On the scale of the universe, the collision of two fleets was merely the melting of countless light spots. However, from the perspective of every starship, the invincible and unstoppable blast was certainly not easy.
Even though the Astounding Thunder Fleet had the absolute advantage on the battlefield, tremendous starships had serious explosions and even lost all their momentum. Countless crystal suits and armed shuttles were lost in space, unable to find their mothership. Several Colossi had even lost their limbs and power units and needed to be dragged to the comprehensive supply ships that boasted rapid maintenance abilities. They must not be left alone, in which case they would drift to the empty, vast vacuum.
“Iron Torrent”, Lei Chenghu’s flagship, did not survive it either.
Lei Chenghu was never the kind of general who made plans in the commander center and asked his subordinates to fight. The fiercer and more dangerous a battle was, the more he would be directly involved in it. Just now, he almost had a head-on clash with Landslide, Yun Xuefeng’s flagship.
Iron Torrent at this moment was full of damage. Explosions, venomous fog, intense fire, and fractures on the shell could be found everywhere. Many areas had turned vacuum, and all the materials spurted out.
Lei Chenghu, however, had no time to check the damage on the flagship. Entrusting all the affairs to the damage control team, he led the most elite marine team as well as three Colossi to the No. 16 garage at the center of the flagship.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hundreds of fully-armed Exos in their iron footsteps, plus dozens of heavy crystal tanks and almost a thousand battle puppets, surrounded the enormous garage without leaving the slightest gap.
All the Exos, battle puppets, and crystal tanks opened the covers of their honeycomb-type launchers. The waves of the crystal cannons were spreading out, and the chainswords and vibration sabers were humming.
There were even three Colossi standing in the garage like enormous pillars, their weapons unsheathed, as if a great enemy was coming.
“He’s here!”
Sensing that the airtight gate outside opened, several advisors shouted at the same time.
Perhaps because he felt that his subordinates were too nervous and brought disgrace to the Astounding Thunder Fleet, Lei Chenghu slightly frowned, but his lips curled into a cold smile that nobody could understand.
Chi! Chi! Chi!
Several airtight gates were opened and closed, injecting pressure and fresh air into the enclosed space and adapting the newcomer to the artificial gravity field on Iron Torrent, while the weapons and ammunitions on the space shuttle were checked.
After multiple scanning sessions, it was confirmed that the strange shuttle did not carry any weapons or ammunitions, and only two humans and several Cosmos Rings were detected. In the end, the last airtight gate was finally opened.
A cone-shaped space shuttle no longer than ten meters slid into the fixed rail in the No. 16 garage agilely. The three narrow, long empennages folded toward the front, making the vehicle even smaller. Compared to Iron Torrent that was as magnificent as a mountain, the Hummingbird-level shuttle was not even a hummingbird but an insignificant germ or virus at most.
However, both germs and viruses could be fatal sometimes.
Huala!
Before the stranger was fully parked, all the Exos and battle puppets around had already raised their guns and cannons.
The captain of Lei Chenghu’s guards even stepped forward in his Colossus and stood before Lei Chenghu.
“Move away.”
Lei Chenghu tapped the leg of the captain’s Colossus and walked to the front of the Hummingbird-level shuttle. His hands in his back, he said casually, “Passing through the heated battlefield, you are really here, Marquis Yongchun. Your bravery and your determination are very impressive. Your pilot’s abilities to maneuver the space shuttle are quite astonishing too.
“It so happens that there are a few of Marquis Yongchun’s old acquaintances on my starship. They insisted on meeting you and reaffirming your friendship when they heard that you were coming. It wouldn’t be an imposition for you, would it?”
Lei Chenghu slightly coughed. A few muscular, weather-beaten men immediately stepped forward.
The first muscular man said carefully, “Is it you, Your Lordship? I am Zhao Jutao. Do you still remember me, Your Lordship?”
A voice immediately came over from the Hummingbird-level shuttle. “Zhao Jutao, the deputy leader of the Giant Shark Gang, were you not a family general of Wujiu, my seventeenth brother? I remember that you were quite good at your ‘Red Tide Saber Arts’. During a dinner on the Wild Torrent Planet, you once had a duel with my family general, Zhao Yi, and cut off the little finger on Zhao Yi’s left hand. I even gave my own saber to you as a gift. Right?
“My seventeenth brother, Wujiu, was always the closest brother to me. I cried when he was ambushed by the Covenant Alliance on the Emerald Planet and unfortunately perished. I tried to look for his family generals in the past, but there was no news about you because of the mayhem on the frontline. I thought that you had died in space too, and I did not know that you became Commander Lei’s subordinate!”
“You still remember me, Your Lordship?”
That “Zhao Jutao” nodded at Lei Chenghu and continued, “I’m flattered!”
