Chapter 195: The Fire of Purgatory (1)

The energy concentration of the Sunset Fleet could mean only one reason.” Long Yun murmured unintentionally.

“Only one reason…

“Suicide?” Yang Hao actually had the mood to crack a joke.

Long Yun exhaled sharply, regaining his composure, his eyes instantly turning blood-red: “Not suicide, but an attempt to kill us. They are preparing to launch the Light-Hunting Weapon—the Light-Hunting Weapon!!!”

“Everyone…” On the screen, Steve, the governor of the Tricrystal Sea star system, appeared in full military uniform. As soon as the connection was made, he saw Yang Hao standing there and was momentarily stunned, “You… you’re Yang Hao? How did you get here? You’re back?”

“Hello, Governor. Long time no see,” Yang Hao smiled without warmth, waving the ice blade in his hand. He hadn’t forgotten that it was this very man who had ordered his kidnapping and sent him to the Divine Realm to die.

Steve truly deserved his high status—he recovered quickly. Although Yang Hao’s survival from the Divine Realm shocked him so much he thought it was the end of the world, he still managed a beaming smile: “Chief Yang, you’re finally back! We’ve been waiting for your return. Now everything will be fine—you can lead us in resisting the Empire.”

“Resist this crap!” Yang Hao cursed inwardly. He disliked Steve immensely. If it weren’t for people like General Heide and Empress Ming within the Resistance Alliance, he would have killed Steve on the spot.

“Oh right,” Steve suddenly remembered why he had called, “How are you holding up? The Tricrystal Sea detected a massive energy fluctuation. We suspect the Sunset Fleet is preparing to activate the Light-Hunting Weapon.”

“Got that right,” Yang Hao wasn’t the least bit worried. He even pulled out some stimulants from somewhere and started popping them like candy, “Let them launch it. My ship is about to jump to hyperspace anyway. I’ll be across several star systems in no time. Where are they gonna hit me then?”

This idea of Yang Hao’s was actually pretty solid, and even Long Yun and the others felt relieved. Although the Empire’s Light-Hunting Weapon was powerful, it was still a large-scale weapon requiring an extremely long warm-up period. Even with concentrated energy, it still needed more than forty minutes to prepare. With such a long time, a battleship could easily jump through hyperspace, pass through several wormholes, and escape to another star system.

“No, we must stop it,” Steve said firmly.

“This ship seems to take my orders,” Yang Hao refused to budge. While in Tricrystal Sea, he had to bow his head under someone else’s roof, but aboard the *Doomsday*, he was the absolute boss. “I’m the captain here, and apparently, I’m also the so-called leader of your ragtag alliance.”

Steve couldn’t help but twitch his lips. Since the formation of the Anti-Empire Alliance, nearly every decision had been made by him. Though he had never officially held the title of leader, he had effectively acted as one. Yang Hao, on the other hand, was the first to have been sent to the Divine Realm with the title of leader and actually returned alive.

“By my command, the battleship will immediately jump to hyperspace and return to Saint Bear Star for a few days of rest and recuperation.” Yang Hao waved his hand cheerfully. He loved seeing Steve’s face twist with anxiety.

“No! Absolutely not!” Steve was horrified.

“What are you afraid of?” Yang Hao sneered. “The Light-Hunting Weapon is targeting my ship. Once I escape, even if the weapon is powerful, it’ll just be a loud fart in space.”

Steve hesitated for a moment, clearly at a critical juncture and forced to swallow his pride to beg Yang Hao: “Chief Yang, you absolutely cannot leave. Only you can save the Alliance now. Only you can save the universe.”

“Oh please, don’t scare me,” Yang Hao, despite his thick skin, was still startled. “I almost died in the Divine Realm myself. How can I save the universe? Why don’t you give me a few billion cosmic credits first to save this broke guy?”

“The Light-Hunting Weapon isn’t targeting the *Doomsday* at all,” Steve, seeing time slipping away, finally revealed the truth. “The battleship is too small for them to even bother. That is the most powerful weapon in the universe—it’s targeting the Tricrystal Sea star system, the entire Tricrystal Sea! Luodongjie intends to destroy the entire Tricrystal Sea system.”

“What!!!” This revelation shocked everyone in the cabin.

Steve wiped the sweat from his forehead and finally made himself clear: “Our base has already detected the energy fluctuations. After the Empire’s fleet concentrated their energy, the Light-Hunting Weapon will soon be fired, targeting the core of the Tricrystal Sea system. Once it fires, the entire star system will be annihilated.”

Yang Hao showed no reaction outwardly, but inside, cold sweat poured down.

“A big event, my disciple,” Hunyuanzi was also shaken. “That star system is of great importance. If it’s destroyed, the Empire and the Senate will benefit greatly.”

