The Duke of Laughter stared at Gu Xie in astonishment; for a moment, he couldn't fathom why the usually restrained person had become so ludicrously uncontrollable.

The rebel forces of the Thunder Martial Kingdom had been raised entirely by the Duke of Raging Flames. And the only reason the Duke of Raging Flames managed to raise an army capable of defeating the royalists was because Poloboru had secretly swapped him out of the royal prison with a stand-in using massive bribes. All the rebel army's arms and funding were provided by Poloboru; this short smuggler seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of Starlight Silver, battering the rebel leaders, high and low, with tons upon tons of the metal until the army erupted with astonishing fighting prowess.

It wasn't just the rebels who favored Starlight Silver; the nobles and generals of the Thunder Martial Kingdom loved the gleaming, rare metal even more. Thus, Poloboru paved his way with Starlight Silver, bribing nearly eighty percent of the commanding generals and high-ranking nobles of the Thunder Martial Kingdom, causing the kingdom to fracture within just over a year. Even the royal family members could only flee under the protection of the last fleet loyal to the throne.

In the Duke of Raging Flames' understanding, why had Poloboru expended such vast financial, material, and human resources to help him, only to bring him here to listen to Gu Xichen flaunt his might?

Shaking his head vigorously, the Duke of Raging Flames looked mockingly at Gu Xichen and spoke slowly, "Your Excellency, perhaps you have misspoken!"

It wasn't just the Duke of Raging Flames whom Poloboru had brought along; several high-ranking leaders of the Thunder Martial Kingdom rebels followed. As the Duke of Raging Flames spoke, they gripped their weapons and cautiously retreated. Among them, two were actually Six-Star Ability Users, who positioned themselves on either side of the Duke of Raging Flames, striking a pose of unwavering loyalty.

"I did not misspeak!" Gu Xichen shot the Duke of Raging Flames a cold glance and unleashed his Flowing Waterfall Sleeve with dismissive ease.

In one strike, the Duke of Raging Flames and the rebel leaders behind him were instantly reduced to dust. The Extreme Yin Blazing Flame swirled around the void, engulfing them, burning their very souls clean without leaving the slightest trace.

Casually dusting his hands, Gu Xichen chuckled lightly, unconcerned. "My killing intent has been a bit heavy lately... Holm, Linghu, I have some rather grim news for you. The Earth Mother Star has been destroyed. Sixty billion citizens of the Federation, along with a contingent of our brothers, were all wiped out. I have come here to kill."

Holm's and Linghu's eyes instantly flared blood-red. Their breathing became ragged and deep, and the veins beneath their skin bulged. Linghu, usually so smooth and calm, asked hoarsely, "Our old brothers—how many casualties were there?"

Gu Xichen was silent for a moment before stating plainly, "Uncle Hu was lucky enough to be with Marshal Poison Wolf, so he wasn't scratched. Among our old brothers, I might still find a way to revive Prajna and Mohe later. But Medusa and Old Billy, they are all dead."

Linghu stared intently at Gu Xichen. "You came here to kill people?"

Gu Xichen smiled. "That's right. Specifically to kill people. Which is why I couldn't be bothered to waste breath on those ants just now."

Linghu nodded forcefully, pulling Holm to stand behind Gu Xichen. "Then, include us in the killing. Let's kill a lot more."

Gu Xichen let out a light chuckle