March 13, 2505 CE
Long Feng and the others entered the crew compartments of the light space attack tanks in groups of three. Long Ao squeezed into the tank where Long Feng was, laughing and shouting commands: "Let's go, let's go. Hurry up."
Ten light tanks slowly rose, followed by seventy-two heavy attack tanks and one hundred and sixty combat robots for cover. The battleship's hatch slowly opened, and this small search team gradually exited the hatch, then accelerated, flying toward New Planet No. 13, six hundred thousand kilometers away.
Long Ao tumbled around randomly in the compartment, fiddling with a small, peculiarly shaped dagger that gleamed brilliantly. Suddenly, he turned his head, tilted it, and said to Long Feng: "Hey kid, why are you all dressed so formally? That asteroid has been terraformed for over a decade or two—the atmosphere is breathable."
Long Feng rolled his eyes and ignored him. Suddenly, a girl's voice came from the intercom on the cabin wall: "That statement is incorrect. New Planet 13 has only undergone nine years and seven months of environmental modification. While the atmosphere is theoretically breathable, from a safety perspective, all members without combat suits are advised to put them on."
Long Ao was instantly dumbfounded and muttered under his breath, extremely embarrassed: "I said long ago not to send two girls along. They're good-looking, sure, but they ignore me, tsk tsk…" Long Feng frowned: "Women? What are their combat ratings?" The girl's voice calmly replied: "Second-level research fellow from the Academy of Sciences, holding the rank of colonel. I am Xiao Wei, the other is Qi Ling. Physical fitness index 85, brain development 37%."
Long Feng said coolly: "This mission isn't suitable for you."
Xiao Wei immediately responded: "Without us, it would take you at least half a month to locate that spacecraft. Moreover, we have another assignment—to inspect the transformation progress of New Planet 13."
Long Feng said quietly: "Who made this decision? We're an armed search team, not a scientific expedition." Long Ao and two other A1 team members nodded repeatedly. No one wanted to bring along two girls whose combat abilities were roughly equivalent to ordinary civilians during a potential combat situation.
The pilot's voice came through: "Attention everyone, members who haven't put on their combat suits please do so immediately. We are about to enter the atmosphere of New Planet No. 13. Colonel Xiao, please guide us to the spacecraft's location."
Xiao Wei paused for a moment before saying: "Not possible right now, the signal can't be received. Split into three teams, conduct a spiral search pattern."
The search team slowly dispersed, dividing into three squads as they entered the atmosphere. Long Ao and three other young men hurriedly put on their combat suits inside the cabin, moving somewhat awkwardly as they adjusted to the unfamiliar gear.
March 13, 2505, 7:23
The search had been ongoing for over ten minutes when Long Feng suddenly spotted a metallic glint two kilometers away through the viewport, commanding: "Southwest thirty degrees, two kilometers, unidentified metallic reflection."
The search squad immediately shifted into combat formation. Fifty-three combat robots swiftly rushed forward, three light tanks slowed their speed and fell back to the rear of the formation, while twenty-four heavy attack tanks gained altitude, providing subtle cover for the entire team. Simultaneously, they relayed the information to the other two squads.
The two-kilometer distance was covered in an instant. There lay a massive, intact detachable cabin module, bearing the emblem of a chrysanthemum base with a red sun - the symbol of the New Japanese Empire.
Long Ao glanced at Long Feng, signaling him to make the decision.
Long Feng commanded calmly, "Three crystal cannon shots, destroy the target."
The barrels of three heavy attack tanks immediately emitted a faint red glow. Three shells containing unstable high-explosive crystals roared out at a speed of 9,000 meters per second, hitting the detachable cabin. A small mushroom cloud rose as the shockwave swept through a radius of five hundred meters.
Over a dozen dark figures suddenly darted out nimbly from the center of the explosion, swiftly fleeing eastward.
A tank driver urgently reported, "Life signs detected—seventeen humanoid organisms, physical index 950, current running speed 75 meters per second."
Long Feng said coldly, "Attack. Drop us down."
The thrusters of the combat robots suddenly emitted blinding flames as they quickly gave chase. Hundreds of searing white beams flashed, causing the seventeen fleeing figures to abruptly stagger and collapse to the ground, wisps of blue smoke rising from their bodies.
Three light tanks slowly descended. As the hatches opened, the four young members of the Long family and six special A1 operatives swiftly emerged and dashed toward the corpses.
Long Feng tore off the face mask of one corpse and carefully examined its features. It indeed had the facial characteristics of an Earth Asian, but what was particularly strange—as Long Ao gasped beside him and remarked—was: "Holy shit, they're so damn tall! They must be over 220 cm. The average height in the New Sun Empire is only 180 cm, and historical data shows the old Japanese averaged around 160 cm. Are these even New Sun Empire people?"
