By modern custom, formal greetings did not require kowtowing, but ever since the establishment of the Base City, the customs of the Spring and Autumn period had crept in. The president of a Base City held such lofty status, regarded as the parent to all its people! Thus, when facing other high-ranking officials, a mere bow sufficed, but for the President of the Base City, one had to perform the full ritual of kneeling and bowing.

Ye Chen frowned slightly, a flicker of confusion in his mind. When had he become the Great Emperor of Light?

What Ye Chen did not know was that with the ascent of the Guangming Base City, his deeds were being passionately recounted, and with the subtle maneuvering of Xu Tianguo, such a title had gradually taken root, elevating him to a figure worthy of being "enthroned" as an emperor! The former moniker, God of Slaughter, stemmed entirely from Ye Chen’s own destructive actions and was deemed too brutal. In contrast, the Great Emperor of Light felt more benevolent toward the populace, which was why Xu Tianguo had steadily promoted the latter, leading many to adopt this newer address.

Long absent from his homeland, Ye Chen felt too weary to press for details. With a shift of his form, he returned to his spacecraft and immediately piloted it into the heart of the Base City.

At the entrance to the ruins, the personal guards stood at attention on both sides, watching with deference and astonishment as the beautifully curved, light-radiating spacecraft approached. After the vessel entered the ruins, they began to discuss amongst themselves, filled with palpable excitement.

Once the ship passed into the ruins, the anti-air defenses were deactivated, allowing an unimpeded journey directly to the most magnificent grand hall at the city’s center. Ye Chen descended with the brother and sister he had encountered, the little white rabbit perched placidly on his shoulder.

Not long after, Xu Tianguo arrived with a contingent of high-ranking officials before the plaza leading to the grand hall. He stepped forward first, his voice ringing with pleasant surprise: “President, is that truly you?”

Ye Chen nodded faintly, scanning the welcoming crowd. He recognized the insignia on their chests as belonging to the heads of various departments and the military commanders. However, he did not see Bai Long or his sister, and his expression immediately darkened. “Where is Ye Zhu?”

Xu Tianguo was adept at reading expressions. Noticing the shadow in Ye Chen’s eyes, he quickly explained: “Ye Zhu, Mo Feng, and Bai Long are deep in seclusion within the Virtual Combat Tower, cultivating non-stop. They have woken only a few times to briefly replenish food before immediately returning to their training.”

Ye Chen gave a slight start, a wave of relief washing over him. His expression softened. “It is good that they are well.” He turned to the brother and sister beside him. “You two, I encountered on the road. Arrange accommodations for them, then wait for me in the hall; I will join you shortly.”

Xu Tianguo glanced at the siblings, catching the casual tone in Ye Chen’s voice, and nodded. “Understood.”

The siblings were visibly timid. This was their first time encountering so many exalted figures—ministers and vice-ministers of every major department were present, each radiating an aura incredibly profound, deep as the ocean, and seemingly fathomless. Never before had they witnessed such a spectacle, and they were momentarily paralyzed.

Xu Tianguo beckoned them over and turned to leave with the pair. The other department heads bowed and offered respectful salutes to Ye Chen before respectfully taking their leave.

After walking a few steps, the siblings kept glancing back at Ye Chen with lingering reluctance.

“Come along!” Xu Tianguo saw their expressions and offered a faint smile. “When you become stronger, you will naturally have the standing to see the President every day.”

“Stronger…” the girl murmured quietly, then subtly clenched her fist.

After Xu Tianguo departed, Ye Chen’s figure moved back towards his spacecraft. He glanced into the rear compartment at Kaba and the fifteen mummies standing stiffly. “You all stay here for now; don’t wander around.”

Kaba drawled lazily, “Got it.”

Ye Chen gave him a brief look, said nothing more, and turning, carefully cradled Cai Die’s corpse. He left the rune-etched vessel, moving like a streak of light toward an uninhabited spot outside the ruins. With a sweep of his hand, he began to carve into the thick, hard ice and snow.

Chop! Chop! Chop!

Ye Chen channeled all his strength, gritting his teeth against the excavation. The ice and snow were intensely stubborn; even with his physique, he broke into a heavy sweat just carving out a few hundred meters, creating something like an icy well.

Ye Chen surveyed the surrounding ice and snow, musing, “Though this place is deep, when the Volcanic Age arrives and the glaciers melt, Cai Die’s body will likely drift away with the runoff.” He immediately clenched his fist and continued to hack away.

The pervasive cold was bone-chilling.

Ye Chen’s energy reserves depleted several times, forcing him to sit and rest, waiting for his strength to return before continuing the grueling work.

Before long, the thick, unyielding ice finally gave way, revealing the hard, black earth beneath. He reached down, his fingers like iron, digging a deep pit into the ground. Coupled with the earlier exertion, he gasped for breath, utterly spent.

Ye Chen rested briefly, then resumed digging, excavating the earth for another dozen meters before finally stopping. He reached up, lifted Cai Die’s body from his back, and unwrapped the cloth encasing her. A pale, exquisitely beautiful face was revealed to his sight.

Ye Chen was silent for a moment, then smoothed the surrounding black earth. With a subtle gesture, he summoned some of the ice from above, shaping it into an ice coffin, into which he carefully placed Cai Die’s body. He let out a low sigh and waved his hand, drawing the surrounding black earth up to cover the ice coffin completely.

