Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 166 - 136. The Wandering Mars

Chapter 166: 136. The Wandering Mars

Qiu Ran was dead.

This bleak reality weighed on Li Aozi’s chest like a boulder, making him clutch his neck, feeling suffocated and miserable.

Qiu Ran was dead.

Li Aozi kept trying to grasp each gust of wind, to snatch back a trace of Qiu Ran’s existence, but every wisp of ash slipped through his fingertips, unable to stay any longer.

Qiu Ran was dead.

Li Aozi suddenly stopped all movement.

He knelt on one knee on the ground, his heart devoid of surging grief and pain, nor any intense lamentation or empathy.

He just sat there, the immense shock rendering his facial expression numb and stiff, unable to reveal even a hint of emotion.

With a thud!

The sound of heavy footsteps falling to the ground echoed, Li Aozi slowly raised his head—in the not too distant collapsed ashes, a tall, gaunt figure slowly stood up.

"Damn carbon-based lifeforms!"

It was covered with a shadowy blackness that, at first glance, seemed like a two-meter-tall humanoid, but its body was covered with gelatinous, slender tentacles and a disproportionately triangular-shaped head, its face elongated to the extreme, features gone, only a pair of huge, pallid eyes remained.

"Fire, damn the fire, why are carbon-based lifeforms so afraid of it, forcing out my true form. At this rate, the Speaker will surely absorb me."

Luo Zhi · Hidden cursed, more out of dread, his true form exuding an oppressive aura of Beta Rank.

If it wasn’t for the Jury’s sturdy body, facing the flames, it would have melted away just like those ordinary Pseudo-Humans among the Society Citizens.

The face, devoid of features, couldn’t even smile, an almost unimaginably cruel fate for a citizen of the Forged Society.

"First, eliminate the witnesses, then plan after the Senator hijacks the train."

It raised its slender palm, six fingers transforming into sharp blades, ready to completely dispose of Li Aozi, who was kneeling on the ground.

"To think he abandoned his weapon, truly stupid carbon-based life."

It approached Li Aozi with contempt, the blades swiftly slashing down!

Li Aozi, expressionless, raised a hand, casually brushing in front of him.

Boom—

Luo Zhi · Hidden stood frozen in place, incredulously lifting its hand that had morphed into a blade—intense fire quickly bloomed along its palm.

"Fire! How could—"

Before it could even shriek, Li Aozi’s eyes swiftly radiated a red, flame-like aura, he slowly stood up, the chilling wind from the Outer World scattering his hair, his originally black hair faintly tinged with dark red, one hand in his pocket as he stepped closer to Luo Zhi · Hidden.

"How could you also possess the power of fire—don’t come closer!"

The recent explosion had cost Luo Zhi · Hidden much of its shape-shifting ability, facing the advancing Li Aozi, it was almost soul-shatteringly desperate, frantically waving its blade-like palms.

Without exception, every time it desperately swung its blade, just as it was about to reach Li Aozi, he nonchalantly raised a hand, casually brushing it away.

Clang!

Li Aozi removed a mechanical power arm that had restricted him from utilizing his Arcane Energy.

He didn’t know his current mood; after violent emotional fluctuations, he found himself not sad or happy, but exceedingly calm.

’Leozi, kill it!’

Xeno’s voice echoed in his heart, now, thinking back, he was extremely frightened—if it weren’t for Xeno being young and in poor health, staying in the first-class carriage for treatment like those kids, he would probably have already been, like those innocent passengers, like Qiu Ran, mercilessly devoured and replaced by Pseudo-Humans.

But even without her reminder, Li Aozi had only one thought in his mind:

Destroyer.

Boom—

The flames lit up, illuminating the face of Luo Zhi · Hidden, now only with huge, terrified eyes full of horror and fear.

"Am I very terrifying?"

Li Aozi asked calmly and gently brushed aside its slash, igniting a stunning cluster of red flames.