Without answering, Long Feng suddenly roared, "Scatter!"
Everyone gathered around the corpses instantly leaped away in all directions. Over a dozen purple particle streams whizzed past Long Feng. Nearby combat robots swiftly raised the laser guns on their metal arms and returned fire toward a small mound about two hundred meters away. Nearly a thousand blinding white beams nearly engulfed the entire mound. Long Feng looked up and launched three small high-explosive rockets. At the same time, other members of Special A1 quickly jumped up from the ground and began returning fire.
The attack tanks in the sky dared not open fire. The lead pilot frantically shouted, "Personnel below, fall back! Retreat and maintain a distance of at least five hundred meters!" Their firepower was too overwhelming, which now ironically limited their effectiveness.
Long Ao's figure flickered amidst the purple rain of light as he roared furiously: "You idiots, the firepower is too strong—aim at the open ground 500 meters away! The shockwaves alone will finish them off."
The attack tank drivers remained silent. Over a hundred red streaks of fire blasted toward an area 300 meters behind the mound. A shockwave sent a swirling cloud of dust and debris soaring over the small mound, violently hurling seven or eight tall figures into the air. The combat robots swiftly riddled these unfortunate souls with holes, followed by small, egg-shaped energy bolts that utterly obliterated the corpses.
Meanwhile, the counterattack from the mound grew increasingly fierce, with heavy laser cannons and other weapons now clearly deployed. Seventeen combat robots were completely destroyed, their wreckage exploding and damaging several nearby robots. Two heat-seeking missiles nearly brought down two of the heavy attack tanks.
Long Feng smashed his fist fiercely into the ground, his eyes abruptly snapping shut. His figure flickered and vanished, reappearing a hundred meters away in an instant. Long Nu and Long Bao roared furiously as well, their bodies disappearing before materializing eighty meters out. This single move revealed why Long Feng was addressed as "boss" by the A1 Special Unit members—at the very least, his capabilities surpassed those of his companions.
After two short-range space jumps, Long Feng emerged behind the mound drenched in sweat, having depleted 70% of his energy. He discarded the laser cannon in his hand, drew a fifty-centimeter-long high-hardness alloy dagger crackling with blue electricity from the sheath on his outer thigh, and silently lunged at the nearest enemy who stood over 230 centimeters tall. Simultaneously, Long Nu and Long Bao materialized at the spot where Long Feng had just appeared, also wordlessly unsheathing their daggers and charging forward.
Long Feng fiercely drove the dagger in his right hand into an enemy's back, piercing through three centimeters of combat armor and bursting out through the chest. His left hand formed into a claw, brutally tearing through the armor of another nearby foe, shredding flesh and snapping the spinal column. He then swiftly retreated, evading four or five particle beams aimed at him. Meanwhile, Long Nu and Long Bao successfully ambushed and eliminated five enemies.
The three simultaneously threw their daggers, impaling two enemies through the neck. They then retrieved a high-energy ray gun from behind and opened fire wildly.
Members of Special A1 used spatial jumps to reach the vicinity of the small mound, astonishing the tank drivers above. They frantically questioned over the military channel what kind of monsters their mission partners were.
The remaining fifty or so enemies were utterly unable to withstand the combined assault from the sky, ground, front, and rear. They quickly retreated to the right, maintaining disciplined covering fire as they fled from Long Feng and the others.
Two more squadrons of attack tanks arrived as combat robots swiftly descended to join the pursuit. The cannons of the attack tanks began glowing red again. Long Feng coldly ordered, "Cease fire. We need prisoners." Three tanks quickly redirected their barrels and blasted a small peak five kilometers away into rubble, sending dust billowing into the air.
Meanwhile, in the main control rooms of the flagship Chen Tang and the flagship Ban Chao, two major generals were busy explaining to the elderly man on the main screen—details like the firepower configuration during the assault and the attack tanks' formation deployment. In the four corners of the main screen, small images of over a dozen individuals were displayed. Judging by their epaulets, they were clearly marshals of one star or higher, including three highest-ranking three-star marshals. Marshal Long's portrait was squeezed into the farthest corner.
The elderly man's voice, steady and calm yet filled with authority, echoed slowly through the control room as he asked, "Marshal Long Yan, are they this batch's Special A1 members?"
Marshal Long replied respectfully, "Yes, Chairman Zhao, they are. Once they pass the final test, they will officially become members of the Dragon Force."
The old man, now China's highest authority, smiled and nodded: "Excellent, excellent. What do you think of their combat performance this time? When it comes to military matters, you are the experts."
