Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 889

Chapter 889

Chapter 889: Formation

The Pharmacist voice rang out . “Ultus – sharp, Occisus – death, Captus – universal red light, Demortus – the ever changing . ” A surge of white light shot out and brought with it a stifling brutal aura . Slashes of Occisus’ energy criss-crossed the breadth of where its aura reached . The stronger her cultivation rose, the brighter Occisus burned .

Lan Qing was last to speak the words . “Immortals, eternal and marvelous, have their robes stained with blood . ” The refreshing hue of Ultus arose as though summoned and coiled around him . Turquoise light shot into the sky and all at once the four Banishing Blades began to hum . Though the weapons themselves were yet to appear, all four of their bearers were illuminated by their power .

Halfway through their seclusion the four Paragons saw an increase to their cultivation, especially Lan Qing and the Pharmacist . Both of them broke through to Nirvana and in doing so understood how difficult enacting the Strategy would be . The more they learned of this unique power the more they saw what it would require . The sheer cost in energy was staggering to consider, only a true immortal could reliable stand it . The greatest weapon under heaven was aptly named, and just as dangerous to wield .

After some discussion – and with the help of Xuanyuan Shishi, Jun Yongye and Li Ke – they came to a bold decision . They would give their bodies fully to their swords, so that these great and terrible instruments of destruction would become a part of them .

The benefits of doing this were that they and the swords became inexorably linked . In many ways they became the Banishing Blades, and the blades became them . All the energy within them, including their protogenia and vital energy, could be used to galvanize the weapons . Thus their chances of successfully laying out the Banishing Strategy increased .

However this was not without dangers . After carefully studying the strategy they discovered that once the strategy was unleashed it could not be stopped . The swords would ravenously devour all the energy it could . If it worked all of their problems would be solved . But if it failed the four of them would be the first ones to lose their lives .

Before becoming one with the swords there had existed the possibility they could break off the strategy and at least escape with their lives . Such possibilities no longer existed now that they were united . IF the Strategy became unstable, they would die .

However, despite the dangers all four agreed . The time had come to burn the boats and turn their eyes forward – this was their last resort . People fought hardest to live when they were faced with the certainty of death . If they were given no option of retreat the four sword bearers would be bound to give their all .

This was not to say they didn’t examine contingencies . Triumph or defeat, they would have to submit to the will of heaven .

The four mighty emanations from the blades mingled among one another . Threads of ethereal light spread out from each person and made the scene indistinct . They wrapped around one another until they created a series of mystical runes – four in total, one of each sword bearer . The runes hovered over them causing reality to ripple from the injection of power .

They’d started close to each other, but as the runes appear there appeared a gulf . From outside it seemed large enough to swallow whole planets, and was growing larger .

ξ

Aboard Poseidon .

“Get out of the way!” Hua Li glared at Mo Xiao . His growling voice was anything but tender .

Mo Xiao threw open her arms in defiance . “I will not . I’m not letting you leave . There are already many Paragons looking over them, and besides you’re only in the Realm of Protogenia . Do you think there’s that big of a difference without you there? What does going out there achieve? Can’t you do more good staying here, commanding this bastion?”

Hua Li roared back at her . “Of course not! My friends and compatriots are out there putting it all on the line for humanity, and what am I doing sitting here? I need to be out there too, protecting them . I may not be the strongest of them but any help can make a difference . ”

Mo Xiao’s eyes were full of pain . “He’s always been the most important thing to you, hasn’t she . This isn’t about your brothers, it’s about him . ”

Hua Li paused for a moment . Glaring daggers, he hissed at her . “Get out of the way!”

“No! You’ll have to kill me first . Those aliens have almost completed their evolution, we should get far away from here . Every asset and every life of Poseidon Group is on this ship, our whole future . If we wait until their evolution is complete it will be too late . If you go out there now how can we retreat?”

