Chapter 133: The Pitiful Little Fluffball·Zao

Chapter 133: The Pouty Little Fluffball·Zao

Finn loosed the arrow from his bow.

The arrow streaked forth, with psychic force bursting into a shockwave behind Finn, giving the enemy no time to react as it slammed into the Hymn Organization’s small starships.

In an instant, the leading starships were obliterated.

The squad hesitated only for a moment before scattering like startled birds.

Now, only two or three starships remained.

For Finn, this was far too easy to handle.

Yet, even as he dealt with them, the Hymn Organization squad managed to send a message to their rear forces before being completely wiped out.

"What the hell are these guys doing here—"

Finn muttered under his breath before turning to ask Amos through the communicator.

"Are you almost here?"

Amos responded affirmatively.

They had already entered the area and were closing in on Finn.

This place was eerily quiet—despite the thick pollution power.

Unnaturally quiet.

Even the beasts seemed to avoid it.

Chu Zao stood behind him, while Chao Huangmu had also returned; Chu Zao had just shoved an eye-wateringly sour candy into his mouth, his face slightly twisted in discomfort. The candy was one of many flavors he had bought but hadn’t fully tested before offering them to Zao Zao.

Chao Huangmu was clearly to blame.

Meanwhile, Chu Zao looked up, his eyes faintly glowing as he scanned the sky.

"Dad—I don’t think I was wrong earlier," the pretty-faced kid said with a hint of suspicion, carefully observing their surroundings. "There are wavering, barely-there, almost transparent psychic threads here—"

Chu Zao had glimpsed them once before.

But they were fragmented, broken, and so translucent they vanished in an instant—almost like some natural, fleeting cosmic mirage in the vast expanse of space. At the time, he hadn’t paid them much attention.

Yet not long after, as the Saint Cas forces gradually converged, a choking haze began to spread, and the guttural howls of beasts broke the silence.

Meanwhile, the Hymn Organization had already got word from their advance team.

—The Crown Clan.

They had encountered the Crown Clan amidst their power hunt.

Without hesitation, Zhen Jie ordered Xi to scout it out and verify if that Soul Race half-breed by Chu Zao’s side was around.

Xi’s escort ship had already linked up with the Hymn’s command ship.

He turned without hesitation, though his gaze briefly lingered for a split second on one shadowy corner.

He piloted the starship away.

Chastity and Generosity sat at the conference table, seemingly exhilarated by the impending climactic finale.

"But, sir, isn't your trust in Xi a bit excessive?" Generosity cut in. "I don't quite understand why you're so certain someone this dangerous won’t go rogue—just because of some special poison?"

"No, of course not."

Chastity smiled.

"But no one knows him like I do, and I’m certain he will never betray us. As for why—that’s a secret."

Chastity rose as she spoke.

"My colleague, before we attain greater power, before we advance further, before we offer tribute to the 'god' on the highest throne, we must prepare ourselves. Please, come this way."

"Yes, my lord. Though I don’t fully comprehend it, the Hymn Org has indeed thrived under your leadership these years, grown this powerful. And now, we’re about to welcome new members in such a short time. If I’m not mistaken, Diligence’s initiation ritual for the new position must already be complete. Allow me to express my respect—please—"

Everything went quiet.

They seemed not to have changed direction, just changed course.

And Xi appeared to have departed.

Shenghua lurked in the shadows, her gaze fixed on the control panel.

Her palms were slick with sweat.

In her hand was a device that could hack the system in seconds and expose their location.

With Saint Cas’s technological level, they should be able to instantly track these guys down.

Chastity—the legendary, untouchable leader of the Hymn Organization—had finally been caught by her.

The surroundings gradually quieted.

Shenghua’s other hand still gripped a dagger—taking out these Hymn Org goons wouldn’t be hard for her.

Just as she was about to install the hardware onto the Hymn Organization’s starship—a hand snapped out from the side, grabbing her wrist in a flash.

"As expected. Well done, Xi."

Chastity’s smiling voice came from behind.

Shenghua spun around in a flash, her dagger slashing toward the figure beside her. But they fought like a machine, as if born for battle. After a few exchanges, Shenghua was forcefully pinned to the ground—her gadget clattering to the deck.

"You—"

Shenghua stared into the cold eyes staring down at her.

There was no doubt—it was Xi, who had just left.

