Chapter 4037: Almost There, Almost There

In the distance, Jiang Feng’s heart sank. He had clearly heard what Emperor Slayer had shouted earlier. “‘Senior, you have my thanks. Now, go for me!’”

There was no doubt that there was something wrong from the phrasing. The man looked up, trying to think of a way to help Emperor Slayer save face.

The beast decisively replied, “I was confessing to a senior. What? Is that a problem?”

The droplet-shaped creature was puzzled. “Confessing?”

Emperor Slayer heaved a heavy sigh. He then looked up, a complicated expression on his face as he stared up at the stars. “What do you regret most in your life?”

The Immortal did not answer and instead simply stared at the beast.

Emperor Slayer’s voice dropped low. “I destroyed a civilization.”

The creature was startled.

Destroyed a civilization?

Luo Chan was aghast. The cosmos was a cruel place. While annihilating a civilization might sound like a common occurrence, it was first necessary to find a civilization. Even after that, destroying one was not easy.

Over the course of countless years, just how many civilizations had the Nest civilization actually destroyed?

More shockingly, an Immortal was making such a claim, someone who was restricted from acting by their karmic chain. Despite that, he had destroyed a civilization? How?

Even the Immortal Lord would not personally step in to erase the human civilization.

Nostalgia and remorse filled his eyes as Emperor Slayer proceeded to slowly share a story.

It was a mournful yet stirring tale, and it included a number of different characters, multiple species, and even more than one civilization. There were also vague references to some senior, who had apparently guided Emperor Slayer’s path.

He spun the story in a gripping fashion, demonstrating the cruelty of surviving in the cosmos while also pointing to profound truths.

There were arcs where characters’ prosperity was recounted, as well as grand, violent wars.

In short, Emperor Slayer shared a lengthy work of fiction, detailing how he had made contact with a civilization, raised it up, and then ultimately destroyed it. Jiang Feng and the others listening were left dumbfounded.

Everyone who heard the tale was shaken, not by the story’s content, but by how smoothly Emperor Slayer told it.

Those who were familiar with the beast could tell that he was making everything up on the spot, yet his story sounded reasonable and flawless. There was even a made-up senior who possessed indescribable power.

The droplet creature’s earlier doubts were smothered by the story, and it listened in silence.

Time slipped by, and soon, half a day had passed.

Through nothing more than sheer word count, Emperor Slayer had managed to talk for half a day, stalling a war between civilizations.

Shan Xiao listened, entranced. A hint of admiration had unknowingly appeared in her eyes. She could not help but admire this expert for his sense of responsibility that was a constant theme in his story. While he had destroyed a civilization, insects felt no pity for such things. They only respected strength.

Emperor Slayer was the protagonist of his own tale, a hero who, after living a turbulent life, had achieved great enlightenment.

“Since then, I have wandered the cosmos, never again striking another creature and harming no life.

“Every form of life in the omniverse deserves respect. Each creature is born with its own cosmic law, so why harm them?

“That is as true of you as it is of these humans. Senior, I broke my oath out of necessity. Thank you for awakening me, and please accept my confession. You will always have my thanks!” Emperor Slayer ended by shouting loudly and bowing low in a random direction of the dark Aevum Inch.

No one said a word. Everyone was staring at the beast in a daze.

Jiang Feng suppressed the urge to cough up blood, as he did not want to ruin the mood.

At this moment, every delayed second was a win.

After a brief silence, Emperor Slayer straightened back up and turned back to the Immortal bug. “Do you understand?”

The droplet creature held the beast’s gaze. Behind the Immortal, Shan Xiao unconsciously nodded. She had understood.

“Do you truly have such a senior?” the creature asked.

Emperor Slayer offered a carefree smile. “Believe it or not, kid. The cosmos isn’t as simple as you believe. Go back. There is meaning in civilizations’ existence: destroying them is to destroy yourself.”

The creature agreed, “Well said. When walking the path of destroying civilizations, one will eventually bury themselves. It is a path of certain death.”

The beast did not reply and merely clasped his hands behind his back. His eyes still held a wistful light.

“In fact, I quite admire you,” the creature continued, “Earlier, you used sword intent to block our civilization outside of this megaverse for almost half a year. I cannot deny that I am inferior.”

Jiang Feng’s eyes narrowed.

Not good

.

Emperor Slayer waved the compliment off. “It was nothing, just a small trick.”

Jiang Feng stared at the beast.

That wasn’t sword intent blocking the bugs

.

Lu Yuan, Ancient God, and the others all felt their hearts drop.

The creature’s antennae twitched. “A small trick? Why don’t you show me another?”

With that, a drop of water shot towards Emperor Slayer.

The beast shouted, “Do you want to die?”

The droplet arrived in an instant.

Jiang Feng’s sword slashed from the side, cutting the droplet apart. The blade then pressed up against Emperor Slayer and flung the beast away. “You’ve been exposed! Get back!”

The Immortal’s tone dropped. “Outrageous! He is no Immortal. You humans can only rely on tricks, but that is not enough to avoid destruction.”

With that, countless droplets shot towards Jiang Feng. The Immortal was clearly enraged.

Emperor Slayer had pierced the massive droplet with the thrust of a finger. That droplet had been the droplet creature’s killing move, and its destruction had certainly fooled the Immortal. It had not even considered the possibility that Emperor Slayer had been bluffing.

It had also never considered the possibility that an Immortal could have left their power behind for Emperor Slayer to use.

The beast had played his part so well that he had successfully stalled for half a day.

On a battlefield that would determine life or death, the Immortal bug had actually listened to a story for half a day. What a joke!

Still, it had reached its limits. The Nest civilization would never retreat. Even if Emperor Slayer was a genuine Immortal, the insects would still never retreat.

