Chapter 72: Did Zao Zao Kiss Amos?

Chapter 72 Did Zao Zao Just Kiss Amos?!

The excruciating pain on her body—Wenhe barely registered it now.

The tendons and bones in her arms, knees, and other vital joints had all been shattered.

The twisted, *so-called* "divine" spiritual energy that coiled around her, unwilling to dissipate, hovered weakly for two final loops around Wenhe before slowly fading away amidst the mangled flesh.

The power of the Crown Clan, following closely behind Xiao Chuzao's arrow, precisely disabled every limb of Wenhe's body.

But by now, Wenhe had almost slipped into unconsciousness.

The influence of the "divine" spiritual energy on her was far stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Her physical endurance and mental resilience simply couldn't withstand such reaction speed and overwhelming spiritual power.

Now, she lay limp on the ground like a broken puppet.

Only her eyeballs could still move.

A small golden arrow, burning with black flames, was embedded in the necklace bottle hanging from her neck. The surroundings seemed to fall into an ominous hush, as if in the lull before the storm—ready to ignite at any moment.

From the reflection on Amos's sword, Wenhe caught a glimpse of her current appearance—*How hideous…*

Heh. Heh. Heh—

"O Divine One—You lifted me from the abyss of darkness. I shall fulfill Your will, offer the sacred rites, raise the Hymns, and await Your descent. I vow to serve You eternally, praying only that one day, our sacrifices will not be in vain, that the Long-lived race shall perish, and You shall bestow upon us a new world of fairness and justice—"

Listening to the sound of the "divine" gift-stone shattering inside the bottle,

She yearned for those so-called "miracles," even if she had never truly seen the "Divine One." But now—

So close... If only she could land one last blow against this Crown Clan before her—

Those who rose to the top of the Hymn Organization were all zealots, madness incarnate in this already chaotic and twisted interstellar realm.

They mocked and deceived everything, convinced that the Long-lived race had brought suffering to the galaxy and suppressed the "Divine One" who sought to save them. Among them, Zhi Yan, who had already ascended to the position of Wenhe among the *Seven Virtues* of the Hymn at such a young age, was a rabid fanatic.

Meanwhile, Lynn had already cut down the surrounding reinforcements from the Hymn Organization. Seemingly aware of Wenhe's fate, the Hymn forces began to retreat.

The floating stronghold of the Hymn Organization, originally stationed in a certain corner of the galaxy, also started to conceal itself once more.

"She exposed the 'divine' gift-stone and betrayed the trust of the Divine One."

"We must vet newcomers rigorously. We can't afford another reckless gambit like this generation's Wenhe, losing the initiative."

"Hide again. We need to find new ways to counter the Crown Clan. They're delving deeper into the Pollution Zones—those regions of the galaxy where the Long-lived race doesn't exist. We must find a way to get there first and seed the ground with traps for the Crown Clan."

"Spread the order—"

At the same time, Shenghua, who was enthusiastically peddling pipe dreams to her boss in an attempt to swindle more resources, glanced at the concealment notice.

"Boss, what's going on?"

"Who knows."

Shenghua narrowed her eyes, propping her head up with one arm.

She was on a barren, desolate rogue planet with no significant factions, a sea of yellow sand swirling behind her.

Having harvested too many resources, she had noticeably grown taller recently, her originally fair skin slightly tanned. She stood with one foot on a large mechanical vehicle provided by the Hymn Organization—gazing up at the sky.

Everything was tranquil, the dark night sky dotted with stars.

People can decide their path in an instant—one event, one opportunity, one hurdle could determine the rest of their lives.

"Maybe the 'boss' went crazy and caused trouble again," Shenghua said airily.

"So, do we still push the plan?"

"Of course we do. Why wouldn’t we?"

Does the boss’s screw-up stop your pay?

How’s that our problem?

"Look at these people on the drifting planets—no faith, no ideals, just going through the motions like zombies, so scattered, no one even tries to unite them. This can’t go on! What a waste of resources! If no one else does it, we will—that’s how we stand out!"

Force them to watch the video of the Little Highness shooting arrows to protect his people a hundred times!

Isn’t that overkill?

Shenghua chuckled, hopping down from the large mechanical vehicle. Just as she was about to say more, she felt a sudden tremor.

They weren’t far from the border of Saint Cas.

It felt like an earthquake.

How big was this thing?

"What’s going on?"

Meanwhile, as the Hymn Organization quietly pulled back its reach, on the drifting planet where Wenhe had fallen—

The Crown Clan had initially planned to spare Wenhe’s life to study what the Hymn Organization was scheming.

But the small arrow piercing her necklace faded away, then came a soft crack. In that instant, the silvery, metallic meteor-like object shattered.

