CHAPTER 778: SHOOTING STARS

There is only silence after Xarz’s words, a silence that, for him, seems like a long time. He knows that every second ticking by is a wait for the judgment from the man in front of him. This is actually a gamble he has taken himself, choosing to surrender to Aldrian rather than attempting to escape on his own.

There are a few reasons why he did not choose to escape after betraying Rulleus. The first is that he is not even confident he could escape from Aldrian. If he chose to flee, then Aldrian would see him in an even more negative way and would undoubtedly kill him in the end.

It is better to show his ’sincerity’ through surrender, which holds a higher probability of survival.

The second reason is that once news of the failed invasion reaches the central region of Heaven, he is quite sure the Vampire King will send many more forces to the Fallen Star Cluster. Moreover, with the unknown fate of his successor, he will definitely ask anyone responsible about Rulleus in the Fallen Star Cluster.

If he went back to the Red Mist Star, there would be no doubt he would be dead, because he would be returning after leaving Rulleus behind. The Vampire King would execute him for being safe while his son was left behind.

The third reason is that even if he could escape from the Vampire King or Aldrian, he could not return to the Fallen Star Cluster and would be forced to live as a fugitive. He could only survive in a secluded place where he could live in peace.

But the problem is that such a place would be difficult to find with his identity as a devil cultivator. He would still be discovered in the future by anyone able to sense his devil aura.

Without an interstellar vessel or resources to support him, he could not make a long journey.

If he cannot escape far, then he cannot escape the Vampire King or Aldrian, which ultimately brings him back to the first reason.

He decided to gamble his fate here in front of Aldrian after much thought. And the result of his gamble was—

Grab!

Suddenly Aldrian grabbed his head, leaving him stunned. Before he could even ask anything, he felt a violent jolt in his soul as Aldrian struck him with his lightning laws. His eyes rolled back, his body convulsing violently for more than ten seconds. In that time, Xarz felt unbearable pain, and it seemed like an eternity had passed before darkness finally engulfed his sight.

He lost consciousness with his soul injured after Aldrian continued electrocuting it directly for more than ten seconds. His and Rulleus’s bodies then suddenly disappeared, leaving Emperor Rozwald and Prince Ronwell stunned.

"I already secured them. They will have much useful information, so I will keep them alive," Aldrian said.

Emperor Rozwald nodded.

"I see. I think this is also a good decision, Your Majesty. That bastard surely holds much information regarding the Fallen Star Cluster and even the central region of Heaven. There are still many mysteries shrouding the central region of Heaven and the Fallen Star Cluster since the devils took over those territories," he said.

Aldrian nodded.

"Anyway, I will go back first. Emperor Rozwald and Prince Ronwell, you may continue what you need to do."

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty. Please take a rest, and on behalf of all beings of the world, I truly thank Your Majesty for solving the threat that could have brought destruction to the Ancient Blue Gate World," Emperor Rozwald said as he bowed. Prince Ronwell also did the same, and those nearby, hearing Emperor Rozwald’s words, also bowed.

Those farther away did not know why so many were bowing, but the moment they saw the bows directed toward Aldrian, they followed as well. Aldrian truly deserved such respect after saving their world once again. The devils’ surprise attack had deeply shocked them, for they had been utterly unprepared.

If this were a situation without Aldrian the Great, there would already have been millions of victims in the first wave of attacks alone. Those beam cannons from the interstellar vessels could have destroyed many cities and towns across the continent and turned entire regions into seas of fire.

Thanks to whatever Aldrian the Great had done earlier, the beam attacks were blocked across the world.

Aldrian, seeing many people bow toward him, waved his hand.

"No problem. This is the world I also live in, after all. There is no way I will let those devils bring chaos here," he said before descending to the Barisan continent below, intent on returning to his palace.

The others straightened their bodies and watched Aldrian’s figure descend with respect, then turned back to deal with the aftermath of Aldrian’s slaughter.

A few moments later, Aldrian’s voice echoed across the world.

"To the people of the Ancient Blue Gate World, I know that you are confused about what has happened, but you will know soon. You do not need to worry, because the problem has been solved. Just continue what you are doing."

