In a normal space war, you either go for precision close-range strikes or saturation long-range bombardment.
But even "close-range" here is close only by cosmic standards.
The Abundance folks, though? They're different.
When the Denizens of Abundance descend on the Xianzhou, pillaging and warring, their whole deal is, plain and simple, eating.
Feasting on the blessings of Abundance that others hold dear.
So for them?
That cosmic-scale, 'close-range' warfare is far from what they really want.
I mean, if you blast someone to ash, it kinda ruins the meal, doesn't it?
What they crave is something far more primal: in-your-face, knife-fight close combat.
Bring the enemy down, swallow them whole. Get knocked down yourself, let Abundance stitch you back together, and then dive right back into the fray.
That's the sheer, unhinged madness of the Denizens of Abundance.
It's also why the Xianzhou, despite their clear technological edge, still field armies bristling with blades and armor.
Think they don't enjoy taking aim and pulling a trigger?
It's purely because these Abundance zealots, relying on their crazy regenerative abilities and the mentality of 'every corpse is just another soldier,' constantly force a brutal, close-quarters brawl.
And the Xianzhou Alliance's tech just hasn't reached the point where it can completely vaporize these Abundance-blessed hordes at a distance.
They're only an eight-thousand-year-old civilization, after all. Can't really compare to the deep-seated tech of the ancient powers.
Anyway.
The point is.
When 'Jingliu' straight-up summoned the Propagation Lightning Lord.
When she planted her blade right in the heart of the battlefield.
When, with one swing, she cleaved through a swarm of living starships?
For a moment, the Abundance forces were frozen in shock. And the Xianzhou troops? They were just staring, dumbfounded.
Wait, hold on... isn't that General Jing Yuan's Lightning Lord?
But... the color's all wrong?
Did the General give it a custom paint job before the battle?
The Master Diviner of the Yuque and the General of the Fanghu, they instinctively glanced over at Jing Yuan.
And there he was, plain as day, standing right where he should be.
Hadn't moved an inch.
As for whether he'd somehow loaned out the Lightning Lord?
No need to worry about that. If gifts from the Reignbow could have their ownership transferred that easily, the entire Alliance would've been in chaos long ago.
But still...
"General Jing Yuan," the Fanghu General's voice cut through, cool and precise, "that person in front of the dark Lightning Lord appears to be your former teacher, the Xianzhou traitor, Jingliu? Has the Lightning Lord itself fallen to Mara?"
"General Xuanquan jests," Jing Yuan replied, his face the picture of calm, though a storm raged inside.
"As far as I'm aware, the Stellaron Hunter, Jingliu, doesn't have a habit of wearing a ring on her left hand."
That Lightning Lord looks exactly like the real deal...
And that greatsword in its grip? Looks an awful lot like his own.
Miss Bai Ming, be honest with me, just which timeline did you dig this Lightning Lord out of?
This kind of shock is a bit too much for an old-timer like him.
He really hoped Miss Bai Ming could give him a little more warning next time.
Good thing he volunteered to be here on site.
Otherwise, the debriefing later would have been a nightmare.
The Yuque Master Diviner, however, was scrutinizing the dark Lightning Lord, his expression deeply serious.
"Setting aside its origins for now," he mused, "is this truly a manifestation of the Lightning Lord, or some form of imitation? What do you two make of it?"
"The power of the Hunt is genuine," General Xuanquan stated flatly, her thoughts unreadable.
It was precisely because she could sense the Hunt's power coiled within that dark Lightning Lord that she'd directly questioned Jing Yuan.
Hearing this, the Yuque Master Diviner sank deeper into thought.
"That's the mystery, then. General Jing Yuan is right here. Is there an Eighth Spiritus from the Reignbow in this universe?"
"It must be that lady from six or seven centuries ago, the one who broke the Xianzhou Luofu's Arbor and slew Shuhu."
"That lady?"
The Master Diviner blinked. He hadn't lived through that era, so the connection didn't immediately click.
Bearing the weight of their stares, Jing Yuan could only muster a wry smile and nod in confirmation.
"I suppose she's the only one in the universe who could produce a second Lightning Lord."
"Even so," General Xuanquan pressed, her gaze sharp, "this is a desecration of a divine gift, General Jing Yuan. I hear you're on good terms with her. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"General Xuanquan, your righteous indignation is as fierce as ever," Jing Yuan replied, his smile unwavering as he met her eyes.
"But since the Reignbow Arbiter hasn't voiced an opinion on the matter, it's probably best we don't jump to conclusions ourselves."
He continued smoothly, "Besides, regardless of anything else, she is helping us fend off the Abundance horde. If we come across as too aggressive, it might make us look ungrateful."
