The threshold of the Beast Spirit Codex to the sixth stage was not easy to pass. Xia Fei forcefully used his mental energy to try and break through the threshold time and time again, but it all ended in failure.
The mental energy that the insectoid cerebrum had given Xia Fei was gradually disappearing, and Xia Fei could do nothing about it.
This was when Xia Fei's most stubborn side showed itself. He did not stop or give up. Even though his body was telling him that he had reached his limit, his mind refused to give up. He was like a stubborn warrior, using his body as a weapon to break through that door that would never open.
After some time, Xia Fei had even forgotten why he was trying to break through that door that would never open. He was merely acting on instinct, and there was only one voice in his mind. 'Break through! I must break through!'
Phantom had been observing Xia Fei's cultivation from the side. He had no idea how far Xia Fei had gone, but the fine beads of sweat on Xia Fei's face had already shown how difficult it was for him to break through.
As a high-level assassin, Phantom had obviously gone through the same thing, and Xia Fei's unrelenting perseverance had left him shocked. Having known Xia Fei for so long, this young man from Earth was always able to surprise him. Perhaps this was the legendary innate instinct of a natural warrior, often inadvertently exploding with energy that ordinary people could not hope to match.
Speaking of which, it was interesting. Xia Fei's impact was getting weaker and weaker, and the threshold that was restricting Xia Fei actually began to waver. Unfortunately, Xia Fei's consciousness was already fuzzy, and he could not experience the anxiety and excitement of breaking through the threshold.
The numbing, continuous, and never-ending impact had finally achieved an unexpected result.
The sixth stage of the Beast Spirit Codex, the extremely difficult threshold of this top-tier beast control technique, had suddenly opened!
It was as if sunlight had suddenly shone down on a prison cell, making Xia Fei feel extremely comfortable all over.
Xia Fei fell to the ground, and Furball, who had been starving all this while, hurried over to lick Xia Fei's head with its warm tongue. Phantom was slightly taken aback, hastily using its consciousness to explore Xia Fei's mental domain, muttering to itself, "He actually fell asleep? What the hell is this? '
...
The Pan-Human Alliance's superflagship Freedom, the highest command center of the military.
The Amarrian Vanago-class supercarrier was anchored in the pitch-black sea of stars. Due to its sheer size, the supercarrier could not dock on any planet or military port. From the moment it was created until the end of its lifespan, it could only stay in space.
Behind it were countless Alliance warships. Over the past 20 days, the Alliance had gathered more than 400 armed fleets in the southern region, including the Freedom Cavalry. The supercapital of the Freedom Fleet was the headquarters of the Freedom Cavalry, and it was now being used by the military as their command center.
"We're currently in a very bad situation. The insectoids have split the Alliance's main forces into two, one in the south and one in the north. They can't coordinate with each other, which has greatly interfered with our defensive work." A blond staff officer in the command center furrowed his brows. "I feel that if the Alliance wishes to repel the insectoids' attack, we'll have to find a way to have the northern and southern fleets meet up and fight to the death with the enemy."
He stood up and turned on the screen, pointing at the star map on it. "Though the insectoids have taken over forty warps of territory near the capital ring, the northern fleets of the Alliance don't necessarily need to pass through the enemy's defenses. They can easily take a detour and advance from the side. Once the two fleets meet up, we'll have the strength of more than a thousand fleets. Coupled with the expeditionary force from the Death Trio Star Region, we'll be able to wipe out the six hundred insectoid fleets stationed at Venal Star Ring in one fell swoop."
Williams calmly replied, "We're not the only ones being split up. The insectoids have also been split into the northern and southern fleets. If we're talking about the disadvantage of the battle, it's the same for everyone. The only difference is that there's a hidden wormhole that leads from the insectoid territory all the way to the Tranquil Star Region near Venal Star Region. According to the reports from the reconnaissance team, this invisible wormhole is extremely stable, enough for the insectoid fleets to travel through it for a very long time.
"There's a reason why the insectoids dare to remain near Venal Star Region and not be afraid of us gathering our forces to attack. First, the wormhole will provide them with an endless supply of supplies. Second, there's bound to be powerful reinforcements behind the wormhole. The moment our fleets engage the insectoids, the reinforcements will flood into the Alliance territory through the wormhole.
"Your suggestion of gathering all the fleets in the north and counterattacking won't work. Once the northern fleets leave, we'll lose all the territory south of Venal Star Region.
"But we can use our superior strength to take back the capital ring in one fell swoop," the blond staff officer said, unconvinced.
