Chapter 72: The Dreamweavers
Breaking through the waves with unstoppable force, Liu Tian arrived on Easter Island to find nothing but ruins and devastation.
All around, the remnants of detonated artillery emplacements littered the ground, as if the entire island had been plowed under. In just a few short minutes, the platform that the Sage King of the Bright Moon had named the Wrath of Heaven System had rained down nearly ten thousand tungsten rods—destructive power rivaling that of nuclear bombs.
However, compared to the instantaneous destruction of a nuclear weapon, this method had its flaws: preparation took too long, and ultimately, it was directed by humans who remained within the attack range of fighter jets and aircraft cannons.
Although most Celestial Martial Artists who could take to the skies did not fear ordinary weapons, swarms of aircraft and anti-aircraft batteries still posed a threat.
To achieve such devastating effect, one either had to strike preemptively when the enemy was unprepared or first neutralize all opposing anti-air defenses to bomb without restraint. In the end, it was a trump card that could only be played under certain conditions.
“Congratulations on breaking through the first line of defense and arriving on Easter Island.” As Liu Tian stepped onto the island, a magnetic male voice echoed from loudspeakers buried deep underground. “To be honest, these defenses were set up almost casually, but I truly didn’t expect you to break through so quickly.”
“So you’re the one who ruined my plans, aren’t you?”
Despite the intrusion, there was no hint of panic in the voice. Liu Tian listened as he manipulated his prism, locating the position of another large piece—it was underground.
“And you—Bright Moon…”
Boom!
Halfway through his sentence, the man’s voice was abruptly replaced by a harsh burst of static. Liu Tian had no intention of listening to this stranger’s rambling insults to his intelligence. A master at discerning the crux of any situation, as soon as he determined the prism’s location, he blasted the enemy’s loudspeaker to pieces.
When facing a known enemy and certain he had left the foe with no leverage, the faster he killed him, the better.
“Bright Moon, I’ll leave my retreat to you.” Liu Tian turned to the approaching Bright Moon. Though his power was not on par with Liu Tian, Baici Nan, or the Heavenly Dao, as a peak Celestial Martial Artist, Bright Moon still ranked among the top five in the world for individual strength and was more than capable of covering the rear.
Moreover, so long as the world itself was not at risk, Bright Moon’s integrity was beyond question—even the Heavenly Dao and Baici Nan did not dispute this.
“Leave it to me.” The Sage King of the Bright Moon nodded. This had been decided beforehand: after Liu Tian used his trump card to blast away any lurking dangers, he would drive straight into Easter Island like a spear, unleashing his full strength to carve a path. Bright Moon, able to fly and not slow, would follow, ready to extract them at any moment.
Despite his injuries, the Heavenly Dao could still fight at eighty percent strength and would serve as a mobile reserve, protecting Baici Nan from being captured and used as leverage.
To an ordinary person, sidelining two such powerful fighters seemed foolish.
But to Liu Tian, who had already broken through to the current of electricity, could output five hundred thousand volts, and still had three hundred source points to restore his body at a moment’s notice, if he couldn’t win alone, then even with Bright Moon and the Heavenly Dao, they would only be serving themselves up as sacrifices.
If he could win, their presence would only speed things up—it wouldn’t change the outcome.
Although this place had already been ravaged by the Wrath of Heaven System and nothing should remain that could threaten him, there was always the possibility—what if a nuclear warhead was still hidden?
So, this battle required speed, precision, and ruthlessness!
Speed—to not give Blue Dream time to confirm their positions and avoid nuclear bombardment; mobility was literally a matter of life and death.
Precision—to focus on the true objective; Blue Dream’s life was secondary. The crucial thing was to seize all the prisms before any disaster could be triggered.
Ruthlessness—if Blue Dream did possess some unimaginable trump card, and victory was impossible, he must be willing to abandon everything and escape at once.
In the worst-case scenario, even if the Sage King of the Bright Moon had to lay down his life to cover the retreat, Liu Tian’s safety must be guaranteed.
This was Bright Moon’s own proposal—after all, at sixty years of age, his path was nearly at an end, whereas Liu Tian’s was only beginning.
Now, Liu Tian was close to being the strongest in the world. If Blue Dream truly had some unstoppable contingency, only Liu Tian might have a chance to defeat it in the future.
For that, the Sage King of the Bright Moon was willing to sacrifice his life. As he had said—everything he possessed had been granted by this planet, for the purpose of defending humanity and forging a new future. If necessary, giving up his life was only right.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Without hesitation, Liu Tian unleashed a flurry of punches. The special alloy that had withstood even the Wrath of Heaven’s bombardment now crumpled before him like tissue paper, unable to impede his advance.
But after less than a kilometer, as a pitch-dark corridor appeared ahead, Liu Tian was forced to stop.
“So this is your final card, Blue Dream?” Liu Tian gazed into the black corridor, a weight lifting from his heart.
Although the newly evolved Celestial Martial Path allowed one to mimic the traits of myriad beasts with the Beast Fist of Myriad Forms, this did not mean he had lost the ability to simulate beast characteristics. In fact, as his Celestial Martial Fist grew stronger and he broke through to the current of electricity, this skill only became more powerful.
Thus, even with little light, Liu Tian saw clearly—the endless stream of troops emerging from the corridor.
“Hmph! I was going to share a few words with you, introduce the Dream of Blue,” the same male voice echoed from within the corridor. “But since you refuse the toast and insist on the penalty, then die—perish beneath my invincible Dreambeast Legion!”
As his words fell, ninety-nine corridors broke through the earth and rose up around Liu Tian, plus the one he had uncovered himself—making an even hundred.
From each of these hundred passages, the synchronized sound of marching feet drew steadily closer.
“So all your Dreambeast Legion look like this? Did you pay Senior Brother Baici Nan for his likeness?” Liu Tian glanced around at the so-called Dreambeast Legion, each bearing an uncanny resemblance to Baici Nan. “Bright Moon, you go on ahead—I’ll stretch my legs a bit.”
“Likeness rights? This first wave of ten thousand Dreambeasts are all your dear Senior Brother Baici Nan’s offspring,” the man laughed uproariously. “Your brother should thank me—thank me for giving him a toy to free him from eunuchhood, and for fathering him so many children!”
“Now I finally understand why Senior Brother Baici Nan wants you dead so badly,” Liu Tian said, gazing at the brainwashed, emotionless children of Baici Nan. “Blue Dream—you are no longer human.”
“Then come kill me, if you can!” The voice was magnetic and deep, but now carried a despicable, almost gleeful undertone. “Dreambeast Legion—!”
There was no explicit order, but the ten thousand strong first wave of the Dreambeast Legion seemed to hear something. Their previously blank faces twisted, and a murderous intent—familiar to Liu Tian, the Heavenly Dao, and Baici Nan—rose, linking them as one.
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
The cries for blood echoed, deafening. Liu Tian merely lowered his eyelids, and a killing intent hundreds, thousands of times fiercer than that of the Dreambeast Legion surged forth. A great roc, crimson as blood, spread its wings; the world itself seemed to drown in a sea of blood.
“Then come kill me, if you dare!”
Current of Electricity—Two Hundred Thousand Volts—Celestial Martial Path of Slaughter!
Faced with overwhelming numbers, Liu Tian struck without hesitation!