"Commander, the Hurricane's primary and secondary cannons have cooled and recharged. Awaiting your orders!"
"Fire!" The battle had worn everyone down, and Feng Mo wanted to end this as soon as possible.
It was his first time facing such a vast swarm of insectoid mother ships, and he hadn't anticipated the sheer number of enemies. If he'd known, he would have brought the Storm Fleet along to wipe out these pests in just a few rounds of bombardment.
With only six starships, and the T4 Scorpions needing to resupply at the Northern Sky Gate Space Station after each round of bombardment, his options were limited. Although the station was within his reach, each round trip took too much time.
At Feng Mo's command, the Hurricane unleashed its full arsenal: one quasi-T5 star destroyer cannon, six primary laser cannons, and sixteen secondary laser cannons—all fired at once!
Twenty-three beams blasted through the thinning swarm of mother ships, each beam ripping apart any mother ship it touched, disintegrating it on impact.
This attack alone allowed the Hurricane to destroy over a hundred mother ships. The remaining battle became a matter of grinding down the insectoid forces. After six and a half hours, Feng Mo's six starships, together with the Black Knight Fleet, finally eradicated every mother ship.
On the surface of Z227, the insectoid forces let out a unified screech as their mother ships fell, launching a suicidal charge at the Federation's defensive units. This charge claimed numerous lives, demonstrating the terrifying tenacity of the interstellar insectoids.
Once the chaos subsided, Feng Mo made his way to the lounge to meet with the faculty and students from Yunshan Military Academy.
"Professor, the Black Knight Fleet will take over control of the Z227 system. The Meteor Empire will dispatch a logistics fleet to coordinate with Yunshan Military Academy, repair your damaged ships, and ensure their safe return."
The encirclement of Z227 by the insectoid mother ships couldn't entirely be blamed on the military; the insectoids must have schemed for some time to find such a breach near the Northern Sky Gate.
Thankfully, the casualties weren't severe, and, most importantly, Gu Yanyan was safe—truly a silver lining in the midst of this disaster.
After addressing the academy's faculty and students, Feng Mo approached Gu Yanyan, taking her out of the lounge.
"Have you spoken with your father? He was incredibly worried. As soon as he learned of the insectoid encirclement, he contacted me, requesting I deploy the Storm Fleet to rescue you."
Gu Yanyan nodded obediently, fully embracing her role as the sweet, dutiful girl she enjoyed portraying.
Seeing her innocent, almost nostalgic expression, Feng Mo couldn't resist pinching her cheeks, laughing heartily. It was a small indulgence of his.
Gu Yanyan, however, didn't mind Feng Mo's teasing in the slightest. She gazed at him with affection. After all, who wouldn't be drawn to a hero—especially one like Feng Mo, who was not only powerful and high-ranking but also her childhood friend and now her rescuer?
With all these factors combined, her feelings for him surged. Perhaps this infatuation would cool in time, but today's events would surely stay with her forever.
"So, would you prefer to return to Yunshan Military Academy with your classmates, or go back to the Gu family first?"
Hearing this, Gu Yanyan hesitated, a playful thought crossing her mind: Couldn't he just take me to the Hurricane Star System?
But, too timid to voice it aloud, she simply replied sweetly, "Thank you, Brother Feng Mo. I'll return to Yunshan Military Academy with everyone else."
"Alright then. Head back to the lounge and rest up. We still have a ways to go before reaching Yunshan's main star. Contact me if you need anything."
With that, Feng Mo turned and left, leaving Gu Yanyan staring after him in a daze.
Feng Mo had other tasks to attend to. Once back in the control room, he turned to Han Peipei and asked, "How are we doing? Have the transport ships arrived?"
"Reporting, Commander: The Storm Fleet has escorted ten T3 Reindeer-class interstellar transport ships to Z227. Awaiting your orders!"
"Perfect timing. The Hurricane will head directly to Yunshan's main star, while the Mastodon and Storm Fleet will return to Beast Roar Prime Star. Have everyone move quickly and load the insectoid corpses onto the transport ships before the military arrives."
Feng Mo had plans for these insectoid corpses, intending to use them to feed the two powerful entities on Beast Roar Prime Star—one that devoured flesh, the other that drank blood. Truly, they were a bizarre pair.