Williams chuckled. "Take it back? I'm afraid that not only will we lose a third of the Alliance's territory, we won't be able to take back the capital ring. Besides, the Venal Star System is already a scorched land. What's the point of taking it back? "
The blond staff officer said agitatedly, "Are you saying that our one thousand elite fleets and the Freedom Cavalry won't be able to defeat their six hundred fleets? I know that the wormhole will bring them reinforcements, but General Williams, how many reinforcements can the insectoids have? Could there be another six hundred combined fleets? "
"You must understand that the insectoids have already deployed over six hundred fleets in their territory near the Wild Star Region. Add that to the six hundred in the capital ring, and that's a total of twelve hundred fleets! Even if they still have reserve fleets to use, it won't be that many! "
Many of the generals nodded in agreement. The resentment of the insectoids occupying the capital had enraged every Alliance soldier, and they could not wait to fight to the death with the enemy, let alone these military bigwigs. Thus, when the southern fleets began to take shape, these warmongers began to request the silver-haired General Tai to fight it out with the enemy.
Williams was the calmest of them all. As the chief of the military staff, he was required to maintain an objective understanding of the battlefield at all times.
Shaking his head, Williams said, "Do you still not understand? If I were the insectoid commander, I would have ordered the border guards to advance south, taking advantage of the fact that the Alliance has yet to gain a stable footing to launch a pincer attack and destroy our northern fleets, but why hasn't he done so?"
The high-ranking military commanders all expressed their confusion. The insectoids' actions were indeed very confusing. The situation was clearly tilting in their favor, but the insectoids still refused to fight the Alliance. This was something that none of them could understand.
Tai deliberately coughed twice. "William, tell us your analysis."
Williams nodded. "Yes, Marshal."
Due to the war, the Alliance had entered a state of emergency, and Tai had already been conferred the title of Marshal by the president, taking charge of all matters pertaining to the war.
The position of Marshal did not exist in peacetime. It was only when the Alliance was engaged in a large-scale war that it would be conferred the highest commander on the battlefield. The last time the Alliance had a Marshal was several thousand years ago, during the first great war between the insectoids and humans.
In times of war, the Marshal was not only the highest commander of the army but also the commander of the entire Alliance, possessing the number one decision-making power in the entire Alliance. Even the president himself could not interfere with the Marshal's operations, as the entire Alliance was now in a state of war. The economy, politics, and everything else had to make way for the war.
The war machine that had lain dormant for several thousand years was now in motion, and Tai was the controller of this machine.
Williams was silent for a moment, mentally organizing what he wanted to say.
"Based on my analysis, there are three possibilities for why the insectoid army is not moving. First, the insectoids have planned to wipe out our army from the very beginning, which is why they're deliberately not moving, waiting for us to regroup and then wiping us out in one fell swoop. If that's the case, it can only be said that the master of the Golden Tent, Uti, has too much confidence in his army. He believes that even if we mobilize all our forces, there's nothing to fear, which is why he dares to do this.
"Of course, given Uti's personality, this possibility isn't very high.
"Second, the army that the insectoids have left in their territory is just a bluff. In truth, they don't have much combat power, which is why they haven't crossed the border to crush the Alliance. Their existence is only to restrain the northern fleet. Once the northern fleet moves south, they'll take advantage of the weakness in our defenses to take over a large area of the northern region.
"Moreover, there's no need to worry about the fleets stationed in the capital ring. Because of the invisible wormhole, they can send reinforcements here at any time. Whether we choose to fight separately or surround the capital ring, the insectoids won't be at a disadvantage.
"Third, the insectoids have some unspeakable secret, forcing their fleets to stop near the Venal Galaxy. My guess is that they're looking for something near the capital. According to our reconnaissance reports, the majority of the insectoid army has gathered near the capital and has not made any moves, only sending out small fleets to patrol the area.
"From this, we can see that their true goal is very likely to be only one, and that is to occupy the Venal Galaxy. Other than that, all their movements are just a cover-up. Once they find what they need, they'll probably retreat back to their territory through the wormhole."
The generals could understand the first two speculations, but the third one was simply too shocking!
Mobilizing over a thousand fleets, not hesitating to wage war against the Pan-human Alliance, whose strength was almost on par with theirs, was all just to find something? It was hard to imagine such a conjecture.
Tai frowned. "What's the basis of your third speculation?"
Williams replied, "The insectoid army occupied the capital ring but did not continue to pursue us. Isn't that suspicious enough? No one would stubbornly defend the scorched Venal Galaxy, unless they have some unspeakable secret that requires them to remain there. "
Tai said, "If the insectoid army had chosen to pursue us, they would have indeed gained a great advantage. After all, the southern fleets had not yet finished reorganizing, and their strength was far weaker than theirs. Meanwhile, the northern fleets were being suppressed by another insectoid fleet, so they did not dare to rashly send troops to assist the south. As long as they made a move, it would be tantamount to surrendering the entire north to them. However, none of this proves that the insectoid army's true goal in starting the war was to find something in the Venal Galaxy. If that's the case, what exactly are they looking for?"
Williams replied, "Everyone knows that the Venal Galaxy is the birthplace of humanity, the most ancient habitat of the entire Alliance. Perhaps there really are some secrets we don't know about hidden there. I'm just an advisor, so I can only provide all possible speculations. As for the final decision, that's up to you. "
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