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Chapter 73 The Eighteen Stars of Nocturnal Disaster

Exodus TalesExodus Tales

This short-haired Monastic had a higher level of cultivation than Xia Fei, and at the moment, he was also in the most advantageous spot of this room. Xia Fei would have to face his attack head-on first if he wished to escape through the dumbwaiter or the stairs.

If he decided to risk it all and jumped out the window, he would likely end up trapped by the hundreds of guards manning this place. There might even be control or speed ability users among the personnel, so the danger he would be in could be no lesser than facing this short-haired Monastic.

Without realizing it, Xia Fei had actually been forced into such a quandary, caught between a rock and hard place.

Suddenly, a slightly strange smile could be seen on his face. His finger furtively tapped his spatial ring and took something out.

There was a massive change in the expression of the Monastic. Placing his two hands before his chest, he asked in his deep voice, Whats that youre holding there?

Xia Fei flipped his palm over and let the short-haired man see what was in his hand.

A golden cicada! croaked the short-haired man.

He was, of course, familiar with a golden cicadas prowess. A numbing sensation came over him as something buzzed in his ears. He had never thought that this Xia Fei would have such an unthinkable powerful killing machine.

Using an ancient robot to kill a Monastic will only bring you endless trouble! I think you ought to think this through, nervously said the short-haired man.

Xia Fei walked over to the sofa as if he were taking a stroll in the garden. Sitting down, he pulled out a box of Hongtaishan and lighter from his spatial ring, then lit the stick.

You dont have to be nervous. This golden cicada is only for precautionary purposes. I dont intend to use this expensive thing on you. You mustve spent many years working as an undercover agent by Old Ks side, right? Xia Fei puffed a smoke circle as he leisurely spoke.

The short-haired mans forehead creased. A minute before, he had been wondering how he should kill Xia Fei; now, he suddenly felt powerless. It was clear that a Xia Fei with a golden cicada was a lot more frightening than an apprentice Adjudicator Xia Fei. The tables had turned, and now, it was his turn to ponder on how he should deal with this situation.

Two years and four months, replied the short-haired man heavily.

Heh not bad. A mid-rank Monastic would actually work as an erstwhile pirates bodyguard for more than two years, all along pretending to be a fool. I believe Old K has got something you want something you want to get at all costs; am I right?

The short-haired man nodded, silent, not at all denying this.

Xia Fei scanned the room with his eyes as he talked. He recalled how Mountain Hawk had stepped out from a secret room behind the bookcase. If he was able to find the mechanism to open that door, he would have another layer of assurance.

Were it not for my unexpected appearance, Im afraid youd be working undercover until you got hold of what you wanted, then youd move onto your next target. Unfortunately, my presence disrupted your plan. With Old K dead, your only option is to make your move now; otherwise, youd waste the over two years of your time here.

Thats why you killed that blond bodyguard on the spot and why youre trying to kill me now; its all so you could ultimately take that thing with you, analyzed Xia Fei even as he walked over to the bookcase, taking out a book and pretending to flip through it.

The short-haired man was still quiet. Xia Feis analysis was completely in line with his thoughts, so now all he could do was maintain the status quo.

Xia Feis existence was a huge threat to him. If he had the chance, he would most definitely not hesitate to kill Xia Fei, but he had a lot of misgivings if he could accomplish that with the golden cicada in the others hand.

Thats also why youre actually the one feeling the most anxious now and not me! Xia Fei threw an icy gaze at the Monastic. You dont want others to discover your intention, so you dont dare create too much of a disturbance.

Besides, I wont lose my life that easily. Xia Fei purposely squeezed that golden cicada egg in his hand twice. I have no idea why Mountain Hawks coming back, but I think you should deal with that fellow first; lets discuss the matter between us after.

The short-haired man was grinding his teeth as he made his way out of the door.

Remember: You might not be able to kill me, but I could definitely kill you, remarked Xia Fei very sinisterly, unless youre willing to stake your life on this. I dare guarantee that youll lose if you attempt to take that risk, though.

The short-haired man was stunned for a good while before he pushed open the door and took the stairs down with a grim expression.

The door closed, and Xia Fei immediately began to search through the bookcase, hoping to find the mechanism.

At this time, Phantom appeared before Xia Fei from out of nowhere. Youre in too much risk doing things this way. You shouldve killed that man then. His killing intent is so thick. Hell most definitely not let you go, and all youre doing now is temporarily postponing your death.

Xia Fei sighed. Do you think I dont wish to kill him? Activating the golden cicada will take some time, and I cant kill him with my present cultivation. What if he decides to duke it out with me to the death?

