"Lord, we've captured 470 prisoners. The mech squad is returning," Feng Xian's voice echoed through the control room of the Storm God, bringing a sense of relief to Feng Mo.
"Well done. Detain them in the rest chambers on Storm God, and bring the leaders to the control room. I'll question them personally."
Feng Mo closed the communication, anticipation brewing within him. The Lihuang Starfield… he was eager to uncover its secrets and hoped these captives held information or a star map.
After half an hour, Feng Xian entered, accompanied by ten mech pilots escorting three middle-aged men clad in red battle uniforms. The prisoners were shackled with electronic restraints, designed to deliver a paralyzing electric shock at any attempt to move. Not even a fifth-level genetic warrior could break free.
"Kneel!"
At Feng Xian's command, the three prisoners knelt, while he stepped aside and saluted Feng Mo. "Lord, these three were the commanders of the fleet and hold the rank of Cardinal within the New Humanity Church, a position of significant power."
Feng Mo nodded, acknowledging the information. Feng Xian took a few steps back, standing guard behind Feng Mo with his laser gun trained on the prisoners, ready to act at the slightest provocation.
"I don't need your names or introductions," Feng Mo said coldly. "The first bit of useful information you give me will ensure a painless end. I want the star map and all relevant details about the Lihuang Starfield. Who's going to talk first?"
Feng Mo's unyielding aura and icy gaze put immense pressure on the three men. Enhanced with beast genes, their senses were particularly acute, and they could feel the deathly presence emanating from him—the sense that this man, seated so calmly in the captain's chair, was shrouded in a sea of blood and death.
Initially defiant, the men began to waver under Feng Mo's intensifying gaze. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. Finally, the cardinal on the left cracked, opening his mouth to speak—only to be cut off by the man in the center.
"Shut up! Speak, and you're dead anyway. Betrayal of the Church is unforgivable!"
Feng Mo chuckled at this, and Feng Xian immediately raised his laser gun, discharging a shot that drilled through the central cardinal's forehead. Two crew members moved in and dragged the body out.
"With the hindrance gone, let's get back to business. Tell me everything I want to know, and I might spare you." Feng Mo's voice was calm but firm.
The cardinal who had initially broken down took a shaky breath. "Lord, we hail from the Lihuang Sub-Starfield. In that region, the New Humanity Church is one of the three main factions, with dominion over much of the starfield. We command nearly ten T5 fleets and a quasi-T6 fleet."
"Before our departure, we heard that the Church was researching sixth-level genetic warriors and T6 starship designs. I'm not sure about the progress. The Lihuang Sub-Starfield isn't far from the Starsea Human Federation—west of the Beast Roar System. You cross two treacherous star systems and two small, undeveloped star systems to reach it."
"As for the star map, it's stored in the mainframe of the three quasi-T6 flagships. If your fleet retrieves it, you should find what you need. That's all I know. Please, give me a quick end."
Feng Mo nodded thoughtfully, impressed by the cardinal's clarity despite knowing his fate. "So, you almost seem to want me to go after the New Humanity Church. Why is that?"
"Sir, my name is Li Wen," the man began.
He proceeded to share his tragic past—how the Church had killed his parents and wiped out his entire village, sparing only the children to raise them as test subjects. Out of a thousand children taken at the same time, fewer than ten had survived.
Li Wen's survival stemmed from a unique genetic fusion. The Church had experimented on him with genes from gorillas, pigs, and dolphins, all of which heightened intelligence. His genetic structure fused perfectly, allowing him to retain his childhood memories and even develop a psychic-like ability, enabling him to resist repeated brainwashing attempts.
While he outwardly showed loyalty to the Church, he seethed with hatred. However, the Church's strength was too overwhelming, so he kept his hatred buried. Knowing his current mission was a suicide run, he seized the opportunity to reveal the truth.
Feng Mo nodded in sympathy, understanding Li Wen's pain, yet remained resolute. His experience had taught him to remain wary of deception, so he wouldn't spare him based on mere words.
"Take them away," Feng Mo ordered calmly. "As for the rest, no need for further questioning. The Devouring Ancient Tree could use some more nourishment."
With this final decision, the prisoners' fate was sealed. As they were escorted out, Feng Mo turned to Feng Xian. "Have the logistics fleet sweep the battlefield. Retrieve the Church's flagship mainframes and extract the star map."
"Understood, my lord!"
An hour and a half later, the logistics fleet reported back. The battlefield was cleared, and one of the three mainframes was intact, containing the complete star map. The data was transmitted to the main console on Storm God.
Opening the map, Feng Mo found the Lihuang Sub-Starfield to be quite vast—larger than the Storm Region by comparison. It encompassed two large star systems, five medium-sized systems, and eight small systems, a substantial territory.
What intrigued Feng Mo was that, unlike the centralized governance of the Starsea Human Federation, the Lihuang Starfield was not unified. The New Humanity Church ranked third among its three primary factions.
The three dominant forces in the Lihuang Starfield were: the Nether Night Empire, the Interstellar Giants, and the New Humanity Church.
The Nether Night Empire was the most formidable, with three quasi-T6 fleets and twenty T5 fleets. The Interstellar Giants followed with two quasi-T6 fleets and twelve T5 fleets. The New Humanity Church, lagging behind, had only one quasi-T6 fleet.
Taking control of the Lihuang Starfield would pose a formidable challenge for Feng Mo, as the three factions collectively commanded six quasi-T6 fleets and over forty T5 fleets—comparable to the peak power of the Starsea Human Federation
. Though slightly weaker, the difference was not substantial.
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