Chapter 54: The Destruction of 'Destruction' (6400)
At the boundary between the Origin Star River and the adjacent star river, a vast void separates them. Countless tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of years of pulling and tugging have maintained a balance between these two behemoths, and their gravity has gradually drawn all worlds that once lay between them toward each side, eventually turning the separating void from a boundary with scattered star clusters into a nothingness devoid of any world.
Now, at the boundary of an adjacent star river, a relatively young medium-sized world, a massive multi-galaxy world with four galaxies, seven stars, one hundred and twelve planets, and their countless satellites, forms this vast but lifeless world. All seven suns appear blue; their blazing heat has nurtured no life, and the overly complex and violent environment has deterred many void civilizations from development. Thus, to this day, this star system remains unnamed, obscure within the Multiverse Star River.
But now, it is about to become the focus of the entire Multiverse Star River.
Because a war is unfolding here.
Bang—Crash, crash, crash!
With a deafening roar, the 'sound' of the world barrier shattering vibrates through the void. An extremely radiant psionic light point, along with the broken world barrier, is propelled by a majestic white light stream and an invisible gravitational wave beam, moving at sub-light speed toward the nearest star at the world's boundary.
Boom!
When the psionic light point strikes the surface of this outermost blue star, a 'gap' appears on the surface of this colossal object, whose mass exceeds that of an ordinary main-sequence sun by fourteen times. The star's surface, slightly elliptical due to rapid rotation, is directly dented, like an apple with a bite taken out of it. But this bite is twelve thousand kilometers long—no small wound for a star.
The impacted star undergoes violent fluctuations, trying to restore its balance, but this strike has already destroyed its circulatory structure. The three layers of the photosphere, convection zone, and chromosphere are directly pierced, reaching deep into the star's interior. Radiation unimaginable to normal civilizations, along with stellar gases resembling egg yolk, erupt violently outward, forming a supergiant jet that can grow to nearly a hundred million kilometers long. From a distance, it looks like the blue sun is pursing its lips, ready to spit out a 'mouthful' of water, but this 'water' has a temperature of thirty million degrees or higher—a raging wind capable of instantly destroying a star.
According to the speed of light, the planets of this unfortunate star will be destroyed in one minute, four minutes, eight minutes, thirteen minutes, and fifty-four minutes respectively. Those lucky enough not to be in the jet's path, along with distant planets and gas giants, will temporarily survive but will be annihilated in the subsequent powerful energy burst of the star's explosion. Only planets at extremely distant orbits, over two hundred light-hours away, have a chance of survival, though they will still have their forms shattered by the explosive solar wind.
But none of this that should have happened actually occurs.
When Joshua and Emperor Amos both teleport into this world, what they see is this: The blue star, which should have been directly detonated by the combined aftermath of their attacks, is abnormally dimming. The explosive stellar gas jet only begins, and its subsequent energy dissipates into nothing. The flame column, which should have extended over seventy million kilometers, dies midway, dragged back to the star's surface by its own gravity. Under the influence of this mysterious force, the blue giant gradually returns to its normal cycle.
The energy that should have destroyed everything has vanished—or rather, it has been intercepted by someone.
A psionic light point flies back from the star's interior to its surface. The High Patriarch's battle robe, weapons, and high-tier transcendent accessories are all shattered, but his body remains intact. Having absorbed all the energy from the star's destruction, he is not unscathed, but indeed has no major injuries. The combined attack of Joshua and Emperor Amos, though forcing him out of the 'Realm of Illusion,' was also a mutual test and restraint between the two, giving him time to defend and recover.
It can be seen that the psionic light point, the silver micro-star, and the supergiant nebula lifeform, whose mass exceeds the entire star system of the blue giant, are facing off in serious confrontation across the vast cosmic vacuum. But the latter two's absurdly immense masses once again disrupt the internal balance of this medium-sized world. The entire galaxy's orbit changes, slowly approaching and rotating toward the three confronting parties. Some planets are torn apart by the overly massive and complex gravitational effects, their remnants orbiting in a strange elliptical path.
No communication, no words. Precisely because all three are intelligent beings, all gifted with extraordinary talent, evolving from fragile flesh-and-blood species born on planetary land to super-lifeforms capable of feeding on stars, all psychological warfare, communication, and mutual understanding are unnecessary through inefficient language. By observing each other's body structures and power levels, they can clearly construct in their minds the possible growth trajectories of their opponents. Thus, all three know that the other is not a 'compromising' normal lifeform. They are all beings who will not yield, will not retreat, will not make any concessions to their enemies.
