Chapter 96: Finn’s Forever Unreachable Destination:)

Chapter 96: Finn’s Never-Ending Destination 🙂

Teng Kelin had made complete preparations.

He kept his eyes locked on Xiao Chuzao, trying to figure out what the little kid was up to while bracing himself to dodge.

Teng Kelin, who had a quiet rivalry with the little guy all along, knew full well just how exceptional the kid was at aiming and shooting.

It wasn’t that he was desperate to prove anything—it was just that the guiding light he had always believed in had suddenly crumbled, leaving Teng Kelin and the others lost and floundering. They felt like outsiders.

This group had focused mostly on routine drills and had barely any social skills, so when they tried to fit in, they just couldn’t. They felt alienated, yet they still failed to catch the little guy’s attention.

They were totally adrift.

Of course, to Xiao Chuzao, whether it was Teng Kelin’s squad or any other classmate, they were all the same in his eyes.

No big deal.

So while Teng Kelin was dead set on blocking the assault from Xiao Chuzao’s team—

He realized the other side wasn’t slowing down at all. The little one even took the chance to fire a few more spirit arrows at his teammates—

Did they really think they could pull this off?

Well, of course—after all, they were the proud Crown team… huh?

Including the little one, all four of them blazed past, heading straight for the ambushed beast squad behind them.

It was a flying beast leader with about seven or eight other beasts.

Hardly anyone dared venture into this area before, precisely because of this squad.

This beast squad was extremely difficult for a four-person team to handle, especially since the leader could fly with bird-like wings.

Only Teng Kelin’s squad, having just arrived, had the confidence to take them on.

But they had only just clashed, fighting for less than two rounds, before the little one’s team zeroed in on them.

Just as Teng Kelin turned around, his teammate reached out—

Yanking the completely unprepared Teng Kelin back into a tight embrace, smacking a loud, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"Captain—I, I think I totally have a crush on you… I believe our relationship should—"

"Should what? The captain is clearly mine—I already kissed him!"

"No, Captain, look at me, look at me!"

Suddenly mobbed by his squad, Teng Kelin: …Huh? 🙂

Wait, no—

Hold on a second!!!

Teng Kelin froze for a moment before flailing helplessly.

"No—!!! Little Highness, what did you do?! Get off me!!!"

With only two hands, he was doomed. Three teammates. One captain. Zero personal space.

Xiao Chuzao was completely frenzied with the excitement of point-hunting.

His little wings fluttered excitedly, though his eyes showed hints of tiredness and sleepiness.

Xiao Chuzao hadn’t rested much the night before—after all, this was the first time in his memory that he had truly faced these challenges on his own, without parental protection.

His soft, porcelain-like face was alight with excitement, his large amber eyes brimming with a hunger for points.

The youngling snatched up his gun.

Even on the battlefield, his voice remained a childlike tone.

"Engage!"

And the three youngsters following him were each more competitive than the next.

Chao Huangmu was naturally competitive, Yun Songquan was determined to one-up Chao Huangmu, and Peng Liang, seeing himself falling behind, gritted his teeth and pushed himself to keep up.

In the end, Chu Zao’s team became the dreaded plague squad of this rogue planet.

Even the recording drones, fluttering their tiny wings, kept a slight distance from them.

The live chat was flooded with laughter.

‘Hahahaha, this squad clearly hasn’t encountered Little Highness yet.’

‘Right, just one meeting with Little Highness, and next time they’ll bolt at the sight of him without hesitation!’

‘I'm dead, is this a military academy’s live combat stream or some B-grade action flick? The kind third-rate directors from certain planets love! Hahahaha, I can’t breathe.’

‘Bromance overload, truly manly hahahaha—also, seems like this squad isn’t too popular either.’

‘Yeah, it’s just that there were a lot of victims from last night to this morning. Recently, students from First Military Academy instinctively avoid Little Highness, booking it immediately. They’ve gathered intel and know what’s up—but this team seems clueless. Must be from Class 1, Grade 1 of the advanced division.’

‘Little Highness is already in a competitive frenzy, he’s completely changed the whole game. Hahaha, can’t imagine what other military academies studying this drill must be thinking—let’s see what First Military Academy is up to? Check the feed—bromance overload, bro, you're looking fine.’

‘6.’

‘Even the admins are hyped, hahaha, where did this even come from? Also, Little Highness is pretty consistent—mostly same-sex matchups, no random mismatches… hahahaha.’

‘What, same-gender romance is pretty common these days, okay? Hahaha, but Cupid’s arrows are truly Cupid’s arrows—’

No feelings involved - just going by looks.

It was almost over—time was nearly up.

The alien beast captain wasn’t much of a challenge for them either.

