Ch55.1 - The Third Prince is back

After ending the call with Jian Mei, Lu Xingwang felt that the weight on his heart had finally eased.

This thought had lingered in his mind for a long time, as if he should have made this decision long ago. Now that he had said it out loud, he felt no regret at all.

Instead, an inexplicable warmth filled his heart—a fire, bright like the rising sun, brimming with hope for the future. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

He had no hope for the future.

He didn’t harbor much passion or hope for anything, as if he were a stagnant, lifeless pool—silent and beyond remedy.

But now, it was different. Thinking of their promise, he felt a sense of belonging for the first time—this feeling filled his entire heart. It made him eager to complete his task quickly, so he could go and meet that person. This thought gave him joy and anticipation for the future, along with a rekindled desire to live.

Almost two hours after the warship had been traveling, a warning rang out inside the warship.

An adjutant hurried over and reported, ‘Your Highness, we have detected fighter jets approaching from 100 light years away.”

“They’ve arrived that fast?” Lu Xingwang put away his communication terminal. He turned around and noticed the faint worry in the adjutant’s eyes. He then asked, “Are you scared?”

The adjutant lightly shook his head. “I’m not scared of them.”

Lu Xingwang suddenly became interested and asked, “Then what is it?

The adjutant looked at the man in front of him and said, “Your Highness, this is your first time participating in the warship’s journey, and it’s inevitable that those new to long-distance travel will feel a bit uncomfortable. Some of our new recruits even experience symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, which is why the Major General has arranged for me to take care of you these past few days.”

“Although you haven’t shown any discomfort, I’ve noticed your complexion has been poor. I had originally hoped you could take this opportunity to rest, but I was worried that you…”

Lu Xingwang took a step towards the command center and said, “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

While they were walking, they encountered a military doctor. His name was Wu Gang, and he was considered an influential figure among the healing priests. However, he wasn’t from any of the major medical families. Instead, he was an orphan saved by the grand marshal a few years ago. After awakening his healing powers, he had been serving in the army, specializing in medicine.

The adjutant spotted Wu Gang and walked over briskly, “Mr. Wu.”

Wu Gang stood at attention. He saluted the adjutant and Lu Xingwang, then said, ‘I’ve just returned from the rear zone. Most of the injured soldiers have recovered from their wounds, and the severely injured have been sent to the healing pool.

Healing divine power could quickly heal wounds, and the stronger the divine power, the greater its effect.

Lu Xingwang was walking toward the command center when Wu Gang stepped up beside him, taking over the adjutant’s place. He said, ‘Your Highness, you haven’t had treatment yet today.”

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As his attending doctor, Wu Gang understood him very well. He looked at Lu Xingwang and continued, “Your Highness, do you know the reason why the high priests said you wouldn’t live more than four or five years? It’s because this poison attack intensifies over time, gradually corroding your body and eventually taking your life.”

Lu Xingwang calmly replied, “So that’s why.”

Wu Gang took a deep breath and said, “Your Highness, you should understand that if you stop treatment now, your life could be in danger at any moment. I know I shouldn’t remind you of this, but I really can’t bear to see your life deteriorate like this. Please, I hope you don’t make any rash decisions.”

The hallway was filled with some noises.

A small group of people would pass by them occasionally. Even the warship’s red warning lights flashed incessantly, creating a chaotic scene.

Even in the midst of chaos or crowd, Lu Xingwang’s presence remained undeniable. The young man in the ink-colored military uniform stood steadfastly that people were compelled to look his way, drawing every gaze. The red warning light illuminated his shoulders as he reassured Wu Gang, “Don’t worry.”

Wu Gang was stunned.

Lu Xingwang’s gaze was calm as he said, “I’m well aware of it.”

The gate of the headquarters opened, and Lu Xingwang turned to enter, leaving only his back to Wu Gang. He offered no further explanation, but the brief words he left seemed to answer everything.

Inside the command center, the young general Zuo Qingshan was looking at the map, his face solemn as he observed several red dots. Upon hearing the door open, he turned and saw Lu Xingwang enter.

Immediately, Zuo Qingshan bent down to point something out to him: “Is the latest combat mecha really this fast? We fought it two days ago, and back then, the wind priests could still sense its position. But this time, they couldn’t detect it within the range.”

Stan Star is the most powerful planet in the Eastern territories.

The priests’ divine power, while unpredictable, was formidable. Wind priests, especially those with advanced abilities, could sense anything carried on the wind, wherever air moved in the galaxy. This meant that, despite the enemy’s latest warships being equipped with invisibility technology that could evade conventional detection, the wind priests were still able to locate them using their extraordinary divine power.

