Chapter Seventy: The Sword Immortal Is Gone

Chapter 70: The Sword Immortal Is Gone

More than an hour later, Reina emerged from the energy chamber, clutching her lower back, looking utterly exhausted. She was not pretending; anyone would be drained after unleashing the genetic engine at full capacity for over an hour, let alone Reina, a goddess of the new generation.

When the time was about right, Lianfeng called everyone inside. Unlike the original story, this time most of those present were from Earth. Only Zhixin represented the angels, and she was married to an Earthling.

So, as Reina stepped out, she saw a group waiting for her, all eyes filled with concern. Hastily, she withdrew her hand from her back, put on a nonchalant air, and said, “Piece of cake. I’m done here. How’s the data on your end?”

Lianfeng clapped her hands in delight. “Excellent, truly excellent! The energy just absorbed is enough for Mangdang Mountain to hover and engage in combat within Earth’s interior for forty-eight days.”

She resumed pacing as she continued, “We only need to remain in the atmosphere for less than twenty-four hours, then shuttle between space and the planet. That way, we can rely on stellar energy for sustenance.”

After a brief explanation, Lianfeng looked at Reina. “Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s prepare for launch.”

As soon as Lianfeng finished, Zhao Xin and Liu Chuang rushed to Reina’s side, one on each side, ready to support her. But Reina, ever mindful of her divine dignity, would not let them succeed. She brushed them off at once. “What are you doing? Supporting me over something this trivial? It takes more than that to tire out the goddess of sunlight.”

She strode away, but after just a few steps, her legs buckled and she nearly stumbled. Fortunately, the two men behind her reacted quickly and caught her, sparing the goddess of sunlight a fall.

“Ahem, this floor is uneven. Needs fixing,” Reina coughed, shifting the blame to the ground. After all, there was a step there—it deserved the blame.

“Did you hear that, Lun? Sister Na wants you to fix it,” Zhao Xin said solemnly to Ge Xiaolun.

Ge Xiaolun, caught off guard, quickly replied, “Of course! If Sister Na doesn’t like it, we’ll fix it. I’ll even out the floor as soon as I get back.”

Reina nodded with satisfaction, strutting ahead of the crowd with a proud air, following Lianfeng toward the command center.

Once everyone was seated, Lianfeng took the captain’s chair and gave the order, “All units, prepare for launch!”

At the command, crew members sprang into action, calmly and efficiently readying Mangdang Mountain for takeoff.

As the massive hatch above the ship slowly opened, a vessel so large it required hollowing out a mountain to house it saw sunlight for the first time, rising slowly as the sun’s rays glinted off its hull.

Over the intercom, a broadcast sounded: “Mangdang Mountain is launching into space. All units, attention. Altitude exceeding eight thousand meters.”

“Black Great Wall, this is Mangdang Mountain. Maiden flight successful. Advancing toward target location.”

At these words, everyone smiled with relief. Earth finally had its own space forces, ready to meet enemies beyond its borders and protect the lives and property of its people from invaders.

Suddenly, Lianfeng spoke. “Ge Xiaolun, you should be able to fly into space, right?”

“Yes,” Ge Xiaolun replied without hesitation.

“Good. Follow my orders. Go to compartment sixteen, patrol along our flight path, and make sure there are no Glutton patrols beyond the atmosphere.”

As captain, Lianfeng was responsible for the safety of the voyage. There were still small Glutton fleets stationed outside, and though they weren’t making moves, caution was necessary. Even a “small” fleet was only so compared to the Glutton armada. Earth had just one spacefaring warship, and while it was made of heavy black armor, an ambush would still be dangerous.

“I can survive in outer space for a few hours too. I want to go,” Yun Yang piped up, unable to stay idle. He was eager to test his wings, which he’d never really used.

Lianfeng glanced at the self-recommended Yun Yang and nodded her consent.

Yun Yang and Ge Xiaolun stood at the hatch of compartment sixteen. Without further words, one after the other, they flew out.

They observed the route but found nothing unusual.

Yun Yang called to Ge Xiaolun nearby, “Lun, the last time we fought side by side, you brought me into outer space.”

“Yeah, and we both got ganged up on,” Ge Xiaolun replied with a nostalgic smile.

“I even got blasted unconscious by Reina. How embarrassing,” Yun Yang said, covering his face as he recalled the aftermath.

“What’s to be embarrassed about? Among us, Sister Na is the most powerful. Getting knocked out by her isn’t shameful,” Ge Xiaolun comforted him.

“But you weren’t knocked out, and I was. Isn’t that embarrassing?” Yun Yang retorted.

Ge Xiaolun was momentarily speechless. Was he saying that not being knocked out was shameful? He, the bearer of Galactic Power, had nothing to be ashamed of.

Ignoring Yun Yang, Ge Xiaolun switched to encrypted communications to report to Mangdang Mountain. “Flight path is secure. No patrols detected.”

