As the pursuit forces of the Ancient Legion converged with the Gangdi Fleet, the Gu Ke charged forward at high speed, the prelude to a massive battle hanging heavy in the air.

As if the saying went, fortune never comes in pairs while disaster arrives singly, just as everyone was bracing for the fight with high tension, a staff officer’s voice cut through the tension aboard Ship Number One: "Commander, Captain! Observers scattered throughout the asteroid belt are sending intelligence—the Pirate Coalition Fleet is rapidly assembling!"

"What!" A wave of astonishment swept through the bridge. The Pirate Coalition Fleet had vanished long ago, spending its time hiding from mercenary pursuit. To hear that name again, especially at such a critical moment, was shocking.

"It’s Hras again!" Yang Ying frowned slightly. Li Lifang paid close attention and pressed, "Where is their rendezvous point?"

"One million and five thousand kilometers ahead of the advance force. They plan to block the navigation channel," the staff officer reported dutifully.

Yang Ying shook his head. This was complicated. The advance force was currently escorting ten space cities through a dense meteoroid field. This was the only viable route through the field nearby. For warships without shields, navigating amidst meteors was extremely dangerous; even a tiny bird could bring down an aircraft back on Earth, and in space, a stray meteor punching through a hull was an all-too-common occurrence.

Yang Ying pondered for only a second before asking, "What is the scale?"

The staff officer reported with a clear voice, "Over twenty large warships, with more than a hundred medium and small vessels. The assembly is still ongoing; their numbers are still expanding!"

Hearing these figures, Yang Ying breathed a slight sigh of relief. This force wasn't enough to strain the advance fleet. However, a sudden thought struck him—a truly insidious tactic. What if those pirate warships mined the channel or deliberately scuttled themselves along the route? That could temporarily seal the passage, significantly delaying the progress of the advance force.

"Wait a moment," the staff officer’s voice suddenly jumped an octave. "There are also two patrol fleets from the Ancient Legion, a certain distance from the pirate rendezvous point."

Bad news kept piling up. Yang Ying sighed and said, "Forward this intelligence to Admiral Alexander. We cannot manage the advance force’s situation for now."

"Yes!" The staff officer immediately relayed the orders.

Hardly had he finished when another staff officer spoke up: "Commander, Captain, the Ancient Legion’s pursuers are within our bombardment range. Admiral Hans has ordered preparation for a main cannon volley. Each ship is to dispatch half its fighters to harass the enemy vessels."

Howard nodded: "Carry out the order."

Soon, led by the Twelfth Fleet, all warships opened their hangars, releasing swarms of fighters totaling fifteen thousand, which streamed out to meet the Ancient Legion’s fleet. The Ancient Legion forces were not to be outdone, launching a similar number of fighters in response.

The two fighter forces met in the middle, immediately erupting into fierce combat. Uranium bursts flared like rain, and missiles exploded like fireworks. Almost instantly, the organized formations of both fighter wings shattered, becoming a chaotic, interwoven mess.

Simultaneously, the main cannons of the warships began to fire, sending thick beams of red and blue light streaking toward their respective targets. Setting aside the smaller vessels for a moment, the Ancient Legion possessed fifty-five Dragon King-class battlecruisers and over two hundred other large warships. The rear-guard fleet had only twenty-three battlecruisers and over two hundred fifty other large ships, but most of these were outdated mercenary vessels, putting them at a disadvantage in quality.

The disparity was even starker regarding Psionics and High Apes—a difference of almost ten-to-one.

On the bridge of Ship Number One, the main screen displayed a physical rendering of the entire battlefield. Howard frowned deeply and asked Yang Ying, "Commander, if we are to demonstrate the full combat power of the Super Mercenary Group, now is the time. If we wait longer, those upstairs might have objections."

Yang Ying nodded: "Proceed. Report our actions to the flagship of the Twelfth Fleet, the Digros."

Having received permission, Howard roared at his staff officers: "Communications jamming, commence!"

"Yes! Communications jamming, commencing!"

In an instant, all the observers positioned around the periphery of the battle unleashed powerful interference waves, completely severing the Ancient Legion’s communications. As the jamming began, the coordination between the Ancient Legion’s warships suddenly became sluggish and erratic.

Bang!

"Someone tell me what in the hell is going on?" On a Dragon King-class battlecruiser, Master Ape Gangdi roared.

"Lord Gangdi, our communications have been cut," an Ape staff officer replied, his voice trembling faintly.

"Activate the counter-jamming system immediately," Gangdi commanded.

The Ape staff officer tried, and instantly the fur on his back prickled with cold sweat as he stammered in panic, "It won't work, Lord! The counter-jamming system is useless!"

Similar incidents unfolded across nearly every Ape warship. Simultaneously, within the massive battle group of thirty thousand fighters, the Ape aircraft devolved into scattered chaos; even slightly complex tactical coordination vanished completely. A small contingent of human fighters seized the opportunity, immediately breaking away from the main melee and flying toward the Ancient Legion’s warship cluster. Upon closing in, they instantly launched their attacks.

