In a spacious reception room, Gu Xechen and Fuya Ming sat shoulder to shoulder on a long sofa upholstered in exotic horned rhinoceros leather, a specialty of the Dokko Federation. The soft cushions gently enveloped their bodies, making the space between them almost negligible. A slight shift in either of them would cause their shoulders to brush.

Halis sat upright on the sofa opposite them, appearing completely oblivious to the ambiguous atmosphere brewing between Gu Xechen and Fuya Ming.

Maids entered, serving fruit tea from Yafik and an assortment of pastries. Once the servants cleared the room, Halis immediately rose and executed a perfect ninety-degree bow toward Gu Xechen. “I sincerely apologize. I deeply regret my transgression, and I hope to offer some form of amends for my discourtesy and presumption.”

Gu Xechen lightly clapped his hands. “It’s fine. I am known for my broad-mindedness. As the saying goes, harmony brings wealth.”

A small indicator light on Fuya Ming’s wrist-worn personal terminal blinked; a packet of intelligence data had just arrived. Without altering her expression, Fuya Ming tilted her wrist subtly, allowing Gu Xechen a clear view of the personal file displayed on her terminal regarding Halis Hiss.

Halis Hiss, the Third Prince of the Hiss Empire. His mother was a favored consort, second in rank only to the Empress of the Hiss Empire. However, Halis Hiss’s maternal uncle was the Empire’s Deputy Prime Minister for Military Affairs, and his mother’s family held numerous commanding generals with real authority within the Hiss military. His maternal grandfather was the former Prime Minister of the Hiss Empire, whose protégés and disciples held influence throughout the court and government.

The current Emperor of the Hiss Empire, Tartar Hiss, was in precarious health. He had suffered accidental damage from highly toxic (Yulei Ray) during his youth. Despite the best efforts of Hiss Empire medical experts, Tartar Hiss’s life essence had been damaged, and he had, at most, twenty years left. Compared to the general natural lifespan of around a thousand years in the Star Alliance, a mere two decades was insignificant. This reality was forcing Halis Hiss and his brothers to begin vying for the throne.

The First Prince of the Hiss Empire, Glin Tass, had a mother who was an ordinary palace maid. Glin was conceived after Tartar Hiss violently assaulted her mother while intoxicated. Consequently, Glin Tass, lacking any background or support structure in the succession struggle, had long since been eliminated.

Halis Hiss’s most formidable rivals were his second and seventh brothers.

The Second Prince of the Hiss Empire, Yuri Hiss, had the Empress as his mother. His maternal uncle was the current Minister of Finance of the Hiss Empire, and his maternal grandfather was the Empire’s renowned Iron-Blooded Marshal, who also served as the Dean of the Empire’s premier military academy. Half of the mid-level officers in the Hiss military had passed through his tutelage, granting him military influence precisely counterbalancing that of Halis Hiss’s maternal clan.

The Seventh Prince of the Hiss Empire, Karuki Hiss, had one of the Empire’s only two favored consorts as his mother. His maternal uncle was the current Minister of Supervision for the Hiss Empire, controlling the majority of the Empire’s secret intelligence agencies. His maternal grandfather was the current Prime Minister of the Hiss Empire, and one of the only three hereditary non-royal princes of the Hiss Empire, known as the “Nobles among the Nobles.”

These three princes, equally capable and backed by comparably powerful sponsors, each controlled a territory world within the Hiss Empire. They possessed independent conscription rights and tax-exempt commercial rights—vast, independent authorities. According to the Hiss Empire’s most traditional law of survival of the fittest, whichever of the three princes achieved greater merit would earn the right to succession.

After more than a decade of diligent cultivation, Halis had amassed a relatively powerful military force and recruited numerous talents to his cause. Seizing the opportunity presented by the conflict between the Yafik Kingdom and the Dokko Federation, he calculated the perfect moment when Fuya Ming left the Hedgehog-like planet Yafik for Dokko Star, aiming for a dual victory: securing Fuya Ming personally while seizing control of the entire Yafik Kingdom.

