Chapter 108: Saint Cas, a Millennium Behind

Chapter 108: Saint Cas, Standing Strong for a Millennium

In the boundless darkness of the cosmos, it wasn’t a melody woven by instruments, but a cosmic variation.

Scattered glimmers of starlight.

—Remember them here, and then bring them home.

Look.

Uncle.

Isn’t this the very thing you’ve always wondered about? What is the nature of the bonds formed between friends, family, even between the Longlived race and the short-lived? In the blink of an eye—gone before you knew it, they shatter so easily, leaving you no time to prepare—so you say: Never mind… just… never mind… Let’s not get involved anymore…

Yet at some moment, in some place, they stubbornly prove to you that the relationships you once built were so solid—strong enough to build Saint Cas upon, standing for a millennium behind.

Because friends, family, and the leaders they followed were there, that’s why they remained stubbornly anchored here from beginning to end.

That was also a seed of grief, soon to be sown, but in the end, that sorrow sprouted and grew to tell you—it’s okay, even if it was just a fleeting moment.

It was enough.

The fallen elders of the Crown Clan were watching them too. Even in the midst of corruption, such strength fought desperately to protect them. It wasn’t life’s endurance alone that made this possible, but the tenacity binding lives together.

“Is that… so…?”

Ayala gazed at the barrier.

Centuries of decay and corrosion had long reduced the bodies of the Crown Clan to that state, let alone the First Group Army buried here.

Their essence bore no trace of the vibrant lives they once were. They’d fused stubbornly, inseparable, standing firm here.

“So… that’s how it is…”

Before this, no one could break through Ayala’s guard.

Not even Zao Zao.

Ayala fumbled awkwardly to shield the little one, not daring to take even a step forward. Lynn would even shrink into a corner, advancing bit by bit according to plan, or froze in place when Zao Zao rushed toward him. Ayala would just back away if anyone neared—losing everything in an instant had made him instinctively resist all closeness.

And his growing calm whispered to him—this was the right thing to do.

Until now.

Ayala raised a hand, covering his eyes, his shoulders trembling slightly.

“Yes, I still haven’t—brought them home—I’m really—”

He lowered his hand, his crimson gaze locked onto Xiao Chuzao, his sight blurred gradually, starting from beneath his eyelids, until everything faded with each blink.

He sighed softly, eyes on the Saint Cas First Group Army’s emblem in the distance.

“Such a failure—”

Long-buried emotions surged to the surface.

The little one cuddled in Amos’s embrace, staring at Ayala with huge, curious eyes.

Amos watched it all, then turned, holding the little one, ready to head back and make plans.

The buzzing in his ears gradually faded, as if the entire cosmos had returned to silence. The distant stars shone brightly once more, just as they always had. Only Xiao Chuzao could see the stubborn remnants left upon the barrier in its final moments.

"No, Uncle."

His small, childlike voice was muffled and quiet.

"You're good. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have wanted to protect you—to protect Saint Cas."

Amos unfurled his wings, leaving Fei Man and Ayala there for the time being as he carried the little one toward their ship.

Then came Ayala's faint voice.

"Zao Zao... thank you. You possess a strength... beyond anything I imagined."

Not just psychic power, nor the unique ability to repair the Crown Clan’s diadems and pull them from despair.

Xiao Chuzao burrowed his head against Amos’s shoulder, staring at the barrier stretching endlessly across the tainted expanse. Then he buried his little face into Amos’s chest.

How curious—that was the Saint Cas of centuries ago, his Saint Cas Army that Zao Zao had never encountered.

Not clansmen who looked like him, nor Saint Cas friends he knew.

And yet—

It touched him deeply.

The little one seemed to grasp it, yet not fully.

As Amos stepped onto the starship, the child lifted his head.

The crown atop the little one’s head, dimmed from exhaustion, seemed slightly faded.

Yet he met Amos’s eyes with quiet seriousness.

"Papa."

"Hmm?"

Amos was calm, though none of his usual laziness remained. His aura was heavy, yet he remained the steadying presence for them all. He looked at his little one, whose eyes were rimmed red.

Then he pressed his Psychic Sword into the child’s hands.

This time, the little one didn’t immediately try to gnaw on it.

"Zao Zao will protect Saint Cas."

The future king of Saint Cas, not even seven years old, declared solemnly to the current king.

"Just like Papa protects the Crown Clan—protects Saint Cas."

The small child was growing quickly—not just in power, but in both body and mind.

Everything those monsters had taught him was being unlearned and replaced, bit by bit, by Saint Cas and the Crown Clan.

Like the crown upon his head—even if it glowed faintly with exhaustion, it still shone radiantly.

The king, who had unwaveringly shielded his little one from the storm, lowered his crimson eyes to gaze upon this rising new power.

