EBE Chapter 1417 Setting sail, opening the Star Network Hub
Chapter 1417 Setting sail, opening the Star Network Hub
Ready to unleash a deadly energy beam at any time.
Like the most experienced hunters, they relied on the deep-space energy tracker, which Han Da and Wei Wuji had urgently calibrated, to capture the faint messages left by the other party, and dared not get any closer.
The prince's orders were clear: track, lock on, and do not alert the enemy.
However, the Creation Council's methods far exceeded their expectations.
At the front of the group, the short figure disguised as a coachman, named Bone Erosion, had a cold electronic eye that flickered slightly beneath half of his face covered in dark silver metal.
He did not turn around, but a detection wave beyond human senses swept silently across the wasteland behind him like ripples.
"Humph."
A cold, metallic laugh escaped his throat, not loud, but clearly audible to the rest of the squad. "The tail's still there. A few insects who thought they were hiding well. Speaker, looks like they haven't given up."
Xiao Dingshan, perched on the burly man's back, a glint of venomous pleasure flashing in his single eye, hissed, "Crush them! Let them know that the power of the Creation Council is not something these monkeys in tin toys can even glimpse!"
He desperately needed a massacre to vent the humiliation and fear he had accumulated with Xiao Ce.
"As ordered."
The voice, though flat and emotionless, carried a chilling coldness.
He abruptly stopped, and the entire squad instantly froze, as if the pause button had been pressed, standing perfectly still in the sandstorm.
Erosion slowly turned around, and the electronic red eye under the tattered felt hat locked onto the direction where the tracking team was hiding with unparalleled precision.
"Get to work, clear away the trash. Leave one alive to report back."
He commanded with bone-chilling coldness.
As soon as the order was given, the four figures in the squad turned back like arrows released from a bow, their speed leaving afterimages in their wake!
They completely abandoned their disguises, and beneath their skin, dark blue or crimson energy veins shone, their bodies undergoing terrifying transformations as they ran!
Just as a tracking team member caught a glimpse of the enemy's red silhouette through his tactical goggles, before a warning could be issued, a beam of intense white high-energy plasma shot out from the cannon muzzle that had been transformed from the enemy's arm!
The beam of light was not a straight line, but drew a strange arc in the air, precisely bypassing a boulder and melting through a peregrine falcon warrior hiding behind it, along with his exoskeleton!
The energy shield shattered like paper, leaving only a charred hole and instantly vaporized flesh and blood.
"Enemy attack! Scatter!"
The captain roared into the communications channel as he pulled the trigger.
The "Bee Sting" rifle spewed out a dense barrage of blue energy bullets, attempting to suppress the oncoming enemies.
However, the Bone-Eating Squad's fighting style is extremely bizarre.
Another modified warrior faced the barrage of bullets without flinching or dodging. He crossed his arms in front of him, and his skin instantly hardened and stretched, forming a giant diamond-shaped shield that shimmered with energy patterns!
The energy blast struck the shield, exploding into a blinding ball of light, yet it remained completely unmoved. The next second, the shield slammed forward, unleashing an invisible shockwave!
Two tracking team members, who were using their exoskeletons to move quickly and evade, were hit by the shockwave. They instantly lost their balance, and the exoskeleton joints emitted a piercing friction alarm.
Just as they were trying to regain their footing, the warrior wielding the giant shield charged forward, and high-speed spinning serrated blades sprang out from the edge of the shield, easily slicing the two men in half at the waist like a hot knife through butter! Blood and shattered exoskeleton parts sprayed onto the grayish-yellow sand.
The third tracking team member tried to use the exoskeleton's jetpack to take off and create distance, but just a few meters off the ground, an almost invisible energy thread shot out from below and precisely wrapped around his ankle!
The threads suddenly contracted, pulling him down violently! A slender, snake-like modified warrior instantly pressed against him, her fingertips flicking out long, slender spikes that glowed with an eerie blue light. With surgical precision and ruthlessness, these spikes pierced the weakest point of the "Peregrine Falcon's" exoskeleton—the neck joint—destroying the energy core and life support system.
The soldier collapsed to the ground before he could even scream.
The last tracking team member was filled with rage; the gruesome death of his teammate in the blink of an eye made him realize the absolute difference in their abilities.