Though amazingly powerful, he still needed thirty seconds to activate the golden cicada. If he were to show any attempt to take that short-haired Monastics life, the latter would most definitely do everything to take Xia Fei down. There were great risks in doing that, and it was not the best choice at the moment.

He certainly knows about the golden cicadas activation time. If Im not mistaken, that man is unwilling to leave without obtaining what he wants, which is why we are in this delicate stalemate, with neither side wishing to make the first move, surmised Xia Fei.

Phantom nodded his head repeatedly. With regard to Xia Fei and the short-haired mans stalemate, it was evidently better than both sides suffering heavy losses as a result of fighting. After all, neither man was a fool; they would not choose to face each other head-on unless as a last resort.

Actually, its me who made a mistake earlier, and that guy only discovered where I was hiding because of that. Otherwise, he wouldnt have come rushing with his hands aiming for my face but wouldve gone straight for my throat, instead. There are several spots in this massive room where someone can hide; he mustve chosen a random spot, then made him move, resulting in me being deceived by his actions and my Breath Control to fail. Xia Fei shook his head, apparently very dissatisfied with his miscalculation.

Phantom chuckled. Breath Control wont conceal just your body but the space around you, too; otherwise, theres no way you couldve been discovered earlier.

You cant be blamed for this, either. Even I nearly lost my consciousness when he came charging toward you. Your decision-making and analytical ability over a situation are already pretty decent judging from how you reacted so quickly then.

There was a thick, leather-bound old tome on the bookcase. The top half of it was smooth, an apparent result of being used often.

Xia Fei curiously reached out and pulled it lightly; all of a sudden, that row of bookcase parted in the middle to reveal a silver-colored, cylindrical elevator, which went to some unknown place.

Xia Fei thought about it and pulled the book again, and the bookcase swiftly melded into one again.

That was when the rooms door opened, and the Monastic returned with someone in tow.

This person was of course Mountain Hawk, who was now heavily and meticulously bound in countless thread-thin wires, every strand akin to fishing wires; a rag was firmly stuffed into his mouth.

Throwing Mountain Hawk onto the sofa, the short-haired man turned to face Xia Fei. We dont have much time; lets begin our discussion.

Xia Fei nodded. Lets.

I only need just one thing, and everything else is yours, including that large spatial ring of Old K. We can leave immediately once were done dividing things between us and agree not to report this matter to our respective headquarters. Your thoughts?

Not reporting to the headquarters? Looks like the Monastic headquarters has no idea that hes hiding here in Old Ks. If thats the case, I dont have to worry about the Monastic Order finding out if I kill him. Xia Fei mulled on this.

Thinking up to that, Xia Fei smiled. Alright, lets do as you suggested.

Phantom furrowed his brows. Hey, for this person to forgo a twenty-cubic-meter spatial ring and only want that one thing, it clearly means that what he wants is way more valuable.

Xia Fei consciously spoke with Phantom. I know that. The fact that hes been lying in wait here for over two years, just so he could get his hands on that thing shows how much he desires it. If I openly fight over it with him, who knows if he just chooses to duke it out with me? Its best if we first look at this thing and decide if its worth the risk. No matter how great an item is, I still need to be alive to use it. Its not worth it if I only end up losing my life just for that thing.

Xia Fei had decided to avoid clashing with the Monastic as much as possible, choosing instead to focus on safely extricating himself. However, if this item was worth more past a certain threshold, Xia Fei would see fit to risk his life for it.

The short-haired man walked into the bathroom and quickly returned to the room with Old Ks head and hand, leaving a trail of blood the whole way.

Youve already taken Old Ks ring? asked the man.

Xia Fei nodded slightly.

Inside is the collection he accrued over the decades. I believe that youll like what you find.

Though he adopted a tone of nonchalance, Xia Fei still felt that there was something off about it, but he was momentarily unable to pinpoint what it was.

The man used Old Ks eyes and hand to open the safe, very carefully pulling out an exquisite metal case and a brown leather pouch from within.

Putting the two items on the table, the short-haired man proceeded to loosen the pouch and took out a black sphere.

The sphere was around the size of a billiard ball; it was crystal clear and would shine when placed under the light. The room was suddenly filled with this eerie and gloomy sensation, making Xia Fei feel utterly discomforted.

The Eighteen Stars of Nocturnal Disaster?! cried Phantom, his expression changing drastically.

Xia Feis forehead wrinkled heavily, unsure why Phantom would be so agitated upon seeing the item.