In a sense, they are all abnormal individuals vastly different from ordinary people—so only battle remains. The victor holds all the right to speak, while the loser can only flee in disgrace or accept annihilation.
High Patriarch Georg looks at his ancient nemesis, the nebula-like Emperor Amos. He is one of the extremely rare madmen in the Multiverse Star River. Legend has it that on the same day he chose his path of sublimation, he devoured the home planet of the Amos people, then their home star system. He extremely advocates for strength, treating his own people with extreme harshness. Naturally, all alien races are unforgivable filthy aberrations in his eyes, thieves stealing his future power.
Yes, Emperor Amos regards the entire Multiverse Star River as his future property. Everything is part of his power and food he hasn't yet consumed. The strong feed on the weak—this is the natural way of things. And for food to dare rebel is a heinous crime. Merging with the emperor is their honor; why are they unwilling to accept it?
To reclaim his property, he will erase all life in this Multiverse Star River. The Amos people survive only as a reward for serving him since their birth, and he will need some life individuals to nurture soul cycles within his body in the future. So, of course, he chooses his former kin.
On the other side, the distant visitor from the mysterious Lost Star River, the legendary dwelling of ancient ancestors. The silver micro-star appears tiny but condenses the power to destroy everything. Their origins are unknown, their purpose unclear, and their attitude toward this star river is shrouded in mist. The combined fleet of multiple powerful beings has crossed the long Annihilation Prison to arrive. Are they messengers of destruction, or another powerful race seeking to settle in the Multiverse Star River?
But unfortunately, this Multiverse Star River is already full, with no room left. Wars between civilizations, patrols of Void Behemoths and World Devourers, destruction and the destruction of destruction occur at every moment, echoing the prophesied end of all things. This vast material sphere has no place left to settle, let alone accommodate another powerful race.
So he thinks.
Then.
The battle begins.
In the same instant, all three strike simultaneously. Above Georg's head, twelve star rings all light up. A hazy, spinning cyan-purple vortex appears behind him, swallowing the High Patriarch into a glorious psionic light. The next moment, a supergiant psionic field of twelve colors, far more brilliant than a rainbow, begins to expand. It expands at 99.99% of the speed of light, infinitely approaching it, directly engulfing the attacks of Joshua and Emperor Amos.
Energy light bursts capable of annihilating regions tens of thousands of kilometers wide, gravity blades that tear apart planets, are all swallowed by the giant field ring composed of twelve psionic stars. It rapidly grows, expanding, enveloping the entire dimming, color-changing blue giant star, absorbing nearly endless energy.
A galaxy-level supergiant psionic circulation body.
—The Ultimate Psionic Sovereign.
Transcending the ordinary psionic legendary rank 'Psionic Realm Manifestation,' surpassing the limit of limits, the endless psionic energy rapidly converts all matter, turning everything into part of 'psionic energy.' During the expansion of the twelve-colored psionic field, whether it's the star drawn into a ring or the vacuum dust swept clean, all are devoured. In this process of devouring and assimilation, the form of the Ultimate Psionic Sovereign grows ever larger.
And in this process, countless cyan-purple psionic light spheres fly out from the body of the Ultimate Psionic Sovereign. They are thousands of small psionic stars, non-rotating, floating in the vacuum, pure luminous spheres like shining stars. But then, these spheres are accelerated by a force not existing in the material realm, becoming light particles capable of destroying stars, raining down like hail on the opponent.
But how can such an attack be effective? This power of hurling stars is a catastrophic disaster for ordinary civilization fleets, but for the other two in battle, it's no different from children throwing soft snowballs at each other.
Emperor Amos silently trembles. His massive body accelerates its rotation, stirring spatial spirals. The light particles flying at sub-light speed are drawn into this spiral, instantly torn apart by complex gravitational changes, turning into light mist, which he then devours. The nebula lifeform, shaped like a giant luminous jellyfish, raises a tentacle. At its tip, a crystal the size of several planets begins to condense. As this crystal erupts with countless ring-shaped ripples, it turns these ripples into swords, directly slashing at the still-throwing psionic ring. As the ripples spread, a region of absolute zero darkness is created. It drains all moving energy, using frozen space and time as weapons, striking with the momentum to extinguish a star.
As nemeses entangled for who knows how many years, the Amos people and the Takur people rose in the same World Star River. At that time, Emperor Amos and the first High Patriarch had just sublimated their life forms. Countless years of battle have made them too familiar with each other, so even in a melee, they will first choose each other as opponents.
