Chapter 1289: Civilizational Gap

The Star Alliance, the Sun-Chasing Belt.

The Sun-Chasing Belt is the outermost ring of the Star Alliance’s territory, effectively serving as its first line of defense. The Star Alliance’s Sixth and Eighth Battleship Legions are stationed here.

Today was Sunday, and as usual, the battleship legions were holding a holiday celebration. Only a few individuals were assigned to remain on duty in the control room. Long interstellar patrols could easily lead to mental fatigue, necessitating regular events like this.

Watching his comrades singing and dancing on the monitor, a soldier on duty yawned and complained to his colleague, “Sometimes I wonder what’s the point of us patrolling this desolate place every day. We might as well let the Ether computer do it for us.”

“Come on, you wouldn’t say that if you were unemployed.”

The man shrugged, “Unemployed is unemployed. With government relief, we won’t starve.”

Suddenly, a large red exclamation mark appeared on the main screen, and a piercing alarm blared: “Attention! Unknown signal source detected! Attention! Unknown signal source detected!”

The two duty soldiers exchanged a look, perplexed. Could there still be unknown signal sources in this day and age?

Perhaps it was a space probe from an unknown planet, drifting here with a message like ‘Let’s be friends’?

However, the signals displayed on the radar quickly shattered their illusions.

The radar display showed countless signal sources, fluctuating before settling on the number fifteen hundred. This indicated that fifteen hundred unknown objects were approaching the Sun-Chasing Belt.

Their pupils constricted. A sense of dread washed over them. “Quickly, report to the officer!”

Soon, the holiday celebration was canceled. The two battleship legions entered emergency readiness. The commander brought up the space telescope and finally saw what the unknown signal sources looked like.

“What… is that?”

Rather than spaceships, they appeared as enormous, pulsating masses of flesh, like fifteen hundred colossal caterpillars majestically traversing the cosmos.

The commander had encountered many civilizations capable of interstellar travel, all of which had eventually joined the Star Alliance. Yet, none of them had ever possessed spaceships as bizarre as those before him.

Or perhaps these weren’t spaceships at all, but rather some form of interstellar species?

“Report, life-form detection systems indicate a large number of life forms inside.”

“A large number of life forms?”

“Activate all defense systems and maintain vigilance,” the commander ordered, his voice steady and firm, though he couldn’t hide his underlying anxiety. “Attempt to establish a communication link again. We must confirm their intentions!”

Several attempts failed. The unknown fleet seemed to completely disregard the commander’s signals, remaining silent while slowly approaching.

“Send out unmanned vessels to block their path. Activate energy shields! And report this to the Council President!”

“Yes, sir!”

Soon, hundreds of unmanned vessels deployed their energy shields, which then interlinked to form an energy net, blocking the unknown fleet.

The commander was confident in the energy net. During military exercises, he had tested its limits; it could block a planetary orbit for several minutes before disintegrating. The power of the energy net was undeniable.

However, when faced with the unknown fleet, the energy net instantly collapsed upon contact, offering no resistance whatsoever.

“How is this possible!” The soldiers stared in disbelief; it was utterly inconceivable.

The commander finally realized the hostile intent of the approaching force and decisively gave the order: “All units, attack!”

Laser cannons, particle beams, and missiles rained down on the enemy, instantly illuminating the dark expanse of space.

“Sixth Legion, respond immediately if you hear this! Eighth Legion, respond immediately if you hear this!”

The Council President repeatedly hailed the fleets, but there was no response, making his forehead glisten with anxious sweat.

“Ether, pull up the surveillance from the Sun-Chasing Belt!”

Before Ether could comply, the screen lit up, but the figure on the other end was not any of their commanders.

“So this is how it works, huh? Let me see… success.”

On the other end of the screen stood a humanoid life-form, impeccably dressed, appearing to hold a position of authority.

“Who are you, and where are the Sixth and Eighth Legions?!”

“The Sixth and Eighth Legions? Oh, you mean those little toys that weren’t very friendly in greeting me?” The humanoid said casually, snapping his fingers as the view switched to outer space.

The battleships of the Sixth and Eighth Legions were being consumed by the unknown fleet’s pulsating flesh walls, with only half their hulls remaining.

Witnessing this, the Council President felt as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

How long had he been out of contact with the two fleets? How could they have been completely annihilated so quickly? How powerful was the enemy?!

The view switched again, this time to the interior of the unknown fleet. Its internal structure resembled a biological organism. The legion commander was being swallowed by a wall, with only his head visible.

“Zhong En!” the Council President cried, calling the commander by name.

The camera switched back to the humanoid life-form, who curled his lips into a mocking smile. “Don’t worry, we merely wish to extract the language for communication from his brain.”

Only then did the Council President realize that the humanoid life-form had been speaking the Alliance language all along.

“Who exactly are you?!”

