Reinforcements arrived, the fierce battle began

They've arrived.

The moment those three words left Ye Mo's mouth, the wind at the mouth of the Northwest Rift Valley suddenly roared.

Seven dark gray figures streaked across the sky, their V-formation like knives plunging into the ground. Instead of slowing down upon landing, a ring of blue flame erupted from their feet, completing the landing, deployment, and locking within a mere three seconds—their movements as synchronized as if controlled by a single mind.

"The landing point is eight meters off!" Ye Mo's mind went into overdrive, his right hand slamming onto the charred rock, his mental link exploding instantly. "Star-Lord, move five degrees to the right! Prepare to detonate the Rocket early! Groot's roots forward! Gamora, don't move!"

Before he could finish speaking, the reinforcement on the left flank had already raised his arm, the hum of the shoulder-mounted cannon charging piercing the eardrums. Star-Lord's position on the high slope, which was originally the best ambush point, had now become a sitting duck.

But in a flash, Star-Lord had already rolled out of his original position. Almost at the same second, two plasma beams shot out from his dual pistols, precisely seizing the thrusters of a flying unit in the air. The guy swayed, his shield flashed twice, and he almost crashed.

"I'm not just for show," Star-Lord cursed as he changed magazines. "Tell me earlier next time."

The first shot was fired, and the battlefield was instantly burned through.

Rocket Raccoon crouched on the eastern slope, his hand already sweating with anticipation over the shock grenade. Hearing the explosion, he pulled the fuse without a word and threw it diagonally downwards. The aluminum casing hit the charred rocks, bounced twice, and rolled into the designated area. Three seconds later, it exploded with a deafening roar, triggering a chain reaction of landslides that rolled down the slope, sending dust billowing into the sky and forcing the two men on the left flank to break formation.

"Goal!" the Rocket roared.

Groot had been waiting for this moment. He let out a low growl, and his roots lashed out like whips, wrapping around the calf of one of the men. The man reacted quickly, raising his leg to kick, but the roots were incredibly tough and wouldn't break. Groot used the momentum to pull the man forward, causing him to lose his balance and fall to one knee.

"Well done!" Rocket grabbed the electromagnetic mesh gun and aimed, but unfortunately the charge bar only went halfway up, and the red light on the muzzle flashed twice before going out.

On the other side, Gamora took advantage of the smoke and dust from the explosion to rush towards the central axis. She glided along the ground, her cloak covering her body, making almost no sound. Her target was the dark gray armored figure with the command insignia on his shoulder—the commander Ye Mo had mentioned.

She charged close enough, and with a swift, crossed slash, she severed the communication antenna on the man's side. Sparks crackled and flew as he whirled around, his energy staff already swinging towards him.

Gamora dodged to the side, her blade scraping Mars from the opponent's shield. She didn't linger, immediately retreating and disappearing back into the smoke.

"Communications are down," she said in the mental link.

"It won't last ten seconds," Ye Mo replied. "They have a backup link."

He was right. Less than five seconds later, the commander raised his wrist, and a folding antenna popped out from behind him, automatically unfolding. The next instant, a muffled thud came from Ronan's side, the scepter slammed to the ground, and purple flames exploded, as if it were a response signal.

The three-pronged attack has now taken shape.

Ronan hovered in mid-air, his scepter raised high, purple flames swirling around him. After landing, the six reinforcements quickly regrouped, forming a triangular fire network of three men each, suppressing the left and right flanks and the front. Ronan swooped down to sweep through the air, while heavily armed soldiers advanced on the ground to clear the area, their coordination seamless.

"Are these Kree bastards out of their minds?" Rocket cursed. "They even have premade teams for team fights?"

"Stop talking nonsense." Ye Mo gritted his teeth. "The one on the right flank, start charging up, prepare to cover the area with firepower."

As soon as he finished speaking, the shoulder cannons of the right-wing reinforcements lit up. Ye Mo's pupils contracted, and he immediately activated his Lightning Control the remaining energy. A small arc of electricity crackled from his right palm and shot straight into the sky. Although the arc was small, it interfered with the frequency calibration of the locking system. The cannon missed by half a meter and hit the side of Jiao Yan, sending debris flying everywhere.

"Thanks." Star-Lord peeked out from behind cover. "Could you make it bigger next time?"

"If it gets any bigger, I'll have to lie down." Ye Mo gasped for breath, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

His condition was indeed bad. His ribs ached as if someone was sawing them back and forth, and his right hand was burning hot from frequent use of his sensory abilities, with his fingertips twitching slightly. His mental energy was nearly exhausted, and each command he issued felt like pulling a string that was about to snap.

But he cannot stop.

"Star-Lord, move to the right," he commanded via telepathy. "You're done for."

"I know," Star-Lord replied, already moving towards the rubble on the right. He had barely left his original spot when a series of high-energy pulses swept through the area where he had been lying, instantly vaporizing the rocks.

"Rocket, prepare for the second wave," Ye Mo continued to transmit. "Don't wait for it to fully charge; you can trigger it manually."

"Manually triggering it is like gambling with your life." Rocket glared. "What if it blows up yourself?"

"Then I'll bet my life is tougher than theirs," Ye Mo said. "Groot, can you still hold out?"

Groot looked down at his roots; several had split open, oozing a pale green sap. He nodded slowly and whispered, "I am Groot."

"He can still play," Gamora added, "But don't expect him to control the game continuously."

