With Zhao Chen's order given,
the thirty T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ships at once began their spatial jump.
Besides its high grade, its long spatial-jump range, and the greater number of interstellar warships it could deliver through space, this interstellar jump ship had one more function.
Namely, a spatial jump by the ship on its own counted as a separate, minor function.
And had no cooldown.
It needed only to restart its spatial-jump equipment and enter the coordinates of the target star region.
That is to say, so long as it wished, and had energy enough.
It could make spatial jumps through this universe without limit.
It was simply the first choice for interstellar travel!
The thirty T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ships soon appeared before Zhao Chen amid spreading green ripples.
Unlike the T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ships' entrance, like a ring of light bursting forth,
the T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ships' arrival was as though a stretch of airspace had turned into the face of a lake.
Onlookers could see ripples appearing on this 'lake', glimmering besides with emerald-green particles of light.
At last each T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ship passed from a half-unreal state into real presence.
"These are our new interstellar jump ships!" Tao Beibei looked in delight at these emerald-green interstellar jump ships.
Straight after, a video communication request came in.
Zhao Chen accepted at once.
On the other side appeared a rather unfamiliar face.
She stood straight and saluted. "Provisional squadron commander of the Emerald Dream provisional interstellar squadron, one-star Major General Cao Yun.[1] Leading all thirty T6 Emerald Dreams, I have completed the spatial jump without trouble as Your Majesty instructed. Your Majesty's next orders, please!"
Seeing her, Zhao Chen set down much of the worry in his heart that moment.
"A catastrophe is about to happen here. I need you to lead all the T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ships and take every T4- and T3-grade interstellar warship here out by spatial jump! All withdrawn within ten minutes. Can you do it!" Zhao Chen demanded of her, his face grave.
"All T4- and T3-grade interstellar warships withdrawn in ten minutes. The mission will be done, I guarantee it!" Cao Yun promised without a second word.
"Good, go to it at once!" Zhao Chen was racing against every second now.
Chu Xuan, Xue Xiaoxiao and the others on the command channel, seeing His Majesty's move held in reserve,
let out long breaths of relief.
And their reverence for His Majesty grew deeper still.
Just so: so long as His Majesty was here.
There was nothing His Majesty could not settle.
"Your Majesty, hurry and withdraw too! Or take your flagship out directly with a T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ship!" Chu Xuan looked at Zhao Chen just then, worried.
At this moment, in this star region, only Zhao Chen's one T6-grade interstellar warship had not yet withdrawn.
The other T5- and T6-grade interstellar warships had already, under Chu Xuan and the others' arrangements, withdrawn at full warp.
"Your Majesty. We have reckoned the number of T4- and T3-grade interstellar warships here. Taking all of them is just possible. But… we cannot add even one more T6-grade interstellar warship." Having said this, Cao Yun looked at His Majesty the Emperor with some worry.
For here there was only His Majesty the Emperor's one T6 interstellar warship left.
Zhao Chen naturally caught her meaning.
"Never mind me. You need only make sure that every T4 and T3 interstellar warship here is brought back, not one left behind!" Zhao Chen said gravely.
At this Chu Xuan could bear it no longer, and said again anxiously, "Your Majesty! Hurry and withdraw! Your safety matters more than anything!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, and leave things here to us. I guarantee I will bring every T4 and T3 Owl Dragon-series interstellar warship here out safely!" Cao Yun, too, could not help urging him.
In their hearts, in truth, however many interstellar warships, however many Owl Dragon crew,
none mattered as much as Zhao Chen alone.
Not even an Owl Dragon Empire fleet group, given in exchange, could equal the Emperor alone!
Zhao Chen said nothing more, but only looked to Cao Yun. "Then things here are in your hands."
"Mm." Cao Yun nodded hard.
Zhao Chen looked to Tao Beibei beside him. "Prepare to plot a course. Warp travel, full-speed withdrawal."
"Yes!" Without another word, Captain Tao Beibei began ordering her crew to work this interstellar warship.
"Tao Beibei. I've laid out the fastest route for you. Withdraw at once, this instant!" Chu Xuan had also plotted a withdrawal route for Tao Beibei ahead of time.
Tao Beibei nodded and did as told.
Just then Zhao Chen saw a sight beyond the bridge viewport.
It was the Hive Nest, caving in.
The spatial collapse had already spread from the Hive Nest's core to its outskirts.
How eerie the scene was, no words could describe.
It was as though something that had been solid were gradually twisting.
Falling from a three-dimensional state into a two-dimensional one.
Everything being crushed flat by an invisible force!
This was surely no technology a T6 could possess.
Could it be… T7-grade technology?
Zhao Chen had some doubts.
By the T7 technology he could imagine, it ought by rights not to reach so terrible an effect either.
Otherwise Order could simply use this technology to knock a whole universe from a three-dimensional state down into a two-dimensional one.
Who could stop that?
A flicker of anxiety rose in Zhao Chen's heart.
About this mighty and mysterious Order, he felt that what he knew was nowhere near enough.
"All ready. Begin warp travel!" On her side, Tao Beibei had set the interstellar warship's course and begun entering warp.
This T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship began to accelerate, building by degrees to warp speed.
Major General Cao Yun, still where she was, watched the Emperor's flagship draw away and let out a long breath of relief too.
At least His Majesty was safe.
Cao Yun looked at the eerie spatial collapse in the distance.
The speed of its spread was quickening all the while.
"How are the T6 Emerald Dreams coming along? Once ready, make the spatial jump directly. Hurry!" Major General Cao Yun began urging them anxiously now too.
"Emerald Dream No. 3 is ready; target star-region coordinates for the spatial jump entered. Making the spatial jump!"
Word came from the first T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ship to be ready.
Then green ripples began to appear around this T6 Emerald-Dream-class Interstellar Jump Ship.
The ripples were as though space had become the face of a lake, rippling there, full of ripples.
The Owl Dragon-series interstellar warships within its range all began to blur.
At last, as though in an instant,
these blurred interstellar warships somehow vanished.
That stretch of airspace grew quiet too.
No starships, no ripples, as though nothing had happened at all.