"...Hmph."
General Xuanquan gave a soft snort and fell silent.
Just then, 'Jingliu' glanced back at the Xianzhou ranks.
Jingliu's face, completely unobscured, was on full display for the entire Alliance fleet.
Her gaze met General Xuanquan's head-on.
The sudden appearance of this Vidyadhara lady made 'Jingliu' pause for a moment.
Then it clicked—this must be the General of the Fanghu.
A strikingly beautiful Vidyadhara, though her expression was cold enough to freeze stars.
Seeing 'Jingliu' look away, General Xuanquan's brow furrowed slightly. She exchanged a look with the Yuque Master Diviner.
Both saw the same wariness and confusion reflected in the other's eyes.
But 'Jingliu' didn't give them time to ponder.
Because the Abundance horde, far from retreating, surged forward with even greater frenzy towards her.
The colossal living planet itself shrieked and began to bear down upon her, an unstoppable force of flesh and malice.
'Jingliu' watched it come, and instead of dodging, she raised her blade, her eyes gleaming with fierce anticipation.
Behind her, the Lightning Lord mirrored the motion, lifting its own greatsword high.
And then, as everyone watched in bewilderment, the dark Lightning Lord's massive insectile wings suddenly snapped open.
And on the living starships its blade had carved through...
On the dead, the barely alive, even on those locked in close combat with the Xianzhou forces—any of the Abundance followers near that dark Lightning Lord—a horrifying transformation began.
The corpses, the living Abundance soldiers—their bodies started to spasm uncontrollably.
Vast quantities of Memoria surged forth like a tidal wave.
Amidst their agonized screams, jointed limbs burst from their bodies.
Chitinous wings, carapaces, gnashing mandibles and feelers.
The unmistakable traits of the Swarm began to manifest on the Abundance followers.
"SKKREEE—!!!"
As their cries faded, the massive insects, answering their king's call, shrieked in unison and took flight, rallying to their dark Lightning Lord.
Then they charged straight at the oncoming Abundance horde.
Even more terrifying?
The shattered living starships were also transformed, becoming colossal insect-vessels themselves.
They beat their wings and plunged into the enemy formation, savagely tearing into ships and devouring foes.
Inside their newly-formed bodies, they converted every bit of consumed matter into more of the Swarm, then released them.
The Xianzhou soldiers locked in combat with the Abundance forces watched in horror as their enemies literally became part of the Swarm right before their eyes, then turned on their own kind.
Their faces were a study in mixed emotions.
When they looked back at the dark Lightning Lord and the figure controlling it, their expressions shifted from bewilderment to sheer terror.
Dude, they were just here to fight some Abundance cultists. Did the Alliance just whip out its ultimate, most terrifying secret weapon?
Since when did the Xianzhou have a Propagation-style Lightning Lord up its sleeve?
Isn't this, like, a really bad idea?
The Pearlkeepers, in particular, were staring, utterly gobsmacked.
They'd been part of the Alliance for so long, and they'd never heard of the Xianzhou holding a card like this. Was this the Eighth General or something?
That's some serious concealment skills.
If, by some miracle, not a single Xianzhou soldier had turned into a bug yet, they might have already switched targets and started blasting that dark Aeon.
Even Jing Yuan, who knew the score better than anyone, couldn't keep his expression entirely neutral when he saw the Swarm writhing under the dark Lightning Lord's command.
So it really is the Propagation... just what kind of trials did that Lightning Lord go through to end up like this?
If the timing weren't so terrible, Jing Yuan would have loved to go over there and ask for the full story.
The Abundance horde felt the same way.
They'd spent their entire existence being the ones who ate others to fuel their own endless armies.
Now, the tables had turned completely.
For the first time, they were the ones being devoured, their own flesh and Abundance becoming fuel for the Swarm.
When they fell now, there was no getting back up.
Because the Swarm would tear them apart, swallow every ounce of their power.
Turn them into mere nutrients for the swarm, warp them into grotesque insects, and send them right back to slaughter their own kin.
'Jingliu' had woven the power of Remembrance together with Propagation.
The Swarm, having lost its terrifying reproductive capacity long ago, now, under her will, used the world's abundant Memoria as raw material, breeding from the flesh and residual memories of the fallen.
Each new insect born was a creature akin to a Memokeeper or a Memory Zone Meme.
They became a unique strain of the Swarm, a breed of Remembrance.
And because this Memory Swarm had appeared, more and more Memoria was drawn to the battlefield, converging like a river to the sea.
It forcibly elevated the concentration of Memoria in this entire star sector to an unheard-of level.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL