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Chapter 843: Reengage!

Lan Jue nodded. "Qianlin has a point. Sister, search with your consciousness. We'll protect you." As he spoke he took up Qianlin's hand.

So long as the two of them were together, they were confident in their combat abilities. In all of humanity, the only Paragon who surpassed them when they were hand in hand was Jue Di. In fact, if they were to use their Harmonious Swords even Jue Di wouldn't necessarily beat them in a fight.

This fact was part of the reason why they agreed to undertake this dangerous mission. If he'd really been in danger of being slain by the Violet Prince or Princess, Qianlin was prepared to reveal herself, and the two would have employed the full might of their swords without reservation.

The most dangerous part of their mission was after Lan Jue and the Pharmacist were captured and subdued. If their subjugators changed their mind, Qianlin would have had to face them herself.

ζ

While Lan Jue and his team were performing their task, humanity's armada had moved in to re-engage with the alien forces.

They received the communication from Lan Jue an hour before the operation was to commence. It surprised the leadership, but Lan Qing had ordered everyone on high alert two hours prior.

The three bastions ships were arrayed in their triangular formation to protect the fleets as they advanced. All together they slowly moved in toward the alien home worlds. Moments after Lan Jue gave his brother confirmation and analysis of their enemy, the admiral shared the data with Kang Hui and Hua Li. However, he did't share with them Lan Jue's true mission.

He also did not share with them the fact that their grand assault was also a distraction. It was a two-pronged approach; if the armada was able to defeat their enemies then grand, but if they lost Lan Jue was also fighting for their right to survive.

Lan Qing and his brother were blood. Especially since the both of them had become Paragons they were connected through this bond. At least up to this point Lan Qing could sense Lan Jue, and knew he was still alive. If he was still breathing so long after sending the last data dump, the signs were good. The plan was proceeding as they'd hoped, presumably, and there was still a chance.

In order to give his brother the best chance at survival, Lan Qing ordered a general offensive. Middle Heaven led the charge, anxious to break the lines and attack Europa. All of its cannons were on full display, but were not yet charging.

Star Division was already deployed, traveling among the fleet ships. They were responsible for the defense of the entourage behind Middle Heaven.

Among them were the recently organized Adept corps from the North. They were hand-picked by the Terminator, three thousand strong, and none of them lower than fifth level. They didn't hold a candle to Star Division, but were nonetheless a boon to have at one's side on the battlefield.

The Dark Citadel's remaining forces were also ready to engage. Only a few of them piloted mechas, one of them being Mika. She sat within the cockpit of her suit, Jezebel, regarding the scene with a calm expression.

She'd tried repeatedly to get in contact with Lan Jue, to no avail. She'd begun to worry for his safety until she received a message from her boss.

He told her that he'd been dispatched on a secret mission. No matter what happens, he instructed, he had to keep a level head and a steady heart. She couldn't allow herself to be swallowed up by the darkness.

Mika was less anxious after the message. She focused on the remnants of her father's power, the three hundred representatives of the Dark Citadel. It was a good company, with a fair number of strong fighters.

It was a bleaker situation for the Pontiff's Citadel. Metatron and a handful of Archangels were the only ones left by the Pontiff's side. Su Xiaosu, the one they called the Morning Star, was not among them. They knew where she was, but they also knew her new position. As chief of Star Division, there was no way they were getting to her.

Nothing was held back. Every soldier, every weapon was being prepared for the final fight. After five days, Poseidon was also ready to employ its humanoid transformation once more if needed. Middle Heaven's molinite core was also prepared for peak load.

The waiting had been grueling. For five long days everyone had been living under a cloud of anxiety. Since no one knew when the aliens would complete their evolution, every minute was agonizingly slow as they anticipated the worst.

Good news come to them from Angel. Several successful resupply shipments had come and gone, and the survivors were doing well. At least they wouldn't have to worry about looking after the survivors.

Everything was prepared for the final confrontation between man and monster. The time had come for victory or defeat to be determined. The finality of it settled over soldier and officer alike – billions of lives hung in the balance, and they were aware their chances of success were creeping closer to zero with each passing minute.

No one knew for certain when the home worlds would complete their evolution, however they knew this was their last chance to do something about it. Even if the North agreed to send more forces, time had run out.

This was to be the end, either way.

Lan Qing had made no attempts to hide the severity of it. He told everyone under his command that if they lost, humanity was lost.

The aliens did not float idly by as the armada approached. They moved in to intercept the fleet quickly.

The horde spread out across a wide breadth of space in a way similar to the formation they'd employed last time. Both flanks were populated by typical alien soldiers and their central core were the elite. This time, it was the Violet Prince and Princess who led them.

The Violet Princess' expression was particularly frigid, and a deeply murderous glint lived in her eyes. An elusive human sensation had been within her grasp and these meddlesome soldiers had interrupted her. She was full of an unspeakable rage.

As many as twenty two avatars stood by their side. Twenty four of the mightiest enemies humanity had ever faced stood between the last hope of mankind and their ultimate victory. Five of them commanded the power of the Infinite.

In many ways a creature of Infinite-level power was equivalent to a bastion ship. Middle Heaven was about as good as two, maybe three. In the fight to come it would come down to mastery of command.

But small and powerful was a deadly combination on the battlefield. That was why Paragons were so highly regarded by military leaders.

The two sides neared. Tyrannosaurus spun its lumbering body to position its main cannon – targeting the cluster of elite aliens.

Suddenly a harsh orange light began to flicker around Middle Heaven. It looked like it was preparing to charge.

The support fleets were in tight formation and their weapons were trained on the enemy forces, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Their shields were also engaged a full strength which covered them in shimmering shells of opaque light. They waited with baited breath.

A cold light radiated from the Violet Prince's eyes. He glared at Tyrannosaurus but made no indication he was going to dodge its deadly blast.

Kang Hui stared back, seated within the bastion's control center. Lan Qing's face was on the screen beside him as they spoke through their dedicated channel.

"Begin!" Lan Qing gave the order, cold and somber. But to Kang Hui, for some reason, it sounded almost fervent.

"Firing main cannon!" Kang Hui slammed his hand onto the red button in front of him.

A shudder rumbled through Tyrannosaurus. Then, the cannon released a deafening blast as it fired at the alien commanders.

A column of white light spat forth that carved a stark path through space. Flagrantly it blazed towards its target.

In the same instant, Middle Heaven made its move.

An eruption of orange light brighter than ever before was belched from its rear. The warplanet was catapulted forward at tremendous speed. Swarms of drones tumbled from the hangars but didn't follow the bastion. Instead they spread out and returned to where the rest of the armada waited as though abandoning ship.

Middle Heaven and Tyrannosaurus attacked at nearly the same moment. As the Eastern bastion barreled towards its foes it glowed with a blinding orange light in much the same way as before. It looked like it could erupt into its Solar Flare at any moment.

How powerful was a bastion's main cannon? Strong enough that an alien planet would avoid it by any means necessary. They wouldn't dare risk a directly blow.

Lan Qing's opening gambit was a simple one; attack with Tyrannosaurus' strongest attack and send Middle Heaven in for a kamikaze run. If the aliens didn't stop him, he would turn An Lun into the most terrifying bomb in all of human history and obliterate Europa. He would sacrifice Middle Heaven if it meant blowing the alien planets into dust.

Chapter 844: Control

The information sent back by Lan Jue confirmed all of Lan Qing's suspicions. The alien home worlds were nearing the end of their evolution process. Destroying Europa would not only prevent their evolution, but may also fatally wound or even destroy them.

Before the battle Lan Qing ordered everyone off the bastion, leaving only a skeleton crew.

Most of the soldiers abandoned the bastion aboard its drones. Those who could pilot mechas were already out among the fleet. Normal mecha pilots weren't very effective against the aliens, but in a battle like this even the smallest advantage could earn the humans victory.

The Violet Prince's face was a scowling mask as he watched Tyrannosaurus' attack and Middle Heaven heading his way. It wasn't that he didn't want to avoid them, he couldn't.

He and the other elite aliens were able to intercept human messages through psionic waves. Through the consumption of human genetic material he could understand their language, even how they thought.

In the process of commanding the humans, their admiral Lan Qing had used the most direct methods of communication with his subordinate, Kang Hui. The alien leader was able to uncover their plans without much effort at all, even the condition of Middle Heaven and its molinite core.

Then Lan Qing ordered his troops off the bastion. The Violet Prince knew only a few souls were left, the bare minimum needed to pilot the war machine. It was open tactics, equivalent to Lan Qing looking them in the eye and saying 'this is my plan, what do you plan to do about it?'

The Violet Prince couldn't afford any risks, for he knew the power contained in Middle Heaven. If it were allowed to approach Europa, the damage to the home worlds would be horrific. He couldn't be sure it would destroy his masters outright, but at the very least it would ruin their plans for evolution.

The aliens had prepared this moment for hundreds of years. Centuries of planning and gathering resources. At last final victory was within their grasp.

If their evolution failed it would be nothing short of a disaster. Who knew how long it would take for them to acquire the resources necessary to try again, or whether the home worlds could continue to hide away from the cruel lash of universal protogenia.

Humans were not the only ones fighting for survival. For the aliens, this moment would also define the future of their species.

The Prince realized that dodging Tyrannosaurus' blast left the way open for Middle Heaven. He had no choice, he had to face the enemy head on.

The beast upon which the Prince road belched a roar that shook the pillars of heaven [1. Yes.]. It's hideous, thirty-thousand meter long body lurched forward while the Prince, Princess, and three Infinite-level home world avatars were surrounded by an aura of purple.

