Chapter 140 This is for the Best

Nine days later, just as Caesar reached a profound awakening after enduring the greatest humiliation in his life and ascended to the Pure Land, on the other side of the world, Liu Tianzheng was holding Chu Zihang and Xia Mi, lost in thought.

The time of the wise always sharpens a man's mind. Even Liu Tian had to admit the genius and madness of the frenzied Angre—completely destroying everything related to himself, deliberately shattering his own world to gain power, combined with the power of Word Magic, was indeed formidable.

If Angre had been a little stronger, or had just a bit more time to master his powers, perhaps the outcome of the battle would have been different.

Liu Tian lifted his head and looked through the one-way transparent glass at the satellite that had watched over this planet for countless years. But this time, it was different. A giant character, visible even to the naked eye from the ground, floated on its surface—two horizontal strokes, one downward left stroke, and one downward right stroke—forming a large, bold character meaning "Heaven."

It was a warning, a deterrent, the best mark to make those foolish awakened ones who didn’t know their place realize the absolute gap in strength—but it was also a provocation.

At the appearance of such a symbolic sign, those ambitious schemers, no matter how much hatred or how many plans they harbored, would unite against a common enemy.

This meant that the next battle, barring unforeseen circumstances, would be a fight against the rest of the world.

“Hey.” Unconsciously, Liu Tian’s heartbeat quickened slightly, as if excited for the intense battle to come. He was not a man obsessed with fighting for its own sake, but at this point, he wanted to try—to defeat the entire damn world by himself!

“What are you thinking about?” Chu Zihang said softly in Liu Tian’s ear with a somewhat lazy tone. “You seem even more excited than before.”

“About the upcoming battle,” Liu Tian replied. “Tomorrow, let’s awaken your brother—after the fusion evolution, the Death God Hela can sense all the Nibelungs and has the authority to open the gates, right?”

“Of course, Hela is the queen of the land of the dead,” Xia Mi answered. “But she’s not the suitable Dragon King. If he’s to be truly born, I might have to accompany that dumb brother for a while—one or two years, maybe? Depends on when he finally wakes up…”

“Is that so? No wonder you didn’t stop it,” Liu Tian murmured as he suddenly turned over…

……

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Lu Mingfei was awakened by a cake slapped onto his face. Though not very heavy, it struck hard enough to make him notice.

Who was it?

Startled by the sudden attack, Lu Mingfei leapt up, instinctively removing the cream cake stuck to him. Before his eyes appeared a black-haired girl he had never seen before, dressed simply in an island-style sailor dress. She was tall and voluptuous, with legs just right—too much or too little would spoil the balance—wrapped in white stockings. Her water-blue eyes were as precious as emeralds and as clear as a mirrored lake. With a slight blink, a gentle yet alluring feminine charm poured forth. Her long hair was meticulously groomed, cascading over her shoulders, while the shorter side locks were styled like wings and firmly clipped back with a pink hairpin.

Her delicate features shone brilliantly under the sunlight, dazzling enough to make one squint, and the odd mischievous smile on her lips added a hint of impish temptation.

Lu Mingfei recalled the women he had seen before; only Xia Mi and Chu Zihang could compare, even the former little celestial maiden paled in comparison.

“Who are you!” Unmoved by her beauty, Lu Mingfei jumped up sharply, grabbed her by the neck with both hands, shaking vigorously, smearing the remaining cake all over her face and hair. “Hurry up and conjure Clark Asina for me!”

“Hmph!” As if well prepared, Clark Asina clamped her legs tightly, slipped her hands between Lu Mingfei’s loose grip, and effortlessly pried them apart. With a graceful twist of her slender waist, she unleashed surprising strength, throwing Lu Mingfei to the ground. Then, locking him in a perfect armbar, her voice as clear as a mountain spring rang out, “You ruined the hairstyle and makeup I painstakingly prepared, you brat!”

“You’re a damn jerk! Despite how much your mother Clark Asina loves you—knowing no one ever celebrated your birthday and going out of her way to prepare a gift—you ungrateful bastard, I’ll strangle you!”

“I think you’re joking.” Clark Asina’s strength far exceeded Lu Mingfei’s. With a slight shake, he broke free and reversed the hold, twisting the girl until her face contorted briefly. “I’ve worked hard raising you for two years, feeding you, housing you, even paying your debts. And your first act as a humanoid is to smash a cake in my face?”

“You’ve got it all wrong. If I don’t hit you until the roof comes off every day, who’s the head of this household?” Lu Mingfei said with mock severity, “I even asked Tian Ge to redeem you. And this is how you treat me?”

“Ridiculous! Did I ask you to lift my punishment? Redeem me? Do you take me for a courtesan?” She slightly loosened her grip, only to clamp her legs around his neck fiercely. “Even if you don’t help, I can work fifty years to pay it off.”

“Hah, an immortal breed, huh? Fifty years is easy? Let me tell you, my lifespan might not be shorter than yours. The punishment is gone, but the original contract remains. If you keep acting up, you’ll be scrubbing my toilets for a thousand years.”

“Scrubbing toilets it is!” Clark Asina gritted her teeth. “But be careful every night when you sleep—don’t drown by falling headfirst into the toilet.”

