The ten fleets slowly moved forward, spreading out on either flank. Their main cannons began to charge.
They were ready to attack.
The four bastions lit up one after the other, firing off a variety of weapons in preparation for the final battle.
Just then, the alien army that had fought so many battles against humanity finally appeared.
They flew out from the flanks of Europa and headed straight for the human army.
However, both in terms of numbers and momentum, they couldn't compare to before.
"Open fire!"
Kang Hui gave the order to attack. The four bastions and ten fleets opened fire. Beams of light pierced through space and rained down on the alien horde.
The alien army's formation was relatively scattered. They relied on their speed to evade the enemy's attacks, but the barrage was too dense. It was impossible to evade, and the aliens began to suffer casualties.
Compared to before, their strategy and tactics seemed to be a lot looser.
Kang Hui activated his Discipline in the main control room, observing the data and the feedback from his scouts. He didn't relax just because the aliens looked like they were about to collapse. Instead, his expression grew more and more serious.
Judging by the way the alien armies were fighting, they didn't have good leadership. This meant the planets were nearing the end of their evolution. The high-level aliens didn't need to command them, they just needed to wait for the planets to finish their evolution.
Should they just charge forward and attack Europa?
The alien army looked disorganized, but their numbers were there. If they tried to force their way through, the human army would suffer heavy losses. Who knew if this was a trap?
Kang Hui's style of fighting had always been calm. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have survived the first battle.
He didn't give the order to charge forward. Instead, he ordered his forces to focus on the aliens in front of them. At the same time, he ordered the bastions to hold back their main cannons. Humanity's most powerful weapons should be saved for the home worlds.
After the initial chaos, the alien army began to settle into formation. The stronger ones took the lead, the faster ones close behind. Once they were within a certain distance, the faster ones charged toward the human army. They tried to break the enemy's formation at close range.
Although the overall strength of the human army was somewhat lacking compared to when they first arrived, especially without Lan Qing's command, Kang Hui was still a famous commander. Controlling such a large army was not a problem. Tactics were not as varied, but it was not a problem for him to take advantage of the advantages of his own side.
Under Kang Hui's control, the cannon fire rained down on the stronger aliens. They relied on their speed to get close enough to face the Paragons' Star Division, An Lun's Bloodiron Khans, and Chu Cheng's Reformer.
The three armies' Adepts worked in tandem with the aid of the Black Star Division's Black Star Division. With the help of the Black Star Division and the Bloodflame Khans of the Black Star Division and Chu Cheng's Reformer, they were no longer a threat.
Kang Hui's command was flawless. The human army was like a meat grinder, reaping the lives of the aliens and harvesting the vital crystals they left behind.
However, Kang Hui noticed that the Violet Prince was nowhere to be seen. The six three-headed, six-armed aliens were nowhere to be seen. It was as if they'd disappeared after the battle.
At this point in the battle, the humans had gained an irreversible advantage. The aliens were slowly being pushed back. Under the command of the four bastions, the human army slowly advanced toward Europa.
The soldiers who didn't know the truth were cheering in their battleships. After all the suffering they'd endured, they were finally going to defeat the enemy!
How could they not be excited?
This was a war of life and death for mankind, and all the soldiers who participated in this war were undoubtedly heroes of mankind!
They could already imagine the flowers, the applause, and the rewards they'd receive after their triumphant return. The human army's morale soared.
Cannon fire continued to pour out, suppressing the alien forces and forcing them back again and again. The alien home worlds, on the other hand, showed no signs of movement. Europa's outer layers were still shrouded in a hazy purple mist. It was a fantastical sight to behold.
The alien worlds around Europa were like three giant tumors growing on the planet's surface. They didn't move, and their purple bodies were lifeless.
Kang Hui pressed a button on the communicator in front of him. "Heron's main cannon, ready."
"Mosquito, roger that. Main cannon charging." The response came through.
Kang Hui didn't let his guard down. On the contrary, he was even more vigilant.
Since the beginning of the war, the aliens had held the upper hand. It wasn't until this final battle that humanity was able to turn the tide. However, it wasn't just because of Lan Qing's leadership. More importantly, the home worlds hadn't participated in the battle!
If they hadn't, no matter how capable Lan Qing was, even the cleverest housewife couldn't cook a meal without rice. Humanity wouldn't have stood a chance against the alien home worlds.
Just because the home worlds didn't participate didn't mean they didn't exist. On the contrary, they'd absorbed the vital energy of eight planets, including Europa. In addition to the energy they'd absorbed from the Northern Alliance planets, they hadn't used it on the battlefield. Instead, they'd used it to evolve. Once that evolution was complete, no one could predict how strong they'd become.
But Kang Hui didn't think they'd be able to defeat the home worlds with their current forces.
Even now, he could still remember how they had lost that battle. The alien planets were ever-changing. Even with their terrifying offensive and defensive capabilities, they didn't dare to face them head-on. They were cunning, powerful, and able to use every advantage they had. It was because of this that humanity had suffered defeat after defeat.
Therefore, Kang Hui was completely focused at this moment.
Heron's main cannon was the weakest of the four bastions, but it took the least time to charge. It was also the fastest, so it was the best choice for a probing attack.
Lan Qing had told him that the home worlds had already merged with Europa.
They were using Europa as a medium for their evolution. There were no longer any humans living on the planet. If they attacked, they wouldn't be attacking the home worlds, but Europa.
"Heron is fully charged!"
It didn't take long for Heron's communicator to report that the ship was fully charged. At the same time, the aliens were getting closer and closer to Europa.
Kang Hui issued a series of commands, and the human forces increased the intensity of their assault. The ten capital ships that hadn't fired until now fired in unison.
In the face of such overwhelming firepower, a path was carved out for the alien horde.
Heron's main thrusters on Tyrannosaurus' flank flared with light as it sped toward Europa. It pierced through the gap the alien forces had created, reaching its maximum speed. Three of its main cannons were aimed at Europa.
Europa was such a huge target that it would be easy to hit it.
At the same time, Kang Hui ordered Tyrannosaurus, Poseidon, and Middle Heaven to charge their main cannons.
Once Heron's probing attacks had some effect, it would be time for the humans to put on a show.
He was confident that the combined firepower of the bastions' main cannons would be able to destroy Europa, but at the very least they would be able to disrupt the evolution of the alien planets. That would be enough. Now they would have time to launch an all-out assault.
In the best case scenario, the alien planets would be at a critical juncture in their evolution. Then they would be interrupted and the planets would be destroyed.
For now, at least, everything seemed to be going in that direction.
Heron's main cannons glowed with an azure light. As they got closer and closer to Europa, the bastion shook violently. Three bolts of azure light erupted from it, distorting space for a brief moment. A single shot wasn't particularly strong, but it was still a bastion's main weapon.
The combined power of these three cannons was nothing to scoff at.
Had they been on an ordinary planet, a volley of cannon fire would have caused irreparable damage.
The three beams of green light were unimpeded and pierced through the purple fog.
The purplish-red fog surged, as if it was being stirred up by something. Three rays of green light pierced through.