This is an ominous object! Even the golden cicada is ineffective against it! Theres no time to explain; get ready to run! screamed Phantom in distress.

Xia Fei was taken aback. For this sphere to make Phantom this nervous clearly meant that it was something truly abnormal. He immediately gathered all his thoughts in preparation for dealing with the worst-case scenario.

The short-haired man palmed the black sphere as two flames ignited in his eyes. His expression turned manic as he reached out to open the metal box, and inside was a set of eighteen blood-red beads.

These blood-red beads were slightly smaller than the black sphere, and upon closer inspection, it was as if the liquid inside the beads was constantly flowing blood, a sight that could make anyone shudder.

The short-haired man paused for a moment as if he was very confused. He gingerly picked up one blood-red bead and placed it with that black sphere.

All of a sudden! It was as if Mountain Hawk, who was tied up like a dumpling, had gone mad, struggling recklessly and wanting to escape. The thin wires bit into his skin and cut into his veins, but he did not seem to care. His eyes were filled with despair.

Quick quick quick! urged Phantom frantically. Escape, right now! NOW!

Xia Fei did not hesitate and triggered the mechanism on the bookcase, revealing the elevator inside when it parted.

Xia Fei darted right in and reached out to push the close button. He swept a final gaze at the bead and sphere from the corner of his eyes, and all he saw was that red bead glowing bit by bit until its blinding glare resembled a miniature sun, while that short-haired Monastic looked to be even more confused.

This escape elevator was designed for emergency use, so it would be lightning-quick when it came to either speed or operation. Only a second had passed from the moment he opened the door to the elevator, and he turned around to shut it. After all, the top priority would be a quick escape in case of an emergency.

*KABOOM!*

A loud explosion could be heard, followed by the entire floor blowing apart!

The elevator shook violently before it began its unrestrained dive.

Xia Fei reckoned that the steel cable holding the elevator had snapped as a result of the explosion just then, which was why they were on a freefall now!

The smart elevator detected danger, and a large amount of foam shot out from a corner, which covered Xia Fei completely.

The white foam did not dissipate after this; instead, it morphed at a fast speed into something with great elasticity, making Xia Fei feel as if he was wrapped in a thick layer of cotton.

*BOOM!*

Some thirty seconds after, the elevator came to a forceful crash to the ground. This cylindrical elevator was made of rigid metallic alloy so it was abnormally sturdy. It did not cave in or even show dents after suffering such a heavy impact, remaining to be in good shape.

Xia Fei, who was wrapped in that elastic foam, did not suffer any injury, though the foam also cut off airflow to him, making him have difficulty breathing.

This foam is specifically designed to ensure the passengers safety, so you dont have to worry. They will melt in a few more seconds, and youll be able to breathe again, reassured Phantom.

Indeed, three seconds later, the foam melted into liquid and slowly slid down his legs.

The elevator was in freefall for over thirty seconds, so Xia Fei had no clue how many meters deep underground he was now. What had just occurred was a close shave. Had it not been for the advanced protection system of the elevator, Xia Fei might have been heavily injured or even died.

The interior of the elevator, which had lost its energy supply, turned pitch-black. Xia Fei turned on the light function on his microcomputer.

Phantom, do you know why theres been an explosion just then? asked Xia Fei after heaving a sigh of relief.

Phantom was smiling happily. Thats already the smallest explosion that can occur when the parent body Eighteen Stars of Nocturnal Disaster comes into contact with the descendant Eighteen Stars of Blood Grievance. Im afraid that the mansion is no longer in existence.

*Boom!*

Just as Phantom said those words, another big explosion occurred, and they could feel the elevator rocking intensely.

For him to feel the force of the explosion despite already being far from the site was a clear indication of just how powerful that blast had been.

Xia Fei did not dare to stay any longer; he used his Chasing Light to pry open the elevator doors and exited into his destination.

He realized that he was now in a large warehouse, with numerous ceiling lights illuminating the place.

After a quick sweep of the area, Xia Fei was pleasantly surprised.

Chapter 74 Collapse

Exodus TalesExodus Tales

This warehouse appeared to cover a land area of about tens of thousands of square meters. Army green boxes of varying sizes were neatly stacked all around him, and there were even two small shuttles and a small transport spaceship here.

A medium particle accelerator! Xia Fei walked over to one of the boxes and read what was written on it. These are all weapons and arms! Phantom, were rich!

Phantom swept a glance around with indifference. What rich? All this stuff around us; its still nothing compared to that ring youve got in your hand.

Speaking of the ring, Xia Fei suddenly remembered what the short-haired Monastic had said. He reached his hand into the ring to check, and his expression immediately turned into one of disgust.

