Chapter 709: Breaking the Shield: The Raid on Scalesnake Floating-Land

Star-Annihilator Crew Module lv0

Quality: Silver

……

{Seal Removal: Consumes 20,000 dark energy to lift all external energy seals within the warship, restoring full combat power to every living being onboard. Cooldown is always ten years.}

{Good-Evil Appraisal: When installed, the main captain gains a special ability to accurately discern the intentions—good or evil—of any outsider who boards the ship.}

This module might not be top-tier in quality, but its utility is undeniable. That ‘seal removal’ can immediately lift the 24-hour energy seal for all onboard in an emergency. The cooldown is long, but for Song Chi, with his Timepiece Chessboard and Pusa Zen Seal, ten years isn’t much at all.

Strictly speaking, it’s less than five months for him—pretty feasible for routine troop movement or larger group missions.

As for the ‘good-evil appraisal’ ability, this guarantees the Heavenly Ruin remains secure when opening up to outsiders.

And right now, these are just the base stats. Soon, the Star-Annihilator Crew Module was boosted by Song Chi straight to lv70.

The biggest upgrade? Maximum personnel increased from 5,000 to 100,000.

A hundred thousand people—not exactly a horde, but enough to form a subunit of the Canglong Fleet.

That’s not all—Song Chi also collected seven Ninth-Tier Dominion Souls, three strands of Tenth-Tier Floating-Land Origin, half a million Titanite Crystals, and a bundle of Seventh- and Eighth-Tier Floating-Land Origins and Dominion Souls.

Most of the rest got split up by the core family members. The remaining portion stayed stored in the Sumeru space within the Shedding of the Heaven-Devouring Python, available for other clansmen to exchange later.

Of course, that’s not everything. The Song Family’s accumulated resources from many treasury vaults were poured into this ‘Sumeru Python’s Belly.’ With a perfect vault like this, why wouldn’t the Song Family milk it for all it’s worth?

Not only that, the Sumeru space has now been integrated with the family’s merit system. They installed a red-grade AI oddity inside, fully connected to the Shedding of the Heaven-Devouring Python. Any withdrawals via ‘Sumeru Extraction’ by family members are precisely recorded and deducted from their merit points.

With this, the merit system will be more convenient and precise—massively boosting the efficiency of the family’s Merit Hall.

……

Once all this was handled, the dozen or so people in the Main Hall didn’t leave, instead shifting the topic at hand.

“Before, just having the Dragon Whale Hall was fine. But now with the Shedding of the Heaven-Devouring Python added too, Dragon‑Spine Continent at peak Level Seven’s really holding us back…”

Song Wujian was the first to bring this up, quickly followed by core family members sharing their own thoughts.

“Honestly, I felt this way before all this too. But merging the Shedding of the Heaven-Devouring Python has only amplified it. Advancing Dragon‑Spine Continent—it’s become absolutely urgent!”

“Yeah, this civilization war’s dragged on over 1,500 years. Right now, all three advance fleets are almost at the Demon God Floating-Land. Battle intensity will spike any day. Both our mythic relics gain power with every upgrade—even a small boost will help keep us safe. So even if it costs us dearly, we have to push Dragon‑Spine Continent forward!”

“I won’t weigh in on that, but let me point this out: Dragon‑Spine Continent’s barely at peak Level Seven. Advancing to Level Eight so quickly is nigh impossible, and no one in our clan can challenge for a Star River-class Battleship yet. Even if Dragon‑Spine Continent makes it to Level Eight, are we just going to waste that rare surge of Eighth-Tier energy?”

“If that’s the case, maybe we should wait a while longer. Once Xiaochi is ready for his attempt at a Star River-class Battleship, we can time this right and maximize the value of the advancement. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

……

The debate went on. Just like before when discussing that {Shedding of Legend}’s use, everyone had their own take, but most agreed—speeding up Dragon‑Spine Continent’s ascension was the right move.

What surprised Song Chi was that Xingzu was actually the most opposed.

Xingzu had a simple view: the Song Family looked dazzling now, but in reality, much of it was as fragile as a castle in the sky. Only when a Star River-class Captain truly emerged could the Song Family anchor itself in the Torch Human Civilization and even the Endless Shattered Sea.

Noticing this, Song Wujian shot a meaningful glance over.

