348: Chapter 348 The Great War Breaks Out

Half a month later.

The Fifth Layer World outside Holy Radiance City.

As the primary battlefield neighboring the monsters from outside the world, this was also the most heavily fortified area.

Star fortresses, stretching as far as the eye could see, floated in the void, making even the stars appear insignificant.

Each one was over 100,000 kilometers long, with a bottomless, black, vortex-like stream of air encircling its center.

This was a massive energy jet formed by compressing countless black holes, capable of providing uninterrupted power to the 12,600 Hyper-Stellar Cannons on the fortress, creating violent high-energy particle blasts.

Their range, within the Great World, could span across several galaxies.

Of course, for the Association, such archaic star-warfare weapons were originally considered beneath notice.

However, one of the greatest functions of the Ascension Battlefield was to lower the power ceiling.

Those forbidden weapons capable of instantly destroying multiple universes lacked the necessary operating rules within the Ascension Battlefield and could not be used.

At this moment, on the edge of every star fortress, massive cannons were maintaining a low-energy warm-up state, operating in a disorderly fashion.

Meanwhile, on the world barrier outside the defensive line, countless star points connected into a dense web, flickering with light and shadow.

Suddenly, the calm chaotic airflow on the world barrier surged violently as if it had been provoked.

It was as if a massive boulder had been thrown into a calm lake, causing it to explode outward!

Beep!

The network woven by the star points instantly flared with dazzling light, with blue electric arcs leaping between them.

Billions of cannons, originally in standby mode, raised their muzzles and rotated almost simultaneously.

The energy dials on the cannons lit up segment by segment, reaching their peak.

The next moment.

Two massive palms, like curtains being drawn open, easily tore space apart to either side.

Endless gray airflow surged from within, and vaguely, countless bizarre-looking creatures could be seen hissing and roaring inside.

However, the defensive line meticulously built by the Association was certainly not just for show.

Almost at the same moment the gray airflow surged out, the Hyper-Stellar Cannons, having reached their peak, let out a silent roar as a sky-filling barrage of high-energy particle beams, appearing almost like a vast ocean, slammed into them.

The owner of those giant hands seemed not to have expected such a fierce offensive from the other side. Originally intending to block the attack to escort its subordinates out, it now withdrew its hands without hesitation.

Just kidding—in the Ascension Battlefield, restricted by rules, even an Eighth Realm powerhouse could fall. He did not want to suffer severe injuries right at the start.

Boom!

The moment it dodged, the impact of the high-energy particle beams, combined with the restrictive electric arcs from the star point network, turned the monsters that had just surged out into sitting ducks, obliterating them without any power to resist.

Looking from afar, it was as if an eraser had forcibly wiped away a stain.

"Warning! Large amounts of unknown lifeform fluctuations detected. All personnel, be on alert and act according to instructions."

"Warning...!"

A rapid voice sounded in the ears of every combatant.

"Z23, Z71... a total of 932 spatial nodes are under fierce attack by the enemy. Spirit of Mountains and Seas, counterattack according to the original plan."

Inside the frontline command room, orders were quickly issued down the chain of command.

With the assistance of the Ascension Battlefield's central intelligence, the "Spirit of Mountains and Seas," there was not the slightest delay or obstruction, even with the extremely long battle line.

The alloy doors beneath the star fortresses opened, and square metal blocks surged out.

They floated into the air and quickly unfolded into large starports.

Time-Folding Armory.

A weapon of war created using a large amount of "Sea of Time droplets."

It could compress local time by over ten million times compared to the outside world; as long as there were sufficient resources, it could continuously and instantly produce a massive mechanical legion.

Soon, a massive fleet filled the void, flying towards the torn spatial nodes.

Meanwhile, the surging gray airflow, taking advantage of the gap while the Hyper-Stellar Cannons were recharging, finally passed through the world barrier and rushed into the Fifth Layer World.

The bodies of those monsters also changed from illusory to solid.

"Target location locked..."

"Presetting all action trajectories..."

"Simulation complete, optimal attack positions marked... Firepower coverage about to commence."

Under the control of the Ascension Battlefield's intelligence, all attacking mechanical units achieved near-perfect coordination.

A monster over a thousand meters long, covered in giant mouths, didn't even have time to let out a sinister laugh before its senses were completely blocked by specialized containment shells.

It instinctively opened its most powerful weapon—giant mouths filled with sharp teeth—to defend itself. The next moment, countless "decay missiles" precisely struck into the mouths and detonated simultaneously!

That monster didn't even have time to let out a wail before it was completely annihilated and shattered.

"Tsk, watching those guys fight is like watching art every time. We can't fall behind either."

In the rear, a humanoid creature covered in sharp bone spurs smiled faintly and raised the hand holding a bone spear:

"Zerg Swarm, move out."

Instantly, insects resembling giant eyeballs, each over ten thousand miles in diameter and blotting out the sky, connected into a vast, boundless red cloud and drifted toward the battlefield.

The moment they arrived, a huge capsule suddenly opened on the lower half of the eyeballs, and countless spore spheres rained down like a storm.

"Die!"

Amidst the gray airflow, many monsters looked up, smashing the spore spheres into pieces with a single claw. Amidst the scattering green slime, countless dark brown silhouettes pounced on the monsters' bodies like streaks of lightning.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

As cold light flashed, the massive bodies of those monsters were instantly torn to shreds.

"It's the Claw Bug!"

In the Third Layer World, Zhang Huaiyuan, who had just finished an inspection mission, looked at the live broadcast coming into the command room, his expression shifting.

In the Relic No. 3 of the Initial World, there existed ruins of the insectoid race.

At that time, Emperor Luo, who was only at the early stage of the Second Rank, relied on the power of transforming into a Claw Bug to instantly kill two Third Rank elders of the Xuanjian Sect and even destroyed the hub that sealed the entire Initial World in one fell swoop.

And now, his eyes were filled with those terrifying bugs, and judging by their size and energy fluctuations, they were clearly elites within Zerg Swarm, far beyond what had been left behind in the ruins.

"These guys are truly insane..."

Zhang Huaiyuan watched the monsters from outside the world, who were being beaten back and unable to advance an inch, and felt increasingly puzzled.

The high-end combat forces hadn't even entered the field yet, so they weren't counted.

Looking solely at the contrast in combat power displayed on the field, the troops of Holy Spirit City hadn't even taken action yet, and those monsters had already completely fallen into a disadvantage.

According to known intelligence, as time passed, the authority over the Ascension Battlefield would return to the Association, and his teacher and the others could break through the blockade at any time to resolve these monsters from the source of time and space.

The pressure of the offensive was entirely on them.

Whether looking at the current situation or the long term, there was not a shred of hope for victory.

"My ability has advanced... perhaps I can see the information of these monsters... but Senior Brother said it's not the time yet... Goddess, do you think I should..."

Zhang Huaiyuan hesitated as he looked at a monster in the field.

"My Lord, I will not interfere with your decision. But as long as it is a decision made while you are clear-headed, I will support you with all my strength. Whether it is good or bad, right or wrong."

The light screen on his wrist lit up slightly, and a gentle voice sounded.

"I understand."

Zhang Huaiyuan took a deep breath and locked his gaze onto a monster again.

Ability activated.

...