What? Whats inside the ring? curiously asked Phantom.

Xia Fei sighed and emptied everything out from the ring. See for yourself.

Right before Phantoms eyes, a pile of shiny items appeared, and he could not help but raise his eyebrows and sighed.

Everything in front of his eyes was nothing but human feet! Womens feet!

Every foot had been neatly cut from their calf and was preserved using a crystal wrap to ensure none would rot or deteriorate.

Phantom was speechless. So Old K turns out to be a pervert. Who knows how many women that man ruined to assemble his collection.

Xia Fei only felt a wave of revulsion wash over him as he turned his body away, no longer looking at the feet of these pitiful women. What made Xia Fei even angrier was the fact that there was actually nothing valuable in the ring.

Another huge explosion could be heard from the surface above, and the lights in the warehouse first dimmed and started flickering. Dust and dirt were also shaken loose from the ceiling as a result, slowly falling onto this place.

Several seconds later, the lights steadied. Xia Fei looked up at the ceiling and saw that this warehouse was a fairly resilient concrete structure; even a big explosion might not damage its foundations.

Phantom, what were those beads and the black sphere? Why would it cause such powerful explosions? asked Xia Fei.

That was the Eighteen Stars of Nocturnal Disaster and the Eighteen Stars of Blood Grievance. Phantom exhaled a sigh full of lamentations. In the planets beyond the Pan-Human Alliance, there are still plenty of strange lifeforms. These two weapons were invented by the species called Demon.

Xia Fei sat down on a box, lit a cigarette, and listened raptly to Phantom.

Its said that the creation of the Eighteen Stars of Nocturnal Disaster requires a suitable family, one that has nine sons and nine daughtersno more, no less. After a complex process, on a particular night, these eighteen children will have to murder their parents with their hands, and each knife used must be stabbed in a particular position at a specific moment.

I dont know how this method works myself, but I do know that the first eight stabs wont kill the parents, and it must be the final knife, right into the heart, that should end the lives of the parents. If they die before the ninth stab, it means that the creation process fails, and those people will be thrown into a volcano as sacrifices to the gods.

By the time these children kill their parents, their eyes will have turned black, and thats when they need to gouge their left eyes, hand them over to the priest. No one else can interfere, and these children must all be willing in order for this to work.

The priest will also retrieve the left eye of the father and right eye of the mother, merging them to form one parent orb, while the eighteen eyes from the children will be protection orbs. The person holding the parent orb needs to use their mind to control the eighteen protection orbs; overall, its a sort of psionic weapon.

The destructive power of such a weapon is extremely potent. The Alliance has long since banned its use, and even more scary is the fact that anyone using such a weapon will be shrouded in abysmal luck, either ending up dead or losing their minds, becoming no better than a walking corpse.

Xia Fei could only feel his scalp go numb as a creeping tingle made its way up to his back. To think that there would actually be such an evil weapon He truly had no idea why that Monastic would risk everything just to get hold of it.Without even realizing, the burning ashes of his cigarette touched his finger, and Xia Fei hurriedly threw the butt to the ground and extinguished it with a stomp.

*Boom!*

That was when another huge detonation rumbled, and the lights in this ammunition warehouse went out for several seconds before lighting up again.

Xia Fei gritted his teeth. This demon race is far too vicious. To have the children kill their parents just to obtain a weaponits truly shocking to hear.

Thats actually nothing. Given how vast this universe is, there are plenty of things that are far more shocking. Phantom shrugged nonchalantly. Wait till you explore the universe; youll be accustomed to such things then. The madness and gloom of the universe far surpass what you can imagine.

What do people from the Demon race look like? asked Xia Fei.

Its said that they are tall and big with green skin. They enjoy puncturing as many holes as they can on their ears and nose, hanging all sorts of trinkets and adornments on them. A very backward culture.

The Demon race is only a very small lifeform in this universe, already on the verge of extinction. There are plenty of small undiscovered species like it in the universe, so theres nothing too weird about it.

For that species to do such messed up things, it will be a wonder if they arent on the path of extinction. Xia Fei pursed his lips. Anyway, why would there be such an explosion when the red beads touched the black sphere?

The red beads are called Eighteen Stars of Blood Grievance. I have no idea how they are made; all I know is that those things are evil. Both are hostile against each other and must not be placed together. To think that Monastic actually wanted to use the parent orb of the Eighteen Stars of Nocturnal Disaster to control the protection orbs from the Eighteen Stars of Blood Grievance Talk about courting death.

