Under the T6 Wrath-of-Heaven-Goddess-class Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ship's furious bombardment, that T6 Bone Dragon's energy shield was plainly beginning to struggle to hold.
At this, the Bone Dragon began frantically trying to strike back.
It spat blue-white beams of flame at targets far off.
But compared with the first time, the Owl Dragon interstellar warships on the defense line this time, above all the T5 King-of-the-Hill-class Heavy Interstellar Comprehensive Strategic Escorts charged with defense, had made ready well ahead.
Defensive interstellar missiles, prepared long since, were launched the moment the enemy's line of attack had been worked out.
And detonated early, in the path of the blue-white beam of flame!
Star shields could not screen out this kind of spirit-energy attack.
But experiments had found that the energy of an explosion could cancel spirit-energy.
So all that was needed was to create explosive energy along the line of attack.
Whirls of blast appeared, one after another.
The blue-white beam of flame, which had come on in such fury, in the end dispersed without a trace very close to the target starship.
Once the first interception had succeeded, the interceptions after it were for the most part not very hard.
With a dozen-odd T5 King-of-the-Hill-class Heavy Interstellar Comprehensive Strategic Escorts working together, nearly every defensive interstellar missile in their magazines was used up.
At last the T6 Bone Dragon across the way was killed by the fire of the T6 Wrath-of-Heaven-Goddess-class Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ship.
It let the captains of those T5 King-of-the-Hills all breathe a sigh of relief.
Had the fighting gone on, they would have had no defensive interstellar missiles left to intercept the attacks.
After all, the cost of protecting friendly ships from a T6-grade undead creature's attacks was too high.
Zhao Chen, for his part, received a file of related data.
It was an analysis of this T6 Bone Dragon.
"That came out quickly." Zhao Chen looked over the report.
The report noted some characteristics of the T6 Bone Dragon; besides those already known, there was some new information.
This T6 Bone Dragon's individual defense was very strong as well.
Even under the unbroken fire of the T6 Wrath-of-Heaven-Goddess-class Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ship, it had taken nearly ten minutes of pouring fire,
before this T6 Bone Dragon was cut down.
That was enough to show its defensive strength.
"Luckily there aren't many of these T6 undead creatures. If a few dozen came, it would be tremendous pressure on us," Tao Beibei said beside him, relieved.
Zhao Chen, for his part, had turned his gaze to the interstellar war holo-table.
The war had gone on this long, and still these undead legions had not shown their main axis of attack.
But on this question, all they could do was wait in silence.
Time passed, little by little.
At last, after twenty combat hours,
there was movement on the undead legions' side.
"Reporting, on the side of Undead Defense Line No. 3, an undead host of nearly 200,000 has appeared again. It is heading straight for Undead Defense Line No. 3. It is expected to appear on the battlefield of Undead Defense Line No. 3 within an hour!" a subordinate reported to Zhao Chen.
Tao Beibei, beside him, said at once in excitement, "It looks as if Undead Defense Line No. 3 must be the undead legions' main axis of attack! Your Majesty, give the order. We have all been holding it in here for so long. It's time to start our counterattack plan!"
Tao Beibei had been waiting here all along; now that the chance had come at last, she could hardly wait to command her interstellar warship into the fighting.
"No," Zhao Chen said, cutting Tao Beibei's thought short.
Just then a voice came from Chu Xuan's video window as well.
Zhao Chen saw that Chu Xuan looked somewhat hesitant.
"Chu Xuan, say what you think," Zhao Chen said directly.
Chu Xuan said earnestly, "Your Majesty, we did say before that once the undead legions showed signs of a main attack on one line, we would send the reserve legion fleets in support. But… I feel that this undead host of 200,000 is not the enemy's true intention. It is a feint!"
Zhao Chen nodded; the same thought had just come to him too. "Go on."
"This 200,000 of the undead legions is as many as appeared on each line in the first wave, true. But as to strength, even if this 200,000 of the undead legions joins the fighting on Undead Defense Line No. 3, I think these undead legions alone could never break through Undead Defense Line No. 3 in a short time.[1] My guess is that the real offensive is still to come. So I propose that we wait a little longer! Wait a little longer!"
Chu Xuan's face was very grave as she said what she thought.
For she knew very well what 'wait a little longer' meant at a time like this.
If she was wrong, it meant they would watch the Owl Dragon fleets on Undead Defense Line No. 3 face more undead legions because reinforcements had not arrived in time.
And suffer losses that need never have happened!
"As a commander, you must trust what your own heart tells you," Zhao Chen said with a nod. "Then we will wait a little longer!"
Chu Xuan nodded hard.
And so the reserve fleets that were to have supported the battlefield were held back.
But Chu Xuan did not simply stand by and watch the pressure on Undead Defense Line No. 3 either.
She weighed the state of every defense line and drew off as much of the interstellar fleets as she could to support Undead Defense Line No. 3.
It was under these conditions.
That Zhao Chen and the others went on waiting.
This wait lasted another ten hours.
Just as even Zhao Chen was wondering whether they had been overthinking it,
at last there was a new development!
"Reporting, in the direction of Undead Defense Line No. 1, an undead legion force 500,000 strong has appeared. Among it are at least fifty T6-grade undead units, including thirty T6 Bone Dragons! This undead legion is expected to threaten Undead Defense Line No. 1 directly within half an hour!"
A very important piece of news reached Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen's whole body gave a start.
At last, what they had waited for.
Tao Beibei looked at His Majesty in astonishment; she had never thought the enemy would still have something held back.
The first wave, the attack along every line, had been a feint.
The second wave, choosing Undead Defense Line No. 3, had been one too; only now had the real main axis shown itself.[2]
And it had come after an interval of ten combat hours at that.
Had His Majesty ordered reinforcement fleets sent to Undead Defense Line No. 3 before.
Then now it would have been very hard to support Undead Defense Line No. 1.
Even if they were drawn off again in time, the enemy had a host of 500,000 at full strength, while on this side the ships had been through a round of fighting, and some interstellar warships might be running short of ammunition.
Set against each other like that, the chance of holding off the undead host's attack would have been all but nil.