The current war was a fight to the death.

The most furious insect at this moment was actually Shan Xiao. She had actually started to admire Emperor Slayer, only to then learn that everything had been a lie.

What a shameless scoundrel! Despicable and brazen

.

She had personally turned against the Third Rampart, and she believed herself to be quite clever, and yet she had been completely fooled.

It was unforgiveable. She leapt forward, chasing after Emperor Slayer. She would be the one to kill him.

Zhao Ran felt helpless. She could only continue her previous efforts. A half day’s delay was already quite good.

As for Lu Yin, she had not actually seen if he was coming or not. Her words had been nothing more than an excuse. She had also been lying to buy time and offer humanity a bit of hope. False hope was still better than none.

Earlier, releasing the massive droplet had cost the droplet creature dearly, and it had not recovered yet. It needed time before it could release another such attack, which was why it had not done so. This meant that Jiang Feng and Zhao Ran could still stall for a while longer.

Emperor Slayer shot back across the battlefield, smashing through numerous insects in his path. There were a few Verdant Sages who tried to kill the beast, but all of them were inferior to the Insect Lords. They were merely sequence powerhouses, and they were all blasted apart by a single Emperor Slayer Cannon.

From the distance, the Pridebeast gave him a thumbs up.

The Megalith lifted its tail and offered one as well.

After those two, the jiao followed up by giving Emperor Slayer two thumbs up.

His face twitched. When he then saw Astral Anura also give him a thumbs up, he finally cursed, “I’m not one of you! Stop disgusting me!”

Suddenly, Astral Anura raised his steel fork and hurled it straight at Emperor Slayer.

The beast was enraged.

They actually dare to attack me?

He was then struck by a harsh chill. He turned around to see Shan Xiao’s murderous glare. “Die for me!”

The power of the Third Rampart swept forward, pressing down upon Emperor Slayer.

The steel fork skimmed past the beast, stabbing into the attack, but to no effect. The attack slammed down, crushing Emperor Slayer.

He spat out blood. When he saw Shan Xiao pull out the Emperor’s Gaze card, he shouted, “Senior?”

Startled, she turned to glance back out of pure instinct, only to find nothing at all. She instantly flew into a rage. Once again, the beast had tricked her. “You’re courting death!”

With a wail, he turned and fled at top speed.

He knew that he was no match for the madwoman.

Astral Anura, the Pridebeast, the Megalith, and the jiao had already made their own escapes.

In the Aevum Inch, Lu Yin calmly sat upon a green lotus leaf while watching events play out in the Tianyuan.

Emperor Slayer had been exposed, but he had still managed to stall for half a day. That was precious time. While Lu Yin had not arrived quite yet, humanity would be able to hold on.

He was almost there.

“You seem relieved. How is the war proceeding?” Master Qing Cao asked.

Lu Yin calmly replied, “Make your preparations. We will arrive in a bit more than a day.”

Master Qing Cao turned to gaze at the Tianyuan. “I never thought that they would be able to hold out for this long. This must be a surprise even to that Immortal bug. The Tianyuan Megaverse is truly remarkable.”

In the Tianyuan, Jiang Feng cooperated with Zhao Ran, who was using her album of time to buy more time.

Unfortunately, they were not able to stall for very long. When blue light flared from the droplet creature’s body, the two knew that the massive droplet was about to reappear.

“Emperor Slayer, do it again!” Lu Yuan shouted.

Emperor Slayer was still being chased by Shan Xiao. It was only with help from Sovereign Dou Sheng, Lu Tianyi, and Ancient God that the beast had managed to avoid death.

When he heard Lu Yuan’s shout, Emperor Slayer bared his teeth. “That’s all I had! Just one strike.”

“That’s all?” Lu Yuan complained.

“...”

Shan Xiao froze and then vanished. She reappeared some distance away, having been moved by Luo Chan.

She glared across the battlefield.

Humans, you’re done for! No one can block this strike! You’re doomed!

Jiang Feng’s face fell. “Where is Lu Yin?”

Zhao Ran frowned. “I don’t know.”

Jiang Feng exhaled. It had been sheer luck that Emperor Slayer had blocked the last strike, but there was no one to stop this second attack.

The massive droplet reappeared, and it released a pressure that squeezed everyone’s hearts.

Blue light illuminated the Tianyuan, revealing the fear and despair that could be seen on everyone’s face.

The droplet creature said, “Plots and tricks are nothing more than fleeting illusions. Humans, even if you managed to survive my first attack, how will you endure a second?

“Despair!” With that, the massive droplet fell.

In the Mirari Realm, Wei Nu harshly shouted, “Zhao Ran, are you still not coming back?”

The River of Aeons roiled, as though something was about to emerge.

From the Aevum Inch, Lu Yin observed through the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm.

Almost there, almost there, almos-

Roar!

A thunderous beast’s roar swept out from the depths of the cosmos and into the Tianyuan. Layers of space visibly rippled as an indescribable ferocity tore through multiple parallel universes, scattering the pressure of the enormous droplet.

The Immortal bug instantly turned to stare into the Aevum Inch.

What was that?

Jiang Feng and the others also turned to look. At that moment, they felt as though there was something staring at all of them.

They felt like an ordinary human being hunted by a wild beast. They felt completely helpless.

Still, this feeling of helplessness was much better than the suffocating despair induced by the enormous droplet.

Where had this new feeling come from?

Lu Yuan was startled. Was it possible that Yellowy had broken through to the Immortal realm?

Another beast’s roar rang out. Then, a shadow appeared in the Aevum Inch. It fell with shocking speed and was quickly joined by an endless arm. Claws at the end of the appendage sliced down to ravage the droplet shaped creature.