Chapter 70: A Sense That Your Strength Has Arrived

Chapter 70: A Vibe Like "Your Power Has Arrived"

Patter patter patter patter patter—

Chuzao ran with absolute determination.

Not even glancing back.

He scampered straight back to Amos's side.

Amos stood nearby, watching as his charge sprinted back.

With nowhere to hide, Chuzao suddenly crouched down, skillfully transforming into a plush, round puff of white fur. The tiny halo on his head quivered lightly, and his small wings fluttered as he took a running leap, launching himself into Amos's arms. He folded his wings tight, his fluffy hind legs pedaled wildly as he burrowed deeper into Amos's embrace.

Amos was also wearing a long, military-style coat today—somewhat resembling a ceremonial military coat, as he hadn’t had time to change after Saint Cas's National Day celebration.

This turned out to be perfect for Chuzao.

Amos looked down at the fluffy white ball burrowing into his clothes and reached out to steady it. The soft little paws pressed into his palm before the ball disappeared inside, even turning around so that only the tiny halo and two fluffy ears poked out from Amos's coat.

Those little ears twitched nonstop, listening to the sounds outside.

Amid the tense atmosphere, everyone was transfixed.

Especially Fei Man, who took two steps forward, her gaze locked onto those fluffy little ears—

This was just too adorable.

Earlier, it had been a case of "lying in wait for Chuzao"—teasing the child for fun.

But now—Amos even reached out and gently touched one of those small, white-furred ears, pink-tinged from thin fur beneath.

Fei Man narrowed her eyes—How do I sneak a kiss on those ears? ASAP.

Lynn, who habitually lingered in the shadows and erased his presence, had never seen the little one in his compact, winged furball mode before. Now, his eyes widened slightly—

He had been mentally planning how to gradually approach this little one.

Of course, previous plans were just that—previous. All arrangements had shifted due to the events that unfolded since his return.

Especially after Chuzao's sharp remark earlier—"Is it because Zao Zao disappointed you?"

Lynn felt that, as an elder, it was his responsibility to ensure the younger generation completely dismissed such thoughts.

But how exactly to do that—he needed to study carefully.

Still deep in thought, he instinctively retreated into the shadows, only to catch sight of those little ears.

Lynn had little experience with younglings. Even among his own generation of the Crown Clan, he had few close relationships. By nature, he was an emotionally detached and indifferent member of the Crown Clan. This time, however, he found himself somewhat spurred into motion by the little one.

He had sensed the influence younglings had on adult Crown Clan members before, but never so profoundly—until now.

Lynn stared at those wiggling ears for a long moment before hurriedly looking away.

No, wait—he had work to do—not to gawk at Amos’s kid—right?!

"Mew~"

Papa, is Auntie still looking at Zao Zao?

Not at all—

Amos held the cub in his arms, becoming the center of attention, yet the Emperor remained completely unbothered.

Meanwhile, the cub’s soft meow reached them.

Lynn, struggling to keep a tiny scarf looped around his neck: "..."

Helplessly, he raised a hand to cover his face, which had grown warm from overwhelming fondness.

However, soon after, a report echoed through the command room—

"Your Majesty—we are about to breach the atmospheric layer."

Amos acknowledged with a hum, lifting the little white fluffball from his embrace and placing it into a custom pod.

Watching as Xiao Chuzao transformed back—the little cub hadn’t had time to change either, still clad in white fleece pajamas, tiny hands pressed against the transparent container lid, peering up with wide, trusting eyes at Amos.

It was the same look of unwavering trust as always.

Briefly, Amos’s gaze softened before he turned away.

"Atmospheric breach confirmed. Initiating spatial jump at maximum power. Proceed toward the locked target."

"Yes, sir!!"

*

Meanwhile, aboard another starship—

"We’ve lived in seclusion for thousands of years. There’s no way anything could go wrong. Elder, please tell me—my father is fine, isn’t he? Those ominous signs I saw must be because I’m not fully grown yet, so my readings were off."

After being left speechless by Xiao Chuzao’s earlier words, Derek, the young heir of the Grail Clan, ended up talking easily with Zhi Yan, who had once seemed utterly disdainful of Xi Jin. Most of it, however, was just polite courtesies.

Though Derek had left a poor impression on them before, he’d heard that the little princess of the Northern Free Federation had lived a difficult life—bratty, stubborn, and lonely. But now, upon meeting again, that odd vibe was gone.

Moreover, she had told him the rumors she’d heard about the Grail Clan’s upheaval.

No one knew of his plans to come to Saint Cas—this couldn’t be about him.

Yet when he used his psychic energy to manifest a Grail and check on his clan’s condition, the feedback terrified him—

The elder had never told him.

But he clearly knew.

Derek wanted to return to the Grail Clan’s hidden sanctuary, but he knew the elder would never allow it. So he recklessly bolted—only to be swiftly caught by the Grail Clan’s elder.

