"Let's go! I promised to bring you home!"
Sora had promised the Bai Ze that he'd bring them home. And now, the time had come to honor that promise.
At the sight of Sora, the Bai Ze cheered with unabashed joy.
Even though his current appearance was completely different, the sense he inspired in them hadn't changed in the slightest.
He still made them feel safe; he still inspired faith.
Indeed, it was precisely because of Sora's presence that, despite being besieged by so many Abundance Clans, the Bai Ze hadn't felt even a trace of despair.
They believed in their innate talents, and they trusted Sora to keep his word.
And now, Sora was proving with his actions that their trust was well-placed.
Yet, among everyone present, one person remained quietly worried.
"Sora-gege, there are just too many enemies here. Don't push yourself too hard!"
Ahri was visibly weakened from overusing her power, but her concern for Sora was still clear in her voice.
Before them, endless vines had completely sealed off the path. Even if they rose into the sky, the sight of the Abundance tide stretching endlessly in every direction was enough to crush any spirit.
Ahri had faced these creatures before, so she knew exactly how terrifying they could be.
You couldn't kill them, you couldn't wound them—they healed almost instantly. They were practically cockroaches that refused to die.
"Don't worry," Sora reassured her. "I have a plan."
His words gave Ahri some peace, but only slightly. The overwhelming swarm right before her eyes left her wondering how anyone could possibly hold back this tide of Abominations.
Seeing Ahri's lingering uncertainty, Sora gave her one more instruction:
"Take the Bai Ze and get somewhere safe. Whatever you do, don't stay here."
"Eh?!"
Ahri looked up in shock, but Sora had already turned to face the flood of monstrosities surging forward.
Standing alone against the madness of the Abominations, he looked hopelessly outnumbered.
"But I'm never truly alone, am I?"
What kind of general commands no soldiers at his back?
Sora pointed toward the sky.
"Someone's grandma once said: 'Only a chef finds happiness wielding a knife.' But thanks to my allies, I think I can share in that happiness too!"
Countless zippers tore through empty space, ripping open portals high above the planet.
As the zippers parted, innumerable figures fell like rain, pouring endlessly through the openings.
Ahri knew she'd never forget the sight before her—just as she'd never forgotten how she'd felt seeing him centuries ago.
So special. So dazzling.
Even though the beings gathering around Sora looked monstrously terrifying, Ahri trusted that what these monsters were here to do would surely be something good.
Because the one leading them was just that kind of person.
"Ahri, the Bai Ze are counting on you."
"Right. Leave it to me."
Ahri rose to her feet, looking at Sora's back with unwavering trust.
He would be fine. He always had been—and today would be no different.
...
Ahri led the Bai Ze away, encountering no further obstacles as they fled. Behind them, Sora engaged the Abominations, ensuring her safe retreat.
"Now then—this place is my stage!"
Rip!
The vines sealing off the path tore apart, and Abominations surged toward Sora like a breached dam.
"Kill him! Destroy them all!"
"No one can stand against us!"
They aimed to drown Sora entirely in their writhing mass. Yet the otherworldly beings behind Sora intercepted the flood, and chaos erupted as both sides crashed into combat.
In the heart of the enemy lines, Sora no longer held back.
The Abominations, however, showed no fear. They surged forward relentlessly, burying Sora beneath their sheer numbers.
But a moment later, upbeat music suddenly burst forth from within the horde.
The creatures, bewildered, looked around for its source—just as flames shone through gaps between them.
If they remembered correctly, that spot was…
BOOM!
An explosion engulfed the swarm piled atop Sora. The searing energy reduced the Abominations to ashes before they could even scream.
Amidst the smoke and fire stood Sora, wielding an outrageously oversized cannon.
'[HINAWADAIDAI-DJ-JU]!!'
With rhythmic blasts accompanied by energetic music, explosions echoed across the battlefield. Strangely, the music mixed with the shrieks of dying Abominations into something resembling melody.
This was Sora's battle anthem—the clarion call of his counterattack!
The Denizens of the Abundance crumbled instantly under his relentless barrage. Although they turned to ash in seconds, others swiftly took their place, an endless tide with seemingly no limit.
But they weren't fools; they wouldn't endlessly sacrifice themselves.
At last, as another cannon round roared forth, a massive figure stepped forward and blocked the blast.
Towering four or five meters high, it absorbed the fiery-orange shell head-on. Smoke curled lightly around its body, but no visible wounds appeared—only a few flecks of copper fell away, proving it had weathered Sora's shot.
