Celenova's Legion excelled in its uniformity.
Their precision warfare maximized their oppressive force.
In particular, Celenova had thrown almost all her strength against 'Jingliu's' swarm, forcing it to temporarily cede ground.
But when it came to sheer numbers, the Legion of Destruction was far outmatched by the swarm's reproductive capacity.
The people of the Land of Light streaked across the battlefield like brilliant flashes of light.
The Xianzhou and the Galaxy Rangers fought side-by-side.
The Lightning Lord brushed past its pitch-black counterpart.
The scales of battle began to tip in their favor.
But 'Jingliu' wasn't satisfied with that.
Her gaze fell upon the Ketu Mirage, also wreathed in karmic fire.
In a flash, she stood before the black Lightning Lord's chest.
Controlling the Lightning Lord, she raised its massive blade high.
The insect wings on its back vibrated at a frequency that defied belief, becoming a colossal propulsive force, hurtling them towards the living planet.
Frost, cold enough to freeze destruction itself, coated the enormous, razor-sharp edge.
The power of annihilation transformed into a chill that could still all things as it plunged viciously towards the Ketu Mirage!
The blade sliced through flesh and blood.
Imaginary Energy surged instantly into the wound.
The power of Propagation erupted violently, eroding the living planet from the inside out.
With a shriek of agony, enormous arthropod limbs tore their way out of the disgusting mass of flesh.
The blood and gore that scattered all became food for the swarm, providing 'Jingliu' with even more bugs.
Strange carapaces burst forth from within the living planet.
'Jingliu' was eroding the very planet itself, turning it directly into a Swarm King!
At the same time.
The two Generals' offensive had already plunged into the heart of the Legion.
The majestic golden Lightning Lord brought its blade down upon the flagship!
But it was met with a fierce collision from another force of Destruction.
Taking advantage of this, General Xuanquan struck, breaching the flagship's shields.
Her vicious attack slammed into the vessel, nearly snapping it in two, but the endless karmic fire seized the moment to erupt, attempting to consume General Xuanquan.
As the stalemate dragged on here.
The Galaxy Rangers suddenly stirred.
The unmistakable power of Harmony spread amongst them.
Using each Ranger as a node, it connected across the entire battlefield.
Forming an invisible, colossal net.
Then... under 'Jingliu's' astonished gaze.
The Rangers had actually succeeded in summoning one of Xipe's Harmonic Strings.
Was it Aelenev?
No, it didn't look like the records.
Dominicus... no, that wasn't right either.
Which face was this?
'Jingliu' couldn't place it.
After all, she wasn't a true believer in Harmony.
But the sacred aura of Harmony, and the terrifying might it radiated, were undeniable.
This face, summoned by the Rangers, was born of their will.
It spread its arms, nocked an arrow, and drew its bow. Its aim locked onto the location of the flagship, and the arrow shot across the cosmos like a golden meteor, bearing down on Celenova's position with undeniable force.
The sharp edge of the Hunt was unmistakable.
Every Denizen of Abundance and Voidranger in its path was ground to dust by its momentum.
Yet The Swarm, the Xianzhou soldiers, and the warriors of the Land of Light remained completely unharmed.
It carved a clear, empty path right through the battlefield.
BOOM——!!!
The arrow utterly shredded the flagship that had been charging towards 'Jingliu'.
"Celenova!! We will correct your errant Path!"
"GET LOST——!!"
A violent chain of explosions, punctuated by Celenova's enraged roar, erupted across the chaotic battlefield.
Celenova's colossal form reappeared, and the Rangers, still controlling Xipe's Harmonic String, engaged her once more.
Just as they had for the past centuries.
But this time, the Rangers were truly desperate, for the first time summoning one of Xipe's Harmonic Strings on this scale, with this many Rangers gathered across the universe.
Though they had used some of Harmony's power in the past, the numbers and scale had never matched today.
The power manifested was naturally worlds apart.
Even this specific Harmonic String of Xipe was being summoned for the very first time.
From this day forward, upon the Path of the Hunt.
The Galaxy Rangers declared to the universe that they, too, could be counted among the forces of Harmony.
And that they now possessed the top-tier combat power they had always lacked.
This sudden break out from the Rangers clearly caught Celenova and Phantylia off guard.
At least, in their calculations.
Without this intervention from the Rangers, their goal of dragging everyone into chaos would have been achieved.
But now...
With this extra Harmonic String of Xipe appearing.
Celenova's fleet was instead beginning to find itself in a perilous position.
As for 'Jingliu'.
