"Wow," the Cardinal gasped, spitting out thirty-two teeth towards the heavens. Clergy of the Holy See were always so vulnerable; their flesh was much like that of ordinary men, and without mobilizing Holy Power, external forces could easily inflict harm. Gu Xiechen's unexpected blow was both swift and brutal, striking the Cardinal so hard that he never even realized what had happened before losing consciousness, having taken such a complete loss.

Gu Wuchen weighed the Qilin Seal in his hand, then sneered coldly at the horrified personnel from the Holy See and the Pantheon Alliance. "Are you truly intent on fighting me?"

A werewolf from the Pantheon Alliance answered Gu Wuchen with action. His body shot upward, rapidly swelling to nearly three meters tall, while thick, dark fur erupted from beneath his skin. The werewolf threw back its head and let loose a piercing howl, swinging claws nearly a foot long down toward Gu Wuchen's center mass.

"A mere firefly dares to shine alongside the moon!" Gu Xiechen scoffed disdainfully. With a casual wave of his left sleeve, the Cascade Sleeve divine ability unleashed a continuous torrent of flowing water.

The fifty-odd members of the Holy See and the Pantheon Alliance were swept up by the cascading sleeves without the slightest resistance. Tiny Kui Water Yin Thunders exploded ceaselessly within the water waves, tearing open bloody patches across their bodies. In the blink of an eye, this group was hurled to the main entrance of the assembly hall, their bones and meridians shattered inch by inch, barely clinging to life.

Gu Xiechen, having reached the Void Realm, had attained a state of perfect control over energy—a profound mastery that appeared effortlessly crude. This single sleeve unleashed not only the hidden force of the Cascade Sleeve to crush their meridians and bones but also destroyed their energy cores. Unless experts several times stronger than Gu Xiechen expended their vital essence to clear their meridians and recast their energy circulation, these individuals were utterly crippled, even if their external wounds healed; they would never be able to fight again in this lifetime.

To the astonishment of Fuya.Ming, Gu Xiechen—who had always presented himself as refined, scholarly, and elegantly roguish in front of her—rolled up the voluminous sleeves of his Grand Yin Robe, swung the Qilin Seal he held, and strode toward the main entrance of the Federal Assembly Hall, slamming the Seal heavily against the massive doors.

With a dull thud, the two colossal doors detached cleanly from their frames and crashed heavily into the assembly floor.

Dust billowed skyward, and the upper half of the wall above the doorway collapsed onto the ground. The assembly hall, moments before a clamorous marketplace of voices, fell into sudden, dead silence. Nearly two thousand representatives from both Upper and Lower Houses, along with officials from various Federal departments, uniformly turned their heads, glaring angrily at Gu Wuchen, who walked into the hall carrying the Qilin Seal.

Poison Wolf, seated on the presidium dais, was startled at first, then filled with wild elation. Unable to contain himself, he shot to his feet, nearly tipping over the long table before him.

After a long silence, Gu Wuchen scanned the assembled Federal representatives and departmental officials with narrowed eyes, his heart sinking slightly.

Of the nearly two thousand Federal representatives, over seventy percent wore white or silver robes. Among the other departmental officials, while the majority of the military generals still wore the Federal black uniforms, more than eighty percent of the remaining Federal officials had also donned white and silver attire. It appeared that the vast majority of the Federal high command had already aligned with the Papal State and the Pantheon Federation, no longer recognizing themselves as citizens of the Federation.

"Apologies, there were dogs blocking the entrance. I accidentally shook the gates down while dealing with them," Gu Xiechen sneered with a cold chuckle. "Of course, as a law-abiding Federal citizen, I must compensate for any public property damaged. Please forward the bill to the Hadwall Defense Corporation's finance department; they will remit the funds for the gate repairs."

A representative from the Federal Upper House sprang up suddenly, pointing at Gu Xiechen and shouting, "Who are you to act so presumptuously here? Get out! Guards, guards—"

Gu Xiechen viciously hurled the Qilin Seal toward the elderly representative whose beard and hair were white. With a piercing scream, the old councilman was sent flying from his seat, half his face reduced to bloody ruin, his features unrecognizable. Gu Xiechen pointed a finger, and the Qilin Seal spun neatly back into his hand. He sneered coldly, "What right do you have to speak to me, you insignificant thing?"

A representative from the Lower House stood up in anger, roaring, "He is—"

Gu Xiechen pointed, and a blast of grey-white Kui Water Yin Thunder shot out, blasting the representative dozens of meters away. His chest was a bloody mess, and he was clearly moments from death.

