Chapter 1375: Becoming a Fiend!
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
“I’ll slay anyone who stops me, G.o.d or demon!”
With that bellow, Xia Fei actually took the head of the G.o.d Eternity!
As arrogant and brutal as always, Xia Fei did not hesitate even if this elder was a G.o.d. Instead, he was all the more vicious!
*Kaboom!*
At the same time, the entire Seven Star Stele began to collapse. This was definitely an outcome that no one could have foreseen; the maverick Xia Fei slaying the G.o.d with a backhand! He instantly sent the Seven Star Stele tumbling!
!!
Everyone was frozen on the battlefield. They watched dumbfounded as the Seven Star Stele collapsed. It was not just the Devil Shadow Dragoons; even the Dragons were stunned!
This was an absolutely inexplicable scene to behold! The Seven Stars Stele had stood for countless years, surviving countless battle after battle. The steel-like seven cloud steps that connected to the G.o.d Region had stood for eternity, only for them to be toppled from within!
“Heavens! Just what is Xia Fei doing?!” Grand Ancestor Xia Gucheng bemoaned.
“I’m dizzy. This is some huge trouble. Just why is Xia Fei so fond of stirring up such trouble!” Xia Guanghai said glumly.
Naran was not familiar with Xia Fei, and asked curiously, “Are you sure this is Xia Fei’s doing?!” He could not understand why when the Seven Stars Stele fell, everyone was so certain that it was Xia Fei had done it!
The Skywing Wolfpack, Oro, the Aurora Clan, Fuchen, Chu Jingfeng, Yangguang were all instantly rendered speechless.
Was there even a need to ask? Something so unorthodox and outrageous, who else, if not Xia Fei, could possibly even do something like that?!
Having seen Xia Fei their entire lives, it was almost as if he was constantly getting into trouble, always living a life that kept going against conventions!
It was just that this time, everyone was truly shocked. Not even in their wildest dreams could any of them believe that Xia Fei would actually be so insane as to topple the Seven Stars Stele!
“Yeah, it must be Xia Fei.”
“Definitely him.”
Just as everyone was expressing their annoyance and wonder at the same time, a deafening roar broke their train of thought!
Everyone watched as a golden dragon spread its two wings in the distance, even as it let out a roar and swooped over!
The Dragons’ main a.s.sault had finally become! Nearly two thousand Megadragons were all diving into the battle!
The real battle would start right from this very moment!
The expression on everyone’s faces changed! Everyone clutched their weapons nervously, as grim looks descended on their faces!
From this point onward, the Devil Shadow Dragoon would face a true challenge!
Dragoons versus Dragons! This was the fight of their lives!
*Whoosh*
Just as everyone’s heart was lodged in their throats, a black figure suddenly came streaking in! It was none other than the remaining Ancient Apex, Autumn Erudite!
Autumn Erudite had no friends left, as they had all betrayed him! They had also betrayed the Dragoons, and the entire Annihilation Universe!
Autumn Erudite had been holding it in. He had not stayed alive for any other reason than to prove that he was not a traitor!
*Whoos.h.!.+*
Autumn Erudite came standing in front of the Dragon army like a mantis facing down a chariot. One man against an entire Dragon army. He was fearless!
Autumn Erudite took up that weird stance and muttered in a low voice, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Life springs from emptiness, everything falls to atrophy…”
As he said those words, Autumn Erudite began to unleash his strongest martial technique, Absolute Atrophy!
This final time, he planned to use his own life to weaken the lifeforce of the Megadragons!
With a shaking rumble, the entire universe darkened. Dark clouds gathered menacingly!
A warrior’s ultimate weapon was not their techniques, arts or even the energy they possessed. It was their life!
The moment a peak warrior of Autumn Erudite’s caliber paid the ultimate price with their life in exchange for their enemy’s own, their combat strength would increase exponentially!
Everyone saw Autumn Erudite’s body turn ashen the moment he began using Absolute Atrophy!
His muscles were gone. All that remained of Autumn Erudite was his shriveled body, seemingly at death’s door, yet he had shaved off the lives of the dragon warriors with his own lifeforce!
Those huge dragon bodies dulled, and even the speed of their advance was reduced quite a bit. Absolute Atrophy lived up to its name, depleting all things it affected!
*Roar*
All of a sudden, a golden and large mouth opened wide, and viciously bit down at Autumn Erudite!
