Ye Chen moved in a flash, arriving at the space corridor of this Elder Star, entering the anti-air defense fortress, and presenting his Genius Medal. The gatekeeper was a middle-aged man exuding a dense aura of the Law, who immediately submitted the medal to a machine for appraisal upon seeing it.

“Approved!” A green cursor flashed on the detector. Seeing the machine’s confirmation, the gatekeeper’s expression softened into a slight smile.

He nodded faintly, returning the medal to Ye Chen and stating, “The Elder Hall is located at coordinates 1834, 2949 on the Elder Star. When you enter the planet, your radar will automatically detect the stellar map; just follow the coordinates to reach it.” Ye Chen nodded, pocketed the medal, walked to the adjacent airway, retrieved his Rune Spaceship, and plunged directly into the craft, hurtling toward the Elder Hall at the specified coordinates.

Whoosh! The Rune Spaceship whistled through the vast expanse of the long sky.

This Elder Star was immense, its surface overgrown with various red crystalline rocks, breathtakingly beautiful as if carved from red crystal, interspersed with crystalline leaves, sparkling, translucent, and vividly red as fire. A dozen minutes later, the Rune Spaceship followed the coordinates to an area above a massive ocean on the planet.

Ye Chen adjusted the ship’s speed from supersonic to subsonic, using the external view simulator to observe the scenery below. The sea water was scarlet, like a sea of blood, surging with roaring waves.

Within this vast ocean, occasional pitch-black fish-beasts leaped from the depths, kicking up crimson spray before diving back into the deep. In the center of this ocean lay an island, broad and immense, roughly the size of Earth’s Asia, upon which numerous palaces were constructed.

The highest palace featured a dome-shaped roof, resembling an eggshell, soaring nearly a thousand zhang high—almost half the height of Mount Everest. As the Rune Spaceship approached the island, it immediately received a warning signal.

Following the charted course displayed on the radar, it docked in a safety zone where an armored fortress floated, surrounded by several heavily armored hover-vehicles patrolling back and forth, their searchlights sweeping the night sky across immense distances. Ye Chen disembarked from the Rune Spaceship, seizing it with his hand to retract it, then proceeded toward the steel castle.

At the main gate were many figures: some seated in luxurious hover-chariots, others standing guard. At the very center of the entrance stood a middle-aged man in purple robes, hands clasped behind his back, pacing back and forth.

Upon hearing footsteps, he looked up and immediately spotted Ye Chen. His eyes brightened, a hint of pleasant surprise in his demeanor.

He hurried forward with a hearty laugh, “You must be the genius Ye Chen? Truly a figure of outstanding talent!” Ye Chen cupped his hands in return, “It is I.” “Let’s go!” the purple-robed man chuckled.

“The Elders have been awaiting you. I will escort you to the Elder Hall.” “I appreciate the trouble,” Ye Chen replied briefly, then followed closely behind the purple-robed man.

They quickly passed through the steel castle and boarded a distinguished hover-vehicle, traveling along the light-path channel to the center of the island. Here stood a towering gateway, guarded by more than twenty Divine Realm experts, immobile as immortal stone sculptures, their cold, sharp gazes sweeping forward, causing one’s spirit to tremble.

Under the guidance of the purple-robed man, Ye Chen passed through the gate without obstruction, traversing a square paved with white jade, crossing a small plaza via a delicate bridge, circling a clear, small pond, until he stood before a magnificent palace, its eaves and towers soaring with imposing grandeur. “Please,” the purple-robed man bowed slightly.

“The Elders await you inside.” Ye Chen’s eyes flickered, his expression unchanged. He reached out and pushed open the heavy door.

The scene inside instantly spilled through the narrow opening, reflecting in his sight. The light from behind him also illuminated the interior, casting shadows upon the floor, beautiful as flowing water.

Through the gap in the door, Ye Chen saw numerous ancient thrones, upon which numerous figures seemed to be seated. Knowing he could not avoid the encounter, he resolved to face it calmly.

He took a deep breath, then stepped through the door, as if entering another world! Klang!

The great door slammed shut. In the hall before Ye Chen, the lights suddenly flared, transforming the darkness into brilliant illumination that lit up the entire chamber.

In the center of the hall, flanked by many thrones, ran a central avenue paved with starlight; the floor appeared to be crystal, mirroring the endless expanse of the cosmos, making one feel as though they were strolling through space. As Ye Chen walked along this starlight avenue, he looked up and saw a child in red robes seated upon the foremost throne.

This child appeared to be about three years old, like an infant, with skin beautiful as polished mutton fat, smooth and delicate, white as snow. His dark eyes were bright as water, seemingly reflecting the boundless starry sky, captivating anyone who gazed upon them.

Ye Chen’s gaze sharpened. He cupped his hands toward the child and bowed, “I greet the Elder.” The red-robed child blinked his dark eyes, curiously examining Ye Chen from head to toe, murmuring, “Truly remarkable!

Such composure and self-possession; worthy of being the peerless genius capable of defeating Hua Zhan in a single move!” Ye Chen offered a slight bow, “You flatter me.” The red-robed child giggled, “Do you know why I summoned you?” “I do not,” Ye Chen answered truthfully. “Guess,” the red-robed child made a funny face and chuckled mischievously.

