Chapter 414: Showdown Among the Stars

Under everyone’s gaze, Kendall Eagle simply couldn’t refuse.

A faint glow flickered at his brow as his flagship, the Silver Sky Eagle, was summoned. He boarded and trailed the projection of the Heavenly Ruin through space.

Besides the two combatants, thousands of Torch warships streamed out of the starport, all vanishing in the same direction as the two Zhulu‑class Cruisers.

This was the duel between the duchy’s two top hereditary titans. Witnessing it up close was the dream of every Torch Captain in the Morningstar Duchy.

Meanwhile, in the core lounges of the starport, excited chatter broke out.

“Otto, what do you make of this? If I’m not mistaken, that kid Kendall Eagle is your direct protégé, right?”

“Don’t put me on the spot. Charging in before you know your opponent’s depths, exposing yourself like that—ugh, I’d rather not think about it!”

“But it’s just a projection. No guarantee it can overpower your kid.”

“Let’s hope so!”

…

Ten million miles from the starport, two Zhulu‑class Cruisers—one real and one a projection—faced off across the void.

Song Chi’s expression was calm, showing no hint of emotion. Across from him, Kendall Eagle scowled in humiliation.

He didn’t hesitate. Realizing there’d be no peaceful outcome today, he struck first.

At the bow, his red‑grade super main cannon crackled as it gathered energy. This red-quality component was among his pride, and he aimed to crush the Heavenly Ruin projection in record time.

In the final two seconds of charge, another red‑grade domain-control module aboard the Silver Sky Eagle activated: the Anti‑Air Domain Generator—one of the ship’s only two red components.

He triggered both red components at once, underscoring Kendall Eagle’s determination.

Whoosh!

A crimson beam burst from the super cannon, piercing the starfield toward the trapped projection of the Heavenly Ruin.

Far away, Torch Captains monitoring remotely registered surprise.

“He hit it dead on? Wasn’t this supposed to be a close match? How did it end so fast?”

“Seems Prince Song Chi isn’t living up to his reputation!”

“Agreed!”

“Shut up. Didn’t you see Prince Song Chi is only a projection? His power’s at least ten percent weaker!”

“Tsk, you can spin it but it’s still trash.”

…

Despite the distant Captains’ optimism, Kendall Eagle himself looked grave.

This was too easy—nothing like the feats of Song Chi he’d heard.

In a flash he realized his super cannon shot had only passed through an afterimage. The real projection of the Heavenly Ruin had already appeared beside the Silver Sky Eagle.

That so-called Anti‑Air Domain Generator meant nothing against the Bimon Dominator Body trait.

And under the Zen Seal · Internal · Time Acceleration trait, the uncharged cannon barrel already formed a quantum blade phantasm tens of thousands of meters long.

It was the True Immortal Quantum Blade feature of the Taiyi Quantum Swordlight Battery.

He’d held back the Life‑bane Arrow trait of the Myriad‑Spirit Annihilation Bow—once unleashed, even the opponent’s armor defense wouldn’t save them.

No mercy destruction wasn’t a game.

Kendall Eagle didn’t have time to ponder the projection’s charge time. The sheer threat shot every hair on his body upright.

Instinctively, he activated his Lv.59 orange‑grade armor defense. Then he tried to trigger an escape module.

But his mind froze. By the time he snapped back, that terrifying quantum blade phantasm had already pierced tens of thousands of meters, striking the Silver Sky Eagle’s hull.

Had he not pre-activated his armor, that blow would have sliced the ship in two.

Even with armor at its reinforced limit, after shredding the energy shield the True Immortal Quantum Blade cut through the outer hull.

[Warning: Ship under attack. Energy shield overloaded. Armor damage 24%. Hull damage 2%. Please repair immediately.]

[Warning: Armor damage 40%. Hull damage 12%. Please repair immediately.]

[Warning: Armor damage 70%. Hull damage 40%. Please repair immediately.]

With each moment, the Silver Sky Eagle’s damage surged. Even a timely purple‑grade repair module couldn’t save it from sinking.

By the time the True Immortal Quantum Blade’s power faded, damage stood at 74%. Six percent more and the ship would be immobile.

At his flank, the Heavenly Ruin projection shifted into Mythical Mech Form, stepping forward with a crimson greatsword.

Massive spatial-law energies coursed around the mech’s legs, each stride spanning tens of thousands of meters. In just a few steps, the giant stood before the crippled Silver Sky Eagle.

Clang clang clang!

The tip of the Yan Shen Divine Sword scraped the battered hull, sharp metal on metal, even as warning chimes rang in Kendall Eagle’s ears.

[Warning: Hull damage 77%…]

[Warning: Hull damage 78%…]

Fear consumed Kendall Eagle. He wasn’t worried Song Chi would sink the ship outright—orders from ancestor-level figures forbade loss of life. He believed Song Chi wouldn’t defy that.

What terrified him was the ship losing all maneuverability and needing a tow—that would be utter humiliation.

“Song Chi, I yield. To show good faith, I’ll trade intel—coordinates to an antimatter energy source. Isn’t that what you’ve been seeking? I have one condition: don’t let the Silver Sky Eagle become immobile!”

