Him and their stars.

Chapter 2174 What truly constitutes being virtuous and having many supporters?
The light was so profound, so dazzling, so sacred. It was a warm, turquoise blue, and it contained the vibrant light of hope, yet it was so majestic and awe-inspiring that it seemed as if the god of war, Sur, had personally descended upon the land.

I assure the spirits of the universe that the above is, of course, the true imagination of the Star Knights when they witnessed this light.

In short, when everyone watched this divine light descend, whether it was friend or foe, their morale inexplicably soared.

With such a powerful entrance, they couldn't possibly be an enemy, right?
So, when the light faded and the figure inside was revealed, and they discovered it was the dragon whose name they couldn't even mention, the knights had very mixed feelings.

No, of course it's not the dragon anymore, but our most reliable ally.

At this moment, Yu Lian ignored the Empire's psychological entanglement and didn't even have time to greet his old friend Giafil. He simply relied on the crystal formed by his spiritual energy to continue accelerating and rushed straight toward the gray barrier in the distance.

He had great confidence in the intelligence of the Star Knights. Even without communication, they understood what to do.

At this moment, what covered his body was no longer the relatively rough cyan crystal clusters from before, but a full-body armor that seemed to be integrated with his flesh and blood! The entire body still presented a deep cyan and translucent white jade color, flowing with a halo as vast as a galaxy.

Beneath his feet, there was not a giant dragon, but a wisp of azure light, as if it were holy fire purifying evil and vanquishing all demons. However, when this holy halo streaked across the starry sky, it left a trail of flame hundreds of kilometers long, like the tail of a comet.

In most civilizations' mythologies, a comet streaking across the sky represents misfortune. The Tirreros were no exception.

But now, the noblemen of Tirelo who witnessed this scene felt as if it were a journey of the sun god.

However, this was by no means a meaningless display of power, nor was it a case of a psionicist losing control of their power while unleashing their full strength. The halos shimmering with starlight were thrown into the starry sky, where they rapidly began a chemical reaction upon contact with the low temperature of the vacuum, transforming into a torrential rain that scattered countless crystal clusters of powder.

As the sacred crystal dust fell upon the knights' ranks, the wounded and exhausted psionicists and dragons all felt their physical and mental strength recovering, and their wounds healing at an accelerated pace.

The ultimate application of the "Spirit Ruins Forge" is never just about arming oneself, but also about materializing one's spiritual energy, manifesting power into more magical phenomena, and even intervening in the flow and circulation of the already formed spiritual particle array.

Now, Yu Lian directly infused the effects of the Touch of Life into the entire formation of the knights.

This is an array formed by the aura abilities of the flag bearers. Thus, in addition to their original abilities such as "Focus," "Tranquility," and "Fanaticism," each knight is also given a higher-level buff that extends the upper limit of the red, blue, and green bars and increases their recovery speed.

For Yu Lian, this was merely adding a buff to his (temporary) allies, allowing them to sacrifice themselves more valiantly. But for ordinary knights, such power was hardly something a mere war god like Su Er could achieve.

The Dragon of Dawn, the incarnation of the sun god Rui, is that all there is to it?

Some knights at the scene did indeed have such treasonous thoughts. Some even thought of the 250th War God Festival four years ago. They had witnessed the entire legendary journey and, of course, learned about the details of the Battle of the Valley through private channels.

At that moment, the knights were surprised to find that they had developed the same empathy and felt the same hope as the other contestants.

As Giafil was gathering her final strike, she instinctively stopped, staring in astonishment at the divine light that flashed before her.

Duke Géribian, who was struggling with fear, also widened his eyes. The first thing he wanted to do when he saw Yu Lian was to run away, but when he realized that this was his ally, his heart was filled with surging emotion.

Even the ethereal demons that had been coldly observing the knights seemed to be intimidated. The gray mist barrier formed by the gray light on their bodies showed a very slight stagnation.

However, facing the overwhelming army of the illusory realm before him, Yu Lian seemed to finally begin to slow down. The spiritual light beneath his feet began to reform, transforming into a mechanical flying machine with dragon patterns and sharp edges.

At first glance, it looks like a flying skateboard, with an unexplained mechanical structure attached to it.

At less than ten meters tall, it's at most a loyal wingman. Considering that Yu Lian, now clad in his Spirit Light Mech, is over three meters tall, it feels like he's riding a giant hoverboard.

Giafil suddenly felt a little disappointed. Of course, she recognized that Yu Lian was using the "Spirit Ruins Forging Furnace." She was also cultivating, but had only just begun. However, she also knew that this was a manifestation of spiritual particle creation that only appeared at the highest level!
Psionicists at this level can truly "create" and "manifest" Noble Phantasms through the mystical laws of higher dimensions.

