The phantom within the white light appeared to float erratically and was so blurry that its movements were impossible to grasp.
If one were to perceive it only with their naked eyes, they would merely see an indistinct illusion, much like an image projected by an old projector on its last legs.
However, if those Present closed their eyes, they would instead experience it more profoundly.
That magnificent existence seemed to directly descend into their consciousness.
Its profound and enigmatic murmurs directly echoed through the Corridor of their souls.
Ke'ermo pressed his constantly throbbing chest again, feeling a dryness in his throat.
As a spiritual energy user, Ke'ermo's experience was more pronounced than others, and he could naturally sense the power of that entity more directly.
He was only a Two-Ring spiritual energy user, but merely catching a wisp of its might caused him to tremble to the point of nearly fainting.
He felt that his ability to stand firm and resist trembling was already something to be proud of.
Ke'ermo had received a higher education, and by a stroke of luck, he had also systematically studied mysticism in the Empire.
He knew, of course, that there were no so-called gods in this world, only powerful extraordinary beings, and the Lumina Rebels's sky god was no exception.
However, people like him were, after all, a minority.
It was not surprising that ordinary Lumina Rebels, ordinary spiritual energy sensitive individuals, would have such an illusion if they occasionally came into contact with a fragment of its will.
"However, if I can experience such terrifying oppression, then that old dog Lord Yan should be the same, right?" Ke'ermo couldn't help but think of this point.
"That old dog Lord Yan" referred precisely to Lord Yan.
The disciples of Red Maple Factory had always referred to that highly respected rebel leader in this manner, and Ke'ermo was no exception.
He just wasn't aware of it himself.
In Ke'ermo's line of sight, that veteran Lumina Rebels leader, with his no longer robust body hunched over, gazed eagerly at the flickering white light, his face filled with reverence and yearning.
"What an act!" Ke'ermo thought.
"However, it's quite unexpected that this old fellow can actually stand!"
At this moment, the blurry figure seemed to become clearer, an entity that could be grasped.
Immediately after, not only spiritual energy users like Ke'ermo and Lord Yan, but even ordinary people, seemed to be able to hear the indescribable "divine language."
"sky god! Our Master!" A Lumina Rebels elder cried out fanatically, his voice sounding as if it was squeezed from his throat.
He tremblingly reached his hand towards the white light and, with a slight tremor, took a step forward.
Soon, as if influenced by another will, his entire body seemed to lose the support of bones and shell, and he softly collapsed to the ground.
Immediately after, his flesh and blood vanished in an instant, as if completely absorbed by something, instantly turning into dust, leaving only a pile of clothes.
Such a scene caused many people to cry out in alarm, but it also caused even more people to fanatically take a few steps forward, including Lord Yan.
"The auspicious time has arrived!" Leader Flores Wanda proclaimed loudly.
His voice was clear and resonant, echoing through the hall like a bell, and it seemed not to falter even when compared to the "divine sound" that resounded from within the white light.
"The auspicious time has arrived!" Lord Yan also cried out, his voice, upon first hearing it, resembled the booming war drums before a charge.
However, rather than echoing the Wanling Sect Leader, it seemed more like he was vying for attention with the former, which was truly difficult for the old man.
The magic array, formed entirely by the white light, began to rotate.
The cultists and Lumina Rebels who had been operating the array with their life force had long since turned to ashes.
Flores Wanda raised the mirror in his hand high above his head and strode onto a man-high platform in front of the magic array.
"Is it coming?" Ke'ermo knew this was the most crucial moment.
He tightly gripped his Atomic Light Spear, his gaze quickly passing over Leader Wanda on the platform, locking onto the middle-aged man who had been standing below the stage.
This high-ranking administrator, also of Wanling Sect Leader level, always wore a dusty gray cloak, and his demeanor and attire consistently made him appear the most like a cultist.
Ke'ermo only knew that this middle-aged Earth man was named Regis, a Bishop of the All-Unification Church and Flores Wanda's bodyguard, his longest-standing follower.
