735: Chapter 735 The Choice of a Six-Legged Creature

As the minutes and seconds ticked by, the Six-legged creature looked at the three motionless reconnaissance ships, then back at the main fleet behind them that resembled a torrent of steel, completely falling into a desperate struggle.

Meanwhile, inside the flagship Command Center at the rear, the call between the reconnaissance ship and the Lianxing Civilization was clearly synchronized on the giant light screen.

Li Yang leaned back in his command chair. Watching the captain's tough yet precise stance, a glint of approval flashed in his eyes. He nodded slightly and whispered to the Chief of Staff, Pal, beside him.

“I like this comrade's style. He's efficient and doesn't waste words, perfectly embodying the standards of an Imperial soldier. Pass down my order: once this mission is over, have your Political Department record a Third-class Merit for that captain. If his performance remains superior after the deployment, then give him a proper promotion and nurture him well.”

“Yes!”

Pal immediately stood at attention, picked up the communicator, and quickly relayed Li Yang's instructions.

The other officers in the Command Center, especially the young junior officers, had their eyes light up upon hearing this, their faces showing expressions of immense envy.

To receive praise and approval from Li Yang within the military district...

This represented a comprehensive upgrade in resources and status. As long as that captain could complete this pioneering mission safely and with Perfection, he would ascend to the heavens in a single bound upon his return, likely moving from his current small squad to the position of a battalion Commander at the very least.

This was undoubtedly a massive Opportunity.

This blatant promise of promotion also ignited a fierce fighting spirit in the hearts of all the officers present. Following Commander Li Yang indeed offered a boundless future!

...

On the other side, inside the Lianxing Civilization's Command Ship, the atmosphere had long since become oppressive to the extreme.

The Six-legged creature froze before the command console, staring fixedly at the red countdown screen flashing before it. Every second the numbers jumped, it felt like a heavy hammer smashing against its heart.

A mere minute felt as long as a century.

Fine beads of cold sweat began to seep from its six furry legs, dripping down through the gaps in its fur. Its six slender legs trembled uncontrollably, making it nearly unable to stand. Its once steady and majestic appearance as a leader had vanished, leaving only extreme fear and panic.

It wanted to contact the Jellyfish-type Being and other high-level officials for discussion immediately, but upon careful thought, there simply wasn't enough time. It had to bear the weight of this life-or-death moment alone. Its mind was blank, filled only with the words 'total purge' spoken by the opponent, and it didn't even dare to harbor a single thought of resistance.

The surrounding personnel were all as quiet as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe loudly. The entire Command Ship was so silent that only the ticking of the countdown and the Six-legged creature's rapid, almost suffocating gasps could be heard.

Finally, the red countdown hit zero, the communication signal was instantly re-established, and the light screen of the Imperial reconnaissance ship lit up once more.

The captain still stood before the command console, his expression indifferent and his gaze sharp as a knife. Without any superfluous emotion, he spoke in a cold tone.

“One minute is up. Tell me your final choice.”

The Six-legged creature shuddered at the sound. It opened its mouth, but its throat felt blocked, and it could only produce intermittent, trembling sounds.

“I... I... I...”

Its heart was filled with terror. It wanted to agree to submit, but feared the blame of other high-level officials and the citizens calling it a traitor to the civilization.

It wanted to refuse, but knew full well that resistance was a dead end. In its extreme internal conflict, it couldn't even say a single complete word, only helpless, meaningless syllables as its body shook even more violently.

The captain's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes. His tone became even colder, devoid of any patience.

“Hmm, it seems you haven't thought it through. I'll give you three final seconds. If you can't speak, it will be regarded as waiving your choice, and a total purge will be initiated immediately. Three...”

“I...”

The Six-legged creature looked up sharply, its mouth wide open, but the words were still stuck in its throat.

“Two...”

The captain's voice had no fluctuation. The Imperial crew in the command cabin also instantly entered a state of combat readiness, waiting only for the order to launch an attack.

“No... don't!”

The Six-legged creature suffered a Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering from fright. Cold sweat soaked its fur, and it almost collapsed to the floor.

“One...”

The moment the final number fell, the Six-legged creature finally broke down completely. No longer caring about anything else, it used all its strength to roar with a sobbing voice.

“I choose to surrender! Don't attack, we surrender! We are willing to submit to the Xili Empire, to serve forever, and we will never dare to resist!”

After shouting the words of submission, the Six-legged creature's taut nerves snapped completely. Its six legs, which had been struggling to hold it up, instantly lost all strength as if all bones and sinews had been removed. It could no longer stand, and its massive body slumped straight onto the cold floor of the cabin with a dull thud.

It panted heavily, its compound eyes full of exhaustion and bewilderment, its heart churning with endless conflict and anxiety.

It didn't know if its unauthorized decision to submit to the Xili Empire was right or wrong, or what kind of fate the Lianxing Civilization would face—whether it would be enslaved and plundered, or if it could survive peacefully under the Empire's protection. All of it was an unknown.

The other high-level members of the civilization, especially the short-tempered Jellyfish-type Being, would certainly be extremely dissatisfied with its decision and might even view it as a traitor. But at this moment, it could no longer worry about such things.

It knew very well that in the face of such an absolute disparity in power, resistance was a dead end. By choosing this, it had at least preserved the Foundation of the entire Lianxing Civilization and the lives of billions of its people, preventing this Star Domain, where they had lived for generations, from being reduced to ruins by the slaughter of war. That was enough.

Seeing that it had completely softened and truly submitted to the Empire, the captain of the Imperial reconnaissance ship withdrew his coldness and pressure. He did not continue to make things difficult, nor did he order an attack.

He understood the core essence of a pioneering mission: subduing the enemy without fighting is the optimal solution. He immediately turned, walked to the ship's communicator, pressed the button, and reported to the flagship Command Center in a steady voice.

“Reporting to Command Center, the reconnaissance squad's mission is complete. The opposing civilization has chosen unconditional surrender and is willing to permanently submit to the Xili Empire and accept Imperial jurisdiction!”

The communication signal was instantly sent back to the flagship Command Center. Li Yang, who had been watching the entire negotiation process through the giant light screen, showed no surprise on his face, his expression calm and composed.

In his view, a weak third-level civilization had no capital to contend with the Empire. Submission was the only way to survive and an inevitable outcome.