Him and their stars.

Chapter 2126 A Precarious Obstacle

Yu Lian's words caused Xiao Hui to fall silent for several seconds. Xiao Hui blinked, and an indescribable sadness appeared on his face: "What a pathetic person! After hearing that it was related to weapons, your adrenaline surged at least nine times faster than before."

Feifei interjected again, "You still haven't given a direct answer."

"So, you're thinking about everything from a weapon's perspective. Don't you think your thinking is too one-dimensional? Don't you think it makes you seem heartless? Brother Yu Lian, Sister Fei Fei, do you really have no love?"

“…Okay, it seems there is indeed some connection.” Fei Fei nodded, indicating that she had understood something.

The robot lady shrugged noncommittally, then pressed her finger to her lips.

"So, it's another prohibited item?"

Little Grey smiled and said, "No, I won't say anything before I've fully digested these devices. At most, I'll just remind you that the function of these two devices is to achieve a cycle with the environment of the virtual realm. According to you, this means that the life force of the two realms is shared. What would happen if they were used on a warship? Use your imagination and think about it."

Yu Lian and Fei Fei looked at each other in bewilderment.

To be honest, once something is connected to the Void Realm, there are just too many directions to explore, far more than we can imagine. There's a saying, isn't there? Too many clues are the same as having no clues at all.

The mushy couple immediately gritted their teeth. They declared that if they weren't outmatched or simply didn't know how to beat her, they would imprison, train, and torture this pretentious robot until she could tell the truth.

Perhaps sensing the danger, Little Grey slightly toned down its playful antics and gently patted the bulkhead beside it, its movements seemingly carrying a hint of tenderness.

"So you know, Captain. Exploring the unknown comes at a price, and guiding civilizations also comes at a price. Captain. The Silent is me now, and I am the Silent. We are sharing secrets. Before all possibilities are exhausted, before all answers are revealed, I and this ship still hope to survive to the end."

Yu Lian blinked, finally finding the only key information in the riddle robot's words: "I see, the new function must be related to the ship's survivability, right?"

Little Grey simply gave a noncommittal, deliberately profound smile: "Little Brother Yu Lian, a lack of culture constitutes anti-civilization behavior, so stagnation of civilization is indeed a tragedy. In this respect, the successive holy rulers of the Galactic Empire are perhaps all negative examples. I just earnestly hope that you will remember your original intentions."

Subsequently, the Silent Ship's terminal core displayed that the progress on the much-anticipated "Phase Disintegration Cannon" was still stuck at 2/3. This left Yu Lian somewhat disappointed.

However, the terminal then showed that the negative oxygen ions, phytoncides, and water vapor in the air inside the ship had been adjusted to an optimal balance that best meets the needs of human health. Walking through the ship's passageways is like walking in the wilderness of a sacred planet; one can't help but feel refreshed, forgetting both honor and disgrace, enjoying wine in the breeze, and experiencing a sense of boundless joy.

Psionicists like Yu Lian can even detect subtle spiritual fluctuations in the air.

While ordinary people would certainly benefit from good health and longevity in such an environment, psychics would experience even greater gains. Whether it's spiritual practice or healing, the process would be much faster than outside, making it quite like a blessed land. It's worth noting that long-established occult organizations outside have fought fiercely over such places.

Or perhaps this is a broader kind of spiritual circulation.

The benefits didn't stop there. Not long after, Anne Romanova reported that this nutrient-rich cycle had even spread to the Dragon Boat Piercing, which was hidden inside the Silent Ship.

As a result, even the star dragons seemed much more energetic than usual.

In addition, the ship's energy recovery speed has been significantly accelerated, and the endurance bonus for the entire Yulian fleet has also been significantly increased.

The engine's basic specifications had also changed imperceptibly. How this would affect the ship's maneuverability and range remained to be seen, requiring further adjustments by the crew. However, in the eyes of Anne, a seasoned and talented pilot, it was certainly not a bad thing.

Compared to the news above, the sudden appearance of a whole wall of colorful flowers in the greenhouse garden of the Silent Ship was just a minor incident.

In conclusion, the brief stopover in the Frostbea system yielded fruitful results for everyone; the mere twelve-hour stopover was certainly well worth the investment. As for our ally Lord 9527, he left behind a growing cerebrate, along with a considerable number of worker bees and soldier worms, in the Sugar Star Laboratory and the Frostbea system. If all goes well, a new independent lord and a complete swarm can develop on this planet.