Without further hesitation, he pushed the energy rifle to its maximum power and unleashed a barrage of fire at the fortress-like enemy wielding a giant shield. At the same time, he activated the exoskeleton's emergency distress signal and battlefield recorder, and used the complex rocky terrain to retreat rapidly.
He must bring the intelligence back!
"Hmph, want to run?"
Erosion stood still, seemingly enjoying the one-sided massacre.
He raised his metal-covered hand, which split open to reveal a honeycomb-shaped launcher.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...!
Dozens of tiny shuttles, no bigger than a fingernail and shimmering with a faint red light, were launched silently!
Instead of attacking the deserter directly, they seemed to have a life of their own, instantly covering all possible escape routes and cover around the deserter!
Boom boom boom boom...
A series of muffled explosions rang out, not the destructive explosions that lit up the sky, but directional, high-frequency shock waves and strong electromagnetic pulses!
The deserter felt an irresistible force slam into his chest, causing his exoskeleton to overload instantly, emitting a piercing alarm and sparks, and all electronic systems to completely malfunction!
He was violently thrown back by the shockwave, crashing heavily into a boulder. His left arm twisted at an unnatural angle, the excruciating pain nearly causing him to faint. The rocks around him were shattered, creating a death zone.
The other three members of the Bone-Eating Squad glanced coldly at the last pursuer who had lost the ability to move, confirming that the objective had been achieved!
They left one alive to report back. They didn't finish off the remaining enemies; like machines that had completed their programmed sequence, they swiftly turned, joined up with Erosion and the others, and once again became blurry shadows, disappearing into the vast sandstorm...
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xiao Ce and Yin Pan'er, along with their group, were already at the port.
Xiao Ce has already discussed it with Ling Xu, and they have decided to place the Star Network Hub in a location within the protection of the Xiao Kingdom, where they can also coordinate with the Fusang Kingdom in the central sea area...
Dressed in a black outfit, Xiao Ce stood tall and straight like a pine tree on the dock, gazing calmly at the boundless sea.
Behind him stood the Night Cat, standing like a statue, and more than ten Dragon Fang mechs exuding a chilling aura.
These steel behemoths stood silently, forming a suffocating steel barrier that drew frequent glances from dockworkers unloading cargo in the distance, yet they dared not approach.
"Your Highness, the ship is ready and can set sail at any time."
Night Owl spoke to Xiao Ce in a deep and clear voice.
Xiao Ce nodded slightly, preparing to order the boarding of the ship.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by heavy breathing.
"Your Highness! General Han has sent an urgent report!"
A soldier wearing an exoskeleton, his breathing slightly disordered, rushed over, knelt on one knee, and his voice from under his helmet carried a hint of resentment and anxiety!
"Your Highness! The tracking team reports that the 'caravan' that abducted Xiao Dingshan... is incredibly fast and uses bizarre methods. They... they've shaken off our pursuit! They seem to be heading towards the sea... General Han asked whether we should expand the search area and deploy more manpower to pursue them further?"
This news made Night Owl frown. Although the mecha warriors remained motionless, the atmosphere instantly became even more tense.
It was a disgrace that the target had slipped away right under their noses.
However, Xiao Ce's reaction was unexpected.
There was no anger or disappointment on his face; on the contrary, it was as if he had heard news he had expected.
He simply waved his hand lightly, his voice calm and even carrying a hint of elusive indifference:
"Understood. Tell Han Da that there's no need to pursue further. There's no need to track them down..."
"What?!" The soldier who brought the news looked up sharply, his eyes filled with disbelief!
"Your Highness! Xiao Dingshan, he..."
I said, there's no need to chase after them.
Xiao Ce interrupted him, saying firmly, "Let them go. Tell Han Da to proceed according to the original plan! Go."
The soldier opened his mouth, looking into Xiao Ce's unfathomable eyes, but ultimately suppressed his doubts and confusion, and clasped his hands in a deep fist salute:
"Your Highness...yes!"
He then turned and ran away.
Night Cat looked at Xiao Ce and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, releasing a tiger back into the mountains may leave future troubles. The Bone-Eating Squad brought Xiao Dingshan back to the core of the Creation Base. What's their next step..."
"It doesn't matter."
Xiao Ce revealed a confident smile: "Xiao Dingshan is nothing more than a stray dog now. His greatest value is to lead the remaining consciousnesses of the Creation Council to find the location of that 'key' for us. Let them jump around for a while and help us explore the path. Our goal is more important."
