Just as the alarm sounded on Lighthouse Star, at the edge of the alert sector, more than three million warships of the Fallen Ark formed long, dragon-like formations and were steadily penetrating deeper into the heart of the defense line.
Inside the main ship, Sorokin and his capable subordinate Harkison gazed at the star map, noticing that the Lighthouse Star, marked in red, was gradually closing in distance.
"Boss, we've entered the Lighthouse Star's alert zone. Radar shows that an Imperial fleet patrolling nearby is heading our way, and we'll be engaged in battle soon."
As he spoke, Harkison casually scratched the back of his neck with his long tongue.
"Speed up as much as possible, don't get held back."
The Sorokin spoke calmly; this time it wasn't an avatar, but the real person who had arrived.
Harkison clicked his tongue and said, "Even with the cooperation, the Arcane Church remains wary of us. Not only have they not revealed their specific plans, but they've also changed the location of their secret stargate. They're clearly on guard against us. We don't know when they'll strike or from which direction they'll launch their attack."
The Sorokin didn't take it seriously. Cooperation between the two sides was like dealing with a tiger for its skin, so it was normal for them to be wary of each other. Just like he wouldn't tell the Arcane Church where his secret star gate was located.
Centered on Lighthouse Star, the warning sector serving as a buffer zone covers a very large area. Once the enemy is detected, there is ample time to mobilize troops, and they will not be able to reach Lighthouse Star in a short time. Therefore, although the Arcane Church keeps its operations secret, the Sorokin can guess their intentions.
It's simply a matter of sending myself as the vanguard. With my fleet size, it's not enough to make the Empire abandon the outpost on Lighthouse Star. Only after I break through all the way to Lighthouse Star and entangle the three Beyond Grade A Black Star so they can't escape easily will the Arcane Church make its move. The reason for doing this is to prevent scaring the enemy away.
The Sorokin felt he had a pretty good grasp of the Arcane Church's intentions; the only remaining question was how many high-level combatants the Arcane Church had dispatched this time.
The Empire has three Beyond Grade A, Milizaus's combat strength is barely comparable to his own. Therefore, the Arcane Church only needs to deal with Black Star and Beoni.
However, these two are still quite far from being top-tier Beyond Grade A fighters. To be on the safe side, the Arcane Church should send out four or more Beyond Grade A fighters to crush them.
'I wonder who the Arcane Church sent this time...'
The Sorokin narrowed his eyes. If the person who came was too strong, he would have to be careful and not get double-crossed.
At this moment, the Imperial fleet that had come to intercept them finally arrived and appeared on the radar.
Harkison glanced at the Sorokin's expression, and seeing that his leader had no intention of speaking, he gave the order on behalf of the Sorokin.
"Open fire at will! Destroy all enemy ships blocking your path!"
Lighthouse Star has entered its highest alert state, and three Beyond Grade A personnel followed Tarrokov to the remote operations command center.
The room was filled with officers and personnel, and countless pieces of information were being transmitted back from the battlefield and handed over to them for processing. Tarrokov stood with his hands behind his back in front of a huge 3D projection of the battlefield, his eyes fixed on it, his face serious.
The battlefield projection displayed the battle between the Fallen Ark Fleet and the Imperial Outer Surrounding Fleet. The ships of both sides were shrunk countless times, perfectly recreating the battlefield scene, as if two miniature fleets were fighting right before everyone's eyes, vividly depicting the action. Surrounding the battlefield projection was a miniature star map of the surveillance sector, with Lighthouse Star highlighted. The miniature planetary projection glowed and extended a red line connecting it to the enemy fleet—representing the current distance between the two sides.
"The enemy fleet numbers approximately 3.2 million. This is a massive fleet. To be able to send this fleet into the Shattered World, this force is very powerful. Their origins cannot be discerned from the types of their ships."
"That's what a staff officer said."
"The most likely candidate is the Arcane Church." Tarrokov glanced at Han Xiao, then continued, "But we can't rule out the possibility of other forces."
Han Xiao noticed his gaze and said with certainty, "It's the Arcane Church."
Tarrokov glanced at him again, nodded slowly, and said in a steady tone, "Understood."
Han Xiao appeared calm, but his mood was extremely heavy.
His words were not mere conjecture. Immediately after the appearance of this mysterious fleet, a mission trigger notification popped up on his panel, and the mission description revealed that this was the operation of the Arcane Church.
