Jian Congnan's turret viewport captured the entire scene perfectly.
His excited roar cut off abruptly. His knuckles, gripping the control lever, made faint cracking sounds from excessive force, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged like earthworms.
A surge of icy cold shot up his spine to the top of his head, instantly dousing some of his battle frenzy.
He jerked his head around, as if trying to stare through the internal communication line at Wang Jitong in the neighboring turret.
His voice was no longer just a roar; it carried a steely, almost savage resolve.
"Wang Jitong!
Listen up, damn it!"
Every word seemed ground out from between his teeth.
"If... if I also get unlucky.
If the turret gets pierced, and I end up like those...
those frozen sticks floating out there..."
He took a deep breath and bellowed.
"Don't you fucking hesitate!
Aim at my corpse floating out there and blast me with a shot!
Use a laser, use an armor-piercing shell, anything!"
"I'd rather be blown to smithereens, turned into the tiniest speck of dust in this Star Sea, than become a...
a frozen, desiccated corpse slowly orbiting a star for tens of thousands of years!
Do you understand?"
There was a moment of silence on the channel, filled only by the background artillery fire and alarm sounds.
Then came Wang Jitong's low, equally resolute reply.
"Yes, Sergeant!!
If it happens to me, you do the same."
Jian Congnan grunted heavily, said no more, and sharply turned his head back.
He immediately fired several rapid shots, reducing all the floating corpses to dust.
Given the current situation, retrieving the bodies was utterly impossible, so returning them to the cosmos was undoubtedly the best choice.
After doing this, Jian Congnan's bloodshot eyes locked once more onto the endless stream of enemy targets on the tactical screen.
He spat fiercely, though no saliva existed.
"Then let's continue!
Imperial scum, your ice burial service, your Grandpa Jian doesn't want it!
Die!"
The pulse laser cannon emitted a sharp charging hum once again, and azure death beams resumed slicing through the darkness.
Zhen Yue Battleship, Bridge.
Lieutenant Commander Gu Yizhou stared intently at the dedicated monitoring screen before him, where alarming data flickered.
Outside the viewport was a hellish scene.
The Tiankui Star Fleet's warships struggled desperately against the Imperial Fleet's overwhelming tide, outnumbered several times over.
Energy beams crisscrossed, and explosions flared one after another.
Friendly ships' shields flickered from overload, and even small destroyers could be seen turning into burning wreckage under concentrated firepower.
His fist clenched subconsciously, his heartbeat accelerating with every distant burst of flame.
Every second of delay meant more casualties among their allies.
His gaze remained fixed on the most critical reading at the center of the screen.
Graviton Convergence Density.
The number climbed arduously but steadily.
98.53%!
98.78%!
98.92%!
Simultaneously, at the bow of the Zhen Yue Battleship.
The thick, curved special armor plates on both sides slowly rose and unfolded upward, like a giant beast opening its jaws.
They constructed a clearly directed, gradually narrowing launch channel directly ahead of the bow.
Looking through this forming channel...
The gravitons converged under restraint, coalescing into a deep purple energy beam hundreds of meters in diameter that radiated a soul-chilling aura!
The color at the core of the beam was so profound it seemed to connect to the dark side of the cosmos, with the surrounding space visibly distorted into wave-like patterns by its gravitational pull.
99.41%… 99.67%… 99.88%…
Gu Yizhou felt his breath catch.
100%!
The reading stabilized firmly.
Almost simultaneously, the voice of the Weapons Officer, distorted with excitement, erupted over the internal communication system to key positions on the bridge.
"Report, Captain!
Gravitational beam density has reached target!
Stability threshold achieved!
Gravitational coordinates in the target area are fully locked, projection path clearance calculations complete!
Titan's Grip—ready for activation projection at any time!"
The tension in Gu Yizhou's face suddenly eased, and a smile spread across his features.
He practically sprang from his seat, turning sharply toward the communications officer responsible for fleet liaison, his voice booming with urgency.
"Quick! Connect to the Tian Kui Star Fleet command channel immediately!"
The communications officer moved swiftly.
The moment the channel opened, Gu Yizhou roared into the microphone:
"Colonel He Siqi!
This is the Zhen Yue!
Graviton beam is ready!"
He took a deep breath, his tone carrying sincere respect and urgency.
"You've fought hard!
Holding out until now—brilliant work!
Leave the rest to us!"
He pointed toward the deep purple deadly channel visible through the viewport.
"Please withdraw all units from the forward airspace immediately!
I repeat, clear all friendly units from the preset attack sector directly ahead!"
"We're about to deploy something big!"
The message acted like a shot of adrenaline, instantly invigorating the struggling Tian Kui Star Fleet.
"Received!
Looking forward to your 'big thing'!
Give those Imperial bastards a good beating for us!"
He Siqi's voice came through the communication channel.
As the order was swiftly executed, the frontline ships that had been locked in close combat with the Imperial Fleet at the front began, with the frantic assistance of auxiliary thrusters, to maneuver and retreat to both sides with astonishing tactical discipline, parting like a tide.
A deadly channel extending from the bow of the Zhen Yue, aimed directly at the core assault formation of the Imperial Blood Locust Fleet, was being rapidly cleared.
At the end of the channel, the Imperial steel tide continued its roaring assault, not yet fully aware that a lethal threat had been locked onto them.
Aboard the Imperial Blood Locust Fleet flagship, the Iron Blood Sovereignty.
General Knight stood before the bridge command console, watching on the tactical screen as the Federation Fleet appeared to hastily retreat, yielding the frontal channel.
He then noticed the curved channel opening at the bow of that peculiar warship under heavy protection, with a faint purple light visible within. He paused for a moment.
Then, he let out an unrestrained, contemptuous burst of laughter.
"Ha! Hahaha!"
He pointed at the screen, addressing his adjutant and staff officers beside him.
"Look at this!
What kind of trick are the Federation playing?
A theatrical performance?
Having all their warships retreat, leaving just that one strange ship at the front…
What, do they think a single ship can hold back the tide of my three thousand warships?"
He shook his head, his face full of mockery.
"Who knows what's going through the minds of these Federation commanders.
Have they completely despaired, given up on struggling?"
He suppressed his laughter, his eyes turning cold and cruel once more as he delivered his final verdict over the communication channel.
"All forward Battleships and Cruisers, re-target your Main Cannons!
Target: that Federation warship with the strangest design!
Focus your firepower, one volley, wipe it completely off my screen!
This boring farce ends now!"
The order was swiftly relayed.
Dozens of Imperial capital ships adjusted their gun muzzles, energy readings rapidly climbing once more as the muzzles condensed the blazing white light of destruction.
Knight could already envision that strange ship turning to cosmic dust under the Imperial firepower.
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