"No way—"

Chastity stepped forward, looming over Shenghua, her face hidden in the cloak’s shadows. Shenghua couldn’t make out her features, only sensing something off.

But before she could ponder further, her thoughts were abruptly cut off.

"Our handpicked candidate for Generosity’s spot—turned out to be a mole."

"Tch, a traitor?"

The rage in Shenghua's eyes could no longer be suppressed as she sneered coldly.

"Those who once truly stood with you were the real traitors."

"Still so deluded."

Chastity spoke with a hint of sighing, raising his hand and murmuring softly.

"How many times do we have to go over this? You idiots still don’t get it—the Longlived race disrupts the harmony of this galaxy. Only our supreme 'deity' can reshape the laws of this universe and bring true peace and tranquility."

"Your ‘supreme deity’? The Hymn Organization? You're nothing but the lapdogs of corruption, pathetic pawns who don’t even know why you’re suffering. You actually believe you're pursuing peace? Ha, don't make me laugh. The galaxy stayed quiet for ages, and only in recent years has activity surged. Your master must be getting desperate, huh? Hahaha—rest assured, I was always a willing pawn in my own game from the very beginning."

These morons had no idea how many others like her she had cultivated or where they were scattered across those drifting planets.

Shenghua spared no one—least of all herself.

If not her now, someone else later—

Struggling twice but failing to break free, she laughed, years of bottled-up hatred threatening to spill over—her father, mother, sister, uncles, and aunts had all perished because of these things.

"Still babbling about your fake gods?"

Chastity's voice turned icy.

"I wanted to draw out your suffering, but since you've come here and refuse to join us, you’ll pay back every bit of training the Hymn Organization has given you—Xi, prepare a new 'ritual' upon reaching our destination. Offer her life to the 'deity.'"

Xi didn’t respond, merely covering Shenghua's mouth with a special material and dragging her aside.

Throughout the process, Shenghua didn’t dignify him with a look.

"Proceed. The Crown Clan? They’d never find our god’s path."

The pretense in Chastity's voice seemed to fade, leaving only coldness.

"That Little Crown Clan brat? We’ll handle them later, once we've gained power. And that Soul Race half-breed."

Xi still said nothing.

Meanwhile, the Saint Cas fleet, nowhere near the Hymn’s destination, encountered an unprecedented sight.

Everything around them seemed shrouded in a dark force, with only faint outlines visible. The once-clear cosmos had turned murky, leaving only the power detection devices functional—radar had failed.

From within this dark force, a grotesque monstrosity emerged, instantly lunging toward Saint Cas.

Almost simultaneously, Finn's arrow struck, and Amos was already moving.

While Xiao Chuzao was still preoccupied with the strange Psychic thread, Amos had already left the starship, colliding with Ji Yu in a flash—a high-ranking commander of the beasts who seemed to have lost his intellect but gained immense power. He’d outclassed even the top commanders.

The force and pressure erupted instantly, blasting everything back.

Finn, who had just regrouped with them, was flung far back before coming to a stop.

"What the hell was that?"

Finn scratched his head, lifting his hand.

Unable to resist looking at Amos.

"I really—Second Brother, has your psychic power grown stronger again?!"

Amos was already over a thousand years old. Though for the Longlived race, age was just a number, someone like Amos, whose psychic power continued to intensify even now—

Finn couldn't help but feel a chill—no wonder he felt Amos' punches were getting more painful. It wasn’t just his injuries worsening; he’d have to be more careful from now on.

And this aberration—what exactly was going on?

What was happening in this area?

You didn’t need Finn to spell it out—it was obvious something was wrong here.

And a serious one at that.

"The *pollution power* is intensifying—"

"No use, it's exceeding the tolerance limit!"

Without hesitation, Chu Zao turned and made for the exit.

Chao Huangmu followed closely behind him.

"Space combat’s no good. It’s better to move to the surface."

Moreover, the pollution here was growing stronger the deeper they went.

This wasn’t just a huge drain on the starship—it was also an immense pressure for the Crown Clan.

Even Chao Huangmu could feel his own discomfort, the suppressed Psychic Weapon energy in his mind growing restless, trying to wrest control of his body from him.

Sure enough.

Amos quickly issued orders for the Saint Cas starship to retreat slightly from the polluted zone.

From the black power swallowing up nearby planets, countless small birds formed from feathers poured out like locusts, a relentless tide. Finn’s arrow volleys came quicker.

