Chapter 106: Poison Glands (Part Three)

Chapter 106: Poison Glands (Part Three)

The once tranquil IcButterfly Sector was now seething with their relentless attacks. Rong Mi couldn't help but anticipate that after today's operation, the IcButterflies might retaliate with some major move against the Human Combat Zone.

He had once opposed Hua Oulo's suggestion to launch an assault on the outskirts of the IcButterfly Sector precisely because such an uncalculated attack would disrupt the current strategic layout of the Human Combat Zone in case of a retaliatory counterattack.

Despite the youth's consultative tone, his actions didn't slow down in the slightest; the flames of his mental energy burned even more fiercely.

He tilted his head towards Lu Yi's direction. Half of his face was concealed by the operational helmet, yet the upward curve of his lips was clearly visible.

Rong Mi knew as well that what he was doing was fundamentally different from Hua Oulo's previous plans.

Destroying the IcButterflies' resource planets, torching their cocoon grounds... these acts could significantly weaken their combat strength.

If they passed up on such an opportunity out of fear of retaliation, it would be another strategic misstep born of excessive caution.

Moreover, if there was an outstanding commander who could promptly coordinate, the potential adverse consequences of this sudden action could be minimized.

An excellent commander was sitting right next to him.

This was one of the reasons Rong Mi could launch her attack without hesitation.

Lu Yi enjoyed Rong Mi's fearless demeanor.

"Of course," he replied promptly, his words brief and to the point. "Don't worry."

Lu Yi himself was one of the key commanders in the war zone, capable of handling any unforeseen circumstances.

Not to mention, there were scarce opportunities to infiltrate the Ice Butterfly Star Domain deeply.

And the chance to destroy an Ice Butterfly resource planet and a cocoon site was truly a unique one!

This was entirely different from mere harassment around the Ice Butterfly territory.

If they didn't seize this opportunity to obliterate these locations, they would be the ones missing out!

"Cecil's venom gland still seems unresponsive!" As the starship traversed the wormhole for who knew how many times, Rong Mi grew more adept at wielding her power. "Let's have some more luck on our side! Lu Yi! If we can wipe out another cocoon site...—"

Lu Yi: "Your mental energy is highly active right now."

The young man was startled, and only under Lu Yi's reminder did he realize that his mental power was indeed abnormal.

The continuous clashes with the Chéng Dié energy had made his mental power increasingly vibrant and robust, its intensity rising steadily.

He was now becoming more adept at wielding it, igniting large swaths of cocoons and Chéng Dié tentacles with each move. The dragon-bird's body, traversing the flames, grew larger, completely enveloping the starship as it passed through spatial wormholes, silencing the alarms for excessive pressure on the ship's hull.

For navigating the Ice Butterfly Star Domain, this was an excellent state.

But for a second awakening... if he continued to exert such high levels of mental power, he could easily lose control during the process.

This was precisely why Lu Yi had chosen to be the examiner for the assessment.

When Rong Mi was engrossed in battle, he tended to overlook his condition during the awakening phase.

"Check the various exits," Lu Yi said calmly. "Your current mental power threads are strong enough to allow you to traverse a wormhole alone, to find the passage leading to the AE sector."

It was now time for Rong Mi to rein in his mental power and prepare for his second awakening.

Lu Yi looked at the young man. "How much control do you have over your mental power now?"

"…Not much."

Prompted by Lu Yi's reminder, Rong Mi sensed something unusual.

It was an incredibly peculiar sensation.

When Rong Mi freely projected his mental energy outward, everything seemed normal, and he even felt like he had an endless supply of power. However, when he tried to retract his mental threads… the task became incredibly challenging.

The vibrant mental energy seemed to have a mind of its own, stretching out uncontrollably like ravenous claws reaching for sustenance.

Since the completion of his mental domain's development, Rong Mi had never experienced such a feeling!

It was as if his limbs had taken on a life of their own, insistently dancing around his body without his control.

"Don't be afraid," the Admiral's calm voice reassured, "If you can't manage it, I'll assist you."

Rong Mi: "Mm."

He turned his head to look at Lu Yi.

Though he wasn't sure how exactly Lu Yi intended to help, it didn't deter Rong Mi from nodding in agreement.

"Youthfully, he paused before continuing, "I'm not afraid, knowing you're here."

The tone of this statement was instinctively lowered by Rong Mi.

This was because Rong Mi felt that such a thought didn't align with his usual self.

With Lu Yi around, there was nothing to fear.

Rong Mi himself was unaware when this irrational and peculiar impression had crept into his mind.

During the era of interstellar nomads, he had never entertained such a notion.

Rong Mi had always placed faith in his own abilities. He wasn't incapable of trusting others, but he never relied on anyone else's hopes.

Yet now...

Faced with the enigma of a second awakening.

He found himself able to... rely on Lu Yi.

The young man furrowed his brow ever so slightly.

This didn't seem like a good habit to develop.

Yet, he didn't seem to have any intention of changing that.

Rong Mi was always very carefree; if he didn't want to change, he wouldn't for the time being. He disliked competing with himself.

