Under Tendo's lead, the group arrived at a derelict mechanical workshop.
The building was cluttered with discarded mechanical parts and thick with swirling dust; the air was heavy with the pungent, biting scent of rust.
Jing Liuli couldn't help but crinkle her nose. She fished a Star-Fruit candy out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth, using its sweet flavor to combat the harsh odors.
At the same time, she didn't forget to feed a small piece to her Spirit Fox, whispering softly, "Sorry you have to deal with this, Spirit Fox. Once the mission is over, I'll buy you the best dried Star-Fruits and take a beautiful set of photos for you."
Just then, Jing Liuli's dream power suddenly sensed a sharp fluctuation. She stopped in her tracks immediately, her expression shifting slightly.
"A massive wave of mechs is heading this way. There are a lot of them, and I sense a very strong energy signature—it must be one of Tie Jin's lieutenants!"
Caroline halted instantly, pulling up a topographical map of the area ahead as her fingers tapped rapidly across her mechanical terminal. "It's Tie Jin's mechanical guard squad. It seems he anticipated our arrival and set an ambush in advance."
"There's an abandoned control room to the left. Let's duck in there to avoid their line of sight while we figure out a way to break through."
The group moved at once, sprinting toward the control room on the left.
Tendo brought up the rear. His pale-blue Star power transformed into a barrier, blocking the mechanical attacks striking from behind. He directed the others, "Get inside. I'll handle things here."
Once inside the control room, Jing Liuli turned back immediately. Her purple Star power shimmered like a faint glow, wrapping around Tendo's arm.
"Tendo, be careful! My fans are still waiting for me to go live. I don't want to be missing a handsome partner for the camera!"
Hearing this, Tendo replied calmly, "If I couldn't handle something like this, I should have gone offline ten years ago."
With that, the pale-blue Star power around Tendo erupted in full force, transforming into an invisible vector field.
With his worries behind him, Tendo's vector field became like an invisible scythe of the Reaper, beginning a frenzied harvest of the mechanical units before him.
In an instant, the entire workshop was filled with flying metal shards and a shower of sparks.
This was actually a restrained performance on Tendo's part. After all, he didn't want to accidentally destroy the precious "research data" hidden underground. Otherwise, he could have simply used a vector contraction to crush the entire abandoned spaceport into a ball of scrap metal.
On the other side, Caroline quickly shut the control room door, reinforcing it with spare parts while simultaneously tapping into the internal wiring.
"There are residual Star energy lines in the control room. I can use them to jam the signals of the mechs outside and temporarily trap the other units."
"Sister Yun, Little Jin, you two guard the other entrance. If any mechs break through, strike immediately."
"Liuli, use your dream power to sense the distribution of the mechs outside. Find their weak points so we can seize the chance to break through to the ventilation duct entrance."
"Understood!"
Jing Liuli nodded immediately and closed her eyes, immersing herself fully in her dream perception. Purple Star power flowed continuously around her, while the Spirit Fox lay obediently at her side, exhaling a faint glow to help stabilize her dream energy.
A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes. Her purple pupils showed a hint of fatigue, but they also held a sharp clarity. "There are over twenty mechs outside, plus three of Tie Jin's subordinates. They are all mechanical cyborgs with very strong energy signatures. Their weak points are the core devices in their abdomens; destroying the cores will shut them down."
"Also, since their signals are being jammed by the control room lines, their movements have become sluggish. We can take this opportunity to break through."
Just then, a thunderous boom shook the control room door. Under the constant mechanical assault, the door frame began to crack, threatening to give way at any moment.
Little Jin immediately rushed to the door. The flame Star power around him erupted, forming a wall of fire to block the attacks at the entrance, accompanied by a low, rumbling growl.
"Go!"
Caroline stopped her work and shouted to Tendo, who was still guarding the rear. "Tendo, we're leaving this part to you!"
"Liuli and I will take the chance to reach the ventilation duct entrance and crack the weak point of the energy barrier. Once the barrier is breached, I'll immediately hack the factory's control system to sever Tie Jin's command."
Hearing Caroline's words, Tendo's calm voice drifted in from outside the door.
"Just look after yourselves."
Caroline nodded and took Jing Liuli's hand, running toward the back door of the control room. "Liuli, keep up with me and don't get distracted. Once we reach the ventilation duct, use your dream power to scout for traps."