Zhao Jutao backed off, and a second muscular man moved forward and said, “Your Lordship, I am Song Zhong. It was all thanks to Your Lordship’s favor that I managed to survive and join the Astounding Thunder Fleet. I dare not forget it for one second. When I heard that Your Lordship was coming, I decided that I had to thank Your Lordship in person anyhow.”
“Song Zhong, are you ‘Death Blow’ Song Zhong?”
Li Wuji’s voice came from the Hummingbird-level shuttle again. He laughed. “Your master in the past was simply too harsh. He was going to cut your guts out only because you lost a game in the arena.
“Nobody wins forever. You did not slouch but did your best. It was a pity that your opponent was stronger. That was not your fault. Although you lost that game, you could always win the next one. Why did he have to kill you?
“You too know that I hate the bloody scenes where viscera run about more than anything else, but the man was trying to cut your guts right before my eyes. I found it disgusting and saved your life. It was not a big deal at all!”
“Death Blow” Song Zhong also nodded at Lei Chenghu, implying that Li Wuji was not wrong about what happened in the past. He then declared in a loud voice, “All in all, it was Your Lordship who preserved my life. If I hadn’t been too humble to serve Your Lordship, I wouldn’t have gone to the frontline as a soldier!”
Next, a few other acquaintances of Li Wuji tested him, but Li Wuji mentioned their identities and history without any hesitation and without any error or mistake in the most insignificant details. Most of the information was never recorded. It was evident enough that the person inside the Hummingbird-level shuttle was Li Wuji himself.
Seeing that Li Wuji had come to the meeting in person, the commanders of the Astounding Thunder Fleet in all levels were more or less relieved.
However, the captain of Lei Chenghu’s guards still daren’t be careless. He roared thunderously through the Colossus, “Marquis Yongchun, excuse me, but for safety and secrecy, would you please ask your pilot to come out first? He must’ve been exhausted in the trip to cross the battlefield. Allow us to entertain him with great food and drinks. By the time you finish your meeting with Commander Lei, we will escort him back. He will not be harmed at all. How does it sound?”
There was no voice from the Hummingbird-level shuttle. However, the arsenal at the abdomen of the shuttle slowly opened, and a plain-looking pilot crawled out rigidly. He raised his hands to show that he did not carry any weapon or Cosmos Ring as he walked toward Lei Chenghu’s guards. He was immediately surrounded by the guards.
His eyes seemed to be filled with intense gloominess, but it flashed quickly and escaped everyone’s attention.
“Don’t be rude. Make sure that this brother rests well.”
The captain of guards said solemnly. He then spoke to Lei Chenghu through the private communication channel. “Commander Lei, it’s confirmed that Li Wuji is the only person inside. However, that guy’s combat ability is not to be underestimated, and he has carried three Cosmos Rings with him. Do you think we should further examine him…”
“Enough.”
Lei Chenghu said coldly, “He has three Cosmos Rings, but we have three fully-prepared Colossi and a whole marine team. He is bold enough to come to my flagship on his own. Do I not have the courage of a marquis? You just stay here and do not pry into the shuttle. Wait until I am out!”
Lei Chenghu slapped his robe and walked to the arsenal of the Hummingbird-level shuttle. After he crawled in through the dark gate, he closed the cover by the way.
As a result, nobody could see or hear what was going on inside.
The many leaders, advisors of the Astounding Thunder Fleet, and Lei Chenghu’s personal guards could only look at each other and wait in uneasiness.
The narrow cabin of the Hummingbird-level shuttle was illuminated into a greenish chamber by the light beam, raising a suffocating feeling in whoever came in.
After Lei Chenghu closed the cover at the abdomen of the shuttle, he immediately saw Li Wuji sitting on the pilot’s seat with his legs folded and staring at him without blinking.
“Commander Lei, we are now finally able to have a nice chat without being monitored or interrupted!”
Li Wuji said, one word after another. His voice was filled with power and left a mysterious, profound, and unpredictable feeling. He seemed to be trying to control the pace of the negotiation since the first syllable.
“You can stop playing mysterious. I know that you are not Li Wuji, and that the ‘pilot’ who walked out a moment ago was the real Li Wuji.”
Lei Chenghu slapped him in the face without any courtesy. “If you want to talk nicely, just cancel your weird tone and reveal your real face so that I can see what garbage you are exactly!”
“Huh?”
Caught unprepared, “Li Wuji” lost his calmness. He shouted with his own voice, “Are you kidding me? How did you see through such delicate arrangements? It was a random guess, wasn’t it, Commander Lei?”
“It’s really you. I would’ve recognized your weird voice even if you were burnt into ashes.”
While talking, Lei Chenghu sat on the seat of the co-pilot next to “Li Wuji”. He said casually, “How should I call you? Traitor of the reformists, Black Wind King, or Cultivator Li Yao? You are truly bold enough to trespass on my flagship on your own when you have such a unique identity!”