Of course, this doesn't mean Joshua can stay out of it.
In fact, he is suffering the combined attacks of Emperor Amos and the High Patriarch. All three are simultaneously attacking the other two and being attacked by the other two. It can be seen that a series of particles composed of antimatter are shooting rapidly toward the warrior's silver star against the backdrop of the dark cosmic vacuum. In the Steel Force vision, it is as conspicuous as a black ball in a white paper. On the other side, a massive force, directly transmitted from the non-material realm, is 'helping' the warrior collapse. It 'kindly' causes Joshua's neutron star battle body to contract further, until it enters 'finality.'
But it's meaningless.
Whether it's antimatter bombardment or psionic pressurization, they have lost their meaning for Joshua now.
Far from his fleet, far from his allies, even far from his world, his star river, away from his homeland, with no need to care about anyone, anything, or even any possible future, the warrior laughs loudly and removes the first layer of 'seal' on himself.
First, the first layer of restraint: the restraint of light and heat.
The hazy silver light surrounding the silver star fades. The Steel Force no longer shrouds the intense light spontaneously emitted by its master's body but begins to release its ultimate heat of nearly a billion degrees. With the first seal removed, the God of Steel extinguishes all concepts of color in the surrounding spacetime. Pure 'white' and pure 'light' race in arcs.
Partially revealing its prototype as a neutron star, due to the gravitational lensing effect, forms a star phenomenon resembling a 'white hole.' For Emperor Amos and the High Patriarch, now transformed into the Ultimate Psionic Sovereign, what they see is a series of gravitational-distorted, sky-blue rapid wavelengths. It appears like a bright point shrouded in a ring of blue light, wrapped in cloud-like rays, dangerous and beautiful.
Light ignites all suspended material particles floating in the vacuum. High energy causes electrons to detach, neutron beams even shatter atomic nuclei, triggering a series of fission phenomena around. The violent light engulfs the incoming dark matter bombardment, and even causes countless fireworks like stellar explosions around the blazing white star.
Then, the second layer of restraint: the restraint of all electromagnetism.
The seal that shields the star from interaction with the outside world, making the neutron star harmless and even able to move with the fleet without hindrance, is removed. Atoms within three astronomical units are pulled into needle-like shapes. All tangible matter is torn apart. The foundation of existence begins to change. No energy or matter can ignore this level of magnetic field. The invisible psionic pressurization, like ink dripping into hot water, begins to violently change, roll, and then be torn apart. The High Patriarch's spiritual groan is heard; his attack is severed at its root.
At this moment, the rotating neutron star battle body begins to gradually deform. Dark red divine patterns begin to spread across the blazing white star's surface, imprinting runes unique to Joshua. The rays at the poles become solid swords, rotating to cut the universe.
Finally, the third layer of restraint: the restraint of gravity.
The star, which should have directly swallowed all surrounding matter, warps spacetime, like a heavy iron ball sinking into a soft sofa. Emperor Amos's absolute zero slash is directly torn apart by the warped spacetime. The High Patriarch's divine energy breath, enough to burn out a giant star, is also cut into segments. The four-armed giant god form can no longer be observed by any optical device, but if it could be seen, it would probably be an extremely distorted demon god trying to crawl out of the gravity well. In the unobservable abyss of gravity, he begins to clasp his hands, draw his elbows, and then throw a punch.
And a spacetime groove, nine thousand kilometers long, spreads longitudinally at the speed of light, carrying the power to destroy stars, smashing toward the giant god's enemy.
Outside the world.
In a life world that nurtures a civilization not yet entering the void.
A scientist of an alien race, with a form resembling a seal ball, habitually opens the void detection mirror, preparing to observe the 'empty' and 'silent' void at the edge of this star river.
But just as it prepares to observe, the entire dark void lights up.
Before it can even be surprised, delighted, or terrified, the scientist's eyes are directly burned and injured by the intense light spanning the void, and it begins to roll in pain. But neither assistants nor graduate students have time to help their professor, because the entire world experiences an unprecedented illumination.
Apart from the eternally existing star in the sky, three more bright points appear like supernovae. Twelve colors of light mix with pure white light and blue light packets, violently depicting a pattern spanning the entire sky in the void outside the world. Everything is more bizarre and colorful than a dream. The world barrier has now become a canvas for the powerful to paint with their own strength, faithfully imprinting their powerful essence.
It can be seen that countless meteors fly, flying backward, gathering from the edge of the sky toward those three stars. They are the remnants of countless worlds, solid matter not worn away by spacetime turbulence, floating in the void. They streak across the sky, leaving only a brief afterimage.
