366: Chapter 367 Burning Blood and Silent Sword

The crimson light transformed from the Blood Fiend Old Demon illuminated half the sky.

It was no ordinary blood path Cultivation Technique; it was his final strike, exchanged for seven hundred years of his lifespan. All his blood Qi, all his cultivation, all his hatred were compressed into this single moment.

The face of the Celestial Court Star Lord finally changed.

"Madman!" he roared sharply, golden light erupting around him as he attempted to withstand this blow head-on.

The crimson light collided with the golden light.

There was no deafening explosion, only a teeth-grating 'sizzling' sound, like boiling oil poured on ice. The golden radiance trembled violently, being eroded and devoured bit by bit by the crimson light.

"DIE—FOR—THIS OLD MAN—!"

The voice of the Blood Fiend Old Demon came from deep within the crimson light, carrying seven hundred years of resentment, seven hundred years of pent-up frustration, and the exhilaration of his first true 'all-out fight' in seven centuries.

The golden light shattered.

The Star Lord's body was pierced through by the crimson light, a fist-sized hole appearing in his chest. He looked down at the hole in disbelief, then raised his head to gaze at the dissipating crimson light.

"You... will... die too..."

"I know," a light laugh came from within the crimson light, "but you first."

The Star Lord's body began to disintegrate, transforming into countless golden specks of light that drifted away on the wind.

The crimson light also completely dissipated.

The Blood Fiend Old Demon plummeted from mid-air, like a worn-out sack, crashing onto the scorched black ground.

By the time the Sword Maniac arrived, he could no longer speak. The skin all over his body was frighteningly ashen, his eyes half-open, gazing at the sky.

"Old Devil Head," the Sword Maniac crouched down, his voice hoarse.

The Blood Fiend Old Demon's lips moved slightly, but no sound emerged.

The Sword Maniac leaned down, bringing his ear close to listen.

"...sword... strike... made it worth it..."

Then, he moved no more.

His eyes remained open, looking towards the sky. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, as if smiling.

The Sword Maniac was silent for a long time.

Then he reached out his hand and gently closed the Blood Fiend Old Demon's eyes.

"Made it worth it," he said, "you made it worth it."

He stood up, lifting his longsword.

In the distance, more Celestial Court Heavenly Soldiers were surging forward. A golden tide, seemingly endless.

Looking at that tide, the Sword Maniac suddenly remembered the Blood Fiend Old Demon's favorite saying when he was alive:

"In this old man's life, I've tasted everything, except for taking a loss."

Now he had suffered the greatest loss—his very life was gone.

But he had also dragged a Star Lord down with him.

"No loss taken," the Sword Maniac said softly, "you truly took no loss."

Sword light rose once more.

This time, the Sword Maniac's Sword Intent had changed.

It was no longer the sharpness of a single sword strike to slay an enemy, but something deeper, more silent. With every sword he swung, a Heavenly Soldier fell, yet the Sword Maniac's gaze remained fixed on the distance—there, where the Blood Fiend Old Demon had fallen.

"I'll see you off."

He said softly.

The sword light was like a rainbow, piercing straight towards the heavens.

Rear base, safe house.

The tree root barrier grew thicker and thicker, but the attacks from the Celestial Thorn forces grew increasingly frenzied. They knew the longer they dragged it out, the greater the pressure on the main fleet.

"Concentrate firepower! Blast open that tree wall!"

Dozens of energy beams shot simultaneously at one section of the tree roots. Those silver-blue roots were scorched black, emitting a pungent odor, yet they stubbornly protected the small hut within.

"Again!"

Another volley.

Finally, one section of the roots could hold no longer, breaking apart to reveal a half-person-high gap.

"Charge inside!"

Several Celestial Thorn warriors squeezed through the gap, only to be met head-on by a flash of silver-white sword light.

Yun Zhi guarded the gap, her longsword like snow, cutting down one enemy with each strike.

Her white robes were already stained with blood—both the enemy's and her own. A deep, bone-revealing wound marred her left shoulder, a graze from an energy beam while covering the Little Girl. But she did not retreat a single step.

"Master Yun," the Little Girl's voice came from behind, "you're bleeding."

"It's nothing."

"Let me help you stop the bleeding, okay?"

Yun Zhi was momentarily stunned. Before she could react, she felt a warm power flow from behind, enveloping the wound on her left shoulder. The pain from the wound instantly lessened by more than half, and she could even see the flesh slowly healing.

"You..." She turned to look at the Little Girl.

The Little Girl held the Bright Fur Ball, her eyes closed, her small face taut with strain. The Bright Fur Ball's fur had completely lost its luster, clearly having exhausted all its energy.

"Bright Fur Ball says it can lend me a bit of energy," the Little Girl opened her eyes, forcing a weak smile, "to let me help Master Yun heal."

Looking at that pale-faced Little Girl, Yun Zhi felt as if something had struck her heart hard.

"Silly child..."

"I'm not silly," the Little Girl said seriously, "Uncle Wen said friends help each other. Master Yun is my friend, Bright Fur Ball is my friend too. You help me, I must help you."

Yun Zhi took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the longsword.

"Alright. Then we'll hold it together."

