Two hundred light years from the Pegasus Civilization, within the star system, the America was still locked in bitter combat.

The five hundred thousand ships left behind as sacrificial rear guard truly played an extremely important role, successfully delaying the enemy fleet’s assault. However, something occurred that was beyond Xiao Yu’s expectations.

That was that a Continent-Class spaceship of the Pegasus Civilization, braving the risk of damage, forcibly broke through the defensive line formed by Xiao Yu’s rear guard fleet and charged directly to the front of the America.

Xiao Yu’s heart sank slightly. He knew that before repelling or destroying this roadblocking Continent-Class spaceship, he could not leave. The America naturally had the ability to depart, but if the America simply left, what about the other ships?

“There is no other way, then let us have it out.” Xiao Yu made up his mind.

Up to now, Xiao Yu’s fleet of one million ships had been reduced to fewer than seven hundred thousand. The rear guard fleet had been fighting in a completely desperate manner, and under such conditions the casualties were extremely heavy.

Xiao Yu’s ships, in individual capability, were stronger than those of the Pegasus Civilization. But the Pegasus Civilization’s warships were simply too numerous, fully twice that of the America’s formation. Moreover, Xiao Yu could be certain that the Pegasus Civilization’s follow-up support fleets were rapidly on their way here. The longer he lingered, the more dangerous it would be.

“At this point, talk of hiding strength is nonsense. Very well, America, unleash all your power.” Xiao Yu murmured to himself, while controlling the Asia formation to engage the Expeditionary Army in fierce battle, controlling the Europe formation to hurry over in support, and at the same time commanding the America to strive for a breakout.

Beyond differences in size, mass, and firepower between Continent-Class and Nation-Class spaceships, there was another most important distinction. Because a Continent-Class spaceship was too vast and its facilities extremely complete, in interstellar war it did not appear solely as a pure combat asset. It simultaneously served as a repair base, a supply base, and a firepower core. Naturally, in interstellar wars of Level 5 peak civilizations, combat was carried out centered around Continent-Class spaceships.

So long as a Continent-Class ship was present, it would inevitably be the core of the entire battlefield.

At this moment, there were two Continent-Class spaceships on the battlefield. Thus two cores appeared. However, these two cores were displaced from the center of the battle. Not far away, Xiao Yu’s five hundred thousand rear guard ships were desperately blocking the rest of the enemy forces, using their lives to buy time for the America and certain other ships of significant value to break out.

“If I do not knock you out, it seems I cannot leave today.” Xiao Yu murmured. “Then I will take you down first. The America, being second only to the Asia within my fleet, I do not believe you can withstand the America’s attack.”

While Xiao Yu directed the America, coordinating with the escort fleet to strike at enemy ships that ceaselessly circled around him, he also slowly shifted position, closing in on the enemy Continent-Class ship.

At this moment, aboard the enemy fleet’s flagship, that Continent-Class ship, the frontline commander was in an urgent communication with the Supreme Leader.

“Supreme Leader, our two million ships can defeat this fleet of the Divine Ark Civilization, but we have no confidence that we can stop their breakout. You must dispatch at least an additional one million three hundred thousand ships and one more flagship-class spaceship. Only then can I achieve our strategic goal.”

“I order you to delay them at all costs and be sure to keep that flagship-class spaceship of the opponent here. The support fleet has been assembled and is en route.”

“We will do our best. Oh, not good. Supreme Leader, what is this weapon? Is this the space weapon?”

The frontline commander suddenly cried out. He had seen that black fine line suddenly appear upon the battlefield, which, after effortlessly slicing several hundred of his own ships into two, struck heavily upon the flagship he was aboard.

The effects caused by this space weapon were immediately compiled and presented before him as data. He stared in disbelief at the figures, a tremor in his voice. “Su… Supreme Leader, the power of the opponent’s space weapon exceeds what we previously imagined. I can endure at most three hours. If the support fleet has not arrived by then, at most I can keep back two hundred thousand of the opponent’s medium and small ships. I cannot keep that flagship-class spaceship…”

Before he finished speaking, another black fine line appeared.

Xiao Yu had already brought out his trump card weapon. Under such circumstances, if he did not use the space weapon, there was a real risk the America would be kept here.