[You have triggered the emergency mission [Cause and Effect]!]
[Mission Brief: Your attempt to seize the Evolution Cube has incurred the wrath of the Arcane Church. Today, they have finally acted, deciding to strike a Thunder and decisive blow to reclaim the Evolution Cube from you!]
[Mission Requirements: Defeat the enemy or successfully escape]
[Failure condition: 1. Death]
[2. Loss of the Evolution Cube]
[Rewards: 240e~450e experience, Legend Points +1, 3 random rewards, 3 unknown character cards]
Han Xiao was astonished when he saw the reward.
A minimum reward of 24 billion experience points?! Back when we fought Heber, the highest reward for the quest was only 8.5 billion experience points!
Even from his perspective, this is a tremendous amount of experience!
Han Xiao couldn't be happy at all, because the reward was directly proportional to the difficulty. Such a high reward meant that the attack by the Arcane Church would be unprecedentedly terrifying! Over 40 billion experience points—that meant they were going to send more than five Beyond Grade A attackers!
Who could withstand this?!
Although Han Xiao had secretly hired other outside help just to be on the safe side, he couldn't help but consider backing out, but at the same time he was also wary:
--If we escape through the stargate now, it should be quite safe, but a successful escape would yield a reward of at least 20 billion. Would the mission be that easy to complete?
Perhaps the Arcane Church has some unknown methods; if I try to escape now, I might end up alone and get captured?
He was under heavy protection and was currently relatively safe. If he ran away at the first sign of an enemy, the Empire would look down on him. After some consideration, Han Xiao decided not to act rashly for the time being. Instead, he followed Tarrokov to the operations room to observe the situation.
The buffer zone is wide enough; you can assess the situation before deciding whether to run.
'The mission is called Cause and Effect... Heh, as expected, other people's Universal Treasure aren't so easy to obtain.' Han Xiao grinned to himself.
However, those present were unaware of his inner thoughts.
Tarrokov intently observed the changes on the battlefield and slowly issued his orders:
"Notify all Imperial allied forces currently exploring that all Beyond Grade A combatants return immediately and rush to the aid of Lighthouse Star as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao's eyes lit up, and he nodded secretly.
Tarrokov clearly noticed this as well; the Commander-in-Chief was indeed astute.
There are three more Imperial Beyond Grade A combatants exploring the Shattered World: Heber, Ravenlaude, and the mechanic Maxiler whom they only met once. If they all return, with six Beyond Grade A combatants gathered, they will basically have nothing to fear from the enemy.
Unaware of the number of high-level combatants in the Arcane Church, Tarrokov didn't care about making a mountain out of a molehill. His style was to be steady and not afraid of trouble. Even if it turned out to be unnecessary in hindsight, it was better than regretting it later.
"The Imperial fleet engaged in battle has sent a message requesting reinforcements. They are unable to hold off the enemy. Commander-in-Chief, should we dispatch nearby outer perimeter guard units to provide assistance?"
Tarrokov squinted and observed for a moment. "Only move the sentry troops in that direction. Do not move the outer perimeter troops in other directions. The rest will be sent as reinforcements from the Lighthouse Star headquarters."
Beoni was somewhat surprised. "Sending a fleet from headquarters would take a lot of time en route, and these enemies could advance a considerable distance. Why not just mobilize the outer fleets directly?"
Tarrokov said in a deep voice, "This enemy fleet is deep in enemy territory and unmarked. I believe it's not the main force of the Arcane Church, but rather an advance party. Their purpose is to distract our outer defenses and create gaps in our surveillance sector. Their main force will then take advantage of these openings to advance from other directions, creating a pincer movement or even a multi-pronged attack, overwhelming us. This must be the Arcane Church's tactic."
After listening to the commander-in-chief's explanation, everyone took a closer look at the situation and had to admit that this was a plan that the enemy was very likely to adopt. Tarrokov had seen through it, and there was nothing wrong with this approach.
"However, this is only a temporary measure. Next, we need intelligence; we must find out how many Beyond Grade A combatants are in this enemy fleet."
Tarrokov turned to look at the three men, his meaning clear: only those of equal rank could force others of equal rank to take action.
"Leave it to my ranged units."
Han Xiao nodded. He was the enemy's target and a key figure in this battle. Under these circumstances, it was not appropriate for the three Beyond Grade A to be separated.
And the long-range troops he sent out during this period can now come in handy.
"What?! Lighthouse Star has been attacked?!"
