The Ghost Legion’s altar location was never a secret. This arrogant organization never bothered to hide its whereabouts. It was situated atop the Luowu Cliff in the redwood forest, where a thousand-foot chasm split the mountain like a broken blade. The three armies and the Ghost Legion had traded victories in their battles so far, but Lu Yunian had never seen the legendary leader Taotie. He couldn’t help but wonder if this ancient god, like Gu Zeyu, had not yet regained his true power.

Pei Xiuran sat in the tent, gripping Hai Mu’er’s wrist tightly, continuously transmitting soothing Alpha pheromones to counteract the oppressive Enigma pheromones. But in reality, he wasn’t faring much better himself. Hai Mu’er attempted to reciprocate with Omega pheromones. Seeing that Pei Xiuran didn’t angrily push his hand away, a flash of surprise and joy crossed his eyes.

The two sat in silence, the pheromone exchange gradually relaxing their tense bodies. Hai Mu’er tentatively leaned closer to Pei Xiuran, feeling a secret thrill of success just from their shoulders touching. Unexpectedly, Pei Xiuran turned and captured the Omega’s lips in a kiss, forcefully transmitting a torrent of Alpha pheromones into Hai Mu’er’s body. After the kiss, the Omega’s eyes were glazed over, but Pei Xiuran nonchalantly stood up and left, leaving him alone to savor the ambiguous kiss while clutching his collar.

The final battle would take place atop the thousand-foot cliff of Luowu.

Though the Ghost Legion’s individual combat strength was high, they couldn’t withstand the three armies’ human wave tactics. By the time they reached the mountaintop, the death toll had reached a 30% casualty rate. The path up the mountain was paved with the flesh and blood of soldiers. What made it worse was that the Ghost Legion had converted many of the Alphas they’d captured to their side. In battle, they were forced to turn their blades against former comrades, colleagues, and even revered teachers. The elites who had been transformed into Omegas, in their final moments of clarity before death, gripped the arrows piercing their chests and tearfully thanked the comrades who had killed them.

In this world, they came pure and wished to leave pure as well.

But the deeper they penetrated into enemy territory, the more Lu Yunian soberly realized this battle was doomed to fail. After Gu Zeyu had taken away his gift, his physical abilities were no match from before. Compared to other Alpha warriors, he was still the weakest Omega in the ABOE world. It was nearly impossible for him to withstand the absolute Enigma pheromones alone. Countless times during battle, Lu Yunian’s hand had reached for the syringe attached to his chest, only to grit his teeth and endure.

Finally, the moment came when he had no choice but to use it. The final battle finally came. The battlefield was saturated with the scent of blood mixed with various Alpha and Enigma pheromones. Amidst the sea of blood, Lu Yunian at last saw the legendary divine beast, Taotie. He hadn’t even taken human form, still in his ferocious beast state: a sheep’s body with a human face, eyes bizarrely located under the armpits. He had human limbs, but when he opened his mouth, he revealed fierce tiger teeth. His entire body burned with crimson flames. His howl was eerily like an infant’s cry, chilling to hear on this battlefield of death.

Tian Yulan descended from the sky behind Lu Yunian. Watching as every Alpha who approached within a thousand meters of Taotie was instantly incinerated to ash, he shook his wings, shedding a few feathers torn in battle, and said, “An ant trying to shake a tree, a mantis trying to stop a chariot.”

Pei Xiuran and Hai Mu’er also fell into a long silence, but they heard Lu Yunian counting under his breath. After three minutes, the Omega’s sharp voice rang out, and everyone understood his intent. “Taotie’s flames have a burning duration. They don’t have unlimited energy. Every one minute and nineteen seconds, there’s a thirty-four second recharge period. We can seize those thirty-four seconds…”

“General Lu, no Alpha can get close to Taotie in thirty-four seconds. We’d be immobilized by the Enigma pheromones, let alone try to assassinate Taotie,” Hai Mu’er responded gravely.

