Chapter 28: Fleet Recuperation: Glorious Deeds

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The vast hull of the Homecoming sailed steadily through the viscous, ever-shifting chaos of the Boundary Sea, like a colossal whale gliding through a bizarre and radiant abyss.

The outer energy shield scraped against the chaotic laws of the Boundary Sea, producing a deep, ancient-sounding hum.

Within the ship, isolated from the outside world, an atmosphere of reprieve after catastrophe mingled with an indescribable exhaustion.

Top deck. Private lounge.

Once the luxurious palace of one of Hua Ye’s trusted generals, it had now been simply refitted into He Feng’s temporary quarters and place of recovery.

Heavy velvet curtains shut out the bizarre currents of light beyond the windows, whose radiance was enough to warp the mind. Only soft illumination, simulating natural light, remained.

The air carried a faint scent of disinfectant and a strange incense with a soothing effect.

He Feng reclined halfway in a broad medical chair. The upper half of his Heavenly King Armor had been removed, exposing a powerful chest covered in both fresh and old scars.

The most horrifying wound lay high on the left side of his chest: a gash deep enough to reveal bone.

After the Dark Silver rapier had been pulled free, the edges of the puncture had turned a sinister dark violet, as though corroded by deadly poison. A layer of pale-green bio-gel covered it, suppressing the stubborn corrosive energy.

Around the wound, fine cracks spread along the contours of his muscles like a spiderweb. They were the traces of internal injuries left by Liang Bing’s heavy punches and kicks—violence so ferocious that even the Heavenly King Armor could not completely neutralize it.

His face was pale, and a fine sheen of cold sweat glistened at his temples. Every breath carried a suppressed heaviness, the sign of trembling internal organs and severe blood loss.

Even a legendary god of war now revealed a weakness he had never shown before.

The angel Chu Ling was kneeling on the carpet before the medical chair.

She wore a simple silver-gray medical uniform that outlined her graceful figure. Her smooth emerald-green hair was tied behind her head with an understated silver ribbon, revealing a clear forehead and an elegant, swanlike neck.

Her delicate, porcelain-doll face held nothing but intense concentration, solemnity, and a tenderness bordering on devotion.

Her movements were extraordinarily gentle, yet precise beyond measure. With nimble hands, she manipulated several hovering miniature nanomedical arms, carefully cleaning the smaller wounds scattered across He Feng’s chest and abdomen and applying a gel that promoted cellular regeneration.

From time to time, her fingertips brushed unintentionally across his taut skin, bringing a faint coolness. Each touch caused the furrow between his brows to relax by the slightest degree.

“Master.” Chu Ling’s voice was like a clear spring striking jade, naturally soft and alluring, yet carrying a soothing quality unique to the moment. She raised her eyes, clear as emeralds, and gazed anxiously at the lethal wound in He Feng’s chest.

“The Dark Silver corrosion is extremely tenacious. Ordinary regenerative gel has limited effect. We need to use the ship’s reserve of Star Marrow Source Matter to neutralize it.

“Removing the sword will be very painful, and you must not move at all during the procedure. Otherwise, the remaining Dark Silver energy will erupt and damage your heart meridians.”

He Feng kept his eyes closed as he leaned against the chair. His Adam’s apple moved once, and he gave a muffled “Mm.”

He had suffered too many grave injuries to be unaware that any unnecessary movement now could prove fatal.

He trusted Chu Ling as he trusted his own arm.

Chu Ling drew a deep breath. A trace of resolve flashed through her emerald eyes. She activated a precisely crafted medical instrument beside her, its surface glowing with a dim blue light.

A probe as fine as a strand of hair, its tip sparkling like starlight, slowly aligned itself with the center of the dark-violet wound in He Feng’s chest.

The instrument emitted a low hum. A gentle yet immensely powerful field of suction enveloped the injury.

“Master, please bear with it.” A faint tremor entered Chu Ling’s voice.

Vmm—!

The probe’s tip suddenly erupted with a dazzling blue-white radiance.

An indescribable agony struck him, as though ten million red-hot needles had pierced his heart at once, while countless tiny venomous insects gnawed furiously at his marrow.

He Feng’s body tightened like a drawn bow. His muscles bulged, his teeth ground together with a sharp clatter, and the veins on his forehead rose like cords. Beads of sweat as large as beans instantly soaked his temples.

Chu Ling’s heart clenched, but she forced herself to remain perfectly calm and steady.

Her hands were as unshakable as stone. She precisely controlled the probe’s energy output and angle, while with her other hand she guided another medical arm to drip a single drop of Star Marrow Source Matter—radiating an intense aura of life, like liquid starlight—deep into the wound.

Hiss—!

It was like cold water falling into boiling oil.

The dark-violet corrosive energy reacted violently with the Star Marrow Source Matter, producing a piercing sizzling sound as wisps of sinister black smoke rose into the air.