Ji Yu was indeed a pain in the ass. Even without mentioning this strange power, both Finn and Amos could see that Ji Yu’s strength was still increasing, still growing. If left unchecked, an even more unkillable monstrosity would emerge.

Amos and Finn forcefully carved out a path through the murk with their psychic energy, leading down to the planet below.

This thing had a passing similarity to Lynn’s Psychic Weapon.

Seeing Chu Zao and Chao Huangmu follow, Finn still had the energy to shout, "I’m good here, Zao Zao! Your Third Uncle’s still kicking—save the hugs for later."

All of this was watched unnoticed by the Hymn Organization’s starship, which had arrived slightly later from another direction.

"The hell? Why would the Crown Clan be here?"

Chastity and Generosity were actually face-to-face with the Crown Clan for the first time, their voices audibly rattled for a moment.

Xi also looked over, his eyes reflecting the Saint Cas starship.

—Damn close.

"And this aberration—isn’t this the place the gods led us to?"

"Forget that—focus."

"Chastity said hurriedly."

"Find our landing spot—quick! Oh, right, Xi, there's no time for any rituals now. We'll dump her later—and, is that the Little Crown Clan over there? Is that half-blood Soul Race with him? Move it! Find what we came for! Then we can create chaos and escape."

Perfect timing, isn't it?

Chastity was practically vibrating with tension as he stared down at the swirling black fog below, his panic mounting.

Everything they had seen in the 'god's' fabricated visions—what they were supposed to obtain—now seemed to be slipping through their fingers.

Xi remained silent.

As the Saint Cas starship withdrew, the Hymn Organization's vessel happened to enter the dark force from another direction—uncharacteristically reckless for the Hymn Organization.

But the temptation was too great; they couldn't resist.

Meanwhile, Finn made a break for it at this moment, only to be yanked back in time by Amos.

Chu Zao clutched his golden bow, ready to act at any moment.

Ji Yu hadn’t fully completed his power transformation yet. Facing the two strongest members of the Crown Clan, he was overpowered. Were it not for the beast's freakish healing factor, Ji Yu would already be at a disadvantage.

In the blink of an eye, Finn had loosed an arrow—it seemed to hit, but missed the vital spot, veering off course. Finn spat a curse.

"Starship—Second Brother, there’s a starship over there. I caught a glimpse—looked like the Hymn Organization’s—"

What a chaotic mess.

And what the hell, the beast wasn’t attacking the Hymn Organization’s starship, even though in their part of the galaxy, beasts attacked indiscriminately—nothing was off-limits, not even the Hymn Organization.

But now? What’s going on now?

So, all of this is essentially that bastard puppetmaster's work, right?

That monster playing god.

Amos struck without hesitation.

But this battlefield was already a disadvantage for the Crown Clan, not to mention Amos was dealing with the wildcard Ji Yu.

Amos’s expression was icy as the crown atop his head blazed to life in an instant, and he struck downward.

In that moment, Ji Yu barely rolled clear.

The Hymn Organization’s starship on the other side was also affected, but they muscled through to reach the place the deity had guided them to—beneath a massive skeletal structure.

Here lay the more formidable power the deity had stored, suppressed.

If they could obtain this power...

Everything they desired would come true.

Peace and justice would return to this galaxy, and everything would be redistributed.

Xi stood beside Shenghua.

Tracking the starship's descent.

Xi had already taken Shenghua away from the main control room. He glanced down at her.

Shenghua kept her eyes calmly closed at this moment.

One thing she had thought was indeed correct—apart from Little Highness, apart from Saint Cas where Little Highness currently resided, the rest of the galaxy was completely corrupt.

Especially those who came from the Hymn Organization—they were completely untrustworthy.

But the next moment, she was pushed onto a nearby starship. Xi had already set the navigation course.

Shenghua abruptly opened her eyes and looked at Xi: "What are you doing?"

"It's quite obvious."

Xi clearly hadn't rested well either. The disheveled young man was unshaven and raised his eyes, shot Shenghua a tired look before letting out a laugh. His voice was also slightly distorted with madness, as the psychic energy behind him slowly condensed into a physical form—like an inky monster violently molded by some malevolent creator.

Only Xi's eyes were bright.

"Let the Crown Clan handle them, and incidentally, deal with their... target."