The explosions on the surface were still ongoing, and six explosions had occurred thus far, with each blast sounding frighteningly powerful.

Xia Fei was feeling slightly worried, uncertain if the continuous explosions would affect the ammunition underground.

Xia Fei got up and began to search for valuable ammunition. Since the twenty-cubic-meter spatial ring was now emptied, taking what he could find here was better than leaving without anything.

There was a special silver box in the middle of the warehouse that drew Xia Feis attention. All the other boxes were army green, and this was the only one that was shiny silver, prominently placed in the center to boot.

The square box was intricately made, and the silver melded metal shone ever so slightly. Every corner of it had been carefully polished, and there was even a coded lock attached to it.

Stepping closer to examine the box, all he saw was a huge black mamba snake spray-painted on the box itself, and there was a row of words: Dark Sky Serpent Corporation, model 130 warp engine!

Xia Fei was ecstatic. This was precisely the Black Mamba 130 engine that Old K had confiscated from Xiao Tian. He had never thought that that man would actually put it here!

This was a top-grade engine, which was highly sought after!

It possessed the most advanced technology among warp engines and was extremely precious!

The warship restoration had already been fifty percent complete, and the engine was the biggest headache Xia Fei presently had. With this engine in hand, all that would be left was its installation. Xia Fei could almost see that new spaceship, the naval-issued, Eagle-class frigate that had been fully assembled to the highest specifications, ready for flight.

The most sturdy defense and the strongest firepower, as well as the fastest speed!

It would definitely be a top-tier frigate in the entire universe!

The size of this box was almost twenty cubic meters, perfectly fitting his new spatial ring.

Xia Fei took it out and wore it on his hand. He then lightly tapped the box with his finger to take it into storage.

Great! The Black Mamba engine is back in our hands! excitedly said Xia Fei.

Since this warehouse functioned as a semi-hangar, it must mean that there was an entrance for these transport vessels to enter. The explosions on the surface were becoming stronger, and it was time to consider how he was going to get out of here.

This ammunition could remain here first, returning to transport everything away if the opportunity arose. Considering how many arms were being stored here, Xia Fei was certain that he could earn quite a bit by selling them off.

The wall to the left had a metal box, and Xia Fei strolled over to open it. Inside were buttons with a label each.

Xia Fei pushed the one labeled open tunnel.

The sounds of gears grinding were heard, and the wall in front of him opened, revealing a straight tunnel right before his eyes.

This tunnel was very wide, enough to accommodate two transport vessels flying side by side.

*Boom!*

Another loud blast was heard from the surface, and the lights in the warehouse went out again, but this time, they did not turn back on, most likely because the electrical circuit had been ruined by the explosion.

Xia Fei suddenly sensed that something was falling from above him, so he hastily turned while turning on the light function on his microcomputer.

*Crash!*

A piece of debris, about the size of a soccer ball, came falling on where Xia Fei was standing mere moments ago, creating a bowl-sized hole on the ground.

Xia Fei looked up and saw the warehouses concrete structure beginning to crack! Several distinct fissures appeared on the ceiling, and it was extending and widening by the second!

Not good The force from the explosions is too severe. Im afraid that this warehouse wont be able to withstand the continuous explosions for much longer! yelled Xia Fei.

Phantom lowered his head and thought about it for a few seconds. These explosions might very well be caused by those Stars of Blood Grievance The Stars of Nocturnal Disaster are of a higher grade than the Blood Grievance, so if that Nocturnal Disaster parent orb were to explode as well, it would be a disaster.

Xia Fei disregarded the potentially valuable ammunition in this warehouse and began running toward the exit. Escaping with his life was far more important at such a critical juncture.

Dont move! suddenly shouted Phantom. If the Nocturnal Disaster parent orb explodes, your speed alone wont be enough to outrun it!

Then, what should I do?! Xia Fei became anxious.

The shuttle! Phantom pointed to the two small shuttles. That transport vessels top speed is fifteen times yours, and it has the robust hull made from triple-titanium alloy. Take the shuttle to escape from this place!

Xia Fei was glum. What kind of joke are you trying to pull? I have no idea how to fly that thing!

Phantom laughed. I can teach you. Youll get the hang of it in no time. Its really easy.

As the warehouse was collapsing while they spoke, there was hardly any time for hesitation. Xia Fei dashed toward the blue shuttles cockpit.

Another explosion rang out at this time. The concrete structure was no longer able to withstand such powerful blows and began crumbling, and countless concrete pieces began falling around them like hail.

Dont panic. Push the start button first, then pull up the speed control handle to the max! instructed Phantom.