He Feng’s body convulsed violently. A muffled groan, suppressed to the utmost, escaped his throat, and a thread of bright-red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Chu Ling’s eyes reddened instantly, but she bit down on her lower lip and did not stop.

With the concentration of a master performing delicate microsculpture, she carefully guided the probe, drawing out and neutralizing the stubborn remnants of Dark Silver energy one thread at a time.

The process was slow and agonizing. Every minute fluctuation of energy tugged at He Feng’s nerves, already stretched to their limit, and tormented Chu Ling’s heart as well.

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Time seemed to freeze.

No one knew how long had passed. At last, when the final wisp of stubborn black smoke was completely drawn away by the probe, the dark violet within the depths of the wound finally faded. Fresh granulation tissue, healthy and pink, emerged and began to heal slowly under the nourishment of the Star Marrow Source Matter.

The instrument’s hum ceased.

Chu Ling released a long, silent breath, as though she had exhausted every ounce of strength in her body. She cautiously withdrew the probe and looked at the wound across He Feng’s chest. It was still horrifying, but it no longer radiated a deadly presence. Only then did the tension in her nerves begin to ease.

She quickly covered the wound with clean biological dressing, her movements as gentle as if she were tending a priceless treasure.

He Feng’s rigid body finally relaxed as well. He slumped against the back of the chair like a man utterly spent, breathing heavily. His face remained pale, but the lingering aura of death had vanished.

He opened his eyes. His golden pupils were dimmed by pain and exhaustion, but when his gaze fell upon Chu Ling kneeling before him—equally tired, yet unable to conceal her concern—a rare warmth entered them.

He extended his right hand, the hand that had once wielded the Sword of Royal Authority, cut down generals, seized banners, and been stained with countless lives.

Now, however, it moved with an almost tender strength as he gently caressed Chu Ling’s soft cheek. His fingertips felt the coolness and delicate texture of her skin.

“Ling’er…” He Feng’s voice was hoarse and low, weakened by his grave injuries, yet possessed of a strange magnetism. “You did well.”

Chu Ling’s body trembled faintly, and her emerald eyes instantly misted with tears.

Without thinking, she rubbed her cheek lightly against He Feng’s callused fingers like an obedient cat and whispered, “It was what I was meant to do. As long as Master is safe…”

His fingers did not leave. Instead, they followed the smooth contour of her cheek, stroking it gently, as though confirming that a lost treasure had truly been returned to him.

His gaze grew distant, as though piercing time and space to return to those ten thousand years of smoke, war drums, and clashing weapons.

“Eight thousand five hundred years ago…” He Feng slowly began, his voice carrying the weathered melancholy of remembrance. “I joined the Angel Legion when I was two thousand. Hua Ye’s father was still on the throne then. Beyond the Celestial City, the feudal lords stood everywhere, and beacons of war burned across the land.

“At four thousand, King Huazhi fell, and Hua Ye succeeded him. He changed the calendar to the Celestial Palace Era. I followed the new king and threw myself into the flood of the Unified War…

“At seven thousand five hundred, the Opposition War erupted. By the time of today’s battle, I had fought for nearly ten thousand years. I have killed… countless enemies.”

His fingers tightened slightly and pinched Chu Ling’s soft cheek, as though emphasizing a fact.

“I have broken through enemy formations eight thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine times. Each one was a hell of blood and fire, and each time I crawled out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

“I have been the first to scale the enemy position three thousand five hundred and seventy-eight times. I was the first to storm their palaces, climb their fortresses, and board their starships, with the bodies of my comrades piled like mountains behind me.

“I have slain enemy commanders one thousand three hundred and twenty-five times. Whether they were feudal lords of great renown or chieftains infamous for their brutality, their heads have all rolled beneath my sword.

“I have roamed across Angel Civilization for ten thousand years. In single combat, I have never suffered defeat. As for commanding armies…”

“Except for the Battle of the Angry Sea, I have never lost. And that was because that old bastard Hua Ye insisted on taking everyone along for a surprise attack.

“That old dog Su Mali was no better. Hua Ye knows nothing of warfare, but did Su Mali know anything either?

“He couldn’t see through such an obvious false report?

“He never tried to stop him. He even flattered that stinking fool. If Hua Ye had decided to lead everyone into a star, would Su Mali have applauded and praised the idea?

“He was supposed to be a veteran commander, wasn’t he?

“How were we ever supposed to build a proper Angel Civilization alongside vermin like that?

“And now look at us! We have nothing left!

“The Celestial Palace Order has collapsed! The age of male angels is completely over! We are all finished together!”

He sighed.

“As for everything else…

“For these ten thousand years, I have walked atop blades and traveled between life and death.

“I have always led the charge in every battle. I was both the fierce general who broke through enemy lines and the commander who directed entire legions.

“I have suffered countless injuries and accumulated scars beyond number.

“Minor injuries… Heh. Four thousand eight hundred and forty-six times? I can’t remember anymore. Scrapes and bruises are an everyday meal.

