A few minutes later, the team finally reached the outskirts of the hyperspace communication station.
The main structure of the station had long since powered down, its entrance completely blocked by monstrous corpses. The air was thick with corrosive fumes, even energy scans were obstructed, and the massive mechs couldn’t break through.
Landai led Navien and Rein, giving instructions to the injured soldiers and civilians: “Head east. Don’t linger in battle, move carefully, and find cover along the way.”
He had no choice but to have them hide for now; the fight had just begun, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted. His focus had to be on breaking through and reclaiming the comms station.
“From here on, mechs can’t proceed,” Landai said, his voice steady as he guided his mech to kneel. He released the cockpit locks and leapt out. His white combat suit shimmered with metallic highlights, his long hair tied back, exuding a cold, commanding aura.
Raising his right hand, fingertips flicking, the mech dissolved into a beam of light, instantly absorbed into the Sumeru-space ring on his finger. Spiritual energy surged through his palm, and in the next moment, silver light coalesced—like moonlight made tangible—a blade manifested: the Tianyuan Sword, gleaming silver with a subtle quiver along its edge, radiating an oppressive cold and lethal intent, as if a mere slash could cut through the darkness.
“I’ll clear the path. Navien, Rein, cover the rear,” he instructed calmly, then vanished in a blur into the station.
“Master Swordlord has switched modes again!” the little Heavenly Dao spirit yelled in his mind. “Tech aids used up, now it’s invincible mode! So epic!”
Inside the station, the corridors were narrow and dark, steel twisted, pipelines broken, the air heavy with burnt odors and oil. Deep within the wiring, the screeching of monsters scraping the walls echoed endlessly.
Landai’s steps were precise, each sword strike cleanly cutting down ambushing monsters. No unnecessary spiritual energy ripples accompanied his attacks—they were measured and lethal.
“Movement in the upper-left vent! Watch out!” Rein warned.
A shadow lunged suddenly. “Hss!” The monster’s head and shoulder were sliced in a single slash, black ichor spraying, corrosive fumes scattering. Landai’s voice remained calm: “Got it, thanks.”
Navien rubbed his temple, whispering, “Every strike… he’s ridiculously precise. Even with guns, we can barely keep up.”
Landai produced a specialized talisman. Its runes glowed faint blue, rapidly forming an invisible shield around the three of them.
“Whoa! The talisman saves spiritual energy? So smart! Do sword cultivators usually do all this?” the little spirit marveled.
Landai gave a faint smile. “Surviving in the cultivation world requires more than just a sword.”
The talisman cast a subtle glow, and a minor distortion field formed, shielding them from monster senses and attacks.
“Whoa… what is this gadget?” Rein exclaimed.
“Don’t underestimate it. It blinds the monsters,” Landai replied.
Monsters surged from all sides, but the shield acted like an invisible wall. Unable to penetrate, they raged at the boundary, letting Navien and Rein unleash suppressive fire, turning the darkness into a maelstrom of blood and carnage.
Landai’s attacks were measured, graceful as a dancing dragon, severing limbs with precision. The combination of sword technique and talisman shield allowed the trio to carve a path toward the comms core.
He cut through the last warped metal door, revealing the central hub. The space was wide, circuits flickering weakly, broken screens flashing warning signals, and the air thick with ozone and sparks.
Navien whispered, “They won’t let us restart communications easily. If I’m right… this will be the final defense. They’ll fight to the death.”
Landai glanced at him and nodded. “Then we’ll make sure they die completely.”
He didn’t rush. From the space ring, he drew a second talisman, placing it on the floor. Its runes formed a micro-array, quickly detecting residual demonic energy.
This time, no reckless assault—he first needed to locate ambushes and weak points.
The talisman lit faintly, pointing to several shadows. Suddenly, a horde of mutant monsters, astonishingly fast, sprang from the dark.
“Prepare!” Landai drew the sword, its silver blade radiating a lethal glow.
Navien and Rein unleashed full firepower. Together, they carved a bloody path through the swarm.
Landai’s movements were fluid, each slash hitting critical points, instantly disrupting coordinated attacks. The talisman shield protected them, blocking impact and demonic interference. The three moved as a single, unstoppable machine of war.
Landai’s sword flared. His voice cut like steel: “For the allied forces, reclaim command!”
The battle was fierce, but the trio pierced the blockade and reached the control panels. Landai slashed the sword, its energy resonating with the talismans, producing a dazzling light field that trapped the monsters.
“Navien! Rein! Suppress!” Landai commanded coldly.
Water-based spiritual power erupted from Navien’s palms, forming high-pressure ice blades along the sword’s path, freezing and immobilizing the monsters.
Rein roared, unleashing earth-based spiritual power. Rubble and broken steel formed sharp spikes, piercing the immobilized monsters’ hearts with precision.
“Cover fire!” Navien unleashed his plasma rifle, blue beams sweeping across all frozen enemies, destroying any chance of movement.
Rein switched to heavy artillery mode, firing an electromagnetic pulse cannon into the densest cluster.
Bullets, heavy fire, spiritual spikes, and Landai’s sword strikes combined into a devastating maelstrom. The core area was completely purged—monsters and demonic energy eradicated.
The battlefield fell silent. The smell of blood and burnt metal lingered, only Landai’s sword tip glimmering faintly like lingering lightning.
Navien knelt at the console, hands flying over the repair modules as sparks flew.
“Hold… just a little longer!”
Amid the crackle of electricity, the comms system slowly came alive. Lights flickered; energy returned. Rein stabilized power circuits with earth energy.
The three watched the core screen, tense. Then, suddenly—【Hyperspace Communications Network Rebooted】
【Communications Stable… Command Synchronized】
Red lights turned green, alarms replaced by crisp connection tones. Allied communications surged, rippling across the front lines.
“The hyperspace station is recaptured! Enemy forces annihilated!” The news hit like a jolt, igniting morale across all sectors.
Frontline soldiers erupted in disbelief and joy: “We did it! We really won!”
Rein clenched his fists, eyes blazing with battle fervor. “Kill them all! This is just the beginning!”
Navien nodded, voice firm despite restraint: “With Landai leading, we’ll win the next battle too.”
In the mindscape, the little spirit jumped excitedly: “Yay! Perfect victory! Monsters, your big boss is here~”
Landai gazed into the distance, calm and resolute. He whispered:
“No. This isn’t the end. This is only the beginning. The real challenge is still ahead.”