Chapter 297: The sudden influx of the dark tide of the star stream and the "recruitment" of the Bloodthirsty Duke
But now, it seems that a third person has intervened. Although we don’t know what he is going to do, it should not deviate from their ultimate goal.
"On the contrary, it saved me a lot of energy." His eyes flickered. "However, I still need an opportunity to detonate it."
…………
"Why are the coordinates flying all over the sky?"
Inside the Coyle, Benny stared at the virtual screen in front of him, his whole body trembling, his eyes bloodshot. "And who on earth spread this detailed description of the core relic treasures?!"
Ulrich glanced at him indifferently, and no one paid any attention to him.
"Qinglong, where is Lord Qinglong? He hasn't shown up for more than ten days." Benny looked around like a madman.
"You called us here for such a short matter?" Sandro muttered in dissatisfaction. "If you want to know the answer, go find it yourself."
"I..." Benny's face flushed red from holding back his words. Monroe said calmly, "Lord Qinglong will show up when the time comes. Just wait patiently."
"Wait...?" Benny's heart twitched, staring at Monroe, but helpless.
This guy suddenly appeared and no one knew his origins. After Qinglong disappeared, this guy took charge of all matters on the main ship.
It would be fine if the coward Cornette had no objection, but Theo and the other three guys actually had no objection either.
He really couldn't understand what was going on and couldn't leave. The suffocating feeling almost drove him crazy.
"Old man, the core ruins are right in front of us. We will be the first to know if there are any changes. Look how panicked you are." Sandro sneered and was the first to leave.
The others also left one after another.
………
"Your Excellency, I have been in and out of the Red River Star Stream hundreds of times. I am as familiar with this place as home."
On the dark golden deck of the Trident, a hunchbacked old man with a beard came down from the spaceship and stood timidly in front of Antonio.
Antonio looked at him with a stern expression, then looked at his men beside him and said coldly, "Is this the method you said could break through the combined fleet?"
"Blackbeard!" his men shouted hurriedly, "Stop keeping us in suspense and tell us your method."
Blackbeard nodded and flattered, "Your Excellency, since I was a child, I have followed my father to make a living in the Red River Star Stream and have experienced no less than dozens of tidal periods..."
As he was speaking, Blackbeard shuddered and saw Antonio's murderous gaze. He hurried to the point and said in a trembling voice, "I have a way to trigger the dark tide of stars!"
"Hmm?" Antonio looked slightly surprised and looked Blackbeard up and down. "Star Stream Dark Tide, just you?"
"Of course I don't have that ability. I can only create a dark stellar tide under extremely harsh conditions. If the environment allows, I can make it continue to expand and move in a specific direction."
Antonio frowned slightly. The dark tide of the star stream is an extremely dangerous disaster near the Red River Star Stream. It is a tide of dark energy flowing in the interlayer space.
If the scale is large enough, it is indeed possible to cause great damage to the immobile Combined Fleet, or at least create an opportunity for attack.
He still looked skeptical, but decided to give it a try. "Okay, the entire army, including me, will cooperate with you. If you succeed, you will gain immense wealth. If you fail, I will kill you."
Blackbeard's face turned pale, and he looked bitter, "Yes... yes..."
…
"Yes, father..." Gabriel stood in front of the table with a respectful expression. The smart terminal above it reflected a black virtual screen, with only white sound waves undulating. His voice was low and mellow.
"We should be tolerant of this kind of special talent. Don't worry about what they say. As long as the gene lock is engraved, they will definitely be used by us. To protect their self-esteem, it's okay to say a few nice words."
"You discovered him, and he will be of use to you in the future..."
Gabriel's expression was gloomy and unreadable. "I will convey your message to him. I believe he will be honored by your favor."
…
"drop--"
The blockade light turned from red to green. Li Ming looked up unexpectedly and glanced at the virtual clock on the wall. It was not yet time for free activities.
The cell door opened, and the guard poked his head out and said, "Sir, His Highness Ford is here to visit you."
"Fred?" Li Ming nodded thoughtfully.
When I went out, I saw Fudeguo standing not far away. He was wearing a proper military uniform, standing straight with his hair combed back.
There are seats in the common area of this special detention area.
"I didn't expect that the scene when we meet again would be like this." Ford sighed after sitting down.
