The gift I left for you is hidden within the Gemini Sanctuary, beneath the statue of the Gemini constellation. The unlocking password is an audio phrase. You must remember it well." A strange smile flickered across Shadowmoon’s face in the depths of Xingchen’s mind. She then declared, "Lord Shadowmoon possesses boundless magical power; above the heavens and beneath the earth, I alone reign supreme." With that, Shadowmoon’s eerie grin vanished from Xingchen’s consciousness.
Even now, Xingchen felt as though he were wandering in a fog.
"That detestable woman," Xingchen finally managed to react after a long moment. This woman’s **personality was definitely severely flawed; even her self-praise was so conceited, and now that she was finished, why leave behind such a lengthy plan that put him through endless misery?
Of course, despite his complaints, Xingchen decided to see what treasure the old hag had left behind!
The Gemini Sanctuary lay at the heart of the Gemini Defense Zone—an ancient and desolate fortress. The pervasive stillness within the ** halls was heavy, sending shivers down the spine just by looking at it.
Perhaps only the Moon Goddess could endure staying in such a place for thirty thousand years. Xingchen was intensely curious how these bio-robots managed to survive for three millennia without their physical bodies decaying, but at this moment, he didn't have the inclination to investigate closely.
In the center of the castle square stood a colossal Gemini relief!
It depicted two angels leaning back-to-back. The one on the left had an intimate, honest, and adorable expression, while the one on the right wore a faint, unsettling smile at the corner of its mouth. Although it appeared equally lovely, it radiated a chilling sensation deep in one’s bones.
It was like a demon wearing the guise of an angel.
Standing before the statue, Xingchen gathered his breath: "Lord Shadowmoon possesses boundless magical power; above the heavens and beneath the earth, I alone reign supreme."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the statue moved in a bizarre fashion, revealing a perfectly carved niche where it had stood, containing a peculiar box!
The box was large, resembling a coffin.
Simultaneously, a massive screen appeared!
Then, the large screen flashed with white light once more.
Shadowmoon’s infuriating smile reappeared on the screen!
"Kid, you’re not slow. Not bad for the one I selected." Shadowmoon still wore that arrogant, self-obsessed look. "Since you found this place, it means you can see the large box I left for you." At this point, Shadowmoon adopted a rare look of seriousness. "Listen closely. This large box holds the final treasure I left for you. Open the box first."
Xingchen carefully dragged the box out! And lifted the lid!
What greeted Xingchen’s eyes was a layer of transparent crystal, as if the box itself were carved from crystal. Inside lay only two round, white spheres, each about the size of a person! Beside the two spheres was a much larger black coffer, along with several smaller, strange boxes that resembled individual safes.
"What are these things?" Xingchen couldn't help but wonder. "They look like two eggs, but what could they be?"
"You must have seen them already," Shadowmoon said. "Those two eggs are Divine Beast Eggs, meant for hatching Aerial War Beasts. They are prepared for you and the Moon Goddess. Without Aerial War Beasts, you stand no chance against the Skyward Tribe's Phoenix Knights. So, you must guard these two treasures well. The Moon Goddess knows perfectly well how to hatch them, so you don't need to worry."
Aerial War Beast eggs! Xingchen was overjoyed. But what truly caught his attention were the two sets of glittering golden armor and jewelry inside another transparent crystal case next to the eggs! And two large, strangely shaped greatswords.
Ah! This was it! The orthodox Thunder God Armor, the Blades of Thunder God, and the Jewelry of Thunder God—the complete Thunder God Set.
Xingchen could hardly believe his eyes! Even without touching them, he could sense the astonishing energy fluctuations—like roaring mountains and surging tides—rushing toward him.
"Don't get too worked up. It's as simple as what you see." Shadowmoon continued, "These two sets are the orthodox Thunder God Sets. The one on the left is for you, and the one on the right is for the Moon Goddess and Moon-Shade. These are my most prized collectibles, and now they’re yours for the taking. Aren't you grateful to me?"
"You're being sensible," Xingchen muttered excitedly. "With these two treasures, I won't have to fear the Phoenix Knights anymore."
"Just pull the latch on the box, and you can equip them!" Shadowmoon teased. "Aren't you excited? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and open the box."
