In humanity's initial illusions, the ideal scenario on the lunar battlefield would have been for one of Nikola and Puta'er to fall in their clash, followed by the arrival of their hidden trump card to slay or cripple the other.
Now, that trump card was gone.
According to Qingzi's latest assessment, though Nikola and Puta'er appeared to be fighting ferociously, neither was truly fighting to the death.
He had explained that at their level of power, an all-out mortal duel could never drag on for so long. Life and death were typically decided in three to five moves.
Thus, a tacit understanding existed between them: the skeletal remains were the true objective. Only when the time came to seize the remains would they wage a fight to the death.
Under the present circumstances, either could disengage at any moment to change targets. Once the remains appeared, both would almost certainly cease hostilities to first eradicate any human force capable of fusing with or claiming the skeleton, and only then resume their contest.
Therefore, the current "balance" on the Moon was entirely unreliable and utterly beyond human control. It could collapse at any second.
Humanity could be plunged back into desperate straits at any moment—a despair even bleaker than before.
The melee across the airspace raged on. With Puta'er no longer making roaming strikes across the battlefield, the human fleet was generally able to counter and hold the line.
In any case, the human fleet still held a numerical advantage for now, and dozens of super combatants were battling aboard the warships.
Aboard CA117, Yang Qingbai had already transported Wu Xu to the flagship *Ping'an* for medical treatment. Furthermore, to prevent unexpected mishaps like Nikola abducting Rusty Sister, Yang Qingbai had launched the airship immediately after she carried Wu Xu aboard, without waiting for her return, leaving her on the *Ping'an* as well.
Now Yang Qingbai was the sole soul aboard CA117. Lacking individual combat prowess, he was also unlikely to be cornered and slain by interceptors. He piloted the craft with carefree abandon, constantly harassing any Daie-grade vessel that entered his sight and leading enemy ships on wild goose chases.
"Qingzi," Yang Qingbai called out as he flaunted his piloting skills between two enemy ships, switching to Han Qingyu's communication frequency.
"Yeah?" Han Qingyu replied while sprinting across the lunar surface.
"I'm free as can be up here. What do you think—should I fly down, drag a few chains from the tail with big slabs of dead iron attached, and help you plow the ground?"
"...Not a bad idea. But it probably won't work. An operation like that would make the ground search far too easy for the Great Spikes and Puta'er to spot."
"True," Yang Qingbai said, somewhat dejected. "A pity."
"Yeah, nothing we can do about it," Han Qingyu agreed, sharing the sentiment.
"Then I'll keep flying on my own. I'll try to stay close. Call me whenever you need me... I'll pick you up, and together we'll tear through the lunar vault."
"Alright. Stay safe."
***
On Blue Star, concealed beneath the deep mountain jungle at Azure's Secret Research Base No. 102, a colossal source energy fleet sat across an immense tarmac, preparing to embark on their long-dreamed-of voyage.
Among them was a source energy mothership named *Spark*, alongside nineteen other source energy airships of various sizes.
Decades of meticulous planning, even going so far as to integrate their entire organization into Azure... Ten minutes ago, Zhe Qiuhong had finally obtained final departure clearance for the Spark Project.
Ironically, what had helped her secure this final approval was despair. Having lost their trump card, Azure's core leadership had at last agreed to formally execute the Spark Project.
This was an expedition that could not possibly be disclosed to the world or known by the public. At such a critical juncture in the fate of humanity, it would carry off twenty ships, immense quantities of high-grade source energy blocks, and countless other precious resources—not to rush into battle, but to flee.
Once revealed, countless people would view it as a selfish defection by Azure's ruling elite, sparking unavoidable public fury.
"Reporting, Navigator! All preparations are complete, and final checks have revealed no issues. We are ready to launch!" A subordinate rushed over to report, eyes glistening with tears of excitement.
Standing before the mothership's pilot seat, Zhe Qiuhong did not look back. She gave a firm nod.
Striving to appear as composed as ever, she lowered her raised hand and uttered two words: "Set sail."