However, the internal wired communications aboard the Ancient Legion warships remained functional. They launched their remaining standby fighters in waves, intercepting the flanking ten thousand fighters, and a fierce dogfight erupted among the Legion’s fleet. At the same time, the warships’ anti-aircraft batteries opened fire, stabilizing the frontline.

On the bridge of the Digros, Admiral Hans watched the battle unfold, his expression growing increasingly grave. Learning that the Terran Mercenary Group possessed such potent electronic warfare capabilities shattered a fact he had long held certain. Although the Twelfth Fleet was stationed far from the front lines near Mercury’s orbit, as a fleet commander, Hans was intimately familiar with the cutting edge of military technology. The electronic warfare displayed by the Terran Mercenary Group currently far exceeded his known parameters.

"How on earth did they achieve this?" Admiral Hans muttered to himself.

"Since antiquity, the spear and the shield have developed in tandem—the sharper the spear, the thicker the shield," Master Yan said from behind him. "It seems that in electronic warfare, the Terran Mercenary Group’s spear is currently unmatched."

Admiral Hans did not turn around. "I agree."

Master Yan continued, "You and I both know that on the battlefield, information is power, and at times, information is more important than brute force. I believe the electronic offensive launched by the Terran Mercenary Group is equivalent to the military strength of a Super Mercenary Group. What do you think?"

"Perhaps," Admiral Hans nodded, then shook his head. "But a contract is a contract. The Terran Mercenary Group is still required to provide the combat power of a complete Super Mercenary Group. That remains unchanged."

With that, he immediately devised new tactics based on the communications blackout afflicting the Ancient Legion. The rear-guard force’s strategy gradually shifted from an attack-for-defense posture to one of pure aggression. Another wave of fighters surged from the warships, cutting across the dogfight toward the opposing Ancient Legion fleet. Strike them while they are down!

Once the order was issued, Admiral Hans turned to Master Yan. "Old friend, why are you suddenly speaking up for the Terran Mercenary Group? It’s unlike you. Their situation hasn't impacted the overall situation enough to warrant your intense focus."

Master Yan looked up at the star-strewn sky, his eyes shining brilliantly, seeming to pierce the darkness to glimpse the Ancient Legion fleet tens of thousands of miles away. He remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "On the surface, I have no reason to be so concerned about the Terran Mercenary Group, but my instincts compel me to focus my attention on them."

"Oh?" Admiral Hans showed a flicker of interest. The instincts of a Psionic Master were among the most reliable things in existence—a vast treasure rooted deep within the human psyche.

Seeing his expression, Master Yan knew what he was thinking. "I have a strong feeling that once the Terran Mercenary Group displays its full strength, it will be like opening Pandora's Box, setting off a chain reaction within this small solar system."

"Does their very existence pose some threat to the solar system?" Admiral Hans’s gaze instantly sharpened.

"Whether that influence is good or bad, I still cannot discern. However, according to Master Pang Qian, Yang Ying, the leader of the Terran Mercenary Group, is a genius in Psionic cultivation, and he is not an evil person," Master Yan stated with certainty.

"If that is the case, then letting the Terran Mercenary Group show some strength won't hurt," Admiral Hans chuckled.

"Notify Admiral Hans that we are about to launch an offensive. Ask him to temporarily withdraw the fighter wings surrounding the Ancient Legion fleet, or the consequences will be severe," Howard instructed a staff officer.

Meanwhile, in the hangar of Ship Number One, Blade boarded a Ghost fighter, engaged its stealth mode, and flew out. He bypassed the battlefield where beams of light rained down, arriving behind the Ancient Legion’s warship formation. At this moment, the Legion’s formation was enveloped by a curtain of fire from their anti-aircraft batteries, with thousands of fighters engaged in a deadly chase within the barrage. On average, dozens of fighters were being downed every second.

Suddenly, the Earth military fighters seemed to receive a unified signal and began pulling back from the Ancient Legion warships, retreating toward the rear. Blade halted, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he looked upon the undefended propulsion arrays laid out before him.

Abruptly, a small symbol materialized on his right hand—Yang Ying’s main consciousness transferred into Blade’s body. He produced a visual sensor and a pair of sensor-laden gloves, fitting them over his face and hands, respectively, before activating the Dark Templar’s cloaking ability, rendering his form invisible. After completing these preparations, he opened the cockpit hatch and gently raised both hands.

A light on his glove illuminated, and before him, a screen visible only to his visual sensors suddenly appeared. Then, more screens like it unfolded before him, one after another. They were dense with signals representing warships, and small targeting symbols rapidly locked onto each vessel.

Then, extending his right hand forward, he whispered silently, "Summon, Void Missile."