Skyfire Avenue

Monteux’s landscape flit by below them as they raced for the other side of the planet. It would be about three hours at this speed before they reached the progenitor.

“There aren’t as many aliens as I thought there’d be,” Lan Jue noted through a scowl.

“Mh. I noticed that, too.” The Wine Master replied.

When they made their landing the aliens had stretched as far as the eye could see. However, now as they flew into the far side of the planet where they were anticipating denser numbers, they found the opposite. That wasn’t to say their foes were few, but they weren’t overwhelming either.

“Could they have fled to get away from the railguns?” The Pharmacist pondered out loud.

The Clockmaker nodded her head. “That’s a possibility. Maybe they’re relying on the planet’s rotation to keep them out of firing range while they wait to take the offensive. After all, it will take time for any ships of ours to make it here. The faster ones will have to wait for the others to catch up to perform their sneak attack.”

Lan Jue added to her determination. “That’s why the war council was so adamant about retaking the planets. They make a strong launch point and rear guard to protect us from alien trickery.”

“Yes. We’ll think more on this when we’ve dealt with the Progenitor!” The Wine Master said.

Star Division’s strike team penetrated further into enemy territory. Alien numbers increased, but only marginally. After an hour they had begun to come around to the other hemisphere of the planet. Here the atmosphere thickened to the point where vision was impaired, but not enough for them to fail to note that their enemies were increasing. A few stretched over five hundred meters long.

“It looks like we were right.” The Driver watched as the monsters zoomed passed their windows.

“Drive carefully. We mustn’t be discovered.” Lan Jue warned.

This earned a chuckle from his friend. Relax, I’d lose face if we were discovered. Won’t happen.”

Indeed the Driver’s technique was flawless. Even as the air became more heavily dotted with lumbering alien bodies, he effortlessly flew among and around them.

“I’ll lead the strike.” The Pharmacist growled.

Lan Jue nodded. Aside from Luo Xianni and Jue Di, the Pharmacist was the one to turn to if they needed to cut down a host of enemies quickly. It was the same for Lan Jue and Qianlin’s Harmonious Swords. The Pharmacist was the natural choice for leading the attack.

Alien numbers held steady, though they couldn’t be sure since it was impossible to see the situation above the atmosphere. An inexplicable tenseness filled the humans. Some of the beasts were over a thousand meters long, and had the fighting capabilities of a dreadnaught. Occasionally they spotted some three thousand meters or more, and they could square up against Paragons. The largest one Lan Jue spotted was five thousand meters long.

It still troubled him that the Violet Prince and Princess’ whereabouts were unknown. They were the most terrifying foes they would face. They were in the lion’s den, and if they showed up fleeing would be difficult.

The further they went, the more tense the atmosphere became.

Below the ground had gone from pale lavender to deep purple. Thick veins the size of felled tree trunks slithered across the surface in a singular direction. They undulated rhythmically like they were swallowing something. The progenitor’s presence made Monteux look like a giant organism. Rather, like a parasite had taken over, and was draining the planet of its essence.

The predatory nature of these monsters was terrifying to behold.

Lan Jue’s eyes blazed with determination. If the Prince or Princess showed, he would face them with the Harmonious Swords.

“That should be it!” He swung the car around suddenly and the screens fixated on a single image. All eyes went to the picture; a mountainous feature at the center of the pulsing veins. It rose over a hundred meters tall and its body was such a deep purple as to almost be black. The veins slithered around it like the arms of an enormous octopus. They rose to the mountain’s apex and pointed high into the air.

“Are they siphoning power to their homeworlds?” Lan Jue said in surprise.

Luo Xianni watched the screen with a frown. “They don’t look thick enough. They would have to be larger if they were to span space. There has to be a middle-man somewhere transferring energy to the planets.”

A cold light flit through the Pharmacist’s eyes. “Is this it?”

She didn’t need to ask, it was the progenitor, the strongest one Lan Jue had ever seen. The aura around it was no less fierce than a Paragon. Overhead no less than five three-thousand meter long aliens hovered, with a host of smaller ones between. They formed a formidable wall of defense. That’s why the Driver had swung the car so dramatically. There was no gap to get closer!

Lan Jue turned around and looked at his companions. “We don’t have many opportunities to get this done. Things look alright down here, but we don’t know the situation above the cloud cover. We need to kill this thing as fast as possible and flee before the enemy can react.”

Luo Xianni smirked. “Luckily momma came with you. I can handle all of this. The rest of you focus on killing that ugly thing. The Wine Master will get us back when the job is done, and I’ll handle battlefield control.”

Such a dominant temperament! A host of terrifying beasts milled outside their window, but all Luo Xianni had to say was she would take care of ‘battlefield control.’

Lan Jue nodded toward the Pharmacist. “I’ll act as your support, sis.”

“Alright!” She replied quickly. Then, she produced a small china bottle which she promptly opened and imbibed. Her aura became volatile.

After everyone made their plans, the Driver’s somewhat disgruntled voice piped up. “What am I, the getaway driver?”

Lan Jue smiled. “Getting us in and out safely is an honor. You’re doing an important job. Alright everyone, get ready.”

The verti-car’s doors hissed open. They needn’t fear discovery right away. The Blinding Stone’s powers extended to a small circumference around their vehicle. Lin Guoguo and the Driver were left behind as the others exited.

Luo Xianni flicked her wrist and a flash of pink replied. Her camera had appeared in her palm. She looked at the writhing mass of enemies with the same cunning smile she always wore, like they didn’t trouble her at all. She pointed her camera, then nodded to let Lan Jue know she was ready.

Then, she vanished.

The Pharmacist looked at Lan Jue and the color drained from her eyes, leaving them pearl white. Lan Jue’s, a dazzling azure blue. A shell of All-Heaven lightning sprang up around them.

She took in a deep breath and with it the Pharmacist’s aura swelled, surging passed what Lin Guoguo could conceal. She stepped forward into the air and a shimmering image appeared at her back. It looked like her, perhaps seventy percent, with a white sword in its grip.

The Pharmacist had used some decoction to increase her powers nearly to a Reflection of Heaven and Earth.

Hummmm—The ethereal buzz swept through the area with an intense and murderous aura. Overhead the five largest aliens turned simultaneously in her direction. Their fear was palpable.

The progenitor also sensed the disturbance. It cried in alarm and a host of tentacles sprang out from the ground around it. They lashed and swiped frantically all around the monstrous creature before reaching for the Pharmacist. Above them a giant head descended through the clouds.

Just the monster’s head was five hundred meters tall and a thousand meters across. The section of its body they could see was another five thousand. Its rage and power filled the air with a choking pressure that even a typical Paragon could not produce. It had to be stronger than the Realm of Protogenia, or a Reflection of Heaven and Earth. It was more comparable to someone who’d achieved Nirvana.

It opened its enormous maw, ready to swallow the Pharmacist whole.

But just then, a voice like chiming silver bells rang out. “Take advice from Luo Xianni, a camera is all you need!”

Her voice seemed to carry a strange power with it as it swirled through the air. The sky became pink, but not from light. A pink camera ten thousand meters across filled the sky. The thunderous ch-k of its shutter boomed, and space-time solidified.

Whether it was the progenitor or the monster on the other end of its poison umbilicus, neither could move. Everything froze. Everything except for the Pharmacist and Lan Jue. They exchanged a look then launched ahead.

The Pharmacist released a warcry and a white light surrounded her alluring frame as she became one with her sword. Occisus stretched large and wider as it tore through the sky until it was a blinding beam of white light.