Division

The reinforcements from Proud Sun Star were racing toward Illusory Cloud Star at full speed, but the thirty-thousand-strong force actually stopped less than a hundred light-years from its destination.

Over two meters tall, powerfully built, with muscles like stone, their commander wore a look of bewilderment on his battle-hardened face.

Director Li said in confusion, "Something's wrong. How have the warriors on Illusory Cloud Star held out this long?"

From another command ship, Kaqi sent a holographic transmission, looking astonished. He demanded with barely restrained anger, "Director Li, why have you stopped the army..."

"Something's wrong. The Insect Race breached Illusory Cloud Star's outer defenses in three days. This is already the eighth day, and Yan Gang and his men are still holding Mistshadow Fortress? This is an Insect Race trap."

"A trap? Didn't you say they were inferior creatures? They can set traps now? You just said yourself that Illusory Cloud Star is defended by Yan Gang, the strongest garrison general in the Nine Clouds Star System! If we're late, I'm afraid even he won't be able to hold out."

Kaqi was frantic. If Illusory Cloud Star fell, his Proud Sun Star would be the next to suffer the Insect Race's slaughter.

After a brief silence, Li suddenly ordered, "All forces, change course. Reinforce Border."

Kaqi flew into a rage. "Victory reports keep coming in from Border. Why are we going there instead of reinforcing Hunting Cloud and Illusory Cloud? Are you going to sacrifice Yan Gang just to steal the glory?"

Li had no choice but to explain, "This is an Insect Race trap. Once we go to reinforce Illusory Cloud Star, we'll definitely get bogged down, perhaps even fall into the enemy's trap. Their main force must be at Border."

Kaqi sneered. "You've really thought this through, haven't you? Illusory Cloud Star and Hunting Cloud Star are both your old rivals. They serve the Left-Whirling Sun King, just like I do. You're planning to use the Insect Race to eliminate the Right-Whirling Sun King's political enemies."

Li cursed furiously, "You old bastard! We may disagree politically, but this is a battlefield. What right do you have to speak here?"

Before Kaqi could respond, Li ordered again, "All forces, change course and reinforce Border!"

On Illusory Cloud Star, Noya sat idly on the back of a {Heavy Overlord Beast}, waiting for the Nine Clouds Relief Fleet as she gazed at Ghost Mist Fortress, enclosed within its Ionization Barrier.

"My dear little sister Qilamei, when can I attack?"

Qilamei suddenly opened her eyes and said in surprise, "The Nine Clouds Relief Fleet has changed course toward Kulika."

"Ugh... Looks like your plan didn't work. If we'd wiped them out earlier, we could have gone to reinforce Kulika. Now we're the ones being held up."

Qilamei smiled. "Sister Noya, you underestimate me. Since they don't want this planet, they can't blame us for what happens next..."

The {Emperor} vessels surrounding Illusory Cloud Star began moving toward Slant Sun Star. Their movements were so conspicuous and their course so clear that they practically announced to the approaching Nine Clouds fleet: if you don't reinforce Illusory Cloud, we'll head straight for Slant Sun.

Qilamei smiled at Noya. "Sister Noya, begin the attack. This time, have all the fun you want. They're of no use to us anymore."

"At last, the words I've been waiting for... All forces, attack!"

At Noya's command, tens of thousands of {Heavy Overlord Beasts} unleashed a volley from their massive magic-energy cannons. Although the Ionization Shield above Ghost Mist Fortress barely withstood the first volley, Yan Gang, standing on the walls, knew perfectly well that it would fail after three volleys at most.

After a moment's thought, Yan Gang hurriedly asked, "The Insect Race has launched an all-out assault. Does that mean our reinforcements are here? How far away are they?"

A garrison officer reported, "The reinforcements were less than a hundred light-years away, but a few minutes ago, they suddenly changed course toward Border."

"What? Are they abandoning us?"

Yan Gang steadied himself for a moment, then a thought suddenly struck him. He hurriedly asked, "Who's commanding the army?"

"It's... it's Lord Li."

Yan Gang roared in fury, "I knew it was him! That bastard. Does he think the Star Seer's prophecy referred to the Right-Whirling Sun King? Is he that eager to eliminate his rivals for him?"

"General, the Insect Race has breached the Ionization Shield..."