The ignition of "Spontaneous Combustion" was a romantically gorgeous process: the area in front of his palm distorted like smoke into a vortex, the rapid increase in temperature causing the air to shimmer and pressurize rapidly.

The greater the pressure, the higher the temperature, and vice versa. In a brief moment, the two had formed a chain-reaction-like positive cycle.

Soon after, the air and combustibles were rapidly ignited. It was merely the epilogue of the "Spontaneous Combustion" Arcane Energy, which through intense molecular movement, eventually produced a bright red blaze that shone brilliantly, melting the Pseudo-Human’s bladed palms in an instant every time.

The whole process was like the blossoming of petals, filled with the gorgeous sci-fi spectacle.

However, Li Aozi’s face was numb; he always felt something was missing.

To Luo Zhi: Hidden, his numb indifference was straight out of a horror movie.

Releasing extraordinary abilities effortlessly without any visible consumption, it desperately swung its blade, but the end result was always being shattered by the fierce flames.

Under the high temperatures, no matter how sharp its attacks were, they were always diminished by the flames.

"Why?! This is impossible, didn’t the Senator say there were no Limit Threshold powerhouses on this vehicle!"

Luo Zhi: Hidden screamed in terror:

"Senator, you lied to me—"

"Oh, so you’re of this level, then you must be a Society Citizen of the Jury."

Li Aozi suddenly stepped forward, kicked Luo Zhi: Hidden, knocking him to the ground. He lifted his left foot, stomping on Luo Zhi: Hidden’s face:

"Forgery Society: Philoris isn’t worth a damn; I’ve even killed thirteen Great Demons from Outer Domain Society: Pergale!"

Luo Zhi: Hidden froze, staring at Li Aozi in disbelief:

"You—how could you know about Outer Domain Society? How could humans from Azure Star possibly know these things!?"

Thwack!

Li Aozi harshly stamped his foot on his face, calmly stating:

"Philoris, the shame of Society, is nothing more than a spine-broken dog chased by narratives."

"Shut up!"

Luo Zhi: Hidden, unable to contain his anger, attempted to rise but Li Aozi immediately pressed his palm on his skull.

Surge after surge of intense fire engulfed his scalp, fervent and continuous. Li Aozi pressed down on his burning head while continuing:

"Philoris had its neck gnawed through by Gadia of the Ruzi Society and barely survived, was bombed to death twice by the Zusigote Fleet on its tenth narrative, and even fell for the tricks of the ’Greedy Speaker,’ losing four hundred Resource Star Systems."

His words meticulously destroyed Luo Zhi: Hidden’s faith. Li Aozi was all too aware, these Society Citizens regarded their mother Society much like they would a mother or a deity.

Many Society Citizens simply referred to their Society as ’Mom’ or ’Mother,’ since they were indeed like cells split from the Society itself.

Luo Zhi: Hidden could no longer endure the physical and psychological torment, giving up resistance, yet still asked unwillingly:

"Who exactly are you?"

"I am—"

Li Aozi suddenly choked his neck, as Luo Zhi: Hidden watched with horrified pale eyes, the flames completely incinerated him, burning him into a pile of ashes and tar.

He stood up, turned around, still feeling something was missing in his heart.

"—Oh, I am Li Aozi."

The most unbearable act was leaving a sentence half-spoken.

Although the feeling of letting someone die with grievances was exhilarating, it wasn’t so delightful.

He calmly slipped his hands into his pockets, picked up his long sword, and slowly walked toward the train’s weapon control room.

There was another, the so-called Senator.

"Citizens, Jury, Senators, Speakers—this is the structure of Society."

He murmured:

"Now, it seems I can no longer accept the fact that this planet must be destroyed by Forgery Society."

"This is a planet with despicable states like Frost Plated, yet it is also the birthplace of beings like Qiu Ran and Nomi. It’s a bitter and sunless place, but also the homeland where Outer World people strive to survive—no matter what, it should not be destroyed because of such trash."

"I will completely eradicate Forgery Society. From the Speakers down to the Citizens, I will slaughter every cell of it."