Not long after, Wei Qing returned to the bridge.
Yingxing immediately strode up, scanning him from head to toe. Only after confirming Wei Qing truly hadn't suffered so much as a scratch did he finally exhale—then his expression shifted into disbelief.
"Just now… what was that? I swear I felt more than one Emanator-level presence."
He lowered his voice. As someone who'd seen real storms, Yingxing had witnessed Emanators act before—he wasn't imagining things.
Wei Qing glanced at him and paused briefly.
Some things couldn't be spoken aloud. But a necessary explanation still had to be given.
"This wasteland really was an Abundance plot," Wei Qing said. "The one who fought me just now was an Abundance Emanator."
"Don't tell me it was Shuhu?!" Yingxing blurted out.
He'd heard that name more than once back when he was on Zhuming—General Huaiyan had mentioned it repeatedly.
A monster who had survived for unknown thousands of years… an Abundance Emanator whose threat to the Alliance was beyond ordinary measure.
Wei Qing nodded, confirming it.
"Yes. The Borisin massing was only a smokescreen. The real killing stroke was that Abundance Emanator."
He omitted the appearance of Phantylia and Zephyro entirely, keeping the story centered on Shuhu.
"He was lying in wait here—trying to ambush us, and possibly eyeing the Luofu itself. Fortunately, I wounded him heavily. He fled."
Yingxing sucked in a cold breath, face full of aftershock and awe.
"Shuhu… and you actually forced him back?! Those explosions just now…"
He recalled the shockwaves that nearly tore open the starship's defensive barrier, and that strange aura that made his soul shiver even at a distance. His scalp still felt tight.
"It was dangerous," Wei Qing said evenly, as if it were nothing more than routine work, "but he didn't get what he wanted."
"Clear the battlefield. Compile casualties and results—we should prepare to return."
"There are still many details I need to report to my master."
"…Understood." Yingxing suppressed the storm in his chest and turned at once to pass down orders, organizing the fleet's final sweep and cleanup.
The Cloud Knights executed with their usual efficiency. The remaining Borisin wolfships were either destroyed or fled in panic—no longer a coherent threat.
Soon, the detailed battle report was delivered to Wei Qing.
This victory had come at minimal cost: the Cloud Knights had nearly annihilated the Borisin main force gathered here—and even driven off the notorious Abundance Emanator Shuhu.
It was a clean, exhilarating win.
Wei Qing reviewed the report, already calculating.
The massive fleet adjusted course. Carrying the glory of victory, it departed the debris-choked void and sailed back toward the Luofu.
…
At the Luofu starport, General Teng Xiao—having long received the good news—personally waited with an entourage.
When Wei Qing's starship slowly entered the harbor and the hatch opened, Wei Qing stepped down the ramp in full uniform, steady and composed.
He was met by countless Cloud Knights' reverent gazes—and a roar of cheers that shook the air.
"Congratulations to Lord Wei Qing on his triumphant return!"
The cheers surged like a tide.
Annihilating the Borisin main force with minimal losses was already a great merit.
Driving off Shuhu—a name that carried dread across the Alliance—was the kind of record that could vault Wei Qing's prestige up an entire tier.
That, surprisingly, caught Wei Qing off guard.
He'd assumed his master would keep Shuhu's involvement from the public.
After all, he had only forced Shuhu to retreat—he hadn't killed him. These were unstable times. News of an Abundance Emanator appearing could easily trigger panic.
But Wei Qing quickly understood.
Perhaps Teng Xiao truly wanted to retire—so he'd already started building momentum for Wei Qing, impatiently and openly.
Teng Xiao looked at his most outstanding disciple, his eyes filled with satisfaction and pride.
He stepped forward and clapped Wei Qing's shoulder hard.
"Good! It's good you're back! Well done!"
"Thankfully, I did not fail my duty." Wei Qing saluted and replied simply.
Jingliu stood a little farther behind Teng Xiao, her red eyes fixed on Wei Qing without blinking. Only after seeing him safe did the tension in her expression ease slightly.
Her gaze caught the rough-looking amulet hanging at his waist, and for a brief moment her eyes softened.
Bai Heng had fewer restraints—she practically wanted to rush over, but the solemnity of the occasion held her back. She could only stare at him with relief and barely-contained excitement.
After the brief welcome ceremony, Wei Qing followed Teng Xiao to the general's manor for a detailed report.
Inside, with only the highest-ranking commanders present, Wei Qing delivered a polished version of the battle's process.
Teng Xiao praised him again—then his tone turned, and his eyes swept the room.
"With this battle, the Borisin are crippled. For a long time, they will pose no threat."
"But as Wei Qing said—Shuhu is not dead. The danger remains."
"Pass orders to all departments: do not relax. Strengthen the Luofu's defenses, especially the guarding of the Ambrosial Arbor."
"Yes!" the commanders answered in unison.
When the meeting ended, the others withdrew.
Teng Xiao kept Wei Qing behind.
In the study, only master and disciple remained.
Teng Xiao looked at him, gaze deep.
"Wei Qing. The details of this battle… I doubt they were as simple as you just described."
"Shuhu has survived for millennia. I've crossed hands with him more than once. His methods are treacherous and unpredictable—he's never an easy opponent."
Wei Qing's expression remained calm.
"I won't hide it from you, Master. This operation… may have been because Shuhu feared the Luofu truly might take a desperate gamble and send all main forces to the wasteland."
"He wasn't his true body. His combat power wasn't at its peak."
"But there was a trace mixed into him—something that did not belong to Abundance. Extremely strange, extremely hard to deal with."
"It felt like… the Path of Destruction."
Teng Xiao's brow tightened instantly.
"Destruction?"
"Yes." Wei Qing nodded. "I've felt that aura in the Antimatter Legion before. I won't mistake it."
Teng Xiao fell silent.
The study's atmosphere grew heavy.
An Abundance Emanator alone was already a nightmare.
If he was also entangled with Destruction… the threat escalated sharply.
The kind of conspiracy this hinted at made the spine go cold.
"Destruction… Nanook's fangs…" Teng Xiao murmured, worry flashing through his eyes. "No wonder the Borisin dared grow so rampant—so there was something rotten underneath."
"This matter is too serious. I must inform the other generals at once—perhaps even the Marshal's office."
He looked back at Wei Qing, approval—and deeper expectation—mingling in his gaze.
"You did well, Wei Qing. You not only thwarted their plot, you also brought back intelligence this critical."
"The Alliance will remember this merit."
"It was my duty," Wei Qing replied modestly.
Teng Xiao stood and walked to the window, looking out over the Luofu's bustling lights.
"An age of troubles. Outside: Abundance's followers and Destruction's forces stirring."
"Inside… many matters still await handling."
He turned back, his eyes firm.
"Wei Qing—the Luofu's future will require you to shoulder more."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 30
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 30
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