Catching on, Song Chi quickly explained:

“Xingzu, your concern is valid. But the real issue now is getting the family through the coming wave of fiercer war. If we lose everything, how are we supposed to aim for a Star River-class again later?”

“But…”

Song Shixing started to protest, but Song Chi cut in:

“Plus, the energy surge after Dragon‑Spine Continent’s advancement is already planned for. I’ll use it to help the Ashura Emperor, once he reaches the peak of Eighth-Tier, try to break through to the extreme. Over sixty percent of the energy will also go into a baptism for Chongguang and Chongying, our two Sixth-Tier Vermilion Divine Birds, cleansing their damaged laws and restoring their full potential…”

“On top of that, the Ashura Emperor’s own advancement is pivotal. It’s linked to the opportunity for using that ‘Shedding of Legend,’ and that’s key to a major plan of mine. If it works, the success rate will be as good as if we used the entire energy surge of an Eighth-Level Floating-land.”

With Song Chi laying it all out, Song Shixing finally dropped his objections and instead grew curious:

“So, the Ashura Emperor pushes for the Eighth-Tier extreme, with ‘Shedding of Legend’ added in—you’re aiming to elevate the Celestial Authority Ring to black-grade, letting the Ashura Emperor go berserk and get a taste of Ninth-Tier power?”

Song Shixing wasn’t exactly new to this—he’d lived for five thousand years. He saw through most of Song Chi’s plan in an instant.

Seeing him nod, Song Shixing panicked.

“You’re planning to have Ashura Emperor fight a Ninth-Tier Dominator? Xiaochi, don’t be reckless. The power you get from Berserk is nothing like a real Ninth-Tier…”

For a while, Song Shixing repeated everything Song Wujian and Song Shiyuan had said earlier.

Unbothered, Song Chi went on:

“Don’t worry, Xingzu—I know what I’m doing. I’ve had this plan for a long time, but I waited because I wasn’t sure. If the Ashura Emperor hits the peak of Eighth-Tier this time, our odds go up a lot…”

Hearing Song Chi’s confidence, no one else tried to talk him out of it.

They all knew how Song Chi was—since he believed in himself so much, and with the Omniverse Market Projection’s help, it shouldn’t get too dangerous.

But if they knew Song Chi’s true target—a machina dominator who hit Eighth-Tier peak hundreds of thousands of years ago, and probably counts among the strongest Ninth-Tiers now—they’d never be so calm.

That’s right. Song Chi’s current target was the Father of Truth mentioned in some info he got from an old Omniverse Market deal about the Truth Mechanicus Civilization.

Everything so far convinced him his Eyes of Heaven—that patrol radar—just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Song Chi already wanted a replacement, and the Father of Truth happened to possess the top-tier colored-grade Truth Eye.

From what he’d learned, the Truth Eye was a colored upper-grade patrol radar with a unique data-visualization ability—easily the best radar choice around.

But he had no clue where the target really was. And with a colored top-level patrol radar like that monitoring everything, there was no chance to sneak in and collect intel in advance. Even a tiny slip-up would give the whole game away.

So Song Chi’s plan was straightforward. Prepare as many trump cards as he could.

A single Ashura Emperor, even at Eighth-Tier extreme, wasn’t nearly enough.

But honestly, he’d already gathered quite a few backup plans. Still, more wouldn’t hurt.

Over the next long stretch, the Song Family—looking like just five thousand years’ heritage on the surface, but far surpassing those millennia-old Immortal Houses—fully ramped up their family machinery. The entire Chipan Galaxy’s core territories were swept up in a frenzy.

Some were collecting asteroids and floating-land fragments, while others headed to the Outer Domain to siphon Floating-Land Origin Cores, or organized the migration of floating-land creatures around Dragon‑Spine Continent. The whole family was hard at work.

That said, this was mostly work for the lower and mid-level clansmen. The real upper ranks were busy plotting even bigger moves.

Forty-two years after winning the Shedding of the Heaven-Devouring Python, the Song Family used a branch fleet of the Pan Family to buy a silver-grade battleship replication module at a sky-high price.

Eighty-five years later, the third batch of Golden Apples ripened.

After evolving the Scarlet Vault Jump Drive and Life-System Medical Repair Pod to gold, level 80, Song Chi gave the last Golden Apple to the Prime Ancestor.

