The sudden raid dealt a devastating blow to Eden. Several of Eden’s secret outposts, hidden within Stargate Base, were swiftly eliminated by the military. Many of Eden’s elite operatives were captured in the process. Among them, the most notable was a Six Gods Realm powerhouse codenamed Thousand Ghosts, Zheng Daoyuan.
On the surface, Zheng Daoyuan had served as a low-ranking logistics officer within the Stargate Base's military. But in truth, he was a long-standing member of Eden. He ranked as the fifth most important figure within Eden’s organizational structure in the Xiao Kuang Star Region.
He had been undercover at Planet Nock’s orbital Stargate Base for over a hundred and twenty years. Even after his arrest, many still refused to believe he was part of Eden and pleaded on his behalf. But all resistance and denial quickly crumbled into dust in the face of irrefutable evidence. The military’s Special Tribunal immediately conducted an emergency interrogation of Zheng Daoyuan.
At such a critical moment, his testimony would play a decisive role in shaping the military’s next course of action. Those with insider knowledge from all sides watched the interrogation closely.
It was rumored that Zheng Daoyuan was even subjected to an assassination attempt during the process and nearly lost his life. The interrogation lasted only six hours before it ended abruptly.
Officials from the Special Tribunal left in haste, heading straight for the Supreme Military Command to deliver their report. Shortly afterward, a few unofficial leaks began to circulate. They claimed Zheng Daoyuan had finally broken under the Tribunal’s harsh methods and confessed. The information he provided was said to be devastating and capable of delivering a fatal blow to Eden.
Li Xiaofei, however, paid no attention to such rumors. As one of the officers who had participated in the Rattle the Grass to Startle the Snake operation, and who had even personally fought with Zheng Daoyuan, he was among the first to receive a commendation from the Supreme Military Command.
The military operation had not ended. Li Xiaofei continued to lead his personal special forces unit, the Meteor squad, carrying out follow-up missions in a calm and orderly manner.
At this time, the Stargate Base had entered a state of outward calm but internal tension. Some of the more perceptive powerhouses had already sensed that something was off.
That afternoon, an unusual surge of energy rippled out from the vicinity of the Subspace anchor point. Moments later, a new battle erupted. A Reaper army had emerged from the Subspace wormhole and descended upon the Stargate Base in a sudden offensive.
Sirens immediately blared across the entire installation. Yet few people panicked. Sudden battles had broken out countless times over the years. Combat would descend abruptly, rage fiercely, then fade into uneasy peace as both sides pulled back.
But this time was different. The Reapers’ assault was far more intense than anyone had anticipated. The twelve-layer formation protecting the anchor point was completely broken through and destroyed in less than two hours.
Twenty-one heavy Tempest-Class artillery matrices positioned by the military were also dismantled one after another. Then came a terrifying wave of sixty-six Six Gods Realm Star-Twisting Beasts. They forced their way through the wormhole and launched suicidal assaults on Stargate Base.
The Star-Twisting Beast was a colossal space monster, bred by the Mother of All Beasts, the leader of the Reaper Primal faction. It resembled a massive cosmic squid, with endless star-devouring tentacles stretching for tens of thousands of kilometers. These beasts were known to wrap entire planets with their limbs, crushing them through brute force and absorbing the energy released from their destruction. They were unimaginably terrifying starbeasts.
Though such creatures had appeared in past battles, never had they emerged in such overwhelming numbers, nor attacked with such ferocity. The brutal conflict raged on for three full days and nights. When the dust finally settled, roughly ten percent of the Stargate Base lay in ruins.
The void of space was littered with the shattered husks of warships, drifting like the bones of fallen titans. The corpses of the slain Star-Twisting Beasts floated like ancient Star Shatter relics from the primordial age. Massive clots of congealed beast blood tumbled through space like miniature stars, colliding and scattering in slow, balletic violence.
Even the seasoned forces of Stargate Base and Planet Nock’s military, veterans of countless wars, could not help but feel a deep awe and reverence when confronted with such remnants of battle.
The logistics teams moved in quickly, clearing the battlefield and repairing the damaged installations and defensive formations. Everything proceeded in an orderly and efficient manner.
The atmosphere of tension gradually dissipated within Stargate Base. The military’s special operation was nearing its end. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝗇𝖾𝗍
Thanks to Zheng Daoyuan’s confession, the following arrests progressed with remarkable ease. Even spies who had buried themselves deep within the system for decades were unearthed and apprehended. One could even hear cheers now and then in the office of the Supreme Military Command.
At that moment, Li Xiaofei received new orders. His squad’s mission was officially concluded. They were granted a temporary twenty-four-hour leave within Stargate Base. If no further orders arrived, they would return to the Canglan Mountain Defense Line on Planet Nock.
Liu Fang took the team out for some relaxation and entertainment at a bar. Li Xiaofei, however, took the opportunity to meet Huang Dinggou and Black Emperor once again.
“Our operation’s been wrapped up for now,” said Huang Dinggou. “But according to intel from the Strategy Department, the Reapers are already preparing for another massive assault. Those bastards are hell-bent on taking full control of Planet Nock’s anchor point. Their commander is Delta, also known as Death God's Eye. A terrifying opponent and one of the major figures from the Reaper faction’s intelligence branch...”
As Li Xiaofei listened, he quietly sipped his drink. Suddenly, his military wristband buzzed. He rose to his feet and said, “Something’s come up. I need to go.”
As they watched Li Xiaofei’s figure disappear into the distance, Huang Dinggou and Black Emperor exchanged glances.
Yue Zhuoran’s heart pounded violently. After sending the message, he acted as though nothing had happened and returned to the adjacent workshop to continue crafting armor. He had never imagined that the group of highly important detainees was actually being held right inside the association’s own factory.
As a member of the Forging Association, Yue Zhuoran rarely worked there in person. His name was more of a formality.
As a renowned master blacksmith in the Xiao Kuang Star Region, and a member of the prestigious Yue Family, Yue Zhuoran had his own private studio within Stargate Base. But just the day before, the association, via the Merchant Alliance, had issued an invitation summoning all local forgers to participate in the joint forging of a batch of special armor. Yue Zhuoran had been among those recruited, so he had been forced to put aside his personal work and pull overtime here at the factory.
He had never expected to stumble upon the detained individuals by sheer coincidence. The very woman Li Xiaofei had been searching for was unmistakably among them.
He had finally completed his ‘master's’ task. Without the slightest hesitation, he used their designated secure channel to send the information to Li Xiaofei.
"Everything that happens next... has nothing to do with me." Yue Zhuoran let out a long breath of relief.
But just then, a sudden commotion broke out outside the workshop. Moments later, the president of the Forging Association and several officials entered the workspace, accompanied by a group of over a dozen individuals.
It looked like they were hosting a delegation of visitors for an inspection tour. Yue Zhuoran glanced over casually, only for his eyes to abruptly narrow. His pupils constricted sharply. He had just spotted someone who absolutely shouldn’t have been there.