Section 448: The Unavoidable Battle! (Part 6)
Ye Zhong could never forget this hand! Its appearance was extremely similar to the one that had reached out from the black circle in the underground cave last time: black skin with red lines, hard finger bones, and a layer of webbing between them. The impression that hand had left on him was far too deep; the events of that underground cave remained unforgettable to this day.
If he had to point out a difference, it would be that this hand had only five fingers, whereas the one last time had eight. Although the number of fingers differed, there was no other distinction whatsoever.
A similar black circle, similar fingers...
Could there be some connection between the two? Staring at the unknown creatures on the holographic screen, this question lingered in Ye Zhong's mind. Ever since the appearance of that bizarre black circle, this thought had involuntarily surfaced in his head.
Apart from Ye Zhong, who was still pondering the question, everyone else in the meeting room was captivated by the battle unfolding on the holographic screen.
The first clash had occurred in just a few seconds, but for the other Sang Tribe members, it was enough for them to understand what they needed to do.
The sudden impact acted like a signal, formally marking the beginning of this war!
The thirty impact mechs had begun preparations when the first twenty mechs launched their attack. Without time to check the results of their clansmen's previous assault, the thirty impact mechs shot forward like arrows released from their bows, charging towards the twenty-plus injured unknown creatures.
During the brief exchange of attacks, the mechs blocking the path ahead had already moved aside. In other words, there was nothing obstructing the path of these thirty mechs.
The thirty impact mechs had ample space to accelerate!
Many Sang Tribe members in the meeting room flushed with excitement. For these combat enthusiasts, nothing was more thrilling than what was about to happen. Impact mechs with acceleration space were undoubtedly fearsome weapons of war!
It was evident that the injuries affected the mobility of these unknown creatures. However, they seemed to have a clear understanding of their current predicament. The twenty creatures immediately scattered, attempting to flee into the purple mist.
But how could they escape once targeted by thirty impact mechs?
At the same time, another attack group patrolling nearby was also converging on their location at full speed. Back at the Yiju Star base, a third wave of attackers was ready for launch, prepared to provide support at any moment.
A speed of twenty-two He was unimaginable for ordinary people. Countless spectators watched the scene, many only seeing a blur.
By the time everyone could see clearly again, they saw only sixteen pairs of dark red, brutal eyes in the starry sky, gradually dimming. The creatures floated helplessly in space. Their fresh wounds quickly froze, turning a pale, bleak white.
Of the twenty unknown creatures, only four managed to escape into the purple mist; the rest were all killed in this wave of attacks.
The unique combat style and formidable power of the impact mechs, coupled with their top-tier speed, captured everyone's attention. If the first attack had caught people off guard, the second attack was witnessed clearly and unmistakably by all. Even so, only a few truly saw what had just happened.
The speed of the impact mechs was simply too fast! But this only made it more exciting. In the He Yue Star Domain, you might not necessarily become a mech pilot, but you would certainly have some understanding of mechs. For the vast majority, they weren't concerned about those never-before-seen creatures. If you wanted to see unknown creatures, you could always go to the Death Asteroid Belt, where there were countless such beings.
Mechs, speed—these terms were closer to their daily lives and held more interest for them.
The news channels clearly understood their audience's preferences. The holographic screen now showed a slow-motion replay of the previous scene, accompanied by highly professional data analysis. The displayed data赫然 read: Speed — 22.6 He!
The audience across the entire He Yue Star Domain was in an uproar! At that moment, this strangely styled aircraft became the hottest topic of discussion. Almost as soon as the data was released, the service lines of many mech manufacturers were flooded with calls, as countless viewers inquired about the possibility of producing or purchasing such an unusual aircraft.
Back in the meeting room at the Yiju Star base, however, the mood was grim.
Sixteen out of twenty unknown creatures eliminated—such a result seemed beyond reproach. But when combined with the conditions of twenty-four impact mechs damaged and fifty impact mechs sortied, it was indeed a very worrying outcome. Just in the second wave of attacks, thirty impact mechs attacking twenty already injured unknown creatures still resulted in four mechs damaged by the creatures' final desperate counterattacks, and four creatures escaping.
This was enough to demonstrate the formidable individual combat power of these unknown creatures, which was at least on par with the impact mechs!
Moreover, even after such a fierce impact, the bodies of these creatures did not shatter into pieces like the beasts the Sang Tribe had encountered before. Their bodies remained largely intact, further evidence of their physical resilience.