This was the Golden Dragon, the Dragon King, Firmament!
He obviously knew countless methods to slay Autumn Erudite, yet he chose the most brutal and cruel method known and bit Autumn Erudite to death!
*Roar*
That golden dragon was majestic, his gaze proud. It was almost as if he was declaring that he was the lord of the universe! That every living thing across the cosmos needed to prostrate before him!
The draconic roar rang across the universe! The powerful Dragon King was a butcher who stood atop the biological food chain!
That was when a black figure zoomed over. His speed was swift, almost competing against Xia Fei, who possessed the top speed across the entire universe!
Wing!
It was the Broken Wing Sky Devil Paletooth’s Soul Familiar!
Everyone watched as Wing circled around the Golden Dragon Firmament rapidly while repeatedly unloading ranged attacks at him!
“I can’t stand this anymore! You creatures of evil deserve death! All of you!” Wing howled in his rage as he attacked.
Wing was not alone. The Soul Familiars of the Four Great Sky Devils had also appeared, one after another!
The Four Great Soul Familiars had been watching this brutal battle all this while, not once partic.i.p.ating.
The four Soul Familiars harbored great hatred toward the Fiends, but they had underestimated their heritage!
The Four Great Sky Devils were not devils, but the benefactors and friends of the Fiends!
Seeing the Devil Shadow army suffering heavy setbacks, with their warriors falling one after another, the Soul Familiars felt a storm of emotions surging inside them!
They did not understand the reason, but they knew deep down that they were extremely upset!
Wing was the one with the worst temper out of the four, and so he was also the first one to come rus.h.i.+ng out!
Friend or foe? The four did not care. They only felt that the Megadragons were loathsome, and since they loathed them, they decided to fight!
The Soul Familiars who had succeeded the Four Great Sky Devils did not know anything like fear. They were simply working together to fight against the Dragon King Firmament!
“Where’s Xia Fei?! Why has the Seven Stars Stele collapsed, but Xia Fei’s still not out yet?!” Fuchen sheathed the sword in his hand and looked out into the distance, worried.
…
Xia Fei had every intention to leave the Seven Stars Stele, but he was stuck.
It was strange. After Xia Fei brought the place down, the instant he slew the G.o.d, he found himself whisked away to the top of a white cloud, a spread of white and beautiful rainbow clouds all around him.
“Where is this place? Am I dead?” Xia Fei and mumbled to himself as he slapped himself, making sure he was still physically real.
That was when Eternity’s voice rang out once more. He appeared across from Xia Fei once more and said with a smile, “You’re not dead. You’re merely on the ultimate road to enlightenment.”
“Road to enlightenment?!” Xia Fei asked, bemused.
“That’s right. To fly beyond the limits of the sky, cultivation alone isn’t enough. What’s more important is the ascension of the soul. You found yourself on this road to enlightenment the moment you killed me and toppled the G.o.d Steps,” Eternity informed him.
“It’s that simple?” Xia Fei simply did not believe it. Was that not too fantastical?
“It is anything but simple,” Eternity shook his head to correct him. “Think about it. How many rules have you broken all these years? All the trouble you’ve caused? It’s so great that it could pierce the heavens!”
Xia Fei was rendered speechless, but soon asked, “Why does it sound like it’s because I’ve caused so much trouble that I’ve ended up on the road to enlightenment?”
Eternity coughed, but did not hold anything back as he laughed uproariously, “What do you mean, caused so much trouble that you ended up on the road to enlightenment? Yours is the subversion of enlightenment!” Eternity waved his arm grandly and sighed, “There are beings in this world who gain enlightenment through slaughter, or through sheer devotion to the martial path. Some do so through self-harm. But there is definitely no one else out there that gained enlightenment through subversion like you did!
“This path you’ve taken practically overthrows every single rule you come across. You persisted until the end, where you’d even refuse G.o.dhood! It’s fine if you reject it, but to even viciously lay your hands on a G.o.d and slay him?!
“Only when doing something to the extreme will one reach enlightenment. And you’ve essentially subverted every single rule in this universe, leaving nothing left for you to subvert. That crazy and unconventional personality of yours, is the basis of your enlightenment, which is why you’re now here, acknowledged as a master of the universe.”
Xia Fei lowered his head and mulled it over, “So what next?”