“You’re still thinking about leaving, now of all times?” Hua Li screamed . “If you want to leave, then leave . I am not going anywhere, no matter what . I will live or die with my compatriots, fighting to the very last moment . You would see Poseidon Group running away when all of mankind was facing destruction?”

Hua Li took a threatening step forward, seeking to push Mo Xiao to the side and leave .

Mo Xiao, of course, was no match for him . She was pushed away but swung back and wrapped her arms around Hua Li’s waist .

“Don’t go, I’m begging you . Don’t go!” Tears ran freely down her face . In this moment she was nothing like the president of Poseidon Group . She was a normal woman, stricken and helpless .

“Release me . ” Hua Li sighed, and the anger in his face eased . “I know we should leave – for the Group, for our family . I know . But I just can’t do it . When I leave take everyone and flee this place . The Group only needs you and… and our child . That’s all the family needs in case something happens to me . But you have to understand that I can’t go with you . For my comrades, for the family, it doesn’t matter . If the Banishing Strategy is successful and the aliens are slain, everything we’ve accomplished up to now would be wasted . We will have become the enemy of all humanity, deserters and scoundrels . It will be the end of us . Whatever way you look at it, I have to go out there . ”

Choked with sobs, Mo Xiao replied . “I don’t care, I don’t . I just want you to be safe . You don’t have to love me, you don’t have to be my husband, I just don’t want anything to happen to you . I just want to be able to see you every day . ”

An ache crossed Hua Li’s expression . “Enough, let me go . I have to do this . Just like you feel, I feel the same to the one in my heart . Don’t you think I know everything you’ve done?”

When his words washed over her Mo Xiao shook . Her arms went slack but she did not let go .

Hua Li tightly shut his eyes against the pain . “I’m right, it was you . But what can I do? Although we can’t truly be man and wife, how can I not know how you feel about me? And me, I am human and have my own selfish wishes . But I saw suffer terrible, silent all the while . Do you think I could stand that? What’s done is done, but I will never forget what you did . All I want is to fight by his side, even if it means my death . One last escapade . I’m sorry Mo Xiao . Maybe in the next life…”

Suddenly his body was encased in light, and the Poseidon Group’s patriarch shot off as a ray of light . Mo Xiao cried out with a heart-wrenching wail and fell to the floor . She lay there quivering with sobs, tears falling in torrents .

“A-Li… A Li…”

Messages from the various departments of the Poseidon family crackled through her communicator . They all made the same request; that they leave as quickly as possible .

The department heads were chosen for being intelligent, discerning individuals . Each of them knew what was happening to Europa . The aliens were evolving, and there was no way to stop them . Just as Mo Xiao had pleaded, they begged her for permission to leave on behalf of the family’s safety . But Hua Li had left, how could she give the order?

Mo Xiao clawed her way back to her command desk and fell into the chair . Gritting her teeth, she gave them her orders .

A few moments later a beam of blue light was blasting off from Poseidon into the distance . It was a vessel, perhaps the size of a Capital ship, with a hull that glittered crystalline blue from bow to stern . It seemed less metal and more gemstone .

The ship sped off into the recesses of space . In a blink, all trace of it was gone . The cries of a small infant rang through its largely empty halls .

ξ

 Golden mist rotated rapidly around the planet, spreading out to create an effective shield . Gradually the mist became more transparent, and Europa’s situation was revealed to everyone . To everyone’s surprise there was no ferocity within the enveloping light . Instead the scene was stunningly beautiful .

Spectacular vistas appeared on the surface of Europa . Towering mountains and picturesque valleys spread as far as they could see . The planet was rife with all kinds of vegetation . Never had Europa looked so magnificent . However, any sign of the cities that once graced its surface was gone .

It had become a fairyland, like in the tales of old . Beneath the golden shell of light it was a paradise that took everyone’s breath away .

Europa continued to slowly spin, each rotation causing the golden light to ripple . As the seconds ticked by the golden shell became more transparent . It remained settled above the world perhaps ten thousand meters above its atmosphere .