“What about an Enigma?” Lu Yunian’s hand went to his chest, touching the cold syringe. “Taotie’s eyes are under his armpits. Most of the time, he probably uses pheromone scent to distinguish friend from foe. What if an Enigma approached him?” Lu Yunian took out the syringe, gripping it tightly.

Seeing his friend’s action, Pei Xiuran grew suspicious. He stepped forward to snatch the object from Lu Yunian’s hand, asking urgently, “Yunian, what are you planning to do?”

“Before we left, I asked Professor Gu for one of the tertiary differentiation syringes he was researching. If the differentiation is successful, I can become an Enigma and assassinate Taotie,” Lu Yunian stepped back, holding the syringe high so others couldn’t reach it. He said gravely, “This is our only option.”

Tian Yulan suddenly stood up, gazing at the clouds on the horizon. “No need. We have another way. Our god has arrived!”

A sea of azure rushed towards them. Atop the waves stood an elegant god and a flustered little mermaid Alpha. Hai Mu’er’s expression immediately changed as he scolded, “What’s that idiot doing here? The sea clan can’t all die here.”

Tian Yulan turned back, chuckling softly. “Aren’t you underestimating the little mermaid? He may be young, but he might not be weaker than you in the future. Hai Yu has never forgotten the responsibility he bears. He is the true king of the sea clan!”

Lu Yunian couldn’t see or hear anything. At this moment, all he could see was that lofty god. Every gesture and smile of that person carried a familiar feeling yet was different from his Alpha.

Despite his anger at Gu Zeyu for rushing into such a dangerous place against his wishes, Lu Yunian couldn’t help but feel a sense of reassurance. He had to admit that deep down, he longed to fight alongside his Alpha and envied other Omegas who could receive their Alpha’s soothing pheromones.

Hai Yu was swept to the ground by the waves, instinctively running towards Pei Xiuran. Gu Zeyu had no time to speak to everyone; his appearance had already caught Taotie’s attention. All the gunfire and arrows on the battlefield ceased in an instant. The battle between supreme gods began first with a violent collision and suppression of pheromones.

“Is he… Kun?” Pei Xiuran turned to ask Hai Yu but heard Lu Yunian’s answer instead.

“No, he’s Gu Zeyu.” Lu Yunian was too familiar with the differences between the two. He was also stunned by this shocking discovery. Still clutching the syringe in his hand, his gaze locked onto his Alpha in battle. Seeing him transform into beast form, Lu Yunian explained to everyone, “He’s luring Taotie to fly down the cliff because Gu Zeyu has compassion for all living beings and doesn’t want to harm the soldiers on the battlefield.”

Kun was so vast, its size unknown, perhaps thousands of li long. Deep blue seawater and crimson flames collided countless times in the deep ravine. A muffled, ancient sound echoed from somewhere unknown. Everyone pinned their hopes on the god achieving ultimate victory, but only Lu Yunian had thought of countless backup plans in case of failure.

Amidst a thunderous roar, blue light intertwined with red light, piercing the sky. Gu Zeyu, his divine power depleted, reverted to human form and fell heavily into the cold pool. Taotie slowly descended to the edge of the pool, emitting an eerie laugh like an infant’s cry. But from the cold pool emerged countless sea spirits, using their mortal bodies to protect their god. The winged clan took flight from the forest, constantly distracting Taotie’s vision.

Taotie let out a muffled roar, mocking these people for their presumption. Tian Yulan swooped down from the sky, flashing a charming smile at the little mermaid Alpha, saying, “See? He doesn’t think much of your battle plan at all.”

Hai Yu trembled atop a tree, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest. Yet, using his keen military talent, he commanded all the animals to cooperate on land, sea, and air, taking advantage of the thirty-four-second intervals to collectively distract Taotie’s vision. Hai Mu’er led all the sea clan leaders to occupy every water source, using their inexhaustible power to prevent Taotie from jumping into the cold pool to pursue Gu Zeyu.

