Chapter 134: Life as Summer Flowers (Grand Finale of Volume One 3/3)

In a short while, the remaining four angels were also killed.

The lead mechanical puppet walked to Christina’s corpse and stared at it silently. Suddenly, her body began to float in an eerie fashion, then became enveloped in a roaring blaze. When the flames extinguished, an extraordinarily beautiful woman appeared in the air.

"And who might this Majesty before me be?" the woman asked with a laugh, covering her small mouth. She then feigned a sudden realization. "I remember now, it is the God of Earth. It has been a long time. And tell me, is that Majesty behind you the Lord of Stars?"

Hearing her words, the Lord of Stars stepped out from the darkness and said coldly, "Goddess of the Fountain, long time no see."

"I go by the Goddess of the Silver Moon and the Fountain now. Your Majesties, why are you here? Surely not for Sun Licheng?" the Goddess of the Silver Moon said with a smile.

"Sun Licheng is my chosen one. I hope you will let him go," the God of Earth replied coldly.

The Goddess of the Silver Moon feigned realization once more, but immediately lunged at the God of Earth with lightning speed, her right hand driving straight for his optic sensor. Her speed was so overwhelming that the God of Earth failed to react; by the time he tried to dodge, her sharp fingernails were already before his eyes.

With a grating, teeth-chattering sound and a spray of sparks, a long blade intercepted the goddess’s claws—the Lord of Stars had intervened.

"You old fool, you're asking for death!"

Having missed her mark, the Goddess of the Silver Moon roared and sent the Lord of Stars flying with a single palm strike. The awakened God of Earth rushed forward with his blade, but before he could exchange more than a few blows, he too was struck down by the goddess, his body billowing with acrid smoke.

Watching the two Majesties struggle to stand with the support of their mechanical puppets, the Goddess of the Silver Moon laughed mockingly: "To think you dare oppose me in such wretched vessels; you truly have no regard for your own lives. However, I have business with Sun Licheng first. Wait here obediently for my return, and we shall discuss the matter of godhood properly then."

With that, she turned and strode into the main passage of the underground fortress, leaving the Lord of Stars and the others staring at one another in dismay.

As the goddess entered the fortress, the alarms began to blare. "Warning: Deity detected. All personnel evacuate immediately. Warning: Deity detected. All personnel evacuate immediately."

Watching the red warning lights pulse rhythmically, Sun Licheng stood stunned. He patted his own face, then turned to Qinglong with a helpless expression. "Get everyone out. Mechanical puppets cannot stop a deity; don't let everyone throw their lives away for nothing. Pass my order: all personnel are to head to the escape pods immediately."

After speaking, he walked alone toward the warehouse of the Hearts of the Gods.

Before the elevator leading to the warehouse, Sun Licheng pulled out the pristine Heart of Freedom. He looked at the exquisite dagger, entered the password, and gave a bitter smile. "It has come to this after all; I have become a terrorist. I only hope that after I die, I might transmigrate back to Earth and see Xiao Jie and the baby again."

Sun Licheng sheathed the dagger at his waist and said to the two Grim Reapers standing guard, "You should go as well. The underground fortress is about to fall. Remember, live well."

Seeing that the tall Grim Reapers did not respond, Sun Licheng cursed them as fools with a laugh, shook his head helplessly, and prepared to step onto the elevator.

Just then, a sudden change occurred. The Grim Reapers on either side, catching him off guard, thrust out their tentacles and seized him tightly.

"What are you doing?"

Sun Licheng was shocked, shouting and struggling with all his might. His strength was immense; in moments, the sound of metal straining echoed from the tentacles of the Grim Reapers.

Just as he was about to break free, a large mass of spider silk flew through the air, binding him securely.

"Xiaobaicai?"

Seeing Xiaobaicai, Mr. Handy, and the Flower-Backed Spider, Sun Licheng was stunned. Xiaobaicai walked gently to his side, stooped down, and pulled the Heart of Freedom from his waist.

