Chapter 37: Reaching the Other Shore: The Speech from the High Platform

Tianyi Star.

This was the name given to the planet by Hefeng thirteen years ago, following his initial observations.

As the massive Spark fleet, resembling a pod of cosmic leviathans that had migrated for eons, slowly drifted into a low orbit around this colossal planet, the sight through the reinforced observation ports was enough to leave any existence breathless.

It was truly worthy of the title "Super-Giant Life Planet." Azure oceans covered nearly 70% of its surface, resembling a gargantuan sapphire inlaid upon a plate of dark jade, its vastness far exceeding any ocean in the known universe.

Great tectonic plates rose from the blue depths like the spines of prehistoric behemoths; mountain ranges undulated and stretched, mimicking the rhythmic pulse of the planet itself, their height and breadth awe-inspiring to behold.

Expansive primeval forests blanketed the land, the greenery so dense it seemed impenetrable; from orbit, they appeared like a giant’s chest covered in a thick, lush velvet.

White clouds flowed slowly across the planet's surface like rushing rivers, sketching out complex and magnificent meteorological patterns.

There was no light pollution from cities, no traces of industry—only a virgin land, untouched and uncarved, brimming with primitive, wild vitality and infinite possibility.

Inside the bridge of the *Returning Home*, there was a deathly silence.

Every officer and staff member, including the veterans who had survived the bloody battles of the Angry Sea and the looting of the Heavenly City, stood as if under a paralysis spell, staring blankly at the colossal, beautiful, and vibrant planet outside the porthole.

Two hundred years of long-distance voyaging, traversing the treacherous labyrinths of the Boundary Sea, and navigating the cautious, painstaking exploration of unknown deep space...

All the hardships, exhaustion, and confusion were, in this moment, dispelled by the grandeur and inclusivity of the planet before them.

An indescribable warmth—a mixture of ecstasy, awe, and a profound sense of belonging—surged in everyone’s chest.

"General... we... we have found it!" the successor to Ryan, a middle-aged officer who was usually steady but now spoke with a slight tremor, reported with excitement.

Hefeng stood tall at the front of the bridge, his Heavenly King Armor flowing with a restrained and majestic starlight under the illumination of the distant sun.

His golden pupils gazed at Tianyi Star, acting like the most precise scanner, evaluating every inch of its land and every stretch of its ocean.

The massive scale (easily capable of accommodating 5 trillion people), the rich ecology (infinite resource potential), the stable geology and atmosphere (the perfect cradle), and that vast, ownerless, pure space... it was a perfect match for every requirement he held for the mother planet of a new civilization!

A surging sense of heroism and the will to master everything stirred in his chest like a storm in the star sea!

This was the starting point! This was the cornerstone upon which he would forge a myth with his own hands!

"Transmit the order!"

Hefeng’s voice was not loud, yet it pierced through the bridge with the clarity and firmness of a cosmic law, carrying an unquestionable resolve.

"Target planet: Tianyi Star! Entire fleet, proceed with the 'Tianyi Descent' plan in waves! Landing site: the 'Sky-Propping Plateau' on the central continent!"

The order was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly activating the entire massive fleet! The roar of engines replaced the silence; countless ships adjusted their attitudes, like a swarm of bees returning to their hive, diving in an orderly and swift formation toward the azure planet.

***

Tianyi Star, Central Continent, Sky-Propping Plateau.

This was a vast, boundless, and high-altitude plateau. Layers of hard, crimson rock were exposed on the surface, resembling solidified flames, stretching to the very edge of the horizon where they met the sky.

The edges of the plateau were precipitous cliffs, carved as if by knives and axes, looking down upon massive rift valleys steaming with primeval vapor and lush greenery.

In the central area of the plateau, the terrain was relatively flat and open, where powerful and pure winds blew incessantly, whipping up fine red dust.

Here, the view was extremely vast. Above lay the deep, boundless, and star-bright sky of an unknown universe; beneath, the sleeping body of the planet, full of a desolate, primitive, and prehistoric sense of power.

Hefeng had chosen this place. He chose this crimson plateau, which stood like the planet’s spine and overlooked the earth, to be the seat of his new civilization’s power and the symbol of its spirit.

At this moment, in a massive, temporarily leveled crimson square in the center of the plateau, the air was thick with the sound of voices, yet everything remained in perfect order.

Nearly 3.5 million Angelic citizens—the "Spark" that had survived the catastrophe and crossed the universe—were arranged in neat, massive formations according to their fleets and professional sequences.

They had shed the exhaustion and confusion of their long voyage, changing into relatively tidy clothing (some even wearing the slightly aged, ceremonial light armor they had managed to preserve). Their faces bore the marks of wind and frost, but their eyes burned with unprecedented excitement, hope, and pious anticipation.

Having endured the blood and fire of the Angry Sea, the bewilderment of the Boundary Sea, and the loneliness of deep space, this solid, vast, and vibrant land beneath their feet made them realize: their new home had arrived!

A crimson carpet, a hundred meters wide and paved with special alloy plates, stretched like a road of burning fire from the front of the crowd straight toward the end of the square.

There, a temporarily constructed yet grand and solemn platform stood tall.

The platform was built from massive, locally sourced crimson rocks, its lines rigid and rugged, its top surface flat and expansive.

