Chapter 676: Moon Landing and Attack

“Don’t worry. Even if it really starts flying on its own, this blade will only strike down evil people and demons. You’re so well-behaved and obedient, you won’t get cut.”

Su Zhou said reassuringly, but the Wisdom Tree Essence Soul, while quite pleased with the description “well-behaved and obedient,” couldn’t help but wonder—’If that’s the case, then why hasn’t this blade cut down the Fertilizer Officer? That’s not the least bit convincing at all.’

Su Zhou had no idea that while the Wisdom Tree Essence Soul called him “Master” on the surface, it actually thought of him as the Fertilizer Officer and was even secretly disparaging him. If he knew, he would surely use the Blade of Annihilation to prune its branches and teach it how to be a proper tree again.

However, Su Zhou’s remarkably calm demeanor helped the others settle down, especially Gu Yaoluo. He suddenly remembered that the young man before him was the Demon Subduer Lord, the one who had single-handedly, with one blade, annihilated nearly all of the Spirit Summoning Association’s core combatants. He was also the Tai Sui God, who brought slaughter wherever he went. ‘Forget everything else,’ he thought. ‘If Su Zhou wasn’t on Zhengguo’s side, considering what he’s done around the world, in the Demon Realm, and in the Beast God Realm… isn’t he far more terrifying than that somewhat underwhelming “Deep Space Caller”?’

People only truly fear the unknown. What Gu Yaoluo had been afraid of was the enemy of “unknown strength” on the Moon’s surface. He felt fear because he didn’t know how to deal with them.

But once he realized that no matter how unknown or powerful the enemy might be, his own companion was quite possibly more terrifying and powerful than any enemy in existence…

Gu Yaoluo felt a long-lost sense of security.

During the 40-hour period, public opinion on Earth was carefully managed. The blame for the preceding global electronic signal blackout was pinned on solar flares. Multiple experts appeared on television, asserting with great confidence that this was an inevitable consequence of the sun’s Spiritualization and that similar incidents would likely reoccur over the next dozen or so days.

On Zhengguo’s civilian networks, people naturally questioned why the Moon-landing rocket wasn’t being recalled and why the mission was continuing despite the risk of losing contact from solar flares. The official response, however, was always the same four words: “Launched, cannot return.”

Su Zhou, however, felt a rare surge of excitement and anticipation welling up inside him for some reason.

“I have a feeling that whether it’s aliens or that Deep Space Caller, they’ll be full of surprises.”

Muttering this to his blade, Su Zhou tightened his grip on the Blade of Annihilation and gazed out the porthole. “Once we’re on the Moon—a life completely different from before—that’s what I’m truly looking forward to!”

At that moment, the lunar command module was in orbit two hundred kilometers above the Moon’s surface. It was still decelerating as it approached a stable, low-lunar orbit.

Although it was called the far side, it was simply the face of the Moon that was tidally locked, making it invisible from the surface of the Earth. The Moon’s Far Side reflected sunlight all the same. With his vision, Su Zhou could see its surface densely pocked with craters and cooled rock formations that resembled volcanic terrain—the result of countless meteorite impacts and cooled lava.

The Moon has no geological activity. Aside from a liquid iron-nickel core, its crust and mantle have completely solidified.

March 13, 2017, 12:17 a.m. The lunar rocket performed multiple deceleration burns and orbital corrections, slowly easing into a low lunar orbit. During this process, it flew toward its destination: the Moon Base.

“The Moon…”

Su Zhou muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the craters and rocky protrusions scrolling past on the Moon’s surface below.

But he didn’t notice that the Divine Blade he had set aside, a highly sentient weapon, spontaneously pulsed twice with the faint light of Desire Power.

“Stay sharp, everyone. The most dangerous part is up next.”

At that moment, Meng Jin, who was preparing to stay behind in lunar orbit, was checking the command module and the nuclear missile launcher. Meanwhile, Bai Jingtiao and Gu Yaoluo had already begun to board the Moon Landing Shuttle.

But Su Zhou offered a reminder. “You all should be well aware of my strength. Six months ago, I could destroy the Spirit Summoning Association’s base with an electromagnetic attack from seven hundred kilometers away. And that was in an Earth-like environment, hindered by a thick atmosphere and airborne dust. In the low gravity and vacuum of the Moon, I can strike from even farther.”

Everyone present understood the implication, their expressions changing slightly. Su Zhou was Commander Tier, and if the Deep Space Caller had managed to reach the Moon, its power had to be at least Commander Tier as well.

An attack range of seven hundred kilometers meant they could be targeted in orbit from the Moon’s surface. If the enemy was prepared, the time before the Moon Landing Shuttle landed was indeed the most dangerous.

And just as they were all contemplating the possible dangers, a transmission came in from the surface.

Because it had to be relayed through a space station in Earth’s orbit, the communication had a four-second delay.

“Shaking Light, this is Northwest Aviation Center. The Moon Base is ready and is connecting to the Moon-orbiting satellite network. We have not detected the Deep Space Caller. We have marked the emission source of the ‘unidentified signal’ for you. Over.”

Su Zhou, who had already donned his full-coverage spacesuit, saw a satellite map of the far side appear on his transparent visor. Their target landing site was extremely close to the Moon Base in Nuhai (the name of a lunar sea on the far side). However, the source of the unidentified signal, a mountain range on the lunar surface, was still nearly a thousand kilometers away.

“This is Shaking Light. Roger that. We are about to begin landing operations. Do you have any further instructions? Over.”

“The second-wave lunar rocket is preparing for launch. Because there is almost no life on the Moon, the Celestial Secret Calculation will soon be able to divine the precise location of the ‘Deep Space Caller.’ Do not act rashly. Caution is paramount. Over.”

“Understood. Caution is paramount. Commencing landing operations now. Over.” After his brisk reply, Su Zhou nodded to Bai Jingtiao and Gu Yaoluo, then entered the Moon Landing Shuttle first.

The Moon Landing Shuttle’s design drew from that of classical Spiritual Energy Shuttles. Compared to purely technological designs like the Lunar Landing Module, the shuttle could be considered a small spaceship. It could land with much greater agility and had no risk of tipping or tumbling during touchdown. Its only drawback was that it was a massive drain on Spiritual Qi; if the controller wasn’t powerful enough, the shuttle was no different from a coffin.

Su Zhou’s power was certainly sufficient, but Bai Jingtiao was the pilot. Su Zhou sat in the middle section, responsible for supplying the Moon Landing Shuttle with power.

Soon, once everyone was ready, Meng Jin, still in the command module, executed the separation sequence. The Moon Landing Shuttle detached from the command module in low orbit, and the silver, spindle-shaped vessel began to fall toward the surface in a long arc.

But just four seconds after the successful separation, an alarm blared in Su Zhou’s mind, and the shuttle’s detection systems flashed with red warning lights.

[WARNING, HIGH SPIRITUAL POWER REACTION DETECTED]

Then, a silver star ignited at the edge of a deep valley on the Moon’s surface. It rapidly swelled in size, then transformed into a stream of light, streaking toward space.