Chapter 1767: ESCORT MISSION, BEGIN! Pt.2

With the precise deductions and guidance of the Stargazers, the 7 mid-scale Star Ships successfully intercepted another group who had been sent to disrupt their plans. They successfully stopped a fleet consisting of a bunch of cultivators from outside the Star Curtain, hundreds of thousands of miles away from their main fleet.

The group of infiltrators proved to be much more slippery. After they discovered that they were flanked by the experts of the Essence Luxuriant World and Azure Qing World, they chose to cut off an arm to save their body. They sacrificed 2 ships that had been severely damaged in the initial assault before turning around to flee.

After destroying the ships that had been left behind and killing 2 low-level True Immortals, they gave chase a little while more and damaged another Star Ship. Concluding that the enemies had run far enough, Kou Chongxue ordered them to stop and turn back.

To maximize their interception of invaders and prevent them from congregating to launch a coordinated attack on the main fleet, their strike fleet couldn’t afford to waste too much time. They had to make the most efficient use of the gap between the waves of incoming enemies.

However... Instead of hunting down another fleet, Kou Chongxue decided to return to the main fleet.

...

As the main fleet had slowed their advance, those from behind caught up.

The fleet from behind was pretty impressive. They had 5 mid-scale Star Ships with at least 10 True Immortals! There were many fourth and fifth tier True Immortals among them and there were at least hundreds of cultivators in the Martial Extermination Realm or higher.

The majority of them came from the Spirit Mammoth World, with a significant number of True Immortals from the Essence Hong World. Of the True Immortals, 2 high-level True Immortals and a bunch of second and third tier True Immortals hailed from the Essence World.

There was no doubt about it. On the day of the Essence Luxuriant World’s ascension, the hatred Sage Yuan Ping developed for Shang Xia had reached its peak. Back during the huge battle, Shang Xia needed to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. Sage Yuan Ping, who was unfamiliar with Shang Xia’s combat strength, was instantly killed during their first exchange, greatly humiliating him. Now... Sending so many True Immortals to attack the Essence Luxuriant World’s fleet was only the start of his revenge.

Even though the Spirit Mammoth World’s fleet caught up, they didn’t attack immediately.

Although motivated by revenge, since they could join forces with other worlds to attack the Essence Luxuriant World’s fleet, why should they be the first to strike and benefit others?

As they closed in on the main fleet, they were shocked to find that other than the 8 Star Ships that were towing the Azure Qing World, there were no escort ships.

Naturally, those from the Spirit Mammoth World didn’t believe that the Essence Luxuriant World would make such a significant oversight. It was more likely that someone had beaten them to attacking the fleet, and the escort ships chose to chase after the enemy, leaving the main fleet unguarded.

The experts from the Spirit Mammoth World and Essence Hong World quickly deduced that it was undoubtedly the perfect moment to attack the main fleet.

As for attacking the Azure Qing World... No one would be stupid enough to suggest such a move.

Any True Immortal present would notice the vast expanse of swirling starlight above the fleet.

Attacks could be launched against the main fleet in any manner, but destruction of the Azure Qing World was off-limits. It was something the Sages had agreed upon.

As the ships from the Spirit Mammoth World proceeded with caution, they chose not to rush forward in unison or to choose different targets. They eventually decided to focus their strikes on the ship at the edge of the main fleet.

All 5 ships from the Spirit Mammoth World had their roles. They attacked from the left, above, and below, while the fourth ship attempted to cut the chains dragging the Azure Qing World while the fifth ship patrolled the perimeter, guarding against any surprise attack while being ready to join the assault at any time.

Just as their attack was about to land, the Tongyou Institution’s large-scale Star Ship and Spirit Ark moved in unison. One rose while the other sank, and the positions of the ships around them shifted. They formed a circular battle formation around the Spirit Mammoth World’s fleet.

What seemed like a three-to-one advantage for the Spirit Mammoth World suddenly turned into a three-on-five confrontation!

Even more unsettling for the Spirit Mammoth World’s fleet was the fact that the Essence Luxuriant World’s main fleet had formed a joint battle formation. Their assault was instantly neutralized and a counter-attack was even coming.

The ship trying to cut the chains was also unsuccessful; those fourteen chains, capable of towing a world through the void, were not so easily severed.

But the Spirit Mammoth World’s fleet did not lose its composure. They were confident that most of the Essence Luxuriant World’s fleet’s energy was committed to dragging the Azure Qing World and maintaining their grand formation, leaving little for a substantial counter-attack.

Indeed, while the Essence Luxuriant World’s main fleet presented a defensive battle formation, they did not act immediately. It looked like they were merely bluffing that they would blast the Spirit Mammoth World’s fleet away.

Reacting quickly, the Spirit Mammoth World’s fleet’s last ship that had been positioned to deal with any surprise attacks, and the other that was positioned to attack from the top, turned and attempted to cut off one of the other chains towing the Azure Qing World.

Too bad for them... Kou Chongxue’s fleet of 7 mid-scale Star Ships that returned from the void while remaining hidden appeared thousands of miles away in a flash. They formed a pincer attack with the main fleet, catching the Spirit Mammoth World off guard!

Clearly, those 7 ships under Kou Chongxue’s command had been concealed in the void after they returned. Even a fool could tell that they had anticipated the Spirit Mammoth World’s arrival. From the condition of the ships under Kou Chongxue’s command, it was clear they hadn’t been involved in heavy combat nor suffered heavy losses and they had merely been waiting for others to step into their trap!