Chapter 697: Pushing the Ominous Star by Hand

The peaceful, fulfilling days were gone forever.

Garoth no longer traveled to the Neutron Star.

Tempering himself was certainly important, but he also knew very well when to do what. Overdoing things was worse than not doing them at all. If he happened to be exhausted when the Primordial Waste arrived, then there would be no point in fighting at all.

In the sky, the shadow of the Ominous Star drew closer day by day.

The citizens of Aola showed no fear. Instead, they often looked up at it, pointing and discussing with expectant expressions on their faces, as if they were eagerly anticipating the day it truly arrived.

The reason was simple.

They wanted to witness the Red Emperor's great victory once more and share in the glory of the empire.

The red iron dragon sat quietly within the dragon court, while at the same time, the imperial machine had already begun operating at full speed. As time passed, Life Essence refined from all corners of the realm converged endlessly upon the Red Emperor Capital, all of it poured into the Dragon's Kiss.

Meanwhile.

Far beyond the plane, in the Joyous Court, the abode of the fey deities, a different scene was unfolding.

In a courtyard where spring reigned eternal and flowers bloomed in splendor, a fey deity shaped like a flower fairy reclined on a lounge chair, idly twirling a rose in her fingers. The rose withered and bloomed endlessly in her hand as she watched it with a casual air.

Besides her, there was also a Faerie Dragon with fine, pale golden scales.

The Faerie Dragon flapped its wings, circling around her.

These two were none other than Netal and Titania.

The Faerie Dragon circled several times, but no matter how he flew, he could never get around to Titania's front.

After circling a few more times, he finally couldn't hold it in any longer. With a flap of his wings, he shouted loudly:

"Titania, Titania!"

"The Egg of Catastrophe is about to reach Bernardo!"

"Are we really not going to help? Garoth is a dragon of our court now, one of our own! We can't just let him get bullied out there, right? If word of this gets out, the Joyous Court's reputation won't look good either!"

Titania reclined at an angle, her expression unchanged.

"This is his challenge."

"He needs to face it himself."

"Besides..."

The fey chief deity stared at the blooming rose, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips:

"The reason I favor this red iron dragon is precisely because he grew to where he is today step by step through iron and blood. If I were to shield him now, distrust his power, and treat him like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, that would be an insult to him."

It was a fact that fey deities were generally weak in the Material Plane.

But that was relative.

The Joyous Court was, after all, a considerable divine system. Dealing with an Ancient One was hardly a difficult task.

However, if every challenge Garoth encountered had to be solved by the Joyous Court, then what was the point of favoring him? Titania hadn't brought the Joyous Court here to become Garoth's personal thug or enforcer. That would be counterproductive.

"He does have a point, you know..."

Netal scratched his head and muttered: "But still, the opponent is a Primordial Waste after all, an old thing that's lived since the birth of the multiverse. Compared to it, Garoth is still too young."

"Young?"

Titania let out a soft laugh and said: "Netal, your words just now seemed to suggest that age equals power."

The Faerie Dragon blinked: "Isn't that so?"

Titania said slowly: "Of course not. If longevity meant strength, then the ones ruling the multiverse today would still be those Primordial Wastes, not us gods who were born later."

"But what's the reality?"

Her voice was calm and composed: "The reality is that these Primordial Wastes who existed from the beginning have long since been defeated. Now they only dare to stir up trouble in the Material Plane, and the vast majority of them have either been killed or sealed away. Very few remain."

"Longevity has never equaled power."

If living longer meant being stronger, then everyone might as well just line up by age and skip all the conflict.

People always thought that those who lived longer knew more, and that the more time passed, the closer one got to omnipotence.

But at least in Titania's impression, that wasn't the case.

Among ancient beings, some did keep up with the times and change themselves accordingly, but the vast majority of them retained outdated ways of thinking, stubbornly clinging to old conventions, never changing.

On the contrary, they viewed change as a catastrophe, stubborn beyond measure, wanting to restore everything to its original state.

"Netal, do you know what caused the Dawn War?"

Titania suddenly asked.

The Dawn War was the war between the gods and the Primordial Wastes in the ancient era. It was this war that established the gods' later dominance over the multiverse.