"It's the Copper Tiger Clan!"
"They can harden their bodies at will. Their chief is even said to survive direct hits from cosmic missiles!"
Seeing someone finally halt Sora's bombardment, the surrounding Abominations rejoiced.
Able to withstand even cosmic missiles—combined with the limitless regeneration granted by the Blessings of Abundance—the Copper Tigers stood near the pinnacle of all clans here.
In this chaotic battle, with this clan restraining the silver figure, they no longer had to fear his cannon.
"Chief Copper Tiger, mighty and invincible!"
"Chief Copper Tiger, unstoppable force!"
The Abominations cheered, morale surging.
But the Copper Tiger facing Sora remained vigilant, having felt genuine pain from the strike it had absorbed.
"You wield immense power. Why stand beside weaklings?"
Its tiger jaws parted, voice booming with its question.
The spot hit by Sora's blast still ached dully. That one shot rivaled a cosmic missile, yet Sora could seemingly fire endlessly. Even outside the Abundance Clans, such strength was formidable in this universe.
So why—why had he chosen to stand by the Bai Ze, creatures so pathetically weak?
In the Copper Tiger's mind, the strong should exploit the weak, and the weak should serve the strong. This doctrine had governed their kind since the dawn of time; the universe itself operated by these principles.
Yet here was Sora, undeniably powerful, squandering his strength by standing with the feeble.
"The strong should conquer all. Why waste your power this way?"
"Waste?"
Sora chuckled lightly, merging the Musou Saber with the Hinawadaidai-DJ-Ju.
An icy gleam rippled along the blade.
"Wasted? Hardly. This strength exists precisely to protect those who can't fight for themselves."
He hefted the massive weapon, its blade leveled steadily at the Copper Tiger.
"So tell me—are you ready to die?"
Veins bulged violently on the Copper Tiger's forehead. "Then I'll show you what true strength really looks like!"
Its skin deepened rapidly into a rich bronze hue—the hallmark ability of its clan, capable of shrugging off cosmic missiles. Enhanced further by the Blessing of Abundance, it was nigh invincible.
"Even tens of thousands of degrees from cosmic missiles can't scratch me! You'd better surrender quietly!"
Transforming into a streaking copper shadow, it charged through the battlefield, crushing Abundance clansmen and otherworldly beings alike into pulp, its massive blade aimed straight at Sora's neck.
Yet Sora, facing down the incoming juggernaut, simply attached the Kachidoki Lockseed to the Musou Saber.
'[LOCK ON]!'
'[ICHI]!'
'[JUU]!'
'[HYAKU]!'
'[SEN]!'
'[MAN]!'
'[OKU]!'
'[CHOU]!'
'[MURYOUTAISUU]!'
'[KACHIDOKI CHARGE]!'
The Musou Saber erupted in a blinding, searing brilliance—like a supernova detonating at the heart of the battlefield, bathing everything in a brilliance brighter than daylight.
Energy surged from the blade, rippling outward like furious ocean waves. The Copper Tiger thundered forward, a mountain in motion, shaking the earth with every stride. Yet before Sora's monumental strike, even this unstoppable charge became as insignificant as a grain of sand swept by the ocean.
In the instant the Musou Saber descended, an unfathomable force—akin to the explosive birth of a star—tore across the field, overwhelming everything in its path.
For one breathless moment, time itself seemed frozen.
The Abominations locked in combat suddenly went wide-eyed in terror. Before they could even comprehend what had happened, their senses vanished into oblivion.
In their final flashes of awareness, they glimpsed an expanding wave of sword energy, slicing outward in circles around Sora—like the cross-section of a freshly cut orange.
Wherever this blade-light swept, giants and frenzied, fearless otherworldly warriors alike shattered instantly like flimsy paper dolls.
The battlefield emptied into a terrifying vacuum. All the earlier chaos—shouts, screams, the roar of battle—ceased abruptly, replaced by deafening, oppressive silence.
Thump, thump, thump—
In the sudden quiet, the survivors heard their own heartbeats pounding wildly, each beat screaming at them to run.
At the epicenter stood Sora, proud and resolute, his silver figure gleaming like an invincible war god, cloak fluttering heroically behind him.
The Copper Tiger remained as little more than half a body, an isolated remnant amid the utter devastation.
Witnessing such overwhelming might, the Abominations' primal instincts ignited. The sheer terror shattered their earlier frenzy, starkly reminding them of their insignificance.