After a few cold laughs, Gu Xiechen stood proudly. "I care not what he is. Do not waste my time with these minor pests. Find someone with enough standing to speak with me."

Boom! As if a flock of sparrows had invaded the assembly hall, the Federal representatives clad in white and silver robes rose in furious indignation, pointing accusing fingers at Gu Wuchen.

Gu Xiechen swept his gaze across the representatives with cold ruthlessness, then burst into loud laughter. During his laughter, the ceiling of the hall was pierced by dozens of furious lightning bolts, and dense electrical light poured down like rain. Over a thousand representatives were each struck by a bolt, leaving them charred, smoking messes. Gale-force winds swept in torrential rain through the shattered roof, and within moments, an inch-deep layer of rainwater accumulated inside the hall. Bone-chilling cold mist sprayed in, and beyond the great holes in the ceiling, electric light flashed wildly, with continuous roars of thunder exploding overhead.

Amidst the sound of wildly raging wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, Gu Wuchen’s arrogant voice echoed throughout the chamber: "I said, don't bring these lackeys out to prance around. Find someone who can make decisions and have them step forward!"

Poison Wolf chuckled, and his previously haggard face suddenly flushed with robust color. He sat back down contentedly, tucked his legs up, and began humming a tune. The moment he saw Gu Xiechen, he knew the tide had turned. Seeing Gu Xiechen strike with such venom and without reservation confirmed for him that the Asian Dao Alliance was finally making a move, and his backing was about to exert its power.

Treading over the charred, twitching bodies on the floor, Gu Wuchen strode to the presidium dais and gracefully leaped onto it.

He gave Poison Wolf a warm salute, and Poison Wolf roared with laughter, returning the gesture.

Casually grabbing the microphone from in front of Poison Wolf, Gu Xiechen boomed, "The delegation from the Papal State, the delegation from the Pantheon Federation—get out here! Don't let your pack of running dogs jump around in front of the stage. If I get truly annoyed, we will initiate full-scale war immediately."

In a corner of the hall, over three hundred men and women, dressed in white or silver robes respectively, occupied the two most remote corners. Hearing Gu Xiechen's words, a Cardinal in a red robe slowly stood up, sneering coldly, "Full-scale war? Does the Earth Federation even have the..."

Again, the Qilin Seal shot through the air with a piercing whistle. With a smack, the red-robed Cardinal spat out a mouthful of teeth, tilted his head back, his mouth full of blood, and collapsed.

Gu Xiechen coldly laughed, "Stop wasting my time with nonsense. Send out someone who is in charge. We'll lay our cards on the table and discuss terms."

After a long silence, one person rose from the ranks of the Papal State, and another from the Pantheon Federation.

From the Papal State side stood a young man in a white robe. He held his head high and announced loudly, "I am Gu Yuru, Special Envoy of the Papal State to the Earth Federation."

From the Pantheon Federation side stood a blonde gentleman in a black tailcoat, holding a gold cane, possessing an air of distinct gentlemanliness. He bowed slightly and courteously toward Gu Wuchen, smiling warmly. "Respected Lord Gu Wuchen, I am the Special Envoy of the Pantheon Federation to the Earth Federation, and also the Chief Financial Officer of the Pantheon Federation, Jack. Perhaps you have heard my nickname; people call me Black Jack!"

Gu Wuchen looked at the two of them strangely, and they, in turn, looked back at him with complicated expressions.

After a long moment, Gu Wuchen suddenly burst into laughter. "What Black Jack? Do I know you? And that fellow named Gu Yuru, what is your relation to me?"

Gu Yuru was stunned for a moment, then after some time, he lowered his head ruefully and said subserviently, "You are my grand-uncle!"

Nodding with satisfaction, Gu Wuchen laughed heartily. "You unexpected scion, you actually managed to become the Special Envoy for the Papal State? Hmph, it seems you have quite a bit of ability. Does this mean the Gu Group has also followed the Papal State? Has Gu Juechen truly committed himself to serving the Papal State wholeheartedly?"

Gu Yuru puffed out his chest slightly and smiled. "Yes, the Gu Group is now the preferred arms supplier of the Papal State. The thousand three hundred Seraph-class heavy battleships, the Papal State's most powerful vessels, are all products of the Gu Group. Furthermore, all weaponry for the Papal State's thirty million brave soldiers is manufactured by the Gu Group."

