All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

The giant energy beam collided violently with the defensive barrier of the Keloa race. The deafening roar that shook the universe gradually dissipated, and the dazzling light slowly faded, leaving behind only a ravaged star field, devastated and scarred.

The terrifying heat lingering from the pillar of light spread wildly throughout this star field, causing the temperature of the surrounding space to soar rapidly. Even the void was distorted and rippled. The floating nebula dust was either completely melted or swept away by the energy shockwave, leaving only a deathly, scorching area.

Those remaining warships of the Shellloa race that had narrowly escaped the impact of the beam of light were now like frightened birds, not daring to make the slightest move—the earth-shattering attack had completely shattered their fighting spirit, and no one dared to easily provoke the dignity of the Human Alliance fleet.

Just then, in the command center of the Titan-class aircraft carrier where Su Lan was located and the Sun Whale-class aircraft carrier where Yao Guang was located, the communicators lit up simultaneously, and a communication request from the Shellloa race popped up.

Yao Guang glanced at the communication request on the screen, a playful yet cold smile playing on his lips. He tapped the control panel with his fingertips, his tone full of disdain and obsession: "Connect! I want to see what nonsense these heretics have to spout."

He paused, his eyes turning sinister, and added, "If they were willing to sacrifice their entire race and become experimental materials for the Human Alliance Research Institute, I might be able to ask the Marshal to keep a few in captivity for live research."

Upon hearing this, the adjutant beside him remained unmoved—having followed Yao Guang for many years, he was already accustomed to the commander's indifference and obsession with aliens. The Fifth Legion was responsible for alien research, and capturing live samples was one of their core missions.

Inside Su Lan's command center, she looked at the communication request with a calm and indifferent expression, and said indifferently, "Connect."

As the two issued their commands simultaneously, the communication screen lit up instantly, and a disheveled figure appeared on the screen—it was the leader of the Keloa race, who had once been cunning and arrogant at the Star River Federation signing meeting, but was now a completely different person.

Its entire body was covered in cracks in its yellowish-brown hard armor, and green blood dripped down the cracks. Its compound eyes, which had been flashing with ferocity, were now filled with intense fear and panic. Its body trembled slightly, and it even spoke with obvious stuttering. Clearly, the super cannon fire just now had completely shattered its dignity and confidence.

It didn't even dare to think about whether the Human Alliance fleet could launch such a deadly bombardment a second time—just once, it almost shattered their ultimate defensive barrier. If it happened a few more times, the entire Keloa race would be completely wiped out in the universe.

"Your Excellency, Commander of the Human Alliance Fleet, I am the leader of the Keloa race." The Keloa leader forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart, trying his best to adopt a respectful posture, his tone extremely humble, "Although we have not yet signed a peace treaty with your side, we wish to negotiate with the leader of the Human Alliance with the utmost sincerity."

It took a deep breath and quickly offered its bargaining chips in an attempt to buy its way out: "We earnestly request that the Human Alliance fleet withdraw from the Shelllo Star Region. We are willing to offer any gift that can satisfy the Human Alliance, whether it be resources, technology, or planetary territory. As long as you are willing to cease hostilities, we will offer it all with open arms!"

It spoke these words with great urgency, its eyes filled with pleading—its retreat at this moment was merely a temporary measure, testing the bottom line of the Human Alliance while secretly awaiting reinforcements. As long as the support from the Star River Federation arrived, or other subhuman races came, they might not be without the possibility of retaliating.

As Yao Guang stared at the groveling leader of the Keloyan race on the screen, the smile vanished instantly, replaced by a darker, more sinister look. Her voice was icy and chilling, revealing her undisguised killing intent: "Even if we kill you, everything will still be ours. Why would we need you to offer your treasures?"

In his view, negotiating with an alien species was a disgrace in itself. Moreover, the Keloyan race had human blood on their hands. Only by completely annihilating them could the anger be quelled and enough experimental samples be provided for the research institute.

Su Lan slowly shook her head, her eyes sharp as knives, her tone firm and cold, every word carrying an undeniable authority: "You are not qualified to communicate with the Marshal of the Human Alliance."

"In the early stages of the Great Human Expedition, your kind of alien species should have been exterminated, instead of wantonly harming our human warriors and committing heinous crimes before trying to negotiate with us."

Her gaze swept across the screen, her tone dripping with sarcasm: "If negotiations were effective, wouldn't our fleet, our soldiers, and those fallen comrades become a joke? Our fleet has never been for negotiation; it's for ending wars and reaping the spoils of evil!"

These words, like a sharp blade, pierced the vital point of the leader of the Keloya race. Its body trembled even more violently, and the fear in its eyes deepened—it finally realized that its test had completely failed.

The fact that the Human Alliance dared to refuse so forcefully, without even giving any room for negotiation, is enough to prove that the Human Alliance fleet could definitely still launch such deadly bombardments, and that their race's ultimate defensive barrier was already badly damaged and could not withstand more than a few such impacts.

Fear overwhelmed its heart like a tidal wave. It no longer had any hope, only utter despair and surrender remained—it knew that if the stalemate continued, the only thing waiting for the Keloya race would be complete annihilation.