Should he gain command of the most critical checkpoint along the Golden Trade Route, Halis’s material wealth and resources would experience an exponential leap. He could recruit more capable individuals, build a stronger army, and even eye the entirety of the Spiral Starfield. If he could find, or perhaps manufacture, the right opportunity to seize several administrative stars or install several puppet regimes within the Spiral Starfield, such a monumental achievement in territorial expansion would guarantee his smooth ascent to the Emperor's throne.

“Your Highness Halis!” After reading the intelligence Fuya Ming had obtained through discreet channels, Gu Xechen smiled and addressed Halis.

“Oh, no, please just call me Halis!” Halis interjected hurriedly and humbly. “In the presence of a powerhouse like yourself, my title means nothing.”

Gu Xechen lightly tapped his palm, smiling approvingly. “Then, Halis, let’s be frank. If I can help you become the Emperor of the Hiss Empire, what benefits can you offer me?”

Like a bolt of lightning striking his head, Gu Xechen’s words made every hair on Halis’s body stand on end, as if an electric current surged wildly through him. He stared blankly at Gu Xechen, his pupils contracting to pinpricks. After a long moment, Halis managed a thin smile. “When a powerhouse like yourself speaks, I am in no position to doubt you. But, how strong is the power you wield?”

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Xechen glanced toward Fuya Ming.

Fuya Ming’s entire demeanor shifted subtly. The gentle, demure water lily of a woman transformed instantly into a tigress who had spotted prey. Her twin sword-like eyebrows shot up, and her slender Phoenix eyes widened sharply, projecting an aura of fierce light that forced Halis to involuntarily lean back.

“Your Highness Halis, if you can meet our demands, then our strength will not disappoint you.” Fuya Ming’s voice carried a resonance of metal striking metal, an oppressive, domineering presence washing over Halis, causing his breath to hitch. Fuya Ming glanced at Gu Xechen, then stated each word deliberately: “The Yafik Kingdom requires a secret trade route within the Hiss Empire, naturally, one that is tax-exempt. We also require the Hiss Empire’s most advanced warship production lines, and the Empire’s highest-precision, large-scale CNC mother machine tools.”

One by one, Fuya Ming listed over fifty demands spanning technology, public welfare, military matters, and medicine. Fulfilling any single one would cause the comprehensive strength of the Yafik Kingdom to undergo a massive, immediate leap. It could be said that if Halis could meet these terms, the Yafik Kingdom would have one foot firmly planted in five-star civilization status; only lacking basic metrics like the number of administrative stars and total population.

Halis fell into deep thought, frowning intently at the steaming cup of fruit tea before him, his brow knitting into a tight knot.

Gu Xechen fanned himself gently and chuckled. “Fuya’s demands are a bit difficult to meet…”

Halis hastily agreed. “There are too many clauses. Unless I become the Hiss Emperor, fulfilling your…”

Gu Xechen smiled, looking gently at Halis. “Then, how about a small asteroid, one with a Starlight Silver content of forty-three percent and a diameter of 1,450+ Star Alliance standard miles, as collateral? You shouldn’t take such a massive risk without gaining something tangible, after all.”

“Oh? Such an asteroid?” Halis was taken aback. Even Fuya Ming seemed momentarily confused.

But in the next instant, both of them nearly sprang up simultaneously, crying out in unison, “What did you say?”

Gu Xechen shrugged indifferently. “An asteroid composed almost entirely of Starlight Silver as collateral. Isn't Starlight Silver the hard currency of the Star Alliance?”

Halis’s eyes turned bloodshot. Fuya Ming pointed a trembling hand at Gu Xechen, desperately calculating how many tons of Starlight Silver were contained within an asteroid 1,450+ Star Alliance standard miles in diameter—roughly 3,400 kilometers for the Earth Federation—if its concentration was forty-three percent.

As she calculated, Fuya Ming’s brain began to cramp. She sank weakly back onto the sofa beside Gu Xechen. Perhaps selling the entire Hiss Empire could not even fetch that much Starlight Silver.

Chuckling a few times, Gu Xechen waved his hand. Chunk after chunk of pure silver keys sprayed out from his Azure Lotus Ring, quickly piling up into a small mountain in the reception room. These silver keys originated from Heaven Star, from the ascended female cultivator. The silver forged by the cultivator’s True Fire contained almost no impurities, and all the keys were uniform in size with virtually no deviation. This massive heap of gleaming, silver-hued keys created an intense visual impact.