Xiao Chuzao’s abilities were steadily growing stronger.

But the area was desolate, and dust clouds kicked up during the fight—

Until time ran out, and all live-streaming devices broadcasted a system-wide alert.

Xiao Chuzao’s points were tallied, and Saint Cas’s military began an orderly sweep to clear the remaining beasts.

The live stream was mercilessly shut down amid a chorus of groans from the audience.

Teng Kelin, struggling to reach out, stared blankly into the distance—

Why?

What the hell—?

"Wait—boss???"

"What did I just do?"

"Was I seeing things? Why did I suddenly find the boss quite handsome just now?"

Teng Kelin: ...

Piss off!!!

Teng Kelin drooped his head in defeat, one hand propped on the ground, looking like a complete mess.

He had imagined many outcomes—getting beaten until he surrendered by Little Highness, or being awed by the huge gap between their scores—but he never expected this.

Little Highness didn’t even notice them?

As this thought crossed Teng Kelin’s mind, he looked up.

In the thick dust, Xiao Chuzao stood with his bow, his honey-gold eyes glowing faintly, his Halo shining brightly.

In the distance, Yun Songquan rose to his feet, Peng Liang hanging onto a nearby boulder, and Chao Huangmu, who had just finished off a fleeing beast, descended from the sky, touching down lightly beside the little one—just a step behind him. He too lifted his gaze, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

The one standing triumphantly beside Little Highness clearly hadn’t forgotten Teng Kelin’s attitude on the starship.

Little Highness was only six years old, still growing, small for his age. Yet under the dust-choked, gloomy sky, he had an intimidating aura.

That innocent, adorable little face seemed to carry an unfamiliar emotion—

He was disliked.

Teng Kelin lowered his head again, then glanced at the people around him.

To his surprise, those who had desperately clung to him earlier reacted even more intensely, backing away several steps together.

"I haven’t even scolded you yet! Why are you acting like I assaulted you? Huh?"

Teng Kelin exploded, stomping in place—he was the one who had been pinned down and nearly kissed, for crying out loud!

As the dust settled, Xiao Chuzao sneezed, wiping his nose awkwardly.

His small face was dusted with grime, and his snow-white wings were lightly dusted.

The Saint Cas Army swept through with remarkable speed. The Ninth Army Group mowed down the weaker beasts with ease. There weren’t many casualties this time, but many problems were exposed nonetheless.

Not far away, Ayala hovered midair, his gaze fixed downward, wings fluttering occasionally. He watched the Cupid’s bow in the little one’s hands with wary tension.

"The one-day-and-night training exercise has concluded. StarNet communications have been fully restored. Map details have been transmitted, including starship docking points. Proceed to the nearest docking point and await starship."

With that, Ayala didn’t linger, leaving swiftly.

Behind the Ninth Army Group’s warship, aboard the starship that had secretly followed, An Ya couldn’t hold back her laughter. "Ayala is definitely scared of Zao Zao."

"He bolted like crazy, haha!"

Amos remained silent, suddenly lifting his head to gaze at the starry sky.

"Second brother? What's wrong?"

Amos was the most powerful in the entire Crown Clan, and his senses were the sharpest.

"It seems like a horde of beasts is coming—"

But their energy felt off—faint and scattered.

Moreover, this was Saint Cas-controlled territory. During this period, logically, these things couldn’t have broken through the blockade and reached here, especially not beasts this weak.

This didn’t add up.

"Should I go check?"

An Ya stood up.

"I'll come too."

Frey also spoke up.

"By the way, the training exercise is already over, but Finn still hasn’t arrived. Did his comms crap out again?"

"Who knows with him? I made sure the logistics team checked three times before departure, and everything was fine when we left."

Amos got up, clearly deciding to go himself.

"Let’s go take a look."

But just then.

A new report came through.

The message was from the Third Army—led by Finn, who had been out of contact for a full day.

"Finn encountered an unknown starship fleet. When he tried to intercept and inspect them, they bolted. He’s in pursuit, figuring they’re Hymn Organization ships."

Kaman said, glancing at Amos.

"They’re fast, all small, stealth-class starships, spread out. Finn is chasing them, and Fei Man’s asking for backup to cut them off. It seems they’re heading toward us."

Amos: "Pinpoint their location."

"According to AI analysis—their target coordinates should be near (xxx, xxx, xxx)."

Mei Lun said, tucking back the hair over his shoulder, cool and detached. But then he paused.

"Wait. That’s close."

"Of course it is. Check our coordinates."

Kaman chuckled.

"So they’re really gunning for us?"

"Tell Fei Man to stay put at the rally point."

The starship hatch had already opened as Amos spoke, his wings spreading behind him.

"Pull the Tenth Army back. Work with Finn to box them in."

