Skyfire Avenue Chapter 777-778

Chapter 777: Pleasant Surprises

A blinding light erupted from behind the mecha with the s.h.i.+eld as its thrusters sparked to life. Its s.h.i.+eld also flared with illumination, and emerging through the blaze was a bright yellow tiger's head.

A wave of vigorous energy answered Lan Jue's own, as lofty and indomitable as a mountain. Behind the glare was the fat mecha, almost certainly piloted by Tang Xiao. He'd transformed back from the alien planet to a standard mecha shape and hid behind the defender. All other members of their team quickly followed and lined up for protection.

Gravity went wild. One moment it was almost too much for him to move his arms, the next he was completely weightless. The constant, erratic changes were making it impossible to control Thor in its descent toward the line of contenders.

A figure suddenly appeared behind him. The deadly glint of a swiping dagger was coming at him again, aiming for another energy transfer pipe.

Thor's armor and s.h.i.+elds were impressive. How else could they get past his defenses unless by sneak attack? His opponent knew it too, so they had no delusions of destroying Thor outright. Evidently their plan was to cripple him, and give their companions an opportunity to land more devastating blows.

The speed of these fighters was top-notch.

Lan Jue acted as though he didn't see the mecha from behind, and did not immediately react. Thor's sword was pointed firmly ahead toward the others. But just as the blow was about to land Thor seemed to give in to the gravity and dipped - just enough to avoid the deadly daggers.

Ting! Thor's sword rang against the metal s.h.i.+eld. At it did the tiger emblazoned on the s.h.i.+eld grew clearer, and almost seemed to move like it was biting at the sword.

Unfortunately for the s.h.i.+eldbearer a surge of energy burst from Thor's weapon, submerging the tiger in electric power and eventually swallowing up the mecha that bore it.

It was immediately consumed, leaving no trace behind.

The team's defender was no more.

Next Thor swung its left fist backward, as though for a wild punch. Yet a dragging vacuum force sprang up from behind. It was strong enough to nearly freeze the sneak attacker, just enough for Thor's fist - flickering with black and white power - to come cras.h.i.+ng into it.

Boom–! The cloaking mecha exploded, filling the air with thunderous noise and shards of smoldering metal. Two opponents down, but they could take solace in the fact that their loss wasn't a deficiency of skill. It was due to the enormous difference in Discipline. Lan Jue's peak-ranked power, Thor's outrageous construction, and his martial arts knowledge had turned the tide of battle. Lan Jue managed to defeat the most menacing of his enemies, the cloaker. Focused flow All-Heaven lightning removed their s.h.i.+eldbearer from the equation.

The advantage of strength was revealed.

Thor continued to power forward, through where the defender had been, following the course of the sword as it headed for the fat mecha. The sounds of cras.h.i.+ng waves grew louder.

Momentum was focused flow's strong suit. It struck with the strength and consistency of mighty ocean waves. Just like the ebb and flow of the tide, Lan Jue's next attack came on the heels of the first.

The large mecha didn't try to dodge. In fact, it couldn't. Instead it lunged forward to meet the electric blade without hesitation.

Liquid metal can't survive All-Heaven lightning, why is he acting stupid? Lan Jue silently chastised. But when he saw his disciple dissolve into a puddle of mush and avoid the strike he didn't know whether to laugh or curse.

If he hadn't had to spin around and deal with the sneak attacker he could have focused on the sword, becoming one with the technique. But as it stood his flow had been broken as had his forward momentum. Of course, part of the reason he had to stop was for fear of being stuck in the puddle of student beneath his feet.

The floor of the arena was metal, and under Tang Xiao's direction it turned to sludge below Thor. In the same instant a crus.h.i.+ng gravitational pressure pressed down from above, hastening its sinking.

Even Lan Jue had to admit the team of Tang Xiao and this gravity Adept was something to behold.

Now the other mechas were coming in to attack. However, it was evident that Thor's display of power had frightening them and changed their tactics. If they didn't go all out now, they may not have another chance.

