Cultivation: Being Immortal Chapter 822

Outer Space of Blue Star

With the Stargate's activation, a weighty concern settled upon Lin Jiang. This stargate's opening had bypassed the encirclement of Blue Star’s three Space Fleets, striking directly at its vulnerable rear and exposing its defenses.

"Lin Jiang, I detect the presence of genuine Buddhist cultivators, and not just one. I cannot intervene; I have my own adversaries. You must persevere!"

"Damn you! Scoundrel! Had you imparted the power of the rules to me, I wouldn't be in this predicament!"

A fierce curse escaped Lin Jiang’s lips. If he possessed knowledge of the rules' power, he could anticipate the enemy’s actions, perhaps even obliterate the Stargate now to halt reinforcements, or decisively crush these invaders with his own might. However, Xia Qingshan’s distrust had prevented him from teaching Lin Jiang, leaving them in such a passive state.

Xia Qingshan fell silent, his communication ceasing. His adversaries were not solely Buddhist cultivators; Lin Jiang, an unpredictable element, was also a factor. This was his limit, a boundary he could not currently overcome.

"Cao Wang, are your preparations complete?"

"Ancestor Lin, all is set. The Space Battleships, housed in various locations, have been reactivated. We conducted prior maintenance, so a simple transfer of spirit stones will bring them online."

Cao Wang explained that despite numerous generations of Space Battleships, earlier models were retired as they became unsuitable for contemporary space operations. Rather than being destroyed, they were placed in storage.

The utilization of these stored Space Battleships, once a contingency plan, was now being deployed on the front lines.

"Dispatch the assembled cultivators to the designated locations of the stored Space Battleships. Huaxia will supply the necessary energy for their activation; ensure the spirit stones are loaded immediately, and prepare for engagement."

"Blue Star near-space armaments, stand ready…"

"Lunar Base, commence preparations…"

Lin Jiang continued issuing commands. The Lunar Base, serving as the primary transit hub, ought to have the largest contingent of personnel at this moment.

"The enemy has emerged; commence firing."

A succession of colossal Buddhist figures materialized from the Stargate, unleashing barrages in all directions. Blinding weapon discharges erupted like a dazzling firework display against the backdrop of the Buddhist cultivators.

"One, two, three, four… a total of seven Buddhist cultivators have appeared; two are unaccounted for."

"Ancestor Lin, this is the Cape I Planet base reporting. We are under enemy assault and engaged in intense combat. A significant number of Buddhist cultivators have appeared amidst the Buddha statues, exceeding one million. Our defenses are barely holding."

Just as Lin Jiang was tallying the enemy count and noting the absence of two Buddhist cultivators, a desperate plea for assistance arrived from the Cape I Planet base.

"Little Ying, where are you positioned?"

"At the space base, prepared for deployment."

"You must lead a contingent to the Cape I Planet base at once. They lack a complete Space Fleet and are severely outnumbered; they cannot sustain their defense for much longer."

"Understood."

"Very well, I will disconnect now."

Lin Jiang gave a confirming nod before initiating calls to the Demon Queen, Li Qing, and other key figures to ascertain their locations and coordinate troop movements.

The situation had devolved into widespread chaos; three distinct battlefronts had simultaneously erupted, necessitating a complete overhaul of Blue Star's command structure.

Beyond Blue Star, the Buddhist cultivators continued their assault, pushing their defenses to the brink of collapse.

"Senior Brother Kong Yan."

"Blue Star lies ahead; we shall descend upon it."

"Brother, we must shoot down those human satellites and aircraft surrounding Blue Star. Cheng Zang has emphasized this point repeatedly."

"Designate a contingent to handle that task; the remainder will follow me in landing on Blue Star."

Kong Yan declared, a surge of pride swelling within him at having disrupted the enemy's tactical deployment. The enemy's forces had been drawn away, leaving Blue Star with significantly reduced defenses, a development that brought him considerable satisfaction.

With a command from Bodhisattva Kongyan, a Sea-crossing Ark hurtled towards Blue Star, braving the enemy's gunfire. This vessel dwarfed Blue Star’s largest Space Mother Ship, advancing like a colossal tidal wave and instilling a palpable sense of dread.

"Launch nuclear ordnance."

A Space Battleship, upon receiving a nod from Lin Jiang, unleashed a nuclear weapon. This armament represented one of Blue Star’s most formidable assets, yet its deployment on Space Battleships was exceedingly rare due to its exorbitant cost and the existence of more powerful, albeit less conventional, weapons.

However, with the current critical situation, there was no luxury of time for such considerations; the statue had to be annihilated. Blue Star had committed an overwhelming portion of its forces, leaving its remaining strength severely depleted.

