Chapter 76

The Slaughterhouse’s live broadcast continued.

The screen displayed the Qionghai Huashi stones stored by the Shen family.

At a glance, there were countless Qionghai Huashi stones densely packed together, their vibrant colors resembling a sea of deep red.

Alongside this, the Shen family’s ledger recording the Qionghai Huashi stones also appeared on the screen.

The figures were astonishing, accompanied by large sums of incoming funds.

【The entire interstellar market for Qionghai Huashi is monopolized by the Shen family, with smaller families like the Wu family merely working for them】

The mechanical voice was cold, echoing throughout the venue.

“What are they doing? How could something like this appear here? Where are the people in the control room?” Ji Fu glanced up, seeing the Shen family representative shouting angrily in a blind spot of the camera.

This unexpected Slaughterhouse broadcast at the auction was completely beyond the Shen family’s control.

Over the past year or so, the Shen family had hosted several large events, but never had there been such an uncontrollable situation.

【These Qionghai Huashi stones, which brought enormous profits to the Shen family, are all made from the flesh and blood of innocent citizens】

【According to incomplete statistics, the number of interstellar citizens persecuted by the Shen family reaches tens of thousands】

【Enjoying your blood-soaked bread?】

Beep, beep.

Two crisp sounds responded to this statement.

Then, the enormous private stash of Qionghai Huashi stones was blown to pieces before everyone’s eyes.

With the Qionghai Huashi star system destroyed, the Shen family hadn’t had time to construct a second one, and all their stored products were now annihilated.

“In the experimental base, we could only find operation records and equipment, but all records related to the production of special-grade nutrient solutions have been destroyed,” Qin Chu Yue’s voice came through.

“The destruction occurred after the Qionghai Huashi star system was blown up.”

Qin Chu Yue coldly added, “What we found here were records of citizens being forced to mine Qionghai Huashi and some scattered special-grade nutrient solutions.”

“We haven’t found the base for extracting talents yet. It appears the Shen family is only responsible for manufacturing and producing the special-grade nutrient solutions.”

The extraction of talents involved multiple victims and experiments. Such a facility must exist somewhere.

But so far, they hadn’t found this experimental base or the main evidence related to the extraction of talents.

Ji Fu remained calm, not surprised by this outcome.

Many were involved in this matter, spanning various noble families. It was unlikely that all crucial elements were solely in the hands of the Shen family.

However, it wasn’t a total loss.

Shen Qinglan was thorough, having super mecha soldiers guard the base, with tight security and crucial records destroyed.

The more cautious he was, the more it indicated his fear of the mastermind behind the scenes.

Across the interstellar space, there weren’t many individuals or families that Shen Qinglan would be so wary of.

That made things simpler.

【Qionghai Huashi’s high cost enabled the Shen family to rise swiftly in a short period】

The mechanical voice paused slightly. For some reason, a hint of cold sarcasm crept into its tone.

【Who needs this stuff the most? Who has continuously ensured the Shen family’s prosperity, allowing them to act so recklessly, sacrificing citizens’ health in the process?】

【Use your imagination and boldly speculate】

【Yours sincerely, the Slaughterhouse】

The emergence and use of special-grade nutrient solutions were directly tied to talent extraction.

One cannot discuss special-grade nutrient solutions without considering talent extraction, nor can one falsely claim that these are merely “supplies” needed by all noble families.

Whether it’s supply or consuming the flesh and blood of others, there is a fundamental difference between the two.

However, sometimes not stating things explicitly, without concrete evidence, and only letting people speculate can have a better effect.

Hundreds of billions of interstellar citizens are not fools.

Originally a gathering of numerous noble families, the atmosphere of this event changed completely after these statements.

This ultra-luxurious and high-end auction by the Shen family, showcasing wealth, status, and special classes, transformed directly into a scene of denouncement against the Shen family after they brought out their grand finale.

But it wasn’t over yet.

The Slaughterhouse’s live broadcast didn’t end like previous ones. Instead, a huge red countdown timer suddenly appeared on the live screen.

【1:37:54】

“What does this countdown mean?” someone asked in panic, “Could it be a bomb? Did the Slaughterhouse plant a bomb at the auction?”

This question was like pouring cold water into a boiling oil pot, triggering outright chaos in the already tumultuous auction hall.

The Shen family, as the organizer, had completely lost control of the situation.

The Slaughterhouse was well-known for the power of its bombs. Apart from the super-star mecha soldiers present, no one could remain calm.

Everyone frantically tried to leave the venue.

