Alien Hotel.

Chapter 699 Reentry into the Atmosphere

While Baili Qing was completing the planetary scan, the space bombardment of "Holy Realm" was still ongoing, and the battle in orbit was basically coming to an end. The defense forces deployed over this planet had already suffered heavy losses when the unified fleet jumped into the battlefield. Although the fanatical Christians were very tenacious in their fighting will, they were ultimately unable to change the course of the battlefield when the stargate was in their face.

After the orbital battle was essentially over, the twelve "Destiny"-class planetary suppression ships of the unified fleet passed through the stargate and jumped to the near-Earth orbit of the Holy Land. These special warships were equipped with powerful radar arrays that could monitor any engine ignition signs on the surface of the entire planet. Once such energy reactions were detected, they would immediately guide orbital bombardment for concentrated interception to ensure that no more warships could take off from the surface of this planet.

But even the most powerful orbital bombardment can only intercept spaceships taking off from the surface of a planet—it cannot stop a planet that is about to undergo a transformation.

“The energy reaction inside the planet is intensifying, and the ‘Gate of Eden’ is still growing,” Baili Qing’s voice came through the communicator. “If we delay any longer, the gate may open before we completely take over this planet.”

Yu Sheng quickly made a decision: "Whether I have time or not, I'll go down and see what's going on."

As he spoke, he turned his head to glance at the war-torn space outside the observation window, and the Hermitage home planet, isolated in the center of the battlefield.

Through the subtle connection established through blood, he could also sense something gradually "growing" inside the planet. However, when he was on the plain at the foot of the mountain on the surface, he could only sense that the thing was underground, but he never expected that it was actually a planet that had been hollowed out.

...In a sense, the statement "located underground" is not wrong.

“Landing is not a problem, the problem is how we ‘get in’ after landing on the surface…” Yu Sheng thought for a moment, then frowned and said, “Although the Holy Realm is just a ‘shell,’ I guess this shell is not something that Hu Li can dig through with his claws… You couldn’t even blow it open with your orbital bombardment.”

"Were any entrances discovered during the planetary scan?" Hong immediately turned to ask Baili Qing.

“The ‘support layer’ structure is chaotic, containing a large number of interwoven vascular structures and discontinuous fracture points, making it impossible to plan a feasible passage. However, I have found some suspicious energy focal points on the planet’s surface,” Baili Qing immediately said. “If I’m not mistaken, those energy focal points should be the key to controlling the deep Eden Gate… In any case, there should be some clues over there.”

Red Dot nodded: "Mark it."

"it is good."

The large holographic projection in front of the main control seat on the bridge flickered a few times, and the global projection of "Holy Realm" appeared in mid-air. The energy reactions on the surface and inside of the planet were dense, and several main energy flows were tinged with a striking red light. Then, Baili Qing marked several energy convergence points with conspicuous symbols.

“The largest energy focus is here, located in the mountains. The radar array has also detected a large, unidentified building in this forest. I suspect there is some kind of production or energy supply facility hidden inside the mountain,” Baili Qing said in the communicator. “The entire area here is covered by a shield, but the previous orbital bombardment should have severely damaged part of its shield generators. There is a gap in the barrier at this location I marked in red…”

“Alright, this will do,” Yu Sheng clapped his hands and turned to leave. “We’ll set off now. You guys keep an eye on things from upstairs and contact us immediately if anything unusual happens.”

Hong also lacked experience in cooperating with the people in the hostel. When she saw Yu Sheng acting on a whim, she was stunned for a moment. After realizing what was happening, she quickly said, "Wait, I haven't arranged the landing shuttle for you yet..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Yu Sheng push open a door next to the captain's seat and step out. The next moment, she saw a large white fox swaying past outside the observation window—Yu Sheng, Luna, and Eileen were riding on the fox's back. The fox's nine tails stretched out in space, spewing increasingly bright propulsion flames.

Then the enormous nine-tailed fox gracefully turned in space, took a step forward with its four legs, and the propulsive flames on its tail suddenly expanded.

Demonic flames rose, and the nine tails bloomed like fiery lotuses. The propulsion flames illuminated the bow of the Mass Effect. The silver-white fox took a step forward, accelerating towards the Hermitage's home planet as if running through space.

The next second, Hu Li lowered his head, preparing to headbutt the planet.

Hong: "...What's going on!?"

“This is called Fox Radish Impact,” Baili Qing’s voice rang out from the side, unhurried yet carrying a certain inexplicable pleasure, “Yu Sheng introduced this move to me…”

Her red face twitched, and she turned to "look" at Baili Qing: "So you're trying to use this to prove the rationale behind your dive into the atmosphere of an asteroid back then?"

Bai Liqing's cheerful mood came to an abrupt end: "...Can you please stop talking about this?"

……

At the same time, on the surface of the Sacred Realm planet.

