What truly makes Ren Zhong nervous is an event that happened nearly fifteen years ago.

Back then, he torturously interrogated nine administrators and used the information he obtained from that timeline to disguise himself as an Imperial Apostle. After the interrogation ended, all nine administrators died, triggering the Tracker Spaceship's self-destruction. Thus, the "Last Radio Wave" must have been transmitted at that time.

Logically speaking, the Empire ought to have received the old ice pops' final warning fifteen years ago.

But why, in his communication with the Empire, did the other side not show a hint of this?

The Empire did not dispatch a warship to investigate, nor did it further inquire into Ren Zhong and others, but instead easily accepted the explanation that the previous administrators succumbed to the Spirit Demon Race.

In the communication, neither the South Nine Star Viscount Sosgate Augustus nor indirectly stated Nanxiang Marquis Liu An ever mentioned the events from fifteen years ago.

If the Empire genuinely perceived everything and had long prepared the guillotine, just waiting for him to walk right into the trap, then one could only say their acting was too good—so good that he didn't manage to see through it.

But no matter how he thought, Ren Zhong believed the Empire genuinely was unaware.

"Sigh, never mind, let's wait until after this battle is over. If it doesn't work out, just return to Source Star and come up with a new plan."

...

In a very short time, Ding Canghai fired several hundred bullets of various models at the shadow, but none penetrated. The bullets only struck sparks, which rebounded off to various other locations, chipping countless rock skins.

Many more energy weapons also hit the shadow but did not cause any damage, only stirring ripples like waves on its surface.

Ding Canghai's spree seemed to accomplish nothing but increase the clamor; however, his combat system finally completely captured the opponent's shape.

Approximately three meters tall, slender body, disproportionate three-section folding long legs, and a pair of upper arms resembling horse-cutting blades. Its back arched like a drawn bow. Additionally, it almost lacked a head, having only a triangular protrusion at the neck.

Its main movement method depended on cricket-like legs for propulsion, followed by thrusts from the jets under its ribs for direction changes.

In motion, its extremely long legs weren't just for show, providing support. Upon colliding with rocks, it would maneuver like a turning swimmer.

Undoubtedly, this entity was born for brutal melee combat, exhibiting obvious biological characteristics.

Ding Canghai, familiar with vast archives of intelligence, instantly recognized the origin of this creature.

He vividly remembered that long ago, Ren Zhong mentioned the Source Star Fleet might be attacked by the Ascenders Patrol Team, with Ascenders being the ultimate form of the Armored Soldier.

Within the Mechanical Empire, Armored soldiers had no human rights, as no amount of enhancement could reach the height of Ascenders. They were merely the saddest of slaves, not even considered reliable tools, generally losing reproductive capability, barely leaving descendants.

No Empire Citizen would choose to become an Armored Soldier, a neither human nor ghost existence. Only places like the Tracker colony would cultivate Armored Soldiers as extra combat supplements.

But genuine Ascender warriors were terrifying, true enemies of the Empire, ruling over regular battlefields, leaving the Empire struggling for breath.

"Finally verified the enemy's identity."

Ding Canghai murmured inwardly, then chased out with his Sniper Armor.

The shadow had already turned the corner, completely leaving the battlefield.

Ding Canghai knew the opponent's goal was to lead him to a wider space for combat, given the radio energy system already destroyed; staying entangled in these narrow grounds wasn't beneficial for this being, injured from Tracking Bomb explosions and gunfire, slightly compromised in movement.

Yet this was exactly to Ding Canghai's advantage.

Once he left, the auto-repair module would follow preset procedures using backup energy to autonomously repair the radio. As long as the intelligence was radioed out, his survival mattered little.

In another battlefield, he could avoid interference in the repair process, so Ding Canghai resolutely decided to pursue.

Upon reaching the corner, Ding Canghai refrained from rushing out.

Now, all his battlefield intelligence collection devices failed; relying solely on optical visibility, he couldn't ascertain if the shadow lay in ambush beside the corner, waiting for him to dash out and deliver a fatal hit.

Ding Canghai contemplated briefly, opting to swap Main Station Heavy Sniper for High Explosive Bomb, firing it toward the corner ahead.

Simultaneously, he fired dozens of interference bombs overhead.

Upon High Explosive Bomb's detonation and interference bombs taking flight, a shadow dodged diagonally, smashing one interference bomb. Only then did Ding Canghai charge forth fiercely, instantly unleashing full firepower.

Having refrained from using them near the radio previously, he now employed the small nuclear fission tactical thumb missile.

Here was an open space with a 300-meter diameter, lacking substantial rock layers above; he could finally unleash freely.

The shadow seemingly aware of the thumb missile's menace began frantically fleeing within this space, afraid of the near-distance blast from nuclear fission eruption.

In just one minute, Ding Canghai emptied all 40 thumb missiles.

Regrettably, they failed to deal decisive damage to the enemy close-up, even a few missiles went astray, blasting the mountains instead.

But this was exactly intended by Ding Canghai.

He finally transformed this region into one filled with flying rubble and dust from all sides.

His strong light illuminator could temporarily stand down.

Now, he could rely on information flow scan radar, electromagnetic radar, red-ultraviolet radar, visible light radar, metal induction radar, and multiple radars to analyze the battle situation, observing dust and rubble's trajectory to comprehensively calculate and analyze the shadow's movements.

With multi-scan support, the Armor's intelligent brain's computational speed increased, enabling more precise predictions of the opponent's movements.

"Die for me!"

Main Station Heavy Sniper shifted to high-energy mode, with armor's internal energy cells fully overclocking, firmly locking in the shadow, nowhere to hide, nowhere to flee.

Ding Canghai realized after firing this shot, his Armor's battery would enter low power mode due to overheating, and the Main Station Heavy Sniper would suffer damage from overload.

The replacement battery intended for use had been given to the radio. Post returning from C1915's other Ascender combat unit, his demise was assured.

But he cared little.

He just wished to slay the opponent, granting more time to the distant radio.

Before pulling the trigger, a smile appeared on his face.

This shot, this scenario, this cost of gun destruction and personal demise, bizarrely felt familiar, somewhat heartwarming.

"Die, damn brat!"

Accompanied by Ding Canghai's roar.

A massive energy beam sprayed from the Main Station Heavy Sniper's muzzle, fiercely crashing into the dust ahead.

After an instant, brilliant light flared in front, followed by intense explosion.

Under the impact of the explosive shockwave, Ding Canghai's armor self-diagnosis system began frantically alarming. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

But he ignored it entirely, directing minimal energy from low-power mode forward, swinging his arm, and harshly throwing the gun.

The second explosion.

Ding Canghai collapsed on the ground, laughing heartily. He asked himself if this shot could count as the most glorious of his life, optimizing intuitive judgment, battlefield layout, equipment functionality to the extreme, incapable of bettering it.

"You little punk, dare attack me Old Ding?"