Mangdang Mountain received the message and replied, “Route secure. Ge Xiaolun and Yun Yang, return to Mangdang Mountain.”

With an exasperated punch to Yun Yang, the two flew back to the ship.

On the way, Yun Yang took in the structure of Mangdang Mountain: saucer-shaped, with a combat platform atop for warriors to deploy into battle. Rows of menacing cannons swiveled, as if searching for enemies to destroy with a single blow.

While Mangdang Mountain was on its maiden flight, the Heavenly Blade was tracking the Glutton detachments in the solar system.

The joint plan between the angels and Earth was to eliminate the small fleets stationed in the solar system first, then deal with the returning Glutton main force. The goal was to intercept them beyond Mars’ orbit, preventing them from unleashing weapons of mass destruction on Earth.

In the dominion of the angels, entire planets had been destroyed by star-killers; both the Fallen and the Gluttons were responsible for such atrocities.

With intelligence from the angels, Earth dared not let the Gluttons approach. A single mistake could mean planetary annihilation.

Less than thirty minutes after Mangdang Mountain reached outer space, Heavenly Blade sent word that the Glutton fleet’s location had been pinpointed. Since the Gluttons had established a defensive line, and to avoid unnecessary casualties, the angels decided to use the Heavenly Blade Judgment to wipe out the enemy’s defensive belt and some flagships.

After some discussion, Mangdang Mountain’s crew agreed. This was an opportunity to gain combat experience, not a suicidal mission.

Ge Xiaolun was summoned to Heavenly Blade Seven, which had been given to him. With Angel Yan absent, Ge Xiaolun, as its nominal owner, was needed to operate the Heavenly Blade Judgment.

At first, Ge Xiaolun hesitated, wanting to fight alongside his comrades. But after learning about Xiao Yi’s abilities, he stopped objecting.

On Mangdang Mountain, everyone else was preparing for battle—especially Yun Yang, who was visibly excited. He’d already decided that when the fighting began, he would shout, “The Sword Immortal is here; let your journey end, fellow cultivator!”—a scene he’d imagined countless times.

But after donning his white Hanfu, he was sternly reprimanded by Commander Lianfeng.

“Yun Yang, what’s going on? We’re heading into battle. Where’s your black armor?”

Yun Yang admitted he wanted to cosplay as a sword immortal, thinking it would look—and feel—cooler than wearing black armor. He didn’t want to wear it.

He was promptly lectured. This was a battlefield; he had to take responsibility for his country and himself. The black armor was mandatory. Without it, he wouldn’t be allowed to leave Mangdang Mountain—and might even face solitary confinement and have to write a self-critique.

That sobered Yun Yang. He wasn’t afraid of writing a critique, but he was terrified of the confinement cell. Few could last three days in there, and it was pitch black and cramped.

Finally, Lianfeng added that since everyone else’s black armor had been upgraded and Yun Yang had been missing for a while, his hadn’t been replaced yet. When they returned, he’d get a custom, elegant new set.

Thus, under Lianfeng’s carrot-and-stick approach, Yun Yang relented. He obediently joined Liu Chuang, ready to board for battle.

Meanwhile, the Gluttons had noticed Mangdang Mountain and affectionately dubbed it “the biscuit,” confident that a single biscuit was not enough to sate them. They planned to devour it before the Devourer King returned, as a tribute to their victorious king and perhaps to scavenge some military tech, maybe even get their hands on a Death’s Blessing.

After all, in Glutton society, a Blessed Warrior ranked just below a flagship commander—a true noble with real power.

As the Gluttons made their own battle preparations, Mangdang Mountain and Heavenly Blade Seven reached their designated positions, poised to strike.

At Lianfeng’s command, Heavenly Blade Seven activated the Heavenly Blade Judgment.

Ge Xiaolun stood before the throne. Gazing at it, he felt it did not belong to Earth—certainly not to Huaxia. Huaxia had no kings; to sit on such a throne would betray the current order. So, Ge Xiaolun refused to sit.

The moment the Heavenly Blade Judgment was activated, holographic projections of the Gluttons and the surrounding starfield appeared around the throne.

Moyi gestured for Ge Xiaolun to take his seat, but having just realized the symbolic meaning of the throne in Huaxia, he shook his head. “This throne is not mine. Let’s proceed.”

Hearing his words, the angels and Earth’s communications officers nodded slightly.

Of course, the angels and Earth’s soldiers saw things differently.

The soldiers saw kingship as backward and dictatorial, utterly incompatible with Huaxia’s values—a betrayal of the people.

Most angels, on the other hand, believed only the Angel Queen should sit the throne. While they wouldn’t object if Ge Xiaolun, the nominal king, took the seat, there would always be a tinge of discomfort.

Thus, Ge Xiaolun’s words unexpectedly won him the favor of both the angels and the soldiers aboard the Heavenly Blade—a pleasant surprise indeed.