At the mention of the Dawn War, Netal's expression instantly turned serious.

He said: "Of course I know! The Primordial Wastes didn't like the changes happening in the multiverse and wanted to restore everything to the age of primordial chaos. The gods believed that the progression of the ages was inevitable, and that the age of primordial chaos should only exist in history."

"The two sides had irreconcilable ideals, so they went to war."

With that, the Faerie Dragon puffed out his chest, a proud look on his face: "My father god, my creator, the maker of all dragons, the great Io - he was essentially a Primordial Waste himself, but he recognized the ideal of changing times and resolutely stood with the gods' camp."

"If it weren't for the great Io, the Dawn War would probably have ended in victory for the Primordial Wastes."

Io, the Nine-Faced Dragon God, the Dragon Who Shaped the World.

This one was the true supreme deity of the dragon pantheon.

Bahamut and Tiamat of today were not created by Io. Rather, they were born from Io's very body. Their power was transcendent, and they held a special position within the dragon pantheon, regarded as "acting chief deities."

At this point, the Faerie Dragon's expression suddenly dimmed.

"Unfortunately, the great Io fell on the eve of dawn, perishing together with the Great Demon God."

With that, he revealed an indignant expression: "Hmph, my father god's remains transformed into Bahamut and Tiamat, but those two can't even compare to the great Io. Relying on them is worse than relying on me, Netal."

Titania made no comment.

The victory of the Dawn War was inevitable in her eyes. Its outcome would not change because of one being's absence.

Beings like the Nine-Faced Dragon God - originally Primordial Wastes who chose to join the gods' camp and led the new gods in battle - were more than just one during the Dawn War, and their ranks were quite high. The chief god of the Giants, Annan, was also one of them.

Their vision was far-reaching. They could see who the future belonged to, and thus made corresponding changes.

Old things would ultimately be defeated by new things.

The Primordial Wastes were no exception.

However, Titania didn't deny the Nine-Faced Dragon God's contributions to the Dawn War. Without this dragon god, the Dawn War would certainly have encountered far more setbacks and the fighting would have been far more brutal.

She said: "The Primordial Wastes are just a group of losers now. No matter how long they live, it's meaningless."

Netal blinked, finding no room to argue.

His eyes rolled around, and he suddenly said with a grin: "Oh, then... if Garoth wins, will you let him into the Inner Court?"

Titania said: "Whether to enter the Inner Court should be something he asks for himself."

"But, he was brought to the Joyous Court by me, and he even said he only stayed in the Outer Court because of me. Although that's very loyal of him, it's a bit unfair to him. I want to protest on his behalf."

The Faerie Dragon raised his voice, speaking with conviction.

"I'm afraid I can't promise you that."

Titania said.

She had originally wanted Garoth to join the Inner Court, but unfortunately, he had no such desire himself. It was just that when he chatted with Netal, he hadn't said anything serious and had fooled Netal instead.

In some strictly lawful divine systems, the chief deity would surely disapprove of such behavior.

But the Joyous Court was predominantly Chaotic Good.

Titania didn't mind at all that Netal had been fooled. She wouldn't condemn Garoth for it either. If anything, she felt her judgment of the dragon was correct - this red iron dragon was a perfect fit for the Joyous Court.

"Fine then!"

Netal gritted his teeth and said: "If Garoth can't go to the Inner Court, then I, Netal, will stay in the Outer Court from now on! I'll never mention going to the Inner Court again!"

He bared his teeth, looking like he was ready to go all in.

But this obviously didn't intimidate Titania.

"That's wonderful."

Her eyes instantly curved into crescents, and she agreed with a smile: "It's a deal!"

"..."

Netal choked for a moment, his expression shifting instantly.

He leaned in with an ingratiating smile, all humility and flattery: "Oh, beautiful and merciful Titania, don't be so serious. I was joking, just joking."

After saying that, his eyes rolled around once more, and another scheme came to mind.

"How about this! If Garoth wins, let me go to the Inner Court in his place. After all, I'm the one who brought him to the Joyous Court. His victory and glory should have a share for me too, right?"

There it was. The dagger was finally revealed.

So this was his real intention all along?

"Once Garoth achieves victory."

"I'll consider your matter then."

Titania said dismissively.

