"Husband, what happened?" Little Moth ran over, grabbing my arm. I patted her adorable face lovingly. "Nothing much, just overdid my training a bit."
The commotion was impossible to ignore. My wives in the palace rushed over, their eyes locking onto me. What, am I the King of Destruction in your eyes? Their stares demanded an explanation.
"It's no big deal. Cohen and I were testing his new armor," I said.
"Wow, Brother, your armor's so cool and majestic! Is this it?" Little Cat Mimi squealed, spotting something rare. Only then did my dear wives notice the golden armor I wore.
"Feitian, did you modify that blue dragonhide armor?" Xue'er asked, inspecting closely.
"Nope. This is Cohen's new multi-function armor. You'll each get one soon," I said, diverting their attention.
"Your Highness, Majesty nearly killed me! Pity this old man," Cohen whined, seizing the chance to tattle to my wives.
"Old man? Didn't someone just have a kid? Weird year—sixty-year-old geezer finds a second spring," I teased. Cohen's face reddened, the old coot blushing. "What, sick?" He was too flustered to retort.
"Alright, enough. I'm changing the armor's color to a crystal-gold blend. When will they be ready?" New gear meant faster training and better safety.
"Your armor's done in a day. The 80,000 Demon-God Armaments will take ten days," Cohen replied honestly.
"Good. Produce them, test them, and I'll have soldiers train ASAP," I said.
After Cohen left, I was swarmed by my wives' affectionate grilling. I spilled the armor's functions, quelling their curiosity. Their eager expressions screamed they wanted to wear it now.
"Ladies, want a strength boost?" I baited. They chimed, "Yes!" "Then let's hit the bed—quick!" I grinned. Realizing the trick, they chased me, fuming. I dodged, stealing plenty of tender touches.
The past half-month was grueling—selecting soldiers for training and boosting my wives' strength (via dual cultivation). Exhausting, especially after the armor arrived. They tinkered with it endlessly, doing who-knows-what. Good news: we found rare metal for the armor on the god realm. Engineers mined it, yielding 50,000 tons after refining. Leaving 10,000 for Cohen's experiments, the rest became 100,000 more armaments and 30,000 Dragon Armors. The 30,000 Tier 5 armors went to officers above third stage, leaving clerks green with envy—a Dragon Armor was a second life. Only brigade leaders (brigadier generals) and above got them. Of 160,000 armaments, 60,000 went to god realm troops, 100,000 to multi-realm ground forces. Armaments suited magic-martial hybrids, so those missing Dragon Armors flocked to the Demon-God Corps, craving action. Armaments were bulkier but packed fiercer firepower—large laser blades, cannons, anti-matter guns, and quantum rifles. Their downside? They restored stamina ten times faster than normal, but not as swiftly as Dragon Armor. Dragon Armors had only laser blades and pulse guns.
This half-month kept everyone busy. Brigade leaders pulled strings to join the Demon-God Corps. Alang and other legion commanders initially scoffed at handing Dragon Armors to junior officers. Then they sparred. Damn, too OP. Previously beaten brigadiers fought like immortals, tireless, recovering fast. The commanders and district chiefs, red-eyed, rushed from the god realm and Yanhuang Star.
"Majesty, Boss, we're brothers, right?" Along, usually stoic, spoke up. Feigning ignorance, I said, "No doubt, we're tight."
"Well, uh…" Along faltered, unused to begging.
"Big Bro, let me handle this," Alang said, pulling the blushing Along back. "Boss, everyone's got Dragon Armors but us. Can you hook us up?"
I didn't answer directly. "What do you think of the armor?"
"Amazing! The specs alone are insane," Alang gushed.
"Exactly. Good stuff's for the front lines. You're generals, the army's soul. How can you fight in space wearing armor?" I teased.
"Boss, please, one set!" Alang, desperate, started polishing my boots in public.
I could've teased more, but my wives strutted in, radiant in their sleek, heroic armor. The guys gaped, swallowing hard.
"Hey, watch it!" I banged the table. "Ogling my wives ain't free." They'd never seen golden armor, knowing it outranked others. The God King, gifted a Tier 8 suit, forgot his own mother, sent with golden-armored seraphs to a dead star to go wild. This was Along's first glimpse.
"Boss, unfair! Your wives get it, but not your brothers?" They nodded furiously. "I'll give you armor, but you better step up. You're Tier 4; these are Tier 6," I said. They barely heard, ecstatic at "Tier 6," losing all sense.
From my storage ring, I handed over seven prepared sets. My ring held ten Tier 7 suits (one for Xue'er), with four each of Tiers 7, 8, 9 in the treasury. Left were five Tier 7, four Tier 8, six Tier 9, ten Tier 5, and ten Tier 6. Why keep extras? For charming ladies I might meet—haha.