"Yes, sir!" Han Peipei replied, swiftly dispatching a hundred mechas and hauling equipment to Z227 to collect the corpses.
After two and a half hours of continuous effort by the hundred mechas and crew, they managed to load the majority of the insectoid corpses onto the transport ships.
At that moment, the Spark System displayed a notification confirming the completion of his temporary mission, awarding Feng Mo 1,000 points and bringing his total to 7,660—just two thousand points short of obtaining his first T5-class starship.
With his first T5-class ship, Feng Mo would be well on his way to founding his own state. With control over four star systems, his power would see a massive surge.
As Han Peipei completed the arrangements and prepared to return to the control room, her fleet assistant reported a disturbance among the rescued cadets, prompting her to investigate. Without delay, she headed for the lounge, sending a message to the Commander along the way.
At that moment, Feng Mo was reclining in the captain's chair, resting. The intense battle on the planet's surface had taken its toll.
With the large-scale invasion of the Federation by the insectoids, he knew that, as a Duke of the Yunshan Empire, he might be called to the frontlines at any time.
Feng Mo did not take the insectoids lightly, even though he had emerged victorious in their last two encounters.
Those battles had only been the beginning. The Northern War Zone was now deploying three T5 fleets, a clear sign of the immense pressure on the frontlines.
He estimated that a hundred T5-class insectoid mother ships, each leading tens of thousands of T4-class mother ships, were preparing to launch an assault on Xuanwu Fortress.
The Federation was besieged on three fronts—a dire situation. The past two years had indeed been full of crises.
Just then, his wrist communicator beeped with a message. Glancing at it, Feng Mo rose and headed for the lounge. Upon entering, he found the faculty leader looking grim, with several cadets visibly distressed.
"What happened, Han Peipei?" Feng Mo asked coolly.
It was the first time Han Peipei had seen Feng Mo angry, and she felt a touch of fear as she replied timidly, "Some of the cadets wanted to tour the Hurricane, but the crew stopped them, leading to a verbal confrontation."
After her brief explanation, Feng Mo wasn't angry with anyone in particular. He understood the cadets' curiosity, and his crew, still carrying the intensity of battle, weren't the type most people could face comfortably. He doubted his crew would be at a disadvantage in any altercation, so he figured the cadets were likely the ones overstepping—a fact that explained the faculty leader's dark expression.
Knowing the situation, Feng Mo addressed the teacher calmly.
"Professor Chen, every fleet has its rules. I expect everyone to respect them here. I apologize for any distress caused, but my crew did nothing wrong."
Feng Mo's words reminded the faculty leader that simply because they shared an academy didn't give them the right to explore the Hurricane without his consent.
The teacher realized it was inappropriate to act so boldly, especially without regard for Feng Mo's rank. It was poor judgment, especially to demand things without relenting.
However, most of these cadets came from wealthy or powerful families—students at Yunshan Military Academy's command school were often children of high social status. To them, regular crew members were simply soldiers, not true companions.
Many of Feng Mo's crew, particularly those from half-beast backgrounds, were often marginalized, not fully accepted by either humans or beastmen, and received little respect from cadets with prestigious backgrounds.
"They're just a bunch of half-beast trash. No need to make a big deal out of it."
One male cadet in a black combat uniform muttered under his breath. Though he spoke quietly, everyone heard him clearly.
Feng Mo's expression turned cold. Noticing Feng Mo's shift, the faculty leader quickly intervened, "Your Grace, Wei Cheng didn't mean it that way…"
"Enough! Professor Chen, let me be clear: fleets operate by their own rules. You—Wei Cheng, is it? Who's your family? Let's hear it. If I can afford to offend you, get off my ship. If not… well, let's see if the Storm Fleet will have a say in that!"
Feng Mo's stance was simple: if he could afford to offend him, the cadet would leave. If not, then he was ready to test that assumption. He didn't believe he needed to cater to anyone's prestige, even within the Yunshan Empire.
As Feng Mo unleashed his fury, the lounge fell completely silent. No one dared to provoke him further. This was the Duke of the Empire himself—a man whose feats they'd heard of since their first year at the Military Academy, all the way through to senior year.
There was a reason for this: Feng Mo was dazzling, a peerless figure who had left everyone in his generation far behind. Wei Cheng was terrified. What good would it do to even mention his family name? His family would never risk offending Feng Mo over him.