The blast was as powerful as the destructive explosions of the Crown Clan.

The strange quiet was simply because the deafening roar hadn’t reached them yet.

Every Saint Cas warship reacted fast.

Defensive shields lit up everywhere.

Fei Man unleashed her psychic energy, Finn’s arrows shot forth, blocking the blast.

The kid was yanked behind Finn and Fei Man for protection.

As for Amos?

Though he was close, nobody gave a damn about Amos.

His insane psychic power and unbeatable strength—

Honestly, Amos was the key to holding back this explosion.

But what Amos and Wenhe at the center witnessed was not just an explosion.

Xiao Chuzao's spiritual energy seemed to clash violently against the power radiating from that small "meteorite."

In that instant, it warped into a devastating force.

Amos saw a familiar scene—

A phantom cast by the energy warping space.

Familiar forests, grasslands, dwellings—

And "angels" gliding across the sky, adorned with gentle golden halos.

Among them, the Archangel, whom Amos knew all too well—the very figure he dreamed of tearing apart at night—sat upon a high throne, clad in white robes, radiating pitiful compassion. The surrounding decorations faintly resembled the "divine" blessing stones stored in Wenhe's small vial.

"Is that—'God'? Or perhaps—'God's' messenger?"

Wenhe, hanging by a thread and barely human anymore, stared at the vision, her eyes burning with hope.

A peaceful, harmonious, and just world.

'God' would create such a world for them.

The world they’d dreamed of.

This seemed to be the very scene Amos had been searching for in the unreachable angelic realm.

"Dead, then?"

The Archangel closed his eyes, his expression unchanging—still gentle, still compassionate—yet the corners of his lips curled slightly, adding a jarring contrast into that sacred visage.

"Exceptional beings shouldn’t exist. He should have been assimilated, robbed of self, made obedient, docile—until his eventual disappearance. This is a warning from history."

Amos clenched his sword tighter.

In that moment, the outwardly calm Amos exploded with surging spiritual energy—the same ruthless, brutal Amos Xiao Chuzao had first encountered now reemerged.

—Savage, cruel, his corrupted spiritual energy distorting space in its frenzied rush toward the unknown spatial phenomenon born from the clash.

Amos's form began to shift.

Growing uncontrollably, his formidable spiritual and physical strength only fueled the explosion, feeding the chaos. Flesh tore, the stench of blood filled the air, and for a fleeting instant, it seemed as though a passage between the two realms had been forced open—his rampaging spiritual energy storming through.

Wenhe had been about to laugh—to sneer at the Crown Clan for their naivety, to relish the despair 'God' would bring upon them.

But in the next moment, her eyes widened in shock.

In her final breath, what she saw was Amos's spiritual energy spearing through that illusory peaceful world, and what she heard was a defiant howl from the Crown Clan.

As if to say—

—'God'?

Nothing more than this.

How could this be—

As her faith crumbled, Wenhe's eyes dimmed for the last time—her breath gone, her body reduced to an unrecognizable mangled mess of gore.

Amos's enraged bellow was so loud that it briefly overpowered the explosion.

The remaining Saint Cas forces, who were containing the explosive energy, were momentarily dazed.

Finn hesitated for a second.

As the only member of the Crown Clan present who might have a chance to suppress Amos, his blood ran cold, trembling uncontrollably.

"What's going on?"

"What happened to Second Brother?"

Fei Man's expression also turned grave.

The moment the explosion began—

The center was too bright, and the swirling dust made it impossible to see what was happening inside.

"Could it be a mental energy surge?"

Finn frowned.

"Is this another Hymn Organization ploy?"

"No idea—"

"Daddy—daddy—"

Xiao Chuzao, who had been staggered by the blast, was shielded behind them.

Now, hearing the commotion, he scrambled forward, trying to peer down.

But his little voice was too faint, lost in the chaos.

"What's wrong with Daddy?"

Even Finn and Fei Man, standing so close, could barely make out his words, let alone Amos, who was still some distance away.

The kid anxiously looked down as the explosion subsided. Through the dust, they seemed to catch a glimpse of a colossal, regal silhouette—the Halo glimmering faintly, as if revealing Amos's true form.

Only in moments of extreme emotional turmoil would an adult Crown Clan member revert to their true form.

And now—

"Don't worry, Amos is strong. He'll be fine."

"Come here, Zao Zao. Third Uncle’s got you. We’ll check it out."

When it came to serious matters, even the usually flippant Finn grew solemn.

Meanwhile, in another space—

*"Ah..."*

*"This—that—the Archangel—"*

The Archangel, who had been perched on his high throne, opened his eyes. He turned his head slightly, his smile wiped clean—in that instant, there was no semblance of divinity, only something almost sinister.

