Chapter 433: Blowing Up a Planet
Back on Earth, in Lingzhou City, the Hua Nation.
The situation in the country—especially the provinces near Lingzhou City—had improved considerably compared to half a year ago, as rampaging Ferals were a rare sight hundred of miles from the city.
The uninhabited villages and towns nearby were filled with life as well.
Thanks to the work of the Martial Arts Department (MAD) and the military, many civilians were returning to their former homes and farming.
w.a.n.g Hou was rapidly flying past over the horizon right then, looking at all which was prosperous on the ground and unable to hold back a smile.
Had he not been protecting this homeland throughout the years?
Soon, Jinyintan Village was in sight.
There was a twinkle in w.a.n.g Hou’s eye as he looked out from the distance and saw Jiang He’s array.
His vision was now naturally capable of seeing through the essence of the array Jiang He had laid out.
Still, he could not help inhaling sharply at the sight!
“Gasp!”
“This array... Is so simple!”
“However, I heard that this chain of arrays had sealed many cultivators, even leaving some masters of arrays helpless against it. Could Jiang He’s array techniques have reached a level where he has turned the complex to simple?”
w.a.n.g Hou landed in front of the array, narrowing his eyes as he closely observed the array and getting more puzzled with each look, murmuring in his surprise, “This array is a little interesting. It’s really... really...”
He did not dare to think further.
After all, the more he studied the array, the more it felt to him that it was something made up.
And yet, an array set up in that fashion could not be broken even if he could see through it.
Circling around the array and arriving outside Jiang He’s gates, w.a.n.g Hou could not help frowning. “Is he not at home?”
“Did the brat run off to play with his pets and maids again?”
“No.”
The unsettling thought in w.a.n.g Hou’s mind became stronger as he quietly said, “I know that kid and with his personality, he definitely would not think about playing after learning about the Hundred Races Alliance. I’m afraid that he would have rushed to outer s.p.a.ce immediately to resolve that issue...”
“So, that rascal must have ran off to fight the Alliance.”
w.a.n.g Hou could not help scowling at the thought.
He was now almost sure that Jiang He had brought along his whole family to outer s.p.a.ce.
Most important, was that kid a fool?
It was the Hundred Races Alliance!
Not even all the cultivators who lived in the Qi dynasty and the era of Qi Refinists could stop that Alliance’s a.s.sault... How would it be different from suicide if Jiang He fought alone?
Even so...
That had always been the way Jiang He did things.
Gritting his teeth and muttering a few curses, w.a.n.g Hou suddenly took to the skies, disappearing in a moving flash.
He arrived outside the mountain archways of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect in no time at all.
Being the first to notice him, the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist flew out in a flash, smiling, “Apologies, Minister w.a.n.g. We didn’t you were coming, and so were unable to receive you out here.”
“You’re too kind, Brother Ten Thousand Swords.”
w.a.n.g Hou replied courteously before cutting to the chase, “I’ve actually came today with a request.”
Having personally witnessed w.a.n.g Hou create a Dao for martial arts and receiving the homeworld’s qi blessing that meant acknowledgement from the Six Holies, he was naturally courteous toward w.a.n.g Hou, even smiling. “Ask away, Minister w.a.n.g, do not hold back. We will definitely support your decision.”
w.a.n.g Hou thanked him with a fist-palm salute and said, “I hope to ask everyone to offer a hand in saving Jiang He, Brother Ten Thousand Swords.”
“What?”
The Ten Thousand Swords did a double take and exclaimed in shock, “What happened to him?”
“I suspect that he might have left to attack the legion of the Hundred Races Alliance.”
“...”
The Ten Thousand Swords Daoist appeared baffled, and could not hold back from crying out, “How could this be?”
“Jiang He has ran off alone to ambush the Hundred Races Alliance?”
“Could he be a fool?
“Could he be an idiot?”
He then realized something with a start and muttered, “No wonder Mister Jiang told me not to worry about the Hundred Races Alliance when I visited him a few days ago... he even claimed then that he had a solution to solve them!”
“Jiang He had sought you out?”
w.a.n.g Hou’s gaze twitched. “He must have left to attack the Hundred Races Alliance if he said that.”
Sitting directly on the ground, a Martial Dao swirled out of his body as he said, “Brother Ten Thousand Swords, make haste to contact the elites of other sects. I shall attempt to connect with the Star Map and see if I could locate the Hundred Races Alliance.”
“Of course!”
The Ten Thousand Swords Daoist promptly whipped out his communications jade charm to contact the Golden Immortals of other sects.
At the same time, there was a flash in w.a.n.g Hou’s eyes, and a sea of stars that swirled and flickered appeared instantly in his vision.
Around half an hour later, w.a.n.g Hou withdrew his aura and shook his head a little feebly. “I can’t track down Jiang He or the Hundred Races Alliance. The Star Map is limited in its range of detection, and I can’t fully charge its authority with my current ability.”