His gaze once again fell upon the depths of the sea, where the key to determining everyone's fate lay.
"Come aboard!"
Upon receiving the order, Xiao Ce was the first to step onto the gangway.
Night Owl followed closely behind, and more than ten heavy Dragon Fang mechs marched in neat and heavy steps, making a "clang...clang..." metallic clanging sound, as they boarded the "Wavebreaker" one by one.
The massive ship sank slightly under the weight of the mechs, and then, with a long, drawn-out whistle, slowly sailed away from the port, cutting through the blue waves, and heading towards the coordinates marked on the top-secret nautical chart in the center of the East Asian seas.
The sea voyage was calm and short...
Hours later, the outline of a lush, green island, never before marked on any official nautical chart, appeared on the distant horizon.
The "Breaking Waves" ship was steadily anchored on the sea about one nautical mile from the small island.
The boat bobbed gently with the waves.
Xiao Ce, Yin Pan'er, Ye Mao, and several elite guards stood at the front of the deck.
Beside Xiao Ce was Wang Huzi, the most experienced captain of the "Breaking Waves"—an old sea wolf who had been drifting in the East China Sea and the South China Sea for over thirty years.
Wang Hu held up a brass monocular telescope and carefully observed the island that had suddenly appeared in the voyage.
Lush tropical vegetation covers the rolling hills, and white sand beaches surround them, creating a vibrant yet timeless atmosphere.
"Strange...this is really bizarre!"
Wang Hu put down his binoculars, his weathered face filled with confusion and disbelief. He rubbed his eyes hard and then raised the binoculars again to take a look!
Finally, she couldn't help but murmur aloud, her voice filled with a deep sense of doubt that even the sea breeze couldn't dispel, "Your Highness... when... when did this island... appear?"
He turned around and looked at Xiao Ce, his eyes filled with awe for the power of nature and vigilance against the unknown: "I've been to this sea area at least eight hundred or a thousand times! I could find every reef and every current with my eyes closed!"
“From Xiao Kingdom to the seventy-seven islands in the outer sea, I recognize every grain of sand on the shipping route! But... but this island... it... it shouldn't be here! Right on the shipping route, such a large island, before, let alone an island, there wasn't even a shallow beach where we could dock! This... this is simply land newly created by the Dragon King in the middle of the night!”
The other veteran sailors who had been on board also gathered around, staring at the suddenly appearing island with identical expressions of astonishment and bewilderment, whispering among themselves:
"Yes, Chief Wang is right! The water here is very deep; it's marked in dark blue on the nautical chart!"
"This is weird! The last time I passed by was only a few months ago, and the sea was completely empty, not even a bird in sight!"
"Could it be a mirage? It looks so real..."
"Could it be some kind of magical being that conjured it up?"
The cacophony of voices was filled with the natural fear and bewilderment of seafarers facing unknown geographical phenomena.
However, faced with the astonished gazes and bewildered questions from the old captain and sailors!
Xiao Ce simply gazed quietly at the island that shimmered in the sunlight, a deep and mysterious smile slowly curving his lips.
He offered no explanation or clarification.
That smile held a serene understanding that saw through everything, and an indescribable sense of knowing.
Xiao Ce then said to the old captains and sailors, "Did I conjure up this island?"
The crew members on deck, including Wang Huzi, were somewhat suspicious when they heard Xiao Ce say that.
But then I thought, is Xiao Ce an ordinary person?
Yes, who are those people standing on their boat?
It's Xiao Ce! It's their Xiao God!
How many unbelievable things have happened to the prince?
Divine weapons descended from the sky, capable of repelling enemies a thousand miles with a wave of the hand, and even possessing the ability to read minds...
Compared to that, the idea of "conjuring" an island out of the vast ocean doesn't seem so hard to understand anymore, does it?
The initial surprise and uncertainty on Wang Huzi's face gradually gave way to a sense of realization and awe.
He slapped his forehead hard, making a "smack" sound, and laughed and scolded the still bewildered sailors around him: "What are you all standing there for? A bunch of ignorant fools!"
How could we mere mortals fathom the prince's extraordinary abilities? He says the island is here, so it must be here! Hurry, don't delay the prince's important business!"
The doubts dissipated quickly, like a thin mist blown away by the sea breeze.
Looking at Xiao Ce's enigmatic yet unwavering smile, the crew felt no unease whatsoever; instead, they had an almost blind trust in the prince's methods...