Chapter 831: The Arrival of Chen Chu, The Beast Calamity (I)

"The human race is even sending out the one bearing the legacy of their civilization."

When news of Chen Chu’s impending arrival spread, Augbas and the others were initially stunned. Soon, however, their expressions softened. A rare look of genuine emotion flashed across their faces, their opinion of the human race now greatly improved.

After all, Chen Chu was the prodigy who had ascended from the first level of transcendence to the mythical level within merely ten day-cycles, slain a demon king while at the Ninth Heavenly Realm in defiance of all odds, and after reaching the mythical level, even killed a great demon king. Whether it was his cultivation speed or combat prowess, he had crushed his entire generation and was worthy of bearing the legacy of a great civilization.

As long as he didn’t perish prematurely, he was destined to step into the supreme level—the realm of divine kings—in no time, and perhaps even ascend to become one of the ancient gods or civilization's emperors.

The Heavenly Feathered Race used a cultivation hierarchy aligned with that of the Alliance of Gods: king equated to god, followed by chief gods, divine kings, and finally, the ancient gods.

Factoring in Heavenly King Zhenwu, whose strength rivalled that of a divine king; Heavenly King Xuanwu; Heavenly King Jiuyou; and now the addition of Chen Chu, the peerless prodigy—this support force from the human race was remarkably powerful. Altogether, their strength nearly rivalled half the military might of a Purgatory Empire.

At the forefront of the black battleship that stretched dozens of kilometers, dozens of members of the Heavenly Feathered Race hovered in mid-air, each bearing golden flame-like wings. In front of them stood a towering, fearsome black-and-red mech.

Augbas’s gaze lingered on An Fuqing, who stood atop the mech. His smile blossomed like a spring breeze. “Though our contact with the human race has been brief, your words and actions have displayed nothing but sincerity. With the addition of your expeditionary forces, our remaining members should gain the time needed to retreat and preserve our vital strength. As the third-generation heir of the Talord Family, I hereby offer greetings on behalf of the Divine Phoenix Lineage. May the friendship between our two races endure through eternity.”

Seeing the sudden solemnity on Augbas’s face, An Fuqing and Luo Fei froze in their tracks. Before either could respond, a golden-black light streaked across the distant sky, followed by an overwhelming pressure racing toward them like a tidal wave.

Recognizing that familiar yet now even more formidable aura, smiles bloomed on Luo Fei and An Fuqing’s faces. “He’s here.”

Waves of mythical and heavenly king auras erupted explosively from the human battleship ranks, rising to the skies and resonating with the powerful, fast-approaching presence.

Boom!

In the distance, a ten-thousand-meter-tall golden divine tree burst into radiant light, unleashing endless golden brilliance. It flooded the sky like a sea and blanketed a region hundreds of kilometers wide.

The golden light gathered in mid-air and took the shape of Bordea, the leading heavenly king of the Heavenly Feathered Race. Three pairs of golden flame wings unfurled behind him, making him look like a seraph descending from myth.

Simultaneously, a black stone stele phantom appeared in the sky above. An invisible pressure emanated from it, suppressing the world itself and fracturing space with terrifying might.

Chen Chu didn’t conceal his aura. His arrival, personally welcomed by two late-stage and peak heavenly kings, sent a chill through many hearts.

As Heavenly King Zhenwu and the Heavenly Feathered Race's chief god appeared, Chen Chu descended above the legion, cloaked in golden-blue radiance and exuding the inborn might of an Innate Demon God. Hovering beneath the black stone stele, he smiled as his gaze fell upon the two standing below.

“It’s only been a little over a month, yet your aura has grown even stronger, Heavenly King Zhenwu. Just standing here is enough for me to feel immense pressure from you.”

Zhenwu burst into hearty laughter. “

Hahaha!

That’s something I’d expect to hear from a fellow king—not you, Chen Chu. You’re the Divine Might King, who fought a demon god to a standstill!”

Chen Chu, who had only intended a courteous greeting, paused awkwardly. “Uh... fought a demon god to a standstill? Sir, that rumor’s been blown out of proportion. I barely escaped with my life!”