Thanks to that, the Unmoving Vajra’s silver battleship replication module evolved to gold. The clone ship it summoned could only manage about seventy percent of the Unmoving Vajra’s combat power, but it was usable now.

From there, four Star-Annihilator-class Ship Replicas set off again. This time their target wasn’t in the Central Region, but far off in the northern sector of the Eight-Armed Serpent Demon galaxy cluster.

The northern section is the farthest from the Torch Human Galaxy Cluster, so it’s avoided the worst of the war so far.

It’s a pretty barren area—barely a hundred galaxies—but that doesn’t mean there aren’t advanced floating-lands hidden there.

Song Chi and his team had set their sights on a sector called Scalesnake Galaxy. More specifically, its capital floating-land.

Scalesnake Galaxy isn’t that big—about a million light-years across—but its capital has long since advanced to Eighth-Level status for special reasons. The floating-land spans 220,000 light-years—a solid foundation even among Level Eight floating-lands.

Right now, over 100,000 light-years away from Scalesnake Galaxy, four Star-Annihilator-class Ship Replicas hid deep in the void, like silent hunters zeroing in on their prey.

“From decades of intel, Scalesnake Galaxy is ruled entirely by a powerful Eight-Armed Serpent Demon clan called Blackfang. They once produced a Ninth-Tier Serpent Demon and have almost a million years of history. Their Ninth-Tier has fallen, but they still boast over twenty Eighth-Tier members…”

“With that much power, the Blackfang clan pooled their resources long ago to raise Scalesnake Floating-Land to Level Eight…”

In the comms chat, Song Yan’s words came to an abrupt stop before continuing:

“But ever since the Demon God Floating-Land called all those Ninth-Tier Serpent Demons, most of Blackfang’s Eighth-Tier members have been redeployed. Shadow Division reports only two are left guarding Scalesnake. That’s why I pushed so hard for this target!”

Finished, Song Yan’s claim got a nod from the others.

They knew Shadow Division’s info couldn’t be trusted completely, especially with a veteran Level Eight floating-land. Their clout couldn’t fully penetrate Scalesnake, but the data shouldn’t be too far off. So if the reports say two, at worst it’s three or maybe four. The Song Family could handle that.

With that, the four reached a decision. They would strike Scalesnake Floating-Land.

Vrrrm, vrrrm, vrrrm!

After several jumps, the four cloaked Star-Annihilator Replicas powered up their main cannons. When they each nodded, everyone acted in sync—the ships roared together, aiming straight at a single spot on the distant Scalesnake Floating-Land’s shield.

Four beams split the void, smashing into the same point with blinding speed.

Four Star-Annihilator Replicas, four shield-breaking modules of varying grades, three black Star-Annihilator Cannons, one golden Star-Annihilator Cannon, five golden supercannons, and three silver supercannons—an all-out firepower extravaganza. The result was…a little underwhelming.

Even with their carefully coordinated barrage, focusing on a single spot for maximum local damage, they still couldn’t punch through—not even the tiniest gap. All they managed was to darken that patch of the shield, with the faintest cracks barely visible.

Seeing this, Song Chi and crew sighed but weren’t really surprised.

They’d been mentally prepared. Normally, cracking a mature Level Eight floating-land shield means millions of warships and decades of non-stop pounding. However fancy their lineup, there was no way to break a shield of this grade so easily.

So they went to plan B. The Heavenly Ruin’s mirror warship pod opened, unleashing the Ashura Emperor—freshly recovered and newly advanced to peak Eighth-Tier.

As his blood-red body swelled, a wave of overwhelming Eighth-Tier pressure rolled out across the stars.

But there was more. With a thought from Song Chi, the real body of the Heavenly Ruin—billions of light-years away—activated its Celestial Authority Ring.

The ‘Enslave Seal: Berserk’ kicked in. Even at such distance, red steam poured furiously off Ashura Emperor’s body, his aura climbing ever higher.

Eighth-Tier Extreme.

Half-step into Ninth-Tier.

……

Until finally, his entire presence breached into the Ninth-Tier range.

This time, nothing stopped him. He fully achieved true Ninth-Tier combat power.

Not surprising—Celestial Authority Ring had already been elevated to black supreme quality through the Shedding of Legend and powered up to lv90.