Ye Chen rolled his eyes slightly but, respecting the figure’s status, refrained from rudeness. After a moment of thought, he offered, “You wish to promote me?” The red-robed child clapped his hands and laughed, “So clever!

You guessed it right away!” Ye Chen felt a bit more settled. “Please, Elder, be direct.” The red-robed child nudged his chin toward a woman seated to his left, signaling with his eyes.

This woman, slender and alluring with a sharp, attractive face, slightly frowned, an expression of mild exasperation, as if such awkward situations were not a new occurrence. She cleared her throat and stated formally, “Ye Chen, given your dazzling and unprecedented talent, the Elder Council has deliberated and specially elevated you to the Blazing Dragon Hall.

From this day forward, you are a member of the Blazing Dragon Hall!” Ye Chen’s expression remained normal, though a faint smile touched his heart; this outcome was within his expectations. Although defeating Hua Zhan was a tremendous loss to the Blazing God Empire, in terms of asset valuation, his importance far outweighed the loss of Hua Zhan.

Moreover, since the fight occurred in a fair arena contest, the high command of the Blazing God Empire had no legitimate grounds to seek retribution against Ye Chen. Imposing further punishment would mean losing an even greater genius, which would be a net loss.

“Furthermore!” The alluring woman glanced at Ye Chen, lifting her chin slightly. “Considering your fierce strength, the Elders have unanimously decided to grant you the Blazing Dragon Hall’s Secret Fire Token.

With this token, your authority within the Blazing God Empire will be second only to the rulers of the thousand vassal states!” Hearing this, Ye Chen paused momentarily, then his eyes lit up. He knew what manner of figures the vassal state rulers were—their lowest cultivation base was the Divine Emperor level!

With this Secret Fire Token, he could freely command armies of tens of thousands of Divine beings, wielding terrifying power, and even build his own exclusive estates in scenic areas to support his descendants. “Thank you,” Ye Chen cupped his hands.

The alluring woman smiled faintly, an inherent trace of seduction in her manner. “There are only eight people who hold the Secret Fire Token in the Blazing Dragon Universe; with you, there are now nine!

The Empire places immense value on you. We hope you train diligently.

In a hundred years, it will be time for the ten Halls and ten States to participate in the great war. If you can represent the Blazing God Empire in this conflict and secure an excellent ranking, you will certainly be rewarded handsomely in the future.” Ye Chen nodded, “Yes.” “Here is the Secret Fire Token.” The alluring woman flipped her hand.

Her fair, slender fingers held a token glowing fiery red throughout, resembling a cluster of burning flame. If one hadn't felt its texture, merely looking at it would make it hard to believe it was metal!

Ye Chen accepted it casually, a flicker of surprise on his face. “It’s forged from Flowing Fire Gold.

This Flowing Fire Gold is an exceedingly precious metal, originating from the depths of the Celestial Fire Star Domain within the ancient world's void space. It is prime material for forging Dao Artifacts, containing the perfected world of Law—the crystallization of the Fire Law itself.” Ye Chen had encountered data on Flowing Fire Gold in the virtual world; with his top-tier genius clearance, he had viewed it and memorized the details with his eidetic memory.

“Guard it well,” the alluring woman smiled, her charm so intense it was hard for the soul to resist. Ye Chen’s expression remained calm, showing no change.

He put away the Secret Fire Token. “Thank you.” “Good.

You may go! We have selected your residential planet within the Blazing Dragon Universe—it is the Ninth Star in the Star Bay Cluster.

That will be your place of future cultivation. You may apply to headquarters for anything you require.

We have also assigned two peak Divine experts to guard you, along with numerous Pseudo-God servants available for your command!” the alluring woman said with a gentle smile. Ye Chen nodded and promptly took his leave.

The red-robed child played with his fingernails. Only after Ye Chen departed did he casually ask, “What does everyone think?” The alluring woman pondered for a moment before nodding.

“Though this individual is taciturn, he is certainly worth cultivating. I sense a faint, unusual energy from him—most likely the reincarnation of some peerless powerhouse.

If he awakens his past life’s strength in the future, he should not rebel against us.” “We still don’t know which great figure he is the reincarnation of.” “It is said that reincarnated beings bear imprints left by their past lives. Take the eight monsters in the Blazing Dragon Hall, for instance; all are exceptionally talented and bear such marks, revealing the identities of the great figures they once were.

However, even after the Information Department mobilized the Top Genius Wing, monitoring records from his villa bathroom showed no such imprints on this person.” “Perhaps we should ask the Reincarnation Divine Hall to perform a divination.” “We already did; they could not divine anything. As for the Cycle Saint King, he is indisposed.” “Unable to divine?

How is that possible? Could it be that some great figure is sheltering him, severing the threads of karma?” A buzz of discussion filled the great hall, eventually settling on the red-robed child.

“There is no need to overthink this matter; let nature take its course,” the red-robed child yawned. “Everyone, you may disperse.”