In the Renault Star Cluster, the War Realm Fleet, Heber, who was taking a bath on the star, quickly received the news from Jorde, and his expression changed drastically.
"The enemy is the Arcane Church, and their target is Black Star. Commander-in-Chief Tarrokov wants us to go back and provide support... Your Tyrant, what should we do?" Jorde asked cautiously.
Heber frowned; there was still a rift between them, and he didn't want to help Black Star.
However, he then seemed to realize something, and his brows slowly relaxed.
"Since it's an order from the Empire, then go provide support! Notify my main fleet to proceed at full speed to the nearest stargate jump point!"
Heber's fleet quickly turned around and sped towards the stargate leading to Lighthouse Star.
Although there was a grudge between him and Han Xiao, this matter concerned the dignity of the empire, and as a member of the empire, it was in his own best interest to uphold the empire's status.
On the other side, in the Gaolu Star Cluster, the Arcane Research Institute fleet.
Ravenlaude also received Tarrokov's plea for help, and after reading it, he remained expressionless.
Black Star's life or death was none of his concern; he was more than happy to have one less competitor...
Unfortunately, his power was concentrated in the Central Galaxy, relying on the Empire's protection.
Such a trivial matter was not suitable for disobeying the empire's orders, so he had no choice but to lead his men to provide support.
Soon, he discovered something annoying: the stargate transportation network that Black Star had built in the Gaolu Star Cluster had suddenly become a rapid support channel, facilitating the delivery of aid. Even if he wanted to delay, he had no excuse.
Just then, Ravenlaude had a flash of inspiration and suddenly realized something.
--Could it be that Black Star foresaw this when he built the long-distance stargate passage?!
That's right, that must be it. Otherwise, he couldn't imagine why Black Star would need to abandon its own interests and take the initiative to build a long-distance stargate passage.
Ravenlaude suddenly realized that he had only just understood Black Star's "true intentions," and that he had even laughed at Black Star's ideas before. Even though he wasn't shy, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
The Sorokin fleet gradually penetrated deeper into the heart of the alert sector, engaging in combat with the Imperial fleet as it advanced, thus stretching the battle lines considerably.
The Imperial fleet released bubbles along the way to stabilize the spacetime coefficient, preventing either side from entering a warp state. The Sorokin fleet's speed inevitably slowed down, and it was constantly harassed.
Millions of warships clashed, creating a scene of a large-scale interstellar war.
Brilliant beams of energy of various colors crisscrossed, tearing through the dark universe, silently carrying a chilling killing intent. Spaceships were destroyed one after another, turning into fireworks in the cosmos.
In the midst of the battlefield, there was a special group of combat units, the long-range mechanical troops Xiao Faction. Like a flock of crows, they shuttled back and forth within the formation of the Fallen Ark fleet, firing flashing beams of Psionic Energy amidst the lightning and thunder of Mechanical Force, exploding into clusters of eerie blue chain-like explosive energy on the shields and outer armor of the four-sided warships.
This mechanized force consists of over 100,000 mechanized combatants, currently under enhanced Mechanical Force, resulting in a significant performance boost and reaching a combat strength level exceeding Beyond Grade A. They are invincible on the battlefield, charging in and out seven times, destroying a large number of enemy ships, while their own casualties are quite slow.
Energy Explosion! Three more enemy ships were destroyed by concentrated fire. Just as the mechanical forces were about to search for their next target, a surging black and red energy pillar pierced through the explosion of the spaceship and crashed into the mechanical forces' formation, instantly engulfing a large portion of the unit.
After the beam of light passed through, all that could be seen was that the mechanical warrior that had been hit had already turned into a sky full of charred scrap parts.
Han Xiao, who was remotely controlling things from Lighthouse Star, narrowed his eyes.
"The enemy's Beyond Grade A has made its move! The power of such an attack... is no ordinary thing."
Through the mechanical forces' vision, Han Xiao kept his eyes fixed on the direction from which the attack was coming, trying to see who the enemy was. Suddenly, the figure of the Sorokin came into his view.
The next moment, Tarrokov, Milizaus, Beoni saw Han Xiao's expression suddenly change.
"Did you see clearly? Who is the enemy?" Tarrokov asked urgently.
Han Xiao exhaled, his face grave. "It's actually... Sorokin, and his true form at that!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.
"Aren't the enemies the Arcane Church? What's the Sorokin doing here?!"