Five shimmering orbs of light fused into one, forming an enormous void of black that blocked the bastion's path forward. The beast that had conveyed the Violet Prince was ripped into countless chunks of bloody meat, which subsequently became orbs of crackling dark energy. They coalesced into a single orb which was then fired at Middle Heaven.

The war was underway.

The alien leadership feared no sacrifice. The Prince readily forfeit a near-Infinite level creature to attack the human bastion and warded its progress with his own body. Potential fatal were the attacks from Tyrannosaurus and Middle Heaven, but he stood in their path regardless.

The Violet Prince was wise, and he knew the humans let their plans slip on purpose. It was all in order to let that planet-sized bastion through. Yet for all his intelligence he was left with no options. Protecting the home worlds was his primary objective, and nothing could threaten their evolution. What if this machine-planet hybrid – which had already surprised them on numerous occasions – actually managed to succeed?

He knew this was their plan all along, yet he had to face it on their terms. However he was confident the humans wouldn't expect him to sacrifice one of his own top warriors to contend with the threat of Middle Heaven. He knew how important this one bastion was to the human defense forces, and destroying it would weaken his prey by at least half.

Everything happened quickly, almost too fast to keep track of.

First was the blast from Tyrannosaurus' main cannon. , a column of searing light that pierced the center of the alien's Domain. As the power of the bastion's gun came crashing onto them all of the alien leaders – including the Prince and Princess – scowled in dismay.

They were powerful, yes, but the main cannon from a bastion ship was unparalleled in the world of human weaponry! It possessed enough destructive energy to easily obliterate a planet.

Crackling sparks of power snakes across the surface of the aliens' power as it struggled to ward off the attack. It threatened to collapse at any moment. The five powerful aliens poured all of their strength into maintaining the vortex. Tyrannosaurus was capable of sustaining continuous fire from its cannon for a full minute. Its targets would have to hold out for at least that hold.

Meanwhile the remains of the titan were closing in on Middle Heaven. A figure appeared in space outside of the ship, followed shortly after by a gateway of pink light. The portal was as lofty as it was sudden, but vanished the moment the aliens' attack passed through it. Another portal appeared and spat the attack back out, only this time it was aimed back at the enemy forces.

The bastion's defender was none other than the Photographer, master of space-time – Luo Xianni.

Long before becoming a Paragon of the Infinite, Luo Xianni had perfected her art. Her gateways were capable of absorbing and redirecting all sorts of energy – even living creatures – at a whim. As her power grew, she was capable of altering ever more powerful flows. By now she could transfer the entire fleet if she pushed herself.

Of course the larger her target, the shorter the distance she could move it and the more likely problems were to arise. This time the two sides were close, so her biggest struggle was the sheer amount of energy she was trying to redirect.

When the orbs reappeared they were struck by arcs of copper light. Although they emerged from Luo Xianni's portal intact, the blow from the golden cudgel made them unstable. The orbs erupted into violent bursts of dark energy.

Sacrificing the life of a thirty-thousand meter long beast produced a staggering amount of energy. Not only was it replete with the Birth and Destruction Discipline of its race, but also tremendous destructive power. As it grew unstable and erupted, huge swaths of space became bogs of sticky, corrosive energy.

All aliens caught in the 'mire', no matter how strong, were quickly dissolved.

Luo Xianni was artful in her manipulation. The orbs appeared directly in front of one wing of the alien horde, thus turning a potential threat against Middle Heaven into a screen that prevented the aliens from assaulting it.

The aliens had raced ahead with their whole strength, and the counterattack was too sudden for them to stop. Scores of the monsters raced headlong into caustic cloud that stretched tens of thousands of meters across. Their death strengthened the mire and caused it to grow.

Luo Xianni appeared before Middle Heaven, her face pale. Errant bolts of pink energy crackled around her, dangerous and unstable. Creating and manipulating that portal had been debilitating and for the time being she was too weak to continue. She observed her handiwork for a moment, then returned to the bastion to recover.

The explosion, and the deadly cloud it created, barred a third of the alien horde from joining the fray. Most had stopped before rushing headlong to their death, but it would take them a few moments to circumvent the deadly area. Suddenly the alien formation and their defensive plans were thrown into chaos.

Who was Lan Qing, but the lauded God of Wisdom? He would not let such a fine opportunity go to waste. Once he saw his mother's achievement he began to shout a string of orders.

Twelve fleets let their weapons go hot, firing into the flank that wasn't barred by the corrosive cloud. Capital ships kept up a hail of fire with total disregard of energy stores. In the space of a breath, a barrage of punishing laser fire was bearing down on their enemy.

Lan Qing had warned Kang Hui and the other commanders against being conservative in the final fight. Now was not the time to be economical with their weaponry. They had to execute the alien menace with extreme prejudice, hit them with everything they had. That was the path to victory.

The smallest patrol boat to the largest Capital ship, all of them needed a cooldown period after continuous fire. It came down to frequency, so the earlier in the fight they depleted their payload, the sooner they could recover for a second volley.

For this reason Lan Qing held nothing back, not for this battle. Tyrannosaurus' guns proved more than effective, not by eliminating enemy forces but by keeping the alien elite out of the fight.

Chapter 845: The Art of War

Conditions on a battlefield changed quickly. It took only a minute for Lan Qing to react with a string of commands.

The right wing of the alien horde was blocked by the corrosive cloud they themselves created. Their left wing was coming under heavy bombardment from the armada that turned their frontlines into purple mist.

Still, the aliens had the upper hand when it came to total strength. Their elites were more numerous and more powerful, though the number of lower tier beasts had been significantly reduced after the last encounter.

With their right lost behind a deadly cloud and their left being punished by starship cannons, the aliens were at a disadvantage.

Faint golden light flickered near the right wing, followed by a voice. "Bigger – bigger – bigger!" Each cry made the golden light gleam brighter until it was revealed as an enormous staff. The Chinese character 大 [1. Big.] was etched on its shaft.

The Compliant Rod! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruyi_Jingu_Bang]

The staff stretched thousands of meters in the space of an instant. It began to fall, then swept a golden path through space.

The aliens behind the cloud had been scattered, their formation broken. Most of them were trying to move over the top of the deadly area when the staff appeared. The aliens directly in its path were slowly ground into nothing just by the presence of it. Jue Di's Compliance Rod had no special qualities, just unadulterated force. Enough to erase its foes from existence.

Total annihilation! That was the only way to describe it.

Jue Di's frigid expression was covered beneath a sheen of golden fur. Copper light flickered around him in a half-real shell. The Compliance Rod moved at his command.

Lan Qing knew from the start that a direct confrontation – like last time – offered only a remote chance of victory. Even if they won here, their remaining forces were unlikely to be strong enough to destroy the alien home worlds.

This time, his strategy would need to be different.

His foes were intelligent, of this there was no doubt. However where they different from humanity was in their homogenous nature. Every alien was designed for slaughter, for consumption, in order to feed their evolution.

Humans, however, were unique even on an individual basis. They didn't have the dogged, singular focus of the aliens but they made up for it in diversity. Each human brought their own advantages.

Such is the art of war! Passed down from the ancient days of China was the knowledge of Sun Bin [2. A descendant of Sun Zi, who is attributed to be the author of the Art of War.], the lauded commander and author of the Thirty-Six Stratagems [3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Six_Stratagems. There is some debate as to the true author, though Sun Bin is one possibility.]. Even all these years later, the truth contained in the pages of that book applied.

Lan Qing was employing a variation on Tainji's horseracing strategy. [4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Ji]

Your elite outnumber ous? We cannot face you directly, instead we shall avoid the weakness and strengthen our advantages.

The allies' forces greatest advantage was their range. Even Infinite-level aliens didn't have a means to fight back from a distance. This was a fact Jue Di had revealed to Lan Qing long ago.

Few were the adepts capable of contending against the alien forces. Nor were their soldiers in any great position. But at least as it applied to the normal aliens their range advantage made the gap negligible.

Lan Qing's tactics were to remove the monster's fangs and claws; take away their strengths and then deal with the alien leadership on more even terms.

Tyrannosaurus' main cannon was a distraction. Luo Xianni was the only Paragon aboard Middle Heaven. Jue Di had been hiding in the darkness of space awaiting the perfect moment to strike. As for the other Paragons…

Once the armada's bombardment of the left flank ceased, several figures could be faintly discerned in its vicinity. Each one of these mysterious figures radiated with power.

Two positron cannon explosions suddenly lit up the area like a pair of miniature suns. Half a moment later the Wine Master, Clockmaker, Terminator, Pontiff, Pauper, Driver, Gourmet, and the Wine Masters made their move.

None of them held back.

A nightmare of destruction descended upon the aliens, so inferior to the Paragons that they had no option but to die in agony. The humans spent nothing but sweat to put them down, and the whole process took no more than a dozen seconds.

By the time the Violet Prince and Princess could react, both wings of their horde were decimated.

Aliens had always maintained the advantage over human forces, ever since the start of this conflict. It made them complacent, their tactics weak. Especially after the crushing defeat they delivered to the humans in the North.

The three bastions Lan Qing led now were a far cry from the eight the aliens faced before. Hardly worth considering, in their estimation. Yes, the humans had won some victories. However, as far as the Prince and Princess were concerned, they were flukes and easily reversed.

But in the course of the last two battles humanity had proven more tenacious, more deadly. Only now was the Violet Prince seeing the allied forces for the threat they were. He was surprised at how cunning the humans had suddenly become.

