Chapter 1019 - 533: Projection Descends
All this transpired in a fleeting moment. By the time everything was done, Song Liang inside the Chenliang had already shaken off his earlier panic. His face was unnaturally calm, as though the intense contraction of his pupils earlier had been nothing but an illusion.
At this point, he muttered to himself:
“Want to deal with the Chenliang up close? Too bad. The Chenliang has three purple components, one of which is a purple Obsidian Ship Armor!”
Up ahead, more than a dozen Third Rank Green Crab General soldier figurines continued their relentless attacks. Their crab pincers repeatedly stabbed into the flesh of the wounded Third Rank Purple Butterfly Clan member.
If that were all, such efforts would naturally seem flimsy—after all, the combat power of puppet soldier figurines was well-known for being subpar in their rank, often derisively labeled as pseudo-combatants.
However, in reality, it seemed as if the pincers of those dozen-plus Green Crab Generals were coated in some additional substance. Each time they penetrated the wounds of the Purple Butterfly Clan member, a sound of corrosive sizzling ensued.
Under these circumstances, the life breath of the Third Rank Purple Butterfly Clan member plummeted at a visibly rapid rate.
“The venom of the Sky Venom Spider truly lives up to its terrifying reputation. Just a few drops applied to the figurines…”
Seeing the battlefield essentially decided, Song Liang’s lips unconsciously curled upward with satisfaction.
The Sky Venom Spider was an alien creature specifically reared by his family for its exceptional venom. He had purposely obtained some in advance, not expecting it to prove so useful now.
Buzz! Buzz!
Yet before Song Liang could revel in this moment, sudden spatial fluctuations behind him sent shockwaves through his heart.
“Not father…”
Just as he confirmed this, a terrifying beam of light pierced through the space from the opposing warship’s bow. In an instant, the Chenliang’s outer Energy Shield short-circuited entirely, and the dimmed light beam struck the pitch-black hull directly.
[Warning: Warship under attack. Armor integrity down 42%. Hull damage at 20%!]
Song Liang’s gaze trembled—he knew very well that only ten or so seconds had passed since he activated the “Obsidian Guard” feature of the Obsidian Ship Armor. The feature’s duration was still active; without it, he was certain the Chenliang would have already sunk by now.
“It’s a cruiser from the Chenxing Clan!”
By identifying the markings emblazoned on the opposing warship, Song Liang immediately pinpointed their identity.
His stare turned icy, his simmering rage unhidden as he locked eyes with the enemy.
“Hand over that component, and this captain will spare your life!”
Song Liang’s gaze remained frigid, fixed steadfastly on the opponent, offering no response.
“Stalling for time? Naive!”
Mocking words fell as the kilometer-long opposing warship’s bow began glowing again, charging the Main Cannon.
Song Liang clenched his fists, an expression of fear flashing across his eyes.
He intended to maneuver the Chenliang to create some distance for multiple evasions. During the time when his soldier figurines were assaulting the Third Rank Purple Butterfly Clan member, he had already secured that special Blink Device, successfully completing his mission.
However, reality was cruel—escape wasn’t an option. The Chenliang had been immobilized by the opponent’s special means, utterly unable to move for the time being.
“My father is part of the Song Family’s direct lineage. Does your Chenxing Clan truly wish to start a war with the Song Family?”
Driven by survival instincts, Song Liang addressed the newly connected Warship Projection communication channel with a questioning tone.
The response he received sent chills down his spine.
“A war between the families? Heh, young one, you’re not qualified to represent the Song Family!”
“This is your final three seconds. If you don’t hand over that component, prepare to die right here!”
After a brief internal struggle, Song Liang’s expression returned to its previous tranquility.
“I may not represent the Song Family, but if I die here today, I guarantee that your end will be far worse!”
These calm words seemed to bring an immense pressure to the Third Rank Chenxing Clan captain on the opposing side; a notably unpleasant look crept into his expression.
Both parties understood that this special Blink Device component was merely a rare purple-grade item. The entire confrontation had escalated solely due to Song Chi’s expansive search.
Should this component incident result in the death of a promising clan member, Song Chi—the renowned figure throughout the Chenxing Kingdom and even the entire Heavenly Disk Galaxy—would undoubtedly not let the matter rest.
Amid this brief hesitation, faint spatial ripples once again stirred across the starry expanse.
Moments later, a second cruiser materialized.
“Dad!”
Recognizing the familiar outline of the warship, a flicker of radiant hope lit up in Song Liang’s eyes.
The newly arrived warship was none other than the command ship of the Song Family’s First Dragon Whale Guard Fleet’s 14th Squadron, captained by Song Qian, a Second Direct Lineage member of the Song Family.
“Resser Chenxing, you’re courting death!”
Seeing his son unharmed, Song Qian exhaled a long sigh of relief. Yet when he turned his gaze to the opposing Chenxing Clan cruiser, the killing intent in his eyes was impossible to conceal.
Judging by the damage sustained on the Chenliang, Song Qian could tell that Resser Chenxing had struck with lethal intent.
The moment Song Qian appeared, Resser Chenxing’s heart sank, realizing the matter was now beyond resolution.
Instinctively, a retreat began to form in his mind.
But just as he prepared to activate a second Blink Device to flee, several more spatial ripples emerged from the rear.
Three additional cruisers from the Song Family arrived.
More importantly, one of the three activated its Forbidden Magic Domain, severing any attempt Resser Chenxing had to flee using blinking technology.
“They really mean to kill me!”
Upon reaching this conclusion, a flash of panic crossed Resser Chenxing’s face.
He had previously claimed that Song Liang wasn’t significant enough, that killing him here wouldn’t spark a war between the Song and Chenxing clans.
