88: Annihilation Starburst

When Chen Jun was practically "dragged" by Yue Xi into Jingsi Hall, that heavy, almost tangible sense of repression and sorrow, like a cold tidal wave from the star sea, instantly engulfed him.

The air was filled with an indescribable aura of "the end," as if time itself had slowed its pace here, mourning the curtain call of a great existence.

Inside the hall, all three hundred plus existing Stellar-level Experts of the Federation were present, without exception.

They stood silently on both sides of the hall like silent star steles; their faces, usually imposing, wild, or cold, now bore only a uniform expression of heaviness and sorrow.

Many had reddened eyes, struggling to suppress their surging emotions, even subconsciously holding their breath to the bare minimum, fearing that the slightest extra sound would disturb the star fire that was about to burn out.

At the end of the hall, Yun Xi sat quietly on a meditation cushion carved from Calm Heart Jade Marrow.

She was still wearing a simple white dress, her bare feet hovering three inches off the ground, maintaining the posture that everyone had been most familiar with for one hundred thousand years.

However, anyone could see that compared to fifty-five years ago when the four Sun Body were born, she had undergone a fundamental change.

At that time, although she was approaching her limit, her life Origin, nourished by vast amounts of Heaven And Earth Treasure, was still vast and restrained, like the midday sun in autumn, warm and powerful.

But now, an invisible aura of "decay" was uncontrollably permeating from her.

It was not physical rot, but a deeper, "twilight" light belonging to her life Origin.

The gentle force field around her, which once could smooth out spatial folds and stabilize a Star Domain, had now become like a candle in the wind, flickering uncertainly, at times solid as before, and at others ethereal and on the verge of dissipating.

The most heartbreaking thing was her iconic pair of eyes—the left eye was still clear, but seemed to be covered by a lingering mist; the right eye still held the sedimentation of eternal vicissitudes, but within that, it revealed a hint of indescribable... fatigue, as if it had borne one hundred thousand years of loneliness and responsibility.

She was like a star about to burn through all its fuel and enter eternal silence; although residual heat remained, its light had begun to retract, preparing for its final outburst and conclusion.

The arrival of Chen Jun caused a ripple in this deathly silent hall.

The gazes of the big shots subconsciously focused on him; those gazes held a habitual reverence stemming from his status as the father of the four Sun Body daughters, but more so, a profound, almost desperate sorrow.

Yue Xi let go of Chen Jun and, like a startled little deer, rushed to the front of the platform, looking at Yun Xi with teary eyes, sobbing uncontrollably:

"Teacher... You lied! You said you would watch Xi Xi surpass you! You said you would take us to see the star sea beyond the spiral arm! You also said... you would teach us how to harness the Sun Radiance to illuminate darker corners... How can you... How can you say you are leaving now!"

Her voice carried the natural pressure of an Innate Sun Body, but at this moment, it was filled with childlike helplessness and panic; the pure Sun Radiance around her flickered violently due to the drastic emotional fluctuation, illuminating the surrounding space in alternating light and shadow.

Yun Xi slowly raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the tearful Yue Xi, over Xuan Sha, Su Yuan, and Liu Qing, who were equally pale and biting their lips while trying to maintain composure, and finally landed on Chen Jun, who was standing at the doorway, looking slightly awkward.

Her gaze lingered on Chen Jun for a moment.

There was no surprise, no questioning, as if she had long anticipated his arrival.

That look was as calm as an ancient, deep well, yet it seemed to contain a thousand words—was it gratitude for him bringing these four miracles? Or was it a sigh of emotion because his Mortal body was affecting the future of the Federation?

She nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, at Chen Jun.

Immediately, she withdrew her gaze and swept it across the hall; her ethereal voice, carrying a hint of unhideable fatigue and hoarseness, resonated clearly in the depths of every expert's Soul, like a final judgment:

"Everyone, the time has come."

Just six words, but they were like six heavy hammers forged from stellar cores, slamming hard into everyone's hearts, shattering the last shred of unrealistic fantasy.

Shi Yue slammed his eyes shut; this Great Emperor of Bedrock, known for his rigidity and toughness, had shoulders that were uncontrollably trembling, and the knuckles of his clenched fists were white.