"This woman has truly become a spirit," Xingchen mumbled. "Even after being ** for thirty thousand years, she can still guess what’s on my mind."
Xingchen nervously pulled the latch on the crystal box!
Whoosh! A flash of white light erupted!
Xingchen felt a powerful surge of energy slam into him! His vision blurred, and before he could react, he felt his body tighten. Then, the energy rushing toward him poured into his body like spilled mercury!
After a long moment, the light gradually subsided.
But Xingchen was stunned to find that the imitation Thunder God Set he was wearing was gone, replaced by the genuine, dazzling gold version!
The golden luminescence and the surging aura of power made Xingchen so ecstatic he almost wanted to roar toward the heavens.
At the same moment, Moon-Shade’s attire shifted as well. Like him, she was now clad in the genuine, shimmering golden Thunder God Set.
Putting on this gear instantly made her look much cooler, Xingchen mused with deep emotion.
He then subconsciously activated his biological radar.
Life Field: 400,000. Battle Qi Intensity: 400,000!
Damn! So strong! Xingchen could hardly believe his eyes.
But when he saw Moon-Shade’s data, he nearly fainted!
Life Field: 1,200,000. Battle Qi Intensity: 1,200,000!
"What is going on! Shouldn't you have become stronger? Why are you weaker!" Xingchen grimaced. "What kind of ** equipment is this?"
"1.2 million is the base combat power," Moon-Shade replied. "Activate Level Six Burn."
Almost instantly! Light erupted fiercely from Moon-Shade’s body!
And the set of data that jumped onto Xingchen’s biological radar made him gasp for air on the spot!
"8.4 million," Xingchen muttered to himself. "My god, is this considered a BG [Big Growth]?"
"Are you excited?" Shadowmoon’s voice came from the screen, seeming to fully understand Xingchen’s current feelings. "Do you feel invincible?"
"A little," Xingchen answered almost involuntarily.
"But don't celebrate too soon," Shadowmoon warned. "At your current strength, you can barely handle those so-called Golden Warriors and Phoenix Knights. But just how strong that bastard Xiangtian is, you cannot possibly imagine. I can only give you the most conservative estimate: if Xiangtian remains in his peak state, his combat power will be over one hundred million. So, you must not let your guard down. You absolutely cannot defeat him by your own strength alone."
"One hundred million," Xingchen was practically frozen. "How is that possible? Does such a terrifying being really exist in this world?"
"Therefore, these two sets of equipment can only serve to save your ** lives," Shadowmoon explained. "To deal with the Skyward Tribe, the tactic that will truly be effective is the human wave strategy—that is, your Anti-Magic Constitution. Only by condensing over one hundred million points of magical energy can you have a chance to kill Xiangtian. Now you understand why you became the carrier of the Magic Immunity MF Antibody? Because only you can absorb magical energy limitlessly and condense it into the strongest single strike to kill Xiangtian. Of course, you cannot achieve this alone."
"What an incredible woman," Xingchen no longer knew how to describe the shock in his heart. This woman had been ** for over thirty thousand years, yet every step he currently took was still calculated perfectly by her.
He had always thought that using the Demon Devouring Body to condense magic for powerful attacks was his original unique skill, but he never expected Shadowmoon to have conceived of this tactic thirty thousand years ago, turning it into the final trump card against Xiangtian!
"So, you must not act rashly now," Shadowmoon instructed. "Next, you must follow my directions. Now, open the other black coffer."
The black coffer—Xingchen now noticed it beside the case holding the two eggs, resembling a safe.
Xingchen quickly opened the latch.
Inside were two black casings, looking like two very large hard drives. However, one of these casings was silver, and the other was gold.
"These two drives contain crucial data on how to defeat the Skyward Tribe. If the Shadowmoon Tribe and the Chenxing Tribe still exist, give the silver drive to the Shadowmoon Tribe and the gold drive to the Chenxing Tribe. They will assist you in completing the mission to defeat the Skyward Tribe. If, by this time, both the Shadowmoon Tribe and the Chenxing Tribe have ceased to exist, then you must start from scratch and develop slowly, waiting until you master the scientific civilization I have left you before attempting to defeat the Skyward Tribe."
Hearing this, Xingchen understood that defeating the Skyward Tribe would not be an overnight task, even with Shadowmoon and the two sets of orthodox Thunder God Equipment he now possessed!