If Nao Wen was Leader Wanda's pen, Regis was his shield.
"I must break through him first!"
The young Lumina Rebels spiritual energy user closed his eyes, began to regulate his breathing, felt the resonance of spiritual energy deep within his soul, and slowly accumulated his aura and fighting spirit.
His spiritual energy techniques and spiritual energy martial arts were learned in the Empire, and the style he studied aimed for a single-strike kill, for cutting down generals and breaking through armies!
And all of this required accumulating fighting spirit... in essence, charging up.
Ke'ermo fell into a state of deep thought, no longer paying attention to his surroundings.
At this moment, the divine sound projected from the white light, which had been like a chant, no longer possessed a ethereal and distant quality, but rather resembled a sudden clap of thunder.
Rage, madness, greed, bloodlust, and a covetousness for this material world, all condensed into a palpable malice.
However, all these terrifying intentions were concealed beneath a power that felt like the heavens collapsing and the earth rending.
Immediately after, the entire Sero Ancient City, the entire Sero Great Forest, and even this planet, seemed to fall into a violent tremor.
Such a display of power could naturally not escape the Thirteenth Fleet, which had been stationed in outer space orbit, on standby, "awaiting exercises with the Far Shore Fleet."
In fact, the fleet had already discovered clues upon their arrival.
Although the detectors on board could not directly penetrate the Void Ring to observe the interior of the Sero Great Forest, they could detect unnatural electromagnetic fluctuations and even more unnatural energy concentrations.
And at that very moment, the ship had already observed a sudden burst of energy equivalent to the explosion of a neutron bomb, which did not diffuse but instead re-aggregated in an instant.
The technical personnel on the bridge quickly went into action.
Half a minute later, a middle-aged technical officer with the rank of Second Class Petty Officer read out the information feedback from the instruments with a hesitant tone: "The high-energy reaction in the Sero Great Forest is condensing, transforming into a material form."
"No additional reactions?" Commander Marklov asked.
"...No, very calm." Chief Navigator Captain Carlos said in a calm tone.
Aside from the spectacular sound and light effects, the conversion of energy to mass was surprisingly calm, and facing such a supernatural scene, everyone Present remained relatively composed.
Of course, if this situation were to truly occur in Captain Yu Lian's hometown, theoretically half of the theoretical physics community would be ecstatic to the point of madness, while the other half would commit suicide for you to see.
Unfortunately, this is, after all, a world of foolish idealists where mysticism runs rampant, and anything involving extraordinary power always defies scientific explanation.
Everyone had grown accustomed to this.
Marklov pondered for a moment.
At this time, Deputy Commander Captain Elinore Bonaparte, who was stationed on another "armed merchant ship," Corsica, directly sent a communication.
"Commander, my ship has passed through the stratosphere and is now above the Sero Great Forest!
We can now observe the form of that light curtain with our naked eyes."
"Very good.
Then I'll leave everything to you." The Brigadier General said.
Elinore saluted the Commander, then closed the communication.
In reality, this report was merely a formality; action had already begun before this.
She knew Brigadier General Marklov understood, and Marklov certainly knew that she knew.
This old and young Commander and Deputy Commander possessed such an understanding.
However, after the communication was closed, Brigadier General Marklov did not truly hand over all matters to his subordinates.
He stroked his chin, considered for a moment, and then instructed the person behind him: "Have Lieutenant Li Baolu and Lieutenant Dai Ken prepare for sortie!"
As mentioned before, the Forest Ranger-class "armed merchant ship" is a versatile vessel with almost perfect modifiability, and it can certainly be converted into an Aircraft Carrier.
Therefore, Brigadier General Marklov, an expert in Aircraft Carrier warfare, had the Mist Capital 14, the ship he was on, equipped with a matching hangar and various supporting facilities.
Rather than a light cruiser, it was more like a light Aircraft Carrier.