A trickle of blood trailed down his cheek, slowly dripping onto his immaculate robes.

Atop the elevated platform, a silver-black Psychic Sword was firmly embedded beside him.

Upon closer inspection, you could see little teeth marks on it.

"Archangel—what the hell is that—"

"Cultists, invading cultists."

The Archangel's six golden wings suddenly unfurled as he glared furiously at the sword.

The Psychic Sword was already fading away slowly, but now it dissipated even faster, leaving only its flight path behind and the bloodstain on the Archangel's face—his hand trembled slightly from the overwhelming force.

"We need to strategize, as before, to eradicate the cultists."

*

Finn was already on the ground, holding Xiao Chuzao.

With Amos like this,

Finn dared not let the Saint Cas Empire's warships approach recklessly.

Shit—

He looks totally deranged.

What exactly is Amos's condition now?

Even Finn wasn't entirely sure.

Fei Man stuck close behind Finn, also keeping a close watch on Amos's state.

Though Xiao Chuzao was held tight in Finn's arms, he instinctively leaned forward, whimpering Amos's name.

His Cupid's bow was gone now, his big eyes blinking worriedly as he stared at Amos.

Amos really needed to chill.

All that pent-up rage, combined with suddenly facing the 'enemy' in his heart—the Hymn Organization, everything Xiao Chuzao had endured in the past—that was his child, his child who had been treated as a cultist, marked for conversion or extermination. If he hadn't found his way to him, he might have died never knowing he had a child—a kid who, when he needed comfort most, always hid alone and cried silently.

With all these emotions overlapping, Amos hadn't given it much thought.

Now, he needed peace.

His psychic power twisted reality around him.

His huge frame oozed menace.

Like some star-conquering warlord.

"Tsk—"

Finn sized things up, the kid still in his arms.

He hesitated, glancing at Fei Man.

"Think he's cooling down? Should we keep our distance?"

"Not sure, but poking the bear when Second Brother's like this will get you beaten up."

Fei Man knew that from experience.

She said calmly, in a completely serious tone, about the unreliable things she had done before.

"Oh, then let's not get too close. His punches really hurt."

Finn relaxed after confirming that Amos was fine. He looked down at Xiao Chuzao in his arms.

"How about this, Zao Zao, why don't you give Amos a dose of Love and Peace? Help him recover faster."

The anxious little cub: ...?

Xiao Chuzao looked up at Finn, his expression momentarily froze in confusion.

Fei Man, who also heard this: ...?

Fei Man stared at Finn in shock.

What kind of messed up idea is that?

Classic Third Brother!

Meanwhile, the little cub thought for a moment, squirming in Finn's arms as he wanted to get down.

Finn was terrible at holding kids to begin with.

The way he held the little cub wasn’t comfortable either. He had only come to check on Amos’ condition, so he just dumped Xiao Chuzao down.

Honestly, Finn rarely held young cubs.

Given his unreliable nature, others didn’t dare let him hold them, afraid he’d get another crazy idea.

So when the little cub struggled, Finn couldn’t hold on anymore.

Panicking, he blurted out, "Wait, Zao Zao, Uncle was just saying that—don’t actually do it! Your dad would murder me!"

If Xiao Chuzao really listened to him and gave Amos a dose of Love and Peace, Amos would absolutely murder him.

But the little cub clearly had no intention of doing so. The tiny one plopped to the ground and dashed toward Amos.

Xiao Chuzao’s little wings fluttered behind him, still clad in soft pajamas. "Daddy! Daddy—!"

"Hey—"

Finn and Fei Man instinctively tried to stop him.

Only to be swatted back by Amos’ furious, reality-warping psychic energy lingering around him.

Finn and Fei Man: ...

The two were sent flying, stunned, they watched the little cub running forward—even morphing into a white fluffball mid-way—barreling toward the far bigger and more intimidating ‘big white fluffball’ that resembled him.

"Wait, does Second Brother really need his space?"

Look how the cub waltzed right in without a problem.

Meanwhile, the moment they got a little closer, they were brutally flung away.

"Seriously?! Isn't this a little hypocritical?!"

"Going by what you just said," Fei Man reasoned calmly. "If Second Bro hadn’t launched you into orbit, it's only because he values brotherhood."

[Finn speechless: ...]

Meanwhile, Xiao Chuzao had transformed into a puffy snowball, the golden halo atop his head glistening.

His tiny wings flapped as he hopped and flew forward, his two fluffy little ears pressed flat against the wind—full-on airplane ears.

His small dragon tail wagged behind him.

Bouncing along, he dashed close to Amos.

The little one's fluffy white fur was already tousled by the wind.