He paused, then looked at Gu Wuchen. "Great-Grandfather has convened a family council and expelled you from the lineage, so..."

Gu Wuchen shot Gu Yuru a glare and coldly commanded, "Shut your mouth and sit down!"

Gu Yuru obediently sat, pulling a handkerchief from his sleeve and vigorously wiping his forehead, as if he had broken out in a cold sweat from being intimidated by Gu Wuchen.

Poison Wolf's eyes narrowed. A thousand three hundred Seraph-class heavy battleships belonging to the Papal State? This was vital intelligence. Thirty million ground troops for the Papal State? Hmph, this likely didn't include the Federal forces under his control in the European and African military regions. These thirty million ground troops must be newly armed forces of the Holy See. He glanced at Gu Yuru with the golden light in his eye—this young fellow seemed to be one of Gu Xiechen's people, a very obedient one.

After a few cold laughs, Gu Wuchen turned his attention to Black Jack. "Why did the Pantheon Federation send you here?"

Black Jack coughed lightly and stated bluntly, "Since you have acted so recklessly, let us speak plainly."

Black Jack then laid out the entire plan of the Pantheon Federation.

First, the Pantheon Federation instructed its controlled Federal representatives to cause as much disruption as possible within the Federal Congress to hinder Poison Wolf’s administration, striving to prevent the Federation from functioning normally.

Second, under the guise of 'democracy,' they would incite the Federal populace to attack the financially burdensome and militarily aggressive Federal Ministry of War, aiming to force Poison Wolf from his position as Chairman of the War Ministry, and doing everything possible to strike down the military generals loyal to Poison Wolf's faction, preferably leaving the Federal Army without a single capable commander.

Third, under the banner of 'democracy,' they would mobilize a joint petition from the Federal populace demanding that the masses migrate to the paradise-like Thirteen Consecutive Stars. The preliminary goal was to migrate at least another ten billion citizens from the Federation. Simultaneously, they would encourage the preparing Federal citizens to trigger bank runs on the Federal Reserve, completely disrupting the Federal financial order, leaving behind the messiest possible derelict state.

Finally, under the guise of 'democracy,' they would incite the Federal populace to demand an early convening of the Federal Million Representative Congress to vote on allowing the Papal State and the Pantheon Federation to replace the Earth Federation, thereby completely dismembering the Earth Federation and usurping all its assets—strategic reserves, research institutes, military production lines, and the battle-hardened elite Federal army.

To put it plainly, the ultimate goal of the two envoy groups was to carve up the Earth Federation and establish their own religious empires.

"You are very candid!" Gu Xiechen regarded Black Jack with approval.

Black Jack shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. "When you appeared with such direct and violent means, I knew that the power behind you was preparing a major move. Since that is the case, we minor figures cannot decide anything; why shouldn't I be frank?"

Gu Wuchen raised a large index finger approvingly. "Heh, Cooms has good judgment. You could even be considered quite wise."

Black Jack laughed. "Of course. I provided a small service for Lord Cooms, so he noticed my abilities. Well, wise may not be the right word; I am simply a very clever man." With a wave of his hand and a flourish of his cane, the Pantheon Federation personnel behind Black Jack stood up. They glared fiercely at Gu Wuchen, then followed Black Jack toward the exit of the hall.

"Take your pack of running dogs with you!" Gu Wuchen called out to Black Jack, pointing at the representatives lying on the floor.

"Who cares about them!" Black Jack sneered without turning back. "These useless failures are irrelevant now. Since the Dao Alliance decided to participate in this game, they are completely obsolete. Now we wait for the high-level dialogue between the three parties. I won't waste a single copper coin on these incompetent little figures."

With a few cold snorts, Black Jack muttered under his breath as he left the hall. Everyone clearly heard his grumbling: "A bunch of trash. Sending these few hundred wastes to the hospital will cost at least hundreds of thousands in medical fees each—nearly a hundred million! They're better off dead." Gu Wuchen turned to Gu Yuru. "And you?"

Gu Yuru scrambled to his feet instantly, bowing and scraping toward Gu Wuchen with a smile. "You are busy, Lord, you are busy. I won't delay you." He hurried away with the Papal State personnel toward the main gate, forcefully stomping on the head of an Upper House representative. "Waste! I agree, there's no point wasting money on you people."

The officials in white and silver robes from the Federal departments rose one after another, preparing to follow Black Jack and Gu Yuru out.

Gu Xiechen snorted coldly and stopped them.