“I must clarify one point. The Star Alliance lacks precious metals like Starlight Silver, but in my homeland, among the mineral stars we possess, there are vast reserves of Starlight Silver. These things are fundamentally worthless over there; we use a different equivalent medium of exchange.” Gu Xechen looked at the dumbfounded Halis.

“Then, what is your country’s equivalent?” Halis gazed greedily at the small mountain of silver before him. That much Starlight Silver would be enough to equip an entire detachment fleet.

With another wave of his hand, all the silver keys flew back into the Azure Lotus Ring, and huge piles of Zakla Energy Crystals flew out of the Azure Lotus Ring instead.

“My gods!” Halis stared at the mountain of transparent crystals, clutching his chest tightly with both hands. He rolled his eyes back, looking up at the ceiling. Fortunately, his personal cultivation was high and his body robust; though a sharp pain shot through his heart, he managed to withstand the immense shock and did not actually faint.

“You use Origin Energy Stones as the equivalent?!” Halis squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, his expression akin to having seen a ghost.

Picking up his cup and taking a sip of fruit tea, Gu Xechen casually grabbed a low-grade water-attribute crystal. He circulated the Grand Yin Profound Qi within his body, completely draining the spiritual energy from the crystal. The crystal’s light dissipated, leaving behind a dull, lusterless piece of ordinary stone. Looking at the shocked Halis, and the equally shocked Fuya Ming who couldn't even speak, Gu Xechen stated slightly smugly, “It can’t be helped; my homeland is vast and rich in resources—a truly prosperous nation!”

“It’s Origin Energy Stones, definitely Origin Energy Stones! Stones that can provide energy for cultivators!” Halis nearly wept. “No matter how vast your country is, you cannot use Origin Energy Stones as an equivalent! You—you heavens…”

Gu Xechen was clearly determined to utter shocking things until the very end. He gave Fuya Ming a strange look and chuckled slyly. “Heh heh. My Primordial-level warship—the one the Yafik Academy of Sciences is currently refitting for me—its main engine fuel is Origin Energy Stones. Though, over there, we call them Zakla Energy Crystals!”

Thud. Prince Halis, who had just managed to stand up, rolled his eyes again and collapsed backward onto the sofa.

Fuya Ming’s hand instinctively went to the holster at her waist. Her beautiful Phoenix eyes stared intensely at Gu Xechen, and she called out in near fury, “You use Origin Energy Stones as fuel?” She looked ready to draw her weapon and blast Gu Xechen.

“No, you cannot do this! You are far too extravagant! You all deserve divine punishment!” Halis gasped as he climbed back onto the sofa, grabbing his teacup and gulping down several mouthfuls of hot tea before he could barely steady his nerves. He stammered, “Too extravagant! Too extravagant! A planet made of Starlight Silver, and a warship fueled by Origin Energy Stones! You—you all deserve—oh, gods, you truly should not be doing this!”

Gu Xechen gently fanned his hand, and a cool current circled the room several times. The chill struck Fuya Ming and Halis, making them both shiver violently. Their chaotic thoughts immediately snapped back into clarity.

“Meet all of Fuya’s demands, use that small asteroid as collateral, and I can personally sponsor you with several thousand cubic meters of Origin Energy Stones,” Gu Xechen stated casually to Halis. “Ally with us, and then—my brothers and I, combined, number over a dozen Star-Level Great Venerables and dozens of Six-Star Venerables. We will fully assist you in ascending to the Hiss Imperial throne.”

“Personally sponsoring several thousand cubic meters of Origin Energy Stones!?” Halis’s eyes rolled back again, but this time he was seated, preventing him from falling backward.

“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of Origin Energy Stones being quantified in cubic meters!” Halis glared at Gu Xechen in exasperation.

But in the span of a finger-snap, Halis leaped nearly seven or eight feet into the air, pointing at Gu Xechen and screaming, “What did you say? You possess over a dozen Star-Level Great Venerables?”