The elder, who had been ready to reprimand him, paused upon seeing Derek’s face and the silver Grail glowing in his hands—its contents swirling and dark. With a long exhale, the elder spoke.

The Grail Clan’s starship, having caught up to Derek, now glided smoothly through the cosmos.

For now, there was no set destination. They had already left the territory of the Saint Cas Empire behind.

"The chief ordered us to keep you in the dark until everything was settled."

"But I’m also a member of the Grail Clan! Why—"

"Because you’re still too young, too reckless," the elder’s voice turned grave. "Young master, you don’t yet grasp this universe. As the clan leader said, had you known from the start, you would never have left our sanctuary. And if you hadn’t… not just the clan leader, but all of us might have been infected by this Grail-corrupting plague, leading to mental collapse."

There was nothing they could do.

The habitat of the Crown Clan was overrun by corruption, robbing the entire Crown Clan of its "foundation." All Crown Clan members inevitably faced their crowns fracturing and their spiritual power crumbling—events witnessed by the secluded Grail Clan.

It was all too horrifying, which was why the Grail Clan reacted so strongly.

If it truly couldn’t be resolved, they had to at least safeguard their embers, like the Spirit Eye Clan had done.

"But..."

Derek looked at the elder, his voice thick with defiance as he spoke.

"But I—I’m growing up. Hasn’t our Grail Clan always judged right? And they will continue to be—how could things go wrong now? This time should be no different. Several Longlived races are heading toward extinction, the mightiest of the mythical races, the Crown Clan, is hanging by a thread, and only our Grail Clan has preserved its strength. We are the keepers of the greater path—within our secluded lands, we’ve lived a life of joy unlike any other in the stars..."

The elder held his gaze before slowly lowering his head.

This elder had once advised the Crown Clan during his last visit to Saint Cas—after all, there were so few Longlived races left in the galaxy.

But this time, though Derek still clung to the Grail Clan’s beliefs, the others had turned.

"Derek, it’s lost to us. We no longer have a secluded land."

Derek’s voice cut off abruptly.

"Riding the current has always been the Grail Clan’s way of dealing with corruption and the organizations targeting the Longlived races. Our gifts did justify these decisions. But now—perhaps the Crown Clan was right all along. The galaxy is spiraling into chaos as the Crown Clan weakens, and balance seeps back only as they regain strength."

The elder looked at Derek.

"To be precise, the path ahead is veiled, Derek. You are the brightest of our kind. If anything happens to the clan leader, you must act as he taught you—"

Lead the Grail Clan to find a new path.

The Grail Clan’s sanctuary had been breached, and a plague that devours souls had broken out—something the Grail Clan of the past could never have imagined.

This plague seemed to target only the Grail Clan. Why?

It was as if the Hymn Organization had found a way to exploit others’ weaknesses, then woven their doom for the Grail Clan.

But seeing through others’ weaknesses—that should have been a trait of the Spirit Eye Clan’s spiritual power.

Derek held his grail in his hands, searching the elder’s face for a long time before his head bowing under the weight—only to suddenly notice a smudge of creeping shadow at the edge of his silver grail, now steadily spreading...

It had been obscured earlier by the chaotic darkness swirling within the grail.

What... was this?

The elder realized it too, terror flickering in his eyes.

"Stay back!!"

From the elder’s momentary expression of turmoil, Derek understood—this was the plague that had infected two-thirds of the Grail Clan.

Derek’s hands trembled. Whether it was an illusion or not, he could already feel his very spirit splintering apart.

"Stay away, all of you! Keep your distance, don’t release your spiritual energy. I remember there’s an isolation chamber on the starship—find the nearest landing point—"

"Young master—"

"I said stay back!!"

Derek’s mind raced, trying to recall what he might have been exposed to. His panicked expression went blank. He was shaking, but he had to stay calm—

He was originally the next leader of the Grail Clan, the one upholding the barrier that kept his people hidden.

But now—

He spoke firmly, retreating to the far end.

"Find the closest landing spot—"

"Report—radar’s picking up unknown starships closing in."

In an instant, panic broke out on the Grail Clan’s starship.

An enemy strike? An ambush targeting the Longlived race—the Grail Clan in particular? Or something else—

Until the small blips on the radar shifted, transforming into tiny crowns—Saint Cas’s ship insignia.

"It's the Saint Cas military..."

The Grail Clan’s tension loosened a little.

Then came An Ya's voice, her voice sharp with irritation—

"The lockdown outside Saint Cas's star domain has been in place for a while now. What’re you doing here? Out for a joyride?"

Derek kept his cool. While others responded to An Ya, he bolted for the Grail Clan’s isolation chamber—he’d wondered why they even needed an isolation chamber for this trip.

