Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 757

Chapter 757

Chapter 757: Another Journey

Hua Li sighed . “You understand how our family works . And you don’t need to concern yourself with it, either . I’m telling you I’m going with you . Poseidon Group will be fine。”

“No!” Lan Jue was firm . “If your family’s situation is as complicated as you say then all the more reason not to let you go . Your Poseidon-class bastion is an integral part of the assault, and if for whatever reason it doesn’t join the fight we’ll have no chance against the enemy . ”

Hua Li understood, and hearing his friend speak this way he knew he wasn’t going to come along . He could only display his dissatisfaction with a sigh . “Fine . But you all have to be careful, take every precaution . There will be many opportunities while scouting so don’t put yourself in danger needlessly . ”

Lan Jue chuckled at his friend . “It’s fine, Qianlin will be with me . I’ll be much more careful with her than I would be just by myself . I’ll take care . ”

When he heard her name, Hua Li paused . “She’s recovered?”

“Soon,” Lan Jue replied . “We believe she’ll return to normal once she breaks through . She is my first responsibility, so you can be sure I won’t do anything to jeopardize that . ”

Hua Li nodded . “If I’m not coming with you then I’ll head back . ”

Lan Jue was surprised . “Why the rush? I’m not going anywhere for three days . Now that you’re here you should stay, we’ll talk a while . We can’t drink, but we can chat over a pot of tea or something . Come on . ” He pulled Hua Li down the hallway .

ζ

Now that the two bastions had joined up, they headed toward Europa together . They maintained some distance from each other, but were surrounded by their combined entourage . Although their total power didn’t match up to what it was during the first alien encounter, their number of support vessels was catching up .

For the time being they weren’t preparing a frontal assault . They needed to confirm the situation before any decisions could be made . They also needed to wait for Tyrannosaurus to show up .

The Northern bastions took pains to keep their path a secret . Kang Hui would use a special encryption method to keep Lan Qing in the know, but most of the time they maintained radio silence . They took every precaution to make sure the aliens did know they were coming, otherwise they risked an ambush .

Middle Heaven and Poseidon, meanwhile, were less concerned . Together their defensive capabilities were significant . With them fleets and two bastions they could immediately fall into formation and mount a stiff response to anything they came their way . The planets would have a hard time attacking them straight on .

Besides, according to current estimations the aliens were more concerned with gathering DNA than dealing with human military . They wouldn’t want to waste their energy . No, best was occupying Europa and its surrounding planets to devour life essence, and use the DNA for their evolution .

Hua Li stayed on Middle Heaven for a day, speaking at length with Lan Jue about all manner of things . By the end he spoke for a little while with Lan Qing before eventually returning to his own ship .

Although he didn’t speak highly of Mo Xiao, he respected her deeply . The practical control of the family’s bastion was under her command, and she was the mother of his child . He had to treat her well .

“A-Jue, we’re about three days out from Europa . We should be joining up with Tyrannosaurus soon . You should begin your scouting mission now, so that once our forces are gathered we can make our move . ” Lan Qing said .

Lan Jue nodded . “We’re ready to go . Mom and the Wine Master will go with me, and well as the Driver and Pharmacist . Counting me and Qianlin we aren’t a big group, but it should be enough . Xiaosu will stay here to look after Star Division . Mika, Lin Guoguo and Xiuxiu will come with me . They’ll fly the ship and be responsible for alien detection . ”

“Safety first,” Lan Qing reminded him . “We cannot lose this fight . Nor can we afford heavy losses . Do you understand?”

Lan Jue nodded . “I understand . Father said he’s coming as well, but I’ll try and make sure the old man doesn’t exert himself . ”

For the last few days Jue Di had also sequestered himself away in meditation . The powerful vital crystal they’d acquired from the progenitor had had a significant effect on him . He could use it in place of his own life force to employ the power of his martial art, if needed .

Lan Qing nodded . “Then make it quick . The faster you leave the sooner you get back . ”

“Yeah . ” Lan Jue got it – this mission was fundamentally important to the mission . It was the foundation of their whole plan .

