Capítulo 1526: Chapter 42: Saint Luo Plantation?

(Today is Lao Tang’s birthday, still working overtime… I’m really sorry, Jiangnan Bro, I’ve accumulated enough debt to sell myself a hundred times over… Thank you, Jiangnan Bro, thank you to all my brothers for the birthday wishes, thank you all.)

…

The Dawn Battleship twisted its body slightly within the Jump Channel, its massive bow pointed in one direction. In the swaying view, Mu Fan could clearly see that the distorted light screen was filled with… countless spore clusters.

Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of yellow, white, and green spore clusters were densely arranged, resembling insect eggs, or parasitic cysts that caused a tingling sensation on the scalp.

How could they be here?

Black was even more shocked than Mu Fan, as its database had never recorded any life forms capable of parasitic existence within a wormhole.

The scene before them was eerily similar to the acid corrosion encountered entering Planet 131, but it was clear that these spore clusters were at a higher level.

The swelling and contracting spores seemed to be absorbing some substance to grow themselves.

“They look like cocoons. Will they hatch into Zeg?” Mu Fan frowned and said.

“No, they are entirely different from Zeg. These spore clusters are absorbing a special substance within the wormhole. If I had to describe them, they’re more like mineral collection apparatuses that need regular harvesting. Look there, and there, once the energy is full, the outer surface of the spores starts solidifying into grey lumps and becomes fixed.”

The view rapidly zoomed in on various patterns, and Mu Fan saw some grey cysts mixed within the dense spore clusters, which at a glance might appear as dead spores.

“That mysterious invading species treats natural wormholes as their plantation fields!”

Black asserted firmly.

“And none of the previous ships that entered here reported any issues?”

“This massive natural wormhole has hundreds of tubular branches; it might be that only this particular branch we entered has spore parasitism, or those ships couldn’t report back. Another possible outcome is… those people never had a chance to report back.”

Several red beacons appeared on the enormous three-dimensional screen, displaying the remnants of ships that seemed to have undergone severe corrosion, with their steel wrecks utterly riddled with holes.

It’s impossible for ships to move in a straight line within the wormhole, thus requiring constant slight directional changes during the jump to self-adjust.

Despite the thrust from the engine group, the Dawn Battleship uncontrollably veered slightly.

However, unfortunately…

The direction of the Dawn Battleship’s deviation led straight to a side wall of the wormhole covered densely with spore clusters.

“Hold on tight—”

“Activate [Ice-breaking] mode!”

In the midst of Black’s enraged roar, two rows of elongated Particle Guard Cannons sprang out from the sides of the Dawn Battleship simultaneously.

In the reactor, two High Crystal Stones were activated instantly.

More than two hundred Particle Guard Cannon muzzles simultaneously glowed a faint blue.

This time, Omega particles erupted from the entire side of the Warship, rising up as a splendid blue ocean.

Countless particle streams clashed with the dense spore clusters, bursting into multicolored flames that engulfed the entire Warship instantly.

The steel hull ultimately collided fiercely with the side wall of the wormhole.

Spore clusters that the Particle Guard Cannons failed to eliminate were immediately squashed flat upon contact.

Yet this act seemed to ignite the final fuse of an explosive storehouse.

Hundreds of light spots first lit up, then intense high temperatures quickly formed within the narrow crevice, coalescing swiftly into a fierce storm that pushed the Warship violently away.

—Boom!

As if countless thunders struck the hull, the Dawn Battleship spiraled out of control.

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Red alert lights flashed instantly.

[Warning! Left side of the Warship sustained over 20% damage!]

“I’ll go initiate the Shura.” Mu Fan coldly stated, clutching onto the handle beside him.

“No need. If I can’t overcome this, my reputation as Lord Black will be worth nothing! Stand firm!”

At this moment, Black’s voice turned exasperated.

The rumbling rose again from beneath, but this time it wasn’t from external impact, but from mechanical movement inside the Warship.

Mu Fan could feel the astounding transformation within the Dawn Battleship.

The damaged outer armor was pushed off in a pneumatic ejection and rose, making the Dawn Battleship seem to shed its skin from a distance. The discarded armor plates exploded all at once about a hundred meters away.

Fire clouds from all directions enveloped the “shed” Dawn Battleship, ceasing its spinning and stabilizing its hull.

The two engine groups previously damaged dislodged from the hull, while the remaining ten engine groups began to mechanically reassemble.

The tail flames were extinguished, immediately transforming into an intense blue.

Boom!

The Dawn Battleship became covered in protruding spikes, resembling a massive hedgehog, utilizing the force from Steel Armor’s self-destruction for secondary acceleration, charging forward fiercely.

The swirling fire clouds met the spore clusters and triggered astounding energy reactions, causing clusters of intense explosions.

In just a matter of ten seconds, the Dawn Battleship carved nearly a straight trajectory in the incessantly twisting wormhole channel.

When the explosions started, the channel hardly changed, but as they continued, the channel seemed provoked, accelerating its undulating speed abruptly.

The scene outside the window changed rapidly, with the viscous Star Mist elongating, shortening, and twisting. Mu Fan could even see his own reflection on the porthole shifting constantly.

Simultaneously, the quickly appearing and vanishing sparks cast a strange afterimage on his retina.

That’s…

Mu Fan’s pupils shrunk to a point at this moment!

He looked up at the central display, 72 seconds remaining until exiting the channel.

“Black, it’s up to you here. After leaving the channel, hand the Warship’s control to Yin Shuai!”

Mu Fan’s voice was decisive.

As his voice fell, Mu Fan pressed his right hand on the handle; veins bulged on his arm as he pressed hard, instantly jumping backward from the six-meter-high platform.

Bang!

Upon landing, Mu Fan shot toward the command cabin entrance like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

“What are you doing? Didn’t you say I can handle this here?” Black asked urgently, Mu Fan’s actions were too sudden and swift, not waiting for its response.

“I know, but those spore clusters—are transmitting information to the outside! If there’s an ambush at the exit…”

“It’ll be too late!”

Just moments ago, Mu Fan saw those spore clusters, from explosion to annihilation, bizarrely forming streams of light flashing and dimming, sequentially extending forward!

The three hatches simultaneously spun open, from the bridge to the mid-level warehouse, a height difference of fifty meters. Yet Mu Fan, with just one step, leaped, spreading wide his limbs in the shape of a character “大” as he plunged into the deep dark warehouse below.

“Shu—ra!”

Mu Fan’s gaze was sharp.