Finally, his expression softened.

"Good point, Zao Zao."

Amos looked up again. Before him stood rows upon rows of Saint Cas soldiers in formation, snapping to attention as his gaze fell upon them: "Your Majesty!"

The voices were unified and solemn, heavy with solemnity.

Yet they were no different from the armies from centuries or even millennia ago.

Behind him, Finn and other members of the Crown Clan, following Amos's orders, were gradually returning.

They took their positions behind Amos.

The usual playful banter was absent; before the barrier, the Crown Clan appeared unusually stern and collected.

They lowered their eyes, awaiting Amos's next command.

Just like the terrifying image that once haunted the schemers of the interstellar realm—calm war machines obeying only their clan leader's directives.

*

The major upheaval in Saint Cas triggered a chain reaction.

Previously, due to the stability of this star sector, the Saint Cas Empire had maintained relative peace and stability.

Their primary concerns had revolved around the mortality concerns of the Crown Clan's king and princes.

Just as humanoid-evolved Monster Commanders like Storm and Hei Quan existed, the Saint Casians understood that the current peace across the star sector relied entirely on the Crown Clan—a formidable long-lived race suppressing those beasts, preventing further evolution and maintaining them at the Beast Legion Commander level.

Without the Crown Clan, what would become of this star sector? Would Saint Cas's future plans hold? All were terrifying uncertainties.

Now, with this comparison—the unknown "hell" beyond the barrier—panic grew.

At this moment, Saint Cas entered an extended wartime footing due to the barrier's emergence, as decreed by King Amos through the empire's official StarNet account.

—Prepare for prolonged combat. Be prepared to defend our homeland should the barrier shatter.

Simultaneously, military academy enrollments across Saint Cas Empire's planets had just begun, and saw an unprecedented surge in applicants.

Nations and races nearby, lacking firsthand information but seeing even mighty Saint Cas go on wartime footing, were stunned.

A monster even the Crown Clan found troublesome—?

What kind of entity could that be?

As a result, countless nations and planets coveting this star sector's resources sprang into action—collecting intelligence, forming stronger resistance forces, striving to survive longer in the impending threat of contamination.

The Holy Grail Tribe's secluded planet.

Their hideout was now exposed.

But the Grail Clan's crisis had been contained, with the more severely affected even requesting Xiao Chuzao's healing aid.

Weak in combat, they owed their lives to the Crown Clan this time, leading to complete defection.

This race, adept at instrument and equipment R&D, shifted their focus to Saint Cas's needs.

Parts of Saint Cas's military garrisoned the Holy Grail Tribe's planet, securing the perimeter.

Holy Grail Tribe Chieftain Cavenaugh monitored StarNet updates—Saint Cas had yet to disclose details from within the contamination, but the outlook was clearly grim.

"Dad."

The young leader of the Grail Clan, Derek, pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Is everything alright with Chu Zao? Will they be okay in the polluted zone?"

Ever since the last incident, Derek had clearly become Xiao Chuzao's devoted follower.

Cavenaugh turned to look at Derek.

"Relax, King Amos is with the Little Highness. Stop worrying—just do your job. If all goes as planned, the next decade, or even several decades, will bring a tremendous shift to the entire star system—one we can’t even predict."

Derek stared at his father.

"Is that so—"

He froze for a moment, then exhaled deeply.

"A huge shift—to fight the pollution—"

Who knew if it was exciting or terrifying?

But—

"Dad, isn’t your Psychic Holy Grail just a base now, impossible to assess? What exactly—"

Cavenaugh: "..."

You little troublemaker, why’d you have to bring that up?!

Cavenaugh’s eyebrows shot up as he glared at his son, pointing toward the door.

"Out! My Psychic Holy Grail’s shot, but yours still works. You’re the clan heir—get studying! I’ll quiz you later!"

Derek: "..."

Ugh, fine!

Meanwhile, on a more distant planet—a wasteland—

A teenager, his entire body wrapped in cloth, scanned the area silently. He took off his dark glasses—

His eyes were striking—impossible to forget. Then, without a word, he turned, put the glasses back on, and headed off another way.

At the same time, Amos had already gotten the little one clear of the pollution.

They had to set up a new barrier defense line.

Not just to keep this star system safe but also to lessen the psychic burden on Ebinino, who was still hanging on.

There were other matters that needed to be disclosed further.

Thus, a day later, the people of Saint Cas received updated news.

Updates about the barrier.

The Saint Cas Army, which had fifteen Group Armies, would expand its forces once more to secure the new defensive line—and to scare off anyone thinking of causing trouble before they could act.

All of Saint Cas had been on edge until these announcements were rolled out officially, from the royal court’s accounts—

Heroes deserve to be known.

The entire Saint Cas Empire was stunned.