"Transfer all the authority currently in your hands, or I won't mind if you happen to suffer a fatal traffic accident on your way out of the Federal Headquarters," Gu Xiechen said coldly to the Federal officials whose foreheads were already soaked with cold sweat. "Since you no longer acknowledge yourselves as citizens of the Federation, you no longer possess the authority of Federal departments. Transfer your power, or after your deaths, we will select your successors anew."

The departmental officials were stunned. They silently removed the personal terminals from their wrists, relinquished the administrative authority of their respective departments, and then hastened their steps out of the hall.

These officials knew perfectly well what was happening. Just as Black Jack had said, if the Dao Alliance Grandmasters did not appear, the Papal State and the Pantheon Federation could still use representatives and the populace to cause some trouble for Poison Wolf. But Gu Xiechen's forceful appearance proved that the Dao Alliance Grandmasters were stirring, and the future had nothing to do with them, the mere chess pieces.

The players were about to clash head-on; if the pawns did not understand their place, their fate would be the same as those councilmen floating in the puddles on the floor—nothing more than abandoned pieces.

Watching the officials depart in disarray, the representatives and departmental officials loyal to the Earth Federation stood up, and thunderous applause erupted. The fierce wind and rain outside seemed to cooperate; suddenly, the storm departed the assembly hall, and not a drop of water entered, while the sound of thunder grew even louder.

"Brother!" Gu Xiechen turned and opened his arms to Poison Wolf.

Poison Wolf roared with laughter and rushed over, embracing Gu Wuchen tightly. Gu Xiechen was much taller than Poison Wolf; after hugging Gu Xiechen tightly around the waist a few times, Poison Wolf realized the posture looked awkward, so he quickly pulled away a few steps and clasped Gu Xiechen's hand firmly. "My good brother, now that you are here, I finally have some backbone. What did they say?"

Gu Wuchen knew who the 'they' referred to. He sneered, "Master is very angry, and the consequences will be severe. Within ten days, they will have their reckoning."

Tz'te and Ganggelu had jointly ambushed the Dao Alliance Grandmasters. With Tz'te's strength at the peak of the Void Realm, the Kunlun Sect Master and the Zhongnan Sect Master were both severely wounded. However, with the immortal artifacts sent over by Guo Xinhua, let alone a peak Void Realm Tz'te, these arrogant Dao Alliance leaders dared to challenge even the Scattered Immortals who had survived several Heavenly Tribulations.

Poison Wolf was ecstatic. He laughed toward the sky. "Excellent! After enduring their tyranny for so long, as long as our Ancestors make a move, it will be nothing more than an internal conflict! I fear them not." The Federal military generals sitting next to Poison Wolf brightened their eyes. When it came to politics, they were no match for the councilmen manipulated by Qiao An. But when it came to fighting, a hundred of them couldn't equal the fierce warriors under Poison Wolf's command! Gu Wuchen smiled with pursed lips. "Even if it's internal war, we are not afraid. Fuya, Fuya, Fuya!"

Gu Xiechen was in high spirits, calling Fuya's name three times. Fuya.Ming entered with several Yafik officers walking in step.

Poison Wolf, seasoned by life, instantly recognized the distinctly uncommon aura emanating from Fuya.Ming. He asked in surprise, "This is...?"

Gu Wuchen waved his hand toward the assembly hall ceiling, and a surge of cold air shot upward, sealing the several large holes in the roof with solid ice. He pointed at the stern-faced Fuya.Ming and laughed, "Her Majesty Queen Fuya.Ming, the current Queen of the Yafik Kingdom, a four-star civilization of the Star Alliance. Hmph, she's also my girlfriend."

He paused, and before Poison Wolf and the others could process the meaning of the Star Alliance and the Yafik Kingdom, Gu Xiechen continued, smiling. "I have already registered our Earth Federation in the Star Alliance archives. We are the only legitimate human nation in the Solar System and even the entire galaxy. According to the Star Alliance's 'Interstellar Defense Act,' when a member civilization of the Star Alliance suffers invasion by an alien civilization, all member civilizations of the Star Alliance must unconditionally assist us in resisting the invasion."

Fuya.Ming stated coldly, "In accordance with the Star Alliance Interstellar Defense Act, the Yafik Kingdom is willing to provide the Earth Federation with one hundred large-scale anti-air defense systems free of charge. If the Earth Federation agrees, my nation and our allies can provide volunteer fleets to help the Earth Federation resist invasion."

Poison Wolf was stunned for a long time, staring blankly at Fuya.Ming. "The Star Alliance? The Yafik Kingdom? What is this...?"

