Chapter 78: Intense Battle

Words : 1493 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

More than 7,000 Luka ships poured out of the transmission channel in just a few minutes. As Xiao Yu was just reacting to the situation, these ships simultaneously activated their dim black Energy Shields and charged toward him. Energy Cannon shells, high-energy Laser Cannons, particle beam weapons, and other forms of firepower were unleashed in an instant, all directed at Xiao Yu. The Shanghai, positioned just above them and less than 10,000 kilometers away, became the target of their assault. The attack obliterated hundreds of Town-Class and County-Class ships shielding the Shanghai, their explosions creating fiery chaos. However, their sacrifice spared the Shanghai from direct hits. Without them, Xiao Yu might have been killed instantly. From the moment the first Luka ship emerged to the start of their attack, only a few minutes had elapsed. This brief window granted Xiao Yu a rare opportunity to regroup. Within those few minutes, Xiao Yu gathered nearly 10,000 ships to form a defensive ring around him. The remaining ships, positioned on the far side or the rear of Tianyuan A, needed at least ten more minutes to reach the battlefront. This meant Xiao Yu had to hold off the 7,000 Luka ships with only 10,000 of his own for the next ten minutes. In a matter of minutes, the Luka fleet successfully encircled Xiao Yu’s ships, trapping him within their siege. “This was a meticulously planned and prepared surprise attack! They seem to know my flagship is the Shanghai!” Xiao Yu thought grimly. Escape was out of the question now. Whether or not the siege could be broken was uncertain. The Shanghai, being a City-Class ship, was massive, and its size inherently limited its maneuverability. Even if it managed to break through, it wouldn’t get far. Xiao Yu abided by a strict rule: unless it was an absolute life-or-death situation, his flagship would never participate in direct combat. Unlike the leaders of Sentient Civilizations, who could rely on vice commanders if a general died, Xiao Yu’s death meant the total collapse of his fleet. But now, Xiao Yu had no choice but to break his own rule. “Then, let’s fight!” At this moment, Xiao Yu felt a surge of determination. “With 10,000 ships for now, holding out for ten minutes shouldn’t be impossible. Once the remaining 30,000 ships arrive, and since it seems their fleet isn’t equipped with Force Field-covering weapons, I might not necessarily lose!” Xiao Yu made up his mind. He positioned the Shanghai deep within the defensive circle, sacrificing smaller ships to ensure its safety. Meanwhile, the outer layer of his fleet was already engaged in fierce combat with the Luka ships. This was destined to be a close-range space battle. Over the surface of Tianyuan A, 17,000 ships clashed in a bloody melee. The scale of the war kept growing, as Xiao Yu’s ships from the far side of Tianyuan A arrived and attacked the Luka fleet from the outer perimeter. The stronger the attacks from the outer layer, the less pressure Xiao Yu faced in the inner circle, increasing his chances of survival. This battle took place along the day-night line of Tianyuan A. In the distance, the brilliant remains of Tianyuan IV lit up the scene. Under its gaze, countless ships chased and fired at each other over the small planet. “What a ruthless strategy—a true feigned retreat. They used a weak fleet to distract my attention and strength, leaving my rear exposed, then launched their main force in a sneak attack. But do you think I’ll let you get away with it? We’ll see who dies today!” Xiao Yu gritted his teeth, his vast information-processing capabilities fully utilized as he commanded two fleets across two battlefields. At the Tianyuan B battlefield, Xiao Yu’s forces were reduced to about 33,000 ships, while the Luka fleet had only 1,000 left. Xiao Yu left 13,000 ships to continue battling there, while the remaining 20,000 ships raced back to reinforce the base. However, due to the vast distance, they would need at least two days to return. Within the siege, Xiao Yu’s fleet was being decimated at an alarming rate. Within just an hour, half of the 10,000 ships inside the siege had been destroyed, and even the Shanghai had suffered some damage. However, as the outer fleet’s numbers and firepower increased, the rate of losses began to slow. The fleet regrouping was complete, and the battlefield could now be divided into three rough layers. At the innermost layer, the Shanghai and 5,000 escort ships