Now—

The cramped room, door locked tight.

Derek left the lights off.

The young heir, who’d just flashed some leadership, slid down the door and crumpled to the floor, his gaze fixed once more on the sacred grail in his hands.

He rubbed at the black mark on the grail, like a stubborn stain, but it only spread further, impossible to erase.

Finally, Derek gave up, clenching his fingers, thinking back on his big talk.

He’d screwed up—

Derek lowered his head—

What now?

Dad… can you tell me what to do? He had ruined everything.

Dad, you’re the best, you’ve got all the answers—can you tell him what to do now?

Dad… just stay safe. Don’t get hurt…

*

"Not just those Crown Clan—" Wenhe, at the helm of their exposed ship, weaved through enemy fire in a desperate escape. Watching the scene unfold, it all felt ridiculous. "Are the Saint Casians out of their minds?"

Some starships, unable to breach their defenses, resorted to suicidal crashes—a death wish in deep space.

One wrong move, and both sides could be lost in the endless void.

And because space was so vast, not even Saint Cas could watch every corner of its own territory. The Saint Cas Empire had deployed its forces across the surrounding area.

A small squad caught up first—not the toughest, but still a pain.

The Crown Clan is unhinged, and they are also incredibly strong. To some extent, they suppress the inherent madness of the Saint Casians, transforming their desperate nature into a fanatical devotion to the Crown Clan.

This is the education they receive, and these are the events they witness. The Saint Casian military is frantically devoted to making any sacrifice for the Crown Clan—even if it costs them their lives.

From the old man who deceived her to these frenzied Saint Casian warships, even the Hymn Organization couldn't help but feel a chill in the face of such fanaticism.

Fortunately, the Crown Clan's most fatal weakness was struck the moment the corruption began, leading them toward self-destruction. Otherwise, one shudders to imagine what Saint Cas might have become.

"Sir, we can't shake them off—"

"Damn it."

Wenhe's gentle expression twisted as she reached out and tightly grasped her necklace.

It was a silver-white chain with a small vial hanging from it, containing a metallic, meteorite-like substance with a silvery sheen.

As she clenched the necklace, her entire demeanor shifted subtly, and her mental energy underwent a strange transformation. The normally intangible mental energy of humans began to solidify behind her, barely visible as swirling black mist.

All members of the Hymn Organization instinctively turned their gaze toward Wenhe, whispering prayers related to the divine—tinged with awe and longing.

"Find a way to take them out. Is backup arriving soon? As long as we aren't pinned down by the Crown Clan, once reinforcements arrive, that old man's plans will come to nothing. He wasted his life for nothing!"

"Because we're being tracked, we dare not establish a connection with the mobile base. We sent a distress signal before being detected, but we don't know if the higher-ups have seen it—"

"Someone will come," Wenhe said, her eyes shadowed. "We haven't lost yet."

Elsewhere in the galaxy—

"Reinforcements have been dispatched from the nearest location—but she's already been locked onto. Saint Cas is a mad nation, like a beast, like legendary dragons. Once they sink their teeth into you, they won't let go till death."

The mood in the Hymn Organization was grim.

"Wenhe's too new to leadership. What brilliant idea—splintering Saint Cas from within? Yes, we've succeeded in fracturing many national alliances, but for centuries, whether it's us or our forebears who chased divinity, who has ever truly split Saint Cas apart?"

"She was just too hasty. If she had waited and observed the situation more, there might have been a chance. Not everyone is as resolute as the Crown Clan. With their gradual destruction, Saint Cas does have deep fractures—"

"...Besides, she only acted in a hurry because she stumbled upon the Grail Clan. And then, because of the decoy's exposure, she was forced into panicked retreat."

Wenhe was effectively their best-placed agent to Saint Cas within the Hymn Organization.

After a long silence—

"What about the Divine Grace Stone she carries?"

The divine-bestowed stone, for which they prayed day and night, sang hymns, and offered sacred rites, hoping for the gods' descent to reshape the cosmos.

"No one knows of this, not even the lower ranks. They only think it's part of our experiments. Will the Saint Casians notice? If we can't retrieve it... No, they'll probably dismiss it, writing it off as experimental debris."

"Here's hoping."

"Are they not here yet?"

*

On the Saint Cas warship, the pursuing Legion Commander was ordering the entire small fleet to keep up with the small starship that was incredibly fast, had peak evasion capabilities, and had formidable defenses.

"No updates."

"We’ve already violated the interstellar navigation safety distance, sir."

"This isn’t the time to worry about that. Flank them—do whatever it takes to block their path. Those are our enemies, top leadership of the Hymn Organization, who’ve targeted His Majesty and the royal family of the Crown Clan repeatedly."

The Legion Commander gritted his teeth.

Everyone’s eyes burned with bloodlust as they fixed their gaze on the distant speck ahead.