Beoni was shocked because he had personally fought against the Sorokin and knew very well how powerful Sorokin was, and he was extremely wary of it.
Tarrokov's expression grew increasingly serious. "It must be the Arcane Church that helped the Sorokin leave the Central Galaxy. Damn it, they actually joined forces with this kind of person for the sake of the Evolution Cube!"
The Sorokin's combat power is renowned throughout the universe, but this time, their side also has a top-tier Beyond Grade A powerhouse who has been famous for a long time.
Milizaus shook his head. "I've fought the Sorokin many times, so stopping him isn't a problem. But I can't afford to be distracted while dealing with this guy, otherwise I won't be able to do anything else."
"Besides the Sorokin, the Arcane Church must have other high-level combat forces. The situation is unfavorable for us. Commander-in-Chief, what are your thoughts?"
Upon hearing this, Tarrokov fell into thought.
The enemy currently has one Sorokin and millions of warships on the surface, and at least three Beyond Grade A soldiers and even more fleets lurking in the shadows.
On their side, they had three Beyond Grade A soldiers plus a garrison fleet of about four million men from Lighthouse Star. Their combat strength was naturally inferior, but with the depth of the warning sector, they had the capital to buy time. Meanwhile, the Empire had more fleets in this star system, which were rushing to their aid from various regions.
Tarrokov was considering whether to retreat immediately or hold out until reinforcements arrived.
The enemy's target is Black Star. Retreating now should preserve Black Star, but the Imperial outposts will certainly be destroyed by the enemy once they lose their guards. The loss of resources is secondary; the main concern is preventing the enemy from controlling the stargate here. It must be closed, which would temporarily deprive the Empire of the central hub of its stargate transportation network, greatly reducing its mobility.
With this in mind, he glanced at the battle situation again. Apart from the Imperial fleet that was fighting the Sorokin, the outer defensive fleets deployed in other parts of the vigilance sector remained stationary, maintaining vigilance over their respective areas of responsibility.
He had previously dispatched a portion of the garrison fleet from the Lighthouse Star headquarters to the rear as a rapid reaction force, thereby saving the headquarters' time to provide reinforcements and preventing a second wave of enemies from launching a surprise attack.
After thinking for a moment, Tarrokov let out a sigh of Tu Shu and said in a deep voice, "Although the situation is not good, we have the resources to hold on. Let's try our best to delay. As long as reinforcements arrive, we'll be safe..."
Waaaaah!
Before he could finish speaking, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded in the operations room.
"Warning! Warning! An abnormal spacetime fluctuation has been detected in the outer orbit of the planet! The spacetime coefficient has shifted, and a wormhole is forming!"
"Wormhole? A portal?"
Tarrokov looked surprised. The appearance of the wormhole did surprise him, but it wasn't because he was unprepared. With the technology of the Crimson Dynasty, Lighthouse Star must have been equipped with a countermeasure to interrupt teleportation. The Arcane Church, as a cosmic-level civilization, couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
What he couldn't understand was why the Arcane Church would make such a doomed attempt!
The images were transmitted back, showing a distorted and wrinkled space suddenly appearing in the outer orbit of Lighthouse Star. This was a sign of a wormhole forming, and the garrison on Lighthouse Star reacted immediately, activating a space-stabilizing device that directly interrupted the formation of the wormhole, regardless of whether the cause was magic or technology.
However, what happened next stunned everyone present. The tried-and-true artificial wormhole countermeasure device failed to work. The spatial folds did not stop, but the wormhole did not appear either. Instead, a bizarre scene unfolded.
Blurry, phantom images of warships gradually appeared in outer space, like a mirage.
Just as the group was stunned, the next moment, the folded space was instantly smoothed out as if by an invisible iron, and these phantoms suddenly became solid, transforming from illusory objects into real entities in the blink of an eye!
This fleet consisted entirely of ships from the Arcane Church, numbering in the millions, including the famous Butterfly flagship!
In an instant, millions of fleets descended upon Lighthouse Star!
They completely ignored the depth of Lighthouse Star, and because Lighthouse Star dispatched a large number of its main fleet, the defense of Lighthouse Star was weakened—this was the tactic of the Arcane Church.
Tarrokov suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed drastically.
"This isn't wormhole teleportation; only the Federation of Light's strategic-level Universal Treasure, the [High-Dimensional Apocalypse Teleporter], has this effect!"
"What! The Arcane Church has actually joined forces with the Federation of Light?!"