endured the most intense attacks. Surrounding them, 6,500 Luka ships maintained their siege, simultaneously launching ferocious attacks on the inner layer while withstanding assaults from Xiao Yu’s 30,000 ships in the outermost layer. The situation was extremely critical. Despite the outer layer of Xiao Yu’s fleet numbering 30,000 ships, they were unable to break through the Luka fleet’s encirclement and join up with the Shanghai. Xiao Yu’s attacks had become nothing short of desperate. On the outer perimeter, a County-Class ship from Xiao Yu’s fleet relentlessly engaged a Luka County-Class ship, unleashing its full firepower at maximum output against the Luka ship’s Energy Shield. The Luka ship, already severely damaged, had a shield so dim it was barely visible. It attempted to flee while delivering feeble counterattacks against Xiao Yu’s pursuing ship. Given no more than ten minutes, Xiao Yu’s ship would have likely destroyed the enemy. But through the monitoring satellites, Xiao Yu noticed another Town-Class ship from the Luka fleet entering the fray. Its Energy Cannon ports glimmered ominously, signaling an imminent attack. The County-Class ship under Xiao Yu’s control had the ability to dodge, but doing so would break its lock on the Luka ship. After careful analysis, Xiao Yu chose to ignore the threat, pushing the ship into a seemingly suicidal frenzy to ensure the Luka ship’s destruction. Finally, just a second before Xiao Yu’s County-Class ship was struck, its concentrated barrage broke through the Luka ship’s Energy Shield. Without the shield’s protection, the devastating weaponry ripped through the ship’s armor, reducing it to a fiery explosion of debris. At almost the same moment, the Luka Town-Class ship’s attack destroyed Xiao Yu’s ship. The two ships erupted in brilliant flashes, marking their end in space. Their shattered hulls, trailing black smoke, plummeted toward Tianyuan A, resembling two black meteors. Through such relentless, sacrificial tactics, Xiao Yu sought to break free of the encirclement. The battle had reached a stalemate for the moment. Overall, Xiao Yu’s 40,000 ships were no match for the Luka fleet’s 7,000. The stalemate resulted solely from Xiao Yu’s reckless, no-holds-barred assaults. However, such a situation couldn’t last. Xiao Yu estimated that in no more than eight hours, the balance would shift, and his forces would rapidly fall into disadvantage. “First, I need to escape,” Xiao Yu thought to himself. “My survival is the foundation of everything.” Amid the chaotic battle, Xiao Yu suddenly noticed something unusual. Around a hundred Luka ships disengaged from the fight and began descending toward the surface of Tianyuan A. “What are they trying to do?” Xiao Yu wondered. Unable to discern their purpose, he decisively dispatched a 1,000-ship strike force to pursue them toward the planet’s surface. The hundred Luka ships engaged in combat with Xiao Yu’s squad while continuing their descent. As they neared the surface, just a few hundred meters above ground, the ships’ bottom hatches opened, releasing over a hundred strange, large devices. Once these devices landed, Xiao Yu realized they were arranged in a circular formation. After stabilizing, the devices emitted dim black beams of light. The beams crossed and interwove, gradually thickening until they formed a hemisphere—a dome-shaped Energy Shield. “That’s... an Energy Shield!” Xiao Yu immediately recognized it. But a new question arose: “What are they building an Energy Shield here for? It can’t be anything good,” Xiao Yu concluded. Determined to stop them, he dispatched another fleet of 2,000 ships to join the 1,000-ship squad, creating a combined force of 3,000 ships to attack the Luka formation. Unexpectedly, the Luka Civilization seemed to value this Energy Shield highly. They sent 300 additional ships to intercept Xiao Yu’s fleet. The sky above became a war zone, filled with flying projectiles and dazzling light. Wreckage from destroyed ships, trailing black smoke, fell like harbingers of an apocalypse. Amid this chaos, the Luka ships began their tense construction operation. Before the Energy Shield was fully completed, over a hundred Luka ships had already entered its interior. Then the shield sealed, blocking all external attacks. A deep sense of foreboding welled up in Xiao Yu’s heart. “What are they planning?” His question didn’t remain unanswered for long. Within just half an hour, Xiao Yu knew the answer.

Chapter 78: Intense Battle

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