“That’s not important. What matters is that you slew several demon kings and boosted the morale of our entire race.” The usually serious Heavenly King Zhenwu chuckled. “Come, Chen Chu. Let me introduce you. This is Lord Bordea, the chief god of the Heavenly Feathered Race.”

Chen Chu turned politely to the towering figure beside him. “Greetings, Lord Bordea.”

With a smile as warm as a gentle breeze, Bordea said, “So you are the number one prodigy of the human race. You’ve already reconstructed the Innate Demon God Body—truly extraordinary.”

Chen Chu modestly answered, “Not at all. I simply had some fortunate encounters and managed to break through by chance.”

Having just undergone a transformation, every cell and gene in his body remained in a state of awakening. Hence, he couldn't suppress his aura with Hidden Divinity.

Watching the young man chatting so casually with two heavenly kings in the skies, the uniform-clad soldiers aboard nearby orbital battleships couldn’t help but look on with curiosity and awe.

“That’s General Chen Chu? Incredible... He doesn’t seem at all inferior to the heavenly kings in terms of presence.”

“Well, duh! General Chen has killed great demon kings and faced a demon god head-on!”

“Hard to believe he’s only been cultivating for a year. Back when we were in first-year high school, just reaching the Third Heavenly Realm was enough to be called a genius.”

“In every great age, freaks emerge. General Chen is obviously this era's Child of Fate, destined to lead humanity’s rise...”

As the soldiers on the battleship decks excitedly discussed Chen Chu, Luo Fei, An Fuqing, Augbas, and many other geniuses of the Heavenly Feathered Race also looked up in unison.

Feeling the invisible pressure emanating from Chen Chu, which was already comparable to that of a chief god, even Augbas—born surrounded by halos—grew visibly solemn.

So he's the human race’s top genius? How powerful! The pressure he’s subconsciously radiating has completely enveloped the heavens and the earth. He leaves me with no will to resist.

After exchanging pleasantries, Heavenly King Zhenwu said, “Now that you're here, Chen Chu, we can depart. Xuanwu and Jiuyou have already gone ahead. We’ll explain the details once we’re down below.”

Chen Chu nodded. “Alright.”

The space around the three distorted as they vanished.

Ten minutes later, a broadcast rang out across every orbital battleship.

—Attention, all personnel. The legion will depart in thirty minutes. All combat personnel aboard orbital battleships are to return to their positions immediately and complete final checks. All other members, please remain on your assigned decks. Do not fly or move around without authorization. Anyone who has to leave must report to their commanding officer first.

The dozens of orbital battleships occupying more than a hundred kilometers—all suspended thousands of meters in the air—began to rumble. Powerful energy fluctuations surged through their interiors.

On each vessel, crew members moved at a frantic pace, constantly reporting their positions and conducting final inspections. Power supplies, fuel, rations, ammunition, and even unmanned mechs stored in subspace were all checked for secure storage. Combat aircraft were inspected, and personnel rosters confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Feathered Race cultivators hovering around the golden divine tree turned into streaks of golden light and descended one by one. Even Augbas returned to the golden warship.

Half an hour later, thunderous horns blared across the sky. At the rear of Orbital Battleship 1, eighteen massive engines roared to life in unison, unleashing blazing shockwaves.

Boom!

The colossal orbital battleship, over ten kilometers long and resembling a floating island, launched forward. The shockwaves ruptured the air, sending rings of white energy rippling outward as it rapidly accelerated.

After Orbital Battleship 1 came 2, then 3... One after another, the entire fleet formed a procession nearly two hundred kilometers long, tearing through the cloud sea with waves of force like a stormy tsunami.

Watching the sci-fi-like spectacle, countless people in the logistics cities were filled with awe and pride. Just a few decades ago, when humanity’s technological civilization stepped into the year 2000, even smartphones weren’t widespread, and computers were still bulky desktops.

Now, only a short period later, human civilization had evolved enough to construct battleships as large as spacecraft and launch expeditions into the mythical world. They could even contend with powerful races resembling the demons of legend on equal grounds.