Fuya Ming spoke with the condescending tone of a provincial who had never seen the world. “What’s so strange about that? With the reserve quantities of Origin Energy Stones in Xechen’s country, even the stupidest person could attain cultivator strength. Breaking past Six-Star is nothing.”

Pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back a few times, Halis suddenly stood directly in front of Gu Xechen, staring him down. “An alliance?”

Gu Xechen nodded. “An alliance!”

After a moment of silence, Halis asked cautiously, “You won’t move against the Hiss Empire, will you?”

Gu Xechen tapped his chest forcefully. He spoke with utmost seriousness. “I am a merchant. Since the day I signed my first commercial contract, I have never violated any agreement.”

After another moment of silence, Halis sat back down on the sofa, speaking with great circumspection. “Tell me your entire plan.”

Without hesitation, Gu Xechen replied frankly. “My homeland possesses immense development potential, but our technological level is very low. Fortunately, I have arrived here and made contact with the Star Alliance. For the future of my country, I require vast resources and a large volume of technological data.”

Halis narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Gu Xechen. After a while, he called out, “Can you represent your homeland?” Gu Xechen thought seriously for a moment. Although slightly hesitant, he nodded frankly. “More or less? I have good relationships with the nominal leaders. As for their ultimate backers, I am one of their backers. You need not worry about the Earth Federation clashing with the Hiss Empire; we never attack our friends.”

Halis extended his hand to Gu Xechen. “Then, shall we form a secret pact?”

Gu Xechen nodded seriously and smiled. “A secret pact. Once you become the Emperor of the Hiss Empire, we will announce our alliance openly.”

The two shook hands. Halis then extended his hand toward Fuya Ming.

Gu Xechen quickly intercepted Fuya Ming’s hand, smiling at Halis. “Fuya can sign the pact. As for the handshake—heh heh heh!”

Halis let out a dry laugh and quickly withdrew his hand.

Fuya Ming was exceptionally astute and capable. She personally drafted an extremely detailed covenant, and the three affixed their signatures. Three paper copies of the covenant would be kept by each party, and three video recordings of the oath would also be preserved individually. The electronic document of the secret pact was transmitted to each of their personal terminals for storage. Utilizing the Star Alliance’s unique data technology, the electronic document was converted into an electronic symbol bearing a unique marker. This symbol would serve as the token of alliance for the three parties; the holder of this symbol represented an ally’s subordinate.

As soon as the covenant was established, Halis presented a request to Gu Xechen. “Assassination—is that difficult for you?”

Gu Xechen looked at Halis and lightly shook his head. “Who needs killing?” He understood this was Halis testing his capabilities.

Halis ground his teeth together. “My seventh brother’s mother, that is to say, the other consort of my father besides my own mother! Kill her, and I will give you a piece of intelligence that you will absolutely find interesting.”

Gu Xechen and Fuya Ming exchanged a glance. He scratched his head with slight annoyance. “Being an assassin—that compromises my personal image and reputation! Besides, the target is a woman…”

Fuya Ming smiled faintly and asked Halis cooperatively, “Then, what kind of intelligence is it?”

Halis clearly hesitated, glancing between Gu Xechen and Fuya Ming, seemingly unable to make up his mind.

Gu Xechen burst out laughing. “Your Highness, we are allies now; don't you have any trust in us?”

Halis’s face flushed slightly. He cautiously looked left and right, leaning in close to Gu Xechen and squeezing the words out through his teeth in the faintest whisper. “You might not know, but Her Majesty the Queen certainly knows the legends of the Ancient Demons. I have discovered a military base belonging to an Ancient Demon. Inside, there are ten preserved, completely intact Super Battleships.”

Hiss. Fuya Ming gasped sharply. An Ancient Demon military base? The legendary Ancient Demons possessed technology far more advanced than the current Six-Star civilization of the Star Alliance. Super Battleships left behind by them—the value was simply incalculable.

Hiss. Gu Xechen also sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively recalling the Roman colossal vessels, hundreds of kilometers long, from the video files Porphyry had given him.