Three hours later Zeus-1 quietly slipped out of Middle Heaven’s hangar bay . It’s communications equipment and lights were shut off, and like a shard of shadow they pushed off into deep space .

For this mission they wouldn’t be able to send any information back, they would have to deliver it themselves . They couldn’t take the risk of the planets finding out .

Europa . Lan Jue had been there many time, but never under circumstances like these . It wasn’t only the West’s capital, but the location of both the Pontiff’s and Satan’s citadels . By now it was under alien control .

No one knew the condition of the two Western Paragons . Reports stated that few of the Pontiff’s Citadel’s upper echelons survived . It’d been practically wiped out . Most of the Dark Citadel’s leadership had been protected, but their hive of heathens was mostly empty . They had taken a serious blow as well!

Hades no longer had to fret over fighting with the King of Demons for control of the Dark Citadel . The Dark Citadel was no more!

Lan Jue couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment at that news . The tides of time were inconsistent, and changed the landscape in its passage . A lot of the universe seemed different now .

“Boss, we’re on course . ” Mika’s voice called to him .

Mika was responsible for the controls and Xiuxiu kept an eye on their shields and weapon systems . As always, Lin Guoguo busies herself making their ship invisible to enemy forces . Ke’er had remained behind with Su Xiaosu to look after the Division .

“Alright, full speed ahead . ” He replied .

Mika pushed down on the gear and Zeus-1 shot forward . Of everyone on board, no one was perhaps more conflicted than Mika . No matter what happened there, Europa was where she’d grown up . She was a Westerner, and though felt no affiliation to it anymore it was still her native land!

Satan was nowhere to be found . The news said he’d fled, but no one had been able to get in contact with him . That made things very uncertain .

Ever since conflict with the aliens broke out Mika had felt the enmity she held for her father decrease . She’d eased so much, in fact, that she’d saved his life with that message from Monteux . She hoped he lived, she repeated it again and again in her head . No matter what he was her father .

Xiuxiu turned back to look at Lan Jue from time to time . But every time she did and her eyes feel upon the beautiful woman by his side, her face fell just a little . For now Qianlin was not merged into Lan Jue’s body . She stood beside him on the bridge .

She was dressed in a flowing white dress, the one that was Lan Jue’s favorite . It was pure, simple, elegant . There were no flashy ornaments or designs . It allowed the ethereal beauty of the woman speak for itself .

The spirit in her eyes was still lost, but her face wasn’t as stiff as it had been . Occasionally her eyes would flit to Lan Jue, or sometimes her expression would change like she was thinking of something . It gave Lan Jue hope that she would recover soon .

It was his greatest hope .

If it wasn’t for this mission and the fight that followed, Lan Jue would have broken through already . He desperately wanted her back . Xuanyuan Shishi had told him her chances of a full return of faculties was very good .

Jue Di and Luo Xianni kept to themselves, cultivating . They wouldn’t need their help until the final moments . The Wine Master, Pharmacist and Driver were on the bridge with Lan Jue .

The Wine Master was chosen for his teleportation abilities, of course . The Driver was a long-range fighter, and the Pharmacist was their strongest . With Lan Jue, Qianlin, and their Harmonious swords, the team was well-rounded . If they weren’t strong enough by themselves than Lan Jue’s father and mother would intervene . No scouting party in the history of humanity came even close to what they were capable of .

Zeus-1 raced ahead at intense speeds . It had undergone maintenance after its near-miss with the explosion of Monteux . It was a particularly good ship to conduct energy, but having so many Paragons flood it with their Domain burnt out some of its components .

The Wine Master stood at Lan Jue’s other side . He spoke, voice low . “No matter what, we need to be quiet and cautious . Don’t rush ahead . ”

“Yeah . ” Lan Jue slowly nodded . He knew what the Wine Master was getting at . The aliens had already taken some of the planets, and just recently . The scenes they would pass would likely be heart-wrenching . The Wine Master was telling him to steel his heart . They had to proceed calmly .

Their main force would arrive in Europa in three days . They would reach the outlying planets in two . In a day and a half the farthest Western planet came into view outside Zeus-1’s windows .