A sheer cliff, two thousand meters high, had been polished smooth as a mirror. Carved into the thousand-meter-wide rock face, running from top to bottom, were a dozen colossal statues of deities, each one encircled by celestial bodies of every description. Blazing suns, comets trailing long tails of dust, and meteors flashing past—these heavenly bodies orbited the immense figures like courtiers attending royalty, rendering them exceptionally solemn and divine.

At the very center of the rock face gaped a massive portal, sixty meters wide and a hundred meters high. Adorned with countless intricate and sumptuous patterns adhering to the golden ratio, these elaborate designs flowed ceaselessly down the entire surface of the portal. Wrapped in specialized alloys and plated with some crystalline coating, the patterns gleamed fiercely in the sunlight, looking for all the world like a gateway to paradise.

A shimmering blue curtain of light, several meters thick, enveloped the entire cliff face, covering the portal and the three hundred Roman warriors standing upon their disc-shaped flight vehicles just outside the gate.

Clad in golden armor, cloaks the color of dried blood, and wielding specialized energy halberds six meters in length, complemented by conspicuous high-energy sabers at their waists, these Roman warriors were clearly the elite.

A small starship drifted slowly toward the colossal gateway, following a metal tunnel stretching ten kilometers behind it. Ahead lay a small, walled city entirely encircled by a thick energy shield. The circular city was organized into nine distinct inner and outer layers. The closer the structures were to the central edifice, the taller they grew. The core of the city comprised a complex of eighteen Gothic, tower-like buildings, each soaring over six hundred meters into the sky. Every structure was wrought from gold and silver tones, their exteriors decorated with such lavish artistry that they resembled individual masterpieces.

Bolbot Holsam knelt on one knee in the plaza before the grand hall at the exact center of the city. Behind him knelt three thousand perfectly arrayed elite Roman warriors and sixty thousand auxiliary Spirit race soldiers. Thirty golden warships, shaped like cigars at the bow, their hulls flaring outward like blooming petals from mid-section to stern, were docked precisely in the center of the plaza. These vessels, nearly six hundred meters in length, represented the vast majority of the Holsam family's finest assets.

On the towering steps of the hall stood a tall, powerfully built middle-aged Roman. His body was draped in exquisite armor composed of tens of thousands of interlocking, dragon-scale-shaped gold plates, finished with a deep purple cloak embroidered with golden filigree. Shrouded entirely in a two-meter-thick aura of blue flame, this Roman figure resembled nothing less than a celestial deity.

Nanket Holsam: the current Patriarch of the Holsam family, the second Electoral Lineage of the Romans; the First Grand Administrator of the Roman Supreme Council; and the holder of ultimate military command authority over the Roman legions. In terms of power among the Romans, he stood second only to the Roman King and the Grand High Priest of the Roman Pantheon.

Nanket Holsam gazed down upon this formidable host. Three thousand elite warriors possessing potent spiritual cultivation, sixty thousand fiercely loyal auxiliary troops, plus thirty of the Holsam family’s latest generation ‘Sacred Light’ mainline battleships—this force possessed the combat capability to rout three reinforced Earth divisions on an open battlefield.

"Bolbot, my weak and incompetent son!" Nanket finally spoke after a long period of contemplation. His voice was deep, commanding, and imbued with palpable power. His immense spiritual force surged with his words, causing invisible ripples to spread through the air, compelling every Roman warrior and Spirit auxiliary to bow their heads in reverence.

Bolbot’s forehead pressed against the cold ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The battle at Aurora Power Station had utterly exposed Bolbot’s craven cowardice and fecklessness. The memory of being threatened by Gu Xichen with the detonation of a nuclear reactor, which forced him to abandon vast quantities of equipment in his panicked retreat, had made him a laughingstock within the family. Were it not for the fact that he was Nanket Holsam’s first legitimate son, and were it not for Nanket’s profound affection for Bolbot’s mother, Bolbot would long ago have been relegated to obscurity, stripped of any hope of taking charge of the family’s affairs.