Just then, inside Su Lan's command center, a communications soldier suddenly rushed forward, his tone respectful yet urgent: "Reporting, Commander! The Marshal has requested emergency access!"

Upon hearing this, Su Lan's expression turned serious, and she immediately composed herself, her tone becoming respectful: "Connect me immediately!"

The communication screen switched instantly, and a majestic figure appeared on the screen. He was wearing the highest-ranking marshal's uniform of the People's Federation, with a calm face and deep eyes. He exuded a powerful aura of someone who had been through many battles. Just sitting still, he had a strong sense of intimidation.

"Su Lan." The marshal's voice was steady and powerful, transmitted through the communicator throughout the command center, "I have already received the peace request from the Keloya race."

Su Lan nodded slightly and replied respectfully, "Yes, Marshal. I believe these alien species have no sincerity and are only trying to buy time and wait for reinforcements. There is no need to negotiate with them. We can simply launch a general offensive to completely annihilate them."

The marshal slowly shook his head, his eyes deep, his tone carrying a long-term perspective: "On the battlefield, victory or defeat is certainly important, but what we need is not a temporary victory, but to completely eliminate the threat of the Keloyan race and reduce the sacrifices of the Human Alliance warriors."

He paused, then issued a clear order: "Accept their peace proposal, send people to their core star system, and make sure to obtain the secrets of their defensive barrier, as well as all their core technologies and resources."

"War is never just about fighting on the battlefield. Intelligence and technology are the key to determining the final outcome." The marshal's tone was firm. "If we obtain their defense secrets, we can crack similar alien defenses and take the initiative when facing other demi-human races and the Star River Federation in the future, thus preventing more soldiers from sacrificing their lives."

Upon hearing this, Su Lan instantly understood the marshal's deeper meaning, and her doubts completely vanished. She immediately straightened her posture and respectfully saluted, "Yes! Marshal, I understand! I will definitely complete the mission perfectly and there will be no accidents!"

"Hmm." The marshal nodded slightly, his eyes filled with expectation. "Be extremely cautious. Send elite troops there, make thorough preparations, and prevent the aliens from playing any tricks. If any unusual activity occurs, launch a general offensive immediately and annihilate them completely."

"Your subordinate will heed the Marshal's instructions!"

The communication screen slowly cut off. Su Lan took a deep breath, suppressed her thoughts, and immediately reconnected with Yao Guang—she needed to discuss with Yao Guang to finalize the personnel and plans for going to the core star field of Keloya, and at the same time deploy subsequent defense plans.

"Yao Guang, you should have received the Marshal's orders." Su Lan's tone returned to its previous calmness, and she went straight to the point, "We accept the Shelloa race's peace proposal, but the core is to obtain their defense secrets and all their core resources."

Upon hearing this, Yao Guang looked somewhat surprised, but then understood and a playful smile appeared on his lips: "Marshal, you're planning to play the long game. Good, it'll be a good opportunity to capture more live samples of the Keloya race and obtain their defense technology. It's a win-win situation."

"Don't just focus on your experiment," Su Lan said seriously, reminding him, "Be sure to take precautions. The Keloya race is treacherous and cunning; they might try something. If anything unexpected happens, launch an attack immediately."

The two quickly finished their discussion and finalized a detailed plan: Su Lan would send a special forces team, accompanied by a swarm of drones, to the core star system of Shelloa to receive their core secrets and resources. Meanwhile, the main fleet of the Human Alliance would remain on standby, ready to launch a general offensive at any time.

After the discussion, Su Lan reconnected with the Keloa race. On the screen, the Keloa leader still looked terrified and humble, not daring to raise his head, for fear of angering the commander of the Human Alliance.

Su Lan looked at it coldly and directly presented the Human Alliance's conditions without making any concessions: "We accept your peace proposal, but you must completely open all core areas and hand over all secrets, whatever they may be, including your ancestral homeland, all the secret realms in the nebula, and the core technology and energy source of the defensive barrier."

She paused, her eyes sharp, and issued a warning: "If you dare to conceal anything or play any tricks, we will launch a full-scale attack immediately. At that time, you will have no chance to beg for mercy and will be completely annihilated in the universe."

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Keloya race turned deathly pale, his body trembled even more violently, and his eyes were filled with shock and struggle—the thing he feared most had still happened.

It knew, of course, that the Human Alliance's goal was never resources or territory, but their core secrets, especially the defensive barrier that could withstand super artillery fire. That was the foundation upon which the Keloa race depended for survival. If it handed it over, they would completely lose the means to resist and become like lambs to the slaughter, at the mercy of others.

But it had no choice—if it didn't agree, the Human Alliance would immediately launch a full-scale attack, and it wouldn't be able to withstand a second super bombardment; the entire race would be wiped out. If it agreed and handed over all its core secrets, it would also lose its ability to resist, and the final outcome might still be annihilation.

The Keloa human assistant standing to the side also looked extremely grim. Not daring to delay, it quietly took a few steps back while Su Lan was speaking, quickly operated the terminal in its hand, urgently contacted other demi-human tribes, and at the same time desperately sent signals, requesting the Star River Federation to send reinforcements as soon as possible.