"Once the brain worm matures, if it is fortunate enough to unlock the special combat port and the mimicry port, it can be called a lord. This time, the lord's number will be 10086."

In other words, the swarm has evolved to the point where its lords can "hatch" other lords? This is an ability I've never heard of before. So, it must be because Shirley fused with the last of the nest cores and completed the evolution after all.

"Speaking of which, she's going to try out the Fist of Glory. I wonder how things are going."

"The Overlord's infiltration went smoothly, and it has left behind surveillance worms. However, whether to launch an offensive requires further observation and careful consideration."

Well, if we take a long-term view, then of course it's good news.

In conclusion, at least for now, everyone has a bright future.

Subsequently, the fleet, consisting of three Tier 3 Nest Ships, 30 Earth warships of various sizes, and one Enlightened Ancient Warship, set off for the Celestial Realm once again.

Throughout history, there have been many fleets that entered the Celestial Realm as conquerors or rulers, but this time, it should be the smallest batch.

Perhaps that's why some people have started having unrealistic ideas.

Shortly after the fleet left the Frostlime system, subordinates reported that an Imperial fleet had appeared directly ahead, presumably preparing to intercept them.

Yu Lian expressed his doubt: "Isn't the nearest Imperial fleet to us Lieutenant General Jaeger Sobek's fleet?"

“That’s them. The main force of the Sobyk fleet set sail on May 9th and has now reached the Liebang system.” Deng Zhengqing immediately replied, and even took out a real-time updated star map.

Due to the issue of computing power suppression, the movements of the various combat groups of the Imperial Army are almost transparent to Yu Lian in one direction.

A quick glance at the star map reveals that, apart from the Sobyk fleet which is currently nearby, King Werrent's fleet has also "recaptured" the ruins of Chenxiao Fortress and re-entered the Central Sector. Furthermore, while the main force of Duke Barryn's forces remains stationed at Shengyuan after his assassination, Marshal Betaway and Lieutenant General Nobof have already arrived.

Currently, the surrounding star sectors are still filled with the vast imperial army, but they are still quite far from Yulian and Tianyu.

Wayne said, "The biggest threat to us right now is still the Sobyk fleet. They are all high-speed warships with extremely high maneuverability, and they also have dragon ships to assist them. They are only about 200 light-years away from us. If they take the White Duke 4 route, they will only be three days away from us."

Deng Zhengqing pondered, "Perhaps Yegor Sobyk harbors such fantasies, wanting to catch up with us ahead of time and annihilate us outside the capital?"

This calculation was not unfounded. The Sobyk fleet was only 200 light-years away from the Earth ships, which was not an insurmountable distance, but it was still 1000 light-years away from the Celestial Domain, making it almost impossible for them to reach the Celestial Domain before the Earthlings.

Eleanor Bonaparte nodded emphatically: "That should be it. If it were me, I would have done the same. This is their only chance, and Sobek, a renowned general of the Empire, surely understands this." Lieutenant Hines of the Intelligence Department then reported that they had actually intercepted quite a few telegrams during this period. The Grand Marshal's Office was issuing orders almost daily, constantly urging the Sobek fleet to quickly reinforce the capital.

“A general in the field may disobey the emperor’s orders. Sobek, a renowned general, couldn’t possibly be unaware of such a simple principle,” Wayne said, frowning.

Deng Zhengqing agreed: "Yes. It is precisely because the Privy Council issued chaotic orders in a state of panic that he, as a responsible imperial general, needs to make the right judgment even more."

Eleanor exclaimed, "This must be the Empire's 'flower of generals'!"

Yu Lian barely managed to keep her expression from crumbling. However, on the other hand, while her friends' arguments differed somewhat from reality, their conclusions weren't entirely without merit.

He then pondered, "In that case, the Imperial fleet ahead of us doesn't intend to attack us, but simply wants to buy time until the Sobek fleet arrives?"

From a tactical perspective, this is perhaps the most likely outcome.

"But what kind of fleet is it? The Empire really doesn't have many troops left."

"A warship undergoing major repairs being prematurely deployed to the front lines? Or is it a brand-new ship whose assembly is not even finished?"

"It would be pointless for such a ship to be on the front lines. The Empire wouldn't do something so irrational."