Yang Hao naturally understood. His mind raced, and with just a hint from Steve, he grasped the full gravity of the situation. The Tricrystal Sea system was the technological and supply center of the Anti-Empire Alliance, as well as its primary military base. In fact, the entire military force of the Alliance revolved around it. If the Tricrystal Sea system were obliterated by the Light-Hunting Weapon in one fell swoop, the very foundation of the Anti-Empire Alliance would be lost, and all the allied fleets currently docked there would be wiped out in an instant.

That Luodongjie, in the midst of his defeat, could still devise such a brilliant countermove showed a level of cunning and foresight that was truly unfathomable.

“Luodongjie’s fleet can annihilate the Tricrystal Sea system and then use the recoil from the Light-Hunting Weapon to accelerate their jump and escape the ambush. That is his final plan,” Steve said urgently. “But we still have a sliver of hope—as long as your battleship remains, they cannot succeed.”

“The Doomsday Kiss!” Long Yun suddenly realized.

“What’s the Doomsday Kiss?” Yang Hao was still clueless.

Long Yun and the others quickly explained that the *Doomsday* was equipped with a superweapon. Although the Doomsday Kiss was far less powerful than the Empire’s Light-Hunting Weapon, it could at least destroy the Titan flagship. Once the carrier of the Light-Hunting Weapon was destroyed, the weapon could no longer fire its devastating attack.

“If Luodongjie has concentrated all his energy on the flagship, then if you launch the Doomsday Kiss, not only can you destroy the flagship, but you might even trigger a chain reaction that destroys the entire fleet,” Steve’s eyes gleamed with hope. To completely annihilate such a powerful fleet of the Galactic Empire within their own star system would undoubtedly be a monumental victory for the Anti-Empire Alliance.

“Then let’s launch it,” Yang Hao was a reasonable man. Besides, with one shot, he could save billions of lives—it was a no-brainer.

X13 immediately unlocked the Doomsday Kiss, furiously typing away at the console to prepare the launch. They had already concentrated energy once before, and this time it was even faster, requiring only a few minutes to be ready for launch.

All that remained was to press the launch button, right beside X13’s mechanical hand.

But the robot suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Yang Hao noticed something odd with X13.

X13 completely halted, its voice now strange: “There’s a big problem—a very big problem.”

“Big enough not to launch?” Yang Hao wanted to smash the robot’s thick skull.

But for X13, this problem truly was that big: “There’s still someone on that fleet—Miss Amanda. She’s on the Sunset Fleet right now. If we launch the Doomsday Kiss and destroy the entire fleet… then Miss Amanda…

“Amanda!!” Yang Hao roared, leaping to his feet. “You’re saying Amanda? Amanda?!”

Which Amanda else could it be? Naturally, the only one—Yang Hao’s childhood sweetheart from the Advanced Academy on Remon Star. The girl who had supported him when he was a poor student, the only one who had helped him unconditionally. She had been his companion in his loneliest days, and the first woman he had ever loved.

Long Yun also remembered the situation. A major reason they had flown out to intercept Luodongjie was because Amanda had been taken hostage: “Amanda is Governor Steve’s daughter, and Luodongjie’s fiancée. This time, Luodongjie kidnapped her and brought her aboard his fleet as a hostage.”

Yang Hao felt like his head was spinning. He had always known Amanda came from a mechanical engineering family, but he never imagined she was actually the daughter of the governor of Tricrystal Sea. The Tricrystal Sea system was the second-largest technological manufacturing base in the universe—so yes, it could be considered a mechanical family.

But how had she become Luodongjie’s fiancée? And how had she been kidnapped? Yang Hao felt like he was lost in a fog.

Regardless, one thing was absolutely clear to Yang Hao—he could never let Amanda die, especially not by his own hand.

“Abort the launch!” Yang Hao decided instantly.

X13 seemed to be waiting for that very order and immediately withdrew its hand. Although pressing that red button would launch the Doomsday Kiss, obliterating Luodongjie’s entire fleet in a cosmic fireworks display, never to exist again…

But now, it seemed like none of that would happen.

Yet Steve was still babbling on the screen: “Chief Yang, please launch the Doomsday Kiss immediately. Saving the Tricrystal Sea is more important than anything.”

“More important than your own daughter!” Yang Hao stared at Steve in disbelief.

“Far more important,” Steve said coldly, his face grim. “The Tricrystal Sea system is the foundation of the Anti-Empire Alliance, and the hope of countless oppressed star systems across the universe. If it’s destroyed, people’s hope will vanish. My daughter cannot be compared to that.”

Yang Hao’s heart sank. Though he didn’t argue, an indescribable bitterness filled his chest.

“For the revolution of the universe, I beg you—launch the Doomsday Kiss immediately. My daughter Amanda will be a sacrifice, but it will be an honor for her.” Steve stood straight and rigid, his expression icy.