Sun Licheng understood instantly. He shouted, "Xiaobaicai, what are you doing? Let me go!"

Xiaobaicai smiled at him, then turned to Mr. Handy. "Please take the Boss away quickly. Leave the rest to me and Qinglong."

"Assholes! I am the Boss, I am the Commander! I order you to put me down. Xiaobaicai, you cannot do something so foolish!"

Amidst Sun Licheng's cursing, Mr. Handy waved his tentacles at Xiaobaicai and Qinglong, hoisted Sun Licheng onto his back, and, along with the Flower-Backed Spider, ran quickly toward the escape pods, while the Grim Reapers at the entrance provided cover on both flanks.

The Goddess of the Silver Moon strolled leisurely through the main passage with a smug smile. The combat puppets charging at her from time to time served like guiding lights, helping her successfully locate the direction of the Hearts of the Gods.

"Interesting. Are you still going to put up a desperate fight?" The goddess casually shattered a combat puppet and smiled at the elevator doors.

Just then, an angel stumbled in from outside.

"Your Majesty, it is bad. Many more angels have arrived outside; they are trying to break into the fortress, and we cannot hold them back much longer," the angel reported, kneeling on one knee.

"Detestable wretches, trying to come and reap the harvest?" The goddess frowned and snapped angrily. She then suppressed her rage and commanded the angel beside her, "Go down and see."

A short while later, the angel sent back word: the Hearts of the Gods were inside, and the situation was under control.

In the warehouse, five combat puppets, including Qinglong, lay in pieces on the ground, billowing smoke. Xiaobaicai knelt calmly beside the angel, and behind them stood three towering Hearts of the Gods.

At this moment, Sun Licheng lay inside an escape pod like a large silkworm cocoon. The pod resembled a glass barrel; once sealed, it could not be opened. As the electronic countdown ticked down, other escape pods were launched one by one, while Sun Licheng wept uncontrollably.

Before him was a light screen, and on it, the image of Xiaobaicai.

"Boss, I actually wanted to call you Brother Sun Licheng. I love you so much. Although I know I am ugly, far less beautiful than Christina or Vina, I fell in love with you the moment you saved me. Even if you don't love me, just being by your side made me feel so happy!"

"I know you actually cared for me; you even specially prepared a potion to make me beautiful. I was so happy. It’s a pity there is no chance now. If only I could have let you see me beautiful, how wonderful that would have been."

"Don't blame Mr. Handy, Qinglong, or Flower-Backed. You don't know how important you are. This world is so dark; it is because of you that we saw that glimmer of light."

"Do not grieve for us. For a better future, someone must sacrifice, and to die for the one I love—I do it willingly. It’s just that I can't be with you anymore, and my heart hurts so much."

"Without the Hearts of the Gods and the Goddess of the Silver Moon, you will be safe. I have a little secret: I truly love a poem of yours: 'I believe in myself, born like a brilliant summer flower, neither fading nor withered, alluring as fire; bearing the burden of a heartbeat and the encumbrance of breath, never weary of it.'"

"Life is so beautiful... Goodbye, my love. If there is a next life, I must marry you..."

"No..." Following Sun Licheng’s beast-like roar, the escape pod’s engines ignited. With a whistle, the pod shot into the sky like a cannonball.

Under the azure sky, countless escape pods, still dusted with earth, drifted away like dandelions. Above, angels flew past from time to time, blasting the pods into mid-air explosions.

But all of this no longer concerned Sun Licheng. He pressed his face hard against the glass, staring intently at the ground beneath him.

Suddenly, the earth shook violently as if rippling like water, and then, like a volcanic eruption, it burst open. A massive pillar of flame erupted from deep underground, dyeing the entire horizon a deep red.

Everyone was stunned. The angels stopped their pursuit, staring blankly at the apocalyptic scene.

On a hillside at the edge of the explosion, the Lord of Stars, supported by a mechanical puppet, watched the flames reaching toward the heavens. He let out a sigh and murmured, "Another deity has fallen."