Behind the platform, a giant battle flag symbolizing the Spark fleet (a bright red background with a burning golden flame emblem in the center) snapped and roared in the strong winds of the plateau.

On both sides of the platform stood two honor guards composed of Hefeng’s most elite personal guards. Clad in restored, gleaming silver armor and wielding energy halberds, they stood like steel sculptures, emanating an imposing and inviolable aura.

The wind, carrying fine sand and dust, swept across the red plateau.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered here, yet there was only the sound of the wind and the snapping of the flag. All eyes were focused on the starting point of the red carpet.

There, a figure was slowly stepping onto the carpet.

Hefeng.

He wore his Heavenly King Armor, which symbolized supreme martial power and authority. The platinum-interwoven armor flowed with a radiance like liquid starlight under the fierce sun of the plateau, every line seemingly containing the mysteries of the universe.

The pauldrons were heavy as mountains, the breastplate had sharp, aggressive lines, and the vambraces and greaves encased limbs filled with a sense of raw power.

He wore no helmet. His short, black hair was meticulously groomed, revealing a full forehead and a pair of deep, abyss-like eyes.

His Sovereign Sword remained sheathed, hanging at his left hip; the scabbard, crafted from Star-Core Gold and Dark Silver, refracted a restrained yet deadly cold light in the sun.

He did not fly. He used no power beyond that of a normal man, walking up just like any common Shenhe-body being.

Using this most primitive method, he advanced toward the platform.

He walked, step by step, onto that crimson carpet—the road that symbolized power.

His boots struck the alloy plates, producing a heavy, clear echo.

*Clack... clack... clack...*

This sound on the silent plateau was like the heartbeat of an ancient god, or the drumbeat of a new era, clearly entering everyone’s ears and striking every person’s heart.

He walked slowly and steadily.

Every step seemed to measure the distance between his status as an exile and that of a civilization-builder; every step carried the weight of the 3.5 million gazes behind him.

The Heavenly King Armor emitted a low, harmonious metallic friction with his movements—a resonance of power and majesty.

The sunlight cast his shadow long and far, projecting it onto the red carpet like a moving, silent totem.

The wind brushed his resolute cheeks and stirred his black hair, but it could not shake the rock-like firmness and the will to command everything in his eyes.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea. As he passed, heads bowed involuntarily, their eyes filled with the deepest awe, the purest faith, and an infinite gratitude for having survived the catastrophe.

The veterans seemed to see once again the image of the War God from the Battle of the Angry Sea—the one who tore through enemy lines and led them to safety.

The scientists saw the hope and shelter of their civilization.

The civilians saw the guarantee of survival and a beacon for the future.

The young Angels, born during the exile, watched with boundless curiosity and worship, gazing at this legend who seemed to have stepped out of a myth.

Time seemed to stretch.

Hefeng’s figure looked so small, yet so towering, on the massive red carpet.

He walked past the formations, past the honor guard, and finally, stepped firmly onto the last step of the platform.

He turned around.

He faced the boundless crowd, the vast crimson plateau beneath his feet, and the deep, infinite unknown star sea above his head.

The strong plateau wind whipped the massive flag behind him, causing it to roar.

The sunlight draped a sacred golden halo over him. The star patterns on his Heavenly King Armor flowed across his upright body as if they had come to life.

In this moment, he was the center of this world. He was the focus upon which the river of history had solidified.

Hefeng’s gaze, like a tangible searchlight, slowly swept over every upturned face below.

His expression was calm, yet it held the power to soothe all restlessness and ignite all hope.

He took a deep breath, the clear, pure, earth-and-stone-scented air of the plateau filling his lungs.

Then, he spoke.

His voice was not deliberately loud, yet it seemed to have been amplified by the most precise array, or as if it resonated directly in the depths of everyone’s soul—clear, steady, and carrying the weight of a world-creating decree:

"Children of the Angels! Loyal soldiers!"

The voice rolled like thunder, echoing across the empty plateau, striking the distant cliffs and rebounding to form a strange, haunting harmony.

"Two hundred years ago, we shouldered the glory of the past and the heavy shackles of our fate, carrying the last spark of our civilization, and set foot on this path of exile filled with unknowns and dangers!"

His voice carried the vicissitudes of history, instantly pulling everyone’s thoughts back to the smoke of the Angry Sea, the looting of the Heavenly City, the treachery of the Boundary Sea, and the boundlessness of deep space.

"We traversed a distance of 22.4 trillion light-years!"

"We crossed the boundary between life and death!"

"We broke through the fog of despair and confusion!"

Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking their hearts and awakening that unforgettable collective memory.

His arm lifted suddenly, pointing to the red earth beneath their feet, the vast sky, and the infinite star sea!

"Today! We stand here!"

"We stand on Tianyi Star! We stand on the Sky-Propping Plateau!"

"We stand upon a brand-new cosmic home, one that has never been tainted by the shadows of the past, one that belongs entirely to us!"

The crowd erupted into an irrepressible, tsunami-like cheer! The sound converged into a torrent, rushing straight toward the clouds!

Tears and smiles intertwined on countless weather-beaten faces.

Hefeng raised his hand slightly, and the mountain-shaking roar instantly subsided, leaving only the sound of racing hearts echoing in everyone’s chests.

In his black eyes burned a light never seen before—the flame of a creator!