Yet, his father was Nanket Holsam—a Roman of formidable, unyielding, and iron-willed strength.

In a place where no one could see, Bolbot permitted himself a small, private smirk.

“Bolbot, my son. This is your final chance to prove yourself!” Nanket Holsam stated calmly. “Lead the family’s loyal warriors and achieve great deeds on that beautiful planet. Destroy the Earthlings’ fleet; destroy their ground forces; kill every single Earthling you lay eyes upon. Let the magnificent name of the Holsam family fly above that world, and make the Earthlings tremble whenever they utter the surname ‘Holsam.’”

"I shall accomplish it!" Bolbot responded with utmost deference.

"You must accomplish it!" Nanket Holsam declared coolly. "All nine Electoral Families have dispatched their own forces. Following Roman tradition, you young men have three months to act freely, to hunt those wretched Earthlings as you wish. After three months, the main Roman army will commence its grand campaign. Use these three months to accrue sufficient merit—for the glory of the Holsam family, and for yourself. Strive diligently."

"I understand, Noble Father. This time, I shall not disappoint you." Bolbot drew a deep breath.

The simultaneous expedition of the nine great Electoral Roman Families—such a spectacle had not been seen in ages! To hunt, to slaughter the filthy, backward Earthlings, and to forge eternal glory for the Holsam name in blood—this was intoxicating!

Of course, if it weren’t for that wretch kneeling behind him, the situation would be absolutely perfect.

Kneeling rigidly behind Bolbot was a mixed-race youth, standing about two meters ten centimeters tall. Though possessing the signature golden hair and pale skin of the Romans, his eyes were starkly black. This mixed-blood youth, also armored in gold energy plating, knelt two meters behind Bolbot, his head lowered, quietly observing a single grain of dust on the ground, as if it contained all the secrets of the cosmos.

His dark eyes were calm, utterly devoid of heat. His motionless body betrayed no vitality. This youth gave the impression of a vast, unfathomable ocean.

"Vile mixed-blood mongrel," Bolbot narrowed his eyes with palpable displeasure.

"Ducat Holsam," Nanket Holsam commanded placidly. "You have successfully passed the Christo Fusion Rite. Considering the other, base portion of your lineage, this is quite an accomplishment. Therefore, I grant you full membership status within the Holsam family. Understand that such a privilege is not easily earned."

"From this day forward, you are the shadow of your brother, Bolbot Holsam. You are his satellite; his brilliance will reflect upon you, and your name will enter the annals of Roman history by association with Bolbot Holsam. Remember your duty and perform what is required of you. On this expedition, you serve as Bolbot’s adjutant!"

Ducat Holsam nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving the minuscule speck of dust.

Nanket Holsam swept a cold, indifferent glance over Ducat. He spoke with chilling finality: "Then, warriors of the Holsam family, depart now! Tear apart every Earthling you see before you, and seize that planet, which the Great Black Hole God has gifted to us!"

He paused, then added, "According to the resolution of the Supreme Council, the family that accrues the greatest merit on this mission will be granted rights to one-fifth of that planet's resources. Fight bravely for your lineage! Go! Your names shall be etched in the Holsam family shrine! Go!"

The three thousand Roman warriors and sixty thousand Spirit auxiliaries cheered loudly, marching in unison behind Bolbot Holsam onto the family's newest mainline warships.

The thirty Sacred Light mainline battleships roared into the sky. The intense heat generated by the plasma exhaust swept across the entire plaza, yet it did not stir a single hair on Nanket Holsam's head.

In total, three hundred and forty large warships belonging to the nine great Electoral Roman Families took off from Mars. They accelerated to sub-light speed in seven-tenths the time required by Earth Federation vessels, and swiftly transitioned into hyperspace warp cruising. The private armies of the nine Electoral Families—tens of thousands of elite Roman warriors, hundreds of thousands of Spirit auxiliaries, and three hundred and forty large warships—this formidable armada cut across the boundless sea of stars, hurtling toward the Alpha Sector.