If they let these targets escape this time, His Majesty and the royals would only face greater danger in the future.

The soldiers of Saint Cas, along with the Saint Casians who had been roused by the rebellion news in the middle of the night and were now flooding the Starnet with activity, all seethed with hatred for the Hymn Organization.

They were also under counterattack—some of their warships had been damaged. In the vastness of space, this chase left them relying solely on their starships’ retaliatory capabilities.

They had to complete the mission—

The Legion Commander thought to himself: *"As long as the Crown Clan arrives—"*

*As long as the Crown Clan arrives—*

Suddenly, the entire warship trembled slightly, as if shaken by some energy wave.

"What’s going on...?"

Before the Legion Commander could finish his sentence, rows upon rows of starships appeared on their radar behind them—

Each one unmistakably marked with the small crown insignia of Saint Cas.

And just then, an arrow shot from an unknown source was about to strike the Hymn Organization’s starship—only for the vessel to be enveloped in black mist at the last second. But it was too late. The blast still clipped it, sending the ship careening toward a nearby derelict planet in a desperate crash descent.

The warships behind them moved swiftly, overtaking them and charging toward the target.

Through the comms, they heard the voice of Legion Commander Ye Ming, of King Amos’s direct forces: "Mission acknowledged. Take position at the rear. His Majesty King Amos and the royal family have arrived."

"Aye, Commander!!"

*

On the Saint Cas starship—

They had just exited warp jump and immediately locked onto their target.

Xiao Chuzao had been carried out upon leaving the jump and was now held in King Amos’s arms.

The starship’s hatch opened—

In the vacuum of space, only the Crown Clan could move freely.

Finn stood at the forefront, raising his right hand high. His youthful face split into a grin, but his eyes were hollow with madness. A wisp of silver-black energy ignited in his palm, coalescing into an energy longbow.

He drew the bowstring—the fabric of space itself shuddered from the force of his power.

Finn narrowed one eye, then released the arrow with a mirthless laugh, turning back with absolute confidence: "...Direct hit."

"Negative impact—"

Fei Man scanned the horizon.

"Huh?!"

Finn whirled his head around in disbelief, just in time to witness the scene.

"That shouldn't be."

Finn looked bewildered—was he really that bad?

No way!

If he messed up, they'd kill him when he got back.

Amos frowned as he observed the strange surge of mental energy erupting from the distant starship.

"This mental energy feels like that of the extinct Soul Race?"

Compared to the Crown Clan, the Soul Race was more mage-like—they could channel their mental energy into formidable mythical creatures. They couldn’t clash head-on with the Crown Clan, but they had a certain devouring ability—in other words, they were nearly impossible to counter.

But those powers had long vanished. However, Saint Cas had taken in a young one who seemed to carry traces of that bloodline—right in Xiao Chuzao’s guard team.

Finn was having an existential crisis.

Meanwhile, Fei Man glanced at him before leaning down to speak to the little one nestled in Amos’ arms, who was staring at Finn with wide eyes. "See, Zao Zao? Some people are all style no skill."

"But Zao Zao can too—"

Xiao Chuzao nestled against Amos’ chest.

Despite the tense atmosphere, the presence of their elders kept the Crown Clan relaxed, a stark contrast to the tension elsewhere. The little one let out a little 'heh', raising a tiny hand and clenching it—golden light coalesced in his palm.

His amber eyes widened, the tiny halo above his head swaying as a tiny Cupid’s bow formed in his grasp.

Lynn peeked out from the corner to watch.

The little one’s cheeks were soft and chubby, his baby cheeks full as he proudly held up his tiny bow, looking expectantly at Fei Man.

"Dad and Grandpa Mori both say Zao Zao is amazing, the coolest."

Even if fancy techniques were pointless.

"Third Uncle says looking cool lasts forever."

The little one’s soft, childish voice rang out.

Amos shot another glance at Finn, who was now forcing a laugh.

Fei Man stared blankly before finally nodding seriously. "Yeah, Zao Zao's the coolest."

Everything he did was adorable.

Finn: "See? Now you get it, right? It’s not just flashy—it’s intimidation factor on the enemy."

"Zao Zao cool."

Fei Man gave Finn another look, offering her "objective" evaluation.

"You totally look like you’re about to show off your strength, and you’re way too cocky about it."

Finn: ...The hell?

"That's a stereotype!" Finn looked at the little cub, looking for support.

Just then, Xiao Chuzao raised his tiny bow, his big eyes sparkling after being praised, swinging his little bow around.

Hmm, swinging his little bow around—yikes.

The warships of Saint Cas had already swiftly pursued them, and Amos' wings were fully spread behind him, his whole form cast in shadow, radiating intensity. Yet, he lowered his head and gently held his cub's hand.

That's enough—looking cool is all that matters, forget Love and Peace.