Before this figure, they were less than nothing.
But how could they flee?
Behind them, more Abominations surged forward like unstoppable tides, sweeping them helplessly toward certain death…
...
"B-B-B-Bad news! Terrible news!"
A small bird rushed in front of Phantylia, shrieking in human speech, flapping frantically to relay the catastrophe it had witnessed.
Phantylia frowned disdainfully. "Look at yourself—what disgraceful behavior is this?"
"My apologies, Prophet, but the siege against the Bai Ze went terribly wrong!"
"What? How's that possible? The Ze clan is pitifully weak. How could they possibly have escaped?"
Phantylia refused to believe the Bai Ze could slip through. Their combat prowess was nonexistent; they possessed nothing more than cute, harmless appearances. At times, she even wondered why YAOSHI favored them at all.
The bird hastily recounted what had transpired: how a single man, Sora, stood firm against an entire army, single-handedly blocking all attempts to annihilate the Bai Ze.
"And what's more—" the bird stammered incredulously, "that man actually pushed our forces back!"
Bam!
Phantylia slammed her palm down hard, splintering the table beneath her hand.
"What did you just say?!"
Impossible. That frontline was formed from hundreds—even thousands—of the Abundance Coalition troops. While most powerful factions were tied up facing the Xianzhou Alliance, those still here were formidable enough to make even her Antimatter Legion cautious.
How could someone push back such a formidable line?
"It's the truth! I'd never dare deceive you, Prophet!"
The raw panic in the bird's voice snapped Phantylia back to her senses. Indeed, these subordinates had no reason to deceive her.
Could it actually be true?
A wave of unease surged through her. Grasping the nearby roots, Phantylia projected countless scenes into her mind—this was how she controlled her forces without ever leaving her chambers.
But what she saw now made her drop her hand in stunned disbelief.
"How… How can this be?"
The sheer magnitude of energy released was something even she would hesitate to confront directly. Yet the man wielding it was completely unknown to her. Impossible—she'd kept meticulous records, down to the recent male commander from the Federation of Hope. So who was this sudden stranger?
An ominous premonition crept into her thoughts. She usually enjoyed surprises, savoring events beyond her calculations.
But this was different. The style of the man's power made her pause.
"Vines, was it?"
Could it be…
Phantylia turned slowly toward the root system beside her.
"Is he here…for you?"
It was the only explanation that made sense. Otherwise, why else would someone of such terrifying strength suddenly appear now?
It made sense, really. An Emanator received blessings directly from YAOSHI, yet the marks THEY left were not binding.
The Denizens of the Abundance rampaging across the cosmos were proof enough of that.
Abundance blessings either devoured or resonated with each other. Since someone resembling an Emanator had appeared here, it could only be coming for the tree itself.
"Damn it, you've dragged me into a real mess," Phantylia cursed inwardly. Standing abruptly, she turned to leave.
"Prophet, where are you going?"
"I'm getting off this planet."
If this was an internal Abundance conflict, she had no intention of meddling. But just as she took a step, a sudden thought struck her, curling her lips into a wicked smile.
"By the way, have you tasted this tree's fruit?"
The messenger blinked blankly.
Why would she suddenly ask that?
...
Near the starfield surrounding the Xianzhou Luofu.
Ever since communications had recovered, hey began mopping up the ambush forces lying in wait.
The Gudiao Clan may have been lying in wait, but the Luofu wasn't exactly helpless. Jing Yuan had already pinpointed every ambush using the Matrix of Prescience Ultima, and with the formal signal to counterattack given, it was time to swiftly deal with these pests.
Starskiffs danced gracefully across space, movements seemingly casual yet perfectly coordinated. Jing Yuan's tactics flowed seamlessly, effortlessly dismantling every ambush.
"Truly worthy of your title, Divine Foresight General," Fenille praised openly. "This maneuver alone is enough to humble anyone else in the cosmos."
Jing Yuan laughed warmly. "Hardly worth mentioning—a minor stratagem at best. I just wanted fewer Cloud Knights hurt, that's all."
Yet he suspected why she'd really come. "Miss Fenille, you're here to ask when the Xianzhou will depart, correct?"
"Naturally," Fenille said. "Both Federation leaders are embroiled in this mess. As their subordinate, their safety is my top priority."
"I understand, but it's not my decision to make."
Jing Yuan sympathized with her concerns, yet some matters were simply beyond his authority.
