Skyfire Avenue

Luo Xianni blinked sluggishly at him. “This is your father’s doing?”

Lan Jue nodded.

“Chi Bupang, you won this one,” she muttered.

Lan Jue’s protogenic manifestations had changed over time. His Discipline was thunderbolt, so he chose the moniker and likeness of the God of Lightning Zeus. When he re emerged onto the scene, although his ascension agreed with his powers it lacked the tempering needed.

Becoming a Paragon was always assured for Lan Jue. The question was how far he’d go afterward. Under Jue Di’s tutelage, with the thunder essence and the immortal qi within, he was guided to the source of the Emperor of the North Star. With help Lan Jue was given the most suitable dharma for his powers.

It seemed like the long months of suppression had finally paid off.

After his breakthrough Captus seemed less mysterious and inscrutable than it had been. Its secrets had begun to be revealed to him. Of course he would need time to stabilize his newfound powers, but right now there was a mission to complete.

Lan Jue’s communicator had been destroyed in the process. Only Thor’s Promise and other metallic and moisture-containing items had survived the electric fire. His modesty was preserved by the coagulation of his energy into the robe of the Emperor of the North Star.

Luo Xianni gave her communicator to him. He immediately dialed in his brother’s number.

“It’s done.” His report was two simple words.

“You broke through?” Came the response.

“Yeah.”

He was about to hang up when he heard his brother speak again. “Alright, Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Star of Purple Subtlety. Eleven words… not bad. Don’t worry, I won’t tease you too much.”

Lan Qing hung up before his brother could respond.

“You-“ He was speechless. Karma, it was revealed, was a real bitch. He had been merciless in the abuse of his brother for the name he inherited. Now look what that got him.

“Can we just call me the North Star?”

“Did you help when father gave me my name?”

“Fine, you win!” 1

Eleven words was eleven words, what’s the big deal!

All that had occurred on Angel had been visible even out in space. When the golden cloud appeared it lit up the far side of the planet. The aura it produced had frightened all the aliens nearby and sent them into a panic. That alone positively influenced the battle in humanity’s favor.

Out in space, humans had been in the weeds. An overwhelming number of alien enemies had been closing in on them inch by inch. Despite the pressure they’d held ranks and maintained their range advantage. Although humans were fighting on their back feet, the aliens were the ones who took the most punishment.

However if the aliens broke their line the situation would have quickly reversed. It would likely have become a massacre on par with the loss of the North’s Seventh Fleet.

But would Lan Qing give them the chance?

The moment that powerful, globular beast joined the fray human tactics changed. Or, more accurately, Middle Heaven rose to the occasion.

Deep blasts issued from the warplanet as it rushed into the enemy’s midst. Like a monumental cannonball it tore through their ranks. The humans watched, stunned and alarmed. They weren’t aware this was part of their strategy.

Although the bastion’s strength and defenses were formidable, the aliens were also more than your typical foe. Enough ants could kill an elephant. Once it was surrounded how would Middle Heaven protect itself from destruction? What’s more, they relied on the bastion for the success of the mission!

The aliens would not give up an opportunity to finish the fight in one strike. Middle Heaven’s brazen charge crushed a number of aliens, but scores more came swarming in to replace them. They came at Middle Heaven with their strongest attacks.

Then, all of a sudden, the bastion lit up on all sides. The honeycomb cannons that had been on just one side now appeared on practically every inch. It blazed like a star that was birthed in the center of the alien horde. The red light that poured from it threatened to outshine the nearby sun.

The heat and pressure warped everything within a certain radius. Red eventually gave way to incandescent white. Any alien caught within the scope of the blaze were immediately charred, their defenses incapable of withstanding such intense temperatures.

However the range of the burn wasn’t overly large, perhaps three thousand meters in every direction. After that the heat quickly dropped off, in sharp contrast to its earlier attack.

But don’t forget, the aliens were adept at close combat. In order to cause Middle Heaven any damage they had to crowd in, so the area around the bastion had been thick with enemies. The intensity of it was so sudden and so overbearing that what wasn’t immediately destroyed was temporary blinded by the light.

Countless numbers of alien creatures were killed in a matter of seconds.

In fact the force of it was such that even the temperature on Angel increased by several degrees.

Shocking was the only way to describe this sudden change. The other bastions and the twelve fleets had only been given one order. Shield your eyes.

It was an important order to follow, lest Middle Heaven’s daring act blinded their own people.

The white-hot fires easily consumed all beasts within range. The thick press of aliens that had rushed in was now a field of ash.

The light continued for a whole minute before eventually dampening. It left behind a smoldering Middle Heaven that seethed red and angry like a ball of flame. Its entire surface was an undulating field of golden red that warred with the frigid environment of space. The heat was so acute that it didn’t need defenses. Any alien that got close would sure burst into flames.

All around the bastion vital crystals twinkled in the red glow. They were all different – some large and some small – and they glittered like gems lain upon black velvet.

Suddenly there was an ear-piercing screech. The titanic beast that had nearly rushed in to attack Middle Heaven shook with rage. A powerful vacuum force was directed at Middle Heaven – not in the hopes drawing the bastion near, but to gather the scores of vital crystals around it.

The creature had made a quick and effective choice. It’d rushed in like the others to try and put the bastion down, but its reaction had been quicker. Once a living creature reached a certain level of power, it could sense dangerous intentions no matter who the enemy was.

When Middle Heaven charged into the horde the beast had made to meet it, but an ominous sensation stayed its reciprocation. This moment of hesitation had saved its life. Its smaller brethren, who rushed in to block its progress and attack, were no more.

Middle Heaven hovered in the pocket of clear space, making no attempt to recover the vital crystals on behalf of humanity. For the aliens, so long as they didn’t lose the vital crystals the destruction of a body meant little. The vital energy held within could fortify their numbers quickly.

Then space lit up once more. This time, though, it didn’t come from the bastion, but instead from behind it.

A beam of burning white light a thousand meters in diameter pierced the darkness and where it passed reality bent from the disruption. Rippled spread out all around them.

The beam was well aimed and struck the alien orb dead center. The creature’s vision and perception had been affected by Middle Heaven’s blaze, and so it didn’t have a chance to evade. Though the ominous sense had remained, without vision the monster assumed it was still Middle Heaven.

The attack was too sudden.

The white light ripped through its enormous body instantly, slicing through it like the beast wasn’t even there. Its passage swept away any smaller aliens caught in its path and though it persisted for less than a second, it had erased a huge swath of foes from existence.

On the heels of the beam came six crystal clear blue orbs. Their approach had been concealed by Middle Heaven’s girth until spreading out once they reached the battlefield. Each one of them was at least five hundred meters around, not terribly impressive to look at, like small crystal asteroids caught in Middle Heaven’s orbit.

1. It appears he forgot that Lan Qing hung up. Unless they’re sending snarky texts.