Saint Casians are naturally more obsessive and possess more warlike genes than normal humans.

On the internal star network of Saint Cas, countless voices rose as one.

'Wait, people have been protecting us from the pollution this whole time?'

'Was it the First Group Army?'

'I know the First Group Army—I read about them in textbooks. They, along with His Highness Ebinino, covered the retreat of Saint Casians from planets under pollution crises, but ultimately were lost to the pollution—'

'There aren’t just monsters in the pollution; there are also those who protect us—'

'They are still there, their power remains? After all these centuries, I truly, truly can’t believe it.'

'Did you see the further footage released by the official Royal Crown Clan account later?'

'No, I only skimmed the beginning and couldn’t bear to watch. Is it the psychic energy of the First Group Army and His Highness Ebinino of the Crown Clan still there? For hundreds of years? Standing there alone, holding back the pollution, without even letting us know about things like the Pollution Tide?'

This was something that completely defied all understanding of interstellar inhabitants.

'Yes, go see for yourself. I think we shouldn’t avoid it. See it clearly, remember it in our hearts, and honor the determination of our predecessors.'

'When that battered barrier began to sing an ancient hymn, I got full-body chills. Out there in the cosmos, it was absolutely breathtaking. What else lies beyond that barrier?'

'What more can we do for them? It’s just too heartbreaking—'

'They’ve protected us for hundreds of years—'

At the same time, the official account of the Saint Cas Royal Crown Clan released new information.

Very few words—establishing a new defensive barrier, standing with the heroes to protect Saint Cas.

They didn't say it outright—

but just looking at the planned defense line reveals all the unspoken words.

We'll bring them home, one step at a time.

*

The entire Saint Cas entered a wartime state. The empire, already somewhat frenzied under the leadership of the Crown Clan, was now swept up in a wave of emotion.

The Saint Cas Empire had, for the most part, focused on its internal affairs and tracking down the scattered Aberrant Beast Legions across the stars.

Thus, its reach across the stars was limited.

This had led some to harbor ill intentions before.

But now, the strength displayed by the Saint Cas Empire, coupled with the might of the Crown Clan now possessing the little one, sent ripples through the star systems.

In a remote corner of the galaxy.

The base starship of the Hymn Organization lay hidden here.

The upper echelons of the Hymn Organization still hadn't rebuilt their numbers.

Only three remained.

They had been granted greater power by their deity and were still preparing to finalize their next move.

But the sudden fervor of Saint Cas rendered some of their plans momentarily impossible to execute.

"What's the situation now?"

"It's unclear. Many of our previous intel outposts have been infiltrated by Saint Cas operatives, forcing us to withdraw. The pressure from Saint Cas is overwhelming."

Perhaps with the divine gift—holding the Divine Grace Stone, wielding powers beyond ordinary humans—a glimmer of hope reignited.

These once-frenzied individuals had stabilized somewhat.

Their leader, Chastity, sat at the highest position, fingers lightly tapping the table.

"Right now, we're at a disadvantage. The Crown Clan, who stole divine power, is reaching new heights. Striking them now would only weaken us further."

The room fell silent as the other two listened intently.

Chastity exhaled softly before raising his eyes to his comrades.

"This is a problem we should have seen earlier."

Ever since that little one appeared.

"Back then, the Crown Clan, already in decline and inching toward ruin, suddenly began resurging. We failed to seize their last moment of vulnerability, letting the opportunity slip—leading to this outcome. The Crown Clan is a formidable Longlived race, something we should have burned into our minds from the start."

"You're right. Our previous operations against the Crown Clan were highly successful, with many strategies that seemed certain to succeed. We waited for the perfect moment to strike, but then... something unexpected happened."

"And afterward, following the appearance of that little one, our operations kept failing. Some of our judgments were flawed—for that, I must apologize."

Chastity stared at the screen, watching the brief footage released by Saint Cas about their new front.

The proof was right there before them.

But the Crown Clan was not the same as before. Even with the Hymn Organization now wielding greater power, they remained unable to touch them.

They could only stand by.

Yet one thing was certain:

Every move they made after the emergence of that Little Crown Clan had failed. Their stubborn insistence on eliminating that little one only provoked the Crown Clan's resurgence. What else did they expect?

They should have thought more carefully before acting—then they wouldn't have wasted so much power in vain.

Chastity sighed, lowering his eyes.

"No, this isn't your fault."

"Indeed, this is the fault of those blasphemous Longlived races who stole divine power. You only sought to offer a sacred tribute to the gods, to bring about their arrival and bring forth a just new world."

"And I believe no faithful who died for the gods would regret their sacrifice."

Chastity listened, still with downcast eyes, remaining silent for a while.

Then, at last, he spoke again.

