Upon arriving at the designated coordinates, Storm Fleet connected its shared radar to the Crystal Fossil Clan's starship detection system. A holographic screen appeared in the command center, showing Tian Guang and an elder of the Crystal Fossil Clan.
This elder's name was so long that Feng Mo didn't bother to remember it; he simply referred to him as the Grand Elder. According to Tian Guang, the Grand Elder was the oldest living member of the Crystal Fossil Clan, having survived for over 1,400 years.
After respectfully bowing, the Grand Elder spoke:
"Esteemed Lord, thank you for coming to aid the Crystal Fossil Clan during such challenging times. Rest assured, Tian Guang's promises on our behalf are binding. The Crystal Fossil Clan has always been true to its word, so please have no reservations about working together to repel the New Human Church's invasion."
There's a saying: "The older, the wiser," and Feng Mo wasn't about to underestimate this ancient elder. Who knew what schemes might be brewing behind that crystal-like facade?
"Grand Elder, have no worries. As long as the Crystal Fossil Clan's fleet coordinates with Storm Fleet, we'll undoubtedly drive back the New Human Church's forces."
"Understood, Lord. Tian Guang will fully support you, ready to follow your commands."
Feng Mo nodded, keeping his response brief. Words only go so far; the real discussions could only begin once the New Human Church was defeated or even eliminated. And his ambitions extended beyond the Crystal Star System—he had an eye on the Beast Roar System as well.
Feng Mo deliberately did not hide Storm Fleet's presence; in fact, he made a point of exposing them. If he truly intended to annihilate the New Human Church here and now, his combined forces—Storm Fleet and the Crystal Fossil Clan's T4 starships—would likely suffice.
But Feng Mo chose to engage tactically. If he let the Crystal Fossil Clan bear the initial brunt and then struck with Storm Fleet in a surprise attack, he could achieve a total wipeout. However, such a move would come with drawbacks. Without a significant threat, why would the Crystal Fossil Clan need to rely on him afterward?
The New Human Church could be crushed, but not just yet. So Feng Mo made sure Storm Fleet sailed above the Crystal Fossil Clan's primary starport on Tianjing, where they would be visible on the New Human Church's radar.
The New Human Church soon picked up Storm Fleet's presence. In the command center of a Condor-class T5 cruiser, a bald-headed bishop sat on the captain's chair, watching a holo-video feed of the Pope from Beast Roar's capital.
"Father Pope, I request permission to engage! The Crystal Fossil Clan has only five hundred or so starships. Half of them might be T4, but I'm confident we can claim victory."
The Pope, lying on his throne, frowned slightly. He had sent one of his bishops to negotiate with Feng Mo in the Storm Star System, and that one hadn't returned. His remaining three bishops had little sense beyond brute force. At this rate, they'd exhaust the Church's resources.
"Reckless fool! The Crystal Fossil Clan has entrenched itself in the Crystal Star System for millennia. Although they've never reached T5 status, they have formidable crystal cannons around Tianjing. Engaging them there would lead to heavy losses. Even if we win, we'd lose at least two-thirds of our fleet—it's hardly worth it."
The Pope paused before adding, "Be patient. The Crystal Fossil Clan is united; we have many of their kin as captives. Eventually, they'll be forced to act. If they leave Tianjing, we can trap them and minimize our losses. Our resources are already stretched thin."
The Pope's monologue seemed to go unnoticed by the bishop, whose gaze was glued to the screen in astonishment. Alarms suddenly blared in the command center, pulling the Pope himself out of his daze. He rushed to the holo-screen, alert for updates.
"Alert! Unidentified starships detected. Scan complete—two T5-class vessels, one hundred seventeen T4-class vessels, and multiple T3-class vessels."
"Your Holiness, are these reinforcements?" the bishop asked, a hint of doubt in his voice. The Pope mentally cursed his subordinate's incompetence but quickly ordered:
"Open a video channel to their flagship. I want to see who dares oppose the Church."
At that moment, Feng Mo was seated in his command chair, listening to a report from the Mellow sisters. Four T4 Scorpion-class stealth bombers were moving swiftly toward the enemy, but it would still take some time to reach optimal attack range. Then, a video call request came through.
Hua Qin accepted the call, and the screen displayed a bald man in a red uniform. Feng Mo couldn't help but recall Meng Ya, who also wore a red uniform emblazoned with a human insignia.
This must be another of the New Human Church's four bishops. Feng Mo grinned and said, "I assume you're one of the bishops from the New Human Church? Have you heard of someone named Meng Ya?"
The man froze briefly at the mention of Meng Ya, then, after a moment's thought, he responded with a tinge of hatred, "So, you're Feng Mo, the Lord of Storm Star System? You killed Bishop Meng Ya? Do you realize the gravity of killing a Church bishop?"
Feng Mo facepalmed. Why did the New Human Church attract such dense individuals? Were they all brutes? Perhaps their beast gene fusions had scrambled their brains. So he replied bluntly, "I don't care which Church you belong to. Leave the Crystal Star System within ten minutes, or stay here permanently."
Without waiting for a response, Feng Mo cut the feed. At that moment, the Mellow sisters had reached their target position. Feng Mo gave the command:
"All four T4 Scorpions, unleash a full salvo and then retreat. Target only the enemy's T4 starships; ignore the T5 cruiser."
"Yes, sir!" The sisters quickly acknowledged. Feng Mo wasn't even remotely concerned about the ten-minute window he'd given. Who follows battlefield courtesies? If you take "ten minutes" at face value, you'll never know what hit you.
"Command from the Lord: T4 Scorpions, auto-lock on all enemy T4 starships. Commence area bombardment. Fire!"
With the Mellow sisters' orders, the four Scorpions positioned above the New Human Church's fleet simultaneously launched a barrage of 200 shockwave missiles and pulse torpedoes, each locking onto its designated targets.
After the first volley, they immediately released a second barrage of 200 proton torpedoes and anti-matter annihilation missiles. Finally, they fired 100 kinetic beam missiles to finish the assault. Having expended their payloads, the Scorpions didn't linger. They turned and swiftly withdrew.
"Alert! Multiple inbound interstellar missiles detected. Enemy has locked onto our fleet. Shields at maximum power, close-range defense systems engaging incoming projectiles."
The barrage of alarms jolted the bishop from his stupor. Instead of ordering defensive maneuvers, his first reaction was to shout:
"Didn't he say ten minutes? Feng Mo, you liar!"
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