"Understood." Ye Mo nodded. "Gamora, hold off on going deeper for now, wait for the next wave of chaos before launching another attack."

He himself kept a close eye on the battlefield outside Jiao Yan. The reinforcements advanced at a steady pace, each step showing signs of tactical coordination. They were not like ordinary mercenaries, but rather like a highly trained special forces unit, and their equipment level far exceeded expectations—their shields were highly resistant to pressure, their weapons recharged quickly, and even the distance between their steps was consistent.

"System notification: We recommend prioritizing aerial threats," Ye Mo suddenly spoke, his tone completely serious.

"Not again?" Rocket sneered. "When has your system ever given a good warning? Last time it said 'avoid it,' and you ended up rushing in to carry someone yourself."

"That was a sudden ethical conflict," Ye Mo said calmly. "The system also has bugs."

"Bullshit." Rocket rolled his eyes. "You just don't want to take the blame."

Ye Mo ignored him, turning his attention back to the battlefield. Ronan had already begun to move, his scepter dragging on the ground, purple flames tracing a burning path across it. He clearly intended to join the fray himself.

"Attention everyone," Ye Mo whispered, "Ronan is about to land; prepare to deal with the shockwave."

Before he finished speaking, Ronan had already leaped up, raised his scepter high, and slammed it hard into the ground.

boom--

The purple flame shockwave exploded in a ring, sending debris flying everywhere. Star-Lord had just taken cover in the debris field when the shockwave knocked him over, causing him to drop both pistols. The slope where Rocket was lying was swept away in half, and he rolled into the pit with his electromagnetic net gun in his arms, still cursing.

Groot's roots shook violently, but he held on tightly. Gamora on one knee, plunging her twin blades into the ground to steady herself.

Ye Mo hid behind Jiao Yan, the shelter shaking violently as rubble fell continuously. He braced himself with his right hand on the ground, forcibly maintaining the mental connection, his mind filled with only one thought: It can't be broken, it can't be broken, it can't be broken.

After the shockwave subsided, the battlefield was a scene of utter devastation.

"Star-Lord, are you still alive?" Ye Mo asked.

"Alive, but my dual pistols' energy is down to 60%." Star-Lord got up, brushing the dust off his helmet. "If that happens a couple more times, I'll have to resort to my fists."

"Then you'd better practice." Rocket popped out of the crater. "I only have two shock grenades left, the electromagnetic gun's charging is unstable, and Groot's roots are practically turning into sieves."

"I saw it," Ye Mo said.

Of course he saw it. Everyone's condition was hanging in his mind, like a row of lights about to go out. He himself wasn't in much better shape; his old rib injury had worsened, his mental energy was exhausted, and even maintaining Telepathy was a bit difficult.

But he still has to hold on.

"The three on the right flank are advancing." He stared into the distance. "Fifty meters away, steady speed. The two on the left flank are regrouping; Groot's earlier maneuver paid off. The commander in the center... wait."

He paused for a moment.

The commander was walking in his direction, his shoulder cannon already raised, and the locking system emitted a soft "beep".

"Damn it," Ye Mo cursed under his breath.

The next second, the high-energy pulse cannon roared into action.

The rocky bunker collapsed instantly, Ye Mo was thrown back by the shockwave, his back slamming hard against another rock. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and almost vomited, but he gritted his teeth and slammed his right hand on the ground, forcibly drawing out an arc of electricity that shot into the air.

The jamming was successful. The last pulse was off-angled, grazing his head before blasting into the rock wall behind him, creating a deep crater.

"Ye Mo!" Star-Lord called out.

"I'm still alive," Ye Mo gasped for breath. "Don't stop firing, force them to switch positions."

Star-Lord immediately fired, two beams heading straight for the right flank thruster group. Rocket also seized the opportunity, detonating a second shock grenade, this time throwing it directly at the enemy's feet. The explosion created a dust wave, forcing the three to scatter.

"Groot, engage the one on the left wing," Ye Mo ordered.

Groot growled, and his roots shot out again. This time, his opponent was prepared and kicked, but the roots curved around and wrapped around his ankle from the side. The man struggled but couldn't break free.

Gamora seized the opportunity, bursting out of the crater and aiming her twin blades straight for his throat. His opponent raised his shield to block, the blades scraping against the shield with a piercing sound.

"Commander has re-established communications," Ye Mo suddenly said. "Ronan is responding."

Everyone's heart sank.

Ronan hovered in mid-air, raising his scepter once more, purple flames swirling wildly at the Hammerhead. Meanwhile, the six reinforcements began to converge, forming a new encirclement.

"They're merging," the Rocket said.

"Then let them join forces," Ye Mo gritted his teeth, "But we have to pay a price first."

He raised his right hand, his palm burning even hotter. His Lightning Control was still cooling, but he could forcefully activate the remaining energy. Just one more interruption would disrupt their rhythm.

"Star-Lord, prepare to hold them off," he said. "Rocket, one last shock grenade, aim at the Commander's feet. Groot, don't let go. Gamora in the instant of the explosion."

"Sounds like a last-ditch effort," Star-Lord scoffed. "They're missing a Guardian Angel."

"I didn't buy any," Ye Mo said, "But we have to hold on."

He closed his eyes, scanning the battlefield one last time.

The reinforcements are closing in; Ronan is about to launch an attack; the commander is closing in step by step.

His right hand was trembling uncontrollably, but he still managed to raise it steadily.

Just then, a sharp metallic clang rang out from afar.

Ye Mo suddenly opened his eyes.