In truth Lan Qing's original plan had been more complicated, and arguably less effective. But the Violet Prince had been eager for a quick and decisive victory. Sacrificing one of his own had created an opportunity which the humans exploited.

Who was Luo Xianni? It was important to remember that she was one of the founders of Skyfire Avenue. When she saw the opportunity to make the aliens pay she took it, and created the best situation for her people that she could.

Above the cacophonous din of his soldiers dying, the Violet Prince released a howl of his own. The other elite – those not resisting Tyrannosaurus' cannon fire – split off to join the fight in either wing. Three made their way to Jue Di, while the rest left to deal with the other Paragons.

Tyrannosaurus' sustained cannon fire was beginning to wane, and as it got weaker the murderous fury in the Prince's eyes grew. If his prey had the gall to invade his horde and slaughter his soldiers, he would do the same to them.

But before he could retaliate his eyes were filled with shimmering blue light. Six enormous orbs were headed his way.

Poseidon's Soft Water bombs were en route!

The Prince and the others were too busy battling the power of Tyrannosaurus to keep track of Middle Heaven's exact position. The Violet Prince's first order of business was to pinpoint this bastion, which he determined was the most dangerous enemy. But Poseidon didn't give him a chance. Its Soft Water bombs came right on the heels of Tyrannosaurus' cannon.

Want to fight back? It wasn't going to be that easy!

There was no comparison between the lethality of Poseidon's Soft Water bombs and Tyrannosaurus' main cannon. The cost in energy and resources that went in to just six bombs was astronomical. They were also imbued with vital energy, making them particularly deadly to alien forces.

The Violet Prince could not hesitate or delay. Now he had another bastion to contend with.

Tyrannosaurus' energy beam was not yet completely depleted, so he couldn't dodge out of the way. Suddenly he felt like a spider caught in its own web. If he'd dodged Tyrannosaurus' attack from the outset he wouldn't be caught like this.

Middle Heaven also engaged its primary weapons systems, just moments before Poseidon's bombs arrived.

Lan Qing fired the weapons himself.

If one looked closely, they might spy a faint golden haze hanging over Middle Heaven as it tore through space. That wasn't a manifestation of the bastion's power, that light came from Lan Qing's Vairochana dharma.

Throughout human history there had never been a Paragon who was also a bastion commander. Lan Qing was the first. As such he was the only one who knew how to manipulate the ship with his own protogenia.

This time Middle Heaven's main weapons were completely different than before. Roughly a third of its front-facing guns were fired, releasing a flash of orange light. They seared through space until joining some distance in front of the bastion. Once joined, the orange light became a strange conglomeration of hues.

Pink and orange mingled among one other, encompassed by a faint sheen of gold. 'Orange-gold' was the best way to describe it.

The threads of tungsten that came from Middle Heaven's guns were bright and non-transparent. When they combined they created a sustained beam no bigger than the light from a single small cannon, but the orange-gold energy was crystal clear. It was stunningly beautiful, but also incredibly deadly.

The attack had a name: Terminal Ray.

They'd come up with the plans for it when Middle Heaven was still An Lun. It took ten years of research to complete. Compression without explosion, cohesion and distillation. That was the only way to describe how Terminal Ray worked.

Lan Qing urged Middle Heaven forward, risking the wrath of the alien planets, and it seemed about to pay off. The East's ultimate bastion was as versatile as it was powerful, and that was where its danger lay.

To use Poseidon as a comparison, it was created through the blood, sweat and tears of the Poseidon Group. Nothing was spared in its construction. This was also true for Middle Heaven whose construction was driven by the Eastern Alliance. Once Middle Heaven's inherent benefits were revealed, Eastern scientists used all of their knowledge and analyses to reach a single conclusion: they could build the North's worst nightmare. A ship that was more terrifying than five of their bastions put together.

Chapter 846: Terminal Ray

The hopes and dreams of the Eastern people were in every bolt of that bastion ship. Their alliance had been stuck under the thumb of the North for years, waiting for the opportunity to rise above their oppressors in a single brilliant move.

This is why although Middle Heaven already proved its might several times over in battles past, it still had more surprises in store.

And Terminal Ray was nothing short of devastating. Lan Qing's plan had been to save revealing it for a surprise attack on the alien home worlds! Now, though, his target was different.

That relatively insignificant line followed in the wake of Poseidon's Soft Water explosions. However the burning trail it blazed was not pointed at the Violet Prince or Princess. Jue Di had explained to Lan Qing that the connection between them and the home worlds was exceedingly close. There existed the possibility they would be teleported to safely if their lives were threatened.

A weapon that could kill an Infinite-level alien could still be resisted for a time. At least long enough for the home worlds to react.

Terminal Ray was a danger, but also a great burden on Middle Heaven. A single use consumed nearly everything in the bastion's stores.

There was no one around to witness it, but if there had been witnesses in the bastion they would have found Lan Qing with eyes blazing gold. Before him was a smaller figure - that of Jun'er.

She held her astrum, the Eye of Tomorrow, aloft in her tiny hands. Her body was encased by the nurturing energy of Lan Qing's power. His own hands danced like butterflies over the controls before him. Several screens in the area around him began to flicker and change.

Terminal Ray was guided by the power of prophecy and assessment. Both were used to aim the laser where it was needed most.

The orange gold ray blazed for but a moment. Unlike Terminator's shot, which went on for a time, Terminal Ray was gone in a blink. It passed through a cluster of five aliens, and little else.

Those were the aliens dispatched by the Violet Prince to reinforce his flank. When the light flit passed them they did not react. On the contrary, they grew very still.

For ten seconds no one moved. Then, fleck by fleck, the avatars crumbled away and spread out through space as a fine ash. In a single shot five Nirvana-level beasts were erased, sending a shock through the alien forces.

The aliens' greatest advantage was in strength and numbers. They had more Infinite-, and Nirvana-level warriors than the humans by far.

In the moments after Middle Heaven's attack, the Violet Prince and Princess felt their breath catch in their throats. A palpable fear swept through them just as Poseidon's payload was beating down.

Middle Heaven broke off its charge after eliminating the avatars. The peeled quickly to the side, toward Jue Di and the horde's right flank. Between the scourge of the corrosive cloud and Jue Di's attack, the right wing was nearly crushed. But the beasts were many, more than Jue Di could destroy in a single strike.

As Middle Heaven bore down on its remnants, it engages its secondary weapons. Those monsters witch slipped passed Jue Di were faced with the firepower of the bastion.

Within Middle Heaven's control room Lan Qing had returned to normal, and Jun're had found a place nearby to sit quietly. The ship shook from the cost of using its ultimate weapon.

Lan Qing was nothing if not efficient. A single shot and not only had he reduced the number of his powerful adversaries, but also terrified them. He wanted them to know they weren't invincible. If Lan Jue were not down among the alien planets somewhere now, he would have preferred to save it as a surprise strike on the home worlds themselves.

Chapter 847: Gaze of Gold and Fire

If the Violet Prince and Princess joined their brethren in an attack on Middle Heaven, the bastion was doomed. The two of them burst onto the field after breaking free from suppressive fire, summoning a screen of purple-black energy. The screen blocked the alien warriors from Middle Heaven's railgun fire and even reflected the blasts back toward their origin.

Once pressure on their flank was eased the alien forces surged ahead. Their target was the bastion. A seething hatred burned in the Prince's eyes as he led the charge. These hateful humans must be destroyed!

His avatar generals had been so thoroughly destroyed by the bastion that even their vital crystals were disintegrated. Each one of those doppelgangers were repositories of tremendous energy, now lost. Such energy would be needed to support the home worlds after their evolution, in order to create the universe they envisaged.

Losing five avatars was a sharp blow.

Middle Heaven couldn't retreat as fast as the aliens could advance. As the two sides neared a clash seemed fated.

All of a sudden a host of drones came screaming passed, enough to blot out the horizon. They were Middle Heaven's ships, reinforced with drones from Poseidon. They came in guns blazing, pummeling the monsters with miniaturized Soft Water bombs and laser cannons. Zones of glittering crystal blue were pierced by burning laser trails.

The sudden addition of thirty thousand fighter drones changed the dynamics on the field. The alien horde was violently blocked in their charge by the hail of fire, and even the generals found their path forward blocked by smears of golden light. Jue Di.

Jue Di was a conduit of his enormous power. His body was covered in course golden hair, and his Compliant Staff glinted dangerously in his hand. The mighty weapon seemed capable of splitting the universe in two.

The Violet Prince paused in a moment of fear. The first time they met the Paragon nearly killed him. It was Monarch who saved him then, with a timely intervention.

At the time his transformation into human form was still new, his powers had not completely adapted. Still the Prince knew he was no match for this human. Jue Di was the strongest foe he'd ever encountered.

Jue Di's eyes were wells of burning golden light. He swept them across the field and over the alien elite, who each felt his gaze pierce them.

They couldn't control themselves or hold back. Suddenly their humanoid shapes gave way and their bodies swelled, revealing their true selves. At three thousand meters long each the field quickly grew crowded. Chaos ensued as the alien formation was jostled around.

Gaze of Gold and Fire! One of Jue Di's penultimate dharmic abilities.

The Paragon pointed forward with his staff, and suddenly he was a flash of sparkling golden light. Before anyone could react he shot across the field, reappearing above the Violet Prince. He hovered there for a moment with a tyrannical presence so intense it rivaled the weight of a mountain.

UpEnder! [1. http://www.wuxiaworld.com/sfl-index/skyfire-avenue-chapter-628/]

The Violet Prince felt his breath catch in his throat. Crushing pressure bore down on him, on everything around him, and even before Jue Di's attack arrived the Prince felt like his body might explode.