“Next, this entire universe is yours. You’re the master of this realm, but it is a pity that your enlightenment was not attained through conventional means, which is why you can’t be a G.o.d, but a demon!” Eternity declared, finding the situation both funny and infuriating.
“Then what after?” Xia Fei asked again.
Eternity was startled, and a bit nonplussed, “What? Do you not mind becoming a demon?”
“I don’t care. Be it G.o.d or demon, I am just me. I am Xia Fei,” Xia Fei answered simply, his arms folded.
*Clap clap clap! *
Eternity could not resist applauding. “Truly you’re a demon who has achieved enlightenment through subversion. Just with that statement ‘I don’t care’, you can stand shoulder to shoulder with the craziest of demons. This old one is utterly impressed.”
With a smile, Eternity leaned into Xia Fei’s ear and said something that caused the latter to freeze up.
He eyed Eternity strangely, only to find his figure gradually fading away, like the morning fog. He soon disappeared without a trace, almost as if he had never been there in the first place.
“Hey! Old man! You haven’t told me how to get back?!” Xia Fei yelled, a tinge of urgency in his voice.
“Hahahaha, Xia Fei, you’re already a demon, and a master of this universe. How could you not know how to get back? Please, don’t be so comical, can you?” Eternity’s voice echoed from far away, somewhat desolate, as if it came from some corner of the universe.
…
The battlefield. The final battle to the death had just begun, and the Devil Shadow Dragoons found themselves in an absolutely pa.s.sive position!
It had been three days. The Devil Shadow Dragoons and h.e.l.l Brigade had been engaged in a fight for three days and three nights! Even the hardiest man would no longer be able to stand it anymore, not to mention the fact that the insidious Megadragons were all waiting in the distance, waiting to join in.
At this very moment, the entire Dragon army was fully mobilized, and the Dragoons were in full retreat!
The Gray Megadragons had wingspans a hundred miles wide!
The Red Megadragons had a wingspan of eight hundred miles wide!
The Black Megadragons’ wingspan was a whooping twelve hundred miles wide!
Then there was the Dragon King Firmament. When his wings were fully unfurled, they reached up to five thousand miles!
“Restricted art, Skyless Discordance!”
Nalan Wufa’s face was smeared with blood, and he flew up to the sea of stars, unleas.h.i.+ng the most powerful attack known to the Fiends!
*Whoosh*
Countless spirits seemed to appear in the sea of stars! These spirits were black shades that let out mournful wails, rus.h.i.+ng toward the Dragons!
Dragon King Firmament was presently locked in combat with the four Soul Familiars! Wing, Gale, Ocean, and Calamity had odd personalities, but they still bore some measure of sentimentality toward the Fiends. After all, their creators themselves were very close with the Fiends.
Back when Wing, Gale, Ocean, and Calamity let Xia Fei go despite having absolute superiority over him, that had stemmed from the same mentality, but they had been unaware of it then.
Now that they saw the friends of the Four Great Sky Devils and the Devil Shadow Dragoons stuck in a desperate situation, the deep sentimentalities that the Sky Devils had left behind with these familiars completely erupted!
The four Soul Familiars attacked recklessly! They refused to see the Devil Shadow Dragoons continue in their downward spiral toward further defeat. Even the eyes of the kindly Gale had turned bloodshot!
Perhaps the Four Great Sky Devils had not made any mistakes. Wing, Gale, Ocean, and Calamity had inherited that proud arrogance of theirs, but were also given their affection toward the Fiends. That particular emotion of theirs did not come to bear easily, however. It was only when the Fiends were truly suffering that the four Soul Familiars would act!
*Rumble*
Nalan Wufa lived up to his name as the descendant of the King of Fiends; with one hand executing Skyless Discordance, he evoked countless restless spirits to blot out the sky!
This throng of restless spirits came surging in like a flood, cras.h.i.+ng directly toward the Dragon King Firmament!
“Roar!” The Golden Dragon Firmament could tell that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, and he immediately expanded the wings on his back that spanned five thousand miles, opening his maw to let loose a roar!
This was not any normal roar, but something that contained Draconic Prestige! It was filled with the tyrannic Aura of the dragon!
Boom! Though it was just a sound, it contained unimaginable lethality! The four Soul Familiars were sent flying off by Firmament’s tyrannic Aura! As for Nalan Wufa’s lethal art, it was instantly dissipated without a trace against the roar!
