The storm clouds peeled away, and warm sunlight washed the earth once more.
"Senior brother, are you all right?" Zhang Liang dug through the ruins until he found Fu Nian and Yan Lu. "What in the world happened here?"
Fu Nian and Yan Lu looked up at the sky, faces still stunned. "Terrifying… We never imagined such a monster existed in this world. We all underestimated him. That man is practically a god."
Shaken, Yan Lu recounted everything that had just transpired.
"Where are you taking me?" Shi Lan stared at the clouds sliding past beneath her feet—he was flying. Then she remembered how Goku had stomped once and split the earth; after that, flight hardly seemed surprising.
"To Xianyang Palace," Goku said with a faint smile.
"What for?" Shi Lan's eyes widened.
"—Hup!"
A clear cry split the air. A great white bird glided toward them from afar.
On its back stood Bai Feng and Mo Ya, both visibly rattled. "That's Lord Goku… Is this qinggong—or is he actually flying?"
Wind roared. In a blink, Goku drifted to a stop before the bird, meeting them with an easy grin. "What a coincidence—running into you at this height."
"Lord Goku, where are you headed?" Mo Ya asked, shaken; there was no doubt now—Goku truly flew.
"Xianyang Palace."
"So you're making your move," Mo Ya and Bai Feng said, barely containing their excitement. They could not wait to see how the 'dragon's den' would fare against a man like this.
Mo Ya still offered a warning. "Be careful up ahead. Meng Tian and Fusu are fielding a million troops by now. Looks like they're here for you."
"A million?" Shi Lan stared down at the teeming mass on the plains. To unleash an army that size for a single man sounded like a fable—but with Goku, anything felt possible.
"I know," Goku replied lightly. "I'm going to pay their 'million' a visit."
He vanished—then reappeared hanging in the air above the army. Looking down at the antlike tides of men and steel, his expression did not change.
Before leaving this world, he intended to make it remember him. This would be the battle that carved the name Goku into its bones.
---
"Goku!"
Meng Tian's heart jumped into his throat as the figure materialized overhead. The rain had just cleared; the camps were breaking down when the name they dreaded most appeared in the sky itself. Goku was the shadow in Meng Tian's mind—his golden fire cavalry had been unstoppable until they met this man.
But orders were orders. He was a general, keeper of a million lives. He could not waver. Even if he died, he would do so standing in front.
"So that's Goku?" Fusu mounted a charger and looked up. His gaze was sharp; authority bled from him without effort. "Impressive. To face a million men with a steady face—few possess such nerve."
"Meng Tian," Goku called down, amused, "you really rate me so highly? A million soldiers for one man?"
"Your skill is unfathomable," Fusu answered evenly. "I, Fusu, admit that deploying a million for one person is overkill. But it shows how seriously my imperial father takes you. Under heaven, only you deserve such 'honor.'"
Goku chuckled. "Then perhaps I should be flattered."
"No matter how strong you are," Fusu said, verdict already delivered, "before a million soldiers there is only one outcome—death."
"His Majesty truly sent a million… against one?" Shi Lan whispered, staring at the army that stretched to the horizon. The combined killing intent rolled like a flood; anyone would feel small before it.
Then she remembered the chasm at Xiao Sheng Xianzhuang, and the fear bled away. Perhaps even a million was not enough.
"Death? How funny," Goku said softly. "Frogs at the bottom of a well. What use is number before the infinite? I'll make it clear for you: a million, ten million, a hundred million, a billion—in front of me, it's all ants."
Power gathered. His eyes blazed like lightning under dark hair streaming in a wind that wasn't there. A pressure older than mountains poured down, and the sky itself seemed to bow. Purple qi rolled like an ocean, drowning the sun and smothering the peaks.
He stood between Sky and earth like a god lowering his hand.
The army froze—stunned into silence by a terror beyond words.
Then the sound began.
Thump. Thump. Thump…
Without a single move from Goku—on pressure alone—the million dropped to their knees. Fusu and Meng Tian collapsed with them, breath locked in chests. Only the pounding of a million foreheads striking earth remained; the ground itself trembled under it.
Even Bai Feng's white bird folded its legs and sank to the soil, head pressed low. Bai Feng and Mo Ya knelt as well, hearts rattling in their chests. This was not power that belonged to men.
Goku's lip curled. "Pathetic. Boasting in front of me and you can't endure a breath of my aura. How boring."
He lifted a hand.
"I beg you—spare them."
Fragrance drifted close, and the Goddess stepped into being before him. Her fingers closed warm around his palm, and the blaze in his chest guttered. She was mercy embodied; she could not watch a million lives snuffed out.
Soft, luminous eyes held a plea. Perfection itself, and somehow gentler than spring rain—Goku blinked despite himself.
"I can spare them," he murmured, "but… give me a kiss first."
To her surprise, she did not resent the demand. Color rose in her cheeks. She leaned in and brushed his face—a warm, feather-light touch that sent a pleasant jolt through him.
"That won't do at all," Goku grinned, releasing Shi Lan, and swept the Goddess into his arms for a proper kiss.
Shi Lan startled—he had let go, and they were still in the air. But she did not fall; something unseen held her up, a soft field that answered his will. She looked aside at the two of them—at the playful chu-chu of stolen kisses—and heat crept into her face. Something ached, small and sour, behind her ribs.
Below, not one soldier dared raise his head. Of all the millions present, only Shi Lan saw this tender, ridiculous scene.
....
🔥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Read ahead! 🔥
If you're loving the story, you can unlock 50+ ADVANCE CHAPTERS right now for just $4/month on my Patreon! Not only do you get a massive backlog to binge-read, but you also directly support my daily translation work. ❤️
👇 Grab your early access here:
🔗 [patreon.com/user?u=79514336]
(Or simply search for Translator-Sama on Patreon!)