Xia Fei pushed the button in a hurry, and the engine revved alive with a blue flame shooting out from this transport vessels tail-end.

Next, he pulled the speed control upward, causing the engine to roar into life and that blue flame to shoot out well over a dozen meters. The entire fuselage was shaking uncontrollably.

This was already the maximum horsepower the shuttle could achieve, but it remained stationary!

Whats going on?! urgently asked Xia Fei.

Phantom stroked his chin to think. Strange. Why isnt it moving?

Xia Fei was not amused. This was evidently not the right time for jokes. Had he been running, he might have had a chance to make it out of the tunnel.

Oh, thats right! Phantom slapped his forehead heavily. Quickly push that gravity button. Shuttles have gravitational devices to keep them on the ground and disable accidental movement. How could I have forgotten about that?

Xia Fei did not have the time to grumble at Phantom. He promptly pushed the gravitational control, and like a bullet, the shuttle whizzed away; he was finally shooting right out of that place!

The strong resistance pressed Xia Fei tightly to his seat, making it impossible for him to move!

The engine was already pushed to max speed by him, and now that there was no gravitational pull to tether it in place, the shuttle was like a wild galloping horse, instantly attaining peak speed!

Xia Feis hands grabbed onto the steering stick, sweat accumulating in them.

All of a sudden, two explosions erupted one after another. The tunnel was also starting to collapse!

The situation had gotten really complex. There were large chunks of concrete falling in front of the shuttle, needing him to steer to avoid them. Everything behind him kept collapsing, like a humongous snake that was rushing to catch up with the shuttle.

The shuttle would instantly be reduced into a scrap if it got caught in this!

The situation was immensely dire!

Xia Fei kept trying to steer the shuttle away from the obstacles. Fortunately, his reaction was several times faster than the average human, so he was often able to dodge the falling chunks of debris and large slabs.

The path ahead began to turn up. Xia Fei pulled his hand and the spaceship began rushing forward at a forty-five-degree angle!

*Whoosh!*

The shuttle went flying out from an opening in a hill while swaying and shaking wildly. The moment the spaceship left the tunnel, the entrance caved in and completely collapsed, even the entire hill shaking.

Xia Fei let out a long sigh as he felt his body slumping into the chair behind him.

That was when an explosion even louder than any before sounded!

The sound was heaven-shaking and rang out of the place!

The tremendous soundwave that was created almost shattered peoples eardrums!

Then, a raging conflagration ensued that shot to the sky!

This huge sea of flames swept outward like a tidal wave, engulfing the small shuttle completely!

Chapter 75 Overclocking Chip

Exodus TalesExodus Tales

The explosion that came from the Eighteen Stars of Nocturnal Disaster was catastrophic. Fiery red flames shot up to the sky as everything within a radius of fifty kilometers was enveloped in a tremendous sea of fire.

The shuttle could only fly within the atmosphere, so its fuselage was not equipped with any heat resistance. The scorching temperature penetrated the shuttles hull and could be felt inside the cockpit, rolling waves of heat so powerful that any humans would very well be cooked by it.

*Whoosh!*

The shuttle finally escaped the grasp of the intense heat and burst right out of the inferno.

Xia Fei had the protection of his Windshade Mark IV, so he was unharmed by the heat.

After making a turn in the sky, Xia Fei proceeded toward the valley where he had arranged to meet Sonny.

Looking at the sky, it looked like a huge crater had been made from where Old Ks mansion had once stood. Over ten kilometers wide and about two kilometers deepthe flames were unabated, while thick smoke belched unceasingly. It was almost as if the place had been struck by a meteor.

What a waste. All that ammunition was buried underground. We couldve made a killing if we managed to sell that stuff off. Xia Fei sighed.

Phantom rolled his eyes at him. Youre really a money-grubber. Being able to survive that was already enough.

Sonny drove the shuttle and landed somewhere a hundred kilometers away from where Old Porters factory was situated.

It was already dawn, and heavy clouds blanketed the land with rain. The skies of the warship graveyard were completely shrouded in black fog, so even the rain was black. The air was cool and damp.

Xia Fei leaped off from the vehicle and told Sonny, Head home. Only you and I know what happened last night, so dont mention anything to anyone.

Sonny nodded his head with severity. Dont worry, boss. My lips are sealed.

Xia Fei smiled and made a high-speed dash for Old Porters factory.

Old Ks men, who had originally been watching Porters factory day and night, were all gone by now, most likely because they learned of what had happened to their leader and departed from this place.