"So, what do you think of seeing me become a prisoner?" Li Mingze said with a smile.
"Nothing." Ford smiled bitterly, scratched his hair, and couldn't help asking, "How did you get caught? You were so careless."
"I'm not omnipotent. It's normal to be caught." Li Ming shrugged.
Ford was speechless and sighed, "It doesn't matter. With your terrifying development potential, no one will do anything to you even if you are caught."
"What are you thinking? The Bloodthirsty Duke is very interested in you. I heard that if he wasn't afraid that you would be kidnapped by Azure Dragon, he would have sent you away immediately."
Li Ming was slightly surprised. He really underestimated the impact of this development potential.
Level 46 was a level he had deliberately chosen to suit his own development progress.
Fortunately, it was not higher, otherwise he would not have been sent to the joint fleet, but directly sent to the Xingyuan Empire.
"But Gabriel has a grudge against you, or more accurately, your teacher. He's been holding a grudge against you ever since he was tricked by your teacher last time." Ford reminded carefully:
"It is said that Gabriel was planning to search your memory directly, but your potential was too terrifying, and Ronan also stopped him, so he had no choice but to give up."
"Earlier, Asmara opened a dedicated communication line for Gabriel. Perhaps his father has received an order, and I suspect it has something to do with you."
"He might come to you and tell you the price, or even try to pressure you. Don't pay attention to him. Be patient and wait until you meet the Bloodthirsty Duke."
Li Ming looked Ford up and down, shook his head and said, "If someone shows kindness for no reason, he is either a traitor or a thief."
Ford's face suddenly turned awkward, and he said awkwardly, "We are old friends, and I am just concerned about you."
"Of course, it would be great if you could take care of me if you have the chance in the future."
Li Ming laughed, his meaning unclear: "Are you so sure that I will submit to the Bloodthirsty Duke?"
"Do you... have any other choice?" Ford was shocked and couldn't help but advise: "Brother, don't commit suicide. Don't waste such high development potential."
"Haha..." Li Ming shook his head and asked, "How are things going at the core ruins?"
"You're still concerned about this?" Ford looked surprised and said speechlessly, "It has already been initially materialized and is currently undergoing finishing work. It should be ready in a few days."
Li Ming seemed to be thinking about something, then he stood up and said, "Okay, thank you for your reminder."
Ford hesitated to speak, looking at Li Ming's back, and added: "That's the Bloodthirsty Duke, it's not shameful."
There was no response, because Li Ming had already turned around and walked into the cell. Ford shook his head helplessly.
He had some understanding of Li Ming. Although he seemed nonchalant, he actually had a strong sense of pride, but he just didn't show it.
I came here specifically because I was afraid that he would be provoked by Gabriel who was venting his anger and suffer in vain.
Sure enough, less than two hours later, Gabriel arrived.
This time, Li Ming did not go out, but just sat on the bed casually.
In the narrow cell, Gabriel stood expressionlessly in an open space, followed by his personal bodyguard Ronan.
"How do you feel?" He said in a flat voice.
"It's okay, but the suppressor on my body is not very comfortable." Li Ming said casually.
Seeing the other party like this, Gabriel didn't know why he thought of Qinglong again. He suddenly became angry and no longer had the intention to pretend to be polite. He said in a cold voice:
"My father asked me to tell you that as long as you are willing to engrave the gene lock and serve him, he can give you everything you want."
"Everything you want?" Li Ming couldn't help but grin, "Tsk tsk..."
Seeing his nonchalant look, Gabriel became more and more dissatisfied. His father was the Grand Duke of the Empire, a big shot that countless people wanted to see but could not.
He said coldly, "Isn't this your purpose? You are fearless when you are caught. You also know how valuable you are."
"Why bother being so reserved now? I might as well tell you that it was Cornett who leaked your whereabouts. The consequences of your teacher's mess fell on you."
Gabriel's eyes were cold. "Whether you agree or not, you will eventually be engraved with a genetic lock, also known as a 'dog chain'. You have no choice."
Li Ming stared at him and suddenly asked, "How old are you?"
Gabriel frowned, his eyes grew colder, and Ronan whispered, "Your Highness."
Gabriel snorted coldly, "You don't know what I'm talking about."