Earlier, after merging with the Dragon‑Spine Continent’s Origin Core, the cooldown on ‘Shedding of Legend’ (and the buffer from the previous use against the Eight-Armed Serpent Demons) was substantially reduced. Over eighty years, it finally cooled down and Song Chi used it on the Celestial Authority Ring.

With the Ashura Emperor breaking into Ninth-Tier, he raised his blood-red sabre high and brought it down—right at the spot they’d focused on before.

Slash!

The Ninth-Tier blade cut through. This time, Scalesnake Floating-Land’s shield couldn’t take it. The cracks spread and finally broke open a modest-sized gap.

Even the two Eighth-Tier Serpent Demon Dominators inside rushed up, shocked out of their minds. Song Wujian and the others were stunned too.

Sure, Song Chi had promised he could break an Eighth-Level floating-land shield, but none of them imagined it would play out like this.

“Xiaochi, it took so much effort to bring Ashura Emperor back—now you’re having him go berserk again?”

“Weren’t we supposed to prep for a Ninth-Tier Dominator next? Or is your evolved gold-grade Medical Pod able to fully heal the fallout from a rampaging Eighth-Tier slave?”

Inevitably, a few questions popped up in the group chat.

“Gold-grade Life-System Medical Repair Pod is part of it, but the key’s the residual effect from the Evergreen Longevity Fruit. Paired with the pod, it’s enough to keep Ashura Emperor perfectly fine afterward.”

As they explained, the four Star-Annihilator Replicas wasted no time. They dove through the breached shield and into Scalesnake Floating-Land.

With Ashura Emperor now a temporary Ninth-Tier, the outcome was clear as soon as they set foot inside.

Before Berserk wore off, Ashura Emperor wiped out all Eighth-Tier Serpent Demon Dominators in the floating-land.

Turns out, Shadow Division’s intel was close, but not flawless—there were actually three Eighth-Tiers, but even with floating-land origin boosts, none survived under a Ninth-Tier’s power.

There’s a little twist worth mentioning: because Song Chi could summon the real Heavenly Ruin at will, all three were ultimately killed by the Heavenly Ruin itself, earning three more strands of Eighth-Tier sacred blood for the cloned Blood Chalice.

Mission accomplished, Song Chi quickly pulled Ashura Emperor back, fed him some Genesis Creation Pills, and popped him straight into the Life-System Medical Repair Pod.

As for the four Star-Annihilator Replicas—they split into two teams. Heavenly Ruin and Calm-Sea Dragon-Xiang headed deep into Scalesnake Floating-Land’s core and deployed their golden Origin Core Siphon modules to extract its origin.

This time, Song Family didn’t go with the usual six-tenths siphon, four-tenths saved. They went all out, draining eighty percent.

It’s not that they assumed the northern galaxies would never fall into enemy hands, so they could be so ruthless. It’s just that Dragon‑Spine Continent, barely through the Level Seven gate, wouldn’t have enough from just sixty percent to reliably surge to Level Eight—so they grabbed two tenths more.

Those extra two tenths pushed their chance to advance sharply higher.

As for going too far—if they truly had no self-restraint, they’d have taken all ten tenths.

A full ten-tenths from a seasoned Eighth-Level floating-land would push advancement odds above 85%, but they didn’t go that far.

Eighty percent isn’t harmless. The floating-land might never advance again, and it’ll need at least 100,000 years to restore its resource generation and origin production—but it won’t be destroyed.

While Song Chi’s duo extracted the Origin Core at maximum, Song Shiyuan and Song Yan scoured Scalesnake for its vast resources.

Even with most Old Ancestors pulled to the core region (and much of Blackfang’s foundation with them), the floating-land’s troves still held wealth beyond belief.

The two Replicas pulled in resources frantically. Pressed for time, they had to skip the ordinary stuff, only grabbing the rarest treasures. Even so, they felt time slip away.

Both Replicas housed enslaved creatures with Market-Walking Tokens. Tirelessly, they packed loot in top-tier Storage Capsules and shuttled them off to the Omniverse Market. After so many runs, not even Song Shiyuan and Song Yan knew their true haul—only that it still wasn’t fast enough.

In the end, they stopped worrying about totals and just followed the Blackfang treasure vault rankings, moving down the line from the highest—grabbing all the most precious items they could.