They bit their fingers, dripping blood into the holes. I used a needle; these maniacs. Golden light flashed, revealing seven war-crazed titans, identical save for height.
"Haha, I'll crush those punks now!" Alang's voice rang out.
"Hold it. Spar or settle scores on a dead star. Master control first," I said. They could level a city, and I didn't want my palace in ruins. Hyped, they didn't care where, so I had guards escort them to a dead star, finally quieting my ears.
With them gone, I slipped to a dead star thrice Earth's size in a small warship. Last time, a full forbidden spell turned one to ash—glad I didn't go all-out on Flying Dragon Star, even with twelve defenses. To master control, we'd wreck plenty of stars. Today, I tested the Demon-God Armament. Surprised? Dragon Armor's like clothing; armaments are war machines. Both feel like extensions of you, but armaments are bulkier—22 meters tall versus Dragon Armor's body height plus 10 cm. Firepower differs too. Dragon Armor excels in pure martial arts and magic; armaments win in open combat, with a 60% edge. Each shines differently.
On my left wrist, a crystal-gold bracer, like Dragon Armor's but with unique patterns, glowed. Injecting qi, a crystal beam hit the ground, summoning a 25-meter golden armament with crystal eyes. A chest beam enveloped me, and in under a second, I was inside, fused with the machine. My movements synced via bio-sensors. I loved the armament's flashy entrance, unlike Dragon Armor. It used subspace and teleportation tech—my bracer doubled as a storage ring and teleporter, linked one-to-one with the armament. The bracer summoned it, and the armament teleported me inside, enhanced by magic arrays for speed. Tech and magic birthed miracles.
This armament cost me a fortune—5% more annual research funding to Cohen. We settled on four Tier 9 and one Tier 12 armament. To lock it down, I made it blood-bound like Dragon Armor. Other armaments used empire AI Bbi's passwords for security, barring outsiders.
Flying into space, I aimed at the planet. Suddenly, three laser beams shot from three directions. Who dares blast their emperor? Fired! Then I saw them—my wives, in three Tier 9 armaments: Xue'er, Kabo, and Sasha. Sasha, the history nerd, ditching books for armaments? My fault—no, Cohen's.
"Husband, let's spar! Three on one!" Kabo drew her laser blade, eager.
"Bring it!" I drew mine, ready. Their strength, boosted by dual cultivation, surpassed Along's, but their combat experience lacked. Perfect training chance.
Three laser blades slashed from three angles. Trapped by my wives! Sasha lagged slightly. Using qinggong, I zipped behind her, kicking her armament's rear. Bola and Xue'er retracted their blades. Too fun.
Sasha spun, pouting. "Tian, you're mean! That's cheating. Doesn't count."
"Haha, you lost, love. Know why? You treat it as a tool, not your body. Forget doubts, imagine fighting me naked, using your qinggong and martial arts. The device's lag is 0.001 seconds—negligible. Got it?"
They nodded, grudgingly. "Fine, you're right. Again!" Listening, they moved sharper, nearly nicking me. Their teamwork tightened. At peak power, Sasha was near Tier 4, Kabo and Bola at Tier 5 (Bola mid-Tier 5). I neared Tier 9. Each tier's energy was the sum of prior tiers times a billion. One tier equaled 50 kg of high-energy crystal—two kg powered a large warship for a century. Tier gaps were vast; three tiers, insurmountable. If not for my luck, I'd be dead.
Flying Dragon and god realms, non-industrial, brimmed with energy. With our training, civilians hit Tier 1-2 in a year or two, talents like Along reaching Tier 4. Earth's cities couldn't compare.
At full power, our gap widened. Early martial sparring left exploitable gaps, but now, with measured strikes, I overwhelmed them. Our battle's energy detonated nearby void stones. Tier 3s couldn't track us. My wives, stamina weaker, slowed as recovery lagged, and we stopped.
"Feitian, that was thrilling! Again tomorrow?" Xue'er asked.
Spare me. "Wait, aren't we testing the Demon-God Corps? Xue'er, take Meilina and test their results the day after."
"Good, but four of us can't fight 160,000," Xue'er said.
"Not fighting—each day, you four challenge two brigades (20,000), plus the other 14 brigade leaders. Losers will go all-out challenging others. Spicy, right?"
"Feitian, you're sinister! But since it's for us, you're forgiven. Tomorrow, you spar with us four to prep," Sasha said. She's the real schemer. Another tough day loomed.
At a dead star belt 20 million light-years from Flying Dragon Star, warships gathered, save for patrols. In Dragon Armor, I stood in space by a massive dead star. Behind me floated the God King in crystal Dragon Armor, Elder Council in Tier 6 golden armor, legion commanders, and district chiefs. Six thousand Tier 5 Dragon Armor Palace Guards patrolled. Those without armor or armaments watched from ships.