"May our fallen comrades return in peace to the embrace of the gods—"

He let out a long breath.

"Our next plan is also clear—"

Chastity raised his eyes again, gazing at the tattered barrier on the screen.

"Within the pollution lies the messenger of the divine—"

His face beneath the hood was indistinct, but the sudden intensity in his posture betrayed his emotional turmoil.

"We must further exploit the pollution and rebuild ourselves under the pressure of Saint Cas, awaiting new opportunities—"

He turned to those beside him.

The other two had already stood up, facing his direction.

"Find a new turning point for growth, offer sacred gifts to the divine, and bring about the descent of the gods. No matter how strong the Crown Clan or the long-lived races are, they are ultimately just another interstellar species—they cannot withstand such a devastating tide—"

Just as the Crown Clan themselves had deduced, without the barrier's protection, if all the aberrant beasts surged forth and charged toward Saint Cas, the Crown Clan wouldn't be able to shield Saint Cas perfectly at all times.

"Yes!"

"Next—"

Chastity lifted his gaze once more. The leader of the Hymn Organization, now resolved to lie low, looked at his comrades. They had long succumbed to madness, stubbornly chasing so-called 'equality'—especially after witnessing the Angel's Realm. They had no personal connections, only their own devotion and faith in the 'divine.' Thus, their distortion twisted further, culminating in outright derangement.

"How is the assessment of that disciple named Shenghua progressing?"

"Still under further evaluation. She’s adaptable, but she should be the talent we need—"

Thus far, they still harbored no doubts or discoveries regarding Shenghua’s background.

"Good. Proceed with the assessment. From now on, we must handle certain matters personally. As for the other candidates, show our power to the faithful, my comrades. Do not squander the strength bestowed upon us by the divine—sing praises to the gods!"

"Yes!"

"Sing praises to the gods!"

*

Meanwhile, on the side of Saint Cas—

Some of Saint Cas’s warships were en route back to the imperial capital.

Construction of the new defensive line crept forward, necessitating rotations. After all, within the pollution, both the Crown Clan and humans faced grave dangers.

Neither personnel nor equipment could endure prolonged exposure to such an environment—the new defense strategy prioritized roving patrols, with the base stationed near Ebinino’s territory.

Beyond the polluted zones, Saint Cas intensified its cleansing and defensive efforts along the periphery.

Fei Man and Ayala stayed behind at the new defensive line, while Amos prepared to return to the imperial capital with Xiao Chuzao—the little one, holding the Angel Spring Source Stone, still couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Hale’s wings.

However, before that, the little one had one more task to complete. Amos stood in place, watching as the little one darted off in a certain direction. Finn sighed, "He’s growing so fast. Soon, he probably won't let you carry him around anymore, right? Realistically, Second Brother, you’ve only got a year or two left of holding Zao Zao like this?"

Amos: "..."

Amos turned his head slightly, the shadows on his face darkened—yet his expression remained unreadable, utterly composed. He raised a hand—and gripped Finn’s shoulder—

Finn: "?"

An Ya took a step back, moved next to Frey, watching Amos drag Finn away—likely heading toward the training room again.

Frey glanced at An Ya, silently questioning. An Ya spoke up, "I figured Second Brother was gonna slug Third Brother, and I didn't want blood on me—so I backed off—" Clearly, Amos didn't wanna hear that.

Frey: "But Amos should give Zao Zao more space—Zao Zao is strong, much stronger than we imagined."

An Ya: "Oh, so you’ll be the one to tell Second Brother? Eldest Brother."

Frey: "...Let’s just talk about the new frontline."

...

"Here?"

Xiao Chuzao stood at the door, staring into the dark room.

"Yes."

"Little Highness, Ah Huang refuses to come out too—"

Yun Songquan and Peng Liang stood by the entrance, too hesitant to just walk in, and could only speak to Xiao Chuzao looking a little worried.

The little one had recovered a bit and was being escorted back by his caretakers. Due to overexertion of his powers, he didn’t develop a fever this time, but he was still a little out of it. He blinked his big eyes and toddled a few steps inside.

Hunched in a corner, barely holding back his energy and emotions, irritable and ready to snap at anyone who came near—Chao Huangmu suddenly heard the sound. In a daze, he looked up and saw the bright, familiar, beautiful little crown. His first thought was—*Damn, Little Highness can’t see me like this...*

Clenching his teeth, he pushed off the bed, struggling to stand.

He fought back the chaotic energy inside him, desperate to act like he was okay.

Just as he was about to speak—

"It’s kinda dark in here—Zao Zao’s gonna check—"

Chao Huangmu watched as the little golden crown, floating lazily, suddenly blazed to life, nearly illuminating the entire room—and almost blinding him in the process.

Chao Huangmu, caught in the sudden glare with nowhere to hide: ...

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