In the ancient world, vast and boundless, ten great empires were distributed across the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast expanses. Within the perilous frontier lands, kingdoms ruled by the mighty had been established.

The Blazing God Empire occupied the southeast quadrant of the Ancient Continent, spanning an immense territory dotted with over a thousand vassal states. Each vassal state governed dozens, sometimes hundreds, of cities. Some of these cities were so colossal they eclipsed the entire surface area of Earth by a thousandfold; even the smallest metropolis possessed an area equal to the combined land and water surface of the planet.

To the northwest lay a region where every parcel of land on the map of the Ancient Continent was rendered stark white, signifying the authority of the entity that controlled this domain: the Radiant Empire, one of the ten great empires!

The Radiant Empire was equally boundless, its territorial extent neither less than nor perhaps even greater than that of the Blazing God Empire.

At this moment, within the ‘Cosmic Stratum Wormhole,’ a magnificent, luxurious starship, stretching hundreds of kilometers long, hurtled forward at incredible velocity.

Inside the vessel, the grand hall glittered under blazing chandeliers, bathing the floor in light as bright as day. Upon sofas crafted from the soft scales of Divine Dragons and the feathers of the Phoenix, two figures were seated, before them arranged precious fruits and fine wines—all items of extreme rarity.

“Try this,” Bai Ya poured Ye Chen a cup of crimson wine. Its color was vibrant, emitting a faint, ethereal aroma. This scent carried notes of exotic spring water and the subtle fragrance of the night-blooming Cereus, penetrating the senses and compelling every pore of the body to draw a deep breath.

“This ‘Cereus Dragon Wine’ is not cheap; on the open market, it costs over a hundred Divine Stones—enough to purchase an Elementary Divine Artifact!” Bai Ya smiled, “Taste it; this is superb stuff. Merely inhaling the aroma can cleanse the sinews and bones of a mortal, extending one's lifespan.”

Ye Chen regarded the cup of purplish-red liquid with wonder, raising it and drinking it down in one gulp. A sweet surge flowed down his throat into his entire body, making it feel as if every pore was vibrating, utterly intoxicating.

“Fine wine,” Ye Chen murmured with emotion.

“Of course,” Bai Ya chuckled, taking a sip himself. He sighed contentedly, “In this life, what I value most are friends, chess, and wine! It is a pity that across countless years, one rarely finds a true confidant. Humans are solitary beings; with a friend, a thousand cups are too few; without one, a single cup brings one down!” As he spoke, a shade of melancholy crossed his features.

Ye Chen felt a stirring in his heart, remaining silent, his mind drifting back to Bai Long and the others in the Rune Space, recalling the days of his life on Earth…

The past was like smoke.

A profound sense of temporal weariness settled upon Ye Chen. He sighed involuntarily, poured himself a measure, and tilted his head back, emptying the cup.

Bai Ya gazed out at the pitch-black starscape beyond the ship's windows, lost in thought for a moment, before drawing his gaze back. His expression returned to normal as he glanced sideways at Ye Chen and chuckled lightly, “You, young man, carry quite a few secrets in your heart. Where did you acquire that Domain Artifact of Peak God level? That thing is extraordinarily valuable; many Peak God powerhouses could exhaust their entire fortunes and still fail to afford one!”

Ye Chen knew he had been seen through and did not conceal the truth. “I obtained it when I mistakenly entered an ancient grotto during my mission trials in the Dark Great World. Besides that, there were several other Divine Artifacts.”

Bai Ya nodded slightly, asking no further questions, and raised his cup. “Come, a toast!”

Ye Chen also raised his cup and drank it dry.

“Remember this in the future,” Bai Ya set down his wine cup and spoke gravely, “Do not use it lightly in front of outsiders. If you must use it, you must silence witnesses. If word gets out, it could invite fatal disaster! With your current strength, if the visitor is a Peak God expert, killing you would be simple; that Domain Artifact alone cannot guarantee your defense.”

Ye Chen nodded.

“However,” Bai Ya added with a light smile, “having such a thing to defend yourself with certainly makes you safer.”

Ye Chen nodded subtly, glancing out at the dark void, and pondered aloud, “From here, can we reach the Radiant Empire within half a year?”

“Certainly,” Bai Ya replied without hesitation. “This passage is the ‘Cosmic Stratum Wormhole,’ modified from a long-range Space Gate. Under stable conditions of negative energy and dark elements, it incorporates light refraction, effectively multiplying the jump distance of a normal long-range Space Gate by ten times, or even more.”

Space Gates are spatial wormholes.

Ye Chen felt a great deal of relief. He marveled internally at the extent to which the technology of the 3000 civilizations of the ancient world had advanced. Such engineering was currently confined to the imaginations of highly imaginative researchers; they couldn't even establish the theory, let alone achieve practical implementation.

“This ‘Spatial Stratum Wormhole’ primarily serves God-Emperor level powerhouses. The usage fees are based on Dao Stones, making it accessible only to the wealthier Peak God powerhouses,” Bai Ya glanced at Ye Chen and smiled. “It just so happens I am also visiting a friend in the Radiant Empire this time, and I will escort you along. Now that you have become a member of the Supreme Genius Hall of our Blazing God Empire—you’ll be automatically promoted next month—having me personally protect you isn't exactly overdoing it.”