“For three hundred percent profit, capital dares to tread on anything!” Gu Xechen muttered quietly. “What is this compared to three hundred percent profit? If I could replicate these giant ships…”

He grasped Fuya Ming’s small hand firmly and spoke to her with gravity. “Fuya, you should pay a friendly state visit to the Lei Wu Kingdom. Hmm, of course, I will be by your side. Make the scene bigger, amplify the publicity, make sure everyone knows that I am a Star-Level Great Venerable, and that I am always at your side.”

Halis nodded in understanding and smiled faintly. “You have always been at Her Majesty’s side, so while you have the strength to assassinate that old woman, you couldn't possibly be in the Hiss Empire when she is killed. But, who do you intend to send to kill her?”

Gu Xechen pursed his lips and smiled. He projected a thread of divine sense outward. In the blink of an eye, a plume of blue smoke shot out in the reception room, and Mo Li Qing strode out of the smoke.

Snapping his fingers lightly, Gu Xechen chuckled. “Old Demon, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you again.”

Mo Li Qing let out two dry cackles, then spun his body, transforming into Gu Xechen’s exact likeness—height, features, and even the clothes on his back were identical.

“Gods!” Prince Halis nearly fainted again.

“Heavens!” Fuya Ming stared in shock at Mo Li Qing, who had morphed into Gu Xechen. She suddenly understood what had happened during the Great Venue Attack regarding Binker.

Two days later, the newly enthroned Queen of Yafik, Fuya Ming, accompanied by Gu Xechen, the Extraordinary Plenipotentiary Envoy, began a formal state visit to the Lei Wu Kingdom and other major powers in the Spiral Starfield. It was reported that during this visit, Fuya Ming would engage in friendly consultations with various heads of state regarding taxation and security matters concerning the Dokko Commercial Port.

The Star Alliance gossip magazines were wildly speculating that His Highness Prince Halis Hiss of the Hiss Empire seemed to have developed a certain admiration for Queen Fuya Ming. He had voluntarily offered to escort Queen Fuya’s entourage with his private fleet, acting as a chivalrous protector free of charge.

In some of the Star Alliance news channels, the faces of Fuya Ming and Gu Xiechen frequently appeared on the screen, often with a fleeting glimpse of Hailisi His's handsome, pale face in the periphery. He was shamelessly following Fuya Ming around, grinning broadly.

A few days prior to this, Gu Xiechen had already returned to the planet Yafike alone. Before fulfilling Hailis's request in the His Empire, he had a few other matters to attend to along the way.

In the spacious hall of the Star Alliance's Yafike office, Youyou was suspended quietly within the massive water tank. A crystal, the color of pale jade and about the size of a fist, floated before Youyou, emitting wisps of blue light that flowed out like smoke and mist, slowly infusing into Youyou's body. The transparent whale form around Youyou undulated gently, occasionally releasing a few bubbles. The hall was profoundly silent; so silent that the sound of the bubbles bursting was remarkably crisp.

Gu Xiechen deliberately heavy-footed his approach. The sound of his steps startled Youyou, who snapped his eyes open. He swiftly swallowed the pale blue crystal whole.

Seeing that the intruder was Gu Xiechen, the flustered Youyou let out a profound sigh of relief and said, looking rather disheveled, "You are far too startling."

Gu Xiechen watched with amusement as Youyou spat the crystal out, then carefully pulled back a flap of skin on his belly to reveal a small, dark compartment. Like a thief, he tucked the crystal away inside.

Having tidied everything up, Youyou swam slowly forward a short distance, nodding elegantly toward Gu Xiechen through the thick barrier glass: "Your Excellency, it has been a while."

Shaking his head, Gu Xiechen smiled wryly, "Not too long, perhaps. Hmm. Enough pleasantries, I have an urgent matter to handle this time. Once this is done, I must accompany our Queen on her diplomatic tour."

Youyou let out an astonished "Oh," then smiled and inquired, "A diplomatic tour? Yes, a tour is necessary. Monopolizing Dokar Star will surely breed resentment; one must mend fences with the neighbors!"

This seahorse is quite astute, Gu Xiechen chuckled, looking at Youyou: "Indeed. Your wisdom shines as brightly as a never-extinguishing star in the heavens."