Jing Liuli kept close to Caroline. As she ran, she adjusted her combat suit, muttering under her breath, "Don't worry, Caroline, I definitely won't get distracted."
Her purple eyes were filled with determination, showing no trace of fear. Instead, they gleamed with a touch of excitement, as if she were anticipating the victory of this battle and looking forward to bringing a surprise back to her fans.
The battle outside grew increasingly fierce. The hum of machines, the explosions of Star energy collisions, and Little Jin's low growls intertwined, echoing throughout the abandoned spaceport.
Yun Meng and Little Jin fought side by side, pale-pink vines intertwining with fiery-red flames to constantly repel the encroaching mechs and Tie Jin's men.
Tendo's vector field expanded frantically. Though invisible and formless, it created a sci-fi sensation of "disappearing gravity" across half the workshop. Most of the mechanical units were dismantled and collapsed before they could even get close to him.
Caroline pulled Jing Liuli along as they sped through the derelict corridors toward the ventilation duct entrance on the east side. The passageways were littered with discarded parts and small sensory traps.
Relying on her precise judgment and seasoned skills, Caroline bypassed them one by one. Jing Liuli followed closely behind, using her dream power to sense surrounding anomalies and occasionally warning Caroline.
"Sensory trap ahead! Five steps to the left! And there's a hidden mech!"
Soon, the two reached the ventilation duct entrance. It was shrouded in a faint blue energy barrier—the one deployed by Tie Jin.
The energy fluctuations on the barrier were unstable. In the eastern corner, the fluctuations were at their weakest; this was the weak point Caroline had marked earlier.
Caroline stopped immediately, her fingers flying across her data terminal to pull up the barrier-cracking program. Silver-white Star power slowly flowed into the barrier.
"Liuli, use your dream power to interfere with the barrier's energy fluctuations. Concentrate your strength on the weak point to help me crack it. As fast as possible!"
"On it!"
Jing Liuli immediately wiped the playful look from her face. The purple Star power around her erupted in full force. Her dream power transformed into a thick purple light, intertwining with Caroline's silver-white power to batter the barrier.
She bit her lip, her purple eyes filled with focus. Sweat slid down her cheeks, soaking the stray hairs at her forehead, but she didn't relax for a second. She knew that only by cracking the barrier quickly could she help her comrades, finish the mission, and return home safely to see her fans.
Under their combined assault, cracks began to appear on the energy barrier. Blue light flashed erratically as the fluctuations became increasingly unstable.
Sizzle!
The cracks on the barrier grew larger and larger, on the verge of total breach.
Just then, a cold voice drifted from behind them, laced with deep-seated hatred and madness: "Jing Liuli, Caroline... do you really think you can crack my energy barrier?"
The two spun around. Tie Jin stood at the end of the corridor, his body still marked with scars. A mad fire burned in his eyes, and cold mechanical energy swirled around him. Several mechanical guards stood behind him, their eyes flashing red, ready to strike.
In Tie Jin's hand, he clutched a data fragment that shimmered with a cold light. The energy fluctuations from the fragment were even stronger than what they had sensed before.
"Tie Jin!"
Caroline's gaze sharpened. She moved in front of Jing Liuli, silver-white Star power instantly condensing around her. She said icily, "It seems you value this backup factory quite a lot."
A cold smile tugged at the corner of Tie Jin's mouth, his voice raspy and low. "Value? This isn't just a backup factory; it's the capital I need to crush the Federation and take my revenge!"
"Since you've come today, don't dream of leaving alive. I'm going to make you all part of my mechanical legion!"
Jing Liuli peeked out from behind Caroline, her purple eyes filled with resolve, showing no fear.
"Tie Jin, don't get ahead of yourself!"
"Once we beat you, I'm going to film the highlights of today's fight and post them for my fans so they can see what a loser you are!"
It was a direct blow to his pride.
Hearing Jing Liuli's words, Tie Jin's face darkened. If it were an ordinary person, it would be one thing, but to be treated as a laughingstock by a group of commoners who were no better than ants in his eyes was an intolerable insult.
Although mechanical Star-Envoys rarely had the concept of being "emotional," Tie Jin's "emotional module" seemed much more advanced than those of typical mechs, to the point where Jing Liuli and the others could actually see an expression of rage on his face.