Although he didn't know what the drives contained, Xingchen decided to bring them back to the Nile Tribe!
"That's all I needed to explain. The rest is up to you," Shadowmoon said before vanishing from the screen.
"It’s easy for you to say," Xingchen grumbled, annoyed. "Once you’re **ed, it’s all over for you, but it leaves the rest of us successors in a terrible bind."
Xingchen complained while carefully resealing the large box!
Outside the Gemini Defense Zone perimeter!
In the sky, two figures as large as warhorses floated silently, their massive wings beating slowly!
They were the Aerial War Beasts, mounts only the Phoenix Knights possessed!
On the backs of the two Aerial War Beasts sat two slender figures—it was Iron Eagle and Silver Fox!
Beside them were three other individuals: Weipeng, the highest commander of the Taurus Defense Zone, and his Guardian Hero, Old Bull—four people in total! They stared at the direction of the defense zone with grave expressions!
Behind them stood the Moon-Shade female warrior who had thoroughly tricked Xingchen earlier, but now her face was etched with tension!
She never imagined that her single report would not only alarm the defense zone's highest commanders, Old Bull and Weipeng, but also cause Iron Eagle and Silver Fox, stationed far away in Sky Cities Five and Seven, to rush over at full speed.
"Are you certain he truly entered the Gemini Defense Zone?" Silver Fox asked.
"Yes," Moon-Shade replied nervously.
"Recount the entire incident," Silver Fox commanded.
Although she was terrified, the Moon-Shade female warrior dared not conceal anything at this moment and truthfully narrated everything that had transpired.
"It seems his objective was you," Silver Fox said, staring at the Moon-Shade female warrior with a peculiar look.
That strange gaze made the Moon-Shade warrior uneasy, and she secretly lamented, Who did I offend to deserve this?
"But why is he pursuing her so relentlessly, even risking an intrusion into the Gemini Defense Zone?" Iron Eagle questioned.
"I might know a little about that," Weipeng said, as if recalling something.
"Speak quickly," Iron Eagle urged.
"Xingchen first appeared in the desert of the Aries Defense Zone, and he wasn't alone then; he had a Guardian Hero accompanying him," Weipeng explained. "But during the battle against the Aries couple, his hero was defeated." At this point, Weipeng glanced subconsciously at the Moon-Shade female warrior. "And his Guardian Hero was the same model as her—a Moon-Shade series."
"You mean he wants to resurrect his hero, so he needs a body, and he targeted her?" Iron Eagle stared intently at the Moon-Shade female warrior.
"I think that's likely," Weipeng confirmed.
"Interesting," Silver Fox flashed a strange smile. "Unfortunately, this guy is too stupid. Not only did he fail to capture anyone, but he was also tricked and rashly barged into the Gemini Defense Zone."
"Well done," Weipeng also said proudly, patting the Moon-Shade female warrior’s shoulder. "If this guy gets killed, it will be a huge merit for you."
"A huge merit my foot," Silver Fox scoffed. "Have you forgotten that he is the person designated to be captured alive by the Young Master and the Young Lady? If that Moon Goddess kills him, it will cause colossal trouble."
"But it’s too late to say anything now. He’s probably dead already," Iron Eagle said, his expression complex, seeming both gleeful and slightly regretful and resentful.
"Indeed. The Gemini Warrior inside the Gemini Defense Zone is a terrifying monster that even the previous generation's Golden Dragon once killed," Silver Fox stated. "Facing her, Xingchen is certainly doomed."
"Is she really that powerful?" Weipeng exclaimed in shock. "Is the legend true?"
"Of course," Silver Fox affirmed. "In all these years, have you seen anyone who entered the Gemini Defense Zone come out alive?"
"That's true," Old Bull seemed to recall something terrifying. "I heard that the Guardian Warrior of the Gemini Defense Zone was the result of a malfunction in the main computer when the Twelve Palaces were first established. It mistakenly assigned the Moon Goddess—the strongest warrior of the Tri-Directional Universal series, who was equipped with a protective ring at the time—into that sector. Afterward, that ** broke out. Although the Wolong Manor ultimately fell to our Skyward Tribe, the main computer refused to acknowledge our control authorization and chose to self-destruct, nearly destroying all the civilization data."