The flying device he was standing on must have been like that.

However, compared to his background, he was really quite ordinary.

If it were me, I would definitely get a giant dragon made of crystal. If it were Gilly, I would definitely get a super, super huge and magnificent golden dragon.

Indeed, deep down he is a simple yet indomitable hero!
Wait, why am I suddenly having these wild thoughts? Giafil paused for a moment, then realized that she, who had just been preparing to self-destruct and pave the way forward, had completely calmed down.

Is this what it feels like to have someone to rely on?
However, the Lady Knight still felt that something was amiss. She was certain that if Brunhilde had been present, she wouldn't have had these thoughts.

Yu Lian, of course, could not possibly comprehend Miss Gilly's complex state of mind. He simply pressed his skateboard against the enemy at a subtly steady pace. He observed the thousands upon thousands of illusory demons and the hazy, gray barrier.

To be honest, he didn't feel that the ominous gray light was oppressive, gloomy, terrifying, or like an abyss. He just felt that he had seen the illusory realm again, as if he had seen his family.

Is there anyone here who understands the virtual realm better than me?

He was clearly charging towards those high and mighty monsters, but his eyes looked as if he were looking down at ants in his own garden, and the corners of his mouth even curled up slightly, as if he had found a new toy.

He didn't even conjure any other weapons; he simply raised his right arm slowly, like a child returning excitedly from the kitchen with a kettle of hot water.

The finger, covered in cyan crystal armor, stretched out and casually swept across the air towards the densely packed army of fallen angels, radiating ominous energy and resembling a blasphemous horde.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor was there a helium flash of burning stars.

However, along the path his finger traced, space itself seemed to be thrown into a lake with a giant rock, creating visible ripples that spread out instantly at a speed beyond comprehension, like faster-than-light.

Before the knights could react, the shockwave had already swept across the entire army of demons from the Void Realm.

A sight that would be unforgettable for all who witnessed it occurred.

Those powerful, sinister, blasphemous angels, who seemed to be manifestations of negative energy from the warp, were like porcelain struck by an invisible giant hammer, or ice blocks thrown into a steel furnace, bursting forth with blinding light from within!

Then, an explosion actually occurred.

The continuous, muffled explosions echoed in the vacuum, defying the laws of physics, resounding directly into the depths of the consciousness of every witness!

Thousands upon thousands of armored angels, their heavy pale armor, their blasphemous runes shimmering with gray light, their wings of light composed of shadow and machinery, all shattered and disintegrated from the inside out at the same time, followed by the finest spiritual dust!
Before they could even react, they were annihilated in swathes under that seemingly casual finger.

All the surviving Star Knights stared in disbelief at the expansion of the road ahead.

Giafil silently lowered her dragon spear, forged from star iron. The black hole that had formed at the spear tip had naturally dissipated. The knight commander, who had faced death with unwavering resolve, suddenly found that her prepared self-sacrifice had taken on a surreal, absurdist comedic style. Duke Geribian's fear was replaced by unparalleled awe; looking at the person standing on the strange flying machine, she truly felt a miracle for the first time.

Yes, an unseen giant hand descended from a higher dimension, holding an invisible rag, and easily wiped away the stains on this blasphemous painting.

If this isn't a miracle, then what is it?

“Dragon of Dawn! Is this the revelation you have given me?” she murmured softly.

"Your Highness, Gairibean?"

Oh no, Giafil overheard those whispers! This girl doesn't seem like Brunhilde's top enforcer at all; she's clearly her eyes and ears.

“I seem to see the light of hope bestowed upon us by the Dragon of Dawn, Gilly. This is the radiance brought by Brunhilde’s return to the Celestial Realm. This is the dawn of a new era for the Empire!”

There was a momentary pause in the mental communication.

Duke Gérène clearly saw that Giafil, who was actually more than a hundred kilometers away in space, had turned to look at him.

Her gaze seemed to be quite meaningful, yet it was clearly one of awe and admiration.

Despite being more than a hundred kilometers apart, despite the vacuum of space, and despite the helmet, Duke Gerre was able to confirm this.

"Clear the air ahead! It's time to charge!" Grand Master Gai of the Astral Knights shouted.

“That’s right,” Knight Commander Giafil agreed earnestly.

And indeed, that was the case. A vast blank area had appeared in the starry sky. The gray curtain that had been so imposing and seemingly insurmountable just two seconds ago had vanished into thin air. The pale fragments and embers of energy that had not yet completely dissipated were still melting away, as if they had lost their anchor and were about to be expelled from the entire universe.

As for Yu Lian, he simply withdrew his fingers slowly. The skateboard beneath his feet seemed to let out a long and majestic dragon roar, creating a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation that resounded throughout the entire battlefield.

