The last high-level Zerg had its carapace torn open by the black eagle's sharp claws, green slime splattering everywhere.
A massive black python coiled at the edge of the meteorite belt, its golden vertical pupils scanning the area. After confirming there were no living creatures left, it vanished.
The alarms inside the command tower finally ceased.
Outside the panoramic window, the logistics department's tow ships had already taken off. Heavy robotic arms extended from the cabin doors, dragging broken mechas and Zerg corpses to clear the navigation channel.
Baal turned around and raised a hand to loosen his collar.
"Our coordinates are exposed." He looked at Gary, speaking rapidly. "Notify the entire army to abandon Base Zero. Complete the packing of supplies within three hours. The wounded will board the ships first, and we will retreat to the second defense line."
Gary stood at attention, saluted, and turned to run off and issue the orders.
Having given his orders, Baal turned to look at Jiang Lijin.
She was still standing in front of the console, her head lowered as she turned her hands over and over, examining them.
Chiron walked up beside her, an inquiring look in his gray eyes.
"Let's go," Baal said. "Let's head down and take a look."
The three of them took the exclusive elevator to the casualty placement area.
The silence inside the elevator car was terrifying.
On the surface, Jiang Lijin remained calm, but her mind was already in complete turmoil.
According to Xiao Yi's previous calculations, the absolute limit of a 3S-grade female was, at best, performing a deep spiritual power cleansing for ten high-ranking officers. What had she just done?
Twenty to thirty thousand people! A full third of the defense line's forces.
This wasn't just an extraordinary performance; this was simply a miracle! The weirdest part was that she didn't feel tired at all right now; instead, she felt a hundred times more energetic!
[Xiao Yi, investigate this.] She tapped the system in her mind.
Xiao Yi's voice sounded weak: [Host, I'm checking... This is too bizarre. It exceeds the common sense of my database. Just now, another energy source did indeed connect to your spiritual sea.]
[Whose?]
[I don't know. I don't have enough authority. But I can confirm one thing: that power does not belong to this world.]
Doesn't belong to this world? Jiang Lijin frowned.
[Does the system shop sell this kind of cheat?]
[No.] Xiao Yi paused. [Host, I will go dig through the deep database again to see if I can find any clues.]
Her mind fell completely silent.
Jiang Lijin rubbed her temples. A power that doesn't belong to this world, yet could precisely act as a power bank for her?
"Ding—"
The elevator arrived at the lower-level medical area.
As soon as the alloy doors opened, a strong smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of blood rushed over them.
The temporarily erected casualty placement point was densely packed with people lying down.
In the past, a medical area after such a Zerg swarm would absolutely be a living hell. Polluted soldiers would slaughter each other in a frenzy, and the screams of collapsing spiritual bodies could tear off the roof.
But today, it was surprisingly quiet here.
Those severely wounded soldiers who were supposed to be struggling in agony were all lying quietly on their stretchers right now. Corroded wounds had scabbed over, and manic spiritual power fluctuations had stabilized.
Hearing footsteps, several officers closest to the door turned their heads.
The moment they saw clearly who had arrived, an extremely fanatical light burst forth in their eyes.
The only 3S-grade female in the entire interstellar space.
Other than her, no one could have completed that miraculous mass purification at this distance and on this scale.
"Ms. Jiang!"
A major with a severed left arm suddenly sat up from his stretcher. Ignoring the pain of his wound, he scrambled over to Jiang Lijin.
"Ms. Jiang, thank you... I thought I was dead for sure... My spiritual body was on the verge of dissolving..."
The major was incoherent, so excited that he reached out with his intact right hand to grab Jiang Lijin's hand.
"Smack."
A large hand with distinct knuckles unceremoniously slapped the major's hand away.
Baal stepped forward, firmly blocking Jiang Lijin behind him.
"Step back." Baal looked down at the major from above, his golden vertical pupils flashing a warning. "Has military discipline been fed to the dogs? Who allowed you to get so close?"
The major was stunned by the supreme commander's oppressive aura and reflexively stood at attention. "Sir!"
But his gaze couldn't help but peek over Baal's shoulder, glancing at Jiang Lijin.
It wasn't just him.
In the entire medical area, hundreds and thousands of eyes were all staring at Baal... or rather, Jiang Lijin behind him.