Gu Wuchen walked to a corner of the assembly hall and inserted a storage chip into the hall's playback system. A screen descended from the ceiling, displaying basic information about the Star Alliance and the Yafik Kingdom. Gu Xiechen introduced the Star Alliance and the Yafik Kingdom to the stunned crowd at high speed, then focused heavily on the Super Mothership and Roman Warships he had brought back.

"We need a large number of elite soldiers and skilled crew members to operate them," Gu Xiechen said with a smile to the dazed Poison Wolf and the Federal generals, whose mouths were nearly wide enough to swallow an ostrich egg. "We can assemble a space fleet that will not be inferior to the main force of a five-star civilization in the Star Alliance."

The Papal State? The Pantheon Federation? Let them bounce around for now!

"Yee-haw!" Poison Wolf suddenly shouted, jumping up excitedly, performing a cheerful sailor's jig with several tall, sturdy generals who clearly appeared to be of Russian descent.

After jumping around for a while, Poison Wolf rushed excitedly toward Fuya.Ming, warmly shaking her hand. "Your Majesty, welcome to Earth. Ah, let's skip the pleasantries; from now on, we are all family." He leaned in conspiratorially. "I am Gu Xiechen's older brother. If he dares to bully you or chase skirts outside in the future, I won't let him get away with it!" Fuya.Ming responded to Poison Wolf's familiarity with reserved politeness, while Jin, standing nearby, already viewed Poison Wolf as a mortal enemy—no chasing skirts? Then what was she supposed to do?

The Federal military generals were vibrating with suppressed excitement, nearly suffocating. What had Gu Wuchen brought back? These weapons of mass destruction were exactly what these martial enthusiasts loved! Super Motherships, super battleships—it was like dumping a group of completely naked, beautiful women in front of a crowd of lechers. The generals' hearts pounded violently; they desperately wished they could snatch these warships from Gu Wuchen's hands right now.

With such warships, with such a fleet, what was the Papal State? What was the Pantheon Federation? These traitors to humanity would certainly receive the most severe punishment.

The Roman Kingdom, having been entangled with humanity for a century, was certainly overdue for a harsh lesson. The Earth Federation, battered and already teetering on the brink of collapse, suddenly found itself stabilized as if by a colossal hand—the return of Gu Wuchen had gripped the fracturing situation firmly in place.

Of course, his methods were brutal, yet watching those scorched, writhing Federal councilors collapsing on the ground, how could one feel anything but grim satisfaction?

Gu Wuchen was studying these councilors, each one gasping near their last breath.

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Wuchen sneered, “Arrest all their kin and close relatives. Heal their injuries. Starting tomorrow, every news channel across the entire Federation will play their statements on a continuous loop. The actions of the Holy See and the Pantheon in establishing their own nations are acts of high treason. The Earth Federation will absolutely not recognize such separatist movements.”

Poison Wolf clapped his hands and roared with laughter. “Brilliant! Nearly every single Federal councilor is here. If they all speak with one voice, we secure an absolute political advantage.”

“The ignorant masses are easily led!” Gu Wuchen stated bluntly. “Make the three hundred billion people left on Earth believe that we can provide them with a better standard of living, better prospects, a better future. We control Paradise Star; we control two of the Thirteen Connected Stars; and we will acquire more administrative stars in the future. Following us is the only path forward!”

Poison Wolf nodded. “Indeed. However, the immediate priority is… we need a new Chairman for the Federal Council. I am adept at warfare, but when it comes to smooth talk…” Poison Wolf gave Gu Wuchen an awkward smile. Not just Poison Wolf, but no one nearby possessed the necessary acumen to chair the Federal Council.

After pondering briefly, Gu Wuchen proposed, “How about I suggest a candidate?”

Poison Wolf nodded. Smiling cryptically, Gu Wuchen whispered the name: “Local Councilor for the Pan-Asian Sector of the Earth Federation Council, 00 Xiao Yusheng.”

“Xiao Yusheng? The only member of the Xiao family involved in politics?” Poison Wolf mulled it over, then smiled and nodded. “Yes, he’s one of our own, and he’s adept at politics. Putting him forward would work out well.”

Gu Wuchen and Poison Wolf exchanged a look and shook hands firmly.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded, and a young man wearing the rank of Colonel stumbled into the assembly hall.

“Marshal, riots have broken out among the millions of citizens in the underground cities of Paris, London, Tokyo, New York, Melbourne, and Toronto!”