She turned around, facing the ever-widening gap, facing the enemies still attacking frantically outside.

"Come on then."

In the Hidden Dragon cockpit, Wen Youyi stared at the battle situation at the rear, his heart module pounding wildly.

The tree root barrier was breached. Yun Zhi was fighting bitterly at the gap. The Little Girl... the Little Girl was still using her last bit of energy to heal Yun Zhi.

"Aila, how much longer?"

"Thirty seconds!"

"Too long!"

He yanked the control stick violently. The Hidden Dragon executed a sharp turn, diving directly towards the gap.

"Wen Youyi!" Aila exclaimed, "At that speed, it will crash!"

"It won't crash!"

The Hidden Dragon plummeted like a silver-white meteor from high altitude. Outside the cockpit, the airflow violently tore at the hull, alarms blaring incessantly.

At the gap, several Celestial Thorn warriors were about to charge inside—

BOOM—!!!

The Hidden Dragon crashed directly among them. The hull plowed a deep trench in the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, Wen Youyi crawled out of the shattered cockpit, covered in blood, but clutching the master key tightly in his hand.

"Come on," he said.

The Celestial Thorn warriors were stunned for a second, then pounced simultaneously.

Wen Youyi raised the master key.

The master key erupted with a dazzling silver-white radiance—the final full-power output of the Star People legacy. The light transformed into countless slender beams, shooting with precision at every charging Celestial Thorn warrior.

The beams pierced through their bodies, like red-hot iron needles through thin paper.

Five. Ten. Fifteen.

The master key's radiance grew dimmer and dimmer.

The last Celestial Thorn warrior rushed before Wen Youyi, raising his weapon—

Wen Youyi blocked with the master key. The immense impact sent his entire body flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.

The master key slipped from his hand, rolling to the side.

That Celestial Thorn warrior stepped forward, raising his weapon, aiming at Wen Youyi's head.

"Target confirmed," he said coldly, "Wen Youyi, Class A threat. Eliminate."

Just as he was about to pull the trigger—

A silver-blue beam shot from behind him, piercing through his body.

He looked down at the smoking hole in his chest, his face full of disbelief.

"How... is this... possible..."

As he fell, he saw a tree.

A silver-blue tree had appeared at the gap at some unknown time. On one of its thick branches, a faint glow lingered after the attack.

The forest trees had caught up.

They were protecting the 'friend' who had once awakened them, in their own way.

Wen Youyi struggled to his feet, picking up the master key.

The master key had completely lost its radiance, resembling an ordinary piece of scrap iron.

"Thanks," he said to the tree.

The tree swayed a branch, as if in response.

Wen Youyi turned around, stumbling towards the safe house.

Yun Zhi stood at the entrance, bathed in blood, yet still smiling.

"Made it?" she asked.

"Made it," he said.

"The Little Girl is inside, she's fine."

"And you?"

"Still alive."

Wen Youyi nodded and walked into the house.

The Little Girl, holding the Bright Fur Ball, was huddled in a corner. Seeing him enter, her eyes lit up.

"Uncle Wen! You're here!"

"Mhm, I'm here."

He crouched down in front of the Little Girl, looking at her pale little face, suddenly finding himself at a loss for words.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

The Little Girl thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because you're all here."

Wen Youyi was momentarily stunned, then smiled.

"Yes, we're all here."

He stood up, looking out the window.

The battle outside continued. The Celestial Thorn forces' assault was temporarily blocked by the tree roots, but in the distance, the main fleet's offensive grew fiercer. The Law Field's energy had dropped to a critical point, it could hold out for at most another half-hour.

"Wen Youyi," Senior Brother Zhang's voice came through the comm channel, "the Seed Crystal is ready. When do we activate it?"

Wen Youyi was silent for a few seconds.

Once the Seed Crystal was activated, three hundred and seventy-four mid-to-high-level Celestial Court members would 'hesitate' at critical moments. But these three hundred and seventy-four individuals weren't necessarily all on the New Homeland battlefield. Some might be in distant galaxies, some might not even participate in this battle.

The timing of activation had to be precise.

Too early, and the enemy would be prepared.

Too late, and it would be useless.

"Wait a little longer," he said.

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for them to think victory is assured."

He stared at the dark golden sky outside the window, his gaze growing colder.

"Wait for them to commit all their forces, until there's no possibility of retreat."

In the distance, where the Blood Fiend Old Demon had fallen, the Sword Maniac was still fighting.

He had lost count of how many enemies he had slain. One hundred? Two hundred? It didn't matter.

What mattered was, he was still killing.

His sword was already chipped, the wounds on his body too many to count, but with every swing, an enemy fell.

"Old Devil Head," he murmured, "watch, I'll kill another hundred to accompany you."

Sword light rose again.

From the fissure in the sky, new enemy ships emerged.

The golden tide truly seemed endless.

But the Sword Maniac was still swinging his sword.

One sword, then another.

Until—

A golden pillar of light descended from the heavens, striking him squarely.

The Sword Maniac's body was engulfed by the pillar of light, disappearing within the blinding radiance.

The light dissipated.

On that scorched black earth, only a broken sword remained, slanted in the soil.

(End of Chapter)