Chapter 216: The Black Knight Sweeping the Battlefield

"Your Highness, I suggest once again that you refrain from engaging in such meaningless actions."

Inside the vast, empty black hall, the space resembled a grand palace more than a Captain's Cabin. Although the Black Crystal floor was flawlessly smooth, it did not reflect a single trace of light.

Standing before the massive floor-to-ceiling observation window, the old man spoke with solemn gravity. His eyes were fixed on the battlefield below, and the deep wrinkles on his face looked like the scarred surface of a heavily bombarded planet.

His black attire was entirely free of wrinkles, perfectly reflecting his rigid and unyielding personality.

Beside him, a young girl was also observing the battlefield below, where a blazing red Spaceship stood out prominently. Her pale gold dress trailed across the spotless floor, creating a stark contrast against the dark atmosphere of the room.

Hearing his words, she blinked and teased, "Teacher Horus, those are the infamous Stargazer Plunderers. They have committed countless horrifying crimes."

"Haven't you taught me to abhor evil since I was little?"

Horus paused, a trace of headache surfacing on his old-fashioned face. "It is good for your character to detest evil, but you do not need to intervene personally."

"The diplomatic visit to the Barot Civilization concluded half a month ago. Your refusal to leave will only cause them unnecessary trouble."

This involved many dark secrets of the Barot Civilization, which Horus could not possibly explain in full detail.

Having watched the girl grow up with his own eyes, Horus was well aware of her quirky and mischievous nature. Deep down, he somewhat regretted letting her read Interstellar adventure literature.

Who could have known she would be so deeply influenced by it? Now, all she thought about day in and day out was punishing the wicked and eliminating evil to make a name for herself across the Universe.

Horus continued to advise her, "You are merely wasting your time doing this. It serves no real purpose. There are far too many Marauders in the Universe; it is impossible to wipe them all out."

"How is it useless? Maybe I will run into a reclusive A-Tier Lifeform who takes a liking to me and decides to come out of hiding to assist me," the girl retorted with a touch of naivety.

The corner of Horus's eye twitched slightly as he shook his head.

"His Majesty has urged you to return multiple times. The virus crisis has already left him overwhelmed, so please do not add to his troubles."

Left with no other options, he had to invoke the emperor's authority to subdue the girl.

Hearing this, the smile on the girl's face faded significantly. She furrowed her brows in distress and said, "The Mercenary friends I asked last time had no solutions either. They had never seen that kind of virus before."

Horus shook his head. "The research institute has only just made a breakthrough. How could those Mercenaries possibly have a solution? You should give up on these unrealistic fantasies."

"I know..." The girl's mood visibly deflated. "After this is over, we will head back."

Horus felt a slight pang of sympathy, but he held back from comforting her. Her Highness needed to grow up; she could not remain immersed in unrealistic heroic fantasies forever.

......

With the assistance of a small craft, Huo Jina boarded one of his subordinate's warships. His expression was savage, consumed by absolute fury. The stinging pain radiating from his back made him want to crush Li Yu into pieces.

However, the sudden appearance of this massive warship forced both sides to put an end to their confrontation.

"What is the background of this warship?" Li Yu asked Hunter. As a top-tier Captain who had served in Augu, Hunter did not disappoint him.

"This looks like the Black Knight of the Return Star Civilization. It was once a top-tier Main Ship, and the Black Knight fleet used to strike terror into the hearts of many civilizations."

"But back when I was in active service, there were already rumors that the Black Knight was going to be retired."

"Given that there are no escort warships around it, it has likely been fully decommissioned. Generally speaking, when a Main Ship of this caliber is retired, it gets modified into a transport vessel for the High Echelon."

"Return Star's High Echelon?" Li Yu raised an eyebrow and opened the Interstellar Network. The connection was slightly unstable due to the recent battle.

After waiting a moment, he found his answer: [The Pearl of Return Star—Princess Klein is about to pay a friendly visit to Barot!]

The Barot Civilization belonged to the Civilization Alliance and was perpetually at war with the Amethyst Civilization, the lapdogs of the Star Glory Empire. Their presence within the Civilization Alliance was quite significant.

As a leading power, Return Star would occasionally pay them visits to demonstrate their support and maintain their little brother's confidence.

"The diplomatic tour should have concluded half a month ago. Why would we run into this Princess here?"

Li Yu scanned the news with some confusion, then instructed Claptrap to gather any circulating information about Princess Klein through the Black Hole Network.

On the other side, Huo Jina slammed his fist violently onto the Command Console, roaring, "Why is the Black Knight here?! Why is the Black Knight here?!"

Not long ago, he had believed today was his lucky day. Yet, before much time had passed, reality delivered a crushing blow to his head.

Over the past half-month, the Marauders within the Barot Civilization had suffered devastating losses, and the reason was entirely due to this Black Knight Warship.

This was no secret among the Marauders. However, because the Half-Fish Star System was incredibly remote, and because he always used his cultivated native Marauders to act on the front lines, he assumed he was safe.