The massive explosion had wiped any trace, so there was no way for anyone to discover Xia Feis relation to the incident. It was figuratively and literally a clean-cut execution.

The most important outcome was Xia Feis return with that Black Mamba 130 engine. With this top-grade engine, it would not be long until the naval-issued, Eagle-class frigate could be completed. In no time, Xia Fei would be able to pilot this top-tier frigate through the cosmos.

Xia Fei returned to his room and had a shower. Changing into his work overalls, he got to the factory to begin the days work.

There were still twenty minutes until work began, yet Old Porters four apprentices had already started working; all were looking very happy as they laughed and chatted with one another.

Whats the happy occasion? asked Xia Fei as he approached.

Xiao Tian put down his universal modification pliers and excitedly said, Did you know? Old Ks home suddenly blew up before daybreak today. Apparently, several hundred kilometers of the land around have turned into ruins, and most likely, not even ashes of that guy remain.

Xia Fei pretended to be surprised. Are you serious? Thats indeed good news.

Its not merely good news; its great news. Old K had been a criminal throughout his life, and this was a fitting end for him. I heard the people in the city celebrating early in the morning, and the bars are filled with people. Everyones in high spirits, Boateng happily chimed in.

Xia Fei smiled, wielding the tool in his hand to join everyone with the work, not saying a word about what happened last night. It was as if nothing had happened.

Several days later, Xia Fei announced that he had managed to procure a Black Mamba 130 engine.

Every part of the engine had its own serial number. Xia Fei lasered off the engines so that none would realize that this was the same one Old K had taken from Xiao Tian.

Everyone was thrilled to hear this news, though all of them chalked it up to Xia Feis luck, and none was aware that behind this so-called luck was an unimaginable, death-defying experience.

The workers, who had previously left the factory, returned one after another at Old Porters request. These people were initially forced off from working with Old Porter by Old Ks threat, and none of them had been willing to do so. Thus, Old Porter accepted them all back regardless of what had transpired, and they were all deeply grateful.

Xia Fei was now very busy with work. Aside from learning about spacecraft repairs and maintenance, he had another course to study: aeropiloting.

His timetable was filled to the brim, and every day, he would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The progress of the spaceship restoration increased over time, and Xia Fei became more and more skilled in piloting and repairing spacecraft.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed, and on this day, all the workers arrived early at the workshop, but none of them started working. Instead, they surrounded that naval-issued, Eagle-class frigate, admiring the fruits of their labor.

A short while, Xia Fei walked into the workshop with a big smile. Old Porter personally handed him a pair of universal modification pliers and a long shaft safety screw.

The spaceship is left with this final screw before it can be considered complete. Normally, I will be the one fitting in the last screw, but this time, I think it will be more appropriate for you to be the one to do the honors, said Old Porter as he gave Xia Fei the part and tool.

Xia Fei nodded and dove into the spaceship. He placed this final screw into the appropriate groove and used the universal modification pliers to screw it in.

There was an unspoken rule in spacecraft maintenance: When dismantling a space vessel, the first screw to be removed must be the middle screw out of thirteen counterparts under the captains seat. Conversely, when assembling a spaceship, that would also be the last screw to be screwed in.

It was said that doing so was a show of respect to the captain.

Normally, the oldest and most exceptional of the mechanics working on the maintenance and refurbishment team would do this job. For Old Porter to give Xia Fei this opportunity meant that he was acknowledging his skills at spacecraft repairs.

No more and no less, just 19.3 rounds would achieve the most suitable tensile strength of the screw. Xia Fei put down the universal modification pliers in his hand and stood at the entrance of this frigate, loudly declaring, The work is complete. In a while, Sonny will be delivering some delicious food and good alcohol. Everyone, dont stand on ceremony; no ones allowed to leave before theyre properly drunk!

Everyone cheered and applauded with great enthusiasm, each of them feeling proud of being involved in the restoration of this top-grade warship.

After a short while, Sonny arrived with a shuttle stocked full of delicacies and drinks, setting up several tables in empty space outside the workshop. Everyone partook in the festivity, drinking, and dining with great jubilation.

Xia Fei circled around that spacecraft several times by himself, his eyes filled with joy.

What a good space vessel. Its even more majestic than how it was back in the day. Old Porter laughed as he walked over. Enhanced neutron cannons, Ardler missile launchers, a grade 3 high-capacity reactor, and the Black Mamba 130 engine alongside those CL-5 energy shields. This warships performance is many times more than how it was in the past. Have you thought of a name for it?

Xia Fei nodded. Ive put much thought into it, and Im calling her Lunar Eclipse.