Everyone seemed to hear a clear and resonant sonata, a solemn melody that resounded in their hearts, driving away all their timidity and fear.

The knights drew their swords and charged forward, following the blue light!
Three minutes ago, they were prepared to die for the people of the Empire. Now, they all felt that with such an ally (leader), they were certain they would live to see victory!
……

"Ah! Victory! We will win!" Lieutenant Andro Mota roared, slamming his shield, which was encased in a disintegrating force field, fiercely onto the head of a monster that looked like a giant jumping frog contaminated by nuclear radiation. After feeling the monster's entire body begin to shrivel, he raised his electromagnetic rifle and aimed it at a swaggering monster directly in front of him.

It was a monster three meters tall. Its slender body resembled a twisted scarecrow, but it had long, gorilla-like hair and a bald vulture head, making it unsettling to look at.

However, this monster, whose appearance alone is enough to make people lose their sense of dignity, does not seem to evoke any fear in mortals like Mota.

Just half a minute ago, the assault team members who were fighting the invaders on the Silent Ship inexplicably heard a fleeting sound, like the vibration of a musical string, or like the drawing of a sharp sword.

It flashed by so quickly that most people thought it was just an illusion.

Yes, most of the officers and men on the Silent Ship thought it was an illusion. They were, of course, unaware that the commander's words had resounded throughout the surrounding starry sky and had also penetrated directly into the Silent Ship's hull on the other side of the battlefield.

That warm and vibrant light seemed to penetrate the heavy armor and seep into the hearts of every Earth sailor.

The oppressive and exhausting feeling caused by the invasion of the virtual monsters and the constant whispers of the mind receded like a tide, and a surge of high-spirited and fiery fighting spirit immediately rose up, as if the glorious rising sun had dispelled the gloom.

Ordinary "mortal" soldiers wouldn't have so many feelings. They only knew that they were getting braver and braver, and that they were about to go on a killing spree!
Once you accept this premise, these bizarre, illusory monsters in front of you aren't so bad. Even though you haven't fought them before, how are they any different from the enemies you've faced before?

"Die! Die!" Mota roared, the explosive machine gun he raised with one hand spitting out angry tongues of fire.

It turns out that this new type of mech, developed from the "Hundred-Eyed Giant" mech, can provide a greater boost to human strength. As a result, Mota, who was already naturally strong, can now actually use the squad's machine gun for suppressing fire as a one-handed assault rifle.

It has also been proven that while live ammunition weapons are barely effective against the monsters in the virtual realm, energy weapons are still far from satisfactory.

Dense beams of explosive energy pierced through the warriors' encirclement, precisely striking the twisted, bird-like monster. It was blasted into a cloud of black smoke, emitting a piercing shriek.

Just half a minute ago, this strange noise could have shaken even the most seasoned Marines to their core, leaving them unable to stand. But now, it no longer shakes their steely resolve.

It eventually dissipated into a mass of shadow energy.

Watching the blasphemous creation perish under his gun, this young but experienced "veteran" blinked, regaining some of his senses, but still feeling somewhat dazed.

"So, this is a monster from the Void Realm? How could a mortal like me be able to kill such a thing?" He wiped the unidentified slime splattered on his mask, still in a state of surreal shock, until he heard his subordinates report that "all intruders in Sector C have been eliminated," which calmed him down.

"What about the rest of the places? Where is support needed?" he asked.

"There are still two more in Zone F, separated by two passages, but they've been blocked by the Bifang. Also, Master Gongsun has already gone there," the subordinate replied.

The implication is that the elimination of all intruders from the ship is imminent.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief, walked to the porthole, and gazed at the energy gathering point at the edge of his vision.

With the eyesight of an ordinary person, he certainly couldn't see the entirety of the behemoth or the charging of the star dragons. However, he did see a dazzling, bright red pillar of light, like a divine sword piercing through the dark starry sky, directly stabbing towards the monster.

Such dazzling sound and light effects could not possibly be from an arc cannon, nor from the main guns of the Imperial fleet; it is clearly a fortress cannon.

Mota was surprised to find that the source was none other than the direction of the Fist of Glory Fortress.

After two hours of silence, the fortress finally made its move and began to take its positions.

"I never imagined that upon arriving in the Heavenly Realm, we would have to join forces with the Empire to fight against them!"

"I have absolutely no idea who the enemy is and who the ally is."

Hearing his subordinates whispering on the comms, Andro Motta couldn't help but shout, "This is what they call 'the righteous gain many supporters, the unrighteous lose few!' All soldiers with conscience, courage, and integrity will surely follow the true hero. Isn't this our good fortune?"

The Marines looked at each other, then all agreed that their company commander was absolutely right.