The restrained Sword Qi around Li Qingshan uncontrollably emitted a low, mournful wail, as if ten thousand swords were grieving together, carving messy and deep marks on the ground, each sword mark telling of unwillingness and powerlessness.

Chu Yueyao clenched her fists tightly, her nails already sinking deep into her palms, golden blood dripping onto the clean floor, but she was completely unaware, only staring fixedly at Yun Xi, as if wanting to brand the final image of this leader who had protected the Federation for one hundred thousand years into the deepest part of her Soul.

Dean Mo Heng lowered his head in pain, not daring to look again; his brain, accustomed to rationally analyzing everything, was now also overwhelmed by immense sorrow and a sense of defeat.

Qin Qingxuan stood in a slightly forward position, and beside her stood Qin Wangshu, who had blossomed into a cold and ethereal Stellar Level beginner.

Both mother and daughter wore an expression of icy calm, but if one looked closely, their slightly pursed lips and clear eyes revealed that tears were about to burst forth.

...

"One hundred thousand years of protection, gone in the blink of an eye." Yun Xi's voice remained calm, as if narrating a historical fact unrelated to herself, but beneath that calmness was the determination of one who had seen through life and death and borne a mission, "My Origin is already like a dying star fire, with only... one hundred and forty-eight years remaining."

One hundred and forty-eight years!

This number, precise down to the single digit, rang in everyone's heart like a final funeral bell.

For a Mortal, it would be a long lifetime, but for a guardian deity who had lived for nearly one hundred thousand years and supported the survival of a civilization, it was merely the last short, countdown-filled period of a candle-like existence.

Every minute, every second, was passing by with accelerating speed.

"Leader!" Qin Pojun stepped forward abruptly; this shrewd helmsman of the Star Rail Group now had a hoarse voice, carrying a hint of almost unprecedented pleading, "The Federation will exhaust everything to find a way to extend your life! Even if it can only extend it for a hundred years..."

"Pojun." Yun Xi gently interrupted him, her tone carrying a hint of faint relief and unquestionable resolution.

"One hundred thousand years is already near the limit granted to this body by the Law of the Universe. Even with rare treasures, for me, it is like trying to put out a cartload of burning firewood with a cup of water; it would only add a hundred years of suffering, what benefit would that bring to the big picture?"

Her tone paused slightly:

"...Furthermore, the closer to the end, the resources required to maintain this body's existence increase exponentially; this is an act of consuming the civilization's Foundation, which a wise person would not do."

She raised her hand slightly, pointing to the light screen floating to the side, which listed a shocking series of data—to maintain her state for these last few hundred years and delay that inevitable decay, the resources the Federation used were enough to cultivate dozens of Innate Star Body into Stellar-level Experts!

This was a heavy price that a civilization could hardly bear, pointing toward the future!

"I am not someone who clings to a lingering existence." Her voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a determination to transform herself into a sword and sever all hesitation, "Since this body is about to enter Nirvana, I shall burn through the last of my star brilliance to clear the obstacles on the road ahead for the Federation!"

An invisible yet terrifying killing intent that made all Stellar-level Experts feel their Souls tremble, as if facing the end of the Universe, slowly permeated from Yun Xi's seemingly decaying body, like a sleeping ancient star beast suddenly awakening!

This killing intent was not directed at anyone in the hall, but at the distant, covetous Tristan Empire!

"I will personally go to the territory of the Empire and, with this remaining body, execute the method of 'Nirvana Starburst'."

"Nirvana Starburst"!

Hearing these four words, all Stellar-level Experts, including the four Sun Body, turned pale with shock!

This was an ultimate forbidden technique of mutual destruction that only existed in the records of forbidden ancient civilization ruins!

At the cost of burning all life Origin, Soul imprints, and even traces of existence, it exchanged for a brief, destructive power several times greater than one's own Peak, finally exploding like a supernova; its power was enough to severely damage or even annihilate a vast Star Domain, turning it into an absolutely dead cosmic graveyard!

The caster would completely dissipate, and not even a trace of their true spirit could escape into Reincarnation!

"Leader! You cannot!" Marshal Xuanji shouted out, her voice filled with tearing pain; even the eyes of this Marshal, known for her iron-blooded bravery, were bloodshot.

