The Star Surveyor glided silently through the void, its silver-blue hull reflecting the mottled, chaotic glow of the Tumorafei Mineral Belt. This belt, long famed for its high-density energy stones, was a notorious hotspot for monster activity.
Inside the ship, Gu Qing sat at the command console, expression calm and focused. Beside him were Ais, Rayne, and several insectoid and Star Alliance personnel. Deep in his mind, the little Dao orb still sobbed, whimpering uncontrollably, its silver form wobbling like a squashed marshmallow.
“Waaah… I finally got to see Mimo again!” it wailed, rolling around inside his consciousness, voice full of grievance. “And now… we have to split up! And we’re supposed to go rescue those poor civilians… so… so touching, ahhhh!”
Gu Qing gave a soft smile. “Don’t you think he’s amazing?”
“He’s super amazing!” The orb’s cries shifted into pride. “When he said those words before, I totally lost it! He’s so handsome, brave, and responsible… I’m really… really proud of him! You really found an incredible partner, Master Sword Sage!”
The silver light bounced and swirled around, then stopped with a scolding tone. “You’re not allowed to bully Mimo in the future! Or I’ll make him get revenge, and use Dao power to give you a lesson! Hmph!”
Gu Qing murmured softly, “How could I ever bully him?”
“True… with how flirtatious you are, you’d probably just drive Mimo into ecstasy…”
Gu Qing: “….”
Meanwhile, the ship’s atmosphere grew lively as a certain boy became the center of attention.
“Is that real?! That’s—Bladé’s younger brother?!”
“That Ais? The one who supposedly went solo against psychic-runaway beasts and evaded interstellar pirates for half a year?!”
“I heard he even took on multiple high-bounty criminals alone… unbelievable!”
Whispers filled the cabin, all eyes on the purple-haired boy trying to shrink into the wall. Ais twitched his lips, internally wailing—he hadn’t done anything nearly that ridiculous! Why were these rumors so over the top?
He kept his head down, pretending to be invisible, though even Rayne looked at him like he was some strange creature, astonished and suspicious.
Just as the chatter reached its peak, Gu Qing’s voice cut sharply through the cabin:
“Attention all personnel! Activate protective shields—hostiles incoming!”
The Star Surveyor emitted a low hum, and its energy barrier expanded instantly into a cobalt-blue dome, enveloping the entire ship.
A moment later, a piercing crash tore through the void. A horde of blackened shapes hurtled from the edge of the mineral belt, slamming into the shield!
These were not the familiar dark-energy monsters.
Their bodies were covered in black-purple scales with jagged, vein-like cracks, reminiscent of ancient pterosaurs yet grotesquely alien. They had no eyes or nostrils; their faces were only gaping, blood-stained maws, as if sight and smell had evolved entirely into a dark-energy sense.
They moved with terrifying speed. A single screech of their wings stirred the surrounding air, their ferocity unlike any previous monsters.
—These were airborne evolutions of the dark-energy derivatives.
“Eep eep eep! Scary! Hit them! Hit them! Waaaah!” the little orb exploded into silver light, trembling. “Their mouths… are way too big! Are they trying to swallow the entire ship?!”
“First time seeing this type… this will be a tough fight,” Rayne gasped.
Bladé’s blue eyes darkened, voice cold: “Good. Let them see—we are not prey to be slaughtered.”
Elsewhere, Milton led Il, Phili, Veli, Navien, and others aboard their modified Star Surveyor, racing toward the civilian district, followed closely by the main insectoid and Star Alliance fleets.
Il and Phili could not contain themselves. “General, before coming to the Ares system, you ordered massive weapon and ship upgrades, carrying lots of unknown equipment… what exactly is it?”
Milton gazed into deep space, expression solemn. “It will be the turning point of this battle.”
He recalled the night he reconnected with Gu Qing. Gu Qing had proposed a revolutionary idea: combine cultivation talismans and formations with interstellar technology, converting energy and psychic power into spiritual energy to power a hybrid attack system. Milton refined it, then ordered extensive upgrades across multiple ships and weapon systems.
At this moment, radar picked up a massive influx of abnormal signals—airborne derivatives identical to those Gu Qing’s group had encountered.
“Oh my… what are those?” Phili muttered.
Almost simultaneously, Gu Qing and Milton issued the order:
“—Activate the Star Rune Rift Cannon.”
The main cannons on their ships roared to life. Talismans and energy conduits glowed in synchronized harmony. Azure spiritual light swirled through the barrels, converging into a single, rune-etched, spirit-infused beam—like a thunderbolt across the void. The hull vibrated, ears ringing from the sheer intensity.
The beam tore into the monster horde. Explosions mingled with the monsters’ anguished cries. In an instant, the entire enemy formation vaporized. Black-purple scales turned to ash; the dark energy dissipated under extreme heat.
“What was that?!” Veli’s eyes widened.
“This isn’t a cannon anymore!” Il and Phili exchanged shocked glances, speechless.
“How could one shot destroy all those monsters?!” Navien’s voice trembled in disbelief.
On Gu Qing’s side, warriors stared in astonishment.
“Is… that an insectoid weapon?” Rayne murmured. “No… this is no longer just a weapon—it’s divine judgment.”
Gu Qing’s lips curved faintly. “It’s a product of our joint development.”
Inside his mind, the little orb flipped excitedly. “You two are insanely cool! One’s a Sword Sage, one’s a General, and you made a weapon together! Who can handle this—ahhh!”
In the next instant, Gu Qing and Milton rose from their seats.
Though in separate fleets and battle zones, they spoke as one, as if connected by an unspoken bond:
“It’s time for our counterattack.”
Milton’s gaze fixed on the fiery expanse ahead, yet Gu Qing’s presence filled his thoughts.
This world—I will face it with you.
This battle was proof of their partnership, a convergence of two worlds, the resonance of cultivation and interstellar warfare, and the blazing light of their combined determination.