Because he hadn't been exposed, Huo Jina harbored a sense of complacency and chose not to leave Barot.

None of his subordinates could answer him. They were all consumed by panic, knowing full well that their warships were absolutely no match for the Black Knight!

"Everyone!" Huo Jina narrowed his eyes and spoke over the communication channel. "You are all veterans who have followed me for a long time. I'll tell you the truth: I do not plan to surrender without a fight."

Dead silence filled the channel. Huo Jina scoffed inwardly; he knew this would be the reaction.

The other Captains all had their own thoughts. If they didn't surrender, what were they supposed to do? Fight a grand battle against the Black Knight? None of them were that naive.

"But I also don't plan to confront them head-on..." Huo Jina changed his tone. "There's no need to recount all the things we've done in the past. Under Barot's legal system, we are looking at a minimum sentence of five hundred years."

"I'm sure you all know exactly what kind of treatment awaits us in prison."

The expressions of the Captains shifted upon hearing this. Thinking it over carefully, they realized that surrendering peacefully wasn't a good option either.

"So, I have an idea. We currently have twenty-one warships left. Upon my command, we will scatter and flee in twenty-one different directions," Huo Jina declared in a deep voice, sounding somewhat heroic and tragic.

"The Black Knight might not be able to target twenty-one warships simultaneously, or perhaps it can. Regardless, our lives and deaths are up to fate. Wealth and survival favor the bold!"

The Captains were somewhat moved by his speech. After weighing the pros and cons, they realized this was a solid plan. Whether they could escape or not would simply depend on their own luck.

"Alright, Boss, we'll follow your lead!"

"We're with you!" A chorus of messy voices echoed through the channel.

"Good!" Huo Jina nodded, a bizarre smile creeping onto the corners of his mouth. Numerous Flying Vehicles were already swarming out of the Black Knight Warship, preparing to seize their vessels.

"Listen to my command: escape from here!" Huo Jina shouted with absolute resolve, yet he immediately turned and viciously kicked away the crew member who was about to ignite their Propulsion Engine.

In the next moment, nineteen warships bolted in their respectively chosen directions. Their Propulsion Engines operated at maximum capacity, spewing out blazing exhaust plumes.

Li Yu looked on with a strange expression. Why didn't these warships activate Warp Mode on the spot? Wouldn't that give them a higher chance of escape? And why were there two warships that hadn't moved at all?

Huo Jina sneered coldly. "A bunch of idiots. It truly wasn't a waste promoting you."

"That guy Kachi is somewhat smart, what a pity..."

Aboard the Black Knight Warship, Horus stared coldly at the fleeing vessels. The massive black metal blocks hovering on both sides of his warship split open, their muzzles gathering Energy. The resulting Black Energy Columns almost perfectly blended into the dark backdrop of the Universe.

Nineteen silent fireworks blossomed in the void. Against the Black Knight, they possessed absolutely no ability to resist.

"Activate Warp Mode!" Huo Jina operated the console himself. His warship had barely moved from its original spot, utilizing the destruction of the nineteen warships as a temporary smokescreen.

The warship beside his took the exact same action. In its Captain's Cabin, Kachi bellowed, "Hurry, enter the Jump State!"

Both warships became visibly unstable, quivering slightly as they prepared to enter the Jump State at any given moment. This caused Li Yu, who had been watching closely, to frown slightly.

It was easy to guess that Huo Jina was highly likely on one of those two ships. He wanted to intervene and stop them, but the Black Knight had just issued a broadcasted warning.

If he abruptly took action, there was a high chance he would be blasted to pieces by a Black Energy Column.

The Blazing Light Starship also remained hovering in place, making no unnecessary movements to avoid any misunderstandings.

However, the renowned Black Knight naturally wouldn't let those two warships escape so easily. An invisible wave pulsed from the colossal Black Knight, rippling outward like water.

It forcefully ripped both warships right out of their Jump State.

"Warning, spatial ripple Disruption detected, Warp failed."

"Warning, spatial ripple Disruption detected, Warp failed."

A look of helplessness and despair filled Huo Jina's eyes. The failed Warp didn't surprise him too much; after all, this was the Black Knight. How could it possibly lack means to disrupt faster-than-light travel?

He simply hadn't been willing to surrender without at least trying to make a break for it.

His expression shifted continuously through bouts of hesitation. He gritted his teeth and stood up, only to dejectedly collapse back into his chair. As long as he was alive... as long as he was alive, there was hope...

"Warning, please do not harbor any hostile intentions, or you will bear the consequences." Several Flying Vehicles approached Li Yu and the Blazing Light Starship.

Li Yu initiated a communication request with them, explaining, "We are not Marauders. We are merely passing... travelers."

"Please do not harbor any hostile intentions. Once your Identity is verified, you will naturally be allowed to leave." The response from the other side lacked any trace of emotion.