As the pressure mounted the Prince felt the changes in his Domain. His powers hinged on the play between creation and destruction, but the creation portion of his powers were being staunchly suppressed. With half of it locked away the Prince's Domain was under the enemy's thumb. He could also feel the acute danger of universal protogenia coalescing around them. But if he was feeling it so was Jue Di – it was a danger that threatened them both.

The Violet Prince lifted his arms high, and his eyes burned with violet power. Suddenly his humanoid body exploded to monstrous proportions. Beside him the Violet Princess was also changing, though her transformation was more dramatic. Her body shimmered with violet and golden light as it reshaped itself into a herculean blade before settling in the Prince's hand.

His reaction was quick. The moment the sword touched his palm the Prince heaved it at the Compliant Rod and the two crashed into one another.

Boom--!! An explosion of residual power burst out in all directions once the two weapons met. It was so intense the newly transformed avatars were blasted backward, so say nothing of the normal aliens which were summarily torn to shreds.

In the darkness of space dark gold and purple gold battle for supremacy. The more they fought against each other the wider their sphere of warring power grew. Jue Di – with nothing but a stick – was holding back the leaders of the enemy horde.

Jue Di hovered in space, unchanged. Across from him the hate-filled eyes of the Prince glared back. Neither budged.

The human moved first, whipping his body halfway around and striking thrice with his staff. It was so fast the images of their passing hung in the air for a moment as light struggled to catch up, fast as lightning.

The Prince was quick, but even still he only had time to lift up the Princess-sword in his hand to try and ward off the blows.

Boom- boom- boom! Three ear-piercing explosions followed one after the other. The other alien elite had just recovered from the last explosion and were suddenly blasted backward again.

Three Thunderclap Impact!

With so many powerful foes pitted against him, Jue Di had to keep the situation under his control. He couldn't take them all at once.

The Violet Prince took three staggering steps back before steadying himself. A faint ringing reverberated from his sister-turned-weapon.

With some space between them Jue Di's staff stretched to three times its original length. The monkey-like Paragon whipped it around him to carve out a circle. When it was completed he sensed within it the enigmatic power of yin and yang joined together. To the aliens it was a chaotic vortex.

In response the alien general cut wildly through the air to one side and a half-moon shock-wave of power was released. It produced a tear in the fabric of space and time to protect him from the vortex's influence. However the lesser aliens were not so lucky, as they were thrown violently about by the chaotic forces.

Meanwhile bolts of azure blue had started to rain upon the right flank. Poseidon had repositioned and was joining the fight on this front. So far it had not employed its mecha transformation and was still using traditional weapons fire. Together with Middle Heaven it was effective in keeping the enemy at bay.

On the other side of the battlefield humanity was gaining an edge. Paragons, fleet ships, and Tyrannosaurus hammered the left flank with everything in their arsenals. Under such an overwhelming offensive the aliens were losing ground. They couldn't get close enough to do any damage, but they were being obliterated.

Once Jue Di's circle was drawn he stood still behind it. Continuous, high-level combat had captured the attention of universal protogenia and he was feeling it.

After so long the Paragon knew his body intimately. He was drawing on the progenitor's vital crystal to support his life energy, but it was still being drained. He was only one man, and by virtue of his power alone he was holding back nearly all of the enemy's strongest. It was not getting easier as time went on.

Chapter 848: Jue Di the All-Powerful

Other than Lan Qing himself, Jue Di was the only one who knew the whole battle strategy. The Violet Prince's estimations had been correct in that if he hadn't blocked Tyrannosaurus' shot – if he'd elected to dodge – Lan Qing had been ready to turn Middle Heaven into a weapon. Terminal Ray would have been used to carve a path, and the bastion would detonate itself against the home worlds and Europa.

With Luo Xianni aboard, they would have been teleported to safety before the detonation could claim them. The plan had been dangerous, but the chances of the alien planets escaping from such a dramatic play unscathed were slim to none.

Though it required Lan Qing to gamble with his life, Jue Di knew his son was ready to give his life for the cause.

When the admiral had discussed his plans with Lan Jue he'd been the picture of calm, but in fact his heart was in turmoil. As commander he had to send his only brother into the heart of the enemy's forces, perhaps to die. He had no choice despite the stabbing protests in his heart.

In secret Lan Qing had told his father that he would not retreat until Lan Jue returned safely. He would give his life to give his brother a chance, if necessary. This made him more dangerous than the aliens realized for he could detonate Middle Heaven at any moment, and as captain of the ship he would not be easily convinced to abandon ship.

At the time Jue Di had said little. But as a father how could he stand by and watch his son with his own eyes? His greatest pride was his two sons and the men they had become, even more than his own accomplishments. If they survived the conflict those young men would grow to be more powerful than he ever was. Perhaps they could even create an immortal realm and live forever.

Lan Qing wasn't the only one willing to give up his life for the opportunity of another's future.

The Violet Prince appeared like a ghost before Jue Di. He could sense that the human was suffering greater than he from the pressure of universal protogenia. Jue Di's life energy was weakening.

At last he was free from the power of the humans' strongest deterrents and could take the offensive. In combination with the Princess-blade he was sure he could at least entangle Jue Di and keep him from wreaking havoc on the battlefield. Once the avatars could rejoin the fight the tide would change in their favor. The bastions would be destroyed, then they could deal with the situation on their other flank.

Clang! The ringing sound burst through the air. This time it was Jue Di who staggered backward.

With the strength he possessed Jue Di could defend himself with few worries, even with the Prince and Princess attacking together. However it had been many long years since his ascension to the Infinite, and the punishment that universal protogenia had wrought on him had only gotten stronger with time. The effect on his vital energy was severe. Now, after fighting so hard with all of his might, the cost was tremendous. Were it not for his dharmic reflection one would see his hair had gone completely white.

"Release!" Jue Di growled the word, and a burst of energy issued from his astrum. Beams of light illuminated tens of thousands of mirror images of the Compliant Rod hovering in space around them.

Ward of the Jade Palace! Lost knowledge of the Staff of a Thousand Strikes style – and among its most draining moves [1. This one really sent me down the rabbit hole. When looking up the strange combination of character it lead me to a poem by none other than Mao Zi Dong. I'm sure I'm not doing it justice but I'm reading it as; The Golden Monkey bears his cudgel / The dust clears ten thousands li around the Jade Palace / We cheer the arrival of the Great Sage Sun (the monkey king) / For the monsters have come again. According to what I read on the internet this was written as an artistic way for Chairman Mao to decry the actions of the Soviet Union who, at the time, was disparaging of the Chinese communist system. It's meant, I think, to evoke the imagery of the great monkey king clearing away all enemies.]

Once more the Violet Prince was thrust back, and the other elite were forced farther from the confrontation.

Dazzling light blazed in Jue Di's eyes as the golden light around him was released to create a vortex of energy so mighty it threatened to swallow everyone up on both sides. His already tyrannical aura surged by several orders of magnitude that manifested in a supernova of energy.

Reality around him rippled from the strain. Universal protogenia was thick in the air and its promise of complete destruction washed over the Violet Prince like a suffocating tide. He stumbled backward in fear.

Normal aliens and humans existed without fear of universal protogenia. It was of no concern unless one reached vaulted heights of power, and only then did one learn to appreciate and fear it.

Lan Qing watched from within Middle Heaven's control room. Throughout the battle his features had been calm, even cold. But now he stared in nervous surprise. He knew what Jue Di was doing.

"Father!" Lan Qing couldn't stop himself from gasping in alarm. Emotions roiled within him, outside of his control.

A gentle hand fell upon his shoulder. When Lan Qing turned he saw the tear-streaked face of Luo Xianni.

"You must continue to command your troops. Don't lose focus." She said in a soft voice.

"You knew?" He asked through his shock.

She answered him with a smile that was full of sadness and pain. "A parent cannot sit by and watch their children give their lives. We are willing to face any danger to ensure your safety. He made this decision a long time ago, anxious for the opportunity even. He's been deceiving you – those crystals we've found have only ever had a very limited effect on his vital energy. For years he's been one step away from godhood, and has struggled against universal protogenia because of it. In ten seconds he's going to perform a miracle just for you. Don't squander it, child."

Lan Qing's body shook visibly, but the light in his eyes was resolute. Whatever pain was eating him up within he couldn't show, for he was the leader of humanity's last stand. The soul of their resistance. If he broke down now his father's sacrifice would be for nothing.

He forced himself into a state of numb serenity and proceeded to deliver a string of orders. Middle Heaven began to fire in earnest, but ignored the elite aliens. Poseidon began the process of its transformation.

The halo of light around Jue Di grew more intense as time stretched on. Universal protogenia – typically invisible – aggregated around him in rippling streamers of light as it tried to constrain the Paragon. So far it was unable to stem his flood of power.

Jue Di's body began to shrink until he returned to his normal size. Then, a strange energy pulsed out from him that erased the shell of copper light he emitted. It was replaced by a soft white-gold haze.

"Immortal qi… so this is what it feels like." The ghost of a smile touched Jue Di's lips. Beneath the shimmering light he looked like a man in his twenties with a handsome heroic face. Red light flickered in and out of existence behind his eyes. His staff became solid gold.

The fear that gripped the Violet Prince was so intense he forgot to press the attack. Even his weapon, the Princess turned steel, seemed to shake as the scene unfolded. The two of them could feel Jue Di acutely and the power he commanded, and they recognized it as the same sensation they felt from Monarch. The alien ruler could not employ their full strength once they reached this level of strength – not because it couldn't, but because it didn't dare.

