Skyfire Avenue

Three hours after departing from Angel, Sheol appeared on the horizon 1. The surface was a darker hue of purple than Angel had been, but that was likely because the planet’s natural color was darker.

Even from this distance Lan Jue could see the host of alien creatures in the space around it. These were the remains of the main force that Lan Qing had defeated. They were here to protect the planet, but also to wait for an opportunity to pay the humans back for the pain they’d visited upon them.

Zeus-1 took a wide tack, approaching from the side but keeping a safe distance. The fiends were too thick for them to infiltrate at the moment. The human armada had departed for this sector of space at the same time Lan Jue had left. Now they just had to wait.

After holding their position for some time, the three bastions were again on the move. Meanwhile its twelve support fleets remained behind in perfect formation. Middle Heaven, Tyrannosaurus, and Poseidon advanced on Sheol in the triangular arrangement that’d worked for them so far.

They moved slowly, but that only made them seem all the more imposing after their recent victory.

Middle Heaven again took the lead, the largest and least attractive of the three. Not that appearance was a big concern in a warship, but An Lun was anything but pretty to begin with. It looked like splotchy stone ball spinning through space.

However the aliens would not soon forget that this rocky orb could turn into a blazing sun at a moment’s notice. The memory of their fiery defeat would forever be seared into their memory. Middle Heaven’s combat tactics were also varied and unexpected, and the aliens still weren’t sure what the bastion was capable of.

Poseidon and Tyrannosaurus followed in the rocky war-planet’s wake. Tyrannosaurus, its metallic luster glinting in the dark, was the most traditional of the three. Poseidon was the most beautiful, with its sky-blue exterior.

As they approached an invisible, inexplicable pressure filled the space around them.

Not long after the bastions appeared within view, the aliens tasked with protecting Sheol began to move. They gathered into formation and fled to the far side of the planet, staying true to their previous tactics. Clearly they feared what these human ships could do.

For good reason. They had watched their brethren die horribly from the bastions, and it filled them with fear.

Lan Jue sat in Zeus-1 with a thoughtful expression on his face. “It looks like the aliens are trying to delay. This is good.”

Biding time meant the alien home words were indeed evolving. These weaker beasts were trying to buy them enough time to complete the process. For the present they wouldn’t have to worry about the planets showing up out of nowhere. Once they completed their transformation, however, things would be different.

Of course Lan Jue had strong feelings toward that eventuality, but right now delaying indicated the best of all scenarios for humanity.

“Prepare to set out!” Lan Jue gave Mika the command.

Zeus-1 started to move again, on a trajectory toward Sheol.

Lan Jue knew that the aliens had to have stealth capabilities of some fashion. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to react as quickly as they did to the presence of bastions. Lan Jue also understood the psychology of these monsters. They preferred a straight fight, hence their predisposition for head-on assaults. They had the necessary strength to overwhelm and destroy the human armada, too. Only, they knew little about Middle Heaven and didn’t understand its fighting abilities. That lack of intelligence had already cost them dearly.

Since their loss the aliens had chosen to forego direct confrontation. Now evasion was their main tactic. This confirmed that their main aim was to delay the human forces, and use the seven outer planets to act as stumbling blocks. If they fled from planet to planet the humans would be forced to take them in a circuitous route that would take days. The aliens knew they had the advantage of speed.

Lan Jue was confident that if the bastions moved in for a full attack the aliens would withdraw. They would stretch the human ships thin and use that to their benefit. That was precisely the situation Lan Jue did not want to see. His brother saw it, too.

As they moved in closer to the planet, its surface was made clearer to them. It was composed of many peaks and valleys, with cities concentrated on tracts of flat land where they could be found. From orbit they could also see the bases and infrastructure left behind by the West. They were all in various states of destruction.

Only a few aliens dotted the path ahead. Through Lin Guoguo’s psychic obfuscation, they slipped by and entered the planet’s atmosphere. The ground came rushing up to meet them.

Meanwhile the bastions continued to approach, pressuring the alien forces. This had given Lan Jue and his party the opportunity to sneak in, but left them open to siege.