Li Yu reminded everyone aboard the Blazing Light Starship not to overreact. The other party was simply verifying their identities, and they were not affiliated with the Star Glory Empire. Even if their true identities were exposed, it shouldn't cause any problems.

Guided by the Flying Vehicles, Li Yu and the Blazing Light Starship headed toward the Black Knight Warship, entering its cavernous belly alongside Huo Jina and the others.

The massive Blast Door opened, allowing the Blazing Light Starship to dock inside. The vast space was filled with numerous standardized black Spaceships, all neatly lined up in the Lower Hold.

The crew of the Blazing Light Starship was led off the vessel to be inspected one by one. Hunter surveyed the surroundings, his eyes filled with nostalgia and sentiment.

Sinai clung to Keller, feeling somewhat anxious. Li Ping led the Esper Group as they looked for Li Yu, while Peyton and Tu Ying remained utterly expressionless.

Bang!

A soldier suddenly flew backward out of the Blazing Light Starship and crashed heavily onto the floor. This immediately triggered high alert, and numerous Gun barrels were instantly aimed at the group.

The corner of Li Yu's eye twitched. It had to be Grandpa Pucha.

"There is an A-Tier Lifeform suffering from Senile Dementia on my ship! Do not touch him recklessly!" he shouted loudly to warn them.

The surrounding soldiers immediately took a collective step backward. Damn, an A-Tier Lifeform?!

Huo Jina's pupils quaked violently. What the hell? An A-Tier Lifeform with Senile Dementia? He understood every single word individually, but why couldn't he comprehend them when put together?

How could an A-Tier Lifeform even get Senile Dementia?

The soldiers quickly reacted and reported the incident up the chain. In the black hall, Horus looked up at Princess Klein, who was humming an unknown melody, and spoke with an odd tone,

"Your Highness, it seems an A-Tier Lifeform has been discovered this time?"

Klein immediately let out a gasp of surprise and exclaimed with joy, "An A-Tier Lifeform, really?! Teacher Horus, what are you waiting for? Let's go see quickly!"

Horus frowned slightly. An A-Tier Lifeform... was it really that rare? He was one too. Shaking his head, he helplessly followed after her.

Li Yu had quite a headache over this. He had absolutely no way to control Grandpa Pucha's actions.

A moment later, a massive contingent of soldiers escorted two individuals over. Li Yu's gaze instantly locked onto the Middle-Aged Man who exuded a weathered, ancient aura.

A sensation of extreme danger made his hair stand on end. He had only ever experienced this kind of feeling from Grandpa Pucha and Big Brother Dark Star.

An A-Tier Lifeform!

"Where is the A-Tier Lifeform?" Klein asked, Impatient to see, glancing left and right.

Only then did Li Yu shift his gaze to the young girl. She was highly likely the so-called Princess Klein.

Her appearance held a touch of exotic charm. Her slightly wavy black hair formed a stark contrast with her pale white skin, and her slightly deep-set eyes housed blue pupils that sparkled with excitement.

Her pale gold accessories jingled as a soldier immediately stepped forward to report the situation. Klein directed her gaze toward the Blazing Light Starship and remarked with curiosity, "An A-Tier Lifeform with Senile Dementia... I've truly never seen one before."

Li Yu shook his head and explained, "Strictly speaking, he doesn't have Senile Dementia. He has just fallen into some kind of incomprehensible state, leaving him with nothing but pure instinct."

"To bring him down from the ship, you must use extremely gentle force."

"Oh..." Klein looked thoughtful, then promptly instructed the surrounding soldiers to act according to Li Yu's advice.

When Grandpa Pucha was finally brought out, everyone found it somewhat hard to believe that this frail, withered old man was an A-Tier Lifeform.

"He is an A-grade Mental Power Cultivator," Li Yu added.

Horus's eyes narrowed. He took a step forward, shielding Klein behind him. A-grade Mental Power Cultivators were exceptionally rare among A-Tier Lifeforms and possessed unfathomable methods.

"Please rest assured, he poses no threat at the moment," Li Yu explained, stepping forward to poke Grandpa Pucha's shriveled cheek.

"Who... are you people?" Horus asked in a solemn tone, sweeping his gaze across the group. He vaguely sensed that these individuals were far from ordinary.

"I'm reporting them! They have an Amethyst Core on them! I saw it with my own eyes—they were trading with the Amethyst Civilization!"

Huo Jina screamed frantically from the side, his eyes burning with hatred as he attempted to drag Li Yu down with him.

Li Yu glanced over at Huo Jina with an apathetic expression. Huo Jina merely sneered, "The Amethyst Civilization is Barot's enemy! By trading the Amethyst Core to them, he has made himself an enemy of Barot!"

An Amethyst Core? Horus's gaze flickered.

"Lord Horus, their dossiers have been compiled and sent to you. However, there are a few individuals for whom we cannot find any records."

His Subordinate's report echoed in Horus's miniature Headset.

'No records? Interesting...'

He opened his Smart Terminal, and a massive amount of data immediately surfaced. As he skimmed through it, his expression instantly changed.