Youyou nodded, acknowledging the compliment. Gu Xiechen placed his right hand against the glass of the large tank and tapped it lightly a few times: "Your Excellency Youyou, I have recently been reviewing the Star Alliance's protocols for protecting lower-tier civilizations. Therefore, I wish to register the information of our Terran Federation with the Alliance, in accordance with Star Alliance laws and regulations."

Blinking, Youyou smiled thoughtfully: "Oh? You mean you wish to have the Earth Federation join the Star Alliance?"

Gu Xiechen nodded: "Yes. My homeland possesses many unique local products, which I believe would fetch a high price within the Alliance. You must understand, my homeland's technology is extremely underdeveloped, its civilization incredibly backward, and its culture utterly lacking. To be precise, my homeland has only just stepped out of a primitive, hair-clad, blood-drinking existence."

Gu Xiechen spoke with grave sincerity, detailing the state of the Earth Federation. In his description, the Terran Federation was painted as a primitive, crude, backward, and savage civilization. The Terran Federation's mother planet was described as dangerous and unwelcoming to outsiders. And Gu Xiechen, as a member of the Earth Federation, was willing to sacrifice everything for it; he desired the Earth Federation to become a constituent part of the Star Alliance, exchanging its limited, pitiful, and meager resources for various high-tech data to accelerate the Terran Federation's evolution and development.

Youyou's large eyes stared blankly at Gu Xiechen, and he agitatedly whipped his tail:

"Great celestial being, do you truly expect anyone to believe your words?"

Gu Xiechen raised his right hand: "I swear upon the soul of my own dear brother; I never lie."

Youyou glared at Gu Xiechen quite rudely: "Then your own brother must hold a grudge against you. Did you quarrel over an inheritance?"

Gu Xiechen looked surprised and countered, "How did you know?"

Quickly circling once in the water, Youyou gave a strange laugh: "Because I was sent to Yafike by my own brother! Oh, harmonious Yafike, peaceful Yafike, carefree Yafike—this is the most suitable nation for retirement in the entire Star Alliance, a place where one can certainly never earn any merit! I was effectively exiled here!"

Twisting his body with smug satisfaction, Youyou chuckled: "So, I developed a habit: every time I need to lie, I swear upon my brother's soul!"

Dumbfounded, Gu Xiechen looked at Youyou, a mix of amusement and distress on his face. After a long pause, he gave a thumbs-up: "We truly share a similar spirit, but what I was saying just now..."

Youyou stated dryly: "You want to invoke the Star Alliance's Supreme Protection Act for Lower Civilizations to safeguard the Earth Federation. That is your true intention, is it not?"

Gu Xiechen nodded seriously, smiling: "Our strength is too weak; I cannot let my homeland take risks!"

The so-called Star Alliance Supreme Protection Act applied to those nations still confined to their native planets, whose civilizations were extremely underdeveloped. For the citizens of such nations, provided they possessed sufficient intelligence, the Star Alliance recognized them as members. However, due to their technological level, these civilizations temporarily lacked the authority to participate in Alliance decision-making.

For these civilizations at the very bottom tier of the One-Star classification, the Alliance's principle was: complete and unconditional protection.

Unconditional protection meant that, according to the civilization's own wishes, they could engage in basic commercial trade with other Alliance civilizations—exchanging mineral resources, precious metals, beautiful maidens, or handsome youths for the Star Alliance's lower-tier products. Generally, these low-tier products would not exceed the civilization's own level.

For example, if a civilization was in the age of cold weapons, the items they could trade for would not include firearms, but they could purchase top-quality crossbows, iron swords, steel armor, and the corresponding production techniques. The Star Alliance strove to preserve the organic development of that civilization, ensuring the diversity and complexity of Alliance civilizations, absolutely refusing any actions that would be like pulling up a seedling to help it grow faster.

All transactions were executed by the secret convoys of the Star Alliance Civilization Protection Committee. These convoys were managed almost entirely by mechanical systems, intended to prevent the leak of the low-tier civilization's spatial coordinates.