Today tested training results. Baizhan and Bailie led two 10,000-strong god realm Demon-God Corps brigades, facing four Tier 9 golden armaments (my wives) and 14 purple ones. Armaments had alarms: red for partial damage, purple for life-threatening. Red meant withdrawal.
"Begin!" I shouted. Both sides roared, powers peaking. A spectacle unfolded—20,000 armaments sprouted black wings, encased by machines. Baizhan and Bailie had three wing pairs, rank shown by wings. Meilina's yellow armament had bat-like golden wings, a high demon trait at full power, startling me yesterday. My wives, trained by me, stayed calm despite the odds. In pure martial combat, Baizhan's side tensed.
The field's intensity hit us spectators. Eighteen versus 20,000—madness. The God King doubted, but after testing Dragon Armor, he knew stronger wielders gained exponentially. He'd beaten six armored seraphs in his Tier 8 suit, versus four unarmored before. Dreamlike.
My wives formed a Four Symbols Array, the 14 others in twin Seven Star Arrays, advancing. Bola led, scattering with qinggong. Some soldiers, dazed, saw red alarms and withdrew, frustrated. Our side, qinggong-trained, kept loose formations, striking wide, avoiding Baizhan and Bailie. When the brothers teleported via magic arrays to attack, my wives were elsewhere, infuriating them. It was a one-sided "slaughter," like that '90s Earth song, Women Are Tigers.
The "war" was near-perfect, save one overzealous brigade leader "killed" in a siege. The God King, relieved he'd joined early, saw the corps' potential. Standing in space, he felt Feitian's words: isolation bred weakness. He pitied the Demon King, cursing on his dark planet, while he stood on new stars. Fate's unpredictable.
The first six days were single challenges, then brigade versus brigade, up to 16 brigades split in two. Array tactics dazzled, thrilling spectators. Broadcast live on radio and networks, the empire caught armament fever after Dragon Armor mania. Learning it required Tier 3 strength, versus their Tier 1, sparked a martial arts craze. The God King sweated—humans were polite, civilized, yet warlike. Dangerous.
My wives' experience soared. They led brigades, honing command skills. The Demon-God Corps grew from solo fighters to cohesive units. To simulate war's brutality, I deployed one mega-warship, two large, ten medium, and 100 small warships. Over 100 suffered heavy injuries, countless light ones.
Post-drill, we rested two days.
Sky Dragon Year 5, Earth Year 2021. We marched on the demon realm to unify the three realms, herald the cosmic era, and spare Meilina grief. The Demon-God Corps (160,000) and a 40,000-strong Dragon Armor temporary legion led, ordered to avoid killing—maiming or disabling was fine, with our DNA life fluid and hydrotherapy curing all wounds.
"Na'er, stay behind," I said, kissing her. I didn't want her hurt.
"No, I'm going," Meilina said firmly, fearing I'd harm her father, the Demon King.
Baizhan and Bailie led 60,000 god realm armaments, followed by 100,000 multi-realm armaments, with 40,000 Dragon Armors in reserve. Abao, expecting action, was stuck guarding the rear, envying Baizhan's chance. After their last failed invasion, Baizhan's 60,000 gods swarmed like locusts, ignoring walls and defenses. Sixty thousand laser cannons on one point shattered barriers. Against demons, they'd never fought so freely.
"Majesty, the gods near the capital. Six hours, they broke 13 checkpoints. Our 20,000 troops collapsed. Generals Trank, Lalan, and Yuri are captured," urgent reports flooded the Demon King's desk. Before one was processed, twelve more arrived, detailing the enemy's ferocity. A millennium of war with gods, and they were never this strong.
"Report! The enemy's at the gates!" A shout jolted the Demon King. His ministers froze, clueless. Escape was impossible—teleportation arrays were blocked. Despair filled their eyes. Soon, weapon clashes and magic roars echoed outside.
"Majesty, flee! We can't hold. The gods' weapons are too strong," a bloodied guard urged.
"Useless. Order surrender. More blood won't help," the Demon King said. The guard relayed the order. A millennium of enmity ended—demons defeated.
Silver-armored soldiers stormed in. The Demon King sensed they weren't gods. As silence fell outside, footsteps approached. He stared at the entrance, eager to see who wielded such power. A forbidden spell could've razed the capital, but at what cost?
At the palace door appeared a group—yellow-armored, led by two in crystal armor. If I'm not blind, that's the God King behind them.
"Majesty, ten thousand years!" The kneeling soldiers' thunderous cry shook the hall, proclaiming their might.
A crystal-armored youth approached, smiling. "Greetings, Father-in-law. I'm Meilina's husband, Sky Dragon Empire Emperor Makino Feitian."
The Demon King froze. "You led this invasion? Is this how humans greet in-laws?" Regret hit—he'd neglected Meilina. She'd married the enemy, sent intel he'd ignored. Foolish, irreversible.