Online viewers watching the live broadcast paused upon seeing the panic-stricken crowd.

Someone commented mockingly: 【Isn’t it interesting how these interstellar nobles suddenly become so terrified?】

【Aren’t they as excited as they are when facing a black mecha engine?】

It’s well known that black mechas can explode.

Fang Yanli stood up from the back of the crowd, his expression cold and stern. He strode to the entrance of the venue and instructed Cheng Hao, “Organize the evacuation and ensure the safety of everyone present.”

“After evacuating the crowd, have Wen Fang come over to inspect the entire Sirius system and locate any dangerous items as quickly as possible.”

Cheng Hao agreed to the instructions, but those around him suddenly fell silent.

He quickly looked up to see Fang Yanli’s stern profile, his gaze fixed straight on the stage.

Despite the chaos, the Shen family was still fixated on the auction items, with Shen Qinglan even directing people to move things on the stage.

“Director?”

Fang Yanli snapped out of it, his expression blank as he said, “Contact the starship and head to the Imperial Star Alliance.”

Fang Yanli then left.

After the countdown appeared, many people were dispersed, and Zhou Lu Hai couldn’t find Ji Fu in the venue.

To avoid accidents, everyone in the Sirius system was evacuated.

He could only leave on the Zhou family starship, and after it departed from Sirius, he received a message from Ji Fu.

At that moment, Ji Fu was already on the starship.

Once the chaos began, few paid any further attention to her.

The auction hall’s surveillance only captured her leaving with the crowd.

So, no one expected that she would be on the Shen family’s starship.

The Shen family, evacuating with the precious auction items, was not slow.

After the Slaughterhouse’s incident, with a super-star mecha soldier dead, all the super-star mecha soldiers Shen Qinglan had invited received orders from the Alliance, leaving only one closely tied to the Shen family.

He split the cargo into batches, having the super-star mecha soldier escort one batch, while he personally escorted another.

The starship they used was the Shen family’s super starship, with extremely high security.

Despite this, Shen Qinglan’s first order after boarding was for the starship to return swiftly to the Imperial Star.

“Aren’t we going to the experimental base?” the auction manager asked anxiously. “The Slaughterhouse people shouldn’t have gone far.”

Shen Qinglan’s face was grim, expressionless as he said, “Return to the Imperial Star.”

The super-star mecha that appeared in the Slaughterhouse broadcast had incredible explosive power.

He suspected the pilot might be Lan, who escaped from the interstellar prison.

The Sirius system was far away, and even if they went now, they wouldn’t catch anyone.

With the Shen family’s foundation destroyed, all that remained were these items originally intended for auction.

After the Qionghai Huashi star system was bombed, Shen Qinglan became more vigilant, promptly destroying all evidence related to the special-grade nutrient solution.

But now, it became his only remaining leverage.

The Shen family’s strongest mecha soldiers, aside from Shen Qingxue and himself, included five or six star-level mecha soldiers on this starship. The rest were stationed at the experimental base.

Those stationed there were all killed.

The Slaughterhouse had planned meticulously, turning a day intended for the Shen family’s rise into their downfall.

Shen Qinglan knew that returning to the Imperial Star wasn’t a good choice.

Given the Alliance’s style, they would likely abandon the Shen family at this crucial moment.

But he had no choice.

With what he held, the Alliance might still show some leniency if he went to the Imperial Star.

Going elsewhere…

Shen Qinglan’s eyes darkened. The opponent knew about his injury from the joint exam, making this the best time to strike.

Earlier, amidst the chaos, Shen Qinglan only had time to check the cargo and the two starships. He now asked in a deep voice:

“Where is Ji Fu?”

The Shen family representative was momentarily stunned, then replied, “The venue’s surveillance showed she already left.”

Shen Qinglan’s face instantly darkened.

Outside the Shen Family’s experimental base, there was a highly advanced defense system.

After the incident in the Qionghai Huashi Star System, Shen Qinglan had even gone to the Alliance to seek professional upgrades.

Normally, with the system’s coverage, he should have been alerted to any unusual fluctuations within the star system.

However, when the incident happened in the base today, he only found out a little faster than the live broadcast from the slaughterhouse.

“There must be an extremely skilled hacker in the enemy team,” Shen Qinglan said coldly. “Their abilities surpass those of anyone in the Alliance.”

After saying this, his expression suddenly changed.

“Stop!”

The Shen family members present were all taken aback, looking at him in confusion.

Shen Qinglan had already stood up abruptly, opening the control panel of the starship to check for any signs of internal system intrusion.

