In the command center of the Vermilion Ape, Feng Mo continued issuing battle commands:
"Charge the T6 Black Hole-Class Star Destroyer Cannon, and lock onto the enemy T6 mechanical battleship with the radar auto-targeting system!"
With this command, the bow of the Vermilion Ape lit up with a dazzling red glow, illuminating a stretch of the starry expanse.
"Fire!"
At Feng Mo's command, a massive dark-red energy beam shot directly toward the enemy T6 mechanical battleship, splitting along the way into a hundred faint red beams that decimated a hundred T5 mechanical warships in its path.
Even at top speed, the T6 mechanical battleship couldn't avoid this level of attack, let alone intercept it. The dark-red beam struck the T6 mechanical battleship's shield, shattering it effortlessly and piercing through to leave a nearly hundred-meter-wide hole.
The compressed energy of the beam triggered a secondary explosion, which completely obliterated the T6 mechanical battleship, scattering it in fragments.
Star destroyers are the ultimate expression of firepower in the Federation, equipped with the most powerful and advanced weapons available. Compared to these specialized warships, the standard mechanical battleships fell short in many ways. Unlike the Vermilion Ape, which had the T6 Black Hole-Class Star Destroyer Cannon capable of destroying a T6 mechanical battleship in one shot, the mechanical battleships lacked comparable firepower.
In less than ten minutes, three fireworks-like explosions filled the void. Zhong Ming felt like his emotions had been on a roller coaster, dropping to the depths only to surge to elation as he watched Feng Mo command the T6 star destroyer Vermilion Ape to take on three T6 mechanical battleships and win.
Zhong Ming continued directing the counterattack, quietly uploading the collected radar data and battle footage to the Federation's classified archive. Access to this archive was strictly limited, with only a handful of individuals in the entire Federation authorized to view it. While Zhong Ming himself had access, neither Gu Jun nor even Feng Mo did. This exclusion stemmed from a deep-seated caution; the Federation's wariness of Feng Mo led to the restriction of sensitive information from him and, by extension, from Gu Jun as well, although Gu Jun was indifferent.
As the Vermilion Ape, Battle Planet, ten T5 Mystic Birds, and five T5 Pegasus-class missile ships unleashed their full firepower, the Interstellar Mechanical Clan's fleet struggled to withstand the relentless onslaught. After each round of bombardment, another T5 mechanical fleet was left crippled, turning the entire battlefield into a showcase of the Storm Fleet's prowess.
The sheer variety of specialized warships in the Storm Fleet was staggering. While commanders admired the fireworks display, they quietly transmitted data on each of the Storm Fleet's ships back to their respective factions.
In an instant, nearly every councilor within the Federation had received information on the Vermilion Ape and the Storm Fleet. What they thought of this, Feng Mo didn't know, but at the moment, he felt an immense satisfaction.
Feng Mo couldn't be happier with the Vermilion Ape's performance. The heavy shielding, reinforced armor, and massive firepower represented everything he found compelling about command, and this was why he favored star destroyers as his flagships.
In a steel-clad base deep within a star system, a bald-headed commander of the Mechanical Clan glared at the Vermilion Ape, as if attempting to see through to the person commanding it. If Feng Mo were standing before him, the man would likely tear him to pieces.
"Retreat and clear the path!"
Assessing the situation, the bald commander quickly made the most practical choice. If they continued to engage, the Federation fleet would lose at least half its strength, but the Interstellar Mechanical Clan would lose nearly two-thirds—an unacceptable cost.
Better to retreat for now and devise a new strategy. It was rumored that interstellar humans were particularly prone to infighting—perhaps this could be exploited.
With this in mind, the commander envisioned ways to sow discord among his adversaries. Meanwhile, Feng Mo was well aware of the potential fallout. By revealing the Vermilion Ape, he knew the Storm Empire would become a target.
Unless he shared the design blueprints for the Vermilion Ape with the Federation, he could expect continued antagonism—but that was out of the question.
Once the Interstellar Mechanical Clan began their retreat, Feng Mo notified Gu Jun, ended the call, and activated the jump gate. The entire Storm Fleet vanished from enemy radar.
Feng Mo then immediately transferred to the Zhu Que system's jump gate, clearing the waiting ships and having the Storm Fleet pass through to return to the Yue Shuang star system.
Over the following days, Feng Mo watched as Federation politics took their course. As expected, the Federation made a move, inviting him to the Tianqi Empire's treasury to select a prize. Feng Mo, however, saw through this pretense and declined, instead requesting that the prize be converted into dark matter resources and dark energy crystals.
This was because the recent white hole emissions were insufficient for his needs. Alisa was close to completing upgrades on the third T5 fleet, and the recent acquisition of the T6 escort blueprints added another massive expense. Now was the perfect time to secure additional resources.
When Feng Mo declined, the Federation attempted a different tactic, inviting him under the guise of Yunshan Military Academy to share his legendary story with the cadets. This only irritated him further, especially when he learned from Yang Bo that a T5 fleet had been stationed in the Clouddream star system, supposedly to "protect" his ancestral lands. He understood this veiled threat for what it was.
But he was unperturbed. He was confident the Federation wouldn't dare take aggressive action against Yang Bo or the Clouddream system; if they attempted anything, the combined might of the Vermilion Ape, Battle Planet, and the Storm Fleet would be unstoppable.
Reclining in his captain's chair, Feng Mo glanced at the soft blue display screen while his secretary, the stunning Xing Shuwen, gently massaged his temples.
[Temporary Mission: Reach the Zhu Que Interstellar Fortress and annihilate two T5 mechanical fleets, including one T6 mechanical battleship (completed). Reward: T6 Ankylosaur-Class Interstellar Escort Blueprint]
Feng Mo tapped to claim his reward.
[Reward claimed successfully: T6 Ankylosaur-Class Interstellar Escort Blueprint ×1]
As always, he reviewed the performance specs and then instructed Ai Er to secure the blueprint in the underground archives of Gale's main star.
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