Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
The six Sui Xing members had their understanding of just how spineless Chu Huaizhi could be refreshed once again!
He’d been strutting around all high and mighty, and yet he’d run even faster than they did!
That was just over the top.
As for the Stardust Humans and ordinary humans, they now had a whole new grasp of the power that could destroy the Zerg’s giant tomb and obliterate the planet Gonggong.
It was beyond, beyond, BEYOND powerful!
Even Chu Huaizhi turned pale at the mere mention of it and fled without a second thought.
Wesley urged everyone on: “Quick! Quick! Follow! Run!”
Then he looked up at Lin Xiaohe with pleading eyes: “Boss, which way are we running?”
Lin Xiaohe: “The Dark Domain! We’re heading back home.”
They definitely couldn’t stay in the Fifth Star Ring anymore.
Luckily, the Dark Domain was vast, and part of the Fourth Star Ring bordered its edge—though very few people ever traveled that route.
Considering the Giant Sound Whales were with them, and those creatures were basically the drifters of the Dark Domain, they probably wouldn’t get lost in there.
So heading to the Dark Domain was their best option.
The Stardust Humans had no objections, and the ordinary humans had even less—their only concern was whether the void’s boundary would keep expanding until it reached the Dark Domain.
Lin Xiaohe glanced back at the Fifth Star Ring, now quieter and darker than any black hole.
It was completely empty—nothing left at all.
The bustling, lively planets that once stood there, the ring-orbits humming with machinery—all gone.
A galaxy that had existed for untold billions of years, tens of thousands of years of Federation development and expansion—in the face of that mysterious power, it meant nothing. It could be erased as easily as a breath.
At that thought, Lin Xiaohe couldn’t help clenching her fist.
The spear in her hand was bonded to her very soul, and the power she’d used to kill the god Guan Shan came from her life essence.
But that life essence was nothing compared to even a fraction of this power!
It was almost unbelievable—such overwhelming strength, unlocked after breaking through just the first genetic lock!
If she could unlock the second, the third…
She couldn’t keep going down that road. Lin Xiaohe shook her head, snapping herself out of the swelling confidence and craving that threatened to consume her.
She didn’t even know how to use it properly—how could she dare touch the second level?
Lin Xiaohe calmed herself down again and resolved: unless absolutely necessary, she would never use it!
The void’s boundary eventually came to a stop at the edge of the Fourth Star Ring.
Lin Xiaohe shared the good news with everyone, and the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
Wesley let out a long, relieved breath, a rare smile finally appearing on his face as his tone lightened: “Alright, folks—let’s go home!”
“Home!”
“Home!!”
Everyone inside the Fifth Star Ring’s warships finally relaxed, collapsing limp to the floor.
The Sixth Star Ring’s Commander pulled out a case of wine and a bag of sealed liquid bread from the main control room’s supply locker, generously sharing them with his comrades on the ship.
“A toast to our narrow escape, and to our victory over the Zerg!”
He filled a glass, raised it high, and declared in a booming voice: “First toast—to Lin Xiaohe! To her for setting aside past grievances and standing on humanity’s side!”
“To Lin Xiaohe!”
He downed the wine in one gulp, tasting a hint of sweetness after the initial bitterness.
He poured another glass, his voice choking up: “Second toast—to all our fallen comrades, and to the Stardust Humans! It’s because of their selfless bravery that we humans have made it this far.”
“To our fallen comrades and the Stardust Humans!”
Those with wine clinked glasses.
Those without—drank their nutrient solution!
At this moment, control of the human fleet was handed over to autopilot. All they wanted was to let loose, and let loose some more!
“Third toast.”
A familiar female voice suddenly echoed through the ship’s interior.
Everyone turned in disbelief toward the source.
There, an armored figure in dark crimson passed through the ship’s hull and stepped inside.
She descended slowly through the air, her dark crimson armor receding like an ebbing tide, revealing a young, youthful face.
But her eyes were no longer filled with the boyish exuberance of her younger days—they carried the wisdom and composure that time had carved into her, along with a resolve as solid as bedrock.
“Lin Xiaohe!”
The moment the Sixth Star Ring’s Commander blurted out her name, he regretted it.
Lin Xiaohe wasn’t the same Lin Xiaohe anymore. To put it bluntly, everyone here depended on her goodwill!
Was it too presumptuous to call her by her full name? Would she be upset?
The Sixth Star Ring’s Commander grew anxious, a twinge of regret washing over him—he was just too used to running his mouth, and had momentarily forgotten his place.
Fortunately, Lin Xiaohe didn’t seem to mind.
She touched down on the deck and raised her hand—a wine glass flew into her palm as if by magic.
Lin Xiaohe offered a genuine smile: “Commander, I suppose my lieutenant’s rank isn’t worth much anymore, is it?”
The Sixth Star Ring Commander was taken aback, then laughed heartily: “Hey, the Sixth Star Ring’s entire structure is gone—ranks don’t mean a thing. We’re all jobless drifters now. If you’ll have us, we’d love to join Jiuzhou Star.”
“Exactly! The baldy finally said something sensible! Being able to follow you is our greatest fortune—a blessing from eighteen generations of ancestors!” The Fifth Star Ring Commander had a moment of clarity and quickly chimed in.
During battle, no one had time to worry about such things.
But now that the fighting was over, wasn’t it time to figure out who stood where? They still carried Federation titles—how would it look if they just silently tagged along to Jiuzhou Star without a word? What would Lin Xiaohe and her people think?
Given how the Federation had operated in the past, it was only natural for Lin Xiaohe to be cautious!
The two commanders’ unspoken message was clear: they were no longer Federation soldiers. They wanted to follow Lin Xiaohe and take her orders from now on!
Lin Xiaohe’s smile widened.
Dealing with reasonable people made everything so much easier. If this had been the Security Department crowd, she’d have had to kill a few just to make her point.
“Then let’s raise our glasses—to you all!”
Huh?!
Everyone stared at her in surprise. To us?
Lin Xiaohe declared firmly: “Yes, to you! We will never betray any friend who’s ever lent us a hand. At my most critical moment, it was you—the 53rd Division of Gonggong Star—who stood in front of me, disregarding your own safety. I will never forget that! Cheers!”
With that, she tipped her head back and drained the wine in one go.
Her words warmed everyone’s hearts, like soaking in a hot spring, melting them into a soft puddle.
The two commanders led the toast: “To us!”
The Fifth Star Ring Commander drank his wine without showing any reaction, quietly observing the touched expressions on the others’ faces. He inwardly praised Lin Xiaohe—whether her words came from the heart or not, she’d successfully won people over.
From now on, even his own loyalists would stand firmly with Lin Xiaohe.
This was what a true leader looked like! Either you inspire people to follow through sheer charisma, or you have the skills to command!
The most formidable ones had both.
He just wasn’t sure which category Lin Xiaohe fell into.
After finishing the toast, Lin Xiaohe expressed a wish to visit the wounded: “There should still be survivors on the 53rd Division’s command ship, right?”
The Fifth Star Ring Commander was startled. In the midst of such intense combat, she’d actually been paying attention to the command ship?
Holy crap, he was about to fall for her himself! God damn… it was worth it!
“Yes, five survivors. Four are still in critical care—only the Chief of Staff is conscious.”