“We? We are the Candle Sky Civilization, rulers of the cosmos. We are campaigning in all directions by the command of the Heavenly Emperor, and we merely stumbled upon you. As for me, I am Shi Wumian, the Legion Commander of this Azure Heavens Fleet.”

“If the Star Alliance is willing to surrender to our Candle Sky Civilization, become our vassal state, pay homage, and offer regular tribute, you can avoid military conflict. How does that sound?”

The Council President erupted in fury. “Daydreaming! The Star Alliance will never bow to any power!”

Shi Wumian sighed. “Every conquest, we encounter the same rhetoric. Yet, the outcome is always the same, isn’t it?”

He turned and ordered the Azure Heavens Fleet: “All units, prepare for warp jump to the Eternal Star System!”

The Council President’s expression darkened. The Candle Sky Civilization was hostile and extraordinarily powerful. Two entire battleship legions couldn’t hold out against them for even ten minutes. Even if all remaining battleship legions were recalled, they likely still wouldn’t be a match for the Candle Sky Civilization.

The only option now was…

“Ether, the Star Alliance’s twelve battleship legions are now entirely under your command. Exert your full power to prevent the Candle Sky Civilization’s invasion!”

The Council President had always distrusted artificial intelligence, preferring to keep the military under his direct control. But with such a formidable enemy, his command alone could not defeat the Candle Sky Civilization. Only with Ether in full control of the military could they stand a chance against them!

Upon warping to the outskirts of the Eternal Star System, the Azure Heavens Fleet immediately encountered military interception.

However, the Candle Sky Civilization’s power far exceeded the Council President’s expectations. They rampaged through the Eternal Star System with impunity; no attack could inflict the slightest damage on them.

In the face of absolute power, no tactic could compensate.

A large-scale battle of this magnitude could not be concealed from the public. The Ether computer also couldn’t spare the processing power to manage the online discourse.

The populace cried out in despair. Their proud, invincible fleet was nothing more than slightly larger ants before the Candle Sky Civilization.

“Why don’t we just surrender? The Candle Sky Civilization is so powerful; it wouldn’t be so bad to submit to them.”

“Exactly, there’s nothing to lose by surrendering. Maybe the Candle Sky Civilization would even help the Alliance develop.”

“Disgusting. Spineless cowards, without even a shred of principle.”

“Traitors to hell! The Alliance will never surrender!”

While many citizens preferred death to surrender, a significant number also advocated for surrender, viewing the conflict as entirely pointless.

“What if we don’t surrender? Is there still a fight to be had?”

“There is a fight! Don’t forget, we still have the planet-destroying cannon that hasn’t been used yet.”

“That’s right, the planet-destroying cannon!”

The mention of the planet-destroying cannon rekindled hope within the Star Alliance. This ultimate weapon could unleash an energy beam powerful enough to obliterate a planet in an instant, its immense destructive force striking fear into all who knew of it.

The Ether computer lured the Candle Sky Civilization into an ambush, deciding to deploy the hidden planet-destroying cannon.

Stored antimatter rapidly met with matter and annihilated, releasing an enormous, crystalline blue energy mass. This energy mass, contained by magnetic induction, converged into a single beam, aimed at Shi Wumian’s command vessel.

As the planet-destroying cannon’s energy beam burst forth, a blinding light engulfed the entire battleship, as if a new star had been born in space.

Everyone held their breath, awaiting the outcome.

As the light gradually faded, the command vessel remained stably suspended. A large, charred hole had been blasted into its hull. However, flesh-like tendrils quickly grew from the opening, sealing the breach.

Witnessing this, the Council President felt as though he had fallen into an abyss. He slumped into his chair, his gaze vacant, utterly despondent.

It was over. Everything was over. Even the planet-destroying cannon had no effect. What else could the Star Alliance possibly use to fight the Candle Sky Civilization?

“A planet-destroying weapon, eh? Well, it’s not entirely surprising, given the Star Alliance’s level of development, is it?”

Shi Wumian stated coldly. They also possessed planet-destroying weapons, which had once been considered ultimate weapons.

However, with the Heavenly Emperor’s ascension, the Candle Sky Civilization had developed further. Planet-destroying weapons were now merely considered powerful armaments.

“All thanks to the Heavenly Emperor.”

Had it been the Candle Sky Civilization of old, facing the Star Alliance, they wouldn’t have won so easily, even if they had won at all.

Zero casualties in battle—this was a scenario that only occurred when there was a generational gap in technological development between civilizations.

The Azure Heavens Fleet blockaded the Eternal Star System. Shi Wumian piloted his command vessel down to Eternal Star.

Suddenly, several extremely bright light points appeared on the command vessel’s spirit stone detection radar. Shi Wumian, usually unflappable, saw these points and his heart skipped a few beats.

“This planet has the supreme-grade spirit stones that the Heavenly Emperor requires?!”