Although the America was not as formidable as the Asia, the Continent-Class ship before it was also not as formidable as the flagship within the Expeditionary Army. The America could still suppress this ship before it.

Amid the ceaseless shuttling and clashes of small craft, amid the thunder of guns, Xiao Yu’s sight contained only this one ship. He knew that as long as he drove it back or destroyed it, he could escape from death.

The space weapon was fired one volley after another. Before each spatial rift struck its target, it would, along its path, incidentally slice open at least several hundred enemy ships. Facing the America’s assault, this flagship of the Pegasus Civilization resisted desperately, but unfortunately the weapons it mounted were ultimately a bit weaker and were completely unable to pose a threat to the Four-Dimensional shield mounted on the America.

Within this Continent-Class ship, engines, circuitry, instruments, and more had begun to be burned out. The situation was developing in a dire direction.

Between Continent-Class ships, the America held an absolute advantage. But in the clashes among medium and small ships, Xiao Yu’s side was being suppressed. There was no help for it. Although Xiao Yu’s ships were stronger than the enemy’s, they had not reached the point of matching two to one.

A Continent-Class ship constituted high-end combat strength. The progress of the high-end battle would influence the situation of the conventional battlefield and vice versa. After detaching five hundred thousand ships as the rear guard, Xiao Yu already felt pressure from insufficient escort strength.

“The rear guard line will likely be breached in thirty minutes. By then I will come under even greater pressure.” Xiao Yu fixed his gaze on the roadblock ahead and sent out wave after wave of spatial rift attacks.

The situation had reached a white-hot stage. Under the assault of the space weapon, if the Continent-Class ship before him could not hold for thirty minutes, Xiao Yu would be able to withdraw at least six hundred thousand ships, with minimal loss of various precious materials and intelligent beings. If it held for thirty minutes, then he would at most be able to withdraw two hundred thousand ships.

Black lines carved through the cosmos, emanating an awe-inspiring aura. Explosions roared without cease, flashes everywhere.

Time passed bit by bit. The Continent-Class ship that had blocked Xiao Yu’s way all along finally fell back. It truly could not withstand the continual space rift attacks. If it continued to endure, it might suffer severe damage, and in such a fierce battlefield, once severely damaged, destruction was essentially the end. It could not afford that consequence, and so it could only retreat.

“Then it is time to go.” Xiao Yu’s spirit lifted. With the America as the spearhead, he led these ships in a desperate retreat, rapidly departing the battlefield.

Once he left the battlefield, Xiao Yu did not worry too much about this sector. The cruising speed of Xiao Yu’s fleet was thirty-five times the speed of light, while the Pegasus Civilization’s ships could reach at most thirty times the speed of light. The only thing to watch out for was possible scattered interceptions along the way. However, with the America here, as long as they were cautious, no accidents should occur.

“Whew, at last we are out of here.” Xiao Yu exhaled in secret relief. Up to this point, he had withdrawn just over five hundred eighty thousand ships. Nearly three hundred thousand ships had been destroyed, and more than one hundred thousand ships were trapped on the battlefield and could not break away.

“Then let us put waste to use.” Xiao Yu thought to himself, directing those ships to launch attacks similar to suicide strikes against the Pegasus Civilization’s fleet, making a final struggle before death. When a ship was damaged to a certain degree, about to slip from his control and be captured by the Pegasus Civilization, Xiao Yu would decisively trigger the self-destruct system, preferring to destroy it himself rather than let it fall into enemy hands.

The final result was that, among those more than one hundred thousand ships, just over ten thousand were captured by the Pegasus Civilization. The rest were all destroyed, either annihilated by their self-destruct systems or blasted by the enemy. Over the course of the entire campaign, Xiao Yu had a total of just over forty thousand ships captured by the enemy.

“Just over forty thousand captured ships with some degree of damage.” Xiao Yu pondered. “I wonder how much of my technology you can analyze. Your Expeditionary Army of seven million ships, under the attack of ten million ships of the Divine Ark Civilization, how many will be destroyed and how many will be captured.”

“I want to see whether the technology you extract from mine is greater, or the technology I extract from yours is greater. Even if you do analyze more of my technology, it does not matter. I never intended to leave you time to digest it.”

“Pegasus Civilization, there is no longer any need for you to exist within this universe. I will destroy you all. This is the price for offending the Divine Ark Civilization.”