Chapter 428: First Civilization Duel

The news spread, and the entire Immense Heaven Supercluster trembled.

Civilization Duel!

This newly coined term, spreading at storm-like speed, swept through the communication networks of every civilization.

Countless eyes were focused on the Iron Claw Civilization and the Storm Civilization.

Both are standard sixth-level early-stage civilizations, with their strength evenly matched,

Over the resource-rich star system T-378, they have engaged in open and covert conflict for tens of thousands of years, with small-scale friction never ceasing.

According to the usual script, they would eventually erupt into a full-scale war, leaving both sides badly wounded,

and then have their remnants divided up by the surrounding neighbors.

But now, the Yanhuang Civilization has given them a new option.

The Yanhuang Civilization Arbitration Committee's efficiency is astonishingly high.

The day after the application was submitted, the mediation process was launched.

The mediator was none other than He Ge.

"Gentlemen, I've been to that place in T-378—it's just a worthless mining area where even birds don't defecate."

In the virtual meeting room, He Ge sat with his legs crossed, looking disdainfully at the leaders of the Iron Claw and Storm Civilizations and said.

"For such a worthless scrap, fighting for tens of thousands of years and killing so many people—is it worth it?"

The Iron Claw leader,

is a hulking giant covered in metallic carapace, speaking in a deep, resonant voice:

"Mr. He, that's not scrap! The zero-point mineral reserves there are enough to double our civilization's fleet size!"

Moreover, the souls of our ancestors fell there; that star field must belong to us!

The Storm leader, a lifeform composed of plasma energy, likewise showed no weakness:

"Nonsense! We clearly discovered T-378 first! You Iron Claw Civilization are latecomers, bandits!"

"You're full of shit!"

"You're the energy fart!"

……

Watching the two civilization leaders, whose combined age exceeded a million years, hurl insults like children, He Ge felt several black lines appear on his forehead.

"Enough, enough, shut up."

He tapped the table.

"Since neither of you can convince the other, let's cut the nonsense. The committee's opinion is that mediation has failed."

He looked at the two of them and wore a meaningful smile.

"Congratulations, both of you; your duel application has been approved."

……

Three months later.

"Arena" Star Region.

This is a subspace specially opened up by the Yanhuang Civilization, completely isolated from the main universe.

Inside the space, with a diameter of about ten light-years, there is nothing but absolute darkness.

At this moment, however, the center of this darkness is bustling with activity.

Hundreds of millions of micro-probes hover in the air, forming a three-hundred-sixty-degree, blind-spot-free holographic viewing platform.

Tens of thousands of member civilizations of the Laniakea Commonwealth received the live signal via the Heavenly Net.

They saw that at the two ends of the space, two massive fleets were slowly deploying their formations.

The Iron Claw Civilization's fleet was full of rugged industrial feel.

Their warships resembled ferocious beasts, with heavy armor studded with rams and spikes, gleaming with a cold metallic light.

The Storm Civilization's fleet, meanwhile, was more ethereal.

Their warships were composed of pure energy, like burning nebulae, constantly shifting in form, filled with an uncertain beauty.

According to the arbitration committee's regulations, each side committed one million standard warships to this engagement.

The use of any rule-based weapons capable of causing large-scale spatial collapse is prohibited.

This mode is somewhat like the original interstellar war—a feeling of close-quarters combat.

Everything takes place within the framework of the rules.

Mao Xinyang sat expressionlessly,

at his side were the leaders of the six-level civilizations Poison Flow, Heaven Patrol, and others.

"Mao Xinyang, Your Excellency, who do you favor in this duel?"

Poison Flow leaned in and asked obsequiously.

"I favor no one."

Mao Xinyang said indifferently, "I only look at the result."

His gaze was not on those two fleets at all.

Instead, deep within the darkness behind the fleets.

there lay a vastly larger Yanhuang Phantom Fleet, lying in wait silently.

They are the "referees" of this duel.

They are responsible for enforcing the outcome after the duel ends.

They also issue a "red card ejection" if either side tries to cheat or uses prohibited weapons.

The kind in the physical sense.

With a cold electronic sound, the duel officially began.

【Countdown ended, duel begins!】

Boom!

Almost at the same time, both fleets launched an attack.

Iron Claw Civilization's warships spat out countless solid shells made of superdense material from their barrels.

These shells continuously accelerated in flight, their tails blazing with white-hot flames, like a dense meteor shower slamming into the Storm Civilization's fleet.

The Storm Civilization responded in kind.

Their energy warships collectively resonated, weaving a massive energy net.

Countless thick plasma beams shot from the net, high-speed to meet those solid shells.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Within subspace, violent explosions erupted continuously.

The collision of energy and matter stirred up a destructive storm.

Countless civilizational representatives watching the battle stared wide-eyed.

This primitive interstellar war, they hadn't seen in a long time, and the violent factor in their bodies was ignited.

"The Iron Claw Civilization's mass projection cannon is still so barbaric."

"The Storm Civilization's plasma array is not bad either, with high precision."

"I favor Iron Claw; their warships are thick-skinned and suited for charging."

"Not necessarily; the Storm Civilization's warships are more maneuverable, able to kite."

……

Just as everyone was discussing heatedly, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.

After the first round of artillery exchange, the Iron Claw Civilization's fleet actually launched a full-force charge without regard for cost!

Overloaded heavy warship engines surged like a herd of mad iron bulls, crashing straight into the Storm Civilization's positions.

Their tactics were simple and brutal to the extreme.

It was point-blank! Melee!

Using their hard rams, they tore apart the enemy's fragile energy hulls.

"Madman!"

The Storm Chief cursed on the command channel, immediately ordering the fleet to retreat and open distance.

However, it was already too late.

The Iron Claw Civilization was clearly prepared.

On their charging path, space suddenly distorted.

One after another, space interference devices hidden in the warships' bellies were activated.

The surrounding space instantly became viscous like a swamp, drastically reducing the Storm Civilization's fleet's jump and regular navigation speeds.

In an instant, the two fleets violently collided.

No roar of artillery.

Only the grating sound of metal tearing, and the wail of energy hulls pierced.

Iron Claw Civilization's warships, in the most primitive and bloody manner, tore one Storm warship after another into fragments.

Of course, they also paid a heavy price.

Many Iron Claw warships disintegrated from structural overload at the moment of impact.

This was an extremely brutal exchange-of-blows tactic.

Within just a few minutes, both sides' losses exceeded thirty percent.

The watching civilizational representatives were all dumbfounded.

They never expected that a rule-limited "civilization duel" could be fought so bloodily and madly.

"The Iron Claw Civilization is treating the duel as a fight for racial survival!"

"Too ruthless, completely trading lives for lives!"

Finally, when the battlefield returned to calm, the scales of victory tipped toward the more frenzied Iron Claw Civilization.

They annihilated the Storm Civilization's one million warships at the cost of losing seven hundred thousand of their own.

Although it was a pyrrhic victory, they won.

According to the rules, the T-378 star system shall belong to them.

The Iron Claw Chief, looking at the battle report, let out a wild laugh of having survived the ordeal.

However, just as he was preparing to celebrate victory.

Bing Xin Yang's cold voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

"Iron Claw Civilization, you violated the rules by using a fourth-level space anchor in the duel, exceeding the declared weapon grade."

"According to the appendix of the Basic Law, you are judged to have committed a technical foul."

"The result of this duel is annulled."