Thus, most of the divine priests were puffed up with pride, especially today. They believed that their divine power had effortlessly overcome technology and felt that the battle had been easily won. Some even thought they could return early, confident that the enemy was no match for them.

Lu Xingwang said, “Let me have a look.”

Zuo Qingshan stepped aside, allowing Lu Xingwang to take over the interstellar map.

There were only a few enemy’s red warships displayed on the star map,so they shouldn’t pose a significant threat. However, Lu Xingwang’s brows gradually furrowed. He turned to Zuo Qingshan and said, “Give me access to the terminal.”

The operator was taken aback upon hearing this.

The terminal has the authority to control the entire defense system, serving as their final line of defense. If a problem arose in the terminal, they’d lose all ability to track enemy warships, placing them in peril and danger.

Zuo Qingshan asked him, “What do you plan to do, Your Highness?”

“Upgrade the system.” Lu Xingwang succinctly. The young man’s slender fingers tapped the red dot on the image. He wasn’t asking a question but issuing a command. “There are warships here that aren’t fully displayed.”

His words caused an uproar.

These few ships alone were enough to spark widespread panic. Yet, according to Lu Xingwang, there were still more warships concealed from view. How many more of those warships remained concealed? The hidden enemies and the fear of the unseen were often the most terrifying.

Zuo Qingshan contemplated before slowly nodding. He turned to the operator and told him, “Grant His Highness access to the terminal.”

The operator hesitated for a moment. “General…”

“Hurry up!” Zuo Qingshan got angry and kicked him. “Are you trying to get on my nerves by stalling?!”

This move effectively silenced everyone, leaving no room for objections. The terminal’s permissions were immediately granted, and Lu Xingwang took over.

Unlike the others, he bypassed the usual protocols, directly accessing the terminal’s code and beginning to modify the server. Years of accumulated knowledge and countless books had led to this moment, with strings of code flowing from the young man’s fingertips and appearing on the screen.

A person with determination could turn anything around them into tools and strength for battle, no matter the obstacles they faced.

Though it was only ten minutes, felt like an eternity for many people.

While the system was being upgraded, they lost all contact outside so everyone was alert, bracing themselves for battle. The wind divine priest was sweating profusely that beads of perspiration were about to drip from his forehead.

Finally, a “drip” sounded, and Lu Xingwang spoke, “It’s done.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as if it was a horn announcing liberation. However, the smiles vanished from their faces when the newly upgraded system interface appeared before them. A dense cluster of red dots filled the screen, and among them was one red dot with the highest energy level. Judging by the wave patterns displayed by the system, it wasn’t the latest mecha, but the A5—something that sent chills down everyone’s spines.

Zuo Qingshan’s voice was laced with anger. “Is that Xiao Cheng’s warship?”

Xiao Cheng, the leader of the interstellar bandits.

Xiao Cheng, a genius in the field of mecha and surprisingly had a background connected to Stan Star. He was abandoned by his family as an infant due to his lack of divine power. He endured many hardships growing up in the slums, which shaped his eccentric and reclusive personality. In his youth, he organized numerous violent robberies and smash-and-grab incidents. Eventually, after being wanted by the government, he fled to other planets.

But unexpectedly, it brought nightmares to the entire interstellar space.

The genius young man in the field of mecha created the A5 warship. Without relying on divine power, we wreaked havoc and killed massive people. He led his subordinates to ambush and seize the resources of passing spacecraft, which brought great suffering to the people.

Lu Xingwang took a glance and confirmed, “Yes.”

Zup Qingshan’s fists became clenched, making cracking sounds. His gaze burned with venomous hatred. “I didn’t go looking for him; how dare he come here!”

Lu Xingwang pointed to an area and said, “He’s coming for us. This isn’t the interstellar domain where they usually operate in.”

Zuo Qingshan snarled, “Let him come. I’m not afraid of him!”

Lu Xingwang stayed silent.

The enemy warships were already closing in. It wasn’t long before they felt the tremors as small missiles struck from a distance. The troops this time had been deployed solely for negotiations with the planet to rescue the merchants, with only one division in total. No one had anticipated encountering Xiao Cheng.

“Di”

A warning sound rang out, signaling that the warship was under attack.

A small warship was shot down ahead. At the same time, a message appeared on the command center’s panel. When they opened it, they discovered it was from none other than Xiao Cheng.

The message only had a few words:“Long time no see, Third Prince and Major General. How have you been? Please convey my regards to the two elders. I wonder if they are still in good health.”

Lu Xingwang’s gaze turned grim.

Beside him, Zuo Qingshan said, “He’s too arrogant. I’ll go and meet him in person.”