What Jue Di released went far beyond the Infinite and into a new level entirely. Even universal protogenia could feel the pressure of might this lofty. For this reason the universe answered with ten times the power, resulting in apocalyptic destructive force.

Once Monarch became this strong, it and the others 'became' planets to protect themselves. It was how they survived until now. Ever since then they had explored any means to combat universal protogenia, finally culminating with this attempt to evolve.

Now, before their eyes, this human was pushing himself to the same level. Was he not afraid of what universal protogenia would do to him?

Dozens of desperate thoughts shot through the Prince's mind. First the first time, retreat was among them.

But it was too late.

Jue Di but glanced at his staff and it took on a life of its own. In a blink the golden weapon carved out another circle, though much smaller than the first. However, despite its size the power that surged from it swallowed up all the alien elite, including the Prince and Princess. Before anyone could react they all vanished, along with Jue Di himself.

Emptiness. Nothing remained of the Paragon or his enemies.

All of the alien horde's commanders were gone, sending the beasts into chaos. Middle Heaven sat in their midst, a burning globe of orange as its weapons fired at full capacity. The heat was so intense An Lun's mantle was beginning to melt.

Poseidon's transformation completed and once more the towering mechanical mecha and its trident appeared on the battlefield. It thrust the enormous weapon into the enemy's midst, and together with the help of the drones they mounted a counterattack.

ξ

Within an expanse of golden light, Jue Di stood tall and proud as though he were the center of the universe. Be it the Prince, Princess or avatars, all of them had shed their humanoid shells and hovered in the light in their natural forms. Even still they were nothing before the all-pervasive might of humanity's greatest Paragon.

Slowly he pointed with the head of his golden staff, aiming at the Violet Prince.

The Prince's reaction was to lash out with his Princess-sword as quickly as possible. A tear appeared behind the beast, trying to pull him from this reality.

However all it took was a flash of red-gold light from Jue Di's eyes, and the fissure was sealed.

Chapter 849: Jue Di's Immortality

Boom-! The impact caused dozens of cracks to appear along the Prince's weapon while he spat up a mouthful of black blood. He was knocked violently away, but in the midst of his uncontrolled retreat he lashed out at a nearby avatar with his right fist.

A dark light arose from the monsters forehead and spread down to its tail, then dissolved it entirely. The light was then consumed by the Prince and he was immediately in better shape. The cracks on the Princess-sword quickly mended.

This was the great advantage of these alien creatures. So long as there was vital energy they could draw upon, they would not easily die.

Jue Di watched with an emotionless expression. He attacked again with his Compliant Rod, an attack precisely the same as the first. Three more strikes, and three more elite aliens were consumed to keep the Prince and Princess alive. But the scowl on the Prince's face said he knew his time was limited. Once there were no more aliens for him to draw from, he would die.

Although this human was not in complete control of his new powers, the might at his fingertips was far greater than the Prince's own. Were it not for the blood of Monarch in the veins of he and his sister, they would already have been destroyed.

Jue Di lifted his staff again, but this time crackling bolts of lightning appeared in the air around him. The lightning was strange – erratic but tightly compact. They were almost like shackles that wrapped themselves around Jue Di.

Regret passed across Jue Di's face. His voice was bitter as he sighed to himself. "Unfortunately there wasn't enough time."

He stopped his attack, kneeling in the midst of the golden universe he'd created. As she shut his eyes his whole body began to slowly fade from existence.

Indeed this was his universe – an immortal realm, not a Domain. He'd poured himself into its creation for the lives of his sons, for the chance to defeat the alien menace. For victory. For humanity! He threw caution to the wind and spat in the face of universal protogenia's throttling power. With understanding and determination he had taken that final step to break through and join the ranks of immortals. The first in ten thousand years.

Upon ascending to immortality his Domain had become an immortal realm. Here he was the unchallenged master of reality. However Jue Di was not able to fully control the breadth of his power, otherwise he would have easily destroyed half of these monsters before the universe came to shut him down.

Ten seconds. That's only as long as he was given after achieving immortality. Then the universe claimed him.

As master of this small universe he had complete control over the passage of time, and after bringing the monsters here each second stretched by a factor of ten. Were it was almost two minutes here, only ten seconds had passed in the universe where his son was at war.

If he'd continued to fight the reality he created would have crumbled as universal protogenia took him. Killing one more avatar wasn't worth keeping this creatures locked down.

Jue Di's mouth continued to move as he muttered something inaudible. A small smile was on his face, a face filled with solemnity and compassion.

The Violet Prince could sense the vital energy flowing out of Jue Di. However, he didn't dare move in for an attack. His knowledge of immortality was broad, but he was not sure how this human would react in the moment of his destruction which would come at any moment. He would wait and see what happens.

He and the Princess were different from the avatars. Those doppelgangers had the will of the home worlds branded on their souls, whereas the Prince and Princess were proper descendants. Only they possessed the genetic combination making them offspring instead of copies.

They knew fear. Survival was paramount, and right now their survival was uncertain.

**

Lan Jue and Qianlin carefully searched the area, exiting the 'cave' and finding themselves in a strange reality.

It was a place constructed of countless veins like the ones they'd seen before, only now they were inside them. Each one was like a channel. Lan Jue could feel that they were a part of the home worlds, but it was different from where they had been imprisoned. He knew they were closely tied to the planets. Injuring them would alert the monsters to their presence.

From their earlier encounter they knew roughly where Ultus was contained, but this place was a mess of writhing veins. They couldn't start cutting them away without risking the mission, so they were left with no choice but to follow the winding paths created by the vessels as they searched for Ultus' precise location.

The Pharmacist stopped frequently during their search, reaching out with her perception to search for the sword. Occisus and Ultus were close ever since the Pharmacist and her husband discovered them. They had a connection, and she knew Ultus' energy as intimately as she knew her own. With the other two Banishing Blades nearby, they were even more sensitive to their missing companion.

She stopped. "Suddenly the sensation is weaker!"

Something flit across Lan Jue's eyes. Suddenly all the vessels around them contracted.

They huddled together, surprised by the abrupt change. Since they couldn't risk being discovered they were forced to avoid the squeezing veins by drawing closer together. All at once they were squeezed into a confined space. There was no danger, but it was uncomfortable.

"Monarch is stirring," Lan Jue muttered.

The Pharmacist's brows furrowed. "The evolution shouldn't be finished yet…"

He shook his head, and spoke with a low voice. "No, it shouldn't be this soon. It's more likely its reacting to the war nearby. I can almost feel the unease in its vessels. Unless I'm mistaken, whatever is happening out there is in our favor."

Despite the considerable gap in strength between man and alien, Lan Jue's faith in his brother was unshakable. He was sure Lan Qing would find a way to capitalize on any advantage. He would give his best, and the rest would be left up to the fates.

Monarch's vessels continued to squeeze and writhe for several minutes, but eventually relaxed. The Pharmacist scrunched her face in thought for a moment then piped up. "It's back. That way!" She marched on.

In contrast to the Pharmacist's excitement, Lan Jue was filled with an inexplicable sense of unease and discomfort. He felt like something bad was happening. Did something happen to Lan Qing? No, that was unlikely. He was safe in a bastion and was a powerful fighter in his own right. But what was it?

As they traversed the vessels, following winding turns and branching veins, Ultus aura was becoming more distinct. The maze of channels were complicated and forced them down many detours, but they were getting closer with every meter. So far it seemed they'd escaped Monarch's notice, for the way was unhindered.

"There?" He asked the Pharmacist. He could feel the sword clearly now. Clearly they had to be close.

The Pharmacist took a deep breath, trying to conceal the fervent look in her eye. Recovering this sword meant saving her husband's spirit from the clutches of these monsters. It was the only thing left of him, but it was enough.

The three of them moved slowly, taking pains to conceal their aura. Lan Jue led the way while Qianlin and the Pharmacist were a step behind. They had a plan for when they found the sword. Even if they had to destroy the walls of the vessels to get to it, once Ultus was in hand it was Lan Jue and Qianlin's time to act. Together they would employ their Harmonious Swords to carve a path to freedom. Surprised and distracted by their evolution, the planets should not have time to stop them before they fled.

In front of them, a section of the purple-black vessel walls was glowing with turquoise light. It was the light from Ultus' aura.

The light time they encountered the sword things had happened so fast, Lan Jue hadn't seen clearly. This time he sensed the aura, strong and potent, like his own body was drinking it in.

They passed through a narrow vessel that opened into a wider space. In the center, floating in air, was Ultus. It was surrounded by purple-gold threads like meridians, but its turquoise light shone through.

The whole sword was blue-green from pommel to tip, like a wave frozen in time. Even here, captured and contained, its deadly might was palpable. The flickering light that surrounded it said the sword knew of their presence.

When they saw it, instead of joy a darkness fell over the humans' faces.

Beneath the sword there knelt a man. Yes, a man!

He was handsome and rugged, perhaps in his thirties, and clad in luxurious golden-purple robes. He was the very picture of dignified nobility, and here in this poison place how could there be any mystery as to his identity?

Just his presence filled them with a sense of gloom and oppression.

Monarch!

This image, this aura… they knew it from their first real conflict with the aliens in the Shattered Starfields. Who else could it be but Monarch?

But it wasn't – it was more accurate to say that this was another avatar. The aura they felt was strong, but not strong enough. Even so Lan Jue could sense that this doppelganger commanded Infinite-level power, and they were in enemy territory!

"I've been waiting a long time for your arrival." Monarch's avatar slowly opened its eyes. Their depths burned with golden-purple light.