"Yay yay!"

Netal immediately cheered, then said with a solemn warning: "You can't go back on your word then!"

Titania didn't respond.

Her expression turned serious, her gaze bright as she looked toward the Material Plane.

Then, she slowly said: "I've already prepared a Divine Seat for Garoth, just one final step remains. If he wins this battle, his Divine Seat can be shaped even more solidly. Conversely, his Divine Seat will inevitably waver."

Garoth had not yet fully ascended to godhood.

His Divine Seat represented the Authority he would hold in the future.

And the shaping of divine Authority was closely tied to many factors - the god's doctrine, ideals, origins, and the faith of their followers.

The Divine Seat of the Lord of Victory and Glory.

Just from the name alone, one could tell that his path to godhood could not afford failure. He must maintain victory at all times, charging forward without hesitation. Even a single defeat would shake the very foundation of his Authority.

But correspondingly, every victory would make that Authority even stronger and more stable.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow!"

Netal nodded and said: "Garoth is the number one fierce dragon of our Joyous Court right now! He'll win! This is the recognition from the Joyous Court's number two fierce dragon!"

The Joyous Court only had two dragons in total, so there was nothing wrong with what he said.

But Titania still sighed, at a loss for words.

Material World, Bernardo.

Time had arrived at the spring of New Calendar year 1023.

All things revived, wheat fields sprouted fresh green, willow branches by the river pushed out tender buds, brimming with life.

But all this springtime was shrouded under a massive shadow.

Everyone's gaze kept drifting toward the sky from time to time.

The blood-red Ominous Star had grown to a size that was utterly impossible to ignore. As long as one looked up during the day, they could see it hanging in the sky, its outline clear, its colors vivid.

Even with complete trust in the empire, people couldn't help but begin to feel a creeping dread.

Red Emperor Capital, high in the sky.

Garoth hovered among the drifting clouds, gazing up at the enormous Ominous Star.

Behind him came the sound of wings splitting the air.

The iron dragon Sorog flew to his side, looking up at the sky together with him, his expression grave.

"The stargazing sorcerers have confirmed it. The Lunar Dragon has also sent us a warning through the Star Network."

"Within a month at the latest, the Ominous Star will collide with Bernardo."

The iron dragon said solemnly.

The Lunar Dragon Lionel - he was the one who could best sense the dangers among the stars. And since connecting to the Star Network, this Lunar Dragon, who was used to staying aloof from the mortal world, had gradually developed ties with Sacred Aola.

The iron dragon gave him certain permissions within the Star Network in exchange for his warnings about dangers in the stars.

"One month, huh."

Garoth's expression didn't change much. He said slowly: "Even if this Primordial Waste, which exists in the form of a planet-sized celestial body, ultimately doesn't collide with Bernardo, once it gets close enough, its gravitational field alone will be sufficient to affect Bernardo."

"Yes."

Sorog nodded, his expression heavy: "The sorcerer corps has run their calculations. Within two weeks at the latest, at the distance between it and Bernardo, its gravity will be enough to indirectly cause changes to our planet."

"Disrupted tides, ruptured ley lines, volcanic eruptions - all of these are possible."

The disaster would arrive before the impact.

Only, one would destroy the intelligent life living on the planet first, while the other would directly destroy the planet itself.

"Two weeks..."

Garoth narrowed his eyes.

That was a very short time.

"Fine."

"To be honest, I've been getting a bit impatient waiting. If it didn't come soon, I was thinking of going to find it myself."

He said.

It had been many years since he first came into contact with the frenzied flame through Gorthax. Perhaps this amount of time was nothing in the eyes of a Primordial Waste, passing in the blink of an eye, but Garoth remembered his path of growth and rise very clearly. His first infection with the frenzied flame was also deeply etched in his memory.

Still, that was what he said. Garoth certainly wasn't in a hurry.

He grew stronger every single day. Time was always on his side.

The iron dragon turned his head to look at him: "Are you ready?"

Garoth rolled his neck.

"Pretty much. Life Essence is fully saturated, and my mind has been adjusted to the optimal state for battle."

"Right now, I've never been in better condition."

He looked at the sky and said: "Once it gets a bit closer, I'll head into the deep void and have the final battle with it there."

