Ch55.2 - The Third Prince is back

Beside him, Zuo Qingshan said, “He’s too arrogant. I’ll go and meet him in person.”

The combat cabin was located on the main ship. The major general took a step to leave, but Lu Xingwang stopped him. “You stay here,” he said.

Zuo Qingshan was dissatisfied. “What do you mean?”

“Someone needs to stay in command here. Since Xiao Cheng dared to come, he must have a backup plan. What will the others do if something happens to you?” Lu Xingwang reasoned calmly.

His gaze locked on Zuo Qingshan’s bloodshot eyes as he said in a low voice, “I understand how you feel. But your duty as a general comes first before your role as a son.”

Zuo Qingshan waved his hand and said, “I must avenge this grudge!”

Lu Xingwang calmly watched the furious man in front of him. He set the documents down and said, “You don’t need to go, I’ll handle it.”

Zuo Qingshan turned, staring at him in disbelief.

Lu Xingwang said, “Someone must stay here to defend. You’re the commander-in-chief, and your mother and many soldiers are waiting for you back home. When we set out this time, I made extra preparations. Our reinforcements will arrive in about ten minutes.”

“I’ve stored all the mechas I’ve independently developed over the past two years in Cabin B. Although they haven’t been released for testing yet, their defensive capabilities and agility have been improved compared to the existing models. You can arrange for the soldiers to switch to them. I believe they’ll be able to withstand Xiao Cheng’s attacks.”

He was meticulous to the smallest detail. Although he appeared cold on the outside, he took care of everyone. He never proactively showed concern for anyone, but his heart held care for the world.

Zuo Qingshan disagreed and asked, “Are you going out personally?”

Lu Xingwang glanced at him and repeated the same words. His tone was calm, yet it carried a sense of pressure. “I can’t let this grudge be left unsettled.”

Xiao Cheng’s mecha were a nightmare to face; their unpredictable movements and tactics were enough to overwhelm even the veteran soldiers. But one mecha stood out amidst the carnage, flawlessly dodging through the attacks with astonishing speed and precision.

Every shot it fired struck home, obliterating countless of Xiao Cheng’s mechas. Piloted by Lu Xingwang, the silver mecha surged forward like a meteor cleaving through the vast darkness of space, advancing unstoppably.

The only truly troublesome opponent was a red mecha. Unlike the smaller mechas, its technology was highly advanced. The two mechas were locked in a fierce battle, evenly matched, until they encountered an unpredictable black hole in space.

While the surrounding space warped and distorted, Lu Xingwang took advantage of the opponent’s momentary vulnerability. He used the black hole’s chaotic energy to tear apart the red mecha’s wing.

A screen popped onto his communication terminal, revealing Xiao Cheng’s beaming face. “Your Highness, you’ve made astonishing progress these past few years.”

Lu Xingwang said calmly, “I won’t repeat the same mistake.”

Sitting on the red warship was the leader of the interstellar bandits. This top wanted criminal was commanding not from his mighty A5 warship, but on this small mecha. His audacity was truly astonishing.

With a raised eyebrow, Xiao Cheng asked him, “Your Highness, do you know what they’ve done wrong?”

Lu Xingwang looked at the man with the arrogant smile and fiery red hair, his looks resembling the Crown Prince. He lowered his and said calmly, “Everyone says you’re devoted to researching mechas, but I know that’s not true. You’re researching how to block divine power.”

From the moment the wind divine priest couldn’t detect any divine power, the signs became apparent.

The reason they could destroy the old marshal’s warship, just as they had defeated his and his mother’s airship, was due to the same principle. All of Xiao Cheng’s efforts over the years have been dedicated to researching how to block divine power.

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“I once prayed sincerely to the gods—more sincerely than any of the gods’ followers ever could.” Xiao Cheng stretched out his hands, making a gesture as if opening something.

He was only about 40 years old, his face adorned with a beard that gave him a weathered appearance, though his demeanor remained carefree. A faint expression of regret flickered across his face.

“But the gods have no compassion for the suffering. The proud nobles, those favored by the emperor, lead ever more comfortable and indulgent lives, while the powerless poor are pushed to their deaths.”

Xiao Cheng looked at Lu Xingwang and smiled. “Since the gods can’t bring fairness to this world, what’s wrong with me stepping in to help? Blocking divine power, making everyone equal—what could be wrong with that? I’m doing good deeds. I’m saving the world.”

“So saving the world means burning, killing, looting, and murdering the innocent?” Lu Xingwang sneered, “You’re just doing this for yourself.”