With Refined Steel Gauntlets on both hands, Yan Gang stood atop the wall and roared. A hundred thousand Ionization Orbs were launched into the sky from within the city.

With the {Heavy Overlord Beasts} leading the way, the Insect Race army became unstoppable once the electronic shield broke. Under the impacts of a thousand {Heavy Overlord Beasts}, the sturdy walls began to tremble.

Yan Gang roared, "Fire Spirit Guard, burn those giant beasts to death! Burn them!"

The Fire Spirit Guard was created from pure fire element. Its members took various forms, but from the moment of their birth, their lives had only two purposes: first, obey their creators' commands; second, incinerate every enemy.

The Fire Spirit Guard posed the greatest threat to the Insect Race. Despite their incredible toughness, the insects were still flesh and blood. Their shells could withstand high temperatures for a short time, but not the burning of pure fire element.

Flames roughly ten meters high blazed beneath the walls of Ghost Mist Fortress. Seeing the {Heavy Overlord Beasts} suffer heavy losses, Noya immediately sent {Six-Eye} and the {Venom Bees} to bombard the fortress from the air.

Watching the battle unfold, Qilamei told Noya, "The {Pipe Worms} are less than ten meters from Ghost Mist Fortress. The {Cheetahs} will attack from within. Once the chaos starts inside, have the {Overlord Beasts} bombard everything indiscriminately with their energy cannons."

The battle unfolded just as Qilamei had predicted. The {Pipe Worms} burrowed into Ghost Mist Fortress from underground, throwing its interior into chaos.

Although the Fire Spirit Guard held the perimeter, water was not the only thing that could extinguish fire. For the Insect Race, corrosive fluid was an excellent extinguishing agent too.

"General, are our reinforcements... still not coming?"

Faced with the soldier's question, Yan Gang had no answer. Watching the Insect Race pour into the fortress like a tide, he knew all was lost. Hearing the soldiers' anguished cries and the civilians' sobs, he helplessly lowered his head...

"What? Giving up already? Weren't you so pleased with yourself before?" Noya hovered in front of Yan Gang, beating her insect wings.

"My defeat was not my fault. Your victory was not your achievement." Yan Gang fell, giving Noya no further chance to humiliate him.

Noya froze. She slowly walked over to Yan Gang's corpse and studied him curiously. Lifting a drop of blood with her blade, she tasted it. After a brief silence, she said, "That monkey face of yours wasn't so hateful after all..."

The Insect Race occupied all of Illusory Cloud Star, but its advance did not stop there. Qilamei led ten thousand {Emperor} vessels toward Pianyang Star.

When the relief fleet from Proud Sun learned that Illusory Cloud Star had been destroyed, Kaqi slammed his fist against the command console, pointed straight at Li's face, and cursed, "Bastard! You're an absolute bastard! Yan Gang is dead. Are you satisfied? Now the Insect Race is heading for my Pianyang Star. Are you going to save it or not?"

Li had begun to doubt his own judgment. Had he guessed wrong? Or was the Insect Race simply too cunning and too vicious? If the reinforcements had headed straight for Illusory Cloud Star, could Yan Gang still have been saved?

Seeing Li remain silent, Kaqi screamed hysterically, "Fine! I'll report everything exactly as it happened to the Proud Sun King. Don't you generals always say that a commander in the field need not obey every order from his sovereign? Then today, I'll disobey for once too. All Slant Sun Star fleets, turn around and return to defend Slant Sun!"

The warriors from Pianyang Star had already been frantic ever since hearing that the Insect Race had destroyed Illusory Cloud Star and was advancing toward their home. The moment they heard the order to return, they erupted in jubilant cheers, shouting Kaqi's name.

Seeing the entire Slant Sun fleet turn around, Li roared, "Kaqi, are you defying orders and committing treason? Come back at once..."

"Treason? Isn't the Right-Whirling Sun King you serve the real traitor? You handed Illusory Cloud Star over to the enemy for your own selfish ends. How can you face its billions of people?"

Kaqi ignored Li entirely. Every ship in the Slant Sun fleet jumped away to reinforce Slant Sun Star.

On Hunting Cloud Star, Qilaya burst out laughing. "Those fools actually split their forces... What goes on in their heads?"