Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high! Chapter 1096 - 743: The Demon Awakens!

The Peak Alliance commander imdiately added fuel to the fire: "That's right! We've long suspected he was colluding with various heretical forces! Now it seems he's not only a Bug Race infiltrator but also secretly reviving Intelligent chanical technology! This is a double betrayal! A frenzied act to gain power at all costs! Such forces must be eliminated imdiately to prevent future harm!"

"Colluding to revive Intelligent chanical insurgency technology"—this charge is more righteous and inflammatory than all previous vague accusations.

The Intelligent chanical insurgency is a painful scar in human civilization's history, and any behavior associated with it triggers instinctive aversion and dread.

This beca the last straw that broke the cal's back, providing the United Fleet with an irrefutable "justification" to launch an attack.

There was no hesitation or final ultimatum.

The United Fleet command quickly reached a consensus, and the order to attack was imdiately issued.

"All units, attention! Target: All military and suspected Intelligent chanical technology-related industrial facilities on Gray Ridge Star! Objectives: Completely destroy 'New Bauhinia' ard forces, cripple their industrial capacity, capture or eliminate their leader Bai E and core mbers! Authorized to use all necessary force! Repeat, authorized to use all necessary force!"

"For the purity and safety of human civilization, attack!"

In an instant, the United Fleet surrounding the Mine Star unleashed a thousand cannons!

Countless scorching beams, kinetic projectiles, Spiritual Energy missiles rained down like a storm of destruction towards the atmosphere of Mine Star, orbital defense platforms, newly built spaceports, and those labeled "Intelligent chanical technology facilities"!

A piercing global alarm instantly echoed in every corner of Mine Star.

"Detected over-saturated orbital strike! 'Sky Do' shield at full power activation!"

"Orbital Defense Platform, intercept fire at full throttle!"

"All combat units, enter highest combat alert! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!"

Bai E instantly leapt into the cockpit of the upgraded "Star Emperor" cha, completing final adjustnts, Spiritual Energy link fully connected, the new body feedback surging with precise power.

His gaze pierced through the do of the command center, looking at the starry sky stained by cannon fire, his calm voice broadcasted through all channels, echoing in the ears of all New Bauhinia warriors:

"They have finally made their move."

"For their so-called 'Order' and 'Purity,' they can abandon civilians, distort facts, and trample everything."

"But here, is our holand."

"There is no 'righteous' crusade, only pure aggression."

"Warriors of New Bauhinia, follow —et the enemy!"

The war began with the Star Alliance and Peak Alliance United Fleet's sudden, devastating over-saturated orbital strike.

The first round of strikes, like a storm, smashed onto Gray Ridge's "Sky Do" shield, instantly pushing its energy gauge to the critical threshold.

The hastily deployed defense platforms in planetary orbit intercepted with all their might but against the United Fleet's overwhelming firepower, both in quantity and quality, interception efficiency was less than forty percent, with more than half of the attacks brutally striking the shield, stirring up cataclysmic energy ripples.

Despite Helen's team dedicating all efforts, completing technological iterations within months based on knowledge from the 'Divine Fragnt' and Intelligent chanical technology, New Bauhinia is still just an erging power, with industrial capacity, fleet size, and personnel familiarity with new equipnt far inferior to the elite United Fleet assembled by the Star Alliance and Peak Alliance.

The United Fleet's tactical intent was clear and efficient: use heavy warships to continually bombard and deplete the "Sky Do" shield energy, while deploying high-speed assault ships and escort fighter formations, under fire cover, weaving in for assault, attempting to directly attack shield generator nodes, orbital defense platforms, and ground key industrial facilities and command centers.

In the early stages of battle, New Bauhinia faced imnse pressure.

Under dense firepower, orbital defense platforms were destroyed or heavily damaged one after another, becoming burning debris in space.

The energy reserves of the "Sky Do" shield decreased at an alarming rate, and the engineers and technicians responsible for maintaining the shield generator fought desperately for repairs, barely delaying its collapse speed.

Bai E, piloting the upgraded "Star Emperor" cha, led all available "Dawn's Edge" ch Pilots and newly built "New Bauhinia" class frigates into fierce skirmishes with the enemy's raiding forces in near-Earth orbit.

He wielded the Devouring Star Blade on the battlefield with a steady hand, with each swing slicing an assault ship or several enemy chas into fragnts.

Veterans Rose, Kuang Xin, Catherine, Ares, and others piloted new chas, displaying remarkable combat power in dire straits, collaborating with the few friendly warships to repeatedly repel the enemy's shock waves.

However, the disadvantage in battle was structural.

The United Fleet's forces were continuous, and their ships were superior in performance.

New Bauhinia's "New Bauhinia" class frigates, although infused with new technology and comndable in performance, were too few in number and were being deployed for their first actual battle. The crew's familiarization with new systems needed ti, and errors and unrefined cooperation during combat were unavoidable.

It was often Bai E and the elite cha team fighting bravely at the forefront, breaking through one wave of enemies, while the rear friendly ships, due to missteps in fire coordination or maneuver, were destroyed by the concentrated firepower of the enemy's subsequent fleet.

The situation on the ground was equally grim.