However, things did not go as planned. When Feng Mo's thirty T5 Sword Dragon ships engaged nearly seventy ships from the Xuanling Fleet, Commander Han Cheng sensed something was off. Each trio of Sword Dragons coordinated in three-ship formations—one taking the lead while the other two flanked. Protected by their star shields, they not only engaged in close-quarters combat but also launched waves of T5 interstellar missiles and high-speed defensive cannons.
To Han Cheng, this felt like outright cheating, with no sense of battlefield honor. However, Feng Mo would never agree. Having already used warp missiles in battle, he saw no need to play by conventional rules. As far as Feng Mo was concerned, as long as the Storm Empire was protected, he was willing to go to any lengths, regardless of the chaos beyond his borders. This fierce resolve had fueled his rapid rise to power, though, admittedly, the Xinghuo System had been more than a little helpful along the way.
When it came to tactics, Feng Mo had learned a lot at Yunshan Military Academy. Ultimately, he believed a three-on-three formation was the most effective and efficient in this situation.
Han Cheng, who had assumed that the advantage lay with his seventy ships against Feng Mo's thirty, found himself shocked and speechless. Despite his initial confidence, he could only sigh and reflect, "Truly, times have changed. We old veterans are on our way out, and it's the younger generation's turn to shape the future!"
"Feng Mo, let Han Cheng's death serve to solidify the invincibility of your fleet!"
Back on the bridge of the Storm God, Feng Mo received a notification from the Xinghuo mission panel: his mission to annihilate three of the Pan-Human Alliance's T5 fleets was now complete. He held off on claiming his reward, intent on finishing the battle.
By this time, the Pan-Human Alliance's fleets had pulled back, leaving only a rearguard of star destroyers, while the rest of their forces retreated. The Starsea Human Federation did not pursue further. Thanks to the Storm Fleet and its strategic warp attacks, they had won a decisive and exhilarating victory.
The Alliance's retreat was expected; further combat risked more of their fleets being eliminated, a costly prospect that would only weaken their position. Of the seventeen T5 fleets that had attacked, only fourteen returned, with many ships damaged. This outcome elevated the Storm Fleet's reputation while putting a clear target on Feng Mo. In the coming days, he was well aware that the Storm Fleet would become the primary focus of research for all major factions, including the Federation, who would scrutinize every ship and battle to analyze and, if possible, reverse-engineer the Storm Fleet's capabilities.
With the temporary mission complete, the day moved toward evening. Skipping the victory banquet, Feng Mo returned to the Storm God's bridge for a moment of rest.
Half-reclining in the captain's chair, a holographic blue screen popped up in front of him.
[Temporary Mission: Annihilate three T5 Pan-Human Alliance fleets. (Complete). Reward: T5 Battle Planet design blueprint]
Feng Mo clicked to claim his reward.
[Reward successfully claimed. You have received the T5 Battle Planet blueprint ×1]
He rubbed his hands together in excitement, eager to delve into the specifications for his new Battle Planet.
T5 Battle Planet:
[Planetary Dimensions: Average radius, 300 km]
[Travel Speed: 300 star knots]
[Dark Energy Matrix Engine: Level 5]
[Dark Energy Matrix Shield: Level 5, 100% Coverage]
[Weapons Systems: T5 Black Hole Star Destroyer Cannon ×1 (Third-Stage Cannon), T5 Clustered Star Destroyer Cannons ×10, T5 Neutron Cannons ×50, T5 Laser Cannons ×500, Close Defense Auto-Cannons ×1000]
[Drone Fleet: T5 Interstellar Drones ×2000, T5 Interstellar Bombers ×1000, T5 Interstellar Self-Destruct Drones ×600, T5 Interstellar Armor-Piercing Drones ×400]
As Feng Mo reviewed the specs, he was floored. The sheer amount of weaponry packed into this Battle Planet was astonishing, with some individual components, like the T5 Black Hole Star Destroyer Cannon, costing as much as a single T5 starship.
Additionally, it boasted hundreds of T5 neutron cannons and laser cannons, five hundred and fifty in total, not to mention the two thousand drones.
Taking a moment to process everything, Feng Mo sent the Battle Planet specs to Alisa and Ai Er. The three spent the entire night analyzing the projected cost of constructing this T5 Battle Planet, using the Storm Fleet's mainframe to calculate all possible variables.
By eight o'clock the following morning, their estimates were complete. Alisa's hologram appeared with a bright smile and a gleam of excitement in her eyes.
"This is nothing short of a fortress, my lord! Let's build it! With an investment of just 100 billion star credits, we could wipe out the Starsea Human Federation!"
Ignoring Alisa's enthusiasm, Feng Mo looked toward Ai Er, gently massaging his temples to relieve the throbbing sensation building there. Finally, he asked, "Ai Er, how much does the Empire's treasury, across all our star systems, currently hold?"
Ai Er checked the data and replied, "My lord, across the thirteen systems, excluding routine expenditures, we can pull together roughly four billion star credits. The Storm Empire's main treasury, minus its commitments, can add about six billion more. Altogether, that's ten billion—only one-tenth of what's needed to build this Battle Planet."
Feng Mo nodded quietly and then checked his own personal account, which held an underwhelming four billion credits. With a combined total of fourteen billion, they were far short of the target.
But as Alisa had said, the design blueprint was here. Now that he knew such a weapon was possible, he could hardly ignore the idea of creating this powerful superweapon.
"Hold on a moment."
After signaling Alisa and Ai Er to wait, Feng Mo cut the video and called up Chu Yunjian, Wang Chongsheng, Hua Yucheng, and the head of the Qiao family.
Once the video connected, Feng Mo wasted no time. He projected the Battle Planet's data and simulation visuals onto the screen. After about five minutes, he saw that all four had expressions of restrained excitement, and he spoke with a faint smile.
"It'll take a hundred billion star credits to construct. If you can supply materials directly, that's even better. So, I need your support!"
"We have to build it!" Chu Yunjian was the first to respond, without a moment's hesitation. "The Chu family will contribute thirty billion in raw materials toward building this T5 Battle Planet!"
Her commitment was swift and absolute, showing her deep and unwavering trust in Feng Mo. Such an investment was a considerable risk, one that would be felt as keenly as any financial wound. For context, the entire annual income of the Storm Empire didn't even reach thirty billion.
Next came Mo Xue, Wang Chongsheng's fiancée and a formidable woman from the Starfall Mo family. Ever since Feng Mo met her, he recognized her as a decisive and formidable leader. Their relationship dynamics leaned toward her being the proactive force and Wang as her supportive counterpart.
"The Mo and Wang families will each provide ten billion in materials for the project, my lord. And if that's not enough, we'll ensure the rest is covered."
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