Two reached him first. One of them was shaped like a beast and lunged at him without a sound.

Good job, kid. It was Jin Tao, Lan Jue noted. From the beginning he had been hiding behind the others, hiding his presence from his teacher. Now he burst out, holding nothing back.

He chopped with his sword, while in the same moment channeling his Discipline through Thor's feet. The fluid metal holding him down fractured into minute splinters.

Lan Jue narrowed his eyes as the electric light of his blade carved through the air, right for Jin Tao. But just as it looked like the lion-shaped mecha would be put down, it suddenly s.h.i.+vered and split into two, completely avoiding the strike.

Ghosting? Jin Tao's that fast?

That technique was something only G.o.d-level pilots could pull off, and Jin Tao already seemed to have a good grasp on it. It was no accident he used it in just that moment.

Impressive job kid, you're improving quickly! In a flash the metal lion was within clawing distance. Both images closed in on him from either side.

Lan Jue was adept at ghosting, and knew its benefits. Thor took a step back and whipped its sword around in a circle - Taiji sword style.

Jin Tao only felt the energy in front of him change, and half a breath later his mecha could hardly move. He saw himself moving toward the arc of the electric blade almost in slow motion.

With a deep and guttural roar Jin Tao's mecha fused back into one and reached out with its claws. A golden light burst from within him and spread out in a corona of light. The force of it wrenched him free from Thor's control. Its two front appendages, claws glinting, tore toward Thor's head.

Lan Jue was positioned just right to thrust his weapon into the lion's chest.

Jin Tao did not dodge. His name, the Frenzied Lion Mastiff, was not given in vain. In every fight he viciously fought in the face of death. His opponents feared him. What's more he was an expert at close combat, and it could be said he was the hardiest soldier in Star Division.

If Lan Jue went ahead with the thrust it would leave him open to Jin Tao's claws. He would hit his mark, but not without being punished for it.

Lan Jue didn't back down, he had faith in the strength of his Discipline. He saw that Jin Tao wasn't going to retreat either. The young man was a.s.sured his ferocity and outright strength would shake his opponent to their core.

The lightning sword slipped into the lion's chest, its doughty armor was no match for All-Heaven lightning. As electric light coursed into the mecha he could see it struggling.

But in a move that shocked the Jewelry Master, the lion mecha's claws blasted off at the wrists and toward either side of Thor's head. If it was just Lan Jue he could easily have dodge the surprise attack, but Thor was less nimble. By the time he was preparing the mecha to react, it was already too late.

Bang-bang! The two blows, one on top of the other, caused Thor to shake. The lion's claws were lodged on either side of its head.

"Not good!" Lan Jue muttered to himself.

He barely got the words out before a bone-jarring explosion erupted above him. The claws' explosions were so intense it actually knocked the other mechas back a few steps.

Thor, of course, got the worst of it. In this critical moment Lan Jue didn't hold back and reached out with the full breadth of his lightning Discipline to try and mitigate the concussive damage.

But it was too quick. Thor's head and shoulders were a mangled wreck. Thankfully his Discipline had saved the c.o.c.kpit.

Insane. That was the only words he had to describe his disciple.

Little more than half of his mecha remained, but Lan Jue wasn't out of the fight yet. Thor sprang to its feet and lashed out with its sword. The movement birthed a hail of electric bolts that covered the ground. Tang Xiao's slippery mecha was instantly shot full of holes.

Liquid metal twice as strong would be no match for All-Heaven lightning! Tang Xiao was taken out of the fight.

Like a demon-possessed corpse Thor flailed. The unstoppable power of focused flow tore erratically across the battlefield. All of the remaining mechas were annihilated, but in the end more than forty percent of Thor had been obliterated.

Their tactics had been strange, but Lan Jue could tell his opponents weren't working wholly in unison. If they had, things would have turned out worse for him.

There was a flash, and Thor's lumbering remains appeared outside the ring. The pilots he'd battled against were waiting.

"Professor!" Tang Xiao's beaming face met him.