Xiao Cheng was momentarily stunned, then let out a chuckle. “So what? As the saying goes, ‘Self-preservation comes first.’ In the end, it’s just the two of us here. Why bother pretending, Your Highness? I can tell that you, Lu Xingwang, aren’t exactly a saint either. To be honest, the moment I saw you, I knew we were both cut from the same cloth.”

Lu Xingwang’s eyes were gloomy as he looked at Xiao Cheng. His gaze was cold and sharp, brimming with hostility.

Even the leader of the interstellar bandits, seasoned and unshaken by countless storms, couldn’t help but feel a chill run through his heart.

After composing himself, he said, “Your Highness, your poison must be taking its toll and it’s such a shame that you’d die so young. As it happens, I have the antidote here. If you’re willing to join me and lend me your strength, I’ll gladly give it to you.”

“Aren’t you tired of that closed-off, self-contained planet? Let’s join forces to wipe out those priests and nobles and create a new Stan Star together.

He believed that his words would sway Lu Xingwang.

But Lu Xingwang merely looked at him and said, “Xiao Cheng.”

Xiao Cheng looked at him with a puzzled expression and said, “Hmm?”

“The feudal monarchy needs to be reformed, not destroyed.” Lu Xingwang fixed his gaze towards the other man’s almost manic expression. “We’re not the same. Even in the new Stan Star, there will be no place for you.”

Xiao Cheng was momentarily stunned before laughing out loud. “Well, since we’re not allies, Your Highness, you must already know what happens to those who choose to be my enemy, right?”

Lu Xingwang raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “I have a question for you.”

Xiao Cheng seemed to be all smiles. “Go ahead.”

“What’s your relationship with the Empress?” Lu Xingwang asked coldly, watching as Xiao Cheng’s expression shifted noticeably.

He continued, “You’re quite impressive, Xiao Cheng. Your security system is top-notch, and even Stan Star’s technology couldn’t crack it. But three years ago, when you attacked our warship, your system left behind your source code.”

For the past few years, I’ve been tracking the signal from that code. Just a few days ago, my channel picked up your signal again, and it was within Stan Star’s territories.”

“I tracked the signal and quickly pinpointed its location.” Lu Xingwang raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Guess where I found it?”

The smile faded from Xiao Cheng’s face. He looked at Lu Xingwang seriously, then burst out laughing. “As expected of you, Third Prince. Guess I underestimated you— you’re more capable than I thought.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t react to the compliment. He only said, ‘I’ve been wondering, my mother never made enemies and she had no grievances with you. But why did you send people to ambush our fleet on its journey?

And I’ve also been wondering, the Grand Marshal Zuo had no conflict of interest with you either. His ship wasn’t carrying any supplies so you wouldn’t benefit anything from seizing it. Why did you insist on harming him?”

The smile faded from Xiao Cheng’s face.

“And then, it dawned on me,” said Lu Xingwang with a heavy voice laced with realization. “Because we’re both thorns in the Empress, stumbling blocks to the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne.”

Xiao Cheng didn’t react at all after hearing this, he merely smiled.

Lu Xingwang stared at him coldly. “Is it funny?”

“You’ve always been intelligent, Your Highness. It’s a bit of a shame—if only our circumstances were different, perhaps we could have been close friends.” Xiao Cheng shook his head. “What a pity. I guess we’ll have to wait until the next life.”

Lu Xingwang coldly dismissed his words. “Even under different circumstances, we’d never be friends.”

Xiao Cheng was perplexed and asked, “Why?”

Lu Xingwang replied with cold disdain, “You don’t deserve to be my friend.”

No one had dared to speak to him like this in ages. Xiao Cheng’s expression darkened, his face growing unpleasant. But in an instant, he broke into a laugh.

At some point, a fleet of small warships had silently surrounded the red battleship, enclosing the silver mecha within. Xiao Cheng said, “Your Highness, that wild temper of yours is really not a good thing. But it doesn’t matter, I’ve come to see you off today. Perhaps in your next life, you’ll learn to control that temper of yours. Today is such a fine day—shall we mark it as your death anniversary?”

Lu Xingwang felt the poison in his body begin to flare up again, the familiar, bone-piercing pain washing over him. Surrounded by warships raining fire down on him, he clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay utterly focused. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, but his mind remained crystal clear.

Consumed by hatred, his gaze was fixed solely on the red mecha.

Xiao Cheng had indeed accelerated the poison’s onset, unleashing a pain no ordinary person could withstand. He had expected to see his opponent writhing helplessly on the ground, but instead, the silver mecha fought with the ferocity of a madman.

Gradually, Xiao Cheng’s smile faded. As time dragged on, the Stan Star’s fleet which had been initially left behind, caught up—not just one ship, but an overwhelming number of silver warships. What sent a chill down his spine was the fact that none of them appeared on his control screen.