When Zeus-1 was a couple thousand meters above the ground it stopped. Six figures dropped out, disappearing in flash of pink before materializing on Sheol’s pock-marked surface.

They were immediately met with the faint odor of Sulphur. This wasn’t a trait of the aliens’ presence. The purple corruption they expected to see did not cover everything, either. Those areas were active volcanoes sprang up had burned the creeping fungus away. In fact, there was no life to be found near the smoldering scars.

Lan Jue and the other five stood quietly and waited. They would wait until Zeus-1 was safely away before continuing on. If their means of escape was discovered they would have to rush to its aid.

However Zeus’ Amazons did not disappoint. Zeus-1 quickly disappeared into the sky. They couldn’t see it with the Blinding Stone, of course, but they could be assured everything was fine from the absence of combat sounds.

Luo Xianni knelt on the ground while flickers of pink danced in her eyes. Her fighting style was different now that she’d entered the Infinite. Quick and decisive victory was her modus operandi.

The Pharmacist looked toward Lan Jue. “Do you need me to lead?” She asked.

Lan Jue smiled. “Let us try. You can be backup. Driver, Pauper, guard our flanks.”

Everyone nodded. No one doubted Qianlin’s power after seeing what she did on Angel. These two young folks achieved levels of power beyond their reach with their simultaneous breakthroughs. They could only accept that the younger generation would be their superiors.

It was the same for the Pharmacist. She broke through to a Reflection of Heaven and Earth, and had a Banishing Blade at her command.

Lan Je and Qianlin stood side by side, hand in hand, immersing themselves in each other’s thoughts and sensations. Smile smiles were on both of their faces.

Envy flitted across the Pharmacist’s expression as she looked at the two young lovers. Her heart filled with sadness. If her husband were here perhaps they would act similarly.

Ultus had to be recovered! The Pharmacist pursed her lips in determination.

“Found it.” Luo Xianni’s eyes suddenly popped open, sparkling. All of a sudden six streams of light appeared beneath everyone’s feet.

In a flash everyone disappeared. For them in was like reality clicked, like the shutter of a camera, and they were somewhere else. The scene was one of expansive pink, covered entirely in writhing alien bodies. The sky above, the ground below – everywhere replete with enemies. Obviously they were on the planet’s far side.

Just as on Angel they spied the enormous artery stretching out into space, connecting heaven and earth. At its base the progenitor writhed its gargantuan bulk as it gorged on the world’s vital energy.

The alien numbers were beyond imagining. Lan Jue could also see a familiar figure hanging in the air. It was the Violet Prince.

He floated in the center of the alien horde while the lesser beasts roiled in his orbit. In the skies overhead a couple creatures several thousand meters long could faintly be seen. A mighty array of foes was putting it lightly.

Luo Xianni spoke to them. “We’re in a parallel dimension of my creation. They can’t see us, but we can see them. The progenitor is below, surrounded by who knows how many alien guardians. That is the Violet Prince, whose power you are familiar with. Now that I’ve advanced I’m sure I can keep him tied up, but I’m not sure I can defeat him. When the time comes I’ll initiate the attack and focus on him and the aliens closest to him. The rest of you take this opportunity to go after the progenitor. Once it’s slain, we’ll escape.”

If Lan Jue and Qianlin hadn’t broken through, or if Luo Xianni hadn’t chosen to rise to the Infinite, than this plan would not be possible. There were too many powerful aliens for them to contend with all at once. It would have been as impossible as pulling embers from a fire without burning one’s hands.

The progenitor were getting stronger with each time they found a new one. This one was probably Nirvana-level or higher, more than enough to keep them tied down and allow the other beasts to swallow them up.

However, now that they had a Paragon of the Infinite on their side the chances of retreat were high. Even the Violet Prince was no cause for alarm. This plan could work.

“Mother, I suggest we wait. This isn’t the best time to move in.” If another one of the alien royalty of a doppelganger appeared, they could easily get overwhelmed.

“So what do you suggest?” She asked.

1. Somewhere between the last chapter and this one TJSS forget he called the planet ‘Demon’. ED: I think it’s known to the West as ‘Demon’ but it’s official name is Sheol. XL: Clever editor, let’s go with that.