…It should be an “armed merchant ship” equipped with many fighter jets. In these troubled times, isn't it perfectly reasonable for an armed merchant ship to carry two squadrons of fighter jets?
“I’ve already had them prepared according to sortie standards. But, what’s the target?” Chief of Staff Colonel Finn asked.
“Heh, with such a grand display, I don’t believe we’ll be the only uninvited guests.” The Brigadier General sneered, then said in a deep voice, “All fleets, maintain maximum alert status!”
On the other side, aboard the Corsica, which had already passed through the atmosphere and was now hovering ten thousand meters above the Sero Great Forest, Elinore toyed with her braid while standing by the bridge’s porthole, staring intently.
She was a bit agitated. Because everything that needed to be done had been done, she could only wait for the follow-up, which made her even more irritable.
“Colonel, Brigadier General Luben, Commander of New Seville Security, wishes to speak with you,” a communications officer said.
“Tell him I’m busy,” Elinore replied without looking back.
She was indeed very busy, busy waiting for the results.
“Still can’t connect to Yuli’s side?”
“Lost connection an hour ago,” Autumn Mountain Yawata said expressionlessly.
“Ina’s connection is also interrupted!”
“Isn’t that to be expected?” Autumn Mountain Yawata said without any change in tone.
“Lieutenant Autumn Mountain, the electromagnetic reaction of that so-called Void Ring is so chaotic, are you sure the landing pod won’t be affected?”
“If people can go in, let alone an assault landing pod. At least that’s what the books say, and there are no different records so far.” Autumn Mountain Yawata pushed up his glasses, “Anyway, it’s a landing pod. As long as it’s launched, it will land according to the predetermined trajectory. No need to consider piloting.”
“Meng Jiao, Wa Yali, and Ina are all on board…”
Yes, if something happened to that landing craft, the Thirteenth Fleet’s spiritual energy users would be completely wiped out.
“Yes, so as long as the coordinates Captain Yu Lian gave us are accurate, there will definitely be no problem! We’ve already descended to this altitude, and the landing pod’s deviation won’t exceed ten meters.” Autumn Mountain Yawata pushed up his glasses again.
The implication was, if anything goes wrong, it’s definitely your little wolf dog’s fault, don’t come looking for me.
Modern people, accustomed to instant communication, will feel very uncomfortable once they find themselves unable to maintain contact with others. Senior Sister’s frenzy is actually understandable.
If she knew everyone’s situation, she would definitely be much calmer.
In reality, Autumn Mountain Yawata’s judgment was not wrong, the coordinates Yu Lian gave were also correct, and the plan formulated was foolproof.
The small assault landing craft from the space fleet descended from the sky, directly crashing through the light curtain formed by the very mysterious Void Ring in a very effortless manner, carrying spiraling airflow that broke the sound barrier and high temperatures generated by friction, roaring as it slammed into a mountain wall in the Sero Great Forest.
In the Sero Ancient City, a few kilometers away, under the influence of the gradually spreading halo throughout the city and the whispers floating in the air, the defenders were no longer able to focus on anything else.
Of course, wild animals within tens of kilometers around might have seen this scene, but under the influence of a certain will behind the Void Ring, they had already entered a berserk state of tearing each other apart, and would not care about anything else.
The landing pod, hanging on the mountain wall, opened its hatch, and several figures jumped out in single file, precisely Meng Jiao, Simon Vayali, and Ina Hilika, all wearing powered exoskeletons.
As soon as they landed, they were surrounded by a group of soldiers wearing the same standard armor.
Fortunately, both sides quickly confirmed they were allies, and no bloody conflict occurred.
“It’s not an Emblem Machine!” Feifei looked at the trio’s Hussar armor, feeling a bit regretful. She really wanted to get an Emblem Machine to play with.
“Hello… Lieutenant Li.” Meng Jiao and Simon quickly spotted the only person they knew in the other party’s team and hurriedly saluted him.