That gaze was devout, fanatical, and overflowing with gratitude, looking as if they were gazing at a descended god.
But because Baal was present, and the aura he emitted was too terrifying, no one dared to approach for the time being.
Baal's face darkened completely, his back molars clenched tightly.
He turned sideways, grabbed Jiang Lijin's wrist, and pulled her further behind him, shielding her even more securely.
Jiang Lijin stumbled from his pull and couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. What was this man going crazy over? Was he afraid she would steal his thunder as the supreme commander? Or was he... jealous?
"Supreme Commander Baal," Jiang Lijin shook off his hand, her tone cool. "Why are you so nervous? It's not like I'm going to eat your soldiers."
Baal paused and turned his head to look at her.
He looked at Jiang Lijin's righteous yet slightly mocking expression. His Adam's apple bobbed, but in the end, he couldn't say a single word.
What could he say?
Say that seeing those males looking at her with that kind of gaze made him unhappy?
Say that he didn't want anyone's hands to touch her?
Baal stiffly tossed out a sentence: "It's chaotic here, don't run around."
Having said that, he strode deep into the medical area to confirm the casualty data and transfer progress with the person in charge. His back revealed an indescribable sense of irritation.
Jiang Lijin watched him walk away and curled her lips speechlessly.
"Ms. Jiang," a gentle voice came from beside her.
Chiron had walked up beside her at some point. In his gray eyes hid a bit of secret amusement.
Baal's little thoughts were written all over his face. What a pity. With the supreme commander's awkward and domineering personality meeting someone as completely unromantic as Ms. Jiang, it was estimated that this path of chasing his wife would be very difficult to reach the end.
"Commander Baal is also thinking of your safety," Chiron smoothed things over for Baal, then changed the subject. "However, I am more concerned about your health."
"Such a massive output of spiritual power just now, even for a 3S-grade, would place a tremendous burden on the spiritual sea." Chiron's tone became professional and rigorous. "Do you feel dizzy right now? Or is there any stinging sensation in your spiritual sea?"
Jiang Lijin felt it out for a moment.
Let alone a stinging sensation, she was brimming with energy right now and could even eat two whole roasted lamb legs.
Furthermore, that mysterious power had even expanded her spiritual sea by a circle.
But she couldn't say this to Chiron.
If she let him know she had an unidentified energy source in her body, there was no guarantee he wouldn't tie her to an operating table and slice her up for research.
"I'm fine," Jiang Lijin lied without changing her expression. "Just a little sleepy."
Chiron's gray eyes quietly gazed at her. After a long while, he nodded slightly.
"In that case, after we return to the main planet, I will take you to the medical pod at the Central Hospital for a comprehensive examination." His tone was gentle, but it carried a meaning that brooked no refusal. "Your current physical condition concerns the safety of the entire interstellar space, and there cannot be the slightest mishap."
Jiang Lijin: "..."
With such a heavy expectation placed on her, she couldn't even find the words to refuse.
"Fine." She gave a perfunctory nod.
The military was highly efficient at clearing the battlefield. Just three hours later, the comprehensive packing was complete.
Massive interstellar transport ships lined up, the roar of their engines shaking the entire base.
Jiang Lijin followed Baal onto the command bridge of the flagship.
Gary was already waiting inside. Seeing Jiang Lijin enter, the 2S-rank adjutant immediately stood at attention, his eyes shining as brightly as a pair of thousand-watt searchlights.
"Ms. Jiang! Please, have a seat!" Gary fawned, pulling out the most comfortable leather chair next to the commander's seat. He even used his sleeve to wipe away non-existent dust.
Baal shot him a glance.
Gary's entire body tensed up, but braving his superior's murderous glare, he bit the bullet and brought Jiang Lijin a glass of water.
"Ms. Jiang, please have some water."
Jiang Lijin took the glass and thanked him.
Baal walked over to the main console, planted both hands on the desk, and stared at the constantly shifting coordinates on the star map.
"Move out."
The flagship slowly departed from the space station, followed by a massive fleet.
Outside the panoramic windows, the enormous base that had guarded the border for decades initiated its self-destruct sequence shortly after they left.
A blinding white light exploded in the starry void, blossoming into a magnificent fireball.