The populace across the world who heard his voice sighed in relief. They did not really understand the situation because of the sudden mobilization, and had remained tense since earlier. They did not know who they were up against or where the battle had taken place. They could only look at the sky and assume the war was being fought in outer space, since so many troops had flown high above, even using their interstellar vessels.

Those troops were in a place beyond their reach, where they could not follow to observe what was truly going on.

They decided to return to their activities and simply wait for the news about what had really happened today.

Aldrian continued descending until he finally arrived above the sky of his palace. He saw his family and every inhabitant of the palace looking in his direction. The moment they saw him descend, their eyes glimmered and smiles of relief spread across their faces.

His calm expression finally softened into a warm smile. A few moments later, he landed on his floating land. Sylphia and Baek Jimin ran toward him and instantly embraced him. Aldrian’s strong body stood firm even when struck by the force of the two women’s bodies as they hugged him tightly. He could only smile warmly as he stroked both of their hair.

Their embrace lasted only a few seconds before they released him. His parents then finally approached.

"Aldrian, what really happened just now? Was there truly a war with the devils from other stars? I was so worried when I suddenly could not sense the energy surrounding us anymore and thought something might have happened to you," Irene said worriedly.

She and Aldrey had only been told by Sylphia about the devils’ invasion earlier, when they were confused after hearing the commotion from the leaders of other powers who had gathered in the palace.

Aldrian gave her a reassuring smile.

"It’s okay, Mother. You don’t have to worry about that. Just like I said, the problem is solved, and there is nothing to be concerned about. As for the disappearance of the energy for a moment earlier, my apologies—that was my doing. Well, I needed it to clean up trash."

To create the world-scale Swords Apocalypse, with the power of the peak pseudo immortal stage imbued in each sword, he had nearly gathered the entire world’s energy. It could be said that more than ninety percent of the energy across the world had congregated in the upper atmosphere at that moment and condensed into countless swords.

It was no wonder countless people across the world panicked when the energy surrounding them suddenly disappeared. The heaven and earth energy was crucial for cultivators, and if it were to vanish, they would no longer be able to progress in their cultivation.

Aldrey and Irene were confused by Aldrian’s answer, but they did not press him for now. He would likely tell them the details later anyway.

Aldrian then looked at Zander and the other awardees in the distance, who were gazing at him in wonder. He smiled at them.

"My apologies to all of you for the commotion just now, but you may return to your activities. Take advantage of this place as much as possible to aid your cultivation journey," he said.

Kang Yongjin and the others instantly bowed to him.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" they shouted in unison before dispersing to their own rooms. However, Zander continued to look at his master, admiration shining clearly in his eyes. His gaze glimmered, but in the end, he also bowed in reverence.

Suddenly, a voice transmission came to him.

’You will also reach that stage someday. Keep up your hard work.’

Zander was stunned, but he responded at once.

’I will, Master.’

He then returned to his training room, his spirit reignited.

Aldrian smiled at them before leading his family to the other side of the palace garden, where he could explain in detail what had happened earlier. They conversed in a relaxed manner beneath the beautiful night sky filled with stars, when suddenly countless shooting stars streaked across the sky.

Their eyes reflected the dazzling sight, and they were mesmerized, falling silent as they stopped their conversation to simply enjoy the scene above.

Aldrian also smiled as he gazed at the night sky ablaze with falling lights. He knew that these shooting stars were in fact the remnants of the devil troops—debris from their cruisers and interstellar vessels burning in the world’s atmosphere.

All of it had finally reached the world’s atmosphere, and it seemed that the troops from the Ancient Blue Gate World had also let much of the wreckage to be consumed by the atmosphere in order to cleanse the space surrounding the world. Any parts that were too large were cut into smaller pieces before being released to fall and burn.

With the countless remnants of the devil forces, it was no wonder the night was filled with so many shooting stars, a sight both breathtaking and serene.

This breathtaking scenery unfolded across the entire world, visible to all. Everywhere, people lifted their heads toward the sky, and even in regions where it was still daytime, trails of countless falling lights could still be seen cutting across the heavens.

From this day forward, the people would remember it as the Day of Shooting Stars—the day their world was once again protected from a great threat by the figure from Barisan Continent.

The name Aldrian the Great would spread even farther, not only throughout the Ancient Blue Gate World but across the entire central star cluster.