Before humanity could figure out a way to close the spatial passage, the interstellar Zerg unleashed another major attack.
“Oh my god!”
Qin Sang thought the Zerg had already been overwhelming in number. But this was beyond anything she could have imagined.
That morning, the alarm blared without warning.
The Qin family was having breakfast. At the sound of the siren, they immediately put down their bowls and rushed to the balcony, looking up at the sky.
The sky was still pitch-black—the sun and moon had vanished since the celestial dome shattered. So even in the early morning, the sky remained utterly dark. And now, that darkness seemed even deeper, as if it were about to collapse onto them.
Moreover, this dark sky was radiating an immense energy field—far more terrifying than anything they had ever sensed before.
No wonder the air-raid sirens had been triggered.
The Qin family quickly donned their gear, grabbed their weapons, and headed downstairs. Xu Lin had already returned to his post and had sent Qin Sang several messages in rapid succession—all warning that the energy levels of the spatial passage above had suddenly spiked. Something huge was likely coming.
At the same time, people across the globe received the same alert on their phones: prepare for battle. The elderly and children were to be sent to the nearest air-raid shelters immediately. All combat personnel were to report to their designated street offices or village committees, assemble, and await the enemy’s arrival.
And truly, they didn’t have to wait long.
They had just finished assembling in the community and exchanged a few words with familiar faces when a massive black vortex appeared in the sky.
This vortex was terrifyingly huge—clearly signaling the arrival of something enormous.
But what came wasn’t a massive creature—it was a colossal beam of black energy. Carrying violent, destructive power, the beam was aimed straight at Blue Star. No one could react in time—it came too fast.
Even though it was still far away, Qin Sang felt as if she was about to be obliterated.
At that critical moment, the stone gate that had remained motionless finally stirred.
A white beam of light shot out from the gate, hurtling straight toward the black beam. The two collided, locked in a tug-of-war. At times, the black beam gained the upper hand; at other times, the white beam pushed back. They stalemated, neither able to overpower the other.
Then, the other two stone gates simultaneously unleashed identical beams of light. The three beams combined, finally driving the black beam out of Blue Star’s atmosphere.
A massive explosion roared overhead.
Though they couldn’t see it, Qin Sang, standing on the surface, felt the shockwave of energy ripple through the air. Everyone standing was knocked to the ground.
They all realized then—the explosion came from the clash of those two energy beams. If that energy had detonated on Blue Star itself… even if nothing else happened, at least half of humanity would have been wiped out.
Cold sweat poured from everyone’s brows. They exchanged bitter, helpless smiles.
Qin Sang, too, felt the crushing weight of her own insignificance. That battle was on an entirely different level from hers. It would probably take her many, many years—if ever—to even brush against the edge of that realm.
After the first energy-beam attack, black beams continued to rain down from the sky from time to time, as if determined to blow Blue Star to pieces. And every time, the three stone gates responded with white beams to counter them.
It became clear to everyone: they could still hold on.
Strangely, the smaller interstellar Zerg that everyone had expected to appear never showed up. It was as if today’s battle consisted solely of these energy-beam exchanges.
Amid this back-and-forth, a gigantic vortex suddenly formed in the dark sky. It was larger than any before, and the pressure it generated sent many people on the surface collapsing to the ground.
Qin Sang managed to stay upright, but the overwhelming pressure forced her into a crouch. After making sure her parents were okay, she looked up.
A massive, monstrous limb emerged from the vortex. It was long, thick, and covered in dense, gleaming barbs. The colossal appendage descended from the vortex and plunged directly into a nearby high-rise building.
In an instant, the building was annihilated.
Yes—in a single moment, a building dozens of stories tall was reduced to dust. Anyone who witnessed it would be utterly horrified.
“Thank goodness… thank goodness everyone had already evacuated.”
Qin’s mother murmured to herself. Her father nodded in agreement.
Indeed—when those giant interstellar Zerg had first appeared, they had caught humanity off guard, and many lives were lost. After that, everyone had moved out of high-rise buildings.
Today was no exception. After the air-raid sirens sounded, all combatants were either on the ground or in underground bunkers. So this time, the destruction of the high-rise caused no casualties.
Relieved but still shaken, Qin Sang stared at that monstrous limb. If it struck a few more times, Blue Star might very well turn to ash.
But she looked at the three stone gates and felt a deep confidence in whatever lay within them.
And sure enough, the powers behind the gates delivered. Just as the giant limb was about to strike again, all three gates acted simultaneously. Enormous limbs—some insectoid, some furry beast legs, and thick, long plant vines—shot out from the gates and struck directly at the vortex from which the limb had emerged.
They weren’t targeting the limb itself—they were aiming straight for the vortex!
In an instant, the heavens and earth shook.
“Mom, Dad, let’s move further back.”
Qin Sang wasn’t the only one saying this—the community administrators were also organizing everyone to retreat. Though it felt futile—where could they possibly go? Facing beings on this transcendent level, they were like ants beneath an elephant’s foot. No retreat seemed to matter.
