[Thanks to your strategy, the main force successfully avoided two cosmic turbulence incidents. Aside from a few casualties caused by asteroid collisions, the group sustained minimal losses.]
[Before them now looms the massive light-blue shadow. As Haipajedon leads the way and gets closer, it finally becomes clear that this is not a creature, nor an asteroid or some other celestial body.]
[Instead, it's an enormous block of ice! Suspended in space, the ice block is semi-transparent. With Haipajedon's keen vision, they detect something unusual inside the ice.]
"Oh?"
"So that gigantic shadow was just a big block of ice?" Bai Ze muttered, momentarily stunned.
But why would such a colossal ice block appear out of nowhere in space?
When first spotted, it was roughly 100 times the size of Bai Ze's small planet. Now, it's about a third the size of his homeworld.
In its presence, the comet swarm seems utterly insignificant.
What intrigued Bai Ze most, however, was Haipajedon's final observation: the semi-transparent ice block appears to have something inside it.
"System, activate the Divine Eye!" Bai Ze commanded.
[Ding! Command received. Divine Eye has been activated!]
Bai Ze's vision turned golden as he stared at the floating ice. He was astonished to see a faint red glow within.
"It's a lifeform?!"
The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning.
But with the thick outer ice layer blocking the view, the Divine Eye could only detect a faint outline. Bai Ze couldn't determine the exact nature or number of lifeforms within.
"Hmm..." Bai Ze pondered for a moment.
Then, he descended a divine decree into space.
[As the comet swarm surrounded the massive ice block, unsure of what to do, you issued a command: instruct Haipajedon to use black flames to reduce the ice's size.]
[Afterward, order all comet swarm members to drag the ice block back to the homeworld. Do not attempt to open it in space to avoid potential risks.]
[Haipajedon followed the order, releasing its superheated black flames while the comet swarm prepared to tow the ice block back to the homeworld.]
At this point, an unformed thought crossed Bai Ze's mind.
The voice from the cosmos mentioned there was something valuable to the south of his planet.
Could it be that the target of these foreign entities was the creature within the ice?
What kind of being could attract such interest?
Anticipation brewed within Bai Ze, and he resolved to return to his homeworld to investigate the ice block.
However, disaster soon struck.
[Late in the Second Era: Just as the ice was nearing a manageable size for transport, a third cosmic voice descended upon the homeworld.]
[Every creature on your planet learned about the valuable find to the south. But the Transcendent Three Tribes, who had remained on the homeworld, turned pale with fright.]
[They looked anxiously toward the heavens. Sure enough, moments later, a growing red light appeared in the sky. As expected, it was a gamma-ray burst!]
[The moment it struck, the entire planet was engulfed. Fortunately, the Three Tribes' tall walls and formidable strength allowed them to barely survive the blast.]
[Tragically, the lesser creatures, being far weaker, were vaporized by the residual energy of the explosion, nearly driving their species to extinction.]
[The homeworld's ecosystem suffered catastrophic damage. Forests turned to deadwood, soil became scorched earth, and the once-vivid blue oceans were contaminated with radioactive materials. The planet's landmass rapidly shrank.]
From his cosmic vantage point, Bai Ze gazed into the distance.
The myriad stars seemed to move closer and closer, converging upon his location.
At first glance, the array resembled a fleet of starships, each gleaming with bright lights!
Inside these vessels were hideous, antennaed creatures with grotesque faces.
Bai Ze quickly deduced their identity: the Lich Race, one of the infamous alien species from the cosmos.
"The Lich Race?"
"So they were the ones who launched the gamma-ray burst?" Bai Ze murmured in shock.
A rough estimate revealed that the incoming fleet consisted of hundreds of starships.
Alongside them were gigantic, manatee-like beasts likely the Lich Race's war beasts numbering close to a hundred. The scale of their invasion was enormous.
"But why are the Liches here?" Bai Ze wondered aloud, puzzled.
The Lich Race was known for its enmity with humanity, but their territory was supposed to be in another multiverse. How had they appeared in this relatively minor region?
There was no time to contemplate further, as the enemy forces advanced rapidly.
[Early in the Third Era: The massive fleet approached the homeworld. The Lich forces seemed to communicate among themselves, and upon discovering Haipajedon's location, redirected their war beasts toward it.]
[Upon closer inspection, the war beasts each at the pinnacle of servant-level strength could launch devastating area-effect energy blasts from their mouths.]
[You realized that the Lich Race had likely come for the ice-bound creature, so you immediately issued orders for Haipajedon to lead the comet swarm in battle.]
[A fierce clash erupted between the two sides in space. The comet swarm charged valiantly, displaying their unparalleled agility in the cosmic environment.]
[Meanwhile, the situation on the homeworld deteriorated. The Lich fleet bombarded the planet with indiscriminate laser fire as they descended.]
[Led by Taotie, the remaining members of the Transcendent Three Tribes suffered heavy losses from the initial gamma-ray burst, reducing their numbers by half to less than 800.]
[They were further devastated by the barrage of lasers, leaving them in a dire state.]
[The Liches appeared utterly deranged. Upon breaching the homeworld's defenses, they unleashed their racial ability, sacrificing themselves to power the light-cannon systems of their starships.]
[Beams of energy rained down, shattering the floating island, collapsing the sacred temple, and annihilating the weakest of the Ocean Emperor Tribe in a single strike.]
[Infuriated, the remaining Taotie and Kunpeng, along with the surviving comet swarm, formed a coalition to defend the homeworld.]
[The three tribes took to the skies, engaging the Lich forces in close combat. Deprived of their ranged advantage, the Liches struggled. One by one, their vessels fell, consumed by fiery explosions that marked their defeat.]
[Yet strangely, despite being overwhelmed, the Liches showed no sign of panic or retreat. On the contrary, they became even more frenzied, launching suicidal charges with their warships, causing devastating explosions and mutual destruction.]
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 450+ capters
patreon.com/LordoftheReader