"No, you misunderstand. I haven't killed a single demon. How's that invasion?" I said.
The Demon King stared, then laughed wildly. Turning to the God King, he said, "Old friend, I thought you attacked again. Now you're a lackey?"
"Lackey? Not quite. You might be," the God King replied, unfazed.
The Demon King gaped, as if seeing a stranger. "Months apart, and you're transformed. What broke you? Same as me?" He laughed.
The God King shook his head. "If I were like you, I'd be lucky. I lost 30 million people." His face darkened. "Was it you, kid?" he barked at me, ready to sacrifice the capital's 10 million demons to prevent a god-like massacre.
I played innocent. "Father-in-law, am I that kind of man?" My pitiful act made him cringe, glancing at the God King.
"Not them—aliens with warships, four hands, three eyes. They attacked without warning. Warships dominate from the sky, untouchable. Feitian drove them off, or we'd be extinct. In gratitude, I joined the Sky Dragon Empire," the God King said, somber.
The Demon King jolted. "That alone wouldn't make you surrender your race."
"True. I saw our backwardness and looming doom. Their equal-race policy was tempting, undeniable. Believe it or not, my people are happier now," the God King said.
"Really?" The Demon King began to admire his son-in-law, swaying without realizing.
"Father-in-law, unifying our three realms is inevitable. As the God King said, isolation means extinction," I said.
"You brought an army here. That's not extinction?" the Demon King snapped, sensing cunning.
"You wrong me. Check—any dead soldiers? The injured, we'll heal. We come with sincerity, not hate. Demons killed 60 million humans, yet we spared every demon. You understand," I said. Shocked, he sent a soldier to confirm.
Meilina knelt before him. "Father, this is my first time calling you that. Whether you accept me, know Feitian spared every demon. I swear by the Great Demon God. Miss this chance, and extinction awaits. Didn't you want our people under sunlight, living well? After our retreat, demons left in human realms weren't harmed—Feitian isolated and fed them. With your word, they'll live like humans in sunlight. Without it, they hate humans. We're 'demons' because we chased dreams, lost much. Today, we can walk in sunlight with others—why retreat?" As she spoke, the soldier returned, confirming.
The Demon King trembled, eyeing me thoughtfully, then his kneeling daughter. Her words stung—had he been so wrong? Her oath, sacred among demons, and the God King's alien tale convinced him. The demons' fate rested on his choice, the hardest he'd ever faced.
He lifted Meilina, voice heavy with sorrow. "I blamed you for your mother's death, called you a curse. Today, you brought your husband with an army. Demons lose dominance, but I must say, you're my blessing, our race's blessing. You bring hope. From today, demons will live in sunlight, fulfilling a millennium's dream. Daughter, can you forgive your father?" The scene moved all, but I admired the Demon King's pride. My father-in-law, I won't cross you. With demons in the empire, I was content.
"Father, I never blamed you," Meilina sobbed, embracing belated fatherly love.
Clearing his throat, the Demon King declared, "From today, Meilina inherits the Demon King's throne, becoming the third demon emperor. She'll handle all demon affairs." Ministers knelt to the new Demon King. My father-in-law's a sly one.
"I hereby declare, from today, demons join the Sky Dragon Empire, sharing its glory and fate, never parting," Meilina announced. Sounds like wedding vows—hinting I'm responsible now. A true man like me would never betray trust.
"I, Makino Feitian, Sky Dragon Empire Emperor, solemnly swear to treat demons and gods as my people, equal to all races. I'll lift them from poverty, relocate them to the Demon-God Continent for a new, happy life. We'll cast aside grudges, advance together, and create glory. My descendants shall honor this, treating demons and gods as siblings, standing united." My qi-infused voice reached the gods outside and the capital's demons. Millions wept, their long-awaited day arrived.
"Majesty, ten thousand years!" Waves of cheers rose outside, soldiers roaring, echoing into the hall. Baizhan, Mengjiang, Xue'er, Meilina, my wives, the God King, Demon King, and elders knelt. "Majesty, ten thousand years!"
Suddenly, the palace's black sky burst with fireworks. The sky flashed: "Long Live Unity of All Races!" "Long Live Emperor Feitian!" "Demon Beauties, I Love You!" "Demon King, You're Handsome!" "God King, Not Bad Either!" Total chaos, ruining the solemnity. Xiao Yan and Mimi's doing—those浏阳 fireworks were their job. The Demon King and God King, millennium rivals, smiled, shook hands, and walked out together…
Reader's Corner: Yo, readers, Feitian's unified the three realms! Will his empire dominate the cosmos, or are aliens plotting a galactic upset? Will Meilina's new role spark demon loyalty or drama? Drop your cosmic predictions in the comments—let's unravel this epic unification!