Lunar Eclipse. Old Porter repeated the name a few times. Not bad; its a good name.

Is it possible to register this frigate with the Galaxy Spaceship Authority? asked Xia Fei.

Because Lunar Eclipse was a naval-issued warship, though they had deliberately revised its exterior during modification to look like a normal Eagle-class frigate, anyone with discerning eyes could tell that there were irregularities with this space vessel.

Porter burst into laughter. You can get any spaceship registered as long as you pay the Galaxy Spaceship Authority. Besides, Ive already made changes to the internal code of this spacecrafts computer, so it can be registered as a standard Eagle-class space transport.

Porter paused for a moment before asking, Isnt a Navy-issue good? Its more stylish. Plus, youre now an apprentice Adjudicator. Having a naval-issued top-grade frigate isnt that big of a deal. Theres no need for you to keep it hidden.

Xia Fei smiled. Its better to be lowkey about this in order not to draw unwanted attention.

The elderly man nodded and very mysteriously patted Xia Feis back. Come with me.

Old Porter led him out of the workshop through the back door, all the way to an old and abandoned warship.

Xia Fei was puzzled but did not say a word, merely following right behind Old Porter.

This warship looked to be from a bygone era. Its hull was in tatters as if it had been severely damaged during a battle.

Xia Fei and Porter entered the inside of this warship through one such breach and followed the ancient corridors onward.

After many twists and turns inside this spaceplane, they arrived at its command deck.

Porter got Xia Fei to wait at the entrance as he entered by himself.

Xia Fei lit a cigarette out of boredom, and a while later, Porter returned with a golden metal case, handing it to him.

This case was rectangular in shape and was quite weighty when Xia Fei received it from the old mechanic. There were even some mysterious markings on the case, looking like it had come from a time eons past.

What is this? curiously asked Xia Fei.

First store this item away, ordered Porter.

Xia Fei kept the case into his spatial ring and walked out side by side with Porter.

Back in the day, I was once part of the army. My eye was lost on a battlefield; once, some of my war buddies and I got caught in an enemy ambush, and left without a choice, we had to activate our warp engine to make an unplanned space jump.

At that time, nobody among us imagined that our space jump would actually bring us to an ancient civilizations ruins. That case contains an overclocking chip that we miraculously uncovered then, and Im giving it to you right now.

Xia Fei was completely shocked by this gesture. He knew that Porter had an overclocking chip in his possession, which was precisely what had caused Old K and Mountain Hawk to target him. Never had he thought that the elderly man would easily give him something so precious!

An overclocking chip could improve the overall performance of a warship by fifteen percent at the least when facing extremely dangerous situations!

This was like a motor designed to have a normal speed of four thousand revolutions a minute; The motor could only achieve four thousand revolutions a minute was not because that was its maximum speed but because going over that would lead to motor damage.

A spacecraft was designed in a similar fashion. In order to ensure any equipments reliability and durability, all manufacturers would set an operating range for it, such that the equipment could not operate past its limit.

Meanwhile, an overclocking chip was capable of gaining control of the equipment and pushing it to the extreme, fully realizing its potential in the process.

Though using it would cause damage to the equipment in question, every bit of improvement to a spaceships performance could decide the outcome in a critical situation.

When two warships of equal defense and firepower encountered each other, the most likely outcome would be mutual destruction, but if one were to use the overclocking system, the result might be that one could secure a win with this additional edge.

An overclocking chips function was extremely complex, and it must first gauge the overclock limit of the equipment before a suitable range for overclocking could be set, maximizing the spaceships overall performance while protecting the equipment from damage as much as possible.

A high-degree precision was required to achieve this. After all, the equipment was also a high-precision technological product in itself, so even the slightest error could damage it beyond repair or, at worst, caused the equipment to explode.

Present-day people were still unable to reproduce this sort of overclocking chip given their current technological level, and chips like this that were found on the market were all unearthed from remains of ancient civilizations. Thus, the value of this chip was simply incalculable!

Xia Fei shook his head. This chip is far too valuable; I cant accept it.

Porter laughed. This chip used to belong to your Lunar Eclipses former owner. Now that she has been restored and will soon be returning to the stars, its only natural for this chip to go back to its original position.

You mean to tell me that this chip was originally installed in Lunar Eclipse? asked Xia Fei.

Porter nodded as he led Xia Fei back to the workshop.

The overall performance of Lunar Eclipse has already reached its peak. If this overclocking chip is to be added, I dare guarantee that out of all the frigates in service, there wont be more than ten spaceships out there that can outperform it! Porter lifted his head to the sky and confidently declared this.