From the side, Lan Qing's face was as cold as ever. He didn't seem the least bit excited that the Eastern Alliance hadn't suffered any losses. In fact, his brows were furrowed.
"What is it?
We didn't lose anything, did we? "Lan Jue asked.
Lan Qing nodded. "But that doesn't mean I'm doing the right thing.
I didn't realize the enemy was trying to destroy the planet, and that's a failure.
If it weren't for dad and Jun 'er, we would've suffered just as much. We would've lost all of Star Division.
You know what that means. "
Lan Jue's heart skipped a beat. Lan Qing was right. If they hadn't been able to avoid the explosion, Star Division would've been wiped out!
Lan Jue broke out in a cold sweat. If Star Division had been wiped out, it would've been a huge blow to humanity.
It was clear from the recent landings that the humans had done great damage to the aliens. The Paragons had been the most adept at dealing with them.
If all of them had perished in the explosion, the core of humanity's defense would be gone.
The backbone of humanity's defense against the aliens would be gone, and the East would lose its core strength.
Even if they could defeat the aliens in the future, the Eastern Alliance wouldn't be able to rise again. There would be nothing left to threaten the Northern Alliance and Western Alliance.
Lan Jue's face grew solemn as he considered the possibilities. He nodded his head.
Lan Qing nodded. "I'll learn from this experience as soon as possible. We can't afford to make the same mistake again.
In the meantime, it's important that we find out where the alien planets are.
The war has only just begun. "
Lan Jue nodded in agreement. Yes, the war had only just begun.
No one had the upper hand in this first round.
"Then we should contact all human-controlled planets and see if there's any sign of the alien planets.
If they've flown away, that's one thing, but if they've teleported, then we're in trouble. "Lan Jue's brows furrowed.
Lan Qing shook his head. "No, I think the opposite.
I think it's a good thing that they've teleported away.
I trust the Pharmacist's information.
The energy required for a planet to jump through space would definitely be enormous. His father had also said that at his level and above, he would be suppressed by the laws of the universe.
Teleporting takes a lot of energy. Combined with the pressure of universal protogenia, it must be a great burden for the planets.
In this battle, it is undoubtedly the best way for them to leave through space as it is the least likely for us to discover them.
However, two consecutive space jumps must have consumed a lot of their energy. At least this time, it's unlikely that they will be able to jump again in a short period of time. "
Lan Jue's eyes lit up. "So you're saying that if we see them again, we should continue?"
Lan Qing nodded without hesitation. "That's right.
I'm more worried about the Northern Alliance and the Western Alliance.
I'm afraid this explosion will cause a lot of psychological changes. That's the biggest problem that it might bring. "
Lan Jue's face tightened. She understood what Lan Qing was getting at.
If such a change in mentality occurred, it would be a disaster for the entire human race.
None of the Alliances had the power to face the aliens on their own. Only by working together would they have a chance.
If the Northern Alliance and the Western Alliance gave up fighting, then the alliance between the three Major Leagues would be over. That meant no one could face the aliens.
"We can't let that happen." Lan Jue said resolutely.
Lan Qing nodded. "I hope they can pull through.
The Western Alliance didn't retreat in time. They must've lost the most.
I'll confirm when we get in touch. "
Lan Jue's brows furrowed. "If it's just the Western Alliance, that's fine. But the Northern Alliance can't afford to have any problems.
Should I go see Admiral Kang? "
Lan Qing shook his head. "Not now.
Admiral Kang may be the commander, but he can't be the leader of the Northern Alliance.
All four planets belong to the Northern Alliance. Their destruction will be a huge blow to the Northern Alliance. "
The only thing they could do now was to wait and see what would happen next.
It took a full hour for the three Major Leagues to contact each other.
When the Northern Alliance and Western Alliance's losses were reported, even though Lan Qing and Lan Jue had expected it, they couldn't help but be surprised.
On the Northern Alliance's side, most of their ships had retreated in time, but some had been left behind.
A total of three commander-class warships, five battleships, and more than twenty battleships had fallen.
Less than a third of their forces had returned. Fortunately, the Terminator and Chu Cheng had all returned.