On the other hand, the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist somberly muttered, “If the Hundred Races Alliance intends to invade our planet, their first step would be to a.s.semble a legion...”
After a.n.a.lyzing the information for a while, he said, “The best position for them to gather would probably be the Sky Demon Star, located in the Sky Demon System... could Jiang He have charged up there?”
Whoosh!
There was a flash of immortal just then, as the Golden Immortal of the Taixu Sect rushed to the scene along with several True Immortals.
The Golden Immortals from the other sect and the Scaled Dragons’ clan also rushed to scene then.
w.a.n.g Hou told them about while what happened, and the Scaled Dragon of Shennongjia snorted coolly and scolded, “How reckless. Does Jiang He think himself unmatched with just some degree of competence?”
“Running off alone and ambushing the legion of the Alliance?”
“Does he consider himself a Grand Luo when he is merely a True Immortal?”
w.a.n.g Hou leveled an unfriendly look at the Scaled Dragon then.
The elite of the Taixu Sect promptly came forward to calm things down with a pained smile. “Minister w.a.n.g, we need to consider carefully. The current situation is unknown, and should anything happen before the elites dispatched by the Throne of Six Holies arrive, the Hundred Races Alliance could descend upon our homeworld while it is unguarded...”
“There is no mistaking it. We are the only force left on our homeworld, and we could still defend it with some backup measures on the planet until the elites sent by the Throne of Six Holies arrive. However, the planet would be in danger if we took the initiative to attack!”
“The Hundred Races Alliance would definitely gather hundreds of Golden Immortals, thousands of True and Heavenly Immortals, along with a legion that number up to dozens, even hundreds of millions. The few of us would not even be enough to make them break a sweat.”
The many Golden Immortals all shared the same opinion, and w.a.n.g Hou took a deep breath.
He was not angry, and he could understand the Golden Immortals’ choice.
Their intention was to defend Earth.
If slaying a few hundred million commoners could ensure their homeworld’s safety, these Golde Immortals would immediately begin a slaughter.
And they were right.
If they left on their own only for something to happen to them, the Hundred Races Alliance could seize the opening to invade and Earth would be in danger.
Offering the Golden Immortals a fist-palm salute, w.a.n.g Hou turned, intent on leaving.
The Ten Thousand Swords Daoist quickly called out to stop him, but he smiled. “I understand everyone’s choice here. All of you had returned from the other side of the stars to defend our homeworld... which is why I shall go out alone to save Jiang He!”
“You mustn’t!”
The faces of the many Golden Immortals fell, with the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist quickly saying, “The situation is uncertain at the moment, Minister w.a.n.g! You mustn’t act recklessly!”
“What if Jiang He was merely out on a pleasure trip?”
“Moreover, if Jiang He had really run off to ambush the legion of the Alliance, something would have happened to him already. You can’t do anything even if you go now, and you would putting yourself in danger.”
“If something happened to you, who could protect the one billion citizens of the Hua Nation?”
w.a.n.g Hou smiled faintly and replied, “Brothers, all of you are probably aware of Jiang He’s accomplishments... if not for him, those one billion citizens of the Hua Nation would still be deep in trouble with the Ferals... if not for him, the nation would have long since fallen!”
“Back when Sky Demons opened the Stargate to invade Earth, none of the elites in your immortal sects helped.”
“No one came out to meet me when I stood outside the mountain archway of the Taixu Sect for one whole day and night.”
“Old Lin was ignored after kneeling outside the Penglai Sect for three days and nights.”
“We had even prepared to die in battle, but Jiang He made a stand, turning the tide by his power as a True Child cultivator and saving Earth.”
“After that, the Sky Demons’ legion descended on Mars and attempted to conquer Earth once again, but Jiang He stood up for us again, blowing the whole planet up along with their immortals and legion of three million with it, saving Earth once again.”
“He was not even an immortal at the time.”
w.a.n.g Hou sneered in disdain at that. “Forgive my frankness, Brothers... but if it was not for Jiang He, your so-called homeworld would already have been conquered by the Sky Demons! Defend the homeworld? Defend, my foot!”
Laughing coolly, w.a.n.g Hou moved his feet and strode toward the horizon.
His voice continued to echoed beside the ears of the Golden Immortals.
“Earth would already have been lost without Jiang He.”
“The one billion citizens of the Hua Nation would be long dead without Jiang He.”
“How could I sit and wait with his fate unknown?”
“I’ll bring him home if he lives!”
“If he is dead, I would bring him back even if he was a corpse.”
Whoosh!
Rising to the clouds, w.a.n.g Hou accelerated up to outer s.p.a.ce.
The Ten Thousand Swords Daoist looked left and right before abruptly gritting his teeth and barking, “Screw it. I’m with you, Minister w.a.n.g!”