Sorog mused for a moment, then said: "The distance is too great, the empire's Star Network will have difficulty supporting you. However, Reinhardt and the two immortals from Nausil are all on standby, ready to deploy at any moment."

Currently, Bernardo had a total of four immortal-level existences.

In terms of sheer numbers, that was fewer than before.

However, Garoth alone was worth several of them. Overall, Bernardo was at an unprecedented peak.

And in the Material Plane, although there were gaps between immortals, numbers could indeed compensate for the gap to a certain extent. If the intensity of a group beating was high enough, even higher-ranked gods could suffer great losses in the Material Plane.

But Garoth had no intention of ganging up.

"No need."

He said: "All the Life Essence produced by the entire Bernardo has gone into my mouth during this period. Their conditions aren't at their peak anyway. They can't be counted on."

"Besides..."

"Most importantly, this Egg of Catastrophe has an extremely violent effect on the mind. If they join the battle and one misstep leads to their minds being corroded by the frenzied flame, they could very well switch sides and attack me instead."

Garoth had no knightly code requiring one-on-one combat.

Back in the day, he had relied on ganging up to gain the advantage in his battle against the Dragon Father, ultimately achieving final victory.

But ganging up depended on the situation.

The two immortals from Nausil had both been infected by the frenzied flame before, and it hadn't been completely eradicated. The possibility of them switching sides on the spot when approaching the Primordial Waste was not low.

Although Reinhardt hadn't been affected much, there was still that possibility.

Even if they didn't switch sides, a chaotic battle with no coordination whatsoever was worse than Garoth going alone.

Shire had died back then because he lost his mind in a state of rage, forgot his fragile identity, got too close, and was rammed to death by Gorthax.

"They'll stay on the planet, responsible for blocking some of the battle's shockwaves and maintaining Bernardo's stability."

The red iron dragon looked at the ever-approaching Ominous Star and said: "What comes next is my battle."

In Garoth's eyes, the entire empire was essentially his logistics, providing him with everything he needed.

And now, it was time for this emperor to march out to war.

Sorog said solemnly: "Understood. If you need anything else, or have any other orders, be sure to notify me immediately."

The red iron dragon nodded slightly: "I'll let you know."

Time continued to draw closer.

The Ominous Star grew more enormous day by day.

After more than a week passed, it had become so massive it was suffocating.

With the naked eye alone, one could clearly see its surface, shrouded in thick, dark red light like blazing flames, making it look like a blood-red sun.

A blood sun hung in the sky.

And as it approached, Bernardo's gravitational field was affected, falling into chaos.

Anomalies appeared across the world.

The oceans roared, giant waves smashed through coastal dikes, the earth rumbled with continuous earthquakes. Even the orbits of the Aolan satellites showed slight deviations, and Star Network signals were frequently interrupted...

The entire Bernardo was shrouded in the light of the blood-red sun. The panic that had disappeared before began to spread once more.

Above the dragon court.

Garoth took one final look down at his empire, able to sense the chaotic gravitational field.

It was time.

He raised his head, looked up at the sky, and with a spread of his twin wings, his crimson figure shot upward, tearing through the clouds, breaking through the sky vault.

Higher and higher he flew, faster and faster.

Finally, under the gaze of countless millions, the crimson streak of light burst through the atmosphere, breaking free of Bernardo's embrace. A lone dragon, charging to meet the blood-red celestial body bearing down from the deep void.

In the deep void, the crimson figure was advancing at tremendous speed.

Between the edge of Bernardo's atmosphere and the Ominous Star stretched a vast expanse of vacuum.

This distance was an insurmountable chasm for ordinary creatures, one they could never cross in a lifetime. But for Garoth, it was nothing.

He could also tear through space and arrive directly at the surface of the Ominous Star.

But he didn't.

Because Garoth knew that tearing space was essentially teleportation - arriving directly, with no process in between.

And what he needed right now was precisely that process.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

The red iron dragon's wings spread to their limit, Dragon Qi bursting forth from his body, transforming into a crimson tail flame that propelled him through the vacuum, accelerating faster with each passing second, more ferocious with each breath.

At terminal velocity, this great dragon carrying the weight of a celestial body charged with reckless abandon.