To be honest, including most of Saint Cas who knew the Crown Clan had free time, they all sneaked in to watch the cubs' training. Few stuck around for a full 24 hours.

That they fled this way clearly showed they were unaware of this.

And why were they all making a beeline here? What was here?

Amos looked at the screen where his little cub had already arrived at the starship waiting point.

The answer was obvious.

King Amos's eyes flashed dangerously.

Every time—almost every time—as long as he didn’t keep the little one by his side, someone would cause trouble targeting his cub.

Targeting his poor, innocent, adorable, and fragile cub.

King Amos, with his rose-colored glasses for his own offspring, thought this way.

But now, there was no need to hurry.

If it really was the Hymn Organization, or rather, the big shots, and if they could find that weird rock, there might be more discoveries.

After all, the Hymn Organization still didn’t know what had happened when Wen He died.

Amos took flight, with An Ya and Frey following closely behind.

They went to investigate the thick but weak energy signatures of the strange beasts.

The two top leaders of the Hymn Organization were completely pinned down, unable to escape or create distance. In fact, due to the Third Army’s full-court press, the gap between them had narrowed even further.

In the end, they all rushed toward the prearranged location.

In their last-ditch effort, they left one last message for the Hymn Organization.

In another corner of the galaxy, those who saw the message were just as panicked.

"How is this possible?! Those routes were bulletproof. We’ve traveled them countless times before. There shouldn’t be any Saint Cas Army, let alone Crown Clan showing up—"

"Right, now we're down to five Seats. There’s no way replacements could be filled in such a short time. Lady Chastity, what should we do?"

"Don’t panic—" Chastity snapped.

Chastity peered at the star map from under her hood.

"It might just be Saint Cas blundering into them by chance. There aren’t that many Crown Clan members there. The two of them should still be able to escape. Besides, they both carry the Divine Grace Stone and have gained greater power."

Chastity thought—the advantage was on their side.

It was just that the Saint Casians were a little unhinged.

"Only Fei Man, who is too far gone from the corruption, is there, along with Ayala overseeing the training. The Crown Clan has always been arrogant, thinking they can go it alone. That’s our advantage. If they can really eliminate that Little Crown Clan member, then the countdown to the Crown Clan’s stagnation will restart—something we’ve long awaited."

Chastity’s words took the edge off their panic slightly.

"Yes, you’re right."

"Move fast. Check the progress of the test subject Xi. Set the final trigger point for breaking that barrier on that planet. Create as much chaos as possible, spread the corruption, and keep them off balance—that will give our people the opening they need to act."

"Yes!"

Xi, who had barely escaped the polluted zone, received updated information.

Slumping back in the pilot’s chair, Xi barely managed to lift his heavy eyelids.

With a derisive smirk, he glanced at the mission details on the screen and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Finally, he input the designated coordinates—he knew all too well that they were nothing more than cannon fodder of the Hymn Organization. He understood perfectly.

The Crown Clan—

How wonderful. Despite the despair, didn’t they still possess freedom and power? Just death—

One thing Xi and the Hymn Organization agreed on: he didn’t like the Crown Clan either.

Though for different reasons, of course.

Xi’s starship veered off course. Beside him lay a connected button. He closed his eyes, listening to the vibration of his private communicator—that gadget the nutjob had foisted on him, calling it a "direct hotline."

Xi scoffed and cut off the call.

On the other end, Shenghua was en route, though taking her sweet time.

She stared at the rejected call on her communicator, exchanged a glance with her subordinate, and slammed her fist on the table.

"That little shit’s ignoring me!"

"The audacity! That brat dares to ignore you, Boss!!"

They grumbled like underlings badmouthing their manager.

"Are we sure about this location?"

"Pretty sure, Boss. We’ll find out when we arrive? I asked around carefully, and they only said he was on a mission somewhere nearby."

Shenghua nodded, tilting her hat brim up slightly before murmuring under her breath.

"Isn’t this near the St. Cass First Military Academy’s training grounds?"

Rumor had it the Little Highness was there too.

But how infuriating—

Shenghua, who had a secret stash of countless photos and videos of Xiao Chuzao, thought bitterly—

No peeking allowed, nor did they permit screenshots or anything.

This is bullshit!!

Not even a quick look?!

Why did Saint Cas have to make their technology so advanced?! She couldn’t even "hack past it"!!!

Near the Ninth Army of Saint Cas.

In the star-studded blackness, Amos flipped the sword lazily in his grip before studying his Psychic Sword.

The silver-black blade was dotted with tiny bite marks, and further along the edge, there was a residual feeling—like something had been skewered before vanishing.

And for a split second, it flickered into visibility.

Is it some kind of highly elusive beast?

An entirely new species.