Taotie finally noticed the calm commander in the water. A tidal wave of flames rolled towards Hai Mu’er. Unable to dodge in time, his battle robes were burned through in several places, the scalded skin tightly adhering to his armor, causing sweat to bead on his forehead from the pain. Unexpectedly, the Pegasus Alpha Pei Xiuran swiftly appeared behind him, activating his differentiation ability to envelop him in holy light. Hai Mu’er seized this opportunity to lean close to Pei Xiuran’s ear, whispering softly, “You don’t want me to die, Pei Xiuran. I’m the one you love.”

Pei Xiuran responded by slapping him across the face, indicating that he had the nerve to talk about love at such a critical moment. But Hai Mu’er broke into a happy smile, hugging his Alpha as they dodged fireballs, persistently insisting that the Alpha admit his love.

Meanwhile, the tree that Hai Yu climbed was struck by Taotie’s fireball, splitting it in half. The little mermaid Alpha fell from a height of over ten meters, screaming for help in terror. But just before he hit the ground, Tian Yulan caught him securely in his arms, carrying him princess-style as they flew into the air. To ease his nervousness, Tian Yulan joked, “For saving your life, it wouldn’t be too much to ask for your hand in marriage, would it?”

Taotie, irritated by these persistent insects, raised his claws to incinerate everything before him when he suddenly sensed someone landing on his neck at incredible speed.

Lu Yunian exuded the potent pheromones of an Enigma. He held a silver MK-38 bomb, swiftly attaching it to Taotie’s fur with a hook. Patting the beast’s neck, he said smugly, “Hey, puppy, let me give you a taste of the weapons of the new era.”

Lu Yunian’s eyes darkened as he leapt into the deep pool just as Taotie’s tiger claws ignited. He dove deeper, searching for his Alpha. The explosion lit up the water like daylight, but Lu Yunian couldn’t find Gu Zeyu. Time was slipping away, and his strength was fading. As Lu Yunian resigned himself to eternal rest beside his god at the bottom of the pool, a gentle grip encircled his wrist. Turning, he felt the unique Alpha pheromones flowing into him.

But Lu Yunian was too exhausted. He struggled to open his eyes, seeing only a blurry shadow. He had prepared for the consequences of the injection, but faced with eternal separation from Gu Zeyu, he still couldn’t bear it. Mustering all his strength, he uttered three words he’d never said to Gu Zeyu before, “I love you.”

Then he closed his eyes.

The historical records of this battle between gods and demons were far from glorious. The power of the ancient god once again vanished from the mortal realm. The three clans lost many troops and excellent leaders. Taotie and his Enigma legion disappeared without a trace, and the Imperial War Star Lu Yunian slept for three full years.

When Lu Yunian woke up, the curtains in his room swayed gently in the breeze. His body, stiff from three years of sleep, felt surprisingly normal. He slowly sat up, clenching and unclenching his fist, finally realizing what had changed. The divine consciousness Gu Zeyu had taken from him had returned and was even stronger than before. The power this body now possessed was more terrifying than at his previous peak.

A dreadful thought struck him. He stumbled out of bed and rushed out the door, only to encounter Professor Gu after a few steps. Startled by Lu Yunian’s sudden awakening, the professor’s glasses fell to the ground as he stammered, “You’re finally awake. Thank goodness… thank goodness…”

Lu Yunian asked in a trembling voice, “Father, where’s Xiao Yu?”

Professor Gu retreated several steps, steadying himself against the wall. His eyes reddened, and he lowered his head, unable to look at the Omega. He said sadly, “Xiao Yu… Xiao Yu, he…”

Lu Yunian couldn’t bear to hear more. He turned to run, knowing what it meant that he once again possessed Kun’s power. But he never needed Gu Zeyu to sacrifice his divine consciousness to save him. Before injecting the syringe, he had thought that with Gu Zeyu’s long lifespan, he would surely find him in the next life and be his Omega again.

