The Great Genetic Era Chapter 2364: Two Major Tactics—Caution and Group Attack (1)

As Xu Tui ascended into the firmament, he was joined by five other figures, including Cai Shaochu. They formed part of the second small cosmic combat team, having just arrived at the New Moon via the quantum teleportation channel originating from the Blue Star, with two more members still en route.

Yuan, who had been busy orchestrating the planet's destruction from high orbit, observed Xu Tui’s approach. He slowly dispersed the massive surge of energy he had gathered. Despite the flashes of light playing across his form, he remained in place, waiting for his adversary.

Having assumed the physical guise of the Great Xi Clan, Yuan was nowhere near his apex; in fact, the power aura he radiated was at most 40% of his full potential.

Even as he soared upward, Xu Tui could sense this clearly. Nevertheless, the realization still sent a shockwave through him. To regain 40% of his strength in such a fleeting window—this sly old fox clearly held more trump cards than he had anticipated.

"Prepare for conflict. Do not hold anything back," Yuan commanded his five subordinates, who were also at the Small Universe-level. Simultaneously, he halted the order to obliterate the New Moon.

Destroying a planet was an exhaustive undertaking, requiring a massive expenditure of energy, even for an entity like Yuan. With a Small Universe-level combatant from the Blue Star now present, a rapid destruction of the moon was no longer viable.

In essence, the strategy Yuan had methodically crafted was now impossible to execute. Yet, every loss brings its own gain. While his original plan had been stymied, he had succeeded in drawing out the main force of the Blue Star.

Both Chuling and Yuan had long sought to entrap the Blue Star's elite force to eliminate them with their overwhelming power. However, those fighters—especially Commander Xu Tui—had proven as elusive as loaches, constantly slipping away before a direct confrontation could occur.

In contrast, the Blue Star Alliance forces commanded by Xu Tui had consistently exploited opportunities to defeat them piecemeal. Now, however, the true core elites of the Blue Star, including Xu Tui himself, were finally standing before them in a head-on clash.

Yuan remained supremely confident. Even at only 40% strength, his three thousand years of bitter Cultivation and accumulation were not merely for show.

He possessed the combat prowess to contend with ten adversaries at once. Killing seven or eight Small Universe-levels would be well within his capabilities. Even accounting for the fact that Xu Tui’s combat strength was exceptional on the Blue Star, Yuan was certain he could dispose of five or six such individuals alone.

With five additional Small Universe-level subordinates at his side, the seven opponents Xu Tui had brought were insufficient to threaten him. He was convinced that the current balance of power favored him sufficiently to exterminate Xu Tui and the rest of the Blue Star elites.

In light of this, the final move he had prepared was no longer necessary.

Once Xu Tui was dead, the Milky Way and the entirety of the universe would ostensibly belong to him alone.

Yet, Yuan could not shake the feeling that something was off. In the past, Xu Tui had always avoided them the moment their presence was detected, never opting for a direct fight. Why had he chosen to stand his ground today? Was his confidence born from the seven Small Universe-levels currently assembled, or did he wrongly believe that Yuan had been crippled by his injuries?

"Xu Tui, are you finally prepared to confront me face-to-face?" The massive metallic figure gestured toward Xu Tui from a distance, then transformed into a dark blur, lunging to encompass him.

Flames ignited across Xu Tui’s frame, incinerating the encroaching shadow. "I assumed you would continue skulking in the shadows like a rat. I never imagined you would scurry all the way to the heart of our solar system."

Yuan was not riled by the insult. Instead, he gesturing toward the Small Universe-level fighters behind Xu Tui, asking, "Is this the foundation of your confidence?"

Xu Tui merely chuckled, offering no direct reply. Instead, he probed, "You went to such extreme lengths to infiltrate our race's center. It seems there truly is a treasure on the Blue Starcapable of facilitating further advancement, isn't there?"

Yuan paused, his expression flickering—he was nearly at the point of asking how his enemy could know such a secret. But as he looked into Xu Tui’s eyes, the realization dawned: Xu Tui had merely been guessing. Now, the confirmation was absolute.

Since the Saints of the ancient Heavenly Court had returned to ashes, the pinnacle of power had rested at the Small Universe Realm. Having witnessed the passing of those Saints, the trio knew that the Saint Realm existed beyond it.

However, during the Cultivationless Age that followed, the universe could no longer sustain such power. The Saints had sacrificed themselves to nurture the cosmos, leaving the Small Universe Realm as the highest attainable plateau. No one had since managed to evolve into a genuine universe after reaching the Saint Realm.

Yet, Chuling, Yuan, and Hei Yang were aware of a treasure on the Blue Star that could enable one to reach that Saint Realm. None of them had acted earlier because only one individual could claim it. Their mutual greed had prevented them from invading the Blue Star; they feared that fighting each other would only benefit their enemies, hence their preference for simply destroying the world instead.

When Chuling and Yuan finally pushed into the solar system, they had agreed to join forces to seal the treasure before settling their own score. Fate intervened, and now, only Yuan remained.

Yuan’s strategy had been simple: destroy the New Moon, trigger cosmic instability, and use the ensuing spacetime distortions to prevent the Blue Star elites from intervening, allowing him to claim the treasure of the Saint Realm in peace.