The sky becomes a three-part map, and the race like seal balls, for the first time, observes the existence of another world—the slaughter of the top-tier powerful beings in the entire Multiverse Star River.
In the void, the massive nebula lifeform has already revealed its battle form. It is a spacetime vortex formed by countless skeletons and leaves, along with spacetime rotation. It is like a small artificial void maelstrom, constantly absorbing the magic tide energy and material debris floating in the surrounding void. Even some micro-continental worlds are like cookies, chewed and swallowed by its layered gravitational 'teeth.' Emperor Amos's gradually irritable spirit carries boundless anger sweeping through the star river: "Resistance is meaningless."
"You are simply the incarnation of annihilation, messengers of destruction... You are the enemies of this Multiverse Star River!"
Transformed into the Ultimate Psionic Sovereign, the High Patriarch's form is always between illusion and reality. The attacks of Joshua and Emperor Amos can always be dodged by him. The massive disc-shaped psionic circulation body is building an altar at its center, calling upon divine power from a distant unknown. The infinite divine power, whose divine nature and divine office are unknown, converges around the altar. Then, this divine power, mixed with various extreme emotional psionic energy, is shaped into shields, weapons, and machines of various spectra to counter the attacks of the other two.
"Interesting."
After fighting for who knows how long, Joshua still enjoys it. Unlike the angry Emperor and the condemning High Patriarch, the warrior enjoys the process of battle. Although, unconsciously, under the combined force of the other two, the three-way battle is gradually being pushed toward the battlefield of the combined fleet and the Knowledge Seizer, Joshua is not worried.
—Our mass causes time distortion. What seems like a short battle should have passed one or two months outside.
Even if something goes wrong, Baniel should have almost finished building the Space-Time Hub.
As for the High Patriarch's condemnation, it is like a spring breeze to the warrior. Messenger of destruction? Don't be ridiculous. He is destruction itself, but for evil gods, it is the destruction of 'destruction,' the destruction of 'destruction.'
But as if sensing Joshua's current relaxation and indifference, Georg and Emperor Amos both release massive information streams to interfere with the warrior's thoughts.
"Do you think the spacetime rift you are building at the edge of the star river can be successfully established?"
The High Patriarch's psionic impact is as sharp as his spirit: "Other powerful beings of my race have already teleported based on the coordinates I left behind. Don't think your delay can bring you an advantage!"
"My children have already gone to your lair—those who dare to encroach on the emperor's property will only face destruction!"
But just as they simultaneously release the information streams, Emperor Amos and the High Patriarch clash again. Compared to the newly appeared alien enemy, the two nemeses still prefer to eliminate each other.
To this, contrary to their expectations, Joshua is not at all surprised by this information.
Wanting to teleport to the Jetram Star Domain while the Space-Time Hub is prepared, resisting interference? Joshua himself can't do it. These two are just threatening with words at most. What's there to fear? Besides, Baniel is no pushover. As long as it's not the two of them in person, the Rune Master, who controls the entire star domain base resources, will teach any fool who dares to raid a lesson in being an intelligent lifeform.
So, without hesitation, Joshua draws the divine weapons forged from light from his magnetic poles and joins the melee.
The void outside the world is instantly filled with flames.
No matter where or what region, there are explosions and light flashing.
The brilliance of stars is easily obscured, and the remnants of a world slowly collapse behind them. The seven stars have all been extinguished, devoured, and converted into the mass-energy of the three combatants. Using spacetime transmission and teleportation as transportation, all regions within seven thousand light-hours are their regular combat range. The vast world of 3.2 light-years is merely within their evasive scope.
Light-speed attacks are just the basics. Devouring and converting everything is the most ordinary means of energy replenishment. Star-level matter reorganization and creation are like ordinary people using platelets to repair wounds. Their breathing alone can drain the entire world's usage of a non-void civilization for hundreds or thousands of years.
Warping spacetime, splitting atoms, annihilating elements, turning enemy attacks into one's own, absolute defense, unconditionally rebounding enemy attacks... All kinds of powers that sound like children's boasting are turned into reality, faithfully obeying their master's control.
Light shines through the void, creating a long path of light in the darkness. Along the way, countless worlds, whether they have civilization or life, have their barriers faithfully record the scenes of this battle. Tens of millions of years later, when races born within these worlds step into the void, they will clearly see the fragments of that glorious battle from the past.
This is the battle of transcendent beings beyond worlds, measured in star rivers.