Chapter 289: Galactic Melee

The Ke Luo Empire, this enraged beast, launched its revenge with the force of thunder.

Emperor Ke's orders were like three bolts of black lightning, instantly tearing apart the seemingly tranquil starry sky of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The first order targeted public opinion.

The Ke Luo Empire's propaganda machine operated at full throttle with unprecedented power.

That segment, carefully edited,

About how the Bitien Empire's fleet 'shamelessly sneak-attacked' the Iron Curtain Civilization,

How it 'hypocritically' cultivated battle footage of the Zeta Civilization, through various public and semi-public channels,

It spread to every corner of the Milky Way Galaxy.

In the footage, the golden Bitien warship became a symbol of hegemony and conspiracy.

AI Bi Long's 'righteously indignant' speech was paired with mocking subtitles and background music, played repeatedly.

For a moment, the entire Milky Way Galaxy's public opinion erupted in an uproar.

Countless second- and third-level civilizations, upon seeing this footage, felt deep shock and anger.

"Too shameless! The Bitien Empire actually used such despicable means to suppress dissent!"

"They speak of peace and justice on the surface, but secretly engage in such dirty dealings!"

"We once thought they were the guardians of order in the Milky Way Galaxy, but it turns out they and the Ke Luo Empire are nothing but the same kind of scum!"

……

The Bitien Empire, which had maintained its 'gentle', 'noble', 'just' beacon image for millions of years, collapsed in an instant.

In its place arose an image of a hypocritical, sneaky hegemonic power that would stop at nothing to achieve its goals.

The second order pointed to the battlefield.

The Ke Luo Empire's finest Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth Great Destruction Legions, a massive fleet numbering over three hundred million ships,

like three vengeful swords, surged forward with fierce momentum toward the distant western frontier.

Their target was only one.

That is, to physically obliterate the Zeta Civilization that dared to challenge the empire's majesty, together with the so-called Friendly Mutual Assistance Fleet.

However, when they arrived at the Zeta Star System, they were astonished to discover.

The place had long been deserted.

After obtaining the complete technical data and the Friendly Mutual Assistance Fleet, the Zeta Civilization

did not foolishly stay put, waiting for the Ke Luo Empire's revenge.

Following the advice of those 'technical consultants,' they decisively abandoned their mother star, which was no longer safe.

The entire civilization, with its hundreds of billions of inhabitants and its newly established small-scale industrial system, was packed into massive migrant ships.

Then, under the escort of that Friendly Mutual Assistance Fleet, they vanished into the vast star sea, leaving no trace.

They began to study the essence of the Yanhuang Civilization's guerrilla warfare.

You come, I go.

You chase, I run.

The Ke Luo Empire's Three Great Destruction Legions came up empty.

They were like a heavy punch that struck cotton—force with nowhere to go.

The enraged Ke Luo troops could only vent their fury upon the already-abandoned Zeta mother star.

Destructive bombardment utterly blasted that planet, along with its satellites and rings, into cosmic dust.

But this act not only failed to salvage the Ke Luo Empire's dignity,

but further cemented their image in public opinion as a 'brutal', 'barbaric' aggressor.

Meanwhile, that mysterious Zeta fleet, like a ghost, began to roam the vast western frontier of the Ke Luo Empire.

Today they attacked a Ke Luo Empire resource collection point.

Tomorrow they blew up a Ke Luo Empire logistics supply station.

They strike and then flee, never engaging in prolonged combat.

They even began to study Mao Xin Yang's 'thought subversion' tactics,

issuing a call to 'resist tyranny, seek freedom' to those vassal civilizations of the western frontier likewise oppressed by the Ke Luo Empire.

The Ke Luo Empire's western frontier descended into utter chaos.

The Three Great Destruction Legions were worn out by this elusive Zeta Guerrilla unit, exhausted and harried.

And the third order ignited the entire Eastern camp.

Emperor Ke tore away the last fig leaf between himself and the Bitien Empire.

He activated all the 'hidden agents' planted within the Bitien Empire's camp.

These 'hidden agents' included third-level civilization leaders secretly bribed by the Ke Luo Empire,

also infiltrated local officials of the Bitien Empire,

and some were top‑level spies who had lain dormant for tens of thousands of years, disguised as ordinary merchants.

At Emperor Ke's command, these 'hidden agents' rose up simultaneously!

The Bitien Empire suffered a mysterious antimatter energy leak on an important industrial planet, instantly vaporizing the planet and the tens of billions of workers on it.

On a vital trade route of the Bitien Empire, a transport fleet laden with precious resources was suddenly ambushed by space pirates and wiped out.

In the Bitien Empire, a certain vassal civilization suddenly erupted in a large‑scale rebellion,

shouting 'Down with Bitien hegemony!' as they assaulted the empire's garrisons and officials.

……

For a moment, the entire Bitien Empire camp was ablaze with beacon fires, thrown into utter chaos.

Biteen Empire, Imperial Capital Star.

Emperor Biegel, watching the emergency battle reports that fluttered like snowflakes from all over the Empire, his body composed of pure energy, its light flickering erratically, showed his extreme inner anger.

"Madman! Kollo, you utter madman!"

He finally understood, the Kollo Empire this time was for real.

The other side, sparing no cost, sought to expand this proxy war infinitely.

"Your Majesty! We can no longer retreat!"

The defense minister's face was filled with killing intent.

"The Kollo Empire has already launched a full-scale, undeclared war against us! We must repay tooth for tooth, blood for blood!"

"Convey my orders!"

Biegel's voice was ice‑cold.

"Activate the Empire's supreme war act!"

"All Glory Legions cancel leave and enter Level‑1 Combat Readiness!"

"Issue a war mobilization order to all vassal civilizations loyal to the Empire!"

"Simultaneously authorize frontline commanders to carry out preventive destructive strikes on any suspicious target related to the Kollo Empire."

"If Kollo wants to play, we'll accompany him, turning the entire Milky Way Galaxy into our battlefield!"

A conflagration sweeping the entire Milky Way Galaxy, pitting tens of thousands of civilizations against each other, was ignited at this moment.

East and West, the two great camps, with millions of years of accumulated grudges, at this moment turned into endless artillery fire and blood.

The entire Milky Way Galaxy fell into a state of chaos and turmoil.

And as the architect of all this.

The Yanhuang Civilization, however, remained a quiet corner in this storm that engulfed the entire Milky Way Galaxy, enjoying a rare tranquility and peace.

Inside the Strategic Command Center.

Lao Luo, Zhang Yunfeng, Qin Hao, and others looked at the star map, where the two golden and silver halos, now thoroughly intertwined and colliding, appeared on their faces with complex expressions.

"Xiao Qin, you… you are no longer just fishing in troubled waters."

Lao Luo muttered to himself, his voice tinged with a hint of awe that even he himself had not noticed.

"You, by your own power, have blown up the entire fish pond."

Qin Hao gazed at that part of the star map, now chaotic from the war, yet his face showed no trace of pride.

His gaze was deep and distant.

"Only in a chaotic age can heroes arise."

He said softly.

"Only in such an age of chaos does our Yanhuang Civilization have the chance to grow from a sheltered 'regional lord' into a true hegemon capable of contending for the world."