How had it come to this? Lu Yunian couldn’t believe it. He desperately wanted to find Pei Xiuran and get answers. Professor Gu called his name repeatedly, but he didn’t want to give him a chance to finish. For the first time, Lu Yunian fled. When it came to matters concerning Gu Zeyu, he always lost his rationality.

As he dialed Pei Xiuran’s number, before he could leave the courtyard, he saw Gu Zeyu’s eldest brother enter carrying a four-year-old child. The child was the spitting image of Gu Zeyu. The eldest brother scolded him sternly, “How did Uncle teach you? Other children may not know better, but our Lulu does. Shouldn’t you let them have their way? Shouldn’t you not fight over toys?”

Gu Lu pouted stubbornly. Seeing his father, who had been lying unconscious for three years, rush out of the house, his face transformed from tears to smiles. He wriggled out of his uncle’s arms and threw himself at Lu Yunian, calling out in a childish voice, “Dad, Dad.”

Lu Yunian caught his son, suddenly realizing he had slept for three long years. His heart raced with confusion. The eldest brother, unsurprised by his awakening, turned to walk back to the car but was stopped by Lu Yunian.

“Brother… where is Gu Zeyu?” Lu Yunian asked, his heart aching. The familiar scent of his son’s pheromones only made it harder to accept Gu Zeyu’s absence.

The eldest brother hesitated for a moment, his hand on the car door. With a grave expression, he said, “General Lu, your life was exchanged for Xiao Yu’s. Whatever happened, I hope you can face it calmly for his sake…”

Lu Yunian collapsed onto the sofa. At his feet was an ugly rag doll, the one Mrs. Spider had made for Gu Zeyu when he first arrived at the military camp, simply because Lu Yunian, that cruel Omega, had taken away all his toys. Memories flashed through his mind: on their wedding day, seeing the tearful Alpha in the dressing room, holding back tears at the makeup artist’s warning; the Alpha eagerly joining him at the military camp, too scared to speak after being scolded, yet clinging to him like an octopus every night; during his pregnancy, the Alpha making up ridiculous stories where Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother was Snow White, and they defeated the Little Match Girl to retrieve Aladdin’s lamp.

As a soldier, Lu Yunian could accept his own death, but he couldn’t accept being the one left behind. His Alpha, the strongest god in everyone’s eyes, was just his beloved little fool. Why did he never listen?

Lu Yunian’s heart clenched. His son babbled on about being bullied, but the Omega couldn’t focus on comforting the child. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks onto his collar. He heard a small voice mutter, “Why do adults cry so much?”

Seeing Lu Yunian frozen in place, the eldest brother opened the car door. Whimpering cries emerged from inside as he pulled someone out of the back seat. Gu Zeyu stumbled out, crying and fussing, clutching a toy he had just snatched from his son. He sobbed, “It’s my toy, not his toy, it’s mine…”

Lu Yunian stared at the dazed and confused Gu Zeyu. He set his son down and walked over to him. Gu Zeyu finally noticed the new presence. His puffy eyes opened slightly, and upon recognizing Lu Yunian, he dropped the hard-won toy and leapt into Lu Yunian’s arms. He cupped Lu Yunian’s face, kissing him repeatedly, and said foolishly, “Wifey, wifey, that thing you gave birth to bullies me every day. Now that you’re awake, you must stand up for me.”

The little one jumped up high, stomping his foot and yelling, “Gu Zeyu! You’re lying! You took my toy first! This is my dad, not your dad!”

Gu Zeyu clung to Lu Yunian like an octopus, shouting back at the son he couldn’t reach, “This is my wife, not your wife!”

The eldest brother walked over, rubbing his temples. He patted Lu Yunian’s shoulder and repeated, “I hope you can face it calmly for his sake…”

After dispersing his divine consciousness, Gu Zeyu had regressed to his adorable state. But Lu Yunian didn’t mind. Apart from raising two noisy children, everything else was quite harmonious.

(The End)

<< SA Chapter 34SA Chapter 36 >>