Chapter 224: Corrupt Nebula

Fifteen Standard Days, fleeting as a blink.

Inside the secret harbor of the Guangtan Alliance, codenamed Leviathan, a sleek assault ship fully coated in dark wave-absorbing material, shaped like a spreading-wing night owl, lies quietly docked.

This is the Shadow-class assault ship provided by Shadow Hall, jointly modified by the Dwarf Engineer and Yanxin Runesmith, equipped with stronger engines and shields, plus a simple but vital purification field generator powered by a Life Imprint crystal.

Li Qingxuan, Huang Rong, Yan Xin, and twenty solemn, well-equipped Star Dust Guard boarded the assault ship.

The Star Dust Guard are elites picked from tens of thousands in the alliance forces; they not only excel in personal strength but also underwent rigorous deep-space combat and tri-species joint training, they are the alliance's future seed.

There was no grand farewell ceremony; only a handful of core members—Li Feifei, Tongxu Clan Chief, Queen Aister—came to see them off.

Every face was etched with solemnity and worry.

"Come back safe!" Li Feifei pressed a specially made rune stone capable of interstellar short messages into Li Qingxuan's hand, her voice choking.

"Don't worry, lass, the ship our dwarves built is sturdy!" Tongxu Clan Chief slapped the hull in feigned bravado, but concern showed in his eyes.

Queen Aister handed Li Qingxuan a talisman glowing with moonlight: "This Moon Shadow Talisman can deflect a lethal strike once at a critical moment. May nature be with you."

Li Qingxuan nodded heavily, committing everyone's entrustments to heart, took one last look at the homeland they had painstakingly built behind him, then resolutely turned and entered the bridge.

The gate of the Leviathan harbor opened slowly; the assault ship's engine emitted a low hum, like an arrow released from a bow, it slid silently into the deep starry void, soon merging with darkness.

According to the planned route, the assault ship first made a short-range space jump, arriving at the coordinate point where it would rendezvous with Shadow Hall's Broken Blade fleet.

That was a void located in the shadow of the asteroid belt.

Three slightly larger, more ferocious Shadow Hall warships, shaped like black daggers, were already waiting there.

On the bridge of the lead warship, Mo Ying's image appeared via the communication light curtain.

"Lord Li Qingxuan, time is pressing; we'll sync operational data directly." Mo Ying wasted no words, sharing the detailed star chart of the Corrupt Nebula, the countdown to its energy dormancy period, and real-time scan data of the enemy logistics base (brought back by Shadow Eye scouts).

The data stream flowed into the assault ship's main control optical brain.

Li Qingxuan and company immediately saw, at the edge of the Corrupt Nebula—a region reeking of dark purple and sickly green, like a cosmic abscess—a base composed of several huge space stations and numerous small escort vessels, clearly visible.

The number of patrol ships around the base was indeed lower than in the main zone, but still not to be underestimated.

"The energy dormancy period will begin in six hours, lasting about three standard hours. During it, the nebula's energy radiation and interference will drop to a minimum—our sole window for infiltration and strike." Mo Ying's voice was icy: "Our mission is to destroy its core energy reactor and materiel warehouse, paralyzing the base for at least a month. Shadow Eye will provide real-time guidance and create chaos opportunistically."

"Understood." Li Qingxuan replied in a deep voice.

The fleet maintained radio silence, like a leopard lurking in the shadows, stealthily approaching the edge of the Corrupt Nebula.

Six hours later, the Corrupt Nebula, which had been like a boiling porridge pot, indeed calmed down; the unpleasant energy radiation greatly weakened. Now!

"Action!"

Three Shadow Warships scattered like phantoms, launching precise, swift harassment attacks on the base's outer patrol fleet from different directions, drawing its attention.

At the same time, the assault ship carrying Li Qingxuan lowered engine output to minimum, relying on residual energy turbulence at the nebula's edge and its own stealth system, like a slick loach, silently infiltrating the base's core area.

Tension on the bridge reached its peak.

Huang Rong stared intently at the sensor screen, avoiding sporadic detection pulses.

Yan Xin continually adjusted the purification field's parameters, ensuring it could effectively neutralize any encountered annihilation-energy contamination.

The assault ship narrowly passed the outer defenses and approached the largest central space station, bristling with mechanical arms like an octopus.

"Detecting high-intensity annihilation energy reaction… that's the reactor! And… large numbers of life signs are imprisoned in the warehouse area… they're using life energy as some kind of fuel or catalyst!" Yan Xin suddenly exclaimed, voice tinged with anger.

Using life as fuel!

The savagery of the Pseudo-Emperor Legion is evident!

"According to the plan, split up!" Li Qingxuan ordered: "Huang Rong, take a team to place explosives and destroy the reactor! Yan Xin, take the technicians to try cutting the power lines and rescue as many imprisoned lifeforms as possible! I'm heading to the warehouse sector—there may be heavy guards, and… I sense an unusual presence."

Everyone received the order, using the assault ship's released small landing craft, which attached like water droplets to the space station's hull.

Li Qingxuan led five Star Dust Guard, using a cutter to open a maintenance passage, infiltrating the massive materiel warehouse area.

The sight inside the warehouse was shocking!

Rows of transparent life-support chambers held various bizarre beings—humans, elves, orcs, and even some unseen alien species!

Most had dull eyes; their life energy was continuously drawn through conduits into the massive, throbbing, dark-green tumor-like device at the warehouse's center!

The device exuded a strong annihilation aura, clearly converting life energy into annihilation energy!

Beside that tumor device stood a towering figure three meters tall, clad in heavy bone armor, wielding a double-bladed war axe!

It was not an Ice Wraith, but a living creature—its skin gray-green, muscles twisted and bulging, eyes burning with feral red light—an elite warrior of the Realm Breaker Legion, the Destroyer!

The Destroyer instantly spotted the intruders, letting out an inhuman roar as its war axe screamed, tearing the air, and swung hard at Li Qingxuan!

Combat erupted instantly in the warehouse area!

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