And high above, the true battle began.
Although Qin Sang could only catch blurry afterimages, the sheer pressure of the energy fields and the constant sense of mortal danger made her spine tingle with dread.
She thought for a moment, then pulled her parents toward a quieter corner. If it came to the worst, she could always hide them inside her space.
But the very next moment, a stray shockwave from the battle above—a streak of black energy—came hurtling straight toward them.
It was just a single beam, but its area of impact was enormous. If it landed, half of Huashan City would likely be obliterated.
Qin Sang’s heart pounded wildly. Without a second thought, she prepared to take her parents into the space. But at that critical instant, a red light shot out from one of the stone gates above.
In the next moment, the entire city of Huashan was encased in a crimson energy shield. The black beam struck the shield but failed to penetrate it.
The shield trembled slightly, then held firm.
Beneath it, everyone let out sighs of relief.
Qin Sang was relieved too, but her attention was fixated on the crimson barrier. Why? Because its energy signature was achingly familiar. So familiar that she blurted out three words: “Grandpa Goose…”
“What?” Her parents were still reeling from the earlier shock and didn’t quite catch what she said.
But Qin Sang’s mind was now a whirlwind of anger, excitement, and confusion.
The crisis above gave her no time to think. As if the enemy had noticed something special about this area, attack after attack came raining down. No matter how powerful the red shield was, once its stored energy ran out, it would break.
Qin Sang understood this all too well. She began shouting in her mind for Grandpa Goose to come out right now. Even if he didn’t, she wouldn’t die—but she wanted him to show himself and explain what exactly was going on.
This time, Grandpa Goose didn’t stir up any trouble.
In fact, the entire world underwent another transformation.
Off the coast closest to Huashan City, a massive stone gate materialized over the sea without any warning.
Qin Sang noticed it too. So there was a fourth stone gate.
The first gate held insects. The second held plants. The third held land animals. So the fourth must hold aquatic creatures.
And sure enough, in the next moment, enormous fish began emerging from that gate.
As the giant fish appeared, they were surrounded by shimmering mist, looking almost dreamlike.
Their arrival seemed to flip some kind of switch. One by one, colossal creatures of all kinds poured out from the other three gates.
These beings were on an entirely different level—both in size and energy—compared to everything that had come before.
“There’s nothing to fear anymore!”
Cheers erupted all around. Qin Sang looked at her parents and said those very words.
“What’s there to fear? I’m still here!” Grandpa Goose’s voice suddenly rang out beside her ear.
The next moment, Qin Sang saw a colossal red bird appear above her. It was a creature you’d never see in the modern world—with blazing crimson feathers and golden markings. In mythology, this bird was called the Vermilion Bird.
And the voice that had just spoken was coming from that fiery giant.
“This…”
Her parents had heard it too. They both wore expressions of utter disbelief. Not for any other reason—but because Grandpa Goose was the spirit of their family’s heirloom Roasted Goose Space. At least, that was what had been passed down through generations. Grandpa Goose had never denied it.
Even if he wasn’t a true artifact spirit, he had always been a goose—the kind you’d see roaming around any village. Even if he transformed into a spirit beast, he’d still be a goose.
Who could have ever imagined that a goose would turn into the Vermilion Bird?
A poultry turned into a divine beast!
No one could have predicted this. Even the most imaginative person wouldn’t have dreamt up something so absurd.
And yet, fantasy had become reality. Staring at the fiery red giant above, Qin Sang couldn’t help but twitch her lips. This world had become so fantastical that she wouldn’t find anything strange anymore. If a goose could become a Vermilion Bird, then anything was possible.
High above, Grandpa Goose naturally overheard the three of them. He fluttered his wings, sending a few tiny sparks of flame raining down toward Qin Sang.
She knew he wouldn’t hurt her. But his mischievous action immediately dispelled any lingering doubt she had about the absurdity of a goose turning into a divine beast.
She pulled out her water gun from the space and sprayed at the sparks. Of course, ordinary water couldn’t extinguish energy-laced flames.
Seeing this, Grandpa Goose grinned slightly. With a subtle twitch, the sparks fizzled out. In between, he also breathed fire at an incoming giant Zerg limb.
That seemed to be the signal.
Soon, the azure Azure Dragon, the white White Tiger, and the dark Black Tortoise emerged one after another from the stone gates.
The Four Divine Beasts had appeared before humanity’s eyes.
“Oh my god!”
For the Chinese people, the Four Divine Beasts carried deep emotional weight. To see them appear at the brink of despair, saving humanity—how could anyone not feel their blood surge with excitement?
Listening to the cheers erupting around her, and looking at the four divine beasts positioned in the four cardinal directions, Qin Sang felt a quiet understanding settle in her heart: the great boss of the interstellar Zerg—the one hiding within that vortex—was about to appear.
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