Bang!
Near Styx Planet, aboard the Taotie flagship.
"Hmph." Taotie King Shihao slammed a fist onto the command console and snorted.
"What Human Federation? I've never even heard of that civilization, and it dares to compete with us Taotie for Planet Earth?"
The adjutant beside him wore an equally arrogant expression. "My God Karl, if this Human Federation dares to send a fleet here..."
"My God will bring death upon their civilization!"
The Taotie Fleet had also received the Federation's threat, but they paid it no heed.
According to their intelligence, in the entire Known Universe, they only needed to be wary of a few well-known God-level Civilizations. The Taotie Fleet had no reason to concern itself with any other civilization.
That was because they served under the Styx and were one of the foremost Spaceflight-level Civilizations in the Known Universe.
Their fleet had always been invincible when waging war against other Spaceflight-level Civilizations.
This Human Federation had appeared out of nowhere, and they had never even heard its name before. It was presumably just an obscure Spaceflight-level Civilization.
The sort that usually hid in some corner of the universe, not even worth the Taotie's time to seek out.
And a civilization like that thought it could challenge the Taotie?
If they dared to invade, they'd make sure not one of them returned!
United Star.
"Reporting to the boss: all the fleets have assembled and are ready to deploy!" Gray Wind's eyes shone. Fully prepared and eager for action, he reported to Chen Yu.
Several days had passed, and all five hundred Star Systems under the Federation had reestablished contact with United Star.
The Forge Worlds were working nonstop, forging alloys and building new fleets.
The existing fleets were also poised to strike, under the Strategic Command Center's direction.
Their target was the entire Milky Way.
[Human Federation] [Ethos: Fanatic Xenophobe, Authoritarian] [Technology Level: Godlike (Galactic Hegemon)] [Population: Approximately 300 Trillion] [Habitable Planets: 569 (Including Ecumenopolises, Ring Worlds, and Space Habitats)] [Star Systems: 500] [Fleets: 150 (Including Titan Fleets and Various Mixed Fleets)] [Megastructures: Thousand Year Stars, Falling Star Sky Spear, Tianshu Sacred Shield, Matter Depressor...] [Ascensions: Psionic Ascension, Gene Ascension, Prosthetic Ascension, Star Sea Heavenly Punishment (Stage Five)] [Catastrophe Deterrence Points: 10,000] ...
Conquering the entire Milky Way was the manifest destiny bestowed upon all of humanity by countless human Pioneers!
It was also an inescapable historical responsibility and mission for the Human Federation. Every Federal Citizen was willing to pay any price to achieve this goal.
"Humanity, may the spirits of our ancestors bear witness to our glory!"
"Let us join hands and fulfill the Federation's great ambition, so that humanity's glory may endure forever!"
"Advance! Conquer—in the name of humanity!"
At Chen Yu's command, fleet after fleet set out from Federation territory and surged toward the surrounding star systems.
A great expedition to seize the entire Milky Way had begun.
Chen Yu was busy as well. He led the First Federal Fleet toward Planet Earth.
Led by thirty Afang Palace Class Paradox Titan Battleships, the First Federal Fleet consisted of more than three thousand warships of various types, spanning the stars in a formation that shook the universe.
Its sheer scale was enough to blot out the sky.
Yumenguan Class Battlecruisers, Xuanwumen Class Cataclysm Cruisers, Chibi Class Whisper Frigates... One after another, ships bearing the Federation's distinctive insignia blazed with brilliant light.
At a unified command, the entire fleet activated its jump drives.
Whoosh!
The next moment, the fleet tore through space as one and shifted to the coordinates of its designated destination.
Boom!
When the fleet reappeared, it had already arrived in the Solar System.
The fleet had suddenly materialized in orbit around the star, displaying its aggression without the slightest concealment, like a god descending from the heavens.
"Boss, we've spotted an alien fleet near Pluto, at the edge of the Solar System."
"After deciphering their transmissions, we've confirmed their identification code belongs to the Taotie Fleet!"
Gray Wind's report brought a trace of indifference to Chen Yu's face.
"Wipe them all out! Take no prisoners!"
He had never shown mercy to Alien Species.
Earlier, the Federation had sent a warning to the Solar System, ordering the opposing fleet to withdraw immediately.
But that wasn't because the Federation was merciful or intended to let the Taotie off the hook.
It was simply that the Federation had always championed civilized warfare.
They declared war before fighting.
In the Starry Universe, this was a rule set by the Star Sea Community and required of all its members, much like the Zhou Rites. It was deeply ingrained in their culture.
Even the most xenophobic civilization wouldn't disregard this rule as long as it belonged to the Community.
Now that they had come to this universe, the Federation was still following the rules. After all, they were Star River Guardians recognized by the entire Star Sea Community, and were paragons of virtue, the very model of moral perfection.
They weren't uncivilized aliens who attacked without so much as a warning.
"My king, this is terrible!" The Taotie flagship was in complete chaos.
A high-ranking Taotie stammered in alarm, "A massive fleet has suddenly appeared in the Chiwu Star System!"
"Their numbers are more than five times ours!"
"What?" Shihao's mechanical head nearly crashed.
He'd never expected that after scoffing at the Human Federation's warning just moments ago, the other civilization's fleet would arrive so quickly.
And... how had the other civilization's fleet reached the Chiwu Star System without going through the Great Worm Bridge Station?
"Report: the observation systems show suspicious movements in the enemy fleet..."
"Quick! Give the order! Prepare for battle!"
Shihao realized at once that something was wrong, but it was already too late.
The fleet of several hundred Taotie warships was as tiny as dust before the First Federal Fleet.
Whether in the size of their warships or their shipbuilding technology, the Taotie were outclassed by the Federation by more than just one level.
But the gap in combat performance was even greater.
The First Federal Fleet was positioned in orbit around the star, roughly 5.9 billion kilometers from the Taotie Fleet near Pluto.
That vast distance was equivalent to about 463,000 Earths laid end to end.
For the Taotie Fleet, this was an unreachable distance. Their cannons simply couldn't fire that far.
But for the Federation, it was practically within arm's reach. The entire Taotie Fleet was like prey already caught in a net, ready to be taken at will.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Terrifying beams of light suddenly blazed in the vacuum. Streams of energy, traveling faster than light, poured toward the Taotie Fleet from across half the star system.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One Taotie warship after another had its armor shattered in the silent depths of space, then exploded in midair.
It was like a fireworks display.
The Taotie flagship hastily raised a defensive barrier, but it was useless.
The fragile shield barrier was as flimsy as paper, easily pierced. The Taotie Fleet had only one fate awaiting it: annihilation!
In less than an hour, the entire Taotie Fleet had been wiped out.
The wreckage of countless warships drifted through space, a scene both horrific and silent.
"Boss, all enemy ships have been eliminated. The operation is complete!" Gray Wind cheered jubilantly.
Chen Yu looked at the battle report on the ship's display and said without a hint of surprise, "Send the army transports down to Planet Earth and occupy it!"
"Understood!"
Several transport ships that had arrived in the Solar System alongside the First Federal Fleet immediately broke away from the formation and sped toward the space around Planet Earth.
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