"The Empire's territory spans hundreds of light-years, with experts as numerous as clouds and an unfathomable Foundation! If you go alone, even if you can cause huge destruction and annihilate several of their important Star Domain, you will definitely... face certain death! This is the wish of the Empire, but not the blessing of the Federation! We would rather fight the Empire fair and square, and we absolutely cannot watch you do this in such a way..."

"Teacher!" Yue Xi cried out, interrupting Xuanji; she stood up straight, the Sun Radiance around her body more intense than ever before, as if about to set the entire Jingsi Hall on fire.

"Let us go! The four of us can sweep across the Empire right now! What Stellar Level Peak, what Empire Foundation—under our Sun Radiance, all will be ashes! Why do you need to take such risks yourself, taking this... taking this path of no return!"

Her voice trembled with excitement, carrying the unquestionable dominance of a Sun Body Supreme, but it also revealed the deepest fear in her heart—the fear of losing Yun Xi, who was like a teacher and mother to her.

"Yue Xi, Xuan Sha, Su Yuan, Liu Qing." Yun Xi's gaze fell on the four Sun Body again, and for the first time, her eyes revealed a clearly visible gentleness, like looking at her own daughters, and... a hint of imperceptible, heartfelt pride.

She read out the four names one by one, her voice softening slightly, as if a spring breeze were brushing over a lake about to freeze.

"Your talents are unparalleled in history, and the Universe celebrates them. Reaching this realm in fifty-five years, surpassing me in my younger days, is truly the fortune of the Federation, the fortune of the Human Race, and also my... greatest comfort in this life."

Her gaze swept over the four Sun Body, and also over all the Stellar-level Experts present, finally fixing on a certain point in the Void Realm, as if seeing the bright future of the Federation.

"However, the Empire has been established for over nine hundred thousand years, and its deep Foundation is by no means the surface appearance you see now. The vastness of its territory, the number of hidden experts, and the treachery of unknown technology far exceed your imagination. In a head-on decisive battle, even with the four of you Sun Body emerging, billions of Federation soldiers would still have to pay an unimaginably painful price, the Foundation of civilization might be shaken, and trillions of citizens would be displaced... This is not a scene I wish to see."

"Moreover," she changed the subject, her tone becoming cold and rational again, like the most precise strategic instrument.

"The Empire's desire to covet the Federation has not been extinguished for ten thousand years, like an undercurrent in the star sea, endless. If the news of my passing were to spread, the Empire would surely act like a pack of wolves smelling blood, pouring out of their nest to crazily devour us. Rather than passive defense and running around exhausted, it is better to take the initiative; with my Mortal, dying body, I will first break their claws and teeth, disrupt their hinterland, and strangle their potential to launch a full-scale war in the cradle!"

She looked at everyone, and in those eyes that were gradually becoming cloudy but still as wise as the star sea, there was an absolute determination to sacrifice the small self for the achievement of the civilization.

"Using my Mortal body to exchange for your opportunity to grow smoothly, to exchange for the worry-free transmission of the civilization's fire... this is the most cost-effective combat loss ratio."

The most cost-effective combat loss ratio...?!

A stabilizing needle that had protected civilization for one hundred thousand years, a guide who was like a teacher and mother, used such cold, rational, and even slightly cruel vocabulary to summarize her final destination and value...

At this moment, everyone truly and profoundly realized just how far this leader could go for the sake of the Federation!

She had long regarded herself as the Federation's most powerful and ultimate strategic weapon, for when her lifespan was about to end and she could no longer protect the civilization in a normal state!

She would choose the most heroic and thorough way to exert the last, most dazzling, and most cruel light and heat for this starry sky she had protected for one hundred thousand years!

Tragic! Resolute! Selfless!

An indescribable sourness, reverence, and heart-tearing reluctance, like a cosmic-level tsunami, violently impacted the mental defenses of everyone in the hall.

Many Stellar-level Experts could not help but kneel on one knee, tears streaming down their faces, silently venting the immense sorrow in their hearts.

Even the most rational Qin Qingxuan turned her head slightly, unable to bear looking any longer.

Qin Wangshu, who was beside her, subconsciously gripped her mother's sleeve, and in her cold eyes, the glorious and lonely figure who was about to go to her death was reflected.

The atmosphere of sadness, pain, and sourness... engulfed the entire hall...