“The promise is fulfilled…” Ye Chen’s figure shifted as he rose to leave. With a wave, he flung the ice blocks down, filling the vast, icy chasm, then turned and departed. The cold wind swept by, and he faintly heard a sorrowful voice echoing, “I have no parents; it was Master who found me on a day of heavy snow…”

“If, after the Volcanic Age, this place remains unspoiled by the eruptions, when flowers bloom next year, it will be a place rich with blossoming fields…” Ye Chen cast one last look back before his form blurred and he flew back into the ruins.

Upon entering the ruins, Ye Chen did not head to the main hall immediately but instead made his way to his sister’s separate pavilion.

At the entrance, two statuesque, fair-faced girls stood guard outside the lavish door. Though clearly bored, they dared not chat idly. When they suddenly heard the rushing wind, they gasped in alarm and looked up, their expressions freezing into stunned silence.

Seeing their slightly parted lips, Ye Chen waved them off slightly, took one step, and reached the door, pushing it open with a soft creak. Light spilled in through the opening, illuminating the tiny motes of dust dancing in the air.

Ye Chen frowned slightly, glancing at the two women beside him. “Is this place usually left unswept?”

The two women snapped back to attention and instinctively moved to kneel, but a gentle force held them upright, preventing their obeisance. While internally shocked, they hastily replied, “Reporting to the President, Miss has been in deep cultivation these past days. The Acting President forbade us from making noise, fearing disturbance to her training.”

Ye Chen nodded slightly, withdrew his power, and stepped inside. The door swung shut softly behind him.

The ceiling chandelier cast a soft, white glow. Within the chamber stood a massive screen and a nutrition pod, within which a woman in green robes lay quietly, wearing a helmet, her expression serene.

Ye Chen approached silently, squatting down beside her to gaze at the peerlessly beautiful face, a memory stirring of the past—of waiting every day near the school gate for a certain girl to be there for him.

Seeing his sister safe eased Ye Chen’s heart considerably. After lingering a short while, he rose to leave.

Next, Ye Chen visited Bai Long and the others, finding them all in deep cultivation, so he did not disturb them. He returned to the main hall. As soon as he entered, he saw the heads of all departments seated, engaged in hushed discussion.

Hearing his footsteps, everyone immediately quieted. Upon seeing Ye Chen, they all rose in unison and respectfully greeted him: “We greet the President.”

Ye Chen walked directly to the head seat and settled into the broad, high-backed chair. With a slight wave of his hand, everyone else returned to their own seats, adjusting their demeanor to one of focused attention.

Ye Chen turned his head toward Xu Tianguo. “Have there been any significant matters during this period?”

Xu Tianguo, seated next to him, gave a wry smile. “There have been a few things. Oh, right, President, where have you been these past few days? None of our attempts to reach you yielded any response. I was beginning to worry that…”

Everyone looked over, brimming with curiosity.

Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively. “Nothing much. I merely encountered a Demigod-level expert from an alternate dimension who took me captive and transported me to the waters near the South Pole, where I accidentally entered some ruins. It caused a slight delay.”

“A Demigod expert?” Xu Tianguo, along with everyone else, blinked slightly, their expressions puzzled.

Ye Chen nodded. “Reaching the ten-thousand-level physique ranks you as a Ghost God Realm expert. One hundred thousand level is Demigod Realm. One million level is Pseudo-God Realm!”

Xu Tianguo gasped in surprise. “Then the expert you encountered was a one-hundred-thousand-level powerhouse?”

Ye Chen nodded affirmatively.

A wave of disbelief rippled through the hall. After the turmoil involving the Dark Prince, they understood how terrifying a Ghost God Realm expert could be. If reaching that level granted physical immunity via ‘Ghost God Mode,’ then a one-hundred-thousand-level Demigod must possess equally extraordinary abilities.

Xu Tianguo breathed a sigh of relief, then added with cautious joy, “It is fortunate you managed to escape. Did that Demigod know your whereabouts?”

Ye Chen said casually, “I already dealt with that Demigod. There is no need to worry.”

The entire meeting hall fell silent upon hearing this. Everyone exchanged stunned glances. Slaughtering a Demigod? Although ‘only’ a Demigod, he had certainly earned the title of ‘God of Slaughter’ once again.

Ye Chen scanned the hall. “Where are the Xuan Yuan Clan members?” he asked, noting he hadn't seen any since entering the ruins.

Xu Tianguo quickly collected himself. “During this time, I handed over the martial arts manuals from the ancient martial civilization and various other civilizations, along with core technological blueprints and the research methods for the Virtual World Connector, to the Xuan Yuan Clan members. They took everything back to the Xuan Yuan World and should return in a few days.”

Ye Chen nodded once.

Subsequently, Xu Tianguo reported on the general status of affairs during Ye Chen’s absence. Most of the developments were already known to Ye Chen, as they closely mirrored the historical timeline he recalled, which put his mind at ease.

“The Huaxia Base City has too large a population, leading to frequent cannibalistic gangs. During this period, due to the food shortage, the Guangming Base City lost tens of thousands of internal residents to various incidents. As for those one hundred thousand ordinary civilians you mentioned, only one hundred thousand remain now; the rest perished from starvation or mutual slaughter.”

Xu Tianguo sighed heavily, and a heavy silence settled over the hall. Ye Chen remained wordless.

Xu Tianguo continued, “Additionally, there appears to be major activity in the North American region recently. Reports from the Russian branch of the Guangming Base City, submitted by Tosvasin, indicate the rise of a new Base City in North America named ‘Tianshen’ (Celestial God). This city has dispatched envoys to discreetly contact various Base Cities, forming what they call the ‘Tianshen Alliance.’”