HAGLTP Chapter 30.2

He tried to open the stone door, but without Ye Qi’s guidance, Xiao Lu couldn’t find the switch on the inside of the secret passage.

The thick walls isolated all sound, leaving only a profound silence.

Such silence, however, was even more tormenting. Xiao Lu didn’t know where Duan Kai was, nor did he know what Ye Qi intended to do.

Is he okay? Is he… still alive?

Xiao Lu slammed his fist heavily against the stone wall, the anger and unwillingness in his heart rising to an extreme.

He despised the so-called identity of cannon fodder, he refused to submit to the oppression of fate, he wanted to change the tragic endings of his friends, he wanted this still somewhat lovely world to continue to exist.

He had defeated the parasitic Star Radiance and gained power, obtained the Star Boat that determined the outcome in the original plot, and was even stronger than the original Xiao Keyang.

He was fully prepared, but fate had quietly replaced his opponent.

This Duan Kai was so strong that it was hard to resist.

Could anyone really defeat such a monster? The secret passage was pitch black, making him feel as if he were being swallowed by a monster.

Maybe it was just a few seconds, or maybe a long time later.

The Star Boat in Xiao Lu’s hand suddenly flickered, the temperature scorching.

This meant Duan Kai had arrived.

However, the stone door isolated all movement. He couldn’t hear Duan Kai’s voice, nor did he know how he would treat Ye Qi.

An unnamed fury burned in Xiao Lu’s heart, almost consuming all his rationality.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him; he remembered what Duan Kai had said, “Those who are not of my kind cannot possibly grasp our secrets.”

Xiao Lu had defeated the prince of the parasitic Star Radiance and used the other’s power for himself. But he never considered himself to be Star Radiance; he didn’t necessarily feel much belonging to this world, yet he was quite repulsed by these parasitic invaders.

To Star Radiance, he was indeed not of their kind.

Could this be the difference between him and Duan Kai? Duan Kai could completely detach from humanity, could absorb the power of the Star Boat, while he and other ability users could not.

Xiao Lu closed his eyes, no longer paying attention to the possible movements outside the door or the impending danger, redirecting all his focus back to himself.

This was still the first time Xiao Lu felt the power of Star Radiance in such detail; he tried to let go of the resistance and rejection he had always held against this power, merging his body and mind with it.

It was just a power, after all; no matter where it came from or what its original purpose was, it was now just a part of his body.

This was his power, and he could also be light.

……

As Xiao Lu’s thoughts shifted, his body began to change quietly, the star patterns on his surface spreading, gradually covering his entire body.

The contours of his human features began to blur, and he became a shadow condensed from light.

The first floor of the council hall was enveloped in a layer of gray-white, the corridor littered with traces of battle.

Ye Qi leaned weakly against the wall, blood at the corner of his mouth, his face pale, his legs already turned to stone, unable to rise.

A hand reached out from the black mist, gripping Ye Qi’s chin: “Tell me where you hid him, and I can allow you to die a little easier.”

“…” Ye Qi calmly met the black mist’s gaze, his expression as serene as ever, without a trace of fear.

Duan Kai’s voice turned cold and hard: “I hate disobedient fellows, especially humans.”

The black mist spread again, obscuring Ye Qi’s vision.

Ye Qi raised his hand to erect a barrier in front of him, trying to resist the encroaching petrification.

But soon, the barrier shattered, the gray-white marks continued to spread over him, swallowing his waist, about to reach his chest.

Duan Kai coldly watched Ye Qi’s fingers tighten in pain.

Once long and well-proportioned, praised by fans as a work of art, his hands were now covered in dust and blood, clawing at the stone floor with such force that the tips turned white, two of his nails even having fallen off, revealing a bloody, raw nail bed.

“Heh, savor the taste of death as it approaches; you don’t deserve an easy death.” In the black mist, Duan Kai’s voice was extremely cruel.

“Boom—” A huge explosion sounded from deep within the corridor.

A blinding light erupted from that direction, shattering the heavy stone walls, thick stones flying everywhere amidst the smoke.

Duan Kai’s gaze shifted away from Ye Qi: “You finally came out.”

His eyes searched the surroundings but failed to find the figure he had been looking for.

Just as Duan Kai was puzzled, beams of light, unknown from where they came, gradually gathered around the black mist, surrounding him.

The entire space was becoming brighter and brighter.

So bright it was blinding, almost making it impossible to open one’s eyes, in stark contrast to the oppressive black mist that had enveloped everything before, resembling a holy temple.

Duan Kai tried to use the black mist to engulf these unknown lights, but this time, he was shocked to find he could no longer do so.

