Volume One, Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Looming War on the Desolate Star

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Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Gathering Clouds of War on the Wasteland Star

Ouch—

Tu Zhe’s toothache was so severe he had to clutch his cheek.

Seeing this, Dog strode up and, feigning ferocity, kicked Gourd Boy on the backside. “You little brat, enough of your nonsense. If your mother has to stay, so be it, but from now on, don’t hold grudges against me. I may be formidable, but I’m not malicious, am I? We may quarrel and squabble, but we’re family, aren’t we? It’s just the clatter of ladles and spatulas in the same pot—mere domestic disputes, right? Frankly, you went too far. If the tables were turned and I hadn’t saved you, wouldn’t you have died of heartbreak?”

Trishna was sobbing uncontrollably, nodding over and over. “Yes, yes, it was my fault.” She could hardly sit upright, collapsing in a heap.

Gourd Boy wiped his tears and said, “Auntie, let me apologize to you on behalf of my mother. If she ever does this again, you needn’t say a word; I’ll handle her myself, all right?”

Dog’s face broke into a wide grin. “Exactly. If your mother ever— hey, you little rascal, are you trying to fool your aunt? Stop right there and explain yourself. When did you start accepting her as your mother—”

Sensing things might turn sour, Gourd Boy promptly leapt into Tu Zhe’s brow. Just before vanishing, he made a silly face at Dog. “Well, I’m tired now. Going to sleep. If there’s anything, Auntie, let’s talk after I wake up—”

With a whoosh, he was gone, leaving Dog stamping her feet in exasperation, cursing the heartless brat.

Seeing a chance for reconciliation, Roti and Roga both came over to plead with Tu Zhe. “Little Emperor, you see, our sister was momentarily confused. Fortunately, no great harm was done. Otherwise, the regret would be endless.”

The demon guards also joined in, all begging for clemency. Tu Zhe kept a stern face and remained silent for a long while. He knew Trishna had been momentarily blinded by impulse, but that impulse had nearly cost lives. Could he just forgive her so easily? Wouldn’t that leave him with nowhere to vent his anger?

But Dog seemed to have already forgiven Trishna, taking the role of the peacemaker, leaving Tu Zhe to play the heavy. Otherwise, this woman… would be impossible to manage.

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Tu Zhe finally spoke, hands clasped behind his back, his tone cool. “Let’s leave it at that, but from now on, I don’t want to hear Gourd Boy calling you ‘mother’ again. As for you as my wife—would I dare? Who knows if you’d strike me in the middle of the night!”

With that, he beckoned Fox Lady Three and the others aside for a private word.

Seeing the matter resolved, Fox Lady Three patted her ample bosom in relief, let out a sigh, and stuck out her tongue before following Tu Zhe.

As soon as Tu Zhe left, the three witch sisters collapsed into a teary, laughing embrace. Dog snorted, tore the two witches apart, and stood before Trishna, hands on hips, brows furrowed. “This needs to be settled.”

Relieved to have escaped Tu Zhe’s wrath, Trishna didn’t dare meet Dog’s gaze. “Whatever you say.”

Dog pointed at her own nose, voice firm and authoritative, “From now on, I’m the big sister, the boss. Got it? Call me ‘Big Sister’ right now.”

Trishna hurriedly bowed her head and called out, “Big Sister,” and the other two witches quickly followed suit. Only then did Dog beam with satisfaction.

At that moment, the sound of horns rang out, alarm bells pealed, and everyone swiftly exited the cave to investigate.

On the horizon, a mass of people surged toward the Wasteland Star. A booming voice shouted, “All those remaining on Wasteland Star, gather your things and hide inside the Fairy Shoe at once. The Heavenly Court is formidable; we must avoid their main force and plan our return later—”

It was the voice of Chu Tiange, the star lord of Wasteland Star.

The returnees were nearly all wounded and disheveled.

Far off, thousands of miles away, a vast army of the Heavenly Court rode the clouds at speed. A cold, harsh voice echoed across the entire celestial domain, shaking the very void: “Where do you think you’re going? Under my Heaven Spear, how could you possibly escape?”

Chu Tiange was no ordinary figure among the Northern Polar Three Realms. To have led his brothers and sisters in holding out on Wasteland Star for so long, preserving their strength under repeated purges by the Heavenly Court, was no mean feat. If he hadn’t been gifted in strategy, they would’ve been finished long ago.

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But today’s encirclement was unlike any before.

Heaven Spear and Xuan Ge were both famed incarnate divine weapons of the Northern Polar Three Walls. Chu Tiange led the two Star Lords of Wasteland Star, thirty-six Cave Masters, seventy-two Divine Kings, and their forces—totaling twenty million—to face the enemy, leaving only Fox Lady Three to care for Tu Zhe and Dog, along with nearly a hundred million dependents, the elderly, and children on the star.

They thought that with every able fighter thrown in, the Heavenly Court’s army would be no match for such strength. Victory was a given—at the very least, Chu Tiange expected to throw the Heavenly Court into chaos, force them to retreat home in shame.

But unexpectedly, Heaven Spear was so overwhelming that before they could even form up in the outer void, their forces were decimated—over a third killed or wounded. Eleven of the thirty-six Cave Masters fell, half the Divine Kings perished, and nearly everyone was injured to varying degrees.

This time, the Heavenly Court had clearly dispatched its elite Heavenly Army. Though their numbers were only a little over a million, their fighting power was overwhelming. Among these hundred thousand, not a single soldier was below the Core Formation stage. The difference was as stark as that between special forces and ordinary troops in Tu Zhe’s previous life—how could such a battle even be fought?

Chu Tiange’s side boasted only thirty-six Cave Masters with Tribulation Crossing-level power (roughly equivalent to the Arhat stage among Buddhist saints). The so-called seventy-two Divine Kings? Most had no idea what true divine kingship entailed—those titles were self-bestowed. Their true cultivation was no more than Nascent Soul stage (equivalent to the Sakridagamin stage among Buddhist saints). The larger commanders barely reached Core Formation (equivalent to the Sotapanna stage), while lesser officers and ordinary soldiers ranged from Foundation Establishment at best, down to mere Qi Refinement.

The gap in strength was so vast, not even Chu Tiange could bridge it.

The Heavenly Army’s greatest assets were Heaven Spear and Xuan Ge—both at the mid-Emperor stage, with Heaven Spear at the very peak and on the verge of breaking through to the high Emperor tier. Their thousand-strong divine generals all possessed the power of saints. For the thirty-six Cave Masters, it wasn’t that they could be crushed with a single blow, but resistance was all but futile.

Chu Tiange’s highest-tier fighters were himself and the two Star Lords. He himself was at the peak of the early Emperor stage—a full tier below Heaven Spear and Xuan Ge. Only the two Star Lords could go toe-to-toe with the divine generals, but even they, formidable and fearless as they were, could not withstand the swarm. When the divine generals beset them in force, survival itself was a blessing.