Chapter 2208: Ferryman? Star Mine Bureau?
Even Jiu Lan was stunned as she looked at the magnificent Starry River Great Wall before her!
Compared to it, the Minghe Star Domain stretching across eight million light-years counted for nothing!
The vastness of the starry sky shook the heart!
She too was seeing it for the first time. Jiu Lan had spent most of her life within the Minghe Star Domain!
The times she'd come out could be counted on one hand, mostly to complete missions, and she'd have to go back quickly!
They wouldn't let her stay long. Though the starry sky was infinitely dazzling, she'd never witnessed its due splendor!
Thinking of the unknown journey ahead, she couldn't help but feel anticipation!
Being a hostage didn't seem too bad after all!
Chong Feiyu stood on the deck, gazing at the Starry River Great Wall, her mood complicated!
After so many years, stepping back into this starry sky, she was no longer the majestic, glorious Great Mine Lord above ten thousand!
But an inconspicuous little bug!
She had lost the career she'd fought for all her life in this starry sky, her close friend betrayed her, her race schemed against her...
It felt like the world had abandoned her, experiencing an unprecedented low point in her life as an insect!
Now returning again, could she take back everything that was rightfully hers?
Chong Feiyu unconsciously raised her little hand, grasping at something in the starry sky...
Jiangnan grinned: "Don't worry too much. What's yours will eventually return to your hands. I'm here!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted Chong Feiyu's little head.
Chong Feiyu sneaked a glance at Jiangnan. Rarely, she didn't resist, but her pretty face blushed as she nodded silently.
Jiangnan waved his hand grandly:
✧*｡٩(ÒꇴÓ*)و✧*｡ "Set off! Cross the Wuxian Hongliu, target: my secret private stash piggy bank! Charge!"
The Bully Gang members pounded their chests and roared:
(ꐦÒ益Ó) "For the cash! Ola~"
The cosmos-level starship accelerated sharply, charging straight toward the Wuxian•Beimianzuo Great Wall!
It plunged headfirst into the Wuxian Hongliu. The energy cannon at the bow fired with a boom!
The crimson star-destroying cannon pillar stabbed into the Wuxian Hongliu like a spear, splitting it open!
But it was quickly worn down and annihilated. Endless gamma-ray bursts hammered the starship's energy shield!
Mixed in were massive amounts of cosmic rays and ultra-high-speed meteor swarms!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Deafening explosions rang in their ears. As soon as they entered, the starship issued damage alerts!
The attacks on the energy shield had already far exceeded its limit of endurance!
Just then, the Gamma minion leaped up, spreading his arms. Infinite dark green light bloomed from his body!
"Domain Expansion • Jade Green Sky!"
"Ray Deflection • Emerald Egg!"
At that moment, the gamma-ray bursts striking the ship's energy shield were assimilated and controlled!
A thick emerald eggshell formed outside the energy shield to resist the bombardment of the Wuxian Hongliu!
It barely managed to hold up.
Jiangnan's eye twitched. Damn! Was this for real? He didn't even know this minion's name, and yet he had a domain?
Another guy who could destroy planets? And his domain name sounded so cool?
Then, Ta Luo tugged at the metal cable tied around his waist.
He turned back: "Tied tight?"
Sa Mo raised his hand in an O98k. Jiangnan swallowed:
(๑•̌.•̑)ˀ̣ˀ̣ "Wha... what are you going to do?"
Ta Luo said matter-of-factly:
(￢̫￢(•́～•̀)˘﹃˘) "What? Clear the way!"
With a roar, he started sprinting on the deck, then made a huge leap, jumping out amid everyone's horrified gazes!
He passed through the energy shield and the emerald eggshell, standing on the very outside!
His body withstood the bombardment of the Wuxian Hongliu head-on. Meteors and rays crashed against Ta Luo's body, producing a sound like hammering iron!
Jiangnan's eyes widened!
∑(°口°๑) Holy crap! Are you that brave?
Ta Luo laughed heartily, his six arms spread wide!
"Starlight • Gather!"
At that moment, the star symbol on Talou's head lit up with incomparably brilliant starlight!
All kinds of mixed energies from the Wuxian Hongliu were absorbed and refined by him. Even the surrounding starlight was attracted!
His body shone with dazzling starlight. With a grab, a giant starlight sword gathered in his hand!
Ta Luo roared, his eyes bulging!
"Desolate God Starlight Slash!"
The giant starlight sword in his hand slashed down violently. The Wuxian Hongliu in front of the starship was sliced open like a wave, surging to both sides!
Even the rocky planets blocking the path were split apart!
Ta Luo laughed heartily, continuously absorbing starlight, and slashed out again and again with the giant sword!
Truly clearing the way!
Jiangnan's forehead dripped with sweat:
=͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇) "Damn? The Desolate God Clan is this fierce? They can even absorb the Wuxian Hongliu? What ability is that?"