However, if those words were reversed and applied to himself, they rang equally true.
The Chenxing Clan, with over six thousand years of lineage and thousands of Third Rank Torch Captains, wouldn’t bat an eye at losing him.
As he found himself desperate, two more Chenxing Clan cruisers finally arrived to his rescue.
Silently grateful to these two clan members, Resser Chenxing’s attitude shifted again, reverting to his previous disdainful manner.
While Song Chi had achieved rapid growth over the past century, solidifying the Song Family’s status as the foremost family below royalty in the kingdom, Resser Chenxing dismissed the so-called “upstart” Dragon Spine Song Family, a mere three-thousand-year-old lineage, as far beneath an established immortal clan like the Chenxing Clan.
…
In a group channel covering the communications among the four Song Family cruisers, someone asked Song Qian decisively:
“Captain, what are your orders?”
Song Qian’s eyes burned with determination as he gave a resolute answer.
“Resser Chenxing must die. I’ll take responsibility for all consequences. Attack!”
Seeming to sense Song Qian’s resolve, Resser Chenxing’s expression darkened.
“Song Qian, are you really prepared to upset the delicate balance our two families have painstakingly maintained?”
Song Qian offered no response, his flagship accelerating straight toward Resser Chenxing’s vessel.
Behind him, the other three Song Family cruisers split roles, with two blocking the reinforcements and one assisting Song Qian, heading directly for Resser Chenxing’s warship.
Seeing this, fury and alarm flooded Resser Chenxing. Already weaker than Song Qian, he knew that with the addition of another cruiser, his defenses wouldn’t hold out for long.
“No, I can’t let this continue; Song Qian will sink my ship if this goes on!”
Desperate, Resser Chenxing shouted toward his reinforcements:
“Quick, activate the Sub Seal!”
Following his command, one Chenxing Clan cruiser, unaffected by the Forbidden Magic Domain, activated a specific component.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The dark starry space above began to ripple violently, its energy radiating over an expansive area.
Before long, a massive projection started to materialize.
It was none other than a 3,300-meter-long Zhulu Warship projection.
“Watch out—it’s a Chenxing Clan Zhulu Warship Projection!”
Song Qian’s face turned grim, issuing an immediate warning to his fleet.
But while the Zhulu Warship Projection had yet to fully form, killing intent gleamed in Song Qian’s eyes.
The prow of his warship, fitted with a purple ram, surged forward at maximum speed toward Resser Chenxing’s cruiser. Judging by the trajectory, if they collided, and Resser’s cruiser couldn’t activate its hull armor defenses in time, at least a gaping hole would be torn open.
With worse luck, the entire warship might be rendered incapacitated.
However, merely ten kilometers before impact, the now-solidified Zhulu Warship Projection unleashed a torrent of immense energy. This energy radiated in the form of a domain, effortlessly crushing the Forbidden Magic Domain emitted earlier by the Song Family companions.
It didn’t stop there—the mysterious domain also froze Song Qian’s flagship, binding it motionless in place.
This abrupt turn of events immediately flipped the battlefield dynamics.
At last, a voice filled with deep reverence emanated from the three Chenxing Clan cruisers.
“Welcome, Elder Quinn!”
…
There was no verbal response. The Zhulu Warship Projection’s captain, Quinn Chenxing, seemed disinterested in causing a truly irreversible fallout.
All that could be heard was the elder’s aloof tone reverberating through the warship projection:
“This matter ends here. Disperse—”
Yet, before Quinn could finish, Song Qian’s voice—seething with uncontained fury—interrupted abruptly, almost echoing with a roar:
“End it here? This star domain belongs to the Song Family. Not only did they shed blood on our territory without permission, but they also attempted to kill a Second Rank member of my clan. Elder Quinn, are you now telling me to let this go?”
As a Zhulu Warship Captain, being interrupted by a mere Third Rank Cruiser Captain would be grounds for contempt. Regardless of Song Qian’s valid reasoning, the expression within Quinn Chenxing’s warship projection turned ominously dark.
“Are you questioning a Zhulu Captain?”
Quinn’s menacing voice resonated alongside the frightening presence of his domain power, which began weighing heavily on Song Qian’s flagship.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Under Quinn’s deliberate control, the Sixth Rank domain’s overwhelming Might bore down entirely on Song Qian’s warship.
[Warning: Warship under attack. Energy Shield integrity down 46%. Shield value remaining: 54%.]
[Warning: Warship under attack. Energy Shield overloaded. Armor integrity down 22%. Hull damage at 3%. Immediate repairs required.]
[Warning… Armor integrity down 80%. Hull damage at 59%. Immediate repairs critical.]
Under the immense domain pressure, Song Qian’s cruiser suffered significant damage by the second.
“Dad!”
Inside the Chenliang, Song Liang’s eyes widened, tears welling up as his voice cracked with traces of sobbing.
“Your Chenxing Clan isn’t the only one with a Zhulu Captain!”
Despite the severe damage his ship had sustained, Song Qian’s reply was unyielding.
With a shift in his thoughts, he activated a Sub Seal Projection Component within his warship.
“Song Qian of the Song Family humbly beseeches the Elder to descend!”
As the words fell, spatial ripples erupted from above his warship, and another 3,300-meter-long Zhulu Warship Projection began forming.
With the appearance of this projection, the oppressive force weighing down Song Qian’s cruiser suddenly dissipated.
Moments later, a woman’s voice rippling with restrained fury reverberated through the stars:
“Quinn Chenxing, are you implying the Song Family has no capable individuals left?”
From the other side, Quinn Chenxing’s Zhulu Warship Projection swiftly issued its terse reply.
“Song Ting, you’re still unqualified to address me!”