Previously, he'd known Sora had tremendous backup, but he hadn't expected even the seemingly frivolous Commander Titania to be this terrifyingly strong.
He'd imagined confronting her himself—only to conclude he'd barely last three moves. Realistically, he might be sealed in crystal during their first exchange, quicker than even Hoolay could react. If sealed, he couldn't summon the Lightning Lord either. Losing in one round was the harsh reality; saying three was simply to save face.
"Still," Jing Yuan continued gently, "given your commanders' abilities, they'll certainly overcome the crisis."
"Exactly," Jin Xing chimed in. "Fenille, you're overthinking it."
Fenille knew they spoke the truth—it was her sole consolation. Yet everything else about this disaster weighed heavily on her mind. She'd originally partnered with Robin to keep Sora in check—but now Robin was missing, and Fenille dared not imagine how Titania might behave without her restraint.
Could she voice these concerns?
Absolutely not—she could only push the Xianzhou into action.
Jin Xing, oblivious to Fenille's internal turmoil, saw her anxiety as doubt in Sora's strength. After all, she'd personally experienced defeat at his hands and held deep respect for his power. Approaching Fenille closely, Jin Xing gave her yet another reassuring pat.
"I can't speak for Titania, but trust me, there's no need to worry about Sora."
Fenille stared helplessly. Do you realize you've repeated that six times already?
But Jin Xing ignored her irritation, passionately recounting Sora's past glories.
"Let's make a bet. I'm betting Sora will resolve everything effortlessly."
"By then, we won't even need to go!"
Jin Xing stood confidently, arms akimbo, brimming with faith in Sora.
Fenille just sighed.
Suddenly, alarms blared through the hall.
"General, we've got a major situation!"
Connecting the transmission, an ominously dark prison appeared on-screen.
The Shackling Prison?!
Recognizing it, Jing Yuan immediately sat up. "What's happening?"
"General! The containment box holding Shuhu's remains has suddenly gone berserk!"
The image shifted to a small, solitary box vibrating violently, trembling as if something trapped inside was desperately clawing to escape.
Inside were the fleshly remains of the Abundance Emanator—Shuhu.
Shuhu, once YAOSHI's chief disciple, had debated the Dao with YAOSHI THEMSELF on a distant planet. His power had been terrifying enough to exact a staggering cost from the Xianzhou Alliance—the previous Luofu Arbiter-General, Teng Xiao, had perished precisely by his hands.
And now the box holding Shuhu's remains was violently rattling—not exactly a promising sign!
Sensing disaster, Jing Yuan swiftly dispatched countless Cloud Knights, surrounding the chamber.
Shuhu's matters must never be underestimated.
Yet when Jing Yuan arrived, the box had gone still. Even then, not a single guard lowered their vigilance.
They couldn't afford carelessness—not when it concerned Shuhu.
After thoroughly briefing the prison warden, Jing Yuan reinforced security and departed, finally expecting a moment of rest.
But just as he sat back, another transmission arrived.
It was Yanqing.
"What is it, Yanqing? Have you finished clearing the remaining ambushes?"
"Not yet, General, but…"
Yanqing's expression darkened. "General, something strange is happening to the enemy chieftain. We're holding position for now."
Jing Yuan frowned, puzzled, but when Yanqing projected the scene to him, his mind briefly went blank.
From the depths of space stretched countless golden tendrils, each seeking out and attaching to the bodies of the Gudiao clansmen. Even their chieftain, who'd once crossed paths briefly with Sora, stood linked to a gleaming golden tentacle, eyes glazed and empty.
The image was deeply unsettling.
Snapping back to his senses, Jing Yuan barked out urgently, "All Cloud Knights, fall back immediately!"
This presence, this oppressive aura—there was no mistaking the identity of the being before them…
...
[I am Shuhu…]
With that mysterious, solemn voice, the ground beneath Sora violently trembled, as though shaken by the invisible hand of an ancient titan. The entire planet quaked ferociously, threatening to bury all life beneath a storm of devastation.
Rumble!
The earth split open with deafening cracks, stone and rubble hurled skyward only to crash back violently. Dust surged into a thick, suffocating curtain, pierced swiftly by countless golden tendrils that reached hungrily into the black cosmos.
Sora steadied himself amidst a protective mass of vines.
Deep fissures raced outward like a frantic spiderweb, swallowing panicked clansmen whole into the abyss.