Orbital bombardment from outer space has completely shattered the former beauty of the planet. Fortress torpedoes have destroyed mountains, and high-energy rays penetrating the atmosphere have dried up rivers. Once lush forests are now burning fiercely in the heavenly fire. Many strongholds in the plains and hills have been reduced to scorched earth in a very short time. The remaining shield systems are barely holding on, protecting the more important temples and factories. The Apostolic Army around the world is still putting up a last-ditch resistance in those temples and factories. They are hiding in fortresses, operating the still-functioning anti-aircraft guns, trying to shoot down the "heretics" in low Earth orbit. Others are fiercely fighting in the ruins of cities against the Unified Army drones that have already entered the atmosphere, trying to delay the planet's complete fall.

The sky was stained with smoke, and the diffused sunlight was tinged into large, uneven patches of dark red in the murky atmosphere. The high-energy particle beams heated the atmosphere during the bombardment, causing countless storms of varying sizes to rise in the high altitude. These storms transformed into countless terrifying vortexes in the sky, like gaping maws of abyss arrayed across the heavens.

Amidst the storm and the dim sunlight, high-energy beams from near-Earth orbit continued to sweep across the surface, the piercing shrieks of shield collapse echoed across the plains and mountains, heavy fortress torpedoes crashed to the ground, and mushroom clouds rose into the air, further obscuring the sky.

Landing ships of all sizes pierced through the thick atmosphere, heading straight for the once-lofty temples and palaces, braving the remaining, weakened anti-aircraft firepower in the city ruins. One by one, the priests and believers hiding in the temples were dragged out and executed on the spot amidst the scorched earth and wreckage.

But in many other parts of the planet, fierce battles continue.

The piercing air raid siren echoed through the mountains and forests. The energy shock caused by the rupture of the fortress shield tore apart a nearby mountain and ignited a raging fire in the forest. A fortress torpedo fired from near-Earth orbit had just exploded at the foot of the mountain, and the terrifying plasma storm instantly vaporized the defensive bunkers at the foot of the mountain. Taking advantage of this huge chaos, a Marine Corps unit that broke into the atmosphere had attacked several times, but was repelled by the defenders here each time and had to retreat back to the plains.

The last order from the High Temple was to hold this place at all costs and to repair the shield system at all costs.

At the very least, we need to patch up that dangerous vulnerability above the "Spirit Infusion Furnace".

"Hurry! We don't have time!" A hermit priest in a white robe stood anxiously beside a pile of ruins. "The tracks are full of heretics—and the plains too! We must get the shields and anti-aircraft guns back online before the second fortress torpedo falls! The Enchanted Furnace must not fall!"

The howling wind swept across the hills, carrying the acrid smell of gunpowder. Unsettling flashes of light approached from the atmosphere, and terrifying roars echoed from the distant hills.

The earth was shaking, and the nearly collapsed communication links were filled with distress signals and attack warnings.

What are the High Temple doing? Why are reinforcements so late? Are support forces from other planets already on their way? Do the defense forces in the polar regions still have a chance to recapture the orbital maneuvering platform?

The technical priests and engineers were at their wits' end beside the severely damaged shield generator, futilely trying to connect the now-shutdown energy core to the backup line. They knew that the landing forces from the border could return at any moment, but getting the completely destroyed shield generator back online was clearly an impossible task.

"What about the artificial saintess and those knights?" another black-clad priest asked. "Why were they withdrawn?"

“They just repelled ten times their number of heretics—even the saints and knights have to go back to the furnace to rest,” the high priest in charge of the scene said quickly. “If we don’t get reinforcements soon, we’ll have to go ourselves.”

The black-clad priest's expression turned anxious. After a brief hesitation, he seemed to have made up his mind: "If all else fails, we'll 'recycle' those few seriously injured artificial saintesses and burn their souls in the furnace—that should awaken the living saint in the stabilization room sooner."

The high-ranking priest's expression changed slightly: "This is the destruction of important church property, those artificial saintesses..."

"We can't worry about that now! The shield generator can't be repaired, and the heretics have already taken over the sky! Without a living saint, we can't fill the gap here—saintesses are mass-produced and can be made anytime, but the loss of the spirit-infusing furnace is irreplaceable!"

The high-ranking priest gritted his teeth.

"...Alright, that's the only way. Take people to the Holy Coffin Exhibition Hall, awaken Saintesses number four to ten, and bring them to the furnace—tell them they are going to guard the temple, and that souls with unwavering faith are more resistant to burning."

"it is good."

The black-clad priest bowed and accepted the order, but just as he was about to turn and leave, a strange flash of light suddenly appeared at the edge of his field of vision, interrupting his actions.

He looked up in surprise and saw a dazzling fireball burning and expanding rapidly in the atmosphere, as if it were carrying a world-destroying power.

Among the busy worshippers around, some noticed the situation in the sky. Some looked up and gasped in surprise in hushed tones:
"What is that...?"

"Another orbital bombardment!?"

They're coming this way!

(End of this chapter)