Ye Chen could only shake his head with a wry smile.

Time flowed…

After traversing the Cosmic Stratum Wormhole for about three days, they burst out of the passage that cut straight across the entire Blazing God Empire. This wormhole provided nationwide, incredibly fast transit, though the cost was equally staggering.

Leaving the Cosmic Stratum Wormhole, Lord Bai Ya’s Crystal Ship entered the established navigation lanes, arriving at the space station guarding the border. Here, the fortifications were entirely metallic walls, occasionally swept by searchlights that streaked across the sky, accompanied by red lines. Anything that intruded without permission was immediately shot down.

Many starships were moored in the airspace above this space station; all were frontier defense vessels, with the lowest being God-level ships. In the center stood numerous palaces, each emanating a potent aura, suggesting that the entire cosmos revolved around them, intimidating all who approached.

Adjacent to this space station was a dedicated inter-nation channel, marked by a long river of green starlight. All incoming and outgoing vessels were automatically routed onto this river, forced to slow down, and subjected to security scans as they sped toward the river's terminus.

Floating suspended in the void around this green starlight river were countless small automatons, some holding firearms, others wielding maintenance tools, dedicated solely to repairs.

The Crystal Ship did not enter the green starlight river for inspection; instead, it ascended to the golden starlight river beside it. This energy channel was tens of thousands of kilometers wide, eerily silent and devoid of other vessels, a stark contrast to the crowded green channel nearby.

The Crystal Ship soon reached the end of the golden energy channel and smoothly passed through the security checkpoint. Upon connecting with the Crystal Ship’s intelligent primary core, the security system instantly received a transmission and automatically withdrew without conducting any inspection.

Next to the inspection lane, a robot flew over, clutching a finely crafted mechanical firearm, stylishly designed. It aimed and fired a burst of red light, branding a peculiar sigil onto the fore-corner of the Crystal Ship’s flank. This was the exit visa; when passing through security in another nation, this mark would be automatically scanned and registered, making forgery absolutely impossible.

“I registered for a ten-year exit visa. This mark will automatically vanish after three years,” Bai Ya said, looking at Ye Chen. “This period should be long enough, right?”

Ye Chen nodded. “It’s sufficient.”

“If it’s not enough,” Bai Ya chuckled lightly, “we can simply renew it later.”

Having cleared security and obtained the exit visa, the Crystal Ship accelerated away from the inspection channel, soaring into the vast sky. Under radar scanning, it quickly detected the foreign nation’s navigation routes, showing numerous lanes and space stations.

“The Radiant Empire’s space station is not far ahead; we’ll have to pass through their security shortly,” Lord Bai Ya said with a smile.

Ye Chen could see the scene ahead through the external camera feed displayed on the LCD screen in the hall. The sky was hazy gray, and the ground below was immense and boundless, faintly showing mountains and rivers, indistinct due to the extreme flight altitude. Were the Crystal Ship’s visual capabilities inferior, it would have captured the scene clearly.

At the distant horizon where the sky met the land, a black line was visible. As they approached, this line resolved into a long, wide floating metal city, dotted with starships docked in the void, and many other ships and fluttering automatons around its perimeter.

The Radiant Empire! Ye Chen’s eyes shone, and he subtly clenched his fists, recalling a face of delicate, unparalleled beauty and eyes as clear as a pool of autumn water from several years ago.

It felt as though it had happened only yesterday.

Memories surged into his heart like a tide. Ye Chen took a deep breath, a terrifying resolve blazing in his eyes.

Whoosh!

The Crystal Ship sped forward, joining the queue behind the other vessels in the green starlight river. Scanned by the red security beams, no anomalies were detected, and they passed through smoothly.

Once past the space station, the radar immediately picked up numerous flight paths. Bai Ya selected a route heading toward Tiangguang Prefecture and flew directly toward it.

Not long after, they reached the first space station. Bai Ya had intended to resupply energy, but upon discovering that this station was only God-level—even depleting all its reserves wouldn't replenish 1% of the Crystal Ship’s energy—he abandoned the idea and continued forward.

Soon, they arrived at the capital of a vassal state, where a ‘Cosmic Stratum Wormhole’ existed. Without hesitation, Bai Ya paid the fee and plunged in, emerging on the other side approximately one day later, already in Tiangguang Prefecture.

“Within the Radiant Empire, there are 1298 vassal states, holding vast influence. Moreover, there are twelve major prefectures, each dominated by twelve transcendent powers. Tiangguang Prefecture is the leading among these twelve, being not only geographically vast and resource-rich but also reportedly home to a Dao Vein mine formed by a convergence of mysterious cosmic rays, emitting potent Chaos Qi. It is a treasure trove for cultivating disciples and nurturing talent!” Lord Bai Ya explained slowly to Ye Chen.

“The young lady you seek is the third daughter of the Bai family. This young girl is far from simple; you must be careful how you conduct yourself. Tiangguang Prefecture is the headquarters of the Bai family; even with me present, I cannot act recklessly. I will take you there, and the rest will be up to you,” Bai Ya warned.

Ye Chen nodded heavily. “Thank you, Master!”