The Ominous Star was the same.

Once it got within a certain distance of Bernardo, it stopped teleporting.

Its size was what it was. Its speed wasn't particularly fast, but it was coming in an unstoppable manner, along a perfectly straight line of collision.

And so it was.

The passage of time seemed to slow down.

Two "celestial bodies" of existence, in the deep void, along the same straight line, heading toward each other.

The relative speed between them kept climbing.

Garoth cleared all thoughts, his eyes fixed solely on the Ominous Star.

And as the distance closed, the Ominous Star in his vision expanded at a dizzying rate, blocking out his field of view. It was colossal, like a true planet, filling Garoth's entire vision.

In comparison to the Ominous Star, the red iron dragon's body was far too tiny.

It was like a speck of dust.

But it was precisely this speck of dust that charged toward the Ominous Star with vast, overwhelming, and unyielding momentum. If other immortals had been nearby, in their perception, this "celestial body" with wings and dragon scales was essentially as enormous as the Ominous Star itself - both were monsters whose full form could not be comprehended at a glance.

Closer.

Even closer.

Garoth could now clearly see that the Ominous Star was wrapped in a layer of frenzied flame so dense it had solidified into substance. Unlike the formless curse on Bernardo, this churned like magma, like an ocean, covering the entire celestial body like a burning cloak.

The blood-red color the Aola citizens saw was this layer of frenzied flame.

At the same time, with just a single glance, a wave of raging fury slammed into Garoth's reason along his line of sight, trying to ignite anger within his consciousness.

The red iron dragon's expression was wooden, his will like iron.

The fury that had just begun to rise was suppressed and crushed in an instant.

Many years ago, he had already dealt with the frenzied flame and been infected by it early on. Through repeated contact and tempering, he had long since developed extremely high resistance to it.

At the very least, there was no need to worry about its effects on his mind.

The frenzied flame that could infect even immortals could never burn through Garoth's walls of will.

Starlight State!

A sphere of thunderous fire, perfectly round like a star, churned and rolled as his draconic body expanded.

Garoth didn't slow down in the slightest. He plunged headfirst into the dark red ocean of frenzied flame.

In an instant, countless furious wills surged from all directions, trying to engulf him. But he paid them no mind, charging straight through, breaking through the layer of frenzied flame.

The scene before him changed.

Beneath the frenzied flame was a world that appeared to be full of life.

The oceans were azure, the continents verdant, with rolling mountains and rivers. One could even see herds of creatures migrating and running across the land... At first glance, it was clearly a thriving, living planet.

But Garoth still didn't slow down in the slightest.

His perception swept through like a storm, instantly uncovering the truth.

Every living creature on this planet burned with surging frenzied flame within. The entire vibrant world was nothing but a layer of disguise. The creatures here were all claws and fangs of the Egg of Catastrophe.

He wanted to see even deeper, to find out what was hidden inside this planet.

His gaze pierced through the earth, attempting to explore downward.

But the sight of the Eye of Truth was blocked by some mysterious interference once it reached a certain depth below the crust, unable to go any further.

"There's something inside this planet."

"Heh, then I'll just tear it open and see for myself."

The thought flashed by.

Garoth's mind was clear of distractions. In the midst of his extreme-speed flight, the six-armed state burst open.

Shoulder blades, rib sides, spine and back...

Six mighty giant arms extended simultaneously to their limits. Muscles bulged beneath the skin, engorged tendons coiled and twisted under the crimson dragon scales, rising like mountain ranges.

The earth before him was expanding wildly.

The next instant.

The tiny dragon and the entire enormous Ominous Star collided.

Boom!!

No sound could propagate out here.

But it seemed as if the deep void itself trembled in that moment, as if time itself had frozen.

In theory, with the impact of the great dragon's concentrated velocity and mass, he should have drilled directly into the depths of the crust, even piercing straight through the Ominous Star with unstoppable force.

But.

At the moment of contact, a warning alarm blared in Garoth's heart.

Inside the Ominous Star, which he couldn't see through, seemed to hide something dangerous.

So, the great dragon made a split-second decision. His six arms braced forward, holding against the entire mass of earth pressing down on him.

Gripped!

Countless invisible lines of force were seized by the great dragon.