As a mecha master, all mechas required system support to function properly.

Thus, Shen Qinglan also understood system applications and management.

But even with his abilities, he couldn’t detect the anomaly.

Moreover—

Boom!

The parked starship suddenly suffered a violent impact.

The super starship shook violently, and everyone present changed their expressions.

Shen Qinglan looked up suddenly, seeing a black mecha that had appeared in outer space.

It was a mecha he had never seen before.

Instinctively, he looked at the control panel of the super starship.

There were no alerts, not even the name or level of the enemy mecha appeared.

Their internal system was indeed out of control.

The Shen family members inside the starship were shocked, immediately pressing the alarm button.

[Alert! Alert! Enemy attack!]

The warning sound echoed throughout the starship, and everyone, upon reacting, tried to deploy their mechas immediately.

However, they suddenly discovered…

“The optical brain is out of control,” the person in charge beside Shen Qinglan said in a panicked voice.

His face was pale, his expression extremely grim.

The Shen family had lived in space for so long, yet this was the first time they encountered such a situation.

With the optical brain out of control, not only couldn’t they deploy their mechas, but they also couldn’t communicate with the outside world.

The Shen family’s starship, known for its speed, had already left Sirius.

Now, it was in the desolate outer space, unable to send any signals.

They were completely at the mercy of others.

Everyone in the cockpit was in extreme panic.

Shen Qinglan’s expression was dark, and he shouted angrily, “What’s the panic!?”

“There are weapons on the starship, go get them! Shen Hong, come here and control the starship to attack the mecha outside.”

After saying this, Shen Qinglan pressed his optical brain.

Like everyone else’s, his optical brain was also unusable.

But unlike others, he had earlier installed an emergency activation mode in his mecha to prevent such situations.

Even with the optical brain malfunctioning, he could still deploy his mecha!

Shen Qinglan logged into his mecha and jumped onto the top of the starship.

Upon landing, he raised his hand and released a high-speed cruising cannon, its light illuminating half the sky, blasting towards the enemy mecha.

Because the regional network was completely covered, he couldn’t identify the opponent’s identity with his mecha.

Shen Qinglan activated his mecha’s berserk mode, releasing the Qinglong Xuanji Cannon.

The dragon’s mouth spewed intense flames.

The cannon fire exploded violently, and the surging heat wave almost instantly engulfed and scorched everything.

But just as he was about to strike, the mecha displayed a prompt: [Target lost]

Shen Qinglan’s expression was extremely grim. His injuries hadn’t healed yet, and even the mecha he was using had just been repaired.

Few knew that during the joint examination, the three slashes he took from Ji Fu had severely injured him.

The family doctor told him he needed at least three months to recover.

For today’s auction, he used a strong recovery drug, but that drug had side effects. Once its effect wore off, he would be completely weakened.

This wouldn’t have been a problem for Shen Qinglan.

But in mecha combat, especially high-level combat, even a tiny mistake could be fatal.

Especially with his system currently paralyzed.

He could only activate full-body protection and retreat, simultaneously releasing barrage cannons for indiscriminate firing.

The barrage cannons fired in all directions, lighting up the dark space, but he still couldn’t see the enemy.

Shen Qinglan paused for a long time and suddenly looked up.

The area above him was a blind spot for his barrage cannons.

In his widened pupils, he saw the enemy rapidly approaching, holding a black curved blade.

Realizing the danger, Shen Qinglan turned to dodge and raised his Qinglong Xuanji  Cannon to blast above him.

Boom!!!

In the blazing cannon fire, the enemy switched to another weapon, which penetrated the Qinglong Xuanji  Cannon’s fire, deeply slashing Shen Qinglan’s neck and left chest.

The powerful penetration of that slash caused explosions in Shen Qinglan’s mecha.

But that wasn’t the main point…

Shen Qinglan stepped back, engulfed in intense flames.

In disbelief, he looked up and shouted, “Ji Fu!?”

Yes, until that moment, he hadn’t been entirely sure of Ji Fu’s identity.

But that last strike, the opponent’s understanding of his barrage cannons, Azure Dragon Mystery Cannon, and the heavy weapons capable of directly penetrating the Azure Dragon Mystery Cannon’s attacks!

Confirmed her identity to Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan had been using the Qinglong Xuanji Cannon for so many years, and the only one he couldn’t deal with was Ji Fu.

The Azure Dragon Mystery Cannon could roast even super stellar beasts, so where in the galaxy were there so many weapons immune to the Azure Dragon’s power!?

The person in front of him could only be Ji Fu!