From this angle, he gazed up at the giant looming over him.

His little head tilted high, watching the distorted psychic energy.

Xiao Chuzao blinked his big eyes and plonked down, just like the first time he met Amos—like flattening himself would stop the wind, because the wind was about to blow Zao Zao away!

Amos was trying to calm his emotions.

He wasn’t someone who openly expressed his feelings.

But sometimes, when suppressed for too long, the violent emotions had nowhere to go, leaving him restless and miserable. Even the Psychic Crown prickled with unease—as if a glitching progress bar that Xiao Chuzao had once halted had started resetting.

He couldn’t rein in his emotions. Maybe in a little while, it would pass. Maybe in a little while, he could stifle the dread clawing at his chest—the fear that he might never see Zao Zao again.

Until familiar psychic energy nuzzled close.

Amos, who had instinctively shielded his little one without even noticing his surroundings, stilled for a moment.

The small white fluffball wriggled closer belly-down.

All the way to Amos’ side, he pawed at Amos.

This time, Zao Zao was different from the first time.

He reached out, clutching Amos’ fur.

His little body pressed against the ground, his big eyes squinting—

The two thin, fluffy ears on his head were flattened and then perked up again by the wind, his small wings struggling to stay closed, like a flower battered by the wind.

*"Mew—"* Dada—

Even his voice was swallowed by the wind.

Opening his mouth to make a sound, it came out as a wind-snatched whine.

*"Mew!! Mew!!"*

Dada!! Zao Zao’s right here!!

“Don’t be scared, Papa! Zao Zao’s really strong!”

The little cub’s voice got louder.

The massive beast lowered its head, watching the cub that had crouched by its feet and suddenly pounced onto its fluffy dragon tail.

The tiny, soft white fluffball was like a mini version of himself.

The little cub came tumbling over with tiny whimpers, just like back when he had bravely approached him during the habitat chaos, telling him not to be afraid—Zao Zao was here.

Amos had never heard anyone tell him not to be afraid—but his five, almost six-year-old cub said he’d protect his papa.

He’d gone and worried the little guy.

The raging psychic energy around them faded fast.

Amos’s crimson eyes slowly softened.

He gave a soft grumble.

The little cub clinging to his tail answered with a tiny “Meow.”

Then, the powerful, fluffy dragon tail—though covered in white fur—slowly lifted, raising the little one high.

Every Saint Cas ship nearby could see the colossal beast, capable of effortlessly annihilating civilizations, lifting his little cub gently with his tail and bringing it close to his face.

Little Chuzao’s wings fluttered as he hugged Amos’s tail tightly, cheerfully meowing, asking Amos how he felt.

Xiao Chuzao had only ever heard Amos roar in fury—a roar that could shake the stars, making anyone nearby freeze in fear. He had never heard Amos growl like this before.

It wasn’t as high-pitched or babyish as his own voice, but deeper, more subdued—something entirely new to him.

Up close, those crimson eyes resembled deep, ruby-red gems.

Soft, loving, gentle—he nuzzled his little cub against his face.

The huge, beastly figure spread its wings, tail cradling its cub, the whole scene glowing with warmth.

It was an unexpected tenderness.

“He bounced back way too quick.”

Finn watched from afar before chuckling lightly.

“Speaking of which, that guy’s dead, right?”

“In an explosion like that, definitely. But Amos was so close—there must be other clues.”

Fei Man cut in, her gaze fixed on the little white fluffball held up by Amos.

The tiny cub patted his paws against Amos’s face, seemingly unsure how to nuzzle or comfort properly.

After tilting his fluffy little head in thought for a while, he leaned in, tentatively rubbing against him once, then again.

Fei Man distinctly heard Amos let out a pleased growl.

Clearly, this normally stoic emperor was thoroughly enjoying his cub’s soft, affectionate attempts to comfort him, believing he was hurt.

Fei Man watched quietly, narrowing her eyes in thought.

Wait—did Zao Zao just kiss Amos?

She should’ve known to let Amos take care of the kid while she punched that guy.

The younger siblings, kept at bay by Amos's psychic energy, were staring daggers at them.

Seriously, enough already.

When do we get to join in??

"He better not get too cocky. If he’s not careful, at his size, hugging Zao Zao and rolling around..."

That’d be a riot.

Baby-faced Finn scowled at the scene—his eyes fixed on the little white puffball being hugged and nuzzled, pinning every wild assumption on Amos.

"I think he’s totally heading there."

"Who cares about that?"

Fei Man also kept her gaze fixed there.

"What?"

Finn instinctively turned to look.

Then what does matter?

Fei Man: "How come I don’t get a kiss?"

Finn just stared blankly.