He had once prided himself on his unparalleled skills and talent, creating and developing a groundbreaking system. But now, someone had surpassed him, developing a system far superior to his. This realization struck him hard and instinctively felt to escape—

Bang!

A shell struck his red mecha. As if he could his mind, Lu Xingwang’s silver mecha charged straight at him, colliding with full force. Sparks flew in all directions, causing a new image to appear on his control screen.

The combat room where Lu Xingwang had been stationed suffered damage as well. The poison’s effects left the young man looking disheveled. Red runes covered half of his disfigured face, and blood trickled from his forehead after the earlier collision.

Despite his injuries, Lu Xingwang fixed his gaze on Xiao Cheng; his expression cold and unwavering. He spoke slowly, as though issuing a death warrant, “Today is also your death anniversary.”

In that instant, Xiao Cheng was momentarily shocked.

If the infamous interstellar bandit were to be defeated by a mere teenager today, it would surely become the biggest joke in the galaxy.

“Do you think I’d dare to come here without an escape plan, Your Highness?” Xiao Cheng wasn’t the least bit panicked. Behind him, the powerful A5 warship appeared. With its spatial transfer function already halfway activated, it was ready to escape at any moment.

“Do you think I’d dare to come here without an escape plan, Your Highness?” Xiao Cheng wasn’t the least bit panicked. Behind him, a powerful A5 warship appeared. Equipped with a spatial transfer function, which was already halfway in progress.

The interstellar bandit looked at Lu Xingwang arrogantly and said, “You’re still young and naive, Your Highness. If you wanted to kill me, you’d need to wait several hundred years. But that’s not going to happen because I’ve already activated the poison. You’re going to die today.”

Lu Xingwang sat in the cockpit, his nostrils filled with the sharp stench of blood and rust, accompanied by Xiao Cheng’s arrogant, mocking laughter.

“Oh, right.” Xiao Cheng was about to board his A5 warship to escape when he suddenly remembered something. He turned back to Lu Xingwang and said, “I never intended to kill your mother. After all, I don’t hit women. It’s a shame she died—she was actually quite pretty.

I thought about taking her in as my wife, a bandit leader’s wife, but if it didn’t work, she could’ve been a servant to wash my feet. Too bad though, both of you have the same temper—wild and unruly. I can’t stand that.”

Lu Xingwang’s eyes gradually turned crimson.

His blood boiled within him like a raging fire. The runic curse that had been placed upon his face to suppress his divine powers now pulsed like bulging veins, glowing with a red, fiery light. Though the poison should have rendered him weak and unable to fight back, the young man slowly rose to his feet.

“Goodbye, Your Highness,” Xiao Cheng’s voice was transmitted through the communication channel.

The enormous A5 warship traversed the galaxy, its teleportation function allowing it to quickly escape and effortlessly slip beyond the reach of the Stan Star fleet’s tracking range. Just as Zuo Qingshan was urgently commanding his soldiers to activate the interference device, encircle the A5, and prevent its escape, a small silver mecha next to it suddenly emitted a deafening roar.

It was a scene that would be forever etched in the memories of all those present.

A sight that could only be found in textbooks and history books: the founding fathers of Stan Star using the incredibly rare five-element divine power in battle.

A suffocating sense of impending doom overwhelmed everyone, making even those safely aboard the warship want to escape. A massive bolt of lightning materialized out of thin air, striking down and enveloping the A5 warship’s hull. A black hole, which would usually require dozens of wind-elemental priests to summon, was now effortlessly conjured, spreading open like clouds summoned with a mere wave of the hand. Merging with the lightning, it completely enveloped the warship.

Lu Xingwang moved with blinding speed. No one had ever seen a fire-elemental priest summon such a massive flame in an instant, without the need for a formation. It plummeted towards the warship like a giant meteor, instantly surrounding the entire vessel in flames.

In the center of the flames, Lu Xingwang stood atop the A5 warship. He didn’t need the ship or any external force; he could soar above the galaxy. Existing between light and darkness, he was like a god—both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

With a wave of his hands, he shattered the supposedly indestructible glass of the warship, which had made countless planetary warships powerless to resist. Xiao Cheng, who had almost managed to escape, was dragged back out.

Lu Xingwang stepped on him with one foot, his face twisted into a terrifying mask. Like a demon crawling out from the depths of hell, his deep and menacing voice echoed as he asked, “Do you think you can leave now?”

Translator’s Notes:

Long time no see, this might be the last chapter for 2024. See you next Friday.

If you see any typos and errors, you can ping me in Discord. I’ll try to check them once I’m free again. I’ll have to prioritize translating the chapters before proofreading haha.

By the way, I’ve updated chapters 1-10.