The young man smiled, and the dragon-birds circling the starship swished their long tails, spreading their wings aflame with burning feathers.

Purple flame-shaped feathers stood on end, their tips dissipating into purple mist that coalesced into bright beams of light. They scattered throughout the chaotic space, piercing through the entangled, crimson ice butterflies and the turbulent energy within the wormhole. Like flaming arrows, they shot towards the Ice Butterfly Star Region, which had already begun to stir in chaos.

Since there was no immediate way to rein in his mental energy, Chen Mo decided to continue pouring it out!

Rong Mi closed her eyes.

In that instant, within the special storage container deep within the Capital Star's laboratory, Seiko's head rapidly collapsed.

The laboratory was pitch black.

Chen Mo had been working tirelessly for several days. Not only did he have to ensure Lu Tianchen's condition remained stable, but he also finalized the preparation of Lu Yi's antidote.

Lu Tianchen, Cheng Wen's mental energy, and Seiko – the three crucial "elements" of these projects – were each confined in separate confidential laboratories due to their significance. As a result, Chen Mo had very few assistants for each.

Cheng Wen was with Chen Wen, while a long-time lab assistant was with Seiko. As for Lu Yi... Chen Mo had to take full responsibility.

Splitting himself into three, Chen Mo was exhausted but could only secretly curse the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association.

After the incident at the Capital Star amusement park, traitors were uncovered in the Capital Hospital, the military, and the Academy of Sciences. Chen Mo became overly cautious, unwilling to entrust such important matters to others.

In the spatial button hanging from his fingertips lay Cecil's spirit energy and the antidote intended for Lu Yi. Chen Mo planned to deliver it personally to Lu Yi.

After confirming that all traces of the ice butterfly venom had been eradicated from Lu Yi's body, he would return to the Capital Star to have the fragment of Cecil's spirit energy in the spatial button destroyed.

Meanwhile, Seiko's research had reached a temporary conclusion.

They had discovered an energy wave specifically targeting Seiko's mental power fluctuations, and they intended to test its effectiveness in neutralizing the unique ice butterflies within the war zone.

Some war zone starships and mechas were already undergoing intensified weapon calibration around the clock. During this period, they would tighten their supervision over Seiko but would refrain from further tormenting it deliberately.

No longer were there any attempts to sever Seiko's head; thus, the preserved cranium within the receptacle dissipated into an ethereal energy mist after being detached from its body and heart for a time. A new head emerged, regrowing from Seiko's neck.

"…" In the military prison, Yadé, finally whole again, sat cross-legged on the ground. It let out a long sigh, stretched its body, leaned against the cell wall, and turned its head. Despite the constraints of the folded space, it oriented itself towards the direction of the Icetail Galaxy.

Something was dreadfully amiss.

As an Yadé with its heart fragmented across many copies, it sensed that these imperfect replicas, along with the planets that had birthed them, were vanishing.

It could feel one Icetail planet after another igniting.

And those flames originated from the spatial wormhole that Cecil had created.

One of those myriad flames... fell into the depths of the Ice Butterfly Galaxy.

A colossal, extremely cold gas giant.

The planet was entirely shrouded in frigid gases, its size a thousandfold that of humanity's capital star. Within it, countless massive venom glands of the Ice Butterflies sprawled and extended.

On the periphery of the planet, these glands wove an impervious wall, with defensive spines protruding outward.

Several sub-butterflies were traversing the Ice Butterfly venom glands, descending toward the core of the planet.

It was a bright red, pulsating planetary core, resembling a vast heart formed by flowing magma, outlining and filling the space.

This was the sight that Rong Mi beheld.

His strand of mental energy emerged from an unknown exit of the wormhole. Immediately after, he sensed an overwhelming pressure enveloping him.

Compared to the surging venom glands of the mature butterflies, those he had previously burned down seemed like mere imitation dolls.

Amidst the venom glands, several pale blue butterfly wings fluttered gently. The humanoid figures they encased were intact, with exquisite features, clearly indicating fully-evolved Sub-butterflies. The moment the purple flames appeared, several Sub-butterflies turned their heads simultaneously, their crimson eyes all fixed on Rong Mi. Beneath them, a vast, pulsating magma lake shimmered in a vivid red, buzzing like a heartbeat. Beyond the Sub-butterflies, layers upon layers of venom glands spiraled outward, forming an impenetrable, sky-obscuring wall at the outermost edge. In an instant, Rong Mi realized that this was an extraordinary place. At the same instant, an intense fury appeared on the delicate faces of the Sub-butterflies. They vibrated their wings, producing deafening buzzes, and expelled clouds of mental energy from their mouths. Their human bodies split and swelled, expelling sky-reaching venom glands. The surrounding adult butterflies' mental energy also descended relentlessly.

Rong Mi: "!"

Rong Mi's eyes snapped open abruptly.

His mental energy seemed to perceive even more, glimpsing beyond the layers of high walls. However, due to the overwhelming concentration of ice butterflies' mental energy there, Rong Mi was momentarily unable to discern clearly.

But now, he had no time for deep contemplation.

Rong Mi: "Lu Yi! The main course is about to be served! ——"

Cecil's fragmented core had finally detected them!