Among the hundreds of thousands of affiliated civilizations in the Star Alliance, more than half of the One-Star and Two-Star civilizations had the misfortune of having the precise spatial coordinates of their home worlds discovered, thus falling prey to the 'harvesting' of major powers. However, a small portion of low-tier civilizations received proper protection from the Star Alliance Civilization Protection Committee, developing the flame of their civilization in a safe, stable environment, undisturbed by external forces.

After hearing Gu Xiechen, Youyou merely shook his head repeatedly and chuckled dryly: "Intelligence regarding your One-Star warship, and your terrifying army, is likely sitting on the desks of thousands of kings, prime ministers, presidents, and heads of state. A mere low-tier civilization cannot possibly field a One-Star warship! Therefore, your homeland is at least a Four-Star civilization."

Gu Xiechen smiled faintly at Youyou: "One-Star, perhaps Two-Star at most. My homeland is at that level, at most! You may not believe it, but it is the truth. In some nature reserves in my country, there are still cannibal tribes existing who eat human flesh raw! My homeland is in a very complicated state..."

Gazing at Gu Xiechen with horror, Youyou exclaimed: "Cannibals? Great God! That is terrifying! But surely your homeland is at least a Three-Star civilization?"

His mouth drooping, Youyou looked pitifully at Gu Xiechen and sighed: "Don't make things difficult for me, alright? Every Alliance office has the authority to register a new civilization, but we cannot let things become utterly ridiculous! A citizen of a One-Star civilization piloting a One-Star warship—a vessel only achievable by Four-Star or higher civilizations—and even participating in the wars of Four-Star powers—do you think the Star Alliance High Council would ever believe it?"

"I am an exception! I swear upon the soul of my own brother; I am an exception!" Gu Xiechen swore again by the soul of Gu Xiechen's brother. Youyou rolled his eyes once more.

Gu Xiechen chuckled weakly: "I didn't build my warship; I was incredibly lucky to find it abandoned in the wilderness!"

Youyou's mouth dropped open. He rolled his eyes at Gu Xiechen, and after a long pause, managed to squeeze out a single phrase: "You are utterly shameless!"

Darting rapidly around the tank for a moment, Youyou cried out: "Fine! I ask you this: even if you found the warship, how did you learn to pilot it?"

Gu Xiechen placed his right hand flat, his face etched with feigned sorrow: "The ship's teaching core... it taught me all the knowledge I required. It transformed me from a nearly hair-clad primitive into a civilized person brimming with knowledge."

"Heavens above, you are the epitome of shamelessness!" Youyou roared in anger: "Then how did you learn the Origin Energy cultivation methods?"

Gu Xiechen replied quickly: "That super-brain knows everything!"

"Your shamelessness astounds me!" Youyou shrieked: "And what about your eight thousand subordinates!"

Gu Xiechen looked kindly at Youyou: "I am a good teacher. And those combat armors were standard military supplies already on board the vessel."

"I lack the vocabulary to describe your effrontery!" Youyou fumed: "Then who were the crew? Why did they crash-land on your homeland? Why did that super-brain impart all that knowledge to you? Why? Why? Why? There are too many 'whys' that need explanation!"

"The warship's owners were soldiers from a fallen nation; their kingdom was destroyed. They piloted the vessel to escape with the last vestiges of their royal bloodline into the vastness of space. But when passing our planet, their sovereign died unexpectedly. Those proud, loyal soldiers could not complete their mission, so they committed suicide. As for the super-brain, oh, I apologize, it was the crystallization of their nation's highest technology. It had developed emotions akin to a human being."

Without batting an eye, Gu Xiechen spun a grand, fabricated tale for Youyou.

"Fortunately, the anthropomorphic emotion the super-brain developed was that of a lovesick maiden. She fell in love with me, so she transferred all her knowledge to me!"

Sighing deeply, Gu Xiechen gazed tenderly at Youyou: "You must be asking where she is now—that is easily explained. Through her tutelage, I learned Star Alliance law, and I know that electronic lifeforms are forbidden. Therefore... I personally destroyed her."

With another deep sigh, Gu Xiechen continued mournfully: "So, I am the sole anomaly of my homeland, inheriting a cultural legacy far beyond my nation's current level. My homeland is genuinely only One-Star in standard. And for the sake of my homeland, I labor hard in the sea of stars, striving to rapidly advance my nation..."