The two of them argued like this for nearly ten minutes until a knock on the door and Old Tang’s distinctive loud voice rang out, “Old Lu! Old Lu! Happy birthday! Stop sleeping, your teammates are here. Also, come down to the courtyard for a barbecue!”

“Hmph, we’ll let you off this time!” they said in unison.

Exchanging a glance, the two mischief-makers simultaneously loosened their grips, dusted themselves off, and stood up as if nothing had happened. Lu Mingfei went to take clothes from the hanger and wash up, while Clark Asina hurried to her room to touch up her makeup.

Ten minutes later, in the backyard of the Lu family villa—purchased at great expense by Lu Mingfei—the spacious garden was packed to capacity. Nearly a hundred frontline members from the cleaning squad, all trained under Lu Mingfei’s watchful eye, had traveled from afar. Some hadn’t even changed clothes, still smelling faintly of blood.

A massive three-meter-high tent stood in the center, with ten scattered barbecue grills surrounding the garden. These knife-wielding butchers, more adept at cutting than cooking, stood with hands behind their backs, wearing teasing smiles and sincere eyes as they watched the two emerge from the house.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Almost simultaneously, celebratory fireworks exploded, showering the courtyard with sparkling lights—

“Captain, happy birthday!”

“Old Lu, happy birthday!”

One after another, people approached to hug Lu Mingfei and celebrate his birthday. Some even complained, “Captain, how did you keep your birthday so secret? If it weren’t for Miss Clark Asina notifying us, we wouldn’t even know today was your birthday!”

After the crowd scattered, Clark Asina stood beside the tent, lightly lifting it into the air. A huge birthday cake appeared, adorned with elegant, delicate script that read—“Lu Mingfei, Happy 19th Birthday!”

Like a signal, the once bright sky was suddenly cloaked in dark clouds. Countless fireworks soared, forming a giant colorful inscription—“Lu Mingfei, Happy 19th Birthday!”

When the fireworks faded, the clouds dissipated as if blown away by an unseen force.

“Wait, did they summon the Dragon Clan to use Word Magic? How many points did that cost?” someone whispered to a comrade nearby.

“No cost at all. Miss Clark Asina just scanned her face to bring it up,” another replied softly.

“What are you staring at? Didn’t expect me to have such wide connections, did you?” Clark Asina put her hands on her hips, beaming with pride. “I spent quite a few favors. If it weren’t for feeling sorry for you, no one has celebrated your birthday in over ten years. I wouldn’t bother spending so much effort—celebrate, little puppy. No one loves you except me, Clark Asina, your mom!”

“Hey hey hey, I didn’t hear that! Where did you leave us?” Old Tang led the teasing. “Well, honestly, if we talk about love, we can’t compare to Miss Clark Asina. Hmph, are we just the third wheels here?”

“Looks like it,” Ye Sheng, also invited by Clark Asina, quickly caught on, nodded, and agreed, “Definitely not as good, not as good…”

“Exactly, exactly. I heard Miss Clark Asina spent a lot of effort learning to make cakes. I don’t have time for that.”

“Same here!”

“Hey hey hey, what do you mean?” Clark Asina sensed something and blushed, “Stop joking around! I didn’t mean anything by it!”

“Oh, sure, sure!”

“Right, right!”

The others nodded and chimed in.

Lu Mingfei spun around, looking at everyone he knew by name. After a while, he came back to himself, his voice hoarse, “Thank you. Thank you all.”

“Cut the crap!” Old Tang patted Lu Mingfei’s shoulder, ending the teasing. “I should thank you for helping me get into Heaven, Captain Lu. Come on, dinner’s ready. Everyone, try Old Tang’s cooking. I tell you, my mastery of the fire is unmatched.”

“Miss this chance, and you won’t get another like this.”

Half an hour later, as food grilled on the barbecue, Lu Mingfei pulled out a certificate from his pocket and casually said, “This is our two-year anniversary gift, thanks for celebrating my birthday.”

“Hah, no need—so you really paid me back? You used all your points, didn’t you? What a waste, idiot!” Clark Asina showed no reaction, casually tossing the certificate into the fire to burn. Then, quietly, she said, “Thanks.”

Ha!

With a light laugh, the world seemed to freeze suddenly. A little boy appeared, dressed in a black suit, a white silk scarf around his neck, and wearing white square-toed shoes.

“Brother, is this why you gave up power and authority?” the boy said flatly, golden eyes void of emotion. “Giving up the highest power and authority for this illusory dream built on a mirage? You’re truly a fool.”

“So what? Lu Mingze? No, Zero,” Lu Mingfei retorted. “I make my own decisions. I don’t take orders from anyone. Besides, isn’t this better? Friends, brothers, and a dumb dragon as a pet and comic relief.”

“These are tangible things, while the power and authority you speak of are illusions. No matter how I imagine, I can’t conceive a scenario where Tian Ge loses—yes, even against the world, Tian Ge would never lose…”

“Is that so?” Zero smiled indifferently. “Then we’ll see, watch who wins in the end—anyway, I can do nothing without your consent.”

“But if Heaven wins in the end, Brother, will you come to save me?”

“Who knows? I only clean up garbage. I might not know how to save a fool like you.”

With Lu Mingfei’s retort, the world shattered with a great roar, and time slowly began to flow again.