"Professor!" Jin Tao's happy greeting was half a second behind.

Lan Jue grunted. "I see how it is! It's been a long time since I've seen you two, and this is how you greet me?"

Chapter 778: Guardian Angel

"Heh heh!" Tang Xiao chortled. "We just wanted to show off a bit for you, Professor. We haven't been lazy! You should blame Jin Tao, he's overzealous. It was him who damaged your mecha."

Lan Jue also chuckled. "Enough finger-pointing, tell the truth. The claw thing was your suggestion."

Jin Tao spoke up without giving Tang Xiao a chance to answer. "Professor is so wise!"

Tang Xiao yelped at the injustice. "I'm not responsible for everything bad!"

Lan Jue scowled at him. "If not you, then who? You're right, you both have improved quite a lot lately, it was I who was lacking. I haven't been around to guide you. Later I'll make sure to direct your cultivation." As he spoke, an insidious grin spread across his face.

Never mind Tang Xiao, the markedly tougher Jin Tao also shook at the prospect. "Professor, we have cultivation to attend to. We have to go."

The two of them fled, with the others from their team in hot pursuit. The Demon Drillmaster's particular brand of instruction was well known throughout Star Division. They weren't anxious to experience it unnecessarily!

"Boss," Su Xiaosu's voice interrupted. "Are they up to your standards?"

Lan Jue looked her way. "They were one unit?"

She stuck out her tongue at him. "Leaders from ten units, but I didn't have a choice. Everyone wanted a chance to spar with you when they heard you were here. I had to pick the best representatives. Their cooperation was less than perfect, as I'm sure you noticed."

Lan Jue watched his soldiers as they fled. "They have pretty good battlefield experience. That puts me at ease." Indeed he could tell that group only just started working together. However, although their teamwork could use some polish, they were still able to play off each other's strengths. A battle rhythm can't be rehea.r.s.ed, it comes through cooperation. That was the only way to kick their efficacy up to a new level.

With this in mind Lan Jue was very pleased with the result. If all of Star Division's unit leaders were like them, his group of fighters was in excellent shape.

"Let's go," Lan Jue said to her. "I want to look in on their training."

Su Xiaosu led him to another area. He didn't join them, but instead looked down from his bird's eye vantage as they drilled below. He could tell at a glance that the individual units' tactics had been trained into their marrow. Surprisingly, this training area was a lot like Monteux, complete with simulated alien foes.

These sorts of war games were especially helpful for Star Division. They must have recorded the environmental data of Monteux and the aliens themselves to use in their training, so that it was as true to the real thing as possible. It was clear this hard work over the last few days was a result of their pa.s.sion and resolve.

As he looked down from on high, the battlefield was like a raging fire that spread out in all directions. His soldiers were stable, methodical, and worked well with their brothers and sisters in other units. Close-range and long-range specialists were well coordinated. Then there were support fighters and their myriad abilities which counteracted alien attacks.

"It looks like there are even more aliens than when we were really on Monteux!" Lan Jue swept his eyes over the horizon.

Su Xiaosu confirmed. "Yes, by quite a lot. This is a prerequisite for this maneuver. The more pressing the odds, the more likely they are to fight to their full potential. Anyway, who's to say how many enemies we'll face when the real fight begins? Right now they're simulating a situation where they have to fight a vastly stronger enemy force on limited energy reserves to see how long they can hold out. I think it's very useful for them."

Lan Jue nodded in agreement. "Very good. It's also integral that they learn as much as they can about alien fighting styles. You all have been working hard."

Xiaosu beamed at Lan Jue. All of their progress was, of course, under her direction.

Lan Jue looked back down at the others. "Our offensive begins in forty-eight hours. Let them rest for the last twelve hours before we're dispatched. No training, let them regain their strength. We want them to be in top shape to avoid casualties. I won't be commanding them in the beginning, Xiaosu. I need you to do that for me."

"Of course, boss!" She responded without hesitation.

