Zhao Jundu and Lin Wu were the first to recognize the incoming figure and bowed their bodies slightly. “Huangdi,” they said respectively; while Zhao Junhong and Zhao Ruqin tried to control their initial shock and joined them with their bows.
Hao Di remarked, “Out on the field of battle, gentlemen, do not fuss too much about etiquettes.” He continued, “I have already observed the enemy’s status and exchanged messages with Wang Beiyue. Order full domain readiness at maximum alert level now.”
Everyone’s complexion instantly showed a solemn attitude. Zhao Ruqin jumped down from the ramparts directly, snatching an adjutant, he launched the chain of commands.
Even if that giant on the opposing side possess space-leaping ability, the Empire still possess depth enough on its local domain equipped with various kinds of air defenses. Don’t speak of super weapons, even conventional fleets are unwilling, absent probing attacks, to rush directly into battlefields unknown risk areas without prior test engagements. Thus, Youtong Fortress will still remain as the very first battlefield line.
Suddenly everybody’s consciousness shook slightly; in an instant nobody know whether the world actually moved or whether they just happened to suffer a dizziness spell. From the far away corner of the skyline, an airborne floating city emitted an ethereal glow with a mist of brilliance. Perfectly luminous like fine hand-carved gemstone craftwork—too beautifully surreal.
What lie directly on the space area beneath it—an expanse territory large enough to overwhelm the eyesight of even most powerful masters. It appeared like something colossal beyond comprehension, with a formless giant hand lifting this entire area into the sky and folding and scrunching it into a lump with unimaginable power.
This space-warping sensation only lasted a few short moments, yet for every witness it created an indelibly horrific visual impact etched into their memory permanently. On Youtong Fortress’ bastions, soldiers and officers who were directly observing You’nan Province had nearly all been frozen into motionlessness, only a few high level martial masters capable of quickly regaining self-conscious awareness from stupor.
Looking toward You’nan direction afterwards presented an unusual void in vision which left people disoriented for long moments until finally recognizing this area had transformed completely into a wide open plain without obstructions—ending directly into horizons with this whole province simply vanishing.
Atop that watchtower now only Hao Di, Zhao Jundu, and Lin Wu appeared unaffected, even Prince Zhao Junhong’s usually pale face turned visibly whiter than usual before involuntarily shivering from intense reaction.
Amidst the obliteration of entire existing domains through violent space-folding attacks even fear itself became utterly powerless and feeble. Nothing seemed genuinely real anymore. People could not possibly envision how simple and easy existence of living beings could be removed and destroyed completely without even a trace of bloodshed in process.
Genuine terror reside merely inside minds. Possibly things would turn for the better if people could simply shut off their train of thoughts.
Zhao Jundu reached out a hand to rest momentarily on the shoulder of his younger sibling. Zhao Junhong grabbed it back tightly, breathing deeply, feeling how his tensed muscles gradually slackened free.
Jundu said slowly but gravely: “It’s clearly some mastery of space-structure manipulation combined with terrifying energy levels. The single possible way to neutralize that threat is to apply equal counterbalancing opposing energy against the spatial disruption effect.”
Hao emperor observed for a moment and with a nod acknowledged him: “The Duke Rong is right.”
Suddenly from the sky came a mechanical roaring noise akin to a malfunction, irregularly breaking into pulses and bursts of clattering metallic sounds. A super tiny flying air yacht, listing sideways unsteadily, was almost diving uncontrollably toward the plains.
This kind of mini aerial boat usually seated maximum three occupants, often deployed purely for observation or scouts duties.
Lin Wu elevated slightly mid-airsteadily lifting himself into floating ascent. His physical frame moved as though the dimmest ethereal shadow swiftly sweeping through, swiftly intercepting that flying contraption. With swift movements, it seemed like he was cradling a precious fragile large toy. He maneuvered this craft that entirely lost engine control, safely back in grounded descent and landing.
A trio emerged climbing from the interior of small vehicle; when both their feet landed on solid earth the group instantly collapsed into squatting, hands still clasping specialized data-scroll papers, pencils, and strange shaped devices tightly to chest. These passengers comprised senior technicians involved in arms weapons tests monitoring, calculating the launch data. Unfortunately they had severely miscalculated the actual radius and intensity of fluctuating residual impact radiations resulting from leakage of semi-planar energy waves. This resulted in narrowly avoiding immediate crash and disintegration.
After slightly regathering themselves, their old senior representative leader spoke out immediately: “Commissar Lin, after detailed calculations we estimate our big guy needs minimum charge time fifteen to twenty-five minutes—Our ‘Young girl’ device could attempt interception if given such small charging gap!”
Lin responded with a short nod. Immediately this elder person jumped into floating boat and retrieved a square instrument-box. Inside completely packed with tightly assembled intricate metal parts; layers gradually peeled out and revealed a small complex origin-energy matrix mechanism structure surprisingly inside.