Actually, both of them were Lieutenants, and Feifei was also a Lieutenant, but for some reason, these two saluted first. And everyone actually felt that this was a matter of course.
Ina was probably swayed by the crowd’s reaction and instinctively saluted Feifei first, but then she felt as if she had lost somewhere and immediately pouted unhappily.
What made her even more unhappy was that she did not see the person she most wanted to see in the crowd.
“Sir… Is Captain Yu Lian not here?”
Fina said, “He said to leave this place to me, and then he mysteriously went in by himself.”
That statement contained a lot of information, and everyone couldn't react for a moment.
“Alright. You three are all spiritual energy users, you should have all read Captain Yu Lian’s thesis, right?”
“We have,” Meng Jiao, who could also be considered a top student, said.
“…I finally managed to read it. It’s truly an astonishing and revolutionary thesis!” Simon, who could also be considered a university student, said.
“…Ugh, I, I read it.” Ina, the academic slacker, felt a little guilty. She couldn’t understand the purely technical discussions at all, and if Elinore hadn’t forced her, she probably wouldn’t have been able to read it.
However, she still read it, which was better than not reading it at all.
“Very good, then we can test the new tactics in a while. Anyway, it’s just cultists and Lumina Rebels. There are many of them, and their morale is high, but their equipment and training are limited. Aren’t these enemies, who have some combat power but aren’t that strong, the best practice targets?” Feifei smiled, pursing her lips.
Her smile was beautiful, but also very dangerous.
Ina felt like she had learned something she shouldn’t have, and for a moment, she felt greatly stimulated.
Meng Jiao and Simon took nearly ten seconds to understand what the other party meant. The former quickly said, “…But, the new tactics formulated by Captain Yu Lian are for four people!”
“Yes! If it’s four people, isn’t that just right?” Feifei said with a smile.
In the vast underground altar of Sero Ancient City, the ritual had indeed reached its final stage.
Flores Wanda looked up at the white light ascending, his eyes fixed on the dazzling brilliance, where an indescribable entity was slowly condensing. At the same time, he directly faced the pressure from the other party on a spiritual level.
The voice resounding in his soul, also mixed with various complex and incomprehensible information, almost completely destroyed his mind.
Cult Master Wanda knew that if he hadn’t been trained by the big boss in the organization, and if he wasn’t holding this mirror-like treasure now, his soul would have been completely annihilated under the pressure of this Void Realm Behemoth.
Augosolo, the undying Myriad-Headed Beast! How powerful was Count Salwen back then to be able to subdue such an existence!
Cult Master Wanda was filled with emotion and awe for his predecessors, but he could hardly conceal his excitement and fanaticism.
The legacy left by such a great man will finally be mine!
Twenty years of searching, twenty years of adventure, enduring countless hardships, finally collecting all of his notes and the sacrificial artifacts he left behind—wasn't this moment what I sought?
Mine! Mine! All mine!
He silently chanted in his heart, almost speaking it aloud.
“This isn’t yours.” A voice with a playful smile sounded almost in his ear.
Flores Wanda was almost scared out of his wits, and the mirror in his hand nearly fell to the ground. He took a few steps back in a tactical retreat, and his spiritual energy immediately condensed into four rotating, offensive and defensive lightning shields around him. Several high-ranking cult members and Lumina Rebels leaders closest to him were grazed by the edges of the electric arcs, making them jump and scream in pain.
The Cult Master of Wanling Sect had no time to pay attention to any of this. He looked in disbelief at the altar in front of him, and from within the brilliant white light, the first to emerge was actually a figure wearing a powered exoskeleton.
He quickly recognized the other person’s identity.
Captain Yu Lian of the Navy, a rising young man, a young man… who had made his revenge efforts a laughingstock of the organization.
Behind him was the Void Realm thing that was forming and about to descend into the material world. In front of him were thousands of core Wanling Sect followers and the elites of the Lumina Rebels.
However, he just smiled brightly at everyone, revealing two rows of reflective, pearly white teeth.
“Hello, there!”