Chapter 850: The Alpha Avatar

When the creature opened its eyes Lan Jue could feel the true power of the avatar. This beast was stronger than the Violet Prince and Princess. There was a flash, and suddenly the undulating walls of the vessels they'd traversed were gone. Now they found themselves in a boundless world of violet.

More specifically the 'floor' was violet, and the sky was the same shade of purple-gold as the avatar's eyes. The deep, sick hue painted the humans who were caught in it in similar colors. They stood side by side with Lan Jue in the middle. To his left was Zhou Qianlin, and to his right the Pharmacist.

Each of them glowered, but there was no sign of fear or cowardice.

Before accepting the mission they all knew there was a real chance they wouldn't make it back. Nevertheless they came, because even the slightest chance of success could mean the rest of their people survived.

Early success had did not make them overconfident. And now, they ran into an unexpected problem.

"You knew we were coming?" Lan Jue asked in even tones.

Monarch's response was similarly tepid. "I knew the moment you were brought here. This is my body, did you think you could sneak around unnoticed? I can feel that this weapon is somehow connected to you – it led you here, to the center of me. You are foolish to assume we are not wise enough to protect ourselves."

Lan Jue was silent, in fact he had not thought Ultus would bring them to the center of Monarch's planetary body. If they could destroy it…

The Avatar went on. "In fact, everything you tried to accomplish here has been in vain. We are nearing the end of our ascension, and as we three merge into one the immortal realm we deserve shall be created. Immortal Realm… a phrase we've taken from the memories of your people. We find it fitting. Your sad species has ceased its growth, but there is much in your genetic material that we can draw upon. I can feel that the three of you are outstanding among your people – you possess real potential for growth. If you submit yourselves and allow us to plant our seed within your protogenia you will live on as a part of immortality."

A fervent light burned in the monster's eyes. "In truth we did not seek to make an enemy of your species. You were nothing more than food. Your people have experience with the realm of immortals, you should know that the universe is their creation. It is nothing more than a body – the largest and most powerful of bodies. It is within this body that I was born, here that I evolved, but when I became too strong what you call universal protogenia began to reject me. It fought back against us, draining our live force. We have had to consume whatever living things we come across in order to survive."

"However I never saw the universe as selfish. Universal protogenia was our test, to ensure we were strong enough to replace it. Like everything the universe must adapt and grow. We believe there is not one universe but many, and they constantly consume the weak in order to strengthen the self. In the process they evolve, and the simplest way to do so it to be replaced. The strong overcome the weak. Once we create our immortal realm a conflict with this universe will become inevitable. If we defeat it, then our reality will become the new reality, we will control all of this dimension. If we fail another species will rise to make the same attempt.

"Perhaps the immortal realm your species created went through this process already. Maybe it was victorious, maybe it was not. For several millennia the nature of universal protogenia has not changed, and it remains a way to test whether or not a species is worthy of taking control. The creation of such a realm is the only way for us to grow stronger until, one day, the time has come for us to test ourselves against the universe. Is there not a phrase your elders have used? 'In the beginning, one became two.' Taiji, yin and yang, split from the pureness of being to create all that we see. What your elders called that purity was nothing more than the universe we exist within – the very beginning of it. A single body or consciousness. Through it the many worlds were created, as were we. Just as it evolved so must we."

"After countless years of struggle, we are close to the first step. Finally we are at the threshold to creating a new universe to challenge the old. You would not support this endeavor? You have the potential to achieve success, should we not work together toward perfection? We can make it stronger, strong enough to challenge the universe itself. It is the same goal the strongest of your species also pursue."

Lan Jue saw the zeal in Monarch's eyes, faced him with a stoic expression. "There is some truth to what you say. But everything you've done – the aggression you've shown to all races, the destruction you've wrecked, all you've consumed – it's nothing benevolent. We call it 'survival of the fittest,' and at its heart that means survival."

"There is no denying that yours is an apex species. You've grown wise. But you also have a fatal flaw, and that is you feel nothing. You lack the most fundamental part of being human – emotion. As a result you are nothing more than machines that take and consume. Saw you succeed. You create your realm, overcome this universe and even conquer all the rest. What then? Toward what end? Your quest is eternal and will never bring you happiness because you don't even know what that feels like. Or perhaps you do, but it is nothing like what we humans know."

"We also value strength, but existence is about more than accumulating power. Kinship, love, friendship, countless experiences for us to enjoy. Through our exploration we have also been aggressive, but we can appreciate the beauty of the universe we find ourselves in. It's a part of who we are, curious to explore the unknown and reflect on its majesty. We don't have just one thing that we pursue, but many. Our evolution has been slow but we don't care. We enjoy the process. Being quick to accomplish something doesn't always lead to happiness."

"I'm sure that the closest you've ever come to contentment was when you started your evolution. Over time you grew strong and felt the universe begin to bear down on you. You were left with no option but to struggle in perpetuity for a way to become mightier than the thing that was keeping you down. Your fledgling sense of joy was never fostered and died beneath the weight of that struggle. How long was it before your 'evolution' decided emotions were weakness? When was the last time you even thought about it?"

Lan Jue pressed Monarch with one question after another, and the avatar's face slipped into an expression of contemplation. He did not interrupt Lan Jue, and instead seemed to consider his words.

When Lan Jue was finished he nodded his head, ever so slightly. "I can see the reason in what you say. Perhaps earlier I would not have paid it any mind, but after obtaining the genetic material of your people I can accept it. However, we already stand at the precipice. All that can be done is to continue the path we've chosen. What you say is still within our grasp to achieve, if my species is but willing. When I come to govern this reality and your people are a part of me, perhaps I will learn of the emotions your species love so dearly and change them. That is the power granted the master, but to creatures such as yourself – with no power of your destiny – the words must have no significance."

"Who says we have no control over our destiny?" Lan Jue retorted. "It is your species that invaded, we've done nothing but defend our homes. Your species is strong but you haven't won yet. We humans have a saying, 'those who are not my people cannot know my heart.' Do you think our two people will ever resolve these differences? You've already slaughtered millions of my brothers and sisters, and in doing so you've made yourselves into our greatest enemy. Either you will die, or I will."

Monarch's eyes went from curious to cold. "If you will not accept this opportunity then you will be destroyed. But I will keep your genetic material – your quick progress intrigues me. Soon our evolution will be complete, and the planet you call Europa will be the foundation of our immortal realm. We will store your DNA there, or perhaps I will remake you and force your own evolution. Perhaps you will help me discover more secrets about what your species knew of those bygone realities."

"Don't assume you've won," Lan Jue growled. "How do you know we aren't a match for you?"

Monarch answered with cold certainty. "Law of conservation of energy… this is how you humans phrase it, yes? There is nothing you can do against a power like mine."

Lan Jue slowly lifted Captus. "I'm not sure your power is so much greater than ours." A pale blue light sprang up around him, and reality shook as his power warred against the avatar's.

Chapter 851: Between Life and Death

In the midst of that gold and purple world a host of sparkling stars emerged, their light fighting past the haze. It was strange when the avatar's overwhelming power became a backdrop for such a beautiful display.

Beams of starlight descended upon Lan Jue, making him appear more substantial and dignified. His aura surged as well to ten times its typical strength.

Even here – deep in enemy territory, captured in an avatar's Domain, nearly lost in the immortal realm of these monsters – Lan Jue was able to summon the power of Boundless Starlight. Despite the terrible circumstance he was still successful in bringing his power to bear.

Nirvana!

But his level of strength went beyond Nirvana, especially in comparison to aliens of similar rank. Lan Jue had inherited the essence of the Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole of Purple Subtlety and thus the power of the stars themselves.

Light from these stars permeated all of the universe, even in the hellscape that was Monarch's planetary body.

A small smile played on Lan Jue's handsome features. Through the power of the stars Monarch's influence was reduced.

A white light arose behind him. Within it were flecks of gold that hung in the air like sprites. The light of the Queen of Heaven. Qianlin was the first of her Discipline to reach such tremendous heights of cultivation, and as she broke through to Paragon her protogenia underwent another phase shift. Now her powers and Lan Jue's joined, filling them with that enigmatic golden light.

Golden thunderclouds gathered overhead, and bolts of lightning began to flash through the Domain. The air was thick with the promise of a storm. Despite the avatar's vast strength, even he couldn't hide a slight anxiety from crossing his eyes.

"Is this the power of your immortals?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

Lan Jue could not answer. In fact, he'd never experienced the realm of immortals and did not know what to expect. He became to approach the avatar, and with ever step the blaze of starlight that surrounded him increased. It shone out from points all over his body in patterns that echoes the stars overhead. Each passing moment saw his aura grow stronger.

If the Pharmacist's Slaughter Discipline augmented her strength, this was doubly true for Lan Jue. He had fought back as hard as he could against the Violet Prince and Princess but had not combined his skills.

Now he channeled his Boundless Starlight Discipline inward, swelling his power to the upper borders of Nirvana. That was the limit, for any further increase would thrust him into the realm of the Infinite. At that point the dangers of universal protogenia were too great.

Lan Jue advanced upon the avatar with Captus raised, choosing to make the first move. His movements were slow for he was fighting against the planet itself. However the purple Domain of the beast gave way, moving before Lan Jue and his Banishing Blade in a wave, pushed away by his determined charge.

Monarch's avatar watched him come and offered a small nod. "Interesting. We did not believe your species could be this strong, much less amplify your abilities. The fact that you've dared to come here reveals that you are in possession of sensitive knowledge. Unfortunately for you, it will not be enough."

