All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

On the cosmic continent, smoke filled the air. The dark earth was stained with the blood of the Zerg and the remains of soldiers. The air was filled with a pungent stench and the burnt smell of burning energy.

Ye Fan controlled the Red Mane Steed Zero, moving steadily forward. Its metal feet clattered heavily on the broken rocks, each step taken with extreme caution.

The soldiers around him spread out in a fan shape, each on guard of their surroundings. The silver-gray light of the Red Mane Fiery Steed armor was particularly conspicuous in the dim environment, but it also constantly revealed their positions.

After the feeling of panic subsided, Ye Fan and Yao Guang became even more vigilant—the calmer the place, the more hidden dangers lurked within, especially as they ventured deeper into the heart of the cosmic continent. The insects around them were no longer the lowly creatures that blindly charged forward.

"Major, have you noticed that these insects seem to have become smarter?"

A soldier lowered his voice and reported to Ye Fan through the communicator, a hint of barely perceptible fear in his tone, "Just now, when I was clearing out a swarm of insects, a few small insects deliberately led me off course, and there was a beetle hiding behind them ambushing me!"

Ye Fan's eyes narrowed, and he slowly nodded, lightly tapping the control panel of the power armor with his fingertip, replying in a deep voice, "I noticed."

His gaze swept around, and from the dark crevices of the rocks, he could vaguely see pairs of eyes gleaming with an eerie green light. The insects no longer charged in swarms, but dispersed, using the terrain for cover and cooperating with each other, as if they had a unified command.

The black beetles that were killed before, though powerful, relied only on their hard shells and ferocious strength. But the insects they encountered now were not only stronger, but also knew how to ambush, lure, and surround them. Their intelligence had clearly improved by more than one level.

"Yaoguang, notify everyone to shrink the formation and not to act alone. When collecting crystals, two people must keep watch on each other. If any abnormality is detected, send a signal immediately." Ye Fan spoke into the communicator, his tone serious and unwavering.

Inside the command vessel, Yao Guang stared intently at the holographic screen. On the screen, countless green dots flickered erratically; these were the insects hidden all around. Their distribution was extremely regular, as if they were observing them from the shadows, waiting for the best moment to strike.

"I've already given the order." Yao Guang's voice came through, tinged with a hint of seriousness. "Ye Fan, something's not right. The distribution of these insects is too orderly. It doesn't seem like they gathered by chance. It's more like someone is controlling them. Also, on the holographic screen, there's an extremely strong energy reaction, which is very well hidden, about three miles to our left front."

An extremely strong energy reaction?

Ye Fan's heart sank, and his aura instantly became sharp. He slowly turned his head and looked towards the dark valley on his left. There, jagged rocks and dense shadows obscured the view inside, but he could vaguely feel a hidden sense of oppression, like a lurking beast that might pounce at any moment.

"Everyone, halt! Focus your attention on the valley to the left front. Yao Guang, scan that energy reaction with all your might to confirm the target's identity!" Ye Fan ordered sharply, his hand already gathering golden-red energy. The Zero-type power armor's weapon system instantly went into battle ready state.

The soldiers immediately stopped, tightened their formation, and aimed their energy weapons at the valley to their left. They were tense and dared not even breathe loudly—after the previous battle, they already knew that every insect deep in the cosmic continent was extremely powerful, and the slightest carelessness could lead to their death.

Yao Guang quickly operated the holographic panel, his brows furrowed, his tone tinged with doubt and vigilance: "Strange, that energy reaction is very strange, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, as if it is deliberately hiding itself. We can't scan its specific shape, but we can confirm that its energy intensity far exceeds any insect we have encountered before."

"Be careful, it might be testing us," Ye Fan warned in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on the entrance to the valley. He could feel the subtle sense of oppression gradually increasing and getting closer, as if a terrifying being would rush out of the valley at any moment.

Time slipped away, each second feeling like torture.

The surroundings were deathly silent, with only the heavy breathing of the soldiers, the buzzing of the power armor, and the faint hissing of the insectoids in the distance. Yet not a single insect dared to approach easily, as if they were all afraid of the figure in the valley.

"Major, should we take the initiative and probe first?" a squad commander asked into the communicator, his palms already sweating.

Ye Fan shook his head, his tone firm: "No, we don't know the enemy's strength. If we take the initiative to attack, we will only be put on the defensive. Right now, our primary task is to collect enough Zerg crystals and retreat as soon as possible. We should not start a war unless absolutely necessary."

He knew very well that there had already been casualties, and if they were to rashly engage in battle with the unknown and powerful insects, it would only cause greater losses, and they might not even have a chance to evacuate.

"Alright, leave half the men on guard, and the other half quickly collect the surrounding Zerg crystals. Be quick, and if you spot anything unusual, retreat immediately and rejoin the guards to fight back with all your might." Ye Fan quickly made the arrangements, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"receive!"

The soldiers responded immediately, splitting into two groups. One group, armed with energy weapons, kept a close watch on the valley to their left, their expressions alert, ready to respond to any unexpected situations. The other group moved quickly, bending down to collect the insectoid crystals on the ground, their movements swift and cautious, not daring to delay in the slightest.