"Hey!!"

"Get lost, you lunatic. There's no need for us to meet again."

Xi snarled with a distorted smile.

As the starship launched, amidst the furious curses and accusations from behind, Xi coughed up a mouthful of blood. His formidable psychic energy violently tore a massive breach in the Hymn Organization's starship. With a deafening roar, the psychic energy was hurled toward the Crown Clan—a provocation that doubled as an improvised beacon.

"Xi, you actually dare to betray—you actually dare to betray your own kin!"

Amid the howling winds, Chastity's cloak, who had already glimpsed the object of their search, was blown aside.

The slightly aged face, bearing a fifty-sixty percent resemblance to Xi, glared at him with fury.

Meanwhile, the small starship carrying Shenghua was already speeding away.

Shenghua could make out Xi's final lip movement—*You should be able to break free from that in a few hours.*

And in the distance, the psychic energy of the Crown Clan was rapidly approaching—not just from Amos and Finn, but also a brighter, abruptly redirected arrow of light streaking across the sky.

In her daze, Shenghua spotted Xiao Chuzao standing not far from Amos and Finn in the distant horizon, accompanied by Chao Huangmu piloting a small starship.

A brilliant light.

Just like that day when she first met Chu Zao.

A massive whirlwind of psychic energy surged forth.

Even Chastity and Generosity, who had received many divine blessings, could not withstand it now.

Chastity's metamorphosed grappling hook had already pierced Xi's shoulder. He stared at Xi with madness—*So close, just one step!*

Then he turned his gaze toward the stone flickering in and out of the black flame, his eyes seething with greed and madness.

"Have you lost your mind?! I am your kin! Without me, you wouldn't exist! My blood runs through your veins—"

"Cough—cough—so I became an experiment, so I was handled carelessly, so since childhood, I was told how to serve loyally, yet still weighed down with so many failsafes—hahaha—"

Xi listened to the explosions around him, watching as the arrows wreathed in golden fire and black flame drove back much of the surrounding black flame. He looked at Chastity.

Kin...?

But in essence, he was just an orphan created from a trace of bloodline. His childhood memories were filled only with sharp needles and endless headaches. In his twisted existence, loyalty was demanded—because he carried the blood of Chastity, they believed they understood him best. Perhaps he would have continued like this forever, discarded at will, doing what was expected of him—

If he had never seen anything, never met Shenghua, never witnessed the bond of that little one's kin, if he had simply followed orders blindly—then he wouldn’t be suffering like this.

"How revolting... Knowing your blood runs through my veins makes me sick to my core—I should have hated you all along... Father."

With a thunderous crack, Chu Zao’s arrow pierced through the bizarre-looking stone first—a surge of power erupted from it in an instant.

Before Xi could even react, darkness swallowed his vision, followed by a hail of arrows raining down.

Amos’s psychic force followed closely behind.

The overwhelming barrage tore through Chastity and Generosity in an instant—they didn’t even have a chance to resist further.

The corruption spanning the stars shuddered as if struck by Chu Zao’s arrow. The once rampant corruption, like flames snuffed by water, was suppressed in an instant.

But Ji Yu, still restrained by Amos, suddenly lunged—just as Amos swung his sword.

A bizarre wave of energy swallowed them whole in the next moment.

Yet, the true target of this force wasn’t them.

Chao Huangmu was closest to Chu Zao.

He saw it clearly—behind Chu Zao, a crimson eye slowly opened, finally unleashing its fury, as if done toying with them. The next second, a tearing force surged forth. Spatial distortions flickered wildly, seemingly originating from the strange stone Xiao Chuzao had pierced, flashing erratically before swallowing Xiao Chuzao whole.

Chao Huangmu, who had been sticking close to Chu Zao, threw up a desperate defense but was swept in as well.

Ji Yu’s power was also yanked back abruptly. The monstrous creature, before attaining its desired power, was drained dry, collapsing into a withered husk and plummeted downward. The black energy slowly dispersed.

In an instant, Amos was at Chu Zao’s last known position—his hand grasping empty air, blood seeping from his shoulder. It was the wound he sustained when he turned without hesitation upon sensing something wrong with the young one behind him. But—the child who’d been right behind him had vanished.