"Yes, Ma'am!" the subordinate snapped to attention.
"However, adjust the flight course. For the first phase, we will take a detour to Mars," Zhe Qiuhong added suddenly.
"Ah?" The subordinate was taken aback. "But there should still be Great Spikes there, and in considerable numbers."
"It's fine. Nearly all the Great Spike ships capable of departing have gone to the lunar battlefield. The ones remaining on the Martian surface are merely mid-to-low-tier Great Spikes that pose no threat to us."
"Understood." The subordinate hesitated a moment, then asked cautiously, "May I ask why, Navigator? What is the purpose of detouring to Mars?"
"A person."
"A person? Who?"
"He Tangtang."
He Tangtang was undeniably formidable. Among humanity's current source weapon forces, he was one of the few apex combatants capable of soloing a Daie. Furthermore, as Zhe Qiuhong had noted before, his trait centered on devouring, giving him boundless potential.
"Understood." The subordinate was aware that He Tangtang was on Mars with his fate unknown, and also knew he was one of Zhe Qiuhong's companions in Stream Blades. Realization struck, and the subordinate said, "You wish to rescue him."
"No, he doesn't need saving. If he did, Stream Blades would have dispatched someone long ago. The reason they haven't sent anyone is out of selfish concern—they figured that with his survival unconfirmed, there was no need to drag He Tangtang to the lunar battlefield where death is almost certain."
Zhe Qiuhong understood Stream Blades all too well. More precisely, she understood Han Qingyu and Wen Jifei. What she had just voiced matched the essence of a private conversation between Han Qingyu and Wen Jifei not long ago almost word for word.
"I see." The subordinate pondered, nodding. "Then why are we going?"
"Because the Spark Fleet lacks high-end combat power. I'm going to trick He Tangtang into coming with us," Zhe Qiuhong said plainly.
Trick him? Could that really work?
She framed it as trickery because she knew that if she told He Tangtang the truth, he would never agree to leave with her. He would insist on searching for Qingzi, Wu Xu, and Wen Jifei. So Zhe Qiuhong planned to tell him that she was taking him to meet up with Han Qingyu and the others... The cosmos was vast, and the fellow couldn't tell flight paths anyway. By the time he realized something was amiss, the fleet would already be lost in the void.
Before the subordinate could voice any doubts, Zhe Qiuhong seemed to have anticipated his thoughts. She remarked casually, "Don't worry. He's very easy to fool."
Subordinate: "..."
At 10:00 PM Huaxia time, the Spark Fleet, representing an alternate path for humanity, took to the skies.
***
Back on Earth, at the Azure General Staff Headquarters, there seemed to be nothing left to deliberate. The tea enjoyed in solitary contemplation at the desk had grown flavorless. The old man rose to fetch fresh tea leaves and sit a while longer, when suddenly, the incense altar behind him stirred.
In his position, Xu Xiaohong had naturally known about that matter as well. Toward it, he had voiced neither support nor explicit opposition, for even he found it hard to judge whether it was right or wrong, or if it held any value and meaning.
Xu Xiaohong thought he had heard the sound of table legs scraping across the floor.
Yet, uncertain, he had not dared to turn his head.
Only when several more thuds sounded, clear and unmistakable, did Xu Xiaohong finally turn around slowly to look in that direction.
Chen Buer had stepped down from the incense altar.
Once on his feet, he smoothed down his clothes, then turned aside, picked up three sticks of incense, lit them against the candle flame, and planted them meticulously into the censer upon the altar.
"Going out?" Xu Xiaohong asked casually, as if part of everyday routine.
"Yeah," Chen Buer replied, just as casually.
With that, he leaned over and retrieved his old-model source energy device from beneath the altar, donning it unhurriedly and checking it over. Then he looked down, found the Slash Red blade on the altar, lifted it to test its weight with a couple of bounces, smoothed the red silk bound to the hilt, and slung it across his back.
Then, he turned and strode straight out the door.
Chapter 982