Not only that, but the moment he came into contact with the light, a terrifying sense of oppression surged forth, a power on par with his own.

“How is this possible? A human can actually uncover the hidden power of the Star Boat!!” Duan Kai’s astonishment was hard to conceal.

The light grew brighter and brighter, the black mist wrapped in light emitted a sizzling sound as if it were ice and snow meeting sunlight, continuously melting away.

“Human, don’t be too arrogant!” Duan Kai gritted his teeth, pushing the black mist’s abilities to the limit, lunging toward the light.

Only he could achieve victory! He was the only one chosen by the throne!

In response to him was an increasingly brilliant light.

The clash of light and dark, equally powerful forces collided fiercely in the castle corridor, both sides exerting their utmost effort, vowing to completely annihilate the other.

The originally solid walls could not withstand such destruction, beginning to crack.

Ultimately, they suddenly collapsed.

·

In the distant Cloud City.

Huang Sansheng suddenly woke up from his dream; he usually slept well, but tonight he didn’t know what was wrong.

He opened his eyes just in time to see a golden beam of light shooting straight into the sky outside the window, illuminating the entire night sky as bright as day.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Huang Sansheng was puzzled; what was that? A laser?

“I must be dreaming…”

Yawning, Huang Sansheng closed his eyes again.

However, the color of this light was somewhat similar to that of his brother Lu, a reassuring color.

When Brother Lu and the others return, he must criticize them for leaving him in Cloud City; if they treat him to a barbecue, he wouldn’t hold it against them…

His thoughts paused here, and Huang Sansheng curled up in his warm blanket, falling into a deep sleep.

Tonight, he would have a good dream.

·

In Mo Yisheng’s office.

MIKI and he had not slept, both looking through the floor-to-ceiling window at the undeniable beam of light, as well as the points of light gathering toward it like a galaxy.

“That direction is Shadow City,” MIKI said.

Mo Yisheng leaned back on the sofa: “After leaving the city, did Xiao Lu and the others head toward Shadow City?”

“Yes,” MIKI nodded.

“What do you think they stirred up?” Mo Yisheng smiled, the reflection of that dazzling light in his glasses.

·

In the ruined castle.

Ye Qi weakly opened his eyes and saw a sky full of stars. Unlike real stars, these stars were flowing.

It was Star Radiance; countless Star Radiance had broken free from their parasitic shells, as if summoned, actively rushing toward the castle.

“The starry sky tonight is beautiful, isn’t it?” Xiao Lu’s voice rang out from not far away.

Ye Qi turned his head and saw Xiao Lu, wearing a mask, walking step by step toward him, holding the now unified complete Star Boat in his left hand, forcibly summoning back the Star Radiance.

Countless points of light passed through the dilapidated corridor, paving a path of light, then gathered around him, shining with warm light, making each step he took feel as if a deity had descended.

In places beyond his line of sight, one by one, the aberrants fell, their Star Radiance struggling unwillingly, yet powerless to resist the power of the Star Boat, forcibly leaving their bodies.

In the now empty great hall, a few trembling children peeked out, gazing at the magnificent canopy.

“Look at the stars!”

“Wow, so beautiful…”

“Hurry and make a wish! With so many shooting stars, our wishes will definitely come true!”

“I want to be as powerful as that male mother just now!”

“Me too!”

“I want to as well!”

“You can’t compete with me; this is my wish!”

With a body full of starlight, Xiao Lu’s footsteps stopped, casually leaning against Ye Qi, placing the mask on the ground, his gaze directed toward the brilliant galaxy.

He extended his right hand, opening it in front of Ye Qi, revealing a crystal swirling with black star patterns.

“Pleasure to cooperate, Mr. A.”

For the first time, a smile appeared on Ye Qi’s usually expressionless face.

That smile made Ye Qi’s usual silence and composure fade away in an instant, replaced by an elusive quality like smoke or mist, as if he had seen through everything in the world without any attachments, yet also seemed deeply immersed in the mortal world, reluctant to leave.

【Author’s Note】

Congratulations to Mr. A for successfully dropping the act.

Mr. A: It’s okay, I have new ones.

Actually, there was a setting where Duan Kai liked to wear red shorts, but the plot progressed too seriously, and there was no opportunity for him to show it, which is a bit regrettable; I can only share it with you here in the author’s note.

Thanks to the little angels who voted for me with a ticket or watered the nutrient solution between 2021-12-13 20:19:54 and 2021-12-14 20:02:55~

Thanks to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Luo Ming 33 bottles; A Happy Alpaca 3 bottles; Dawn Flame, Tao Tao 1 bottle each;

Thank you all for your support; I will continue to work hard!