*Cough*
Many warriors found themselves stunned by that display of Draconic Prestige! All of them found themselves vomiting blood as their faces paled!
Even the Yggdragon King Yangguang was shocked! Everyone saw an intense shudder travel all over his body, and it looked like he instantly aged significantly. He said to Nalan Wufa beside him, “Call the retreat. We are absolutely no match for Firmament!”
“We won’t! The word retreat has no place in a Fiend’s dictionary!” Nalan Wufa shouted wildly. Though he was injured by the Draconic Prestige, it did not deter his fighting spirit.
Yangguang shook his head and rumbled, “You don’t understand, Firmament is a half-step away from reaching G.o.d-tier! That tyrannic Aura he unleashed moments ago was the Megadragon’s Golden Tyrannic Aura!”
Nalan Wufa was startled and sucked in cold air. In his surprise, he turned his gaze toward that gigantic figure far in the distance!
A half-step away from reaching G.o.d-Tier. That meant that Firmament was already a Quasi-G.o.d Dragon!
It was right at that moment that the Golden Dragon King Firmament proudly raised his head and spoke in a human voice, “Now that I’m already a Quasi-G.o.d, is there even anyone out there that dares stand in my way in this vast universe?! Who even is capable of doing so?!”
Before he could even finish his speech, everyone was left awestruck by the scene before them!
They watched as a colorful weed somehow climbed up Firmament’s body without anyone realizing it happening! Though his wingspan was a shocking five thousand miles wide, this weed was even longer, several tens of thousand miles long! It was practically endless!
The gargantuan body of Firmament was bound up, like someone had tied up a little chick!
There was a tall figure on top of Firmament’s golden and unparalleled frame, adopting an even prouder stance, standing tall!
It was none other than Xia Fei!
With one hand, he rubbed his ear and nonchalantly said, “So what if you’re a Quasi-G.o.d, is there a need for you to shout so loud? The reverberations left yours truly’s ears aching!”
What happened next caused everyone watching to hold their breath in complete awe!
They watched as Xia Fei viciously waved his arm, and pounded the Golden Dragon King Firmament into the stars!
He did it once!
Twice!
He even muttered under his breath, “Roar! I dare you to roar again! Making such a din when you’re just a Quasi-G.o.d? As a dragon, shouldn’t you watch your bearing?! You’ve essentially thrown whatever face the Megadragons have!
“Quasi-G.o.d just means half-baked, get it?! You’re just second-rate! I’ll put you nicely in your second place!”
Everyone was dumbfounded. From the Megadragons to the Fiends, from those alive and those half-dead.
Just what kind of situation was this?! Xia Fei had grabbed a hold of the Dragon King, a Quasi-G.o.d-tier dragon, and was smacking him like he was no different from a brick!
Smack smack smack! The entire universe echoed with the sound of Xia Fei’s smackings!
After some time, the Golden Dragon Firmament was left black and blue, his lower jaw trembling with impotent rage!
“You.. You’re a demon?!” Firmament asked loudly in a hoa.r.s.e voice, his golden eyes widened like saucers.
With a chuckle, Xia Fei curled the corner of his lips in that smirk of his, “Wrong. Yours truly is Xia Fei!”
Xia Fei raised his arm and stabbed his blade downward!
*Squelch!*
Golden blood spurted explosively, like a violent eruption in the galaxy! It colored the entire universe in gold!
Nine minutes and nine seconds after slaying a G.o.d viciously, Xia Fei had slain a dragon afterwards!
….
Several days later, Xia Fei brought Avril, his Skywing comrades, fellow Fiends, and the surviving brothers from the Seventh Universe back to the Annihilation Universe.
The Devil Shadow Dragoons finally officially become real Dragoons, because they came back riding dragons!
It helped that Xia Fei had been very violent, having taken care of the dragons by giving every single one of them a swollen b.u.mp on their heads!
“Xia Fei, what are your thoughts on how we should deal with the Destiny and Holy Light Dragoons?” Nalan Wufa asked as he gazed out at this familiar yet foreign universe that he had been away from for many epochs.
*Whoosh*
Xia Fei waved his hand across his neck, “Is there even a need to ask? We’ll kill them all!”
…
It had been five whole years since that war against the Megadragons.
The universe had returned back to the peace and order it had originally enjoyed, while the barriers between the universes had been removed, so humanoids, dragons, and beasts could all coexist peacefully.
Without the war, the various clans and races went into a state of recuperation.
