Chapter Two: The First Battle of Blood (Part Two)

The 78456 was the flagship of the First Squadron, Seventh Fleet, Third Legion. On only his second day as captain, Kuangchi received the order for battle.

From early morning, the entire ship was engrossed in tense preparations for war. The whole combat unit had already climbed into their respective mechas. Without reaching the Innate Stage in cultivation, one couldn't survive in space merely by fusing with their Divine Martial Beast, but with the aid of a combat mecha, a skilled top-tier warrior could rival a second-level powerhouse in overall strength.

The energy within Kuangchi at this moment was equivalent to that of a standard second-level powerhouse.

There were over three hundred combat troops aboard the 78456. The ship held three combat pods on each side; once the battle began and the ship drew close to the enemy, the pods would open. Victory or defeat would rest on these combatants. At times, the destructive power of the warriors surpassed even the firepower of the warship itself.

In space battles, warships typically advanced in clusters with shields fully deployed. After thousands of years of human development, these shields had grown highly effective against energy weapons. Relying solely on ship-based weapons to breach an opponent’s shields was rarely a swift endeavor.

Thus, the prowess of the combat troops became paramount. Once they pierced the enemy’s shield perimeter and landed on the deck, their destructive force could be terrifying and often fatal to the ship.

Currently, the 78456 had twenty-three warriors at the Powerhouse level, all handpicked from the Kuang family and transferred in from the entire Third Legion. Their mission was clear: to ensure Kuangchi’s safety.

As soon as the 78456 received its battle orders, these twenty-three warriors stationed themselves at Kuangchi’s side.

Now serving as vice-captain of the combat unit, Kuang Qingshan—a fifth-level powerhouse—accompanied Kuangchi to the combat pod. As he helped Kuangchi with his combat gear, he repeatedly reminded him of points to remember during the engagement.

Kuangchi understood their concern for his safety and listened intently, nodding humbly as he absorbed every instruction.

For Powerhouse-level warriors, the equipment was simple. Their Divine Martial Beasts were often formidable and came in unique shapes and sizes, making standardized gear impossible. For example, when Kuangchi fused with Xiaohua, his back would sprout dozens of vine-like tendrils, each the thickness of an arm and several meters long, making him resemble a giant squid. This precluded the use of standard escape devices on his back.

Kuang Qingshan’s Divine Martial Beast was a giant eagle. After fusion, he sported massive wings and could maneuver through space with incredible speed. His body, cloaked in feathers, boasted remarkable defense, which was why the Kuang family assigned him as Kuangchi’s close protector. With Qingshan present, even if Kuangchi’s ship were destroyed, Qingshan could carry him from the battlefield.

As the combat pod doors slowly opened, the communication device in Kuangchi’s ear issued the order to deploy.

Kuangchi eagerly burst from the combat pod, only to realize the distance between the opposing ships was far greater than he’d imagined.

Both fleets were currently exchanging volleys of energy fire from a distance. The effect was minimal—each ship’s shields could withstand the barrage as long as they avoided direct hits from the enemy’s main guns.

The main purpose of this suppression fire was to hinder enemy combatants from closing the distance.

Kuang Qingshan led Kuangchi through the barrage, stopping and starting as they followed orders relayed through their comms. They had to dodge not only enemy blasts but also their own side’s fire, all while threading through a web of deadly energy beams. The speed of these beams was astonishing; every warrior had to focus completely, adjusting their route on the fly as orders came through their earpieces, all while evading incoming fire.

A single hit from one of these beams could prove disastrous. Even for a fifth-level powerhouse like Kuang Qingshan, a direct strike would result in serious injury—at best, the loss of several mechanical components. For others, the consequences would be worse.

The combatants from both sides moved as if playing a synchronized game, converging at the midpoint between the fleets.

There was nothing playful about the battle, however. As soon as the two groups drew near, the fighting broke out in earnest. Both sides’ warships, as if by tacit agreement, ceased firing at the contested zone.

At last, Kuangchi found himself on the real battlefield. He felt none of the fear typical of a new recruit; instead, his blood surged with excitement.

To everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t the highly skilled Kuang Qingshan who struck first, but Kuangchi himself, lashing out from a distance with his long whip.

The tendrils extending from Kuangchi’s back, controlled by Xiaohua, snaked forward to encircle him. This sudden transformation startled the twenty-three Kuang family warriors who had been guarding him.

Kuangchi’s attack was extraordinary. The leading enemy combatant was caught off guard and ensnared by the whip, then immediately wrapped tight by the incoming vines. Before anyone could react, the unfortunate warrior was crushed into a floating mass of blood and flesh, squeezed mercilessly by the powerful tendrils.

This display shocked not only Kuangchi but also Kuang Qingshan, who hesitated for a moment at the gruesome sight.

A living man reduced to pulp in an instant—even a seasoned veteran like Qingshan found it hard to stomach, let alone a newcomer like Kuangchi. It was brutally savage. If sound could carry through space, the dying screams would have been ear-splitting.

Yet rather than fear, Kuangchi felt an almost wild exhilaration. As the hapless combatant was reduced to blood mist, a surge of pure, unfamiliar energy flowed up the tendrils and into Kuangchi’s body, sending a pleasant shudder through him. The sensation was so pleasurable that he let out a soft hum of delight.

Fortunately, in the silence of space, no one could hear. Otherwise, anyone who heard Kuangchi’s murmur might think his mind was unhinged.

With no further hesitation, Kuangchi plunged into the enemy ranks, his body bristling like a porcupine with writhing, spiked vines. The tendrils danced around him, requiring no conscious control, while Kuangchi wielded his whip with deadly skill, lashing out at any foe before him.

Behind and to either side, Kuang Qingshan and the others followed, but the whirling vines alone were enough to keep enemies at bay, preventing any from drawing close.

When the seventh unfortunate soul rushed Kuangchi and was likewise ground into pulp, the opposition lost the nerve to approach. Seeing Kuangchi and his deadly entourage charging forward, they scattered in all directions.

In space, Kuangchi’s bulk was no hindrance; exhilarated, he swung his whip with abandon, capturing the slower enemies one by one in his lethal vines.

By the time the seventeenth victim had been reduced to a bloody mass, the enemy finally recognized the monstrous threat they faced. A group of elite combatants—powerhouses who had not employed mechas—charged in.

But when these elite warriors also fell, never to see another sunrise, the enemy finally ordered a retreat.

The Carolan Empire’s forces promptly followed suit, issuing their own withdrawal order. Kuangchi, unwilling to let them escape, pursued for several hundred meters before the ashen-faced Kuang Qingshan caught up and dragged him back.

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