“Severe injuries: sixty-five times. Each one left me lingering before the gates of death.

“Near-death experiences… three.”

He Feng’s voice lowered, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible chill.

“Once, during the Bloodfall Star Battle of the Unified War, I was ambushed and surrounded by three peak third-generation super soldiers. My body was pierced ten times by Dark Silver swords, and my head was almost cut off…

“Once, at White Sacrifice Star during the Opposition War, Kesha spent a century laying a trap with the anti-god weapon Deathlight, newly developed by He Xi. I fell into the anti-god trap Kesha had personally arranged. My entire genetic chain nearly collapsed, and blood almost burst from every inch of me…

“And once more… just now, when that mad bitch Liang Bing ambushed me…”

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“Each time, I thought I would sleep forever on the battlefield and decay alongside the stars.”

His gaze sharpened, as though swords and warhorses were colliding within it.

“I have conquered more fortresses than I can count, reducing impregnable strongholds to dust.

“I have trampled countless planets, extinguishing the flames of resistance before the force of absolute power.

“I have torn out the most stubborn fortresses in the sea of stars. I have slain feudal lords who ruled their own domains, turning their ambitions to dust.

“I have slaughtered territories that resisted to the bitter end and remained loyal to enemy chieftains. I have commanded fleets to unleash orbital bombardments and blow planets apart, drowning their final resistance in blood.

“I have even… personally detonated a star, turning every living thing in that galaxy to dust…”

He paused, then lowered his head to look at the freshly bandaged wound on his chest. A self-mocking, icy curve touched the corner of his mouth.

“But this time… I truly never expected it. That foul little sister Liang Bing actually dared to enter the fray herself and resort to an ambush.”

His tone held disbelief and deep ridicule.

“For thousands of years, ever since the Opposition War began, which one of those high-ranking female angels has dared to appear within ten meters of me?

“Which one of them did not hide behind layer upon layer of guards and an army a million strong?

“That little girl Liang Bing must have gone completely mad this time. She lost all reason.”

He Feng’s fingers drifted lightly along Chu Ling’s smooth jawline, and a fierce killing intent flashed in his eyes.

“What a pity… My condition was too poor at the time. Otherwise, even if ten adjutants had thrown themselves in the way, she would have died without question!

“She probably isn’t dead… Consider her lucky.”

His tone carried absolute confidence, along with a trace of regret that he had been unable to finish the job.

After the Unified War, the terrifying prestige brought by He Feng’s title of God of War had long since penetrated the bones of all who knew it. In his eyes, Liang Bing’s action had been no different from seeking her own death.

Chu Ling lifted her delicate face and allowed her master to stroke her cheek. Her eyes were filled with undisguised admiration and heartache.

She tilted her head slightly and deliberately pressed her cheek deeper into He Feng’s broad palm, savoring the reassuring warmth radiating from it.

Her smile was gentle and pure, like a lily just opening, as though it could soothe every wound.

He Feng looked at Chu Ling kneeling before him: her obedient posture, her breathtaking features, the unreserved dependence and affection in her eyes…

An impulse he could barely restrain surged through him.

The weakness of his grave injuries, the emptiness that followed survival, and the possessiveness he felt toward the only woman before whom he could lower every guard intertwined in an instant.

He closed his hand around Chu Ling’s slender neck.

He did not exert force. It was more a declaration of ownership, a form of control charged with intense desire.

His thumb rested lightly over the place where her carotid artery pulsed, feeling the vigorous life beneath her skin.

Chu Ling’s body stiffened for an instant. A trace of surprise flashed through her emerald eyes, then dissolved into deeper moisture and submission.

She did not struggle in the slightest. Instead, she tilted her chin up faintly, presenting her vulnerable neck more completely beneath her master’s control. Her long lashes trembled like butterfly wings, and her breathing grew somewhat hurried.

He Feng suddenly pulled her toward him.

Chu Ling obediently leaned forward, her soft body nearly pressed against the edge of the medical chair.

The distance between them vanished at once. Their breathing could be heard.

He Feng lowered his head. His breath, hot with the scents of blood and medicine, covered Chu Ling’s soft lips with irresistible force.

It was not a gentle kiss. It was possessive, carrying the near-greedy hunger of a gravely wounded man and an overwhelming desire to confirm that he was still alive.

He Feng pried open her teeth with imperious force, conquering her mouth and drawing out its sweetness and breath.

At first, Chu Ling pretended to endure awkwardly. Then she began to respond instinctively, clumsy yet fervent.

Her hands rose of their own accord to encircle He Feng’s neck. Her fingertips unconsciously brushed the roots of his hair at the nape, sending a faint shiver through him.

Her response carried the devotion of a sacrifice and the surging love suppressed for thousands of years.

Within the lounge, nothing remained but their heavy breathing and the ambiguous wet sounds of their entangled lips and tongues. It seemed as though the very temperature of the air were rising.

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