"Boom"

A nuclear detonation, yielding millions of tons of TNT equivalent, erupted upon the statue. Instinctively, many shielded their eyes, as if directly confronting the blinding intensity of the sun.

The statue, already weakened by numerous assaults, could no longer maintain its integrity. The illuminating Buddha light dissipated, revealing the construction of the Sea-crossing Ark, a formidable flying apparatus reminiscent of ancient sky-ships.

"Eliminate them!"

A multitude of Buddhist cultivators surged forth from the Sea-crossing Ark, their advance spearheaded by a Bodhisattva, rapidly fanning out in all directions.

The proximity of the engagement meant they were immediately thrust into fierce close-quarters combat.

"Boom!"

The Sea-crossing Ark sustained a direct impact from the Lunar Base, resulting in its fragmentation. Thousands upon thousands of Buddhist cultivators materialized; some ascended into the heavens, while others were violently hurled back into the atmosphere.

"Damn it, numerous Buddhist cultivators were concealed within these statues. The air forces of various nations have been dispatched to intercept them."

Lin Jiang vocalized his frustration. Shortly thereafter, at airfields across Huaxia, aerial vehicles began their ascent. These craft, previously confined to Blue Star's airspace, were now re-tasked for offensive operations against the invaders.

"Go rescue your comrades!"

Bodhisattva Kongyan’s expression turned grave. The initial Sea-crossing Ark had suffered grievous losses, with many disciples perishing before even identifying the adversary.

Swiftly, the second and third Sea-crossing Arks penetrated Blue Star’s atmospheric veil, evading the interception capabilities of the Lunar Base's weaponry.

"Heavenly Buddhas abound!"

Following the Arks' atmospheric entry, an innumerable contingent of Buddhist cultivators emerged. Unburdened by the need for parachutes and capable of free traversal within Blue Star, Lin Jiang observed a celestial panorama teeming with Buddhist figures via satellite imagery.

"Golden Core reserve units, prepare for deployment."

"The global armies' robotic and drone forces are on standby for engagement."

"Cao Wang, where is your Gundam?"

"Grandfather, the Gundam has been deployed."

Cao Wang's voice crackled through. The designation 'Gundam' was Lin Jiang’s, though not initially his preference. Lin Jiang had financed the construction of one hundred such machines, later authorizing an additional hundred. Currently, only fifty remained operational on Blue Star, with some still undergoing final testing.

The Gundam spearheaded the initial counter-offensive against the Buddhist forces, alongside conventional air power. This colossal war machine, towering over a hundred meters, ascended, seemingly impervious to the attacks of standard Buddhist cultivators. It then unfurled a colossal sword, forty meters in length, and with a single, devastating sweep, reduced dozens of Buddhist cultivators to mere dust.

"What is that entity?"

Bodhisattva Kongyan and other high-ranking Buddhist strategists were taken aback by the sheer diversity and ingenuity of Blue Star's weaponry. The array of unknown devices presented a significant challenge, as their intelligence, largely gathered online, was incomplete.

A Buddhist warrior materialized, obstructing the path of a Gundam. A swift palm strike was launched, and onlookers anticipated the Gundam’s disintegration, mirroring the fate of other aircraft. To their astonishment, the strike merely left a superficial indentation, barely affecting the colossal machine as it retaliated with its blade.

"Boom!"

The golden warrior of the Buddha absorbed the impact, recoiling from the sheer force exerted.

"Amitabha, destruction is contrary to the path of my Buddha. Esteemed disciples of the Buddha, these are foreign invaders. I implore you to cleanse these malevolent entities."

Kong Yan's pronouncement reverberated globally. Upon its conclusion, innumerable Buddhist cultivators emerged from every Sea-crossing Ark.

"Tat tat tat…"

Certain aircraft unleashed their mounted machine guns, their enhanced barrels spitting rounds at a blistering pace, exceeding ten thousand per minute. Many Buddhist cultivators, caught off guard, were annihilated.

Concurrently, the long-dormant missile arsenals of Blue Star were reactivated. Since the armistice with the demon race, missiles had been absent from the battlefield, but now, thousands upon thousands streaked skyward, detonating over concentrations of Buddhist cultivators.

Simultaneously, air units from the Lunar Base expedited their return to Blue Star to join the fray. Additionally, more cultivators returned via the lunar teleportation matrix, engaging the enemy immediately without awaiting explicit orders from Lin Jiang. Any prior dissent had vanished, replaced by a unified resolve to defend their homeworld.

"It is now my turn."

Lin Jiang stated calmly, deploying two meticulously crafted replicas to oversee the ongoing operations while he personally departed Haigang City to enter the conflict.