Ji Fu paused, calmly saying, “Mr. Shen, long time no see.”

Shen Qinglan’s expression completely collapsed: “It’s really you!”

So, the slaughterhouse was indeed an organization, and the mastermind behind it turned out to be a student from the military academy!

For the first time in his life, Shen Qinglan felt an unparalleled suffocation.

Before today, he never imagined that the person who could gradually push him to this point would turn out to be such an ordinary person whom he had never cared about.

He had always believed that everything was under his control, but he never expected that every step he took was within the other’s calculations.

Shen Qinglan’s face changed again and again.

Before recognizing the other’s identity, he even considered how to bribe her.

There’s no one whose heart can’t be moved by benefits in this world.

But after realizing it was Ji Fu, he knew it was impossible.

She wouldn’t give him that chance.

As expected.

The person in front of him disappeared again.

Shen Qinglan closed his eyes, activating all the turrets on his body, and pulled out the Mohe Sword from his lower back.

This was what he had placed inside the mecha when leaving today, just in case.

In the vastness of space, the Mohe Sword emitted a light close to transparency as Shen Qinglan held it with both hands.

With all his strength, he swung the blade three times.

Three intense white lights, carrying a powerful space-distorting force, struck forward.

Hum—

The powerful light waves from the blade swept across the entire outer space. At the same time, Shen Qinglan released Contamination Cruise Missiles.

These were the heavy projectiles he endured from Ji Fu during the joint examination.

Shen Qinglan controlled the mecha, his eyes filled with madness.

Since he drew out the Mohe Sword, he had already decided not to give up on Ji Fu.

He couldn’t afford to lose to Ji Fu again.

If he had to die, he would drag her down with him.

In his extreme madness, Shen Qinglan released all the Contamination Cruise Missiles.

As the missiles exploded, the boundless space seemed to be coated with a layer of grayish color, emitting a strong sense of suffocation.

When the missiles burst open, the Shen family’s super starship under Shen Qinglan’s feet was directly corroded in heavy contamination.

The starship became riddled with holes.

As the contamination spread, all the Shen family members who couldn’t use their mechas lost their lives in an instant.

Shen Qinglan himself became sluggish, his mecha covered in gray contamination.

But he didn’t care about anything else, as long as Ji Fu died.

However, at that moment, he didn’t see what he wanted to see.

Ji Fu’s black mecha stood tall amidst the extreme contamination outbreak.

The contamination couldn’t even touch the mecha.

It was directly isolated by the mecha’s special material.

Ji Fu looked up at him amidst the contamination, her voice cold, “Weren’t you still bidding for the black mecha today?”

“Can’t recognize it anymore?”

Shen Qinglan froze.

He suddenly looked over there.

With this glance, he finally saw the iconic mecha shell and… that extremely familiar mecha engine!

Ji Fu had plunged the entire auction venue into chaos. After the Shen family packed all the important auction items, they did one thing.

That was to invade the entire Shen family’s internal network, retrieve the black mecha engine before the starship started, and return it to her.

After three years, the black mecha returned to her hands.

Speaking of which, she had to thank Shen Qinglan.

From her talent recovery to now, too many things had happened.

Plus, some materials in the production of the black mecha were currently monopolized by noble families.

So she hadn’t had time to restore this former old friend.

Until today.

Everything controlling the black mecha had been destroyed at the time.

But once this engine was in her hands, it took her only three seconds to activate it.

For the remaining parts of the mecha, she used Flame.

In fact, the unmanned mecha Flame itself was an advanced mode of the black mecha.

After finding the heart of this mecha, she directly fused it.

The black mecha was only a star-level mecha. As of now, it still wasn’t as superior as many super-star-level mechas.

But the black mecha could overpower countless super-star-level mechas because this mecha had an incredibly powerful resistance to contamination.

After a long time, many people had forgotten that Ji Fu had originally been exiled to heavily contaminated areas.

She was a child who survived under heavy contamination.

Before the age of sixteen, most of the skies she could see were gray.

“You are, Yun Yun…” Shen Qinglan, under the strong contamination effect, had blood flowing from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

He stared with wide eyes, trying to say his last words.

Just then, he saw the pitch-black mecha in front of him, crossing through the void and the grayness, unaffected by the high-intensity contamination, raising its hand.

The black mecha gripped the Crescent Moon, swiftly approaching amidst the boundless gloom, and with one swift stroke—

It cleaved the sun and moon apart.

Starting from above Shen Qinglan’s head, it pierced straight through.

The mecha in front of him was split cleanly in half.