He rushed up to the horizon and caught up with w.a.n.g Hou as well.
w.a.n.g Hou gave the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist a long look and laughed out loud. “If we could return alive and the homeworld does survive this crisis, I’ll hence permit the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist to spread their teachings.”
The Ten Thousand Swords Daoist flashed a pained smile.
That sounded good, but it would have to wait until after they returned alive.
Moreover...
Clearing his throat, he said, “Minister w.a.n.g, the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist is my Daoist t.i.tle. My last name is actually w.a.n.g as well—I’m w.a.n.g Xiao’Er.”
***
“Ahem.”
Outer s.p.a.ce, just beyond the Black Demon Star in the Sky Demon Planetary System.
Bruised all over his body, Jiang He stood in outer s.p.a.ce proudly with the Golden Radiance sword in his hand. He wanted to laugh, but it aggravated an internal injury, causing him to cough several mouthfuls of black blood violently.
He scowled, and could not help cursing, “d.a.m.n it, aren’t these Golden Immortals crazy? Self-destructing if they can’t win?”
“h.e.l.l, even if my physique is stronger than a premium-grade immortal item and protected by the Primordial Clock, I’m actually injured internally...”
As for that black blood?
It was a sign that he had been poisoned.
A Golden Immortal from one of the lesser races had blown up his own Dao to unleash a poison technique before he died, leaving Jiang He dazed from the poisoning.
Taking out a Bezoar Detox Pill and swallowing it, he looked around at the floating corpses in s.p.a.ce as well as the many mystic treasures or G.o.dly weapons, shaking his head and saying helplessly, “My lone ability is ultimately limited... sigh. It seems that I must study up on some AOE techniques after I get home.”
Jiang He was very dissatisfied with the outcome of his battle.
He had said that he would slay every last Golden Immortal.
But how did that turn out?
Aside from the handful of Golden Immortals whom Modolo and the White Sky G.o.d King had escaped with, over twenty Golden Immortals had eluded his grasp.
Jiang He’s intention was to let free less than ten of them, allowing them to leak the news that Modolo and the White Sky G.o.d King had deserted the Alliance in the face of danger...
How could he be content with over twenty of them getting away?
Nonetheless, a faint smiled showed on Jiang He’s face after he waved his hand to collect the many corpses, Void Rings, and mystic treasures.
“Whatever...”
“If they’ve escaped, they’ve escaped... in the end, I’m just a newbie cultivator who had only started out half a year ago, and it’s already extraordinary that I could come this far.”
“Moreover, this harvest is quite something!”
Jiang He did a quick calculation.
There were sixty-seven Golden Immortal corpses, most of which were torn into pieces, with some only left with brain matter.
Though Jiang He had killed almost a hundred Golden Immortals, human physique could not be generalized... Though Jiang He believed that he had perfect control over his strength, there were occasions where he had accidentally mishandled his strength and destroyed his opponent, with not a piece of them left to be found.
“What a shame.”
“I would have to train myself more on this when I get home.”
“A Golden Immortal corpse is worth a lot, and I could actually plant a Golden Immortal, or at least get a Golden Immortal Dao Fruit... still, some Golden Immortals are so weak they would explode from a single punch. I can’t be blamed entirely!”
Jiang He mused to himself for a long while as he nonchalantly searched through two of the Void Rings.
Aside from soul medicine, item crafting materials, rare treasures, and certain medicinal pellets, the immortal crystals were most numerous.
There were over eighty thousand immortal crystals in both rings.
Jiang He did not check the remaining Void Rings for now.
After all...
There were too many Void Rings.
Aside from the Alliance elites who were Golden Immortal, Jiang He had also killed hundreds of True Immortals as well as thousands of Heavenly Immortals. How much time would he waste if he counted each of his spoils?
He could leave that task to his dog.
Jiang He then turned to look at Black Demon Star.
The Alliance’s legion of millions was still on the planet.
The strongest cultivation among these multi-race legions were Mahayana-pinnacle, and they could survive outer s.p.a.ce... even so, the battle in outer s.p.a.ce had just ended and dimensional turbulences as well as remnant Dao lingered. The hundreds of Mahayana elites who darted up into outer s.p.a.ce and tried to run were hence caught by the lingering Dao and blown into puffs of blood mist.
Jiang He invoked his Golden Radiance sword.
Seizing the instant before the effect of his Strengthened Mutant Pepper faded, he mustered his full strength and sliced toward Black Demon Star.
Swish!
A sword light that extended over thousands of miles tore through thin air.
Crack!
There was a crisp sound that resounded over Black Demon Star.
And in the next instant...
Boom!
The entire planet exploded.
Jiang He’s sword strike had cut directly into the planet’s core.
A giant living planet, over a hundred thousand kilometers in diameter, was instantly reduced to s.p.a.ce dust. None among the countless Sky Demons civilians, or even the Hundred Races Alliance legion that numbered over dozen millions, survived.
Sheathing his sword, Jiang He smiled faintly.
“Blowing up a planet really doesn’t take much.”