At the ship’s side, the mech’s eyes gleamed as it instinctively withdrew its Yan Shen Divine Sword.

“Deal. But only if your tip’s accurate. Otherwise…”

He left the threat hanging, holstered the sword, and waited silently for Kendall Eagle’s next words.

Kendall Eagle transmitted a coordinate. Before Song Chi could ask, he explained:

“These coordinates mark a small black hole in the central Chaos Sector’s Chaos Star Zone. I stumbled in and detected an antimatter source inside.”

“But heed this: though small, the closer you get to the core, the stronger the compressive and tearing energies. The antimatter sits within the black hole’s accretion zone. If your hull, armor, and engines aren’t up to it, don’t attempt it. I won’t be liable if you fail!”

…

Far away, the Torch Captains who’d mocked slipped away discreetly, fearing public wrath.

Meanwhile, Song Chi’s supporters brimmed with pride.

Hidden among the fleet were other hereditary heirs. They’d only come to gauge the Eagle Family’s and Song Family’s ranks, but today’s duel left them speechless.

Song Chi’s power far exceeded their expectations. Even they wouldn’t have fared better against him.

What was harder to believe: this was only a projection of the Heavenly Ruin. The real ship’s strength would be even greater.

They silently prayed the summoning module for the projection was high quality.

The better the module, the stronger the projection—closer to the true power of the Heavenly Ruin.

For now, that was all they could cling to.

…

Red River Sector, inside the Heavenly Ruin.

Song Chi’s gaze drifted as confusion swirled in his mind.

He welcomed Kendall Eagle’s antimatter intel but remained skeptical—he didn’t take it at face value.

Black holes were common in the multiverse era but rare in the Age of the Shattered Star Seas. He’d never heard of one in the Chaos Sector.

Still, if Kendall Eagle was truthful, he needed to hurry. High-level Torch Captains prized extreme celestial phenomena.

Such objects were synonymous with danger yet also opportunity.

Because black holes house high-intensity compressed energy, they can yield unique cosmic relics. And since few explore them, those relics tend to be top quality.

With that in mind, Song Chi decided to head to the central Chaos Sector at once.

He’d already bound Kendall Eagle to secrecy via the projection of the Oath Contract Module, forbidding any leaks about the hidden black hole.

But since it was only a projection, its power paled beside the original. Besides, the Eagle Family’s five-thousand-year legacy might include decryption modules.

Even without them, once the duchy’s fleets entered the central region, the black hole would likely be discovered. Getting there first was best.

He’d planned to search for the original Bind‑God Chains anyway—now he could do both.

The antimatter source was crucial for evolving the Antimatter Evolution Engine; he couldn’t ignore it.

Having made his choice, Song Chi no longer hesitated.

He notified his father, mother, and grandfather, then briefed several Family elders. Once he’d secured their approval, he piloted the Heavenly Ruin out.

For stealth, he activated only the orange‑grade Void Shroud—but that alone wasn’t enough. He also triggered the Mirage Dragon Metamorphosis Pearl’s Mirage Form trait, slipping away silently as he jumped toward the central Chaos Sector.

The Chaos Sector housed dozens of civilizations, many mid-level. Danger rose closer to the core.

Song Chi dared not take chances. His orange Void Shroud wasn’t fully reliable; he could only travel during the brief Mirage Form window.

Thankfully, both jump drives needed cooldowns anyway. After each leap, he docked at a frontier market overnight. By morning, both drives and Mirage Form had cooled, and he resumed.

This slowed him down but kept him safe.

The Chaos Sector wasn’t like the Red River Sector; several mid-level civilizations there fielded Tier‑6 combat units. Encountering them would be perilous. Safety came first.

At that pace, in under three days the Heavenly Ruin passed through the western Chaos Sector and entered the central region.

Where the west spanned just four thousand light years, the central Chaos Sector stretched nearly eight thousand.

The genuine Bind‑God Chains Wang Zhen mentioned lay in the central Chaos Star Zone, while Kendall Eagle’s coordinates pointed to the southern Huntian Star Zone.

Song Chi didn’t hesitate and charged south.

The duchy’s two main fleets hadn’t yet united and posed no major threat to the Chaos Sector.

Only after those fleets converged in the west would central-sector civilizations dispatch full forces. Then every faction’s strength would be at its lowest—ideal for retrieving the Bind‑God Chains.

For now, scouting the black hole was more prudent.

As for that small black hole, Song Chi was intrigued. In his previous life he’d seen black hole images and videos online—but those were light‑years away. He’d never witnessed one up close.

He’d already seen a warship transform into a miniature neutron star, but never a black hole. His curiosity burned.

Days passed.

After another jump, Song Chi finally arrived near Kendall Eagle’s coordinates.

Reaching the Huntian Star Zone, he understood why no one had reported a black hole in the Chaos Sector: the zone lay hidden within a star‑mist field.

Staring at the endless cosmic fog, Song Chi hesitated.

If he plunged in now, he might never find his way out.

But he regained composure quickly—anchored by his spatial anchor, the Heavenly Ruin couldn’t get lost.