Amos thought.

Pathetically weak.

But it gave Amos a bad feeling.

Best to wipe them out quickly.

Amos lifted his gaze, sweeping the area. He extended his hand, still gripping his Psychic Sword, while the Halo above his head suddenly brightened—the halo known by many as the Demon God’s Crown, exuding unparalleled pressure.

With just a light swing of his sword, a cacophony of eerie clashes rang out, and the strange aura in the area instantly dissipated by half.

Around him, gory remnants materialized out of nowhere.

Meanwhile, back on the training planet.

They waited together at the starship assembly point.

Teng Kelin was still reeling from the blow. He stood far away from the little cub and his teammates, head hung in defeat, as if trying to escape reality.

Xiao Chuzao barely glanced his way. The filthy little runt, with only his bright eyes visible, had been rolling in the grime during the mission. His team had smoothly secured first place, but the little one had also gained a gritty patina.

He was currently chatting with Chao Huangmu and the others.

Thanks to that nightmare of a beast squad they had encountered earlier, and the little cub going full Rambo with his Cupid’s Bow, many students had avoided this area entirely.

So the place was nearly deserted at the starship assembly point.

And Teng Kelin, too busy wallowing, didn’t notice the well-hidden presence nearby.

Hei Quan, the alien beast who had quietly arrived here, shivered in fits and starts—

His clones, his clones had almost all been killed—so many, nearly two-thirds of them.

This meant his current whereabouts were in grave danger.

Why… why…?!

The writhing blob contorted, its uncanny predator’s eyes scanning the surroundings.

He was extracting the memories of his clones before their deaths, trying to find the reason.

Then, he saw a sight that sent primal fear coursing through him—

The silver-black Halo flashed, and everything was erased in a blink.

He had seen such a Halo a few times before.

Hei Quan, still in the midst of cautious and incomplete evolution, the memory burned fresh.

The Halo in the recent vision, the one crowning that high-ponytailed figure when he left the polluted zone, and then—

Hei Quan recalled the shattered Halo he had seen atop the colossal entity within the pollution. Each time, it had given him unparalleled… dread.

A little further away, the small crown was faintly glowing. Though Hei Quan could smell the alluring scent of flesh and blood, he finally recoiled, not daring to take another step closer.

Danger—extremely dangerous.

But his strength was rapidly draining, leaving him unable to even escape this place. Drawn here by the delicious scent of the little one's flesh and blood, Hei Quan needed replenishment—

Though barely sentient, Hei Quan feared the crowns of the Crown Clan, yet he couldn't help but zero in on Teng Kelin, who was hiding in the farthest corner—

Eat him... eat him! As long as he devoured him, he would have enough strength to flee—

The gelatinous, shapeless monster suddenly elongated its form, its perfectly camouflaged figure wavering in and out of visibility as a result.

The little one and Chao Huangmu, standing beside him, both snapped their gazes toward it.

Across the stars, the other Crown Clan members who had been communicating paused their conversation, hesitating briefly before turning their attention in a certain direction.

The footage from Xiao Chuzao's side was still being transmitted in real-time to every Crown Clan parent.

Amos clenched his sword and turned—

Ayala, the closest among them, his wings twitched slightly. His fingers spun the silver-black psychic staff with a flick, ready to lash out.

Ayala didn’t fully understand what this presence was, but one thing he was certain of—

At such close range, without the interference of corruption—the Crown Clan was invincible.

In that same moment, Teng Kelin also sensed something keenly. He turned his head, and the monster’s crushing presence—on the verge of evolving into a Monster Commander—made the fifteen-year-old boy's eyes widen in shock, paralyzing him on the spot.

What... what was this? What the hell is this?

Coming for him?

Was he going to die?

Sure, he was a bit lost, a bit of an outcast—but surely that didn’t mean he had to die...?

He hadn’t... hadn’t even made the Little Highness remember him yet...

The next instant, the parents hesitated slightly, and Ayala's weapon remained in his grip—a roar echoed faintly from the depths of the corruption, and Fei Man also turned her head thoughtfully.

For Teng Kelin, his body stiffened, his mind raced—all in an instant.

Beside him, a single point suddenly exploded into searing light, as if a fierce blaze had ignited.

The pressure of the flames whipped up a sudden gust, kicking up dust and whipping hair wildly.

In his peripheral vision—Teng Kelin saw the jet-black flames burst forth, several arrows already whistling past his face.

Not far behind him, Xiao Chuzao—still tiny and downy—had his honey-colored eyes gleaming faintly. The beautiful golden radiance seamlessly transformed into black flames, blazing fiercely atop his exquisite crown. He heard the Little Highness' furious voice, still young but undeniably reliable: "You vile creature, what do you want with him?"