"I heard about that incident too," Weipeng murmured. "And the Moon Goddess, assigned by the main computer to the Gemini Sector, only recognized the main computer’s control commands. Consequently, even though she became the Guardian Warrior of the Gemini Sector, she refused to accept control from our Skyward Tribe, instead meticulously executing the protective task set by the main computer long ago."
"The result is that everyone from our Skyward Tribe to the Shadowmoon Tribe and Chenxing Tribe has become her enemy. Regardless of who it is, entering the Gemini Defense Zone means summary execution," Iron Eagle said wryly. "This Moon Goddess is truly formidable. Over thirty thousand years, people from both our Skyward Tribe and the Shadowmoon/Chenxing Tribes have tried to subdue her, but anyone who faced her met only one outcome: death. Even the four original Phoenix Knights together were killed by her, and the Golden Dragon of that generation also perished under her blade."
"It's a pity the Manor Lord has been in seclusion all these years, otherwise, she wouldn't have been allowed to run wild for so long," Silver Fox sounded somewhat reflective, yet also longing. "But I truly wish to witness if this Moon Goddess is really as powerful as they say."
The four chatted engrossed in their conversation, leaving the Moon-Shade female warrior beside them utterly dumbfounded. It seemed she had inadvertently learned a massive secret of the Wolong World!
If that guy really was **ed, would she really be in deep trouble? The Moon-Shade female warrior felt deeply uneasy.
But at that moment, the biological radar emitted a frantic alarm.
"Beep beep beep! Red Alert, Red Alert! High-intensity life form detected in the due east direction. Life Field 1,200,000, Battle Qi Intensity 400,000, moving outward at Mach 2.8. Identification signal unknown."
"Ah! This is—" Silver Fox and Iron Eagle couldn't believe it; their faces instantly turned deathly pale. "Life Field 1,200,000, Battle Qi Intensity 400,000—how is this possible?"
Almost simultaneously with their exclamations! In the distant sky, two golden figures shot toward them like lightning!
"Ah! It's Xingchen." Although they were some distance away, Iron Eagle clearly saw that one of the rapidly approaching figures was Xingchen.
The other, though unrecognized, had an astonishing Battle Qi Intensity, a terrifying killing aura, and the conspicuous blue long hair and countenance identical to the legends, causing everyone to gasp in unison. "The other one is—is the Demon of Gemini, the Moon Goddess!" Weipeng's voice sounded as if something were lodged in his throat, sounding unusually bizarre and hoarse.
Whoosh! The golden figures approached within ten meters of Silver Fox and the other four in the blink of an eye, then came to an impossible, sudden stop.
It was Xingchen! And the other slender, cold-faced female warrior was none other than the legendary Demon of Gemini, the Moon Goddess!
Though they didn't know what had happened, Silver Fox, Iron Eagle, and the others instinctively sensed that the situation was dire.
"Heh heh, it really is you guys," Xingchen sounded somewhat surprised, but his shining eyes clearly showed that he was certainly in a good mood right now, with a hint of excitement and eagerness to test his skills. "I was planning to find you to test Moon-Shade's combat strength, but I didn't expect you to deliver yourselves to my doorstep."
"Xingchen, you're actually alive," Silver Fox forced himself to suppress his shock, then stared intently at the shadow-like figure protecting Xingchen beside him. "She—is she the Guardian from the Gemini Sector?"
"You guessed right," Xingchen was beside himself with joy, especially watching the impossibly pale faces of Silver Fox and Iron Eagle—it was pure enjoyment.
"She really is the Moon Goddess," Weipeng exclaimed in disbelief.
"Wrong," Xingchen waved his hand slightly and then said solemnly, "Her name is not the Moon Goddess; she is my partner, Moon-Shade."
"H-how is that possible? You actually subdued her," Iron Eagle nearly collapsed to the ground, murmuring obsessively, "This is absurd."
"Heh heh," Xingchen said smugly. "My luck has always been good." Having said that, Xingchen dropped his smug demeanor. "Alright, I originally wanted to spar with you to test Moon-Shade's strength, but now you’ve saved me a lot of effort. How about it, who wants to go first? Single combat or gang-up, you choose."
"........." Silver Fox, Iron Eagle, and the others all had ashen faces.