Ye Fan controlled the Zero-type power armor and slowly moved to the front of the group, his eyes still fixed on the direction of the valley, his energy ready to explode at any moment—he had a strong premonition that the figure hidden in the valley would make a move soon.

Yao Guang continued scanning the energy reaction with all her might, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper, her tone urgent: "Ye Fan, this is bad! That energy reaction is moving rapidly, heading towards us. It's very fast, less than two miles away!"

"Everyone, immediately stop collecting crystals, return to formation, and be on high alert!" Ye Fan ordered sternly, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity. The engine of the Zero-type power armor roared instantly, and golden-red light spilled out from the gaps in the power armor, exuding a powerful aura.

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers who were collecting crystals immediately stopped what they were doing and quickly converged on the soldiers on guard. The formation tightened again, and everyone's energy weapons were aimed at the direction of the valley. Their palms were sweating, their hearts were racing, and the oppressive feeling in the air had reached its peak.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Just as everyone was on high alert and ready for battle, a sharp, piercing buzzing sound suddenly came from the direction of the valley!

"Buzz—"

The buzzing sound was extremely sharp, like a blade piercing everyone's eardrums. Many soldiers couldn't help but cover their ears, their faces pale and their bodies staggering. Even the power armor's communication system was interfered with, emitting a "buzzing" noise.

"not good!"

Ye Fan was shocked and instinctively wanted to warn everyone to be careful, but before he could finish speaking, a blinding green light suddenly flashed from the shadows of the valley!

The green light moved at an extreme speed, like teleportation, giving no one a chance to react, leaving only a blur as it swiftly traversed the air.

"Pfft—Pfft—Pfft—"

A series of crisp tearing sounds rang out instantly, as smooth as cutting tofu, without any obstruction.

Ye Fan's pupils shrank sharply, his gaze fixed on the spot where the green light had flashed. His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and a chill instantly spread from the soles of his feet to his entire body.

On the left side of the formation, a dozen soldiers clad in the Red-Maned Steed armor remained in a defensive posture, but their bodies had been severed at the waist, their armor easily torn apart, and blood and internal organs gushed out instantly, staining the ground red.

The wary look remained on their faces, their eyes wide open. Clearly, they hadn't realized how they died, or even seen what had attacked them.

In a single second, more than a dozen elite soldiers perished instantly, without even a chance to utter a scream!

"Xiao Zhang! Xiao Li!"

A soldier stared at the remains of his comrade, his eyes wide with rage, and roared in fury, his voice filled with endless grief and fear. But he dared not move forward easily, and could only grip the energy weapon in his hand tightly, his whole body trembling.

The entire team was instantly plunged into extreme panic. The soldiers were pale, their eyes filled with fear, looking towards the valley as if they were seeing the Grim Reaper—the speed of that green light was simply too fast, too fast, so fast that they could not catch it at all, so fast that they could not resist it at all.

Sitting inside the command boat, Yao Guang stared at the dozen or so points of light that vanished instantly on the holographic screen. Her face turned deathly pale, and her voice trembled slightly: "Ye Fan, it...it was too fast! The holographic screen couldn't even capture its trajectory; it could only see a green afterimage!"

Ye Fan's eyes were icy cold, bloodshot, and his aura was violent and fierce. Golden-red energy surged wildly, and the engine of the Zero-type power armor roared more and more violently, like a volcano about to erupt.

He stared intently at the direction where the green light had disappeared, and quickly pressed a red button using his neural control system—the injection button for the V3 modified drug.

"laugh--"

A faint sound came from inside the power armor helmet. A syringe filled with a dark red potion instantly pierced Ye Fan's neck. The V3 modified potion, like molten lava, surged into his body in an instant.

Intense pain instantly swept over Ye Fan's entire body, as if countless steel needles were frantically piercing his meridians, as if his body was about to be completely torn apart by the power of the drug. He couldn't help but groan, veins bulging on his forehead, and his whole body trembled violently.

V3 Enhancement Potion is a powerful booster potion that comes with the Red Mane Steed Power Armor. It can significantly enhance the user's strength, speed, and reaction time in a short period of time, and can even temporarily break through their own limits. However, the side effects are also extremely severe. After injection, the user will suffer extreme pain, and after the effects wear off, they will fall into a state of severe weakness.

But now, Ye Fan has no choice.

That insect was incredibly fast. If they hadn't been injected with the drug to improve their speed and reaction time, they would all have been instantly killed like those dozen or so soldiers, without even a chance to fight back.

"ah--"

Ye Fan let out a low roar, forcefully suppressing the excruciating pain within his body, "Red Mane Steed, Fully Unleashed!"

"Warning! Warning! Power armor full unlock command detected!"

The power armor's intelligent alert sounded coldly, carrying a hint of warning.

"confirm!"

Ye Fan's voice was hoarse but firm, without the slightest hesitation.

"Boom—"

With a deafening roar, the Zero Power Armor's engine instantly erupted, and golden-red light, like a blazing sun, overflowed from the entire power armor, illuminating the surrounding dark environment and exuding an aura of extreme power.