As he spoke the avatar waved a hand, almost lazily. The waves that Lan Jue created were instantly calmed and the golden undertones gave way to an angry black that spread from earth to sky. Only the avatar himself retained that resplendent golden glow.

Lan Jue felt it acutely. Half a moment passed and suddenly the world around him was an inhospitable black hole of energy. Crushing pressure fell upon him from all directions and constrained the spread of Lan Jue's Boundless Starlight. The ubiquitous light of those burning stellar bodies was being blotted out.

Monarch couldn't stop the starlight entirely, but he could obscure and disrupt it. As it shone down into his Domain it was swallowed up, depriving Lan Jue of its aid.

Yet Lan Jue and Captus never stopped. They pressed ahead, slow but refusing to be denied. The reflected starlight coalesced around the godblade, creating ripples. Beneath those ripples were voids of darkness that drank from reality around them.

The starlight was absorbed and became a part of the weapon.

Captus began to shine brighter and golden runes burned along its length. Even without the starlight Lan Jue shone like a beacon, an authoritarian blaze. The essence of the Emperor of the North Star emerged around him once again.

Lan Jue was one with the will of the sword. For the first time he truly felt like the weapon was a part of him, inextricably bound to his mind and spirit. For the first time he felt capable of controlling the power within it. Captus' influence was fed back into him, and in a sudden epiphany he understood the meaning of the runes on its blade.

Red light coalesced at the tip of Captus, gradually deepening to a rich crimson and eventually black. If the avatar's Domain was an enormous black hole, then the darkness at the top of Captus was the singularity within it.

Captus moved ever forward. Small though the orb at its tip was, the sense of danger surrounding it was intense.

The Pharmacist, Occisus in hand, was right behind Lan Jue. Her Slaughter Discipline was different from before, forsaking its typical murderous style for a light and easy air. The light of Occisus even seemed to dim.

Her otherworldly weapon appeared for all the world like a normal sword, but the light in her eyes was anything but ordinary. They were filled with warmth, pain and hope. Her sword became an extension of her heart and soul, and all the conflicting emotions that roiled within her.

All three humans knew there was no room for leeway here. Holding back meant death – and not just for them, but possibly for all of humanity.

Right now, the Pharmacist's heart was filled with the thought of her lost husband, filled with all the beautiful things life had to offer. She poured all of it into her sword.

Behind slaughter was new beginnings. Life followed death. It was similar in some ways to the Birth and Destruction Domain of her enemies, but in contrast to those monsters the Pharmacist was a human with emotion. Her life was filled with pure love and sadness. All of these emotions coalesced in the intention of her weapon.

At first the weapon appeared entirely normal, like any old iron sword. However soon the golden runes appeared along its length much like Lan Jue's. They weren't quite so clear as his, but glimmered with mystical power. There was no murderous sense, but the fear it inspired was palpable. Suddenly, the Pharmacist understood the essence of the weapon she had carried for so long.

Only Zhou Qianlin did not raise her sword. She floated like a kite behind Lan Jue, bathing the three of them in the light of her Domain. The surge of strength Lan Jue and the Pharmacist felt was a result of Qianlin's abilities. Not only did it stabilize their Domains, but it amplified them – and further still, it deepened their comprehension.

Qianlin didn't pay the avatar any mind. Lan Jue was all that filled her vision, her sole focus. The memory of the first time they met rose from the depths of her memory. She was dressed in her beautiful wedding gown, and he descended like an angel from the sky. He was resplendent in gold from head to toe and stole her away. He took her into his arms then – firm, decisive, strong.

Qianlin's wedding had been a farce, organized by the Clairvoyant to spurn Lan Jue to action. But she had been uneasy. Of course she didn't really like Richard, she never had. Even back then there was some part of her that knew she had feelings for Lan Jue.

Perhaps it had started with curiosity. What sort of man was he that her sister loved him so deeply? Loved him so much that he was her last thought at the moment of her death? Was this man worthy of her?

Her body was given before an answer was received, much to her dismay. Yet afterwards she found she did not regret.

She still remembered his eyes on that day. She saw the pain that was writ deep in his soul that made her want to do nothing more than sooth him. That was the only time they were intimate, since afterwards their affections were blocked by the arrow of compassion.

Chapter 852: Hearts Beat as One

But while the arrow closed the door on their physical relationship, from that time on she'd felt him engraved deep into her heart. She burned with an internal fire, her heart thawed by the love she held for him. She forgot her pain as it was replaced by affection.

But it was bittersweet. She knew the love he had for her in their first meeting wasn't hers, but Hera's. Still she couldn't help but be pulled in deeper. He seemed to have been imbued with some natural charm that just drew women to him.

This was proven when she saw so many beautiful women caught in his wake. But despite his wealth of choice Lan Jue was single-minded. It was part of what drew her to him.

Since then their tale had been written in the joy and pain they'd shared. However, looking back Qianlin's fondest memories were of their time in the National Eastern University; her seated below as he lectured from a podium.

He was refined, courteous, suave, and witty… he shared a special sort of knowledge with her and her classmates. They couldn't help but like him. Even Tang Mi was taken in by his charm.

But he is my man.

As the words crossed her mind Qianlin's heart filled with pride. Her mind turned again to other memories, painful memories not of when Lan Jue refused her but of the day they shared that special bottle of white wine. The day he professed his love.

That day it was she who turned him away. It wasn't him or anything he did that inspired her to turn him down. It was her, the fact she couldn't forgive herself for the deceptions she maintained. She did love him, but she couldn't abide a relationship built on a lie.

Her liberation came at the edge of the Astral Phantom's knife. In her willingness to give up her life for him, she allowed herself to accept their circumstance as well. Their love was pure.

For a long time she was lost in a hazy world, on the edge of life and death. But when she came to everything was perfect – perfect but for one regret. She lamented over her stubborn determination, making such a big deal over something they could have put aside much earlier. If she had been forthcoming earlier perhaps they would have had more time. She felt like she missed out on any number of happy days with him – a beautiful if painful thought!

When the aliens appeared and began their aggressions Lan Jue became busy with the business of saving humanity, but they still ended up together. Now they faced a mission that may very well mean their death, but they faced it together. He didn't explain everything to her either, but she was happy to be by his side.

She was happy because she knew she was part of his life, that he understood her. If he died she would refuse to live on. Now that they were together any alternative was unthinkable. They would live or die as one. Their spirits would remain inexorably tied, forever.

As she pondered the breadth of their past, present and future, Qianlin's spirit entered an extraordinary state. Her soul and Lan Jue's joined into one. She did not raise Demortus but the connection she felt to her man was deeper than ever. They were a single entity – now, and always.

Two hearts beating as one!

Those five words rang Qianlin's mind like a mantra. She found she liked them, they reverberated deep within her.

Something changed in the avatar. Monarch realized there was something he couldn't simply grasp in the emotions of these three humans. None of them could match him in strength – not even close. What's more they were caught in his territory. Still, there was some mystifying sense that there was something he could not comprehend.

To call it uncomfortable did not speak to the depth of his disquiet. If there was one thing he could not abide, it was a lack of control.

A turquoise light sprang up as Ultus appeared in the avatar's hand. This creature was still just a doppelganger of Monarch's power, yet still was different from the others Lan Jue had encountered. This avatar was more than just a copy of Monarch. It was a piece of him – an important piece.

In order to prevent anything from interrupting their evolution, Monarch had left a portion of himself behind in the form of this doppelganger. It was the strongest of the avatars, unique, and in many ways it was much like the immortals from old human tales. However, in order to prevent universal protogenia from destroying it, the avatars powers were constrained to the Infinite. Here within the protective embrace of Monarch's true form the powers of the universe were halted.

In fact this avatar was stronger than Lan Jue or the others could know. Still, he summoned the Banishing Blade to help defend himself from the humans' attack.

Ultus became a flash of lightning and lashed out toward Lan Jue and Captus. But as the points of the two swords met, the avatar sensed that a part of his own weapon was swallowed up in Captus' charge.

Ultus was the keenest of the Banishing Blades, and in the old texts was called the all-conquering. But this clash between swords wasn't one force smashing into another. Captus wasn't a wall, it was a void.

Lan Jue came to a sudden stop, but his Boundless Starlight Domain reacted by exploding out in all directions. Light from his All-Heaven lightning painted Captus in electric blue. The weapon spat a coiling blast of energy at Monarch like a pair of lightning dragons.

The Harbinger Faerie and her legendary sword reacted in the same instant. Blue light was complimented by a streak of gold, and though the murderous aura of Occisus was not present an inscrutable power made Monarch shake.

He was forced to lash out with his other hand, punching toward the Pharmacist.

An outpouring of solidified energy smashed into Occisus, but much to his dismay it was easily cleaved in twain. The flood of deadly power split apart and rushed passed the Pharmacist on either said, harmlessly passing her by. Where he thought he could finish this foe off with a single punch, now she was nearly right on top of him.

Squelch! Suddenly the whole world around Lan Jue was an ocean of purple, assailed by a torrent of the alien's Domain. The impossibly sharp intent of Ultus ripped through Captus and into his body. It was so intense it threw Lan Jue backward.

It was as Monarch said; at a certain point pure force could overcome anything. Lan Jue bore one of the strongest weapons in the universe and understood its secrets, but there was simply too large a gap between his strength and that of the avatar.

It was simply the Infinite he faced! Lan Jue was certain this monster's power went beyond such a simple explanation. The Violet Prince also commanded the power of the Infinite, but if it was that creature he faced instead of Monarch overcoming Captus would not have been so easy – even if this was their home turf.