"The recording has been transmitted." Little Stone's words were always concise. The impact mech, under the protection of other mechs, was returning to base. The condition of the pilot inside was still unknown.
Fifty went in, only one came out—this ratio saddened everyone. The Sang Tribe members had always shared deep bonds. Sang Ling's eyes were already red, and the others were silent.
Glancing at everyone, Ye Zhong spoke: "Let's watch the recording first."
The Sang Tribe members looked up. Having lived in the harsh environment of the Thousand Domains, combat was a part of their lives, and the death of comrades was a frequent occurrence. Suppressing their grief, they all focused their attention on the holographic screen. They, too, wanted to know what astonishing things lay within that purple mist, that only one out of fifty mechs had survived!
As soon as the holographic screen activated, what greeted their eyes was an endless expanse of purple mist.
The mist was quite dense, with very low visibility. However, the pilot soon turned on the hydrogen-sodium lamp at the front of the impact mech.
With the development of holographic scanning systems, few mechs were still equipped with such searchlights. Strangely, however, such configurations were often found on some higher-end mechs and starships. Ye Zhong had equipped the impact mechs with hydrogen-sodium lamps because they helped the Sang Tribe navigate through the Red Mist Sea each time. Moreover, their size was small, and they were inexpensive.
Unexpectedly, the hydrogen-sodium lamp had once again proven its worth.
Even though the hydrogen-sodium lamp was very bright, visibility was still less than a kilometer. For safety's sake, the pilot had to reduce the speed of the impact mech.
The impact mech moved slowly through the vast purple mist. It traveled like this for half a minute, encountering nothing.
Everyone in the meeting room held their breath, not daring to make a sound. Their complete immersion made them feel as if they were there themselves.
Only Ye Zhong remained calm, his eyes quietly watching the holographic screen.
Just then, the image on the screen suddenly changed. Something seemed vaguely visible ahead in the purple mist, but due to the mist's influence, only a faint outline could be seen.
The pilot noticed the situation immediately. He lowered the brightness of the hydrogen-sodium lamp and reduced the mech's speed even further. The impact mech cautiously advanced.
As it drew closer, the image became clearer, but its strange shape made it difficult to discern what it was.
The hearts of everyone in the meeting room were in their throats.
Closer and closer, clearer and clearer. Only when the impact mech flew right up to the object did everyone see it completely.
Thick, dark purple soft-bodied organisms were growing wildly, spreading outward. They resembled dark purple vines, with very large diameters—the thinnest among them was thicker than the impact mech. These soft, columnar organisms were dark purple, but much deeper than the purple of the mist. Their texture seemed somewhat like a mixture of colloid and liquid. They expanded in every direction, and when they intersected, two would merge together like liquids.
The surface of the soft bodies had many spots of an even darker color. Each spot was connected to black thin lines faintly visible inside the columnar soft bodies. Like vines running rampant in a primeval forest, these rapidly growing soft-bodied organisms soon formed a forest of soft vines. Many black-purple, flocculent objects grew on these soft bodies, and the purple mist was released from these flocculent substances.
The scene was extremely bizarre. Even the Sang Tribe, who had encountered countless types of creatures, had never seen such an incredible sight. They stared, mouths agape, dumbfounded at the holographic screen.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the pilot of the impact mech quickly regained his composure. He carefully piloted the mech, quietly approaching the wildly expanding soft-bodied organisms.
The soft-bodied organisms were enormous in volume, and the irregular gaps between them were large enough for the impact mech to pass through.
The pilot hesitated for a moment, then chose a relatively large gap and slipped inside.
It was like navigating through a jungle. The soft bodies resembled tangled vines and branches everywhere, and their growth was completely irregular. The impact mech had to slow down even more, carefully avoiding soft bodies of varying thickness.
The further in it flew, the thicker the diameters of these soft bodies became.
The pilot's flying skills were exceptional. Despite the numerous obstacles, the impact mech moved forward nimbly and swiftly.
Ye Zhong roughly estimated its speed at about seven He.
It flew quietly for two minutes. The path was lined with these soft bodies, which were even thicker now. But this also meant the gaps between them were larger, making it easier for the impact mech to fly.
Suddenly, the purple mist that had been troubling the pilot disappeared. The view before them instantly opened up.