Lin picked a single nail-sized crystalline chip module. He precisely inserted it carefully inside matching compartment slot. As if guided by fate, the elder man’s fingers blurred instantly through rapid manipulations. A steady stream of Origin beams spurt in sequence like living rivers flowing under his touch—The complex machine gradually animated into fully operational status while luminescent rune symbols hovered above like constellations, appearing and disappearing, rearranged as if they possess independent sentience.
Lin asked: “Which Origin force level range was estimated as their first firing attempt?”
Standing nearby someone—a young researcher barely recovering consciousness muttered weakly from ground beside: “Approximately same levels as a Heavenly Kings’ highest skill intensity wide arc impact. Obviously this estimation exclude spatial structural rule aspects of real-time manipulation capability involved, as the actual rules are still not fully comprehends.”
The analysis, given coherently and logically in young man’s speech, could never hide completely a faint tremor trembling in his voice, betraying his residual fear. For professionals such like research personnel, even mighty monarch lords represented merely additional set of complex formulas, numerical calculations, and model simulations. The greatest terrors only emerged from the mysterious unknown forces completely unexplored and unknown.
A full-force Heavenly King attack usually could produce massive destructive effects, often ruptured planetary surfaces completely—but none from either camps so far had achieved any mastery which enabled manipulating raw power combined with spatial control ability capable of erase everything above the surface of lands without leaving even slightest visible damage upon terrain level below. Such results might appear similar typical domain effects, yet the control skill required for maintaining this large-scale operation grew exponentially greater as the controlled volume expanded. To affect the space of an entire province was already sufficient to sink even entire mainlands in catastrophic collapse.
Listening to all that Lin remained visibly impassive, with just slight acknowledging nod, quickly returned toward city rampart. Facing Emperor with bow in respect announced:” Second firing may allow our old ‘Little Girl’ experimental equipment created those many years back by Uncle Lin, an interception test attempt.”
Prince Zhao Junhong could not restrain his curiosity further: “Resource cost required by such an ancient war device must’ve reached utterly monstrous levels. How many total shots can we fire?”
Zhao Jundu thought gravely and answered calmly: “Assuming if Darkness races primary intention involve destruction across dual-provinces target scenario, definitely our requirement should be no worse than two rounds plus third as reserve in case of emergency scenario.”
But then added Lin Wu quietly: “However in Imperial records, while exact descriptions remain exist upon operation and structure both semi-planar war machine, what just used today is something entirely absent from those two original versions described.
Such new revelation became undoubtedly very grim and oppressive information revelation.
But, strangely Emperor Hao’s thought direction veered slightly off track from the group anxiety: “By any chance do anyone know why my ancestor Lord Lin decided upon ‘Young Lady’ terminology for calling his own created weaponry systems?”
First moment, for the briefest second ever recorded in time memory: Lin Wu displayed expression approaching embarrassment. This unusual brief show softened previously gloom filled face and surprisingly gave a refined noble demeanor and handsome clarity.
Composing promptly back into sternness Lin Wu replied directly: “From history passed within family legends, I heard Lord Lin always secretly hoped have one biological daughter during that era’s period.”
Emperor looked astonished momentarily before laughing genuinely.
The Zhao blood brother gazed at this dialogue exchanged, then turned eyes elsewhere, exchanging glances silently.
Meanwhile in distant horizon, floating city radiated once again brilliantly.
A new strike ready.
Meanwhile, Habse’s eyes opened right around the time when the first attack energy beam had been launched in city Airyma. He delayed not moving, instead letting his mind consciousness extend sensing surroundings momentarily before slowly walking to door and opening it.
Within airship, except for several pilots performing controls, all named strong figures previously left vehicle already. Habser continued crossing main bridge, nodding slightly in greeting in response to several demon-kind soldiers bowing respectfully upon his presence.
An officer approached running with mission reports while exclaiming: “Venerable Prince Habss requests please visit our commander Prince Pratek when you emerge.”
With simple nod Habses pushed out air-ship’s entry gate while his feet touched Airyma’s solid pavement.
Gold-dove had already risen high from open landing square ground while hovering mid-air in glow curtain sky canopy above city body. The floating city itself had remained at lowest stratosphere orbit position above the province You’nan airspace’s extreme.
Prince Pretick and two high-level Archdukes alongside Duke Dorr waited not far ahead, standing and gazed far forward silently. Below was terrain, plain lands expanding into unending horizon. Along the horizons a shadowy serpent-like mass lied silently like sleeping behemoth titan: those were man-empire built fortresses.
This gathering of four influential Ever-Night representatives was surprisingly youthful compared to age expectation from such senior leadership rank, most of all were still classified into mid-adult group. They indeed never seen with eyes actual effects caused directly by semi-planar attack weapon discharge. From facial expressions each looked shaken mentally while displaying various emotional turbulence levels.
