Another Surprise

Caught off guard, more than three thousand Trigonians were hit, their bodies torn open by several wounds four or five meters long as black blood sprayed from them.

The Trigonians' brains were more evolved than those of God River Bodies, and their cranial nerves were naturally more developed. Accordingly, when pain signals reached their brains, the sensation was clearer and more intense.

Stimulated by the pain, many Trigonians lost control of their psychic power. Massive Mental Shocks spread in all directions, passing through the hulls of the Phoenix Fighters and knocking many pilots unconscious.

Hundreds of Phoenix Fighter pilots fell unconscious, causing their fighters to suddenly cease operating and continue flying in straight lines at constant speed due to inertia. The Arbiter formation swiftly opened spatial rifts and warped the out-of-control Phoenix Fighters back to safe positions.

Only a dozen or so were unlucky enough to collide with drifting meteors and perish.

After the first wave of attacks, several hundred Trigonians were dead and three thousand were wounded. The Protoss lost seventeen Phoenix Fighters, while more than ninety others lost combat capability and were promptly warped into the Invisibility Force Field by the Arbiters, escaping destruction.

"Hierarch, the Trigonians' psychic attacks truly are difficult to deal with. They may not destroy our ships, but they can make our warriors lose consciousness."

Talandar was not satisfied with the results of this exchange, but he had no better solution.

After hearing Talandar's report, Shen Jun thought for a moment and said, "You mean we should proceed with the next stage of the plan now?"

"That's right. Although Phoenix Fighters can inflict heavy damage on Trigonians, killing one requires at least twenty consecutive hits."

"The Trigonians' counterattacks are fierce. The Phoenix Fighters will achieve very limited results, and there is no point in continuing this entanglement."

Shen Jun nodded. "The front line is yours. You may decide for yourself whether to accelerate the plan. There is no need to ask me for instructions."

"Haha, then rest assured, Hierarch. Compared to the Zerg, these Trigonians are nothing."

Having received Shen Jun's authorization, Talandar no longer held back. He first had the Arbiter forces open every spatial rift and warp out all the Phoenix Fighters mixed within the Trigonian army.

He then had the Arbiters retreat at full speed while the Phoenix Fighter formation covered the rear.

The Trigonians were far slower than the Phoenix Fighters. Under Talandar's command, five thousand Phoenix Fighters unleashed their full firepower, circling the outer perimeter of the Trigonians as they attacked rather than attempting to charge into the enemy formation.

As a result, only the outer ring of Trigonians came under attack, and they could do nothing but take the beating.

Yet the Trigonian army as a whole did not slow its advance. The Phoenix Fighters could only harass and wear them down, especially after the Trigonians activated their psychic barriers. The Negative Charge Ion Cannons had to strike repeatedly before opening even a single breach.

Soon, the Trigonian army was about to enter the central region between Kaya Star and Midir. There lay a massive Asteroid Belt, where more than ten million asteroids of varying sizes formed a vast, dense Ringworld.

The Ringworld centered on the sun of the Aiur System, enclosing Midir, Aiur, and Char.

"Variegated Blue... King... the enemy's... speed is too... fast. Our forces... can't... keep up."

"Don't... mind... them. There is... an Asteroid Belt... ahead... It is enormous... They... won't dare... fly that fast... in there."

"Those Light Ships... can't withstand... our... attacks."

By the time they reached this point from Kaya Star's near orbit, the Trigonians had already lost more than five thousand troops. Meanwhile, after changing tactics, only a little over two thousand Phoenix Fighters had lost combat capability, with fewer than five hundred actually destroyed.

Driven mad by the relentless harassment of the Phoenix Fighters, the Trigonian army rushed toward the Asteroid Belt as if it had found a savior, its speed increasing severalfold.

Strangely, Tassadar did not order the Phoenix Fighter formation to intercept the Trigonians with full force. He merely watched coldly as Variegated Blue's army entered the Asteroid Belt.

At that moment, Variegated Blue sensed that something was wrong. But its advanced brain swiftly came up with a reasonable explanation: the enemy commander was wise enough to know that Light Ships had no room to operate in a place filled with meteors.

If they flew too fast, they could easily crash into meteors and be destroyed along with their pilots. If they slowed down, the advantage of Light Ships would vanish entirely.

Therefore, any pilot with even a little experience would not venture into an Asteroid Belt.

However, the instant more than twenty thousand Trigonians entered the Asteroid Belt, ten thousand dazzling spheres of light flew out from every corner of the belt and gently struck the Trigonians.

"Ambush!"

Variegated Blue immediately understood what had felt wrong earlier and swiftly issued orders to stabilize the situation.

"Go, Templar!"

"Shadow Guard, kill every enemy before you!"

Another two hundred Arbiters appeared alongside fifteen hundred Void Rays, under the command of the Purification and the Prophet.

Selandis and Vorazun issued the order for a full-scale assault together.

Nor was that all. Within the Asteroid Belt, a Photon Cannon had been constructed every few asteroids. The firing range of all ten thousand cannons stretched across hundreds of kilometers, effortlessly covering more than forty thousand Trigonians in its entirety.

The Void Ray was the most widely used mainstay warship of the Protoss. Its firepower exceeded that of the Phoenix Fighter, while its cost was far lower than heavy warships such as carriers and Tempests. Thus, it became the most numerous type of warship in the Golden Armada.

Fifteen hundred Prism Beams fired from the fronts of the Void Rays and struck the Trigonians. In less than a minute, they could completely pierce through a single Trigonian.

Once pierced by a Prism Beam, the Purification Psionic Energy and Void Psionic Energy contained within it reacted violently inside the Trigonian's body, causing a massive explosion.

Fifteen hundred Trigonians died on the spot, not one spared.

At the same time, Selandis's carrier, the Purification, launched its attack as well. The bays within the carrier opened, and eight hundred unmanned interceptors flew out, their Plasma Cannons pouring fire onto the Trigonians.

The carrier's main guns did not cease either. At full power, each discharge from the planet-destroying cannons almost cleared out a blank line.

This barrage inflicted devastating losses on the Trigonians. The Photon Cannons' suppressive fire caused Variegated Blue enormous trouble.

"Damn it... what kind... of race... is this? They... came prepared..."

Variegated Blue burned with rage. It aspired to become the king of all Trigon Civilization. How could it suffer defeat in such an inexplicable war?

Even now, it had not figured out where these people had come from or why they had ambushed its army.

"Hierarch, it is time."

Tassadar observed the battlefield. This was the best moment to enter the fray.

"Carrier formation, heed my command! Warp into the battlefield at once! The final battle has begun!"

"In this battle, we will achieve the greatest results with the fewest losses and let the Known Universe witness the glory of the Protoss!"

"All forces, attack!"

"For Aiur!"