Chapter 152: The Mastermind Revealed

“So many, so many monsters!”
Just as the Ten Blades were preparing to claim victory and withdraw, a horde of Horned Winged Beasts suddenly burst forth from the sky and the depths of the sea around Clumsy Bear Island, blotting out the heavens.

“Leave the rest to us! Guarding Earth is our responsibility, too. Ten Thousand Miles of Ice!” A voice rang out, and in the distant sky, more than twenty figures in white robes appeared at once, led by none other than Gulaff, the president of the Magicians’ Guild.

Over twenty shadow clones cast Ten Thousand Miles of Ice in unison, freezing the twenty Horned Winged Beasts emerging from the sea, along with the surrounding waters.

A furious roar echoed from above as the remaining nineteen Horned Winged Beasts unleashed laser beams from the horns atop their heads, blasting at their frozen kin in an attempt to set them free.

“Riding the sword on the wind, I roam to vanquish evil and defend the world. With wine, I am carefree; without it, I am wild all the same. One cup to drain the rivers, another to swallow sun and moon. A thousand drinks and I remain unfallen—only I am the Sword Immortal of Wine!”

A melodious song drifted from afar as more than twenty sword-wielding heroes in ancient garb, each standing atop a current of sword energy, sliced through the sky and descended swiftly upon the battlefield. At their head was a middle-aged man with a wine gourd at his waist and an air of roguish charm.

“Disciples of Mount Shu, heed my command! Invoke the Immortal Art—Thunderclap Flash!”

“Yes, Thunderclap Flash!”
Two dozen voices rang out in unison. The sky darkened with a massive thundercloud, and what was once a modest lightning spell now summoned thousands of bolts—a cataclysmic storm.

Thunder crashed, as if the world itself were ending. Lightning stitched the sky to the earth, forming a sea of silver that swallowed every Horned Winged Beast in its path. The nineteen in the sky were torn to shreds; the twenty imprisoned in ice were also slain, though ten of their bodies, shielded by the frost, remained largely intact.

Iron Man, witnessing this, swiftly gathered up the ten preserved corpses. As he was one of Xiao Xie’s shadow clones, the corpses vanished into Xiao Xie’s storage space the moment they were collected.

“Damn it!” Yuqi, seeing this, was nearly driven mad. Those fifty Meibada were their hope for restoring their homeland, and now, all had perished on this backwater planet. With their force utterly wiped out, there was no hope of restoration left—so if they must go down, they would do so in flames.

“Activate the War Fortress! I want them all dead!” Yuqi roared, consumed by wrath.

“Yes, sir!”

Beneath the Bermuda Triangle, the massive War Fortress trembled, then lifted into the air. The tranquil sea was torn by a gigantic whirlpool, from which emerged an enormous steel beast, rivaling an island in size.

“Set course for Clumsy Bear Island! Move out!” Yuqi’s voice thundered within the War Fortress.

“Yes, sir!”

...

“With this matter settled, we shall take our leave,” the Sword Immortal of Wine cupped his fist to Gulaff in farewell.

“We must return to the Magicians’ Guild as well. Farewell, until next time,” Gulaff replied with a smile.

...

“Watch out!” the leader of the Ten Blades shouted, whisking his group away in a flash step to the distant sky.

“Not good!”

Suddenly, a blue beam several hundred meters wide shot forth from afar, incinerating more than a dozen magicians and Mount Shu disciples in its path. Of course, this was only the surface appearance—these were, in truth, shadow clones that vanished upon being struck. But those present didn’t know this; they truly believed their comrades had been obliterated by the blue ray.

The beam continued unhindered, gouging a massive crater thousands of meters wide into the sea, which did not return to its former state for a long time.

All those observing the battle were struck dumb with shock. Just as victory seemed certain, disaster struck—the heroes ambushed, the casualties severe.

“How could this happen?” Baby covered her mouth in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at the scene.

“The mastermind finally shows himself?” Xiao Xie thought to himself as he gazed at the colossal fortress now looming in the sky above.

