CHAPTER 488: CHAPTER 488 : THE FINAL WAR (11)

Zhang Fengxi stood face-to-face with the First Demon King, the tip of his Three Realm Spear burrowed deep into the First Demon King’s chest.

A surge of elation washed over Jiang Muchen. He was about to cry from joy before his eyes were drawn to the Silver Yin Sword, which blade was stuck inside Zhang Fengxi’s stomach.

Both of them, one a heavenly tiger alpha and the other a demon king, crumbled to the ground at the same time. Their respective weapons were pulled out of their opponents’ bodies when they fell.

"ZHANG FENGXI!"

"SUPREME GENERAL!"

Zhang Fengxi lay sprawled on the cold, muddy earth, his gaze a vacant window to the endless sky. A faint tremor ran through the ground, a counterpoint to the dull thudding of his own weakening heart. Footsteps pounded closer, a frantic rhythm against the backdrop of a battlefield falling silent.

"Zhang Fengxi!"

Wu Shenxia grabbed Zhang Fengxi’s shoulders and held him in her arms. The Juhua Palace Master poured spiritual power into his superior in an effort to keep him alive.

"... Daddy..."

Xie Junjie wailed as he held onto his father’s bloody form.

"Jun...jie..."

Zhang Fengxi raised a trembling hand. He wanted to caress his little boy’s cheek, but a flicker of alarm, sharp and sudden, ripped across his fading eyes. Something was terribly wrong.

Across the blood-soaked battlefield, the First Demon King lay sprawled, a grotesque grin twisting his bloodied lips. In that same instant, the Silver Yin Sword, a wicked glint on its polished surface, arced through the air, its deadly point aimed squarely at Xie Junjie’s unsuspecting back.

"WATCH OUT!" Zhang Fengxi cried out while pressing a hand against Xie Junjie’s chest, but unfortunately, he was too weak to even push a little boy away from him.

Junjie...!!!

A whisper of touch, a feather-light caress brushed against Zhang Fengxi’s cheek. A voice, soft as the sigh of wind through silk, murmured in his ear.

"Fengxi..."

The world blurred at the edges. A flicker, a sudden sheen of cold, and the Silver Yin Sword found its path barred by an ephemeral wall of ice. It materialized like a fleeting breath, vanishing as quickly as it came, yet it served its purpose without fail.

Before stunned gasps could even form, a streak of silver tore through the heavens. Relentless in its trajectory, it plunged deep into the First Demon King’s neck, severing his head in an instant.

Silence descended, broken only by the ragged gasps of the weary warriors. Awe and a flicker of something akin to reverence settled upon Wu Shenxia, Jiang Muchen, and Zhang Fengxi as their gazes lingered on the lone sword.

It was Winter Frost, Xie Jianyu’s spiritual weapon.

"Jianbao..."

Zhang Fengxi broke into a torrent of sobs as he wrapped his trembling arms around Xie Junjie’s tiny form.

"Jianbao, thank you..."

That was the last thing the alpha said before he lost consciousness and fell into a deep sleep.

The First Demon King’s demise reverberated through the battlefield, marking a thunderous victory for the Heavenly Realm. With their liege lord vanquished, the demonic forces crumbled. Leaderless and demoralized, they scattered like frightened roaches, fleeing back to the Demonic Realm without any dimensional portal.

Wu Shenxia personally carried Zhang Fengxi back to the Golden Dragon Palace while riding on Xiao Huang. As per Xie Jianshen’s request, the First Demon King’s corpse was brought back to the Heavenly Realm as well.

Jiang Muchen was left behind to handle the aftermath of the war, but he was too tired to even do anything. He merely sat on the muddy ground, leaning against a broken tree while cradling Xie Junjie in his arms.

The battlefield stretched before them, a desolate tapestry of carnage. Corpses, twisted in grotesque postures, littered the blood-soaked ground. Heavenly soldiers, their movements sluggish with fatigue, dragged the wounded onto waiting carriages. The dead were gathered solemnly, their bodies destined for carts that would ferry them back to grieving families.

"So, Junjie..."

Xie Junjie tilted his head backward and looked at his elder cousin, whose face was marred with exhaustion.

"What did you do just now? With the portal?" he asked. "How did you close the portal so suddenly?"

Innocently, the little boy blinked at him before answering, "I only shot my star energy at the person who summoned the portal."

"... Star energy?"

Xie Junjie nodded. "It is very useful, Elder Cousin. It can be used to punish bad people."

Jiang Muchen stared at his little cousin in confusion. He did not understand a single word, but he was too tired to ask further. The alpha lion thus patted his younger cousin’s head fondly and said, "Let’s go back home now, then. Everyone is waiting for us."

"Un."

Xie Junjie leaned against Jiang Muchen and snuggled into his embrace. If he was gone any second longer, Zhang Mingrui might get upset.

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Author’s note :

Hello, beloved readers!

*sobs* (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)

Now the novel is truly coming to an end. Sigh. These last few Chapters, starting from Qiao Wei’s death, have been excruciating to write. I almost feel like I died together with Qiao Wei this time around.

A little explanation to Junjie’s star energy -- does everyone remember what star Junjie is?

Correct, the "Star of Unblemished Virtue".

In other words, Xie Junjie is a star that judges every creature based on their virtue. His power is strongest when used to punish those with least virtue.

I am sure that everyone agrees if I say that the Three-Eyed Realm Wanderer, with all the sins she accumulated in three realms, has zero virtue. Her crime allowed Junjie to kill her with a single strike.

Why didn’t I mention this in the Chapter itself? Because I didn’t want to switch POV for one single line, and ruin the flow of the Chapter, hehehe...

I also didn’t think that she was worth it, but I still had to explain somewhere, otherwise, readers might get confused.

And now onto the few remaining Chapters this author has to write~ please be patient, my beloved readers.