With Ji Yu’s death, the black energy dissipated—the wreckage of the Hymn Organization’s starship became visible below. Shattered bodies lay among the debris, and the pollution here seemed to be fading as well. What lay before Amos and Finn’s eyes was a scattered array of massive skeletons—the remains of the Crown Clan.

Finn: "..."

"Where’s Zao Zao?"

Freed from the corrupting suppression, Amos unleashed his psychic power. In an instant, both Ji Yu and the starship wreckage were crushed into dust.

Amos descended, finally noticing the hidden object. He reached out and picked up the oddly shaped stone—

"Divine Grace Stone—Stone of Plunder."

It looked eerily similar to those artifacts.

Around it, power warped and twisted.

Amos gripped it hard, the stone hissing against his palm.

When the Divine Grace Stone had collided before, Chu Zao had taken him to the realm of angels. But now—where had his young one gone? For a moment, Amos doubted himself—should he have left Zao Zao behind from the start?

"Secure the perimeter. Saint Cas troops will move in waves—eliminate all aberrations here and search for anything resembling this object."

Amos tossed the stone to Finn, then looked up at the shattered giant skeleton. The residual psychic energy was faint, almost as if it had vanished—unfamiliar, yet carrying a trace of something familiar.

"Second Brother... Zao Zao...?"

Standing amidst the wreckage, Finn’s face darkened with frustration. After scanning the area, he began transmitting orders to the Saint Cas fleet.

But he finally shut his mouth and paused, because he heard the usually cold Amos muttering curses under his breath.

At this moment, Amos was acting recklessly, and Finn knew it—there was no point provoking him further.

Meanwhile, with Xiao Chuzao.

The moment he was grabbed, it felt as if something had muffled him, rendering him unable to make a sound. He saw the uncanny gaze of the 'god' that had never engaged them directly.

All he could do was watch as the small starship piloted by Chao Huangmu shattered amid the suddenly warping space. Behind Chao Huangmu, a thick shadow seemed to coalesce into a monstrous form, exploding forth violently in an instant, making Chao Huangmu furrow his brows as if he were on the verge of losing control.

Where was his dad?

Chu Zao thought—Brother Mu? What’s wrong with Brother Mu?

He still couldn’t speak just yet.

It was then that Chao Huangmu stepped in front of Chu Zao, shielding him from the chaotic spatial currents and turbulence. The light in his eyes seemed to grow dim.

Chao Huangmu managed a weak smile for the little one, pulling Chu Zao tightly into his embrace until the surroundings settled somewhat.

"Brother Mu?!"

Chu Zao coughed violently a few times.

He clutched at Chao Huangmu, wanting to say something.

But all he saw was Chao Huangmu’s drooping brows. Chao Huangmu still crushed him close, murmuring softly, "Zao Zao."

With tenderness, so lightly, he dared only to brush a kiss to Chu Zao’s forehead.

I love you—so much—

But I don’t dare to like you too much.

Chu Zao’s eyes widened slightly, but his grip met empty air—Chao Huangmu had vanished in an instant.

What?

Chu Zao was still reeling from the fleeting kiss when he instinctively searched for Chao Huangmu.

"Dad? Brother Mu?! Third Uncle??!!"

Another wave of spatial turbulence surged toward Xiao Chuzao.

Chu Zao recognized this sensation—he had experienced it before when traveling to the Angels' Realm.

Now that he thought about it, the angels and his grandmother had once said—apart from the Angels' Realm, many other longlived race possessed their own corresponding dimensional spaces. So where was this?

Ahead, a light appeared. Without hesitation, Chu Zao instantly transformed into a small white fluffball, curling into a tight ball.

Amid this chaotic space—

Several figures sat relaxed—

Suddenly, one of them paused and turned to the person beside him.

"Amos, did you hear something?"

In the distance, a tiny fluffball plummeted from above, rolling clumsily several times before barely catching itself. His six pairs of small wings flapped desperately before it bounced several times—landing with a few more rolls.

The little white fluff ball shook itself, slowly stretching out its body and peeking out with a small head, dazedly looking around. It rubbed its face with tiny paws.

"Meow~!"

Where is this place?

Dad?

Third Uncle?

Brother Mu?!

The little white fluff cautiously got up, turned around, and its pointed little ears drooped down: "Meow..."

Oh no, sorry Third Uncle, Zao Zao shouldn't have said that about you—

Why is Zao Zao feeling so weird too?

Where did that awful thing send me?!