Then, centered on his claws, the gravitational field twisted violently!

The invisible force field burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam, pouring out along his six giant arms - a foot, ten feet, a mile, ten thousand miles... crazily spreading across the surface of the Ominous Star, covering it at lightspeed.

These invisible force fields carried Garoth's will and power.

The collision had become a contest of strength between two celestial bodies at this moment.

This power radiated outward, and wherever it passed, the world on the Ominous Star's surface collapsed.

The azure oceans were lifted entirely, torn into billions of droplets. Continents were ripped up by the roots, plates shattered, splitting into countless fragments. Mountain ranges snapped in rows. The earth peeled away piece by piece like an eggshell...

The end of the world.

If this truly were a living planet, then what was unfolding before one's eyes was the most textbook example of doomsday.

At the same time.

Beneath Garoth's claws, centered on him, as the crust collapsed, the layers of disguise peeled away one by one, revealing the blood-red flesh beneath.

However, the Ominous Star was simply too massive, too heavy.

The force of the impact also extended to the great dragon's Arm Guards.

Under the tremendous recoil, even his incomparably dense, indestructible crimson scales began to crack inch by inch. Cracks spread like spiderwebs. The flesh and bone of his six giant arms creaked and groaned, letting out sounds of unbearable strain.

And from the macro perspective of the deep void.

The Ominous Star paused slightly, its speed decreasing a little.

But it was still advancing, still moving toward Bernardo, unstoppable.

"ROAR!!!"

The red iron dragon raised his head and bellowed.

Not enough.

He needed more power!

The next instant, a Dragon Pearl ignited, transforming into countless Dragon Qi that surged out like a volcanic eruption.

Radiant State, activate!

In that instant, golden light exploded from within the great dragon's body.

The light was too brilliant. Amplified and distorted by the gravitational field, it became so intense that even the Ominous Star's blood-red frenzied flame was suppressed. Gravitational ripples swept outward, tearing the layer of frenzied flame covering the Ominous Star into shreds.

And within the golden sun, Garoth's draconic body swelled once more. The cracks on his six giant arms healed and strengthened.

"I have walked on a Neutron Star, held the remnant of a star."

"A twisted thing disguised as a planet and celestial body, and you think you can stop me?"

The great dragon growled.

In that instant, with his explosively surging power, the gravitational field extending from his claws also surged dramatically, prying at the entire Ominous Star.

At this moment.

The blood-red celestial body, billions of times larger than the great dragon, was seized from its surface to its very flesh. Every inch of its tissue was firmly gripped by that tiny claw.

And amid the twisting and colliding gravitational fields, the entire surface of the Ominous Star was collapsing.

The entire crust was torn apart, flung away by the violently chaotic gravitational field, scattering and splashing through the deep void. The Ominous Star revealed its true face.

The entire Ominous Star was a living ball of flesh!

Tissue like muscle fibers intertwined tightly, horrifying and twisted.

On the scale of the starry sky, the situation had reversed.

The Ominous Star stopped.

This arrogant, living celestial body had stopped its advance for the first time.

Then, following the blazing of golden light, it began to retreat.

A foot, ten feet, a mile...

Pushed by the golden sun, by the tiny figure like a speck of dust at the center of that golden sun. The entire Ominous Star was being pushed back, little by little!

Bernardo, on the ground.

Because of the vast distance, everything happening in the deep void only reached the citizens' eyes after a delay.

They first saw something crash into the Ominous Star.

In an instant, the Ominous Star's surface collapsed inch by inch, revealing a massive, visible depression, as if a god's hammer had struck a crater. But the Ominous Star was still advancing.

Their hearts instantly leaped into their throats.

Then.

Golden, sun-like light blazed in the deep void, overwhelming the Ominous Star's blood-red color.

And then, countless billions of living beings raised their heads and witnessed with their own eyes a miracle they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

The Ominous Star was retreating.

The star of calamity hanging over everyone's heads, seeking to end everything, was being pushed away from Bernardo by a golden sun.

No one needed an explanation.

Everyone knew who that golden sun was.

Their emperor, their great Scarlet Emperor Cangxing, was single-handedly and relentlessly slamming the Ominous Star that should have ended everything into retreat, step by step!