He didn't wait for Li Ming's answer, leaving these words behind and leaving. After the cell door was closed, Ronan said hesitantly:
"Your Highness, isn't your attitude a bit too intense?"
"I've read his information and psychological profile. He has a sense of pride that needs to be tempered." Gabriel said expressionlessly.
Ronan sighed helplessly.
………
Just five days later, countless warships of various types gathered outside the combined fleet's reconnaissance area. They all looked very old and uneven, and some even had traces of repairs on their hulls.
"It's just like what you said. Killing all these guys will consume a lot of energy." Several commanders in the Star Crown Guard were chatting casually.
This situation has been going on for several days, and in the coming days, it is foreseeable that more fleets will gather.
"I heard that the core ruins are almost ready. If we delay any longer, some powerful creatures might come from far away."
"I'm not sure, we just have to follow orders...Huh?" A human commander was suddenly surprised, and he pointed at the fleet that suddenly scattered on the screen.
"What happened to them?" he asked subconsciously. Before he finished speaking, a shrill alarm suddenly sounded in the entire command room.
"Warning, detecting massive energy tidal fluctuations and interlayer energy convergence. Models are consistent, suspected stellar undercurrents. Please evade immediately!"
The commanders exchanged glances, their expressions suddenly becoming horrified. A dark tide of stars!?
After receiving the news, Asmara rushed over urgently, and all the senior executives gathered in the command room. They now had no time to care about why such a huge star stream was coming towards them.
Virtual screens went dark one after another, and reports continued: "The outer probes have been destroyed. The estimated collision time is thirty-four minutes."
As soon as the words fell, there was a sound of gasps. Their probe had spread to three days beyond the range.
Even if the jump voyage takes three days, this dark tide of star streams can come in just thirty minutes. It is really terrifying.
Asmara's expression was solemn, but he quickly responded, saying in a deep voice, "For the next thirty minutes, shrink the formation with all your strength, and all joint shield generators will operate at full power."
"All bombers and main ship gun turrets are fully charged and aimed at the direction of the star stream dark tide to launch the first wave of reduction."
"Also, with the Star Ring Guard as the center, we'll implement multi-layered protection!"
No one dared to delay, and sweating profusely, orders were passed down layer by layer, and the loose formation of the combined fleet began to shrink rapidly.
Time passed minute by minute, Asmara stood at the porthole with a gloomy face and a feeling of uncertainty in her heart.
She was worried not only about the dark tide of stars, but also about what might happen afterwards.
The dark starry sky was filled with astonishing energy reactions, like a buggy area, flickering non-stop.
In the visualized energy spectrum, it is like an overwhelming wave, coming at a seemingly slow but actually extremely fast speed.
The dilapidated warships along the way were trying their best to avoid it, but in the face of this interstellar natural disaster, everything seemed so powerless and was quietly caught up in it without even a spark.
In the command room, everyone held their breath and waited patiently.
"We have entered the designated range, prepare to bomb!"
“3, 2, 1!”
boom!
The fully charged turret spewed out a blazing beam of light, and a colorful torrent of energy roared out. The dazzling light illuminated the entire area, and under everyone's attention, it rushed into the dark wave.
boom!
Everyone was imagining the sound, and ripples appeared in the space, the void was distorted, and within the coverage area, even the stars in the distance disappeared in an instant.
This is the result of space being distorted to the limit, forming a closed state, isolating the inside and the outside, even light is no exception, and continuous explosions can be seen from extremely far away.
Immediately afterwards, as if ignited, a bright blue line of fire spread out in all directions from the point of impact, as if lifting up an endless and magnificent sky, and the entire joint fleet seemed insignificant in front of it.
The interlayer energy was detonated and turned into a substantial torrent. It looked terrifying, but its power was reduced.
"The impact is coming!"
The blazing blue sky collided with the thick energy barrier, instantly triggering a violent chain reaction with continuous ripples.
All the shield nodes were running at full power, humming non-stop.
“Drip—drip—”
The lights flickered, the ship was shaking violently, and the command room was silent. The energy magnetic field brought by the dark tide of the star stream made all the detection equipment ineffective, and cold sweat broke out on everyone's palms.
In the special detention area, Li Ming looked up at the flashing lights, his heart stirring, "Is it finally starting?"
(End of this chapter)
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