Lan Jue left without interrupting his soldiers' hard work. He was impressed by what he saw, pleased by progress he hadn't antic.i.p.ated. He was even more confident of their chances now, when the final hour arrived.

He wasn't privy to all of Lan Qing's plans, there were some aspects of the a.s.sault he wasn't clear on. He didn't know anything about how he intended to face the creatures outside the planet. Lan Jue wouldn't be involved in that part. Most importantly for him was taking care of what he was responsible for.

When he returned to his cabin, Lan Jue looked more relaxed than when he'd left. Qianlin was seated on the bed in silent meditation. A pale white light hung over her. It wasn't bright, but thick with mystical energy like the aura of an immortal.

Lan Jue walked over to her side and sat, but did not meditate. Instead he just sat there and watched her.

Lately the sense of manifest destiny pus.h.i.+ng things along had followed him wherever he went. Everything the Clairvoyant had told them had come to pa.s.s, all but the end result. Lan Jue had been striving now for a long time to help humanity's chances. For his friends, for Qianlin. No effort would be spared to save them from a gruesome death at the hands of a heartless enemy.

I dragged Qianlin into this, he thought. But she isn't the only one - everyone's affected. Everyone must be considered. She will be safe by my side.

After some time, seated cross-legged across from her, Lan Jue also slipped into a meditative state. These last few days he had refrained from cultivating with her, since they were both at the border of ninth level. If they continued to work together as they had, it was likely neither would be able to hold back their breakthrough. It was better to work independently to stabilize their own Disciplines and prepare for that fateful moment. They had to hold back as long as they could to get the best result.

ζ

Two days pa.s.sed quickly. For forty-eight hours a strange calm settled over the human armada, although troops moved consistently from one place to another. On the eve of the attack Lan Qing had his people within view of a mid-sized planet in the outskirts of Europa's system.

He moved like this to keep the aliens guessing and confound their planning. If they didn't know what the humans were up to they couldn't formulate a plan of defense. Lan Qing also knew that many aliens were hiding on the far side of the planet, a fact he wouldn't be aware of were it not for Lan Jue's scouting data.

Forty-eight hours may have sounded like plenty of time at first, but the soldiers soon found the time vanished like a message written in water. Their preparations were done quietly and orders were often given in person to prevent interception by enemy forces.

Each division, brigade and unit was only given enough information to perform their part of the plan. Only a select few had all of the information.

Zeus-1 quietly slipped out of Middle Heaven's hangar. The moment it was free of the small planet's...o...b..t the s.h.i.+p engaged its Blinding Stone. Aboard were all of the Paragons who were to partic.i.p.ate in the operation, as well as Lan Jue and Qianlin. Zeus' Amazons were responsible for piloting the vessel.

Everyone's face was hard and solemn. For good reason - the task before them was daunting, perhaps more important than any other part of the plan. The main force could retreat if the situation started to sour. Lan Jue and his people didn't have that luxury.

Several days had pa.s.sed since their last scout mission, and it was impossible to know how many survivors remained on the planet before them. But Lan Jue held out hope that there would still be many lives to save. Innocent humans were being kept as hostages, as experiments, harvested for their genetic material. They would be saved, even the ones that had been twisted by the poison of the progenitors.

Zeus-1 approached the planet from the side. A direct a.s.sault would result in failure. There were too many aliens for that to succeed. They had to slip in, and avoid psionic detection to the best of their abilities.

The planet that was chosen had an auspicious name; Angel. Snow covered vast swaths of its frigid land ma.s.s, which was shaped like a seraph with its wings spread wide. Sadly, its once pure white hue had been corrupted and stained purple.

The second part of Lan Qing's plan had a code name. He called it operation Guardian Angel.

Zeus-1 approached at a forty-five degree angle relative to the armada. It came to a stop when it got close and cut all electronic systems. There, in darkness and silence, it quietly waited for its chance.

Jue Di had not come with them. He was strong enough that there was no need for him to use a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p. He had left before them to prepare, for he was responsible for taking three of the planets by himself. No one knew how he intended to do it, but everyone had faith that he would succeed.