Without another word, Tie Jin raised his hand abruptly.
"Kill them."
Several mechanical guards immediately lunged toward the two, the red light in their eyes flaring as the energy cannons on their arms locked onto them.
Caroline's gaze turned cold. She struck instantly, her silver-white Star power transforming into blades that slashed toward the guards.
"Liuli, keep cracking the barrier! Ignore them, I've got this!"
"Okay!"
Jing Liuli nodded immediately. Ignoring the charging guards, she threw herself entirely into cracking the barrier. Her purple dream power erupted again, striking the weak point with everything she had.
The Spirit Fox also jumped up, shielding Jing Liuli. A faint light shimmered around its body as it growled at the approaching guards, ready to fight at a moment's notice.
Inside the corridor, battle broke out once again. Silver-white Star power collided with mechanical energy blasts, resulting in violent explosions and metal shards filling the air.
Relying on her seasoned combat techniques, Caroline wove through the mechanical guards. Every time she unleashed her Star power, she struck the mechanical cores. The Spirit Fox nimbly evaded attacks, occasionally spitting out a glimmer of light to interfere with the machines and protect Jing Liuli.
As the purple Star power around Jing Liuli grew denser, her dream power continued to batter the energy barrier, causing the cracks to spread.
Boom!
The energy barrier shattered completely, turning into countless blue sparks that dissipated into the air.
The ventilation duct entrance was now completely exposed. From inside the duct came the low thrum of machinery—the direction of Tie Jin's backup factory.
"It's open!" Jing Liuli couldn't help but cheer, her eyes bright with excitement.
Caroline finished off the last mechanical guard nearby and walked to Jing Liuli's side.
"Don't celebrate too early. Tie Jin is still here, and there will be more mechs and traps inside. We have to enter the factory immediately, hack the control system, and contact Tendo and Sister Yun to have them regroup with us as soon as possible."
Tie Jin watched the shattered energy barrier, his mechanical eyes flickering for a moment. Then, his silhouette blurred as he transformed into an afterimage, lunging toward Jing Liuli.
Among the group, Jing Liuli was clearly the easiest target.
"Watch out!"
Caroline immediately stepped in front of Jing Liuli, her silver-white Star power forming a shield to block Tie Jin's strike.
"Liuli, get inside the factory and hack the control system! I'll hold him off, go!"
Jing Liuli looked at Caroline shielding her, then at the charging Tie Jin. Her purple eyes were filled with worry, but she knew this was no time for hesitation. She nodded firmly and patted the Spirit Fox's head.
"Spirit Fox, stay here and help Caroline. Protect her! I'm going in to hack the system; I'll be back to help soon!"
The Spirit Fox gave her a light nod and let out a low growl, instantly charging at Tie Jin as its shimmering aura turned into a blade to interfere with his movements.
Jing Liuli hesitated no longer. As she ran toward the interior of the factory, she pulled out her portable terminal to contact Tendo and Yun Meng, her voice urgent.
"Tendo, Sister Yun! Caroline and I have breached the energy barrier. I'm entering the factory to hack the control system. Caroline and the Spirit Fox are outside holding off Tie Jin. Regroup with us as soon as you can!"
Outside the duct, the battle between Caroline and Tie Jin grew more intense. Silver-white Star power and cold mechanical energy clashed repeatedly, resulting in violent explosions. Caroline's arm was grazed by Tie Jin's energy, drawing a thin trail of blood, but she didn't falter.
The Spirit Fox nimbly dodged Tie Jin's attacks, occasionally spitting out a glimmer of light that struck Tie Jin's existing wounds, making him let out a piercing screech.
If Tie Jin didn't have the same "concerns" as Tendo—worrying that a full-force Calamity-level strike would cause massive damage to the factory—Caroline and the Spirit Fox wouldn't have been able to stall a Calamity-level powerhouse on their own.
In the distance, Tendo and Yun Meng were rushing toward them, breaking through the mechanical encirclement and speeding toward the ventilation duct entrance.
Pale-blue, pale-pink, and fiery-red Star power intertwined into a dazzling light in the desolate, abandoned spaceport, advancing at the speed of light toward Tie Jin and the danger hidden beneath the earth.
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