It knew that the Keloya race alone could not contend with humans. Only when reinforcements arrived would it have a chance to reverse the situation. Even if it could not fight back, it could still gain more bargaining chips and preserve the core secrets of its race.

Su Lan and Yao Guang saw everything clearly through the communication screen, but they showed no intention of stopping it. Instead, they remained calm and unhurried.

Yao Guang's lips curled into a mocking smile, his tone disdainful: "It's just a desperate struggle. Even if they contact other demi-human races, even if reinforcements from the Star River Federation arrive, they may not be a match for us. Besides, we won't give them that chance."

Su Lan nodded slightly, her eyes calm: "It's good to let them make contact. It'll be a good opportunity to wipe them all out in one fell swoop and completely eliminate all alien forces in the Shell Luo Star Region, so as to avoid leaving any hidden dangers in the future."

They weren't in a hurry for two reasons. First, they had enough confidence—although the "Star Spear" class super battleship needed to build up its power, it was enough to intimidate the Keloa race. The Human Alliance's main fleet was also ready to go, and other legions were on their way, ready to launch a general offensive at any time. Second, they knew that other sub-human races were far away, and the Star River Federation's reinforcements would also take time. Moreover, the Star River Federation was a disorganized mess, and the Keloa race simply couldn't afford to wait.

Moreover, the special forces team sent to receive the secret had already made full preparations. Once an anomaly was detected, they would immediately send a signal, and the main fleet would arrive in time to completely annihilate the Keloya race.

On the communication screen, the leader of the Keloya race was still struggling. Looking at Su Lan and Yao Guang's cold eyes, he knew he had no way out. He could only forcefully suppress the unwillingness and despair in his heart, and slowly nodded, his tone humble: "I...I promise you, we will hand over all the secrets and open all the core areas. I beg you to keep your promise and not harm our people."

"Whether or not we harm your people depends on your attitude." Su Lan's tone was indifferent, without the slightest pity. "Prepare yourselves quickly. Our team will arrive in your core star system in two hours. If we discover anything unusual, you will bear the consequences." (All times are calculated in cosmic time)

"Yes, yes! We will prepare as soon as possible!" The leader of the Keloya race responded hurriedly, not daring to utter the slightest rebuttal.

With communications cut off, the leader of the Keloa race collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with despair. His assistant rushed forward and whispered a report: "Leader, we have contacted several other sub-races. They said they will send reinforcements as soon as possible, but it will take at least three hours for them to arrive; the reinforcements from the Star River Federation will take at least four hours."

"Three hours... four hours..." the leader of the Keloya muttered to himself, his eyes dim. "It's too late. The Human Alliance's squad will be here in two hours. We have no time to prepare a counterattack, let alone wait for reinforcements."

It took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in its eyes: "First, feign compliance, hand over some insignificant secrets to buy time. Once reinforcements arrive, we'll launch a counterattack. Even if we can't win, we'll take the Human Alliance squad down with us!"

"Yes, Leader!"

Meanwhile, in Su Lan's command center, she looked at the screen and gave orders to her adjutant: "Immediately pass down the order to move the damaged warships at the front to the temporary repair area as soon as possible. Mobilize the entire engineering department to speed up the repair process and ensure that all warships are restored to combat readiness in the shortest possible time."

"In addition, notify the ground forces to reinforce the defense perimeter, wipe out the remaining Keloa race, and be prepared to support the space battlefield at any time. If negotiations break down, launch a general offensive immediately to completely annihilate the Keloa race."

"Yes, Commander!" the adjutant responded immediately and quickly relayed the order.

"Tell the squad members to remain vigilant throughout the process, not to trust anything the Keloa people say, to prioritize acquiring the core technology of the defensive barrier, and to open fire immediately upon detecting any unusual activity, while simultaneously sending a signal to await support from the main fleet."

"Yes, Commander!"

In the starry sky, the Human Alliance's repair ships swiftly shuttled between the damaged warships. The soldiers of the engineering department worked tirelessly, quickly repairing the damaged parts of the warships, replacing damaged lines and weapons, and welding armor, all in a busy but orderly manner.

The "Star Spear-class" super battleship remained suspended in the safe zone, its energy reactor slowly operating, ready to recharge at any moment. It exuded a terrifying deterrent force, like a sword hanging over the heads of the Keloyan race. If they dared to play any tricks, it would fall immediately and annihilate them completely.

Within the core star system of Keloya, the Keloya soldiers were busy, pretending to organize core secrets while secretly deploying defenses, hiding weapons, and waiting for reinforcements to arrive. A fierce battle with undercurrents was quietly beginning.

On the ground battlefield, Ye Fan was out of danger. Medics were changing the bandages on his wounds. He was fully conscious and looked at the orderly human fleet in the sky through the window of the maintenance bay with a determined look in his eyes.

Time ticked by, and the moment when the Human Alliance special forces team would arrive at the core star system of the Shelloa was drawing ever closer. The tension in the air grew ever stronger. Both the Human Alliance fleet and the Shelloa race awaited that moment, awaiting the judgment of fate.