At the very moment the Romans departed, off the coast of a small island in the Western Pacific, three Class Two warships, each three hundred and sixty meters long, gently bobbed on the ocean swells.

Yuhua stood on the outer deck of one vessel, quietly observing a white-haired elder clad in a crimson Taoist robe standing before them. Beside him stood nearly a thousand young men and women dressed in a wide variety of attire.

"You are the cream of the younger generation of the Asian Dao Alliance, all possessing accomplished cultivation."

"Your mission is to travel to that planet, locate the Evil Dragon, and retrieve the bamboo scroll held in his hand. Furthermore, thoroughly survey that planet to ascertain if any other ancient cultivation caverns remain left behind by our predecessors. Beyond these objectives, you are to ignore all else. Disregard orders from the Earth Federation, and disregard the Romans. You must focus solely on completing your designated tasks."

"We of the older generation are bound by the ancient covenant not to leave Earth, so you must rely entirely on yourselves on this journey. The path ahead is certain to be fraught with extraordinary danger—this serves as your trial. Remember to protect and support one another, and do not bring disgrace upon the Asian Dao Alliance."

"Understood!" Yuhua and the other youths responded in unison, before they filed into the warships.

Minutes later, the three Class Two warships ascended. Another eight large transport ships, each four hundred and fifty meters long, lifted off from the opposite side of the island. Within these eight transports were twelve thousand elite warriors, drawn from the various factions subordinate to the Asian Dao Alliance.

Two similarly sized small fleets lifted off almost simultaneously from the areas near the Vatican and the North American Grand Canyon. After routing their trajectories via the Moon to utilize its gravitational assist for course correction, all three fleets entered acceleration.

A full thirty-six hours after the launch of these three small fleets, the main body of the Earth Federation military slowly assembled amidst soaring martial anthems before finally setting out.

Three hundred and thirty Class One warships, each five hundred meters long; four hundred and fifty Class Two warships, between three hundred and three hundred and sixty meters in length; over seven hundred Class Three warships, nearly two hundred meters long; over a thousand heavy patrol cruisers, measuring eighty to one hundred and twenty meters; and more than two thousand rapid assault craft—plus nine hundred massive and large transport vessels requisitioned from various mining corporations—this gargantuan fleet carried two hundred main ground divisions, comprising 3.8 million personnel and all necessary equipment and supplies.

The constant roar of high-pitched slogans echoed through the swarm-like Earth Federation fleet; countless soldiers shouted 'Advance! Advance!' The fleet accelerated to maximum velocity, hurtling toward the Alpha Sector.

On Wandering Immortal Star, Gu Xichen gnawed on a plump Lingzhi mushroom, watching idly as Xin Jia bustled excitedly around the pillar of Golden Crow Celestial Fire.

Vast quantities of rare metallic ores were tossed into the pillar, melting into viscous liquid. Xin Jia made a series of profound hand seals, and slowly, an iron chain as thick as a seawater bowl began to take shape.

Finally overcome by extreme boredom, Gu Xichen found a new topic.

"Xin Jia, how many people do you think we'll manage to draw to Wandering Immortal Star this time?"

"Esteemed One, Xin Jia does not know."

"Hmm, do you think there might be three hundred thousand?" Gu Xichen squinted in anticipation. "Three hundred thousand! This battle is going to be spectacular!"

Xin Jia remained silent. Gu Xichen could not possibly fathom the sheer scale of the armies being drawn to Wandering Immortal Star by his single piece of intelligence.

All armies were currently streaking through hyperspace, racing to be the first to locate that wormhole.

×××××××××××××××××××××××

This time it should be correct... I'm dizzy... Keep those recommendation tickets coming, everyone throw them hard at me... I'm dizzy...