"Speaking of which, what about that Titan that's still undergoing major repairs?"

"The Tirelo Brave Advance? It was indeed undergoing major repairs at the Hand of Glory in February, but after the Dragon's Nest campaign, it was moved to the Sacred Tree Shipyard in the Clean Garden Sector."

"The imperial devils are really vigilant."

"Under no circumstances should we let our guard down. How many troops does the fleet at the front have?"

"Preliminary investigations indicate that the number is between 400 and 450."

"Wow, this fleet size? It's not to be underestimated!"

Thus, the soldiers of the Yulian Fleet adopted a relatively cautious attitude, deploying their forces and preparing to engage the enemy fleet. Even the three nest ships led by 9527 had their outer armor taut, as if they could unleash thousands of spores at any moment.

"We must not let the enemy pull us into their rhythm. If these Imperial fleets are really just here to buy time, we absolutely cannot fall into positional warfare mode. The entire fleet should prepare for a central breakthrough." Senior Eleanor made this deployment and then asked Yu Lian if he had anything to add.

The latter, of course, would not object. As a qualified commander, he was already quite willing to hand over most of the routine command work to his senior and Red Hair to deploy troops, which was the kind of "rule by doing nothing" mentality he wanted.

Half a day after the Yu Fleet left the Frost Liu System, at 5:25 PM on May 14th, six hours after the Silent Ship had been facing enemy interception ahead, the so-called "Imperial Fleet" finally appeared in the same system.

Their formation gradually became clear, and the appearance of their own warships was reflected on the detection screen, which immediately stunned the Earth soldiers who were on high alert.

What was not a mighty and imposing imperial fleet was clearly a "rabble" made up of hundreds of armed merchant ships.

Of course, although it was an armed merchant ship, it was still a creation of the world's number one shipbuilding empire.

Many of these armed merchant ships are equipped with powerful military weapons and sturdy armor and shields. Even in some remote star systems, they are still majestic warships, and they can still be invincible and rampage against pirates.

However, they were still civilian ships. The so-called "sturdy" armor and "powerful" weapons were, after all, relative concepts.

Their numbers were, of course, quite large, ten times that of our side, including more than ten behemoths comparable in size to the Dreadnought, which at first glance really looked like a steel fortress.

However, all the Earth soldiers who witnessed this scene were left with only a tense emptiness after a brief moment of astonishment.

It's like taking your pants off but seeing nothing at all.

No matter how large or impressive the fleet may be, it is still just civilian ships after all.

Even seasoned warriors, seasoned in countless battles, rarely feel threatened when faced with a motley crew of militias several times their size. Now, however, these Earth warriors, who have traversed tens of thousands of light-years within the Empire's own borders, are bound to feel the same way.

"What are they trying to do? Do they think that this rabble of armed merchant ships can stop us from advancing?"

"But are they really here to start a war?"

"Otherwise what? They're not here to surrender, are they?"

"We still can't let our guard down. These ships might be teeming with antimatter and have come here to take everyone down with them."

"Using 400 armed shopping malls as bait? Including 5 Raven-class and 6 Courtyard-class ships? That's an enormous investment!"

Clearly, such conversations among the staff could not yield any conclusions, which inevitably caused hesitation among the decision-makers.

"Should we fire directly? Or send a signal to test the waters?" Eleanor looked at Yu Lian, a hint of confusion in her eyes. To be fair, her senior was never the type to hesitate like this. If they were both warships, she would have already ordered the cannons to fire, and would never have bothered to ask for her permission.

Yu Lian glanced at the civilian ships and, without any emotion, issued the order: "Open fire, entire fleet. Fire on the area where the ships are most concentrated."

He added, "The entire fleet need not stop; continue advancing. They will disperse."

The Silent One didn't even use its powerful arc cannons; it simply joined the other warships in a dense and fierce salvo of light spears. Those bright red beams of light shot into the vast fleet like arrows.

Dozens of blazing sparks burst forth on the steel walls formed by the giant ship.

The next second, these armed merchant ships, like a school of startled fish, turned around without hesitation and scattered in all directions with superhuman speed and precise rhythm. In the blink of an eye, the steel barrier composed of hundreds of armed merchant ships collapsed on the spot.

Immediately afterwards, a path sufficient for the entire fleet to advance safely was naturally formed.