[I am eternity itself…]
But Sora paid no attention to their screams—his mind echoed only with that resounding voice. Within his system space, that strange, infant-shaped fruit pulsed and called out ceaselessly.
Shuhu had returned.
Its vessel for revival was the very tree that bore the addictive fruit he'd encountered earlier. The Denizens of Abundance who'd consumed those fruits murmured Shuhu's proclamation, their bodies instantly withering to empty husks.
Meanwhile, the barren tree before Sora erupted in a grotesque bloom. Countless new fruits appeared—not infant-like, but heads of clansmen, hanging grotesquely from the branches, their faces forever frozen in blissful smiles.
Yet those smiles inspired nothing but dread.
[With my rebirth, all species across the cosmos shall attain true immortality!]
Shuhu rose from the corpse-littered ruins, rapidly swelling, absorbing flesh from tens of thousands of creatures as it transcended death. Initially prominent only locally, Shuhu expanded monstrously—soon dwarfing half the planet, and finally overshadowing the entire world.
Countless Blessings of Abundance resonated within its enormous frame, amplifying Shuhu's presence until it loomed large as a star, a colossal tree whose branches reached outward into endless space.
From afar, Phantylia's ship looked insignificant—a mere speck beside the reborn Shuhu—but she wore an excited, triumphant smile.
"Shuhu, another Emanator of Abundance has arrived. I had no choice but to awaken you early."
Earlier, Sora had nearly destroyed the tree. It was Phantylia herself who'd repaired it, using none other than Shuhu's own remains. From the start, it had all been part of her design.
Originally, she'd planned to feed the Xianzhou fleet to the tree, creating more fruits for the clansmen to devour. But with a new Emanator of Abundance appearing, she had no choice but to retreat quickly. After all, an Emanator was best dealt with by another Emanator.
Just then, a vast golden tendril descended toward her ship.
[Phantylia, I sense no Emanator nearby.]
"What?!" Phantylia froze. "Impossible. Isn't that shining silver fellow precisely one?"
At her words, Shuhu's attention instantly shifted toward Sora.
[He is not an Emanator. However…]
Observing the vines and mysterious zippers around Sora, Shuhu murmured with growing interest:
[With such power, perhaps I can truly forge the perfect Heaven of Eternal Bliss.]
If it could absorb that strength, it could transform itself into an entire realm. Then, all living beings would live eternally within its body—no more conflict, no more suffering.
Its immortality would grant all beings immortality. Within its eternal body, conflict would cease entirely.
Replacing the universe with itself, absorbing all life into its immortal essence—this was Shuhu's Dao.
A golden tendril slowly extended before Sora, almost invitingly.
[Fellow daoist, why not join me in exploring the mysteries of immortality, the grandeur of eternal life?]
Its words resonated like sacred chants, capable of brainwashing any ordinary creature instantly. The faintest notion stirred briefly in Sora's mind—but was swiftly overwhelmed by murderous intent boiling up from his core.
Kill, kill, kill, kill! Why waste time talking—cut this damn thing down first!
Clarity surged back into Sora's eyes. But the Abundance clansmen emerging from the fissures lacked his resolve. As they reached eagerly toward the planet-sized roots before them, their bodies shriveled, becoming desiccated husks whose heads soon joined the countless others smiling vacantly from the colossal tree above.
Still, Shuhu relentlessly continued its persuasion:
[Such bliss, fellow daoist—why refuse it?]
"Bliss, my ass!"
Without hesitation, Sora swung his blade, slicing directly through the tentacle reaching for him.
This wasn't bliss—it was brainwashing. And once enthralled, you were drained dry and reduced to a lifeless corpse.
As if he'd ever accept that!
Better to trust his gut and slice first, ask questions later!
Slash!
Two swift strikes cleanly severed the golden tendril. Divine, golden sap bled from the wound, droplets raining down like tears from heaven.
Beneath, those already entranced eagerly caught the golden droplets on their tongues, quickly transforming into lifeless trunks fused to Shuhu's ever-growing roots.
[A pity, indeed.]
Shuhu sighed regretfully at Sora's refusal.
It was the first time it had invited another being to become a caretaker of its Heaven of Eternal Bliss—only to be swiftly rejected.
Yet Shuhu had no intention of letting Sora go. If he wouldn't willingly join the Dao, Shuhu would simply take his power by force.
Absorbing you entirely will grant me the same divine strength!
[Fellow daoist… please wait!]
---
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