One quick glance allowed Habser quickly to assess current overall situations completely. Surprisingly among this cluster crowd he seemingly became the sole individual showing composure and absolute lack of shock reaction down to the tiniest emotional flicker even deep into the pupils.
Pretick turned and greeted as Habser approached: At the same time Airyma began short jump maneuvers. Despite remaining at same two dimensional plane during movements, its travel rule principles remained completely different compared to conventional air-ship navigational logic principles.
Habss paused in mid-step briefly just to get familiar sensation regarding changed rules.
While finally reaching the main group the territory directly beneath Airyma had shifted entirely. Now visible below sprawled Wubei province filled full lands with stars-like cities scattering over mountains and rivers. Just moments before, a beheading operation swept across majority of urban centers, still smoldering with smoke trailing out from many still smouldering buildings. Thick black trails of smoke spiraled into air like gaseous resource mining operations taking place at some mineral-rich planetary environment.
However, for battlefield observers at such altitude heights, the urban disorder and chaos occurring below were too insignificantly small points impossible clearly distinguish. Additionally none of gathered aristocracy held interest or concern worth even basic attention allocation.
From the air-drop to return, the entire forward commando mission had taken no more than three hours in total operation. Whether humans living inside the province attempted exiting or whether Great Qin Empire prepared for interference checks upon attacked locations, the time window available for mustering a significant force was too brief to allow large scale responses—leaving only small-scale isolated incidents irrelevant towards strategic balance overall.
Pretick simply explained overall situations briefly, adding:
“It required approximately fifteen minutes of attack weapon charging time each cycle. After this subsequent discharging is complete, we need two additional hours to complete data collection missions.”
Habess nodded briefly indicating hearing that, yet refraining completely from verbal response.
Wolf-Duke Dorr, the field commander present, inevitably wished clarification with further specifics, “Should terrestrial missions merely span within two hours duration, surely Grand Qin military would lack capacity mustering major forces rapidly, they might though opt deploying their own strong martial adepts as possible counter. Our Airyma strike already equaled one completely activated Emperor class monarch strike. Perhaps even Celestial Emperor level guardians may choose to appear now?”
Pretick replied calmly, assuring:
“All data missions only needed dropping instruments; I shall also actively persuade those senior mage specialists to avoid descending themselves too frequently toward battle zones, reducing unnecessary risk factors significantly.”
Hearing such explanations eased Dorr’s tense expression momentarily. Knowing all Evernite Council researching staff possessed insanity tendencies; should this group of experts decide cooperating fully inside Airyma’s relative safety, this would lighten his military burden greatly.
Pretick added with a smirk: “Also please do not overlook—we constructed Airyma not for merely launching two strike salvos. Although we not initially intent attacking Qin’s provinces, yet if Empire chooses igniting hostilities we need not to entirely over worried either. Our Parliament already provided extensive preliminary authorizations beforehand allowing us direct control over military forces deployed at Fenghuo Contained Main continent.”
Those present—Duke and Archduke titles nobles—wisely abstained themselves voluntarily from pressing deeper questioning about exact defense capacity indicators or exact details concerning Airyma’s weapons data indicators, yet based on such explanation, everyone present now felt a degree of reassured.
Nobody among those here feared battle per se; however all had no intention of ending their noble lineages needlessly becoming sacrificial pawn losses amidst warfare’s brutality and uncertainty.
In mere moments later a brilliant flash from sky canopy surrounding city Airyma erupted violently, heralding readiness of the new strike launch sequence fully complete.
Nevertheless before the noble leaders even fully recognized what just occurred below at ground level, countless tiny scattered light points began fliring out simultaneously. Majority concentrated inside urban cities while a few lit out from wilderness regions as well. However they emitted a rather dim luminosity with a sparse spatial interval between each pinpoint light, seemingly resembled gradual household fire ignition moments upon the approach of nightly fall.
But not even allowing the Ever-Night faction leaders any recovery time: upon distant Wubei’s bordering one edge close toward Empire land territories, an invisible beam column surged suddenly towards the Heavens. At this significant distance the pillar appeared wide as a large cylinder—originating spot estimated no smaller sized than coverage of one mid-level city at bare minimal estimate.
The light beam contained overwhelming essence power of Origin’s Dawn type. After connection reached to heavenly clouds and higher, suddenly transformed into cascading flood waters like a grand cataract pouring from perilous cliff summit; it rushed downward with great torrents of origin energy, sweeping the entire Wubei Province land.
Everyone on site finally began realizing the ground-origin twinkling star lights and cascading waterfall shared visible interconnected relations.
Along these luminous torrents, the star dots below had not vanished but surprisingly became instead more vigorous, like they absorbed and gathered origin power continuously.
They grew brighter gradually—slowly merging individual twinkling lights one by one, until each mass cluster aggregated further into larger clusters, just like the snowball increasing its size while roll downward along cold winter mountain roadways.
At this juncture Airyma’s second bombardment salvo launched out swiftly towards distant horizon.
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