“Why has the sky darkened? What is that?” Everyone gaped in awe at the titanic steel fortress casting its shadow over Clumsy Bear Island.

“So these are the so-called superheroes? Inferior humans are still just that.” Yuqi sneered, seeing the blue ray’s devastation. He had no idea that the shadow clones had perished simply because they’d run out of energy and couldn’t dodge in time.

“Kamehameha...!”

Just as Yuqi was basking in triumph, more than forty figures suddenly appeared in the distant sky. They wore short-sleeved shirts emblazoned with the character for ‘Turtle’—the shadow clones who had yet to enter the fray.

Over forty blue beams, brimming with thunderous power, surged toward the steel fortress.

“What is this?”

“Shield integrity failing! Energy critically low! Shield at eighty percent damage... ninety percent... Shield completely destroyed! Hull compromised!”

“Impossible! These inferior races—no!”

Bombarded by over forty Kamehameha waves, the War Fortress’s shields—capable of withstanding nuclear blasts—were as fragile as paper. The steel fortress was shattered, hurled into space, where it exploded in a brilliant burst, forming a dazzling firework high above the earth.

“Yeah! We won!”

“Victory!”

Seeing the fortress destroyed, all of humanity erupted in joyous celebration.

“At last, it’s over. It’s time for us to go as well.” Gulaff and his companions nodded to one another and departed into the sky.

...

“We did it! Xiao Xie, what’s wrong?” Baby called out joyfully, but her expression turned anxious when she saw Xiao Xie’s pale face.

Xiao Xie shook his head, gently flicked Baby’s delicate nose, and reassured her, “I’m fine. Just tired. I’ll feel better after a nap.”

Just now, as all the shadow clones were dismissed, the exhaustion from the past days crashed onto Xiao Xie’s body in an instant. If not for his immortality, he would never have survived with just a nap—he might have died from the fatigue.

“You seem... different now,” Baby whispered, watching Xiao Xie sleep on the sofa like a child. Resting her head on his chest, she felt a vulnerability she’d never seen in him before. In this moment, Xiao Xie seemed more human—less like the distant, godlike figure she’d always known.

“I like you the most.” She pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful beat of his heart, a sweet smile playing at her lips. Peacefully, she closed her beautiful eyes, resting quietly atop him.

As dusk settled, Xiao Xie opened his eyes to the lovely face inches from his own, and a gentle smile bloomed.

“You’re not Weiwei. You’re just Baby—my Baby.” Looking at her lying on his chest, tenderness flickered in his gaze. At first, part of his attraction to Baby stemmed from her resemblance to Bei Weiwei, but over time he’d come to see the truth: Weiwei was Weiwei, and Baby was Baby. Both were dear to him; neither was a substitute for the other.

“Mmm, what is it? You’re awake!” Baby rubbed her sleepy eyes, delighted to see Xiao Xie awake.

“Baby, I’m hungry,” Xiao Xie said in a playful, whining tone.

“I’ll make something to eat, but all I know is fried rice. You’re not allowed to complain,” Baby replied with a sweet smile.

Xiao Xie shook his head, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and grinned mischievously, “I want to eat you.”

“You’re impossible!” Baby blushed, feeling the heat of his body beneath her. Flustered, she chided him coquettishly.

“A bad man is a woman’s delight, isn’t he?”

With a wicked grin, Xiao Xie rolled over, pinning Baby beneath him.

...

Three hours of passionate intimacy later, the two ordered takeout.

“Baby, you must be hungry. Have some chicken soup to replenish your strength,” Xiao Xie said, ladling a bowl for her.

“You’re still laughing—it’s all your fault!” Baby pouted. After three hours of vigorous exercise, who wouldn’t be hungry?

Xiao Xie teased, “Who was the one saying, ‘Don’t stop’ just now?”

“If you say another word, I’ll ignore you forever, you rascal!” Baby replied, both embarrassed and annoyed.

When passion runs deep, restraint is impossible. Now, thinking back on it made her cheeks burn. She touched her flushed face and shot Xiao Xie a fierce glare.

“No more, no more—let’s eat,” Xiao Xie chuckled softly.