Zhang Wannian’s mind was filled with a single, overwhelming question mark. But even he didn’t know what exactly he was questioning. Everything that happened after that slash felt so surreal and bizarre that he felt like the entire world had become an illusion.
The Devourer of Stars was a Star Tier extraterrestrial lifeform! A being that fed on stars and roamed the cosmos as its domain. And yet, it had been killed by a single slash from an Earthly Extraordinary One?
"You..." Zhang Wannian’s voice was hoarse. "Who... who are you? Who... what are you people?"
Li Xiaofei remained silent. The flame blade in his hand slowly dissolved into countless glimmering sparks and faded away. The chaotic, blood-red summoning gate above him faded away.
The enormous body of the Devourer of Stars began to burn like a newly born sun. The entire Taibai Mountains region was illuminated as if a second sun had appeared, brightening the world with its light.
It was as though light had returned to the human realm. The summoning gate vanished, taking the burning extraterrestrial creature along with it. Only the sound of the wind remained between heaven and earth.
Below, the bodies of Song Shiyu, Wang Bolun, and the others crumbled like weathered sand sculptures. They scattered into the air as the wind blew. Along with them, nearly a thousand other Extraordinary Ones, warriors, and ordinary people also disintegrated into ash and dust, their forms dissolving into the breeze.
Even those who had not been drained of their essence and vitality, so long as they had signed the Death Contract, slowly faded into nothingness, becoming part of the dust that swept across the land. Because Zhang Wannian was dying.
"Ultimately, it’s all but an empty dream, a fleeting shadow against the startled swan..."
Zhang Wannian’s vitality ebbed away. His face was ashen as he raised his head to look at Li Xiaofei. The countless questions and endless unwillingness that had plagued his heart vanished in an instant.
He no longer wished to ask anything. Even though he resented it, he accepted his fate. Only one sentence lingered in his mind, the one thing he wanted to say.
How wonderful it would have been if you had come earlier... .
Zhang Wannian let out a bitter smile. He had once been a hero of Earth. He had fought fearlessly against the star beasts. He had once been revered by all, receiving thunderous cheers and applause as he stood at the highest peak and witnessed the most enchanting sights of the mortal world.
But when the eternal night fell, and all light vanished from heaven and earth, when the everlasting darkness devoured the light in everyone’s hearts, and the path forward became invisible, he finally bent his back and lowered his head after countless days and nights of lonely torment.
Eden’s overwhelming strength had only drawn them deeper into darkness. It brought despair until it broke the will of a hero. If Li Xiaofei and his companions had come sooner, if Zhang Wannian had witnessed that breathtaking, world-shaking slash sooner and the infinite light it ignited, perhaps, just perhaps, he might have held on a little longer and walked the path of a hero.
Li Xiaofei remained silent. Zhang Wannian looked down. Below, the once-bustling Grandpa Lakeside Camp was desolate and silent. More than three-quarters of its inhabitants had turned to ash and perished.
This camp had been Zhang Wannian’s creation. He had once believed it would be the last pure land of Great Xia and its final sanctuary. It was supposed to be the spark that ignited hope across the wilderness. But he had tainted this sanctuary with corruption and snuffed out the final spark of hope with his own hands.
"After my death, Eden will send people. Everything about Eden is recorded in the quiet chamber. You can find it easily."
"Li Xiaofei, is it? I don’t know where you come from, but since you also carry the bloodline of Great Xia... I hope you can walk farther than I ever could."
Zhang Wannian gave a bitter smile. A dying man’s words are often kind. Then, he turned away. Suddenly, he reached up and placed his palm over his face. In one forceful squeeze, Zhang Wannian crushed his skull, transforming his face into a bloodied, mangled mess.
No face to meet the ancestors, blood covers the visage of shame.
Blazing fire wrapped itself around Zhang Wannian’s body, devouring him entirely. In mere moments, he was reduced to ash that scattered into the void. The battle had come to an end.
Li Xiaofei descended from the sky. Zhang Mingjun and his wife, Pu Juan, stood dazed, staring at their surroundings. The camp now had less than two hundred ordinary people, who had not signed the Death Contract. The upheaval in the camp left them trembling in fear.
Li Xiaofei turned to look at Zhang Mingjun and Pu Juan. Of all the Extraordinary Ones in the camp, only the couple remained alive.
"We... we weren’t trying to condemn anyone," Zhang Mingjun stammered nervously. "The medicine Pu Juan brewed—it was only enough for one pot, which was barely enough for the two of us. We didn’t... we didn’t have time to do more."
The reason the two of them hadn’t been killed by the Death Contract was because of that pot of medicine they had painstakingly brewed over several years. Even then, it was only enough for two people.
Furthermore, with Zhang Wannian’s spies scattered throughout the camp, they hadn’t dared to reveal the existence of any medicine. After all, people like the second-in-command Wang Bolun and third-in-command Song Shiyu had been under Zhang Wannian’s control without even realizing it.
Pu Juan chimed in nervously, stammering, "That day... that little girl you saw... she was actually Mi You, one of the eight captains. She... she’s skilled in disguise and had secretly plotted against Mingjun. When we found out, we acted decisively. We didn’t... we didn’t harm any civilians."
They felt compelled to explain. That single slash from Li Xiaofei had been too terrifying. No matter how arrogant or unruly someone might be, they would bow their heads in submission in the face of a strike that could sever gods and terrify immortals.
The couple had already placed Li Xiaofei into the category of an invincible, untouchable figure. They were terrified that a mere glance from him would be enough to end their lives in an instant.
Only now did they fully understand that everything had been under the meticulous control of this young man named Li Xiaofei.
"First, calm the people and rebuild the camp," Li Xiaofei instructed.
Zhang Mingjun and his wife nodded quickly. They were well-acquainted with the camp’s survivors and knew how to handle them. Meanwhile, Li Xiaofei and his companions made their way to the quiet chamber of the former camp leader. As expected, they soon found markings etched with a blade on the underside of the stone table.
A number, a map, a location and a detailed account. The phone number belonged to Zhang Wannian’s superior, the Eden emissary. The map depicted Zhang Wannian’s speculations about the locations of camps on Earth that might already be under Eden’s control.
The marked location was within the borders of Great Xia, not far from the Taibai Mountains. Zhang Wannian suspected a teleportation array leading to Eden was located on a lone peak atop Mount Hua. This was based on Zhang Wannian’s secret observations and deductions over the years. The detailed account was a lengthy description of Eden’s inner workings, the classification of extraterrestrial martial arts realms, and an analysis of Earth’s various extraordinary abilities.
It was essentially a culmination of Zhang Wannian’s four centuries of life—a comprehensive summary of his journey through the extraordinary and his insights into it. The analysis was in-depth yet easy to understand, providing a clear picture of the extraordinary path on Earth.
Even Zhang Wannian himself likely didn’t know for whom he had left this information. But it was undoubtedly invaluable for Li Xiaofei. It made the next steps of his journey much clearer and easier to navigate.
Just then, Pu Juan’s voice came from outside.
"Sir, there’s a woman insisting on seeing you. She claims to have made a significant discovery, one that could change the fate of Earth."
Li Xiaofei’s interest was piqued.
"Let her in," he said, intrigued.