"Enough, enough!" Youyou impatiently cut off Gu Xiechen's nonsense, enraged: "To put it plainly, you simply do not want other Alliance members to know your homeland's spatial coordinates. You don't need to spin such an elaborate, dreadful story to fool me! You don't need that damned Civilization Protection Act; I have ways to allow you to bypass the regulation requiring all civilizations to register their home planet's coordinates."

Youyou glared angrily at Gu Xiechen: "You see, this is the difference between a professional and an amateur. I possess rational and legitimate means to help you circumvent this, while you only resort to crooked tricks."

Gu Xiechen smiled, fumbling in his wide sleeve for a moment, and slowly produced twenty water-attribute crystals, each the size of a fist, placing them before him.

"Oh, great deity!" Youyou exclaimed in awe. He gasped: "You intend to bribe me?"

"No, this is a consultation fee!" Gu Xiechen laughed: "This is bribery!"

Roughly two thousand more water-attribute crystals flew out of Gu Xiechen's sleeve, piling up into a small mountain on the floor in front of the tank. Gu Xiechen pointed at the crystals and smiled: "See? This is bribery!"

Youyou's body trembled, and he stammered: "Bribing a Star Alliance official—that is a serious crime!"

Gu Xiechen dismissed it nonchalantly: "To hell with the law. Are you refusing my compensation?"

Youyou gritted his teeth and cursed furiously: "To hell with the law! Who said I refuse? With these Origin Energy stones, my power will absolutely surpass my brother's, and I might actually become the family successor! The law? Oh, to hell with Star Alliance laws and regulations; I couldn't care less about that."

Swish. A medium-sized automaton strode over and swiftly hauled away the crystals Gu Xiechen had produced.

A low, watery sound ensued as a personal terminal super-brain glided over to Youyou in the tank. Two beams of blue light shot from Youyou's eyes, scanning the super-brain. He boomed: "Alright, begin compiling a reliable file for your homeland now, that terrifying nation called the Earth Federation."

"Its name!"

"Earth Federation!" Gu Xiechen replied with solemnity.

"Number of administrative planets!"

"One!"

"Total population!"

"Five billion!"

"Civilization level!"

"One-Star. Of course, One-Star, but we are a race with immense potential; we might break through the limitations of a Two-Star civilization and enter the space age in a short time!"

"Heavens, this is the most wicked thing I have ever done!" Youyou suddenly shrieked: "Your goal wasn't the Civilization Protection Act; damn it, you tricked me! Your goal is the 'Low-Tier Civilization Promotion Reward Act'! Oh, heavens, you are so shameless, so greedy! You want to legally occupy an administrative planet in the Spiral Star Domain?"

Gu Xiechen merely pursed his lips into a smile, offering no words in response.

As a proficient profiteer, exploiting legal loopholes was one of the most basic skills. Gu Xiechen had spent days studying the various laws and regulations of the Star Alliance; he deeply understood how profitable it would be to allow the Earth Federation to grow gradually from a One-Star civilization. Why refuse this windfall of profit?

The Star Alliance had far too many preferential acts for those low-tier civilizations willing to strive diligently!

Looking at the sullen Youyou, Gu Xiechen smiled with genuine happiness.

Before long, a registration document for a One-Star civilization was transmitted to the main control super-computer at Star Alliance headquarters.

Just as Gu Xiechen predicted, a One-Star civilization was insignificant in the Star Alliance. The document was casually processed by a few Star Alliance clerks and tossed into some long-neglected file folder—and thus the Earth Federation officially became a member of the Star Alliance.

Having accomplished this task, Gu Xiechen promptly bade farewell to His Excellency Youyou, who wore an expression of deep constipation, and boarded his warship openly to head towards Fuya Ming, who was waiting on Dokar Star.

Midway through the journey, Gu Xiechen secretly slipped away from the warship, allowing Mo Liqing, disguised as him, to rendezvous with Fuya Ming.

Queen Fuya Ming's state visit officially commenced.

Gu Xiechen, accompanied by Holm, boarded a transport vessel bound for the His Empire.