In this moment of a thousand shifting battlefields, beneath her blade, the living planet, pinned down by the black Lightning Lord's sword, was now over half-covered in that black carapace.
Massive arthropod legs, insect wings, compound eyes...
The characteristics of the swarm grew ever more distinct.
And its struggles grew ever weaker.
Deep within the planet's core, not yet fully transformed, countless bugs were born from the very flesh.
They continuously devoured the mixed blessings of the Abundance within it.
Meanwhile, the power of Propagation was steadily infused by the Lightning Lord's long blade.
With one side waxing and the other waning.
The Denizens of Abundance's ultimate weapon not only provided 'Jingliu' with a Swarm numbering in the billions.
But its very form was about to become the most powerful Swarm King under 'Jingliu's' command!
Then, accompanied by the diffusion of an Imaginary Energy tide, a fierce, resonant buzz filled every corner of the battlefield.
"SKREEE——!!!"
A planet-sized Starcrusher Swarm King was born.
Having completely devoured the living planet.
It was born beneath this very starscape!
Following that shriek proclaiming its own birth, a terrifying beam of light erupted violently from its maw!
The beam launched towards the Denizens of Abundance's position, and then, with a casual flick of the Starcrusher Swarm King's head.
It swept across a vast distance of nearly a light-year.
Instantly vaporizing countless beast ships and Abundance followers, grazing the ships of the Legion of Destruction, its residual force sweeping past a planet and shattering it into cosmic dust in an instant.
Celenova, entangled by the Rangers and the Xianzhou Generals, had no time to react.
She could only watch as another massive portion of her Legion's ships were evaporated.
The Denizens of Abundance's reaction was even more violent. The living planet they had held as their trump card had been completely devoured by the enemy, turned into fuel for their foe.
Worse, it had allowed the enemy to spawn such an absurdly powerful Swarm King.
One strike had shredded countless Abundance followers, snapping the survivors out of their initial frenzy and into stark realization.
This war today was not them hunting the Xianzhou; they were the ones being hunted!
Within this naturally weak alliance of Abundance adherents, many groups were already having second thoughts.
However.
For both 'Jingliu's' swarm and Celenova's Legion.
They needed material to keep proliferating.
The newborn Starcrusher Swarm King wanted to expand its swarm, and Celenova wanted to quickly replenish her Voidrangers.
So, the moment any Denizen of Abundance tried to flee the battlefield.
The clashing swarm and Legion of Destruction would immediately cease fighting and turn on the Abundance alliance together.
And so...
When the reinforcements from the Yaoqing Xianzhou, led by Yueyu, arrived on the scene.
This was the utterly chaotic sight that greeted her.
Within the nearly galaxy-spanning flames of Destruction.
Jingliu, suspected traitor to the Xianzhou, was controlling what looked like a Lightning Lord fallen to Mara-Struck, alongside a colossal Swarm King.
Leading her swarm in ceaselessly devouring both Abundance adherents and the Legion of Destruction.
Two Xianzhou Generals, together with the Harmonic String of Xipe summoned by the Galaxy Rangers, were fighting two Lord Ravagers.
The Yuque Master Diviner directed the Xianzhou fleet, pressing the advantage.
And the Giants of Light, who she thought would be the most normal... each one was riding a giant bug of light, charging around like some kind of Insect knight.
"...?"
Yueyu, who had been urging her Flying Aureus into battle, had a giant question mark popping over her head.
Didn't the Yuque and the Fanghu say it was urgent?
Didn't they say this was a desperate situation?
How did this scene look anything like a desperate situation?
If anything, this looked like a major victory in the making, right?
Did the Yaoqing really need to rush in as backup?
It didn't seem like they needed to fight at all.
Speaking of which, where did that Lightning Lord come from?
Did the Reignbow Arbiter hand out stuff like that?
Doesn't really seem like the Hunt's style... is that thing even legit?
And at the same time, because of their close dealings with the Interastral Peace Corporation.
The IPC personnel, who had tagged along with the Yaoqing fleet under the guise of "humanitarian support," were completely losing their composure.
What in the galaxy was he seeing??
The Xianzhou Alliance could hide something like this? They had an ace in the hole involving Propagation?!
Holy crap, and here I thought you Xianzhou types were all upright and above board. Turns out you've got your own little schemes, huh.
Deliberately using Jingliu, the "traitor," to hide this card.
If it weren't for the Abundance and two Lord Ravagers pushing this hard today, you guys were probably planning to keep this under wraps forever, weren't you?
Daring to mess with Propagation, even coordinating it with a Lightning Lord.
Not afraid of taking an arrow from the Hunt right between the eyes, huh.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL