Lin Yi's Fearless War God!"

"Yes!"

The five Devouring Race gods surged with power and collided violently with Moon Abyss and his two companions who were coming from the opposite direction.

Boom!!!

The clash of laws erupted instantly.

The Moon Abyss's Life and Death Law transformed into countless gray-white threads, like a net covering the heavens and the earth, first enveloping the leader of the Edge-Devouring Squad, while simultaneously diverting some of its power to interfere with the actions of the other four Devouring Race gods.

The light barrier of the storm lit up layer upon layer, and the purifying light clashed fiercely with the corrosive energy of the Devouring Race, producing a hissing sound.

Ming Luo roared, wielding his giant axe. Dark golden blades of light swept across the enemy formation, forcibly cutting into their ranks and attempting to disrupt their coordination.

The battle intensified the moment they made contact.

The three of them Moon Abyss and his companions, were clearly employing the most extreme defensive delaying tactics, not seeking to kill the enemy, but only to delay and disrupt them to the greatest extent possible.

Moon Abyss almost single-handedly held off Blade-Devouring Captain and another deity, while Lan and Ming Luo joined forces to barely hold off the remaining three opponents.

Just as Moon Abyss had predicted, three against five was a huge disadvantage.

Lan's light barrier shattered and reformed repeatedly, and Moon Abyss's life-and-death threads were constantly severed by Blade-Devouring Captain Sharpness's sharp saw blade.

However, thanks to their rich experience and tacit cooperation, they did not collapse at the first touch, but rather, like a reef in a storm, stubbornly resisted wave after wave of fierce attacks from the Edge-Devouring Squad.

While Moon Abyss and the other two were struggling to hold off the attack, Lin Yi faced the Shadow-Skimming Locust Sub-body that were frantically swarming in from all directions, as well as the mother locust whose aura was constantly rising, with icy eyes.

"Perfect, I'll use you as my starting point."

With a slight thought, Lin Yi's Sky -Sky-Evasion Shuttle, which had been surrounding him, suddenly shone brightly with silver light and converged instantly.

However, it was not the somewhat crude giant spear-like form of the previous ones. Instead, it interlocked with each other in an extremely mysterious trajectory, transforming into a silver wheel with spacetime runes flowing on its surface and its edges constantly collapsing and repairing.

Sky-Evasion Shuttle - Wheel of Time!

This was the first transformation form he independently deduced after reaching 80% mastery of the Space Law, combined with a deeper understanding of the Sky-Evasion Shuttle, incorporating preliminary spacetime cutting and freezing effects.

At the same time, a hazy halo, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, quietly spread out from Lin Yi, enveloping the entire battle area.

It is precisely Veil of Delusion.

Under the influence of the Veil of Delusion, Lin Yi's law fluctuations appeared quite ordinary to the soul perception of the distant Edge-Devouring Squad, which further convinced them of their judgment and intensified their killing intent.

The nearby mother locust was also affected by the distorted spacetime information of the Veil of Delusion. In her perception, Lin Yi's aura was far inferior to hers, which made her even more irritable.

"Go!"

Lin Yi gave a soft shout, and the silver wheel flew forward silently. It seemed to be moving slowly, but it was as if it ignored the distance in space and instantly cut into the swarm of insects.

Wherever the roulette wheel passed, space was like a thin sheet of paper sliced by the sharpest razor, leaving behind fine, irreparable black cracks.

Those swarming Shadow-Skimming Locust, whether ordinary Sub-body or elites at the World Derivation level, would instantly stiffen upon touching the edge of the roulette wheel or being swept by its spacetime fluctuations, and then silently break in two.

The cut was as smooth as a mirror; it didn't even have time to explode.

With just one rotation of the silver Wheel of Time, nearly a hundred guard locusts were wiped out, far more efficiently than before.

The mother locust in the nest seemed to sense a threat, letting out an even sharper and more furious screech, and her massive body suddenly burst out of the translucent sac-like structure.

It was a strange, giant insect covered entirely in a silver-gray carapace, shaped like a locust.

Twisted spatial runes naturally grow on its carapace, its compound eyes resemble two swirling silver vortexes, its six pairs of blade-like forelimbs gleam with a cold light that tears through space, and its two pairs of translucent wings on its back tremble slightly, stirring up spatial ripples around it.

"Hiss!"

The mother locust flashed and arrived in front of Lin Yi. As her six pairs of forelimbs slashed at Lin Yi, her huge mouth opened instantly, and a silver-gray spatial blade, condensed to the extreme, instantly formed and slashed towards Lin Yi.

The power of this attack far surpassed that of the previous attack from the Void-Eating Jellyfish.

However, faced with this terrifying blow that could severely injure an ordinary god, Lin Yi merely raised his right hand slightly.

His divine power surged wildly, his eyes shimmered with silver light, and the Space Law resonated in a wondrous way at this moment.

Then, Lin Yi pointed his fingers like a sword and gently slashed at the incoming spatial blade and the mother Main Body behind it.