The North's losses were heavy, but relatively speaking, it was still within acceptable limits. They hadn't yet reached their core.
The Western Alliance, on the other hand, was in a much worse state.
Two of the Western Alliance's bastions hadn't followed Admiral Kang's advice to welcome their own troops, resulting in heavy losses for their fleets.
They had a good reason not to welcome the enemy.
Neither of the Western Alliance's bastions were known for their defensive capabilities, but they were the pillars of the Western Alliance. They couldn't afford to lose them.
That was why the Western Alliance's commanders had decided to maintain a safe distance.
Because of that, only a small number of the West's ships were able to avoid the explosion. They weren't caught up in it.
Their fleets, however, had suffered heavy losses. More than half of their ships had been destroyed, and their landing forces had been wiped out.
Only a small number had managed to escape.
That included the Demon King, Satan, and a few of the Dark Citadel's people who had escaped under his strict orders.
There were also some who were especially greedy and stayed on that planet forever.
The Pontiff's Citadel had suffered even more.
The Pontiff's Citadel had been greedy for the vital crystals, and had only begun to flee when they realized something was wrong.
But in the end, only a few managed to escape.
Metatron and a few other Archangels, including the Pontiff, had managed to escape thanks to their ability to fly.
The Pontiff had been heavily injured in order to protect them.
He had lost the ability to fight.
At his age, it was unlikely he'd be able to recover in a short time.
The battle was over, for the time being. The area where the four planets had once stood was now empty. Only a few meteorites remained, drifting through space.
There was no sign of the alien home worlds.
Lan Qing's first reaction was to get in touch with Admiral Kang Hui.
He made his point clear.
"I'm sorry, Admiral Lan Qing. I've received orders to return to Luo as soon as possible.
We cannot afford to lose Luo. "The Admiral was silent for a long time.
Yes, the Northern Alliance was afraid. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say they were afraid.
Four planets had been lost.
But what about Luo?
Luo was the heart of the Northern Alliance. It was the center of a dozen planets that were governed by it.
If they fell, the Northern Alliance would be finished.
"Admiral Kang Hui, could you please send word to all the planets to keep an eye out for space? If you find any alien planets, let us know immediately." Lan Qing's voice was low.
The Admiral sighed. "I've already given the order.
I'm sure the Western Alliance will do the same.
But the area we have to defend is too vast, and the alien planets are isolated. What they can do, we can't.
What if they teleport the next time they show up?
We're already on the defensive. "
Lan Jue's voice was low. "But if all three Major Alliances are on the defensive, will they be able to stop the aliens?
If they show up in the Northern Alliance, what will happen to the Northern Alliance? "
Kang Hui was silent for a moment, and then he said, "I know that all of you are right, but I can't make the decision on this matter.
The Northern Alliance is in a state of chaos. Once the news of the explosion gets back, it'll only get worse.
Many of the great families have already fled the Northern Alliance, using their own ships to explore outer space.
They'll continue to take away the Northern Alliance's resources. Once that happens, I'm afraid … "
Lan Qing's eyes narrowed. "So we don't have much time.
Admiral, as a soldier, our most important duty is to protect our home.
If we can't do that, then we're not qualified.
If you agree with me, I hope you'll support my proposal. "
Kang Hui nodded. "Your analysis is logical, and the chances are high. I'll support you. Don't worry, I'll be a strong advocate for the North. But I'm only one person, and I need more support than I can muster.
If you can convince the Terminator, you'll have a better result.
After all, the Terminator has great influence over the Northern Alliance.
With his support, it'll be easier to convince the Northern Alliance. "
Lan Qing nodded. The Admiral's words were a sign of sincerity.
Given his status, he couldn't say anything more.
The Western Alliance didn't even bother to greet them. Two Bastions were already making their way to Western Alliance airspace. Their losses had left the Western Alliance in a state of panic.
The situation was worse than they'd imagined. Not only had they failed to accomplish their mission in one fell swoop, but they'd only made things worse.
The destruction of four planets, the destruction of all the civilians on them, affected not only the Northern Alliance, but the Eastern Alliance as well.