In fact, if his family found out about this, they'd likely hand him over to Feng Mo without hesitation. At that moment, Gu Yanyan stepped up beside Feng Mo, taking his hand and addressing Wei Cheng.
"Wei Cheng, I'll let Brother Feng Mo notify the Black Knight Fleet. You can take an interstellar shuttle over to them, and they'll arrange for a ship to take you back to the Academy. For now, you're not welcome here."
Feng Mo looked at his honorary "little sister" with a hint of surprise. He'd thought that if Gu Yanyan pleaded for Wei Cheng, he might consider it. But she hadn't come to plead—she was standing up for him instead.
Feng Mo didn't fully grasp the competitive pressures among children of elite families. They were as fiercely competitive as anyone, especially in families where a single generation had many members vying for recognition.
Wei Cheng's family was influential in the Yunshan Empire but aligned with the Speaker's faction, not Gu Jun's. And in his generation alone, there were thirteen others of similar age. If they learned he'd offended Feng Mo, he'd likely be disowned. However, to his credit, Wei Cheng held his composure, offering no apologies or pleas as he left the lounge with his head down.
Han Peipei, understanding the situation, instructed the fleet assistant to escort Wei Cheng to the rear of the ship and provide him with an interstellar shuttle. The Black Knight Fleet wasn't far from the Hurricane, making it an easy trip. Even if something happened along the way, it wouldn't concern Feng Mo.
Once Wei Cheng had left, Feng Mo looked at the professor, who still wore a strained expression, then took Gu Yanyan's hand and left the lounge. Gu Yanyan's friend, watching them, grinned—there was nothing more thrilling than following her friend's love story, especially one involving Feng Mo.
They made their way to the control room, where Feng Mo seated Gu Yanyan beside him and initiated a video call with Gu Jun. As the call connected, Feng Mo noticed that Gu Jun's background was still the control room of a starship, a sign that the situation was likely tense.
Seeing his daughter and Feng Mo sitting side by side, looking like a perfect pair, Gu Jun felt a sense of pride. His daughter was beautiful, intelligent, and charming, with many admirers since she was young.
But Gu Yanyan wasn't exactly the sweet, obedient girl she seemed. A mischievous side lay beneath her innocence, often leading her to attempt risky stunts that scared her father half to death. She was his only daughter, and he cherished her dearly.
"Uncle Gu, is the situation at Xuanwu Fortress looking grim?" Feng Mo asked, getting straight to the point.
Gu Jun raised an eyebrow. "What, are you thinking of lending a hand at Xuanwu Fortress?"
Feng Mo nodded, as that was precisely his plan. With two ancient creatures at home that thrived on blood and flesh, he couldn't exactly sacrifice his own people to feed them—he'd have to find a new outlet for their appetite.
"I'd be honored to help. As a Duke of the Yunshan Empire, it's my duty. But let's be clear—I'm not asking for money. I'll need the insectoid corpses, as many as possible."
There was no need for pretense in front of Gu Jun. With Feng Mo's current power, few could challenge him—a fact underscored by the ancient Devouring Life Tree he'd planted.
Gu Jun observed him thoughtfully. "It seems you've quietly acquired some impressive assets, Feng Mo. Don't forget to keep your Uncle Gu in mind."
Feng Mo understood the hint and replied earnestly, "Rest assured, Uncle Gu. You'll always have your share. I won't forget."
Gu Jun smiled, reflecting on how he'd once cared for Feng Mo as a young nephew, never imagining he'd rise to such heights so quickly, reaching the pinnacle of elite families. He was now nearly on par with the top aristocratic families.
With the Storm Fleet's remarkable record, Feng Mo wasn't intimidated even by the top families, including the Chu, Yue, and Qiao families.
Gu Jun felt thankful for his early support of Feng Mo, realizing what a wise decision it had been. And, seeing the way his daughter looked at Feng Mo, he sensed there was more to come.
"Wait for my orders. A T4 fleet recently retreated from the second defensive line between Xuanwu Fortress and the No
rthern Sky Gate after suffering heavy losses. You'll have a week to rest and prepare to report to Xuanwu Fortress."
With that, Gu Jun ended the call.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!