Wang Youzhi snickered:
(˵ಡꇴಡ) "You wouldn't know this, would you? In the era before the Cosmos War, the Desolate God Clan was tough, bearing the title of Starry Sky War God, brave and skilled in battle!"
"They were seemingly born to roam the starry sky, able to absorb energy emitted by most celestial bodies—stars, various planets, etc. Their three heads belong to three different energy systems!"
"In the starry sky, the saying 'stars never die, Desolate Gods live forever' remains. I have quite a few in my collection!"
"It's a pity their evolution path was a bit lopsided. Three heads combined couldn't make half a brain. Otherwise, how would the Desolate God Clan have declined like this?"
Jiangnan covered his face. Sure enough, the decline of the Desolate God Clan was related to their own intelligence. They were beings who could fight among themselves!
The Jingzu minion also projected a starry compass from his eye to measure distance and determine direction!
"Found it, this way, this way. Turn the rudder 27.5°. The Wuxian Hongliu over there is weaker. First, go deep into the core area!"
Watching the busy Bully Gang minions, Jiangnan smiled with relief!
It seemed there was no need for him to step in at all. Having minions really got things done!
"Feiyu, you still remember the location of my little stash, right? Don't forget again!"
Otherwise, with the Great Wall this big, it wouldn't be easy to find!
Chong Feiyu: ???
Since when did it become your little stash?!
"Hmph, how could I forget? I remember the exact location, and I even left protective measures!"
"It's not a place just anyone can enter or find!"
Originally, few people came to the Wuxian•Beimianzuo Great Wall, let alone the core area!
Otherwise, Chong Feiyu wouldn't have hidden her little stash there in the first place!
Jiu Lan watched the violent Wuxian Hongliu outside the ship, resting her chin in thought.
(｡･ˇกˇ･｡:) "Speaking of which, would anyone really risk their lives smuggling by crossing the Wuxian Hongliu? They'd be stuck here forever if they weren't careful, right?"
"There are clearly more convenient, faster star routes. Why not take them?"
The Jingzu minion snickered: "Sister Jiu Lan, you wouldn't know this. Once you take a star route, both people and cargo have to be recorded by the Star Mine Bureau!"
"Not only do you get charged a hefty toll, but the transported goods are also inspected and taxed by the Starry Sky Mining Resource Administration. These goods become public knowledge as 'open goods'!"
"However, some precious goods are inherently shady and can't become open goods. Some big mine owners want to secretly pocket a portion of the resources and treasures they dig up, avoiding taxes, or not let them enter their race's inventory, making them their own private treasures!"
" Naturally, they need to resort to smuggling. In the Beimian Xingkong Kuangchang, smuggling is a very common thing!"
Chong Feiyu nodded repeatedly:
(งᵒ̌◠ᵒ̌)ง "I know this! I know it well!"
Jiangnan covered his face. You probably did plenty of that when you were a mine owner, didn't you?
The Jingzu minion laughed: "Over at the mine, smuggling has even formed its own industrial chain, giving birth to the profession of 'Ferryman'!"
"Professional smugglers. And the Wuxian•Beimianzuo Great Wall isn't absolutely impossible to cross. There are relatively low-risk routes to take!"
" The Ferrymen who control the safe smuggling routes are prized assets to the big mine owners! Of course, none of this is something you can say out in the open!"
"Though smuggling is rampant, the Starry Sky Mining Resource Administration doesn't care much. After all, compared to the overall output of the starry sky mine, smuggling accounts for only a very small part—a drop in the bucket!"
"But if you do run into the Star Mine Bureau's people, you still have to steer clear, since it's shady business!"
Jiu Lan suddenly understood. So a complete industrial chain and profit chain had been born!
Sure enough, where there is light, there is darkness. Light and shadow have always coexisted since ancient times!
These things were still quite novel to Jiu Lan!
"So, we're also smuggling right now?"
Jiangnan couldn't hold back his laughter: "No, no, no! We're called 'stowaways'!"
But his eyes also flickered. So the ones in charge here, with the say-so, were the Starry Sky Mining Resource Administration?
Abbreviated as the Star Mine Bureau!
It was a department directly under the Sacred Law Council, mainly responsible for the Beimian Xingkong Kuangchang area!
As time passed, the starship penetrated deeper into the Starry River Great Wall!
Due to chaotic and disordered space, the Wuxian Hongliu grew denser. The starship couldn't maintain warp speed the whole time!
It could only start and stop, but it was gradually approaching the core area of the Starry River Great Wall!
At this point, the Gamma minion alone could barely hold off the Wuxian Hongliu!
The Bully Gang minions each showed their skills. Those with domains activated them, stacking domains to resist the torrent!
Just then, the Jingzu minion's pupils shrank sharply!
"Damn, damn, damn! Don't go any further! Change course, hard to port, warp engines at full power!"
"If we don't run now, we won't make it!"
Chong Feiyu exclaimed: "What's the situation?"
Jiangnan narrowed his eyes and smiled: "It's a black hole!"