A three-star marshal said quietly: "Not bad. Their overall strategic awareness is acceptable, though still rather green. One hundred thirty-five soldiers from the New Sun Empire—to end up in such a sorry state despite such overwhelming superiority. Still, they're quite good, more experienced than the top graduates from Xuanyuan Military Academy, especially in individual combat skills—even stronger than the most elite special forces."
Another three-star marshal nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, particularly their ability to perform short-distance space jumps. That leader is Long Feng, right? After they pass the test, I want him, and the other two who arrived first."
His words drew a chorus of opposition from the other marshals, who scolded in unison: "Marshal Hong, you're being too greedy!"
The entire video conference instantly descended into chaos, with over a dozen marshals arguing over who should get whom, gradually escalating to exposing each other's embarrassing secrets and airing each other's dirty laundry. Only the old man and Marshal Long opened a private channel to discuss something, leaving the crew in the two main battleships' control rooms utterly dumbfounded.
On the New Planet 13 at this moment, only twelve of the tallest armed personnel from the New Sun Empire remained alive; all other members had been shot dead during their escape.
The twelve individuals from the New Sun Empire suddenly halted. Long Feng coldly declared loudly: "The N-2497 particle cannons you're using have already fired 1,027 particle streams. You're out of energy. The Chinese military treats prisoners well—surrender your weapons, and you will receive humanitarian treatment."
The twelve large men angrily discarded their black, ruggedly designed particle cannons. The leader, frustrated, removed his helmet and breathed directly in the air of New Planet 13, frowned, and shouted: "We are the security team of the New Sun Empire's Transoceanic Freight Company. We strongly protest the unwarranted attack by Chinese soldiers on our cargo ship. We demand to meet with official United Nations representatives and inspectors from the International Court. We accuse you of massacring us and demand that China compensate us for all losses."
Long Feng slowly took off his helmet, suddenly frowned—the sulfur smell was overwhelming.
Long Feng continued to remove his combat armor, revealing a sleek silver military uniform underneath. He took a few slow steps forward and said with a solemn expression, "Long Feng, Major of the Second Planetary Base in the Sagittarius Arm, People's Republic of China, formally challenges the warriors of the New Sun Empire to an official duel."
Those who claimed to be the New Sun Empire's freight security team shuddered violently and exchanged glances for a long time.
Long Feng assumed the opening "embrace the ball" stance of Tai Chi and coldly stated, "If the soldiers of the New Sun Empire are a bunch of cowards, then you do not deserve the title of warrior. We will repatriate you to the New Sun Empire on charges of piracy."
The large man who had removed his helmet roared—a sound eerily similar to a tiger's growl—and hastily stripped off his combat suit. He strode forward two steps, assumed a karate opening stance, and loudly declared, "Onizuka Hideo, Colonel of the New Sun Empire's Imperial Guard, Black Chrysanthemum Special Forces, and current head of the Onizuka Sword Style. I am a warrior, not a coward."
Long Ao softly uttered two words from behind: "Idiot." His three brothers behind him rolled their eyes and nodded in emphatic agreement.
Onizuka Hideo hacked a hand blade fiercely toward Long Feng's right shoulder; Long Feng used a "Grasp the Sparrow's Tail" move to deflect his attack.
Everyone stepped forward abruptly while Long Ao frowned in silence. Onizuka's palm strike still landed solidly on Long Feng's right shoulder. Fortunately, Long Feng swiftly crouched to dissipate the force, though traces of red liquid trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Long Feng's eyes snapped wide open as the residual psionic energy within him erupted violently. Onizuka Hideo's massive frame—over 240 centimeters tall—was sent flying backward as if struck head-on by a rapid assault vehicle, blood gushing from his mouth.
Long Feng also spat out a light mouthful of blood and said coldly, "Surrender, and you will receive the treatment due to warriors. Otherwise, you will face the internationally standard procedures for pirates." The remaining eleven large men gritted their teeth audibly in frustration, then sat cross-legged on the ground with their hands spread, signaling their surrender.
Long Feng felt as though his entire body were burning with agony—a true sensation of emptiness, like a thief leaving an empty house. For the first time, he had expended 100% of his energy without reservation. His body went weak, and he too sat down on the ground.
Long Ao and his three brothers stood far behind, whispering, "Not bad. They managed to reach this level with just the introductory basics we passed off as the complete mental cultivation technique." A young man behind him asked quietly, "Ao Ge, what's their final test?" Long Ao shook his head slowly and said, "Who knows. Anyway, our mission this time is to pass on all the formulas to them if they pass, and then we're done. Damn, these kids are only 15 and already majors. I've been in the military for so many years and still haven't gotten a rank. There's no justice…"
The other three ignored him and strode forward, pressing their hands firmly against Long Feng's back to help him recover his energy.