Of course, there were exceptions. The Skywing Clan abruptly disbanded, much to the shock of the entire universe. A host of delinquents ran off to do what they personally enjoyed doing. Even the Grand Ancestor Xia Gucheng finally got the peace of mind to become a carpenter. Actually, it was not too bad either, and the furniture in Xia Fei’s home was all personally handcrafted by him. One could find oddly-shaped chairs, a rocking bed, etc.
…
Many years later, there were many famous figures from the Skywing Clan, including the painter Xia Guanghai, musician Xia Geng, and the Zen Master Xia Lianning.
Xia Fei knew that the Skywings were mult.i.talented; they were a most diverse bunch of men. What he found most astonis.h.i.+ng was learning that the old demon Oro became a dancer. Every time he saw him perform, Xia Fei would always think of a golden maned lion that towered nearly ten meter tall, so there was no need to mention just how awkward he felt deep down.
In any case, the universe became very exciting under Xia Fei’s guidance. People could do whatever they wanted, or say whatever they wanted. It was true freedom!
Of course, there was also chaos mixed in all this. Many younger descendants heard about how Xia Fei had gained enlightenment by going against all the rules of the universe, so they all wanted to break all the rules, just like Xia Fei.
Xia Fei naturally suppressed these noises, and his logic behind it was very simple; now that he was the one who created the rules, then any dissenters better shut up!
There were even some that wished to reason with Xia Fei, but they of course ended up getting beaten up. That was because Xia Fei was still absolutely unreasonable.
Aside from the universe enjoying freedom and unrestricted access, there was also a portion that maintained an air of mystery, and that was the Ninth Universe.
The superwars.h.i.+p G.o.d’s Eden floated amidst the stars of the Ninth Universe, facing the Chaos Gate.
Xia Fei and Avril were holding hands while walking along in the garden. Avril was heavy with Xia Fei’s third child, but she still maintained her elegance and grace.
In the distance, there was a little girl happily playing house under a banyan tree, except that the companion she was with looked very sad.
“Furball, why aren’t you eating the cake I made? Do you hate eating cake? Then shall I make you some fried paste noodles instead?” Furball was speechless. He turned to look at Xia Fei and Avril pitifully, only for Xia Fei to glare back at him. Furball hurriedly got back on the table and wolfed down the half-baked cake that the little girl made, tears in his eyes.
Furball simply could not understand. All those years ago, it was Avril who kept wanting to feed him food that left him speechless, yet now it was no longer her pestering him to eat, but their daughter forcing him to eat every day. He was eating until his face turned green!
Xia Fei and Avril continued their stroll, and they came across a little boy, sitting on a chair, deep in thought. Little Goldie was accompanying him, giggling the entire time.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in that Chaos Gate, as something unknown poked a head out of it.
“Enemy!” The little boy that had been listless moments ago suddenly grew excited. His eyes shone with an intense fighting spirit!
*Whoosh*
His small figure shot forth like a beam of light! He flashed a kick out right at the black head that poked out from the gate, sending the monster flying, just like that!
*Whoosh*
The young boy returned back to his seat and held up a book. He was sucking on a lollipop in his mouth, looking absolutely calm and relaxed, as if nothing had happened. He spotted his father and mother, and very naturally flashed them an innocent smile.
Who would have believed what just happened if they had not witnessed it with their very own eyes? This child actually just killed a monster with a kick! Yet at this moment, he was acting as if that had been nothing.
Xia Fei looked at his children and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Lifting his head up, he arched his eyebrow, and stared after the monster that had disappeared back into the Chaos Gate.
“What, are you thinking of leaving again?” Avril asked softly. “I know you’re someone that refuses to stay still.”
Xia Fei shook his head and heaved a long sigh, “I am someone that will always get into trouble. I think it’s best if I remain at home by my dear wife’s side.”
“Really?”
“Honest to G.o.d!”
“Actually, if you wish to go, you can. Some men just are just destined to never remain anch.o.r.ed.”
“Are you really willing to let me go?”
“Sure.”
With a whoosh, Xia Fei disappeared…
It was only half a moment, when the irate voice of Avril rang out shrilly, “XIA FEI! YOU GET BACK HERE!”
*Whoosh*
And Xia Fei was back, an innocent smile plastered on his face… though his eyes would still dart toward that Chaos Gate from time to time, filled with expectation.