Qianlin, who had been right behind him, also felt the attack land. She and Lan Jue collided as they were forced back. Her left arm flung out and wrapped around Lan Jue's neck, but both of them still held out their right hands in defiance, blades firm. A deluge of rainbow light was summoned that surrounded the two of them.

Qianlin and Lan Jue stared deeply at on another. They looked upon the swirling emotions hidden behind their eyes.

They smiled. Then, together, they thrust forward with their swords.

Two hearts beating as one!

Harmonious Swords gave way to a new name they settled on in this moment of pure connection. A spiritual connection, two hearts beating as one! The light became a rainbow heading straight for Monarch's chest.

It was more than their intent that was channeled through the swords. Lan Jue and Qianlin were one mentally, spiritually, even their Disciplines were completely integrated. The golden runes upon their blades burned as their hearts beat together.

This was the first time they used the paired sword fighting style since breaking through to Nirvana. Now it went beyond a tacit understanding they shared, it was true fusion.

You within me. Me within you.

Just as Monarch was preparing to turn on the Pharmacist, he sensed a power unlike any he'd experienced before. The beast was forced to face it, and deflected the Pharmacist's attack with an absent-minded flick of his fingers. It was enough to cast the Harbinger Faerie away in a flailing heap. Monarch struck again with Ultus, this time holding nothing back.

Golden purple light replaced the turquoise glow of the sword. It was aimed at Lan Jue and Qianlin. The corrupted weapon rang with a sweet sound but never once did golden runes appear upon its blade. It was nothing but pure force.

Ting! The crisp, ringing sound peeled through the area. Lan Jue and Qianlin shook, but only for a passing moment. They remained steadfast.

The light of their combined swords swallowed up Ultus' power. Monarch's face betrayed shock as he was forced backward. The power he faced was at once solid and disperse and had within it a dynamism he'd never felt before. It wasn't just attacking his body, but his very soul.

The pain was excruciating, eliciting a long scream of pain. A flood of power swept across the area, nearly blowing apart Lan Jue's Domain.

But Skyfire Avenue's leader did not retreat. He was not pushed back. Together with Zhou Qianlin the two of them draw out a circle in the air with their swords.

Although the Taiji sword style didn't possess the same spectacular abilities of the Harmonious Swords, it easily neutralized the effusion of power released by Monarch.

Chapter 853: Execution

The technicolor light blazed again and once again the two Banishing Blades thrust for their mark. A streak of white joined in after but was the first to come near Monarch's avatar.

The doppelganger's eyes were dual pits of rage. He never would have imagined these insignificant creatures were capable of constraining his strength. He responded with a cold grunt, and the golden-purple light living in his eyes flared. Ultus was raked cross-wise through the air before him, so thick with power it make his deep purple Domain rumble. Every ounce of his power seemed focused into the Banishing Blade and the wave of energy it released.

But the white light of Occisus would not be denied, and it bore down on the avatar with a dense and murderous aura. It was unaffected by Ultus' strike, and the Pharmacist pressed forward even despite the very real possibility of destruction at Monarch's hand.

Scorn was writ plain on the doppelganger's face. In his view this insignificant woman would be swept away by the wave of energy. More threatening were the other two and their dual sword technique. They were the focus of his attention.

Drawing on his extensive combat experience with humans, Monarch estimated that Lan Jue and Qianlin, though strong, could not maintain such power for very long. This avatar's power was obtained from the home worlds themselves and was near limitless. He only had to keep up the pressure and eventually the Paragons' Domains would fail. Then, death.

But in truth Monarch's hubris blinded him to the fact that Lan Jue and Qianlin's combined might was indeed a match for his on. However his determination for the Pharmacist proved mostly true. Even before Occisus light could reach him, it was dispersed by the shimmering light from Ultus. She was like an infant trying to bring a sword to bear against an adult. An adult who wielded a legendary weapon, Ultus!

But the Pharmacist pressed on. The two swords were on the path to collision.

Then, in the moment before they struck Ultus' inherent turquoise light erupted from deep within the blade. Its impossibly sharp nature coalesced into a whirlpool of power that tore apart the purple-gold aura that hung over it.

Clang! The two swords met and the ring of steel on steel hung in the air. For the space of a breath the avatar felt muddled, his hand loosened, and in a flash of blue-green light Ultus stuck to Occisus. The Pharmacist pulled her arm back and disarmed her enemy.

The wave of power emitted from Ultus and cast by the avatar dispersed like leaves on the breeze. As his weapon was wrenched away a grotesque fissure split his body. His soul shook with the reverberating din of the swords' collision.

And then the rainbow of color came crashing down upon him.

The power of the Harmonious Swords poured into him like a clay ox disappearing into the sea. Once it struck home, the dazzling colors vanished.

Reality warped sickeningly all around them, like a beast writhing in the throes of its demise. Then the rainbow light erupted from the avatar's back and carved a path through the purple world behind it.

Reality fractured like a broken mirror.

Meanwhile Lan Jue and Qianlin had arrived before the avatar, in the wake of their mighty attack. Lan Jue released Qianlin and lashed out at his enemy. Parry and strike! [1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ga2YiOTZTs] Lan Jue brought the power of his Domain to bear in the Taiji attack, aiming for the doppelganger's head.

Even up to this moment Monarch couldn't shake his disbelief. He couldn't comprehend how it was he was disarmed, or how it managed to shed his power so easily. He was nearly an immortal, but the sword denied him!

Conditions changed quickly in the heat of battle. However much the avatar refused to believe it, the truth would not be denied.

Shhhhck! Monarch's avatar dropped its head. A streak of electric blue light carved a path from his crown to his groin and then, in an explosion of light, the avatar was no more. Only a glittering golden-purple vital crystal remained. An invisible force started to draw it away.

Clang! It didn't get far. The Pharmacist appeared to block its path and batted the crystal back toward the others with the flat of Occisus' blade.

Power roiled behind Lan Jue's eyes, and his Domain concentrated around them. He reached out and from the palm of his hand shone a universe of stars. Its light hung over the crystal and drew it into his grip, smooth as water.

"Go!" An urgent voice cried out to them from within Ultus.

Lan Jue didn't dare hesitate. He took Qianlin's hand and together they reached out once again with their swords. The rainbow light of the Harmonious Swords cut open a path for them to escape.

Once the avatar was lain its Domain began to collapse. The world of purple bucked and shook, eventually changing back to the misshapen landscape that was Monarch's body.

But things had changed. Lan Jue could feel a vast and angry energy bearing down on them. Clearly Monarch knew something had gone wrong and aiming to intercept them.

Now was the time to flee, as fast as they could. Lan Jue believed the avatar was right, and Monarch's attention had been focused on joining with Europa until this moment. Attempting to destroy the planet now was unwise if not downright futile. They had to go. Recovering Ultus was already a great success. Seen another way, if they'd had a chance to destroy the planet Ultus would not have suggested they leave.

The ray of rainbow light tore a path through the purple world, severing the walls of the undulating vessels like paper. They could do nothing to impede the protogenia-imbued attack, though the torrent of power Lan Jue felt coming their way certainly could.

However Lan Jue and Qianlin together commanded as much power as an Infinite-level Paragon. What's more they were the bearers of the Banishing Blades. Between Captus' reality-rending abilities and Demortus' ubiquitous presence their escape would not be denied.

The Pharmacist stuck closely behind. The three humans raced for the relatively safety of space as fast as they could.

ξ

The light of a thousand golden stars appeared in the sky, and the dense reality the Prince was caught in began to break apart. However, so long as that man knelt nearby the Violet Prince didn't dare make a move. He feared the opposition of a man on his proverbial deathbed.

He could not comprehend why this human would do what he did, knowing that the universe would exact a toll. Still it filled him with a peculiar sense of respect. This human was willing to battle against his own instincts of survival for the betterment of his species. Jue Di could have chosen to live forever as a part of their immortal pantheon, but instead he chose death. Human priorities confounded him.

As the beast looked on he grew calm. After all, the Prince was a product of Monarch himself, a true heir. He was familiar with their evolutionary process and precisely what it would take. Even locked within this human's Domain he could sense that the home worlds' process was nearly complete. The humans could delay him, but only temporarily. Once he was free they would not be able to break the aliens' line of defense, even despite their worthy fighters. Without this man, their strongest, the humans had no one who could stand against him.

All he had to do was wait.

Clang! There was a cacophonous rattle like the. The bronze light surrounding Jue Di faded away. And then, so did he.

A single beam of dark golden light rose toward the heavens. It flickered weakly, and then was gone. The Prince saw that it was the last remaining light from the human's weapon.

He had wanted to take that golden staff as his own, but he was in no rush. For now he would be content with the destruction of the human race. Afterwards there would be time to discover what had become of this tool of destruction. He suspected it would be quite useful.

Once Jue Di's Domain was gone, the Prince and his cohorts reappeared in the battlefield. In a hundred seconds the situation had changed dramatically. He suspected that would be the case, but the Prince was still filled with anger and indignation once he saw how bad things had become.

The left flank was hardly worth mentioning. Under sustained assault from the armada it had been steadily pushed back. About forty percent of his forces were destroyed. Luckily these lesser creatures were possessed of only rudimentary intelligence, otherwise they would have been routed long ago.

The condition of the horde's right flank surprised the Prince.

Poseidon in its human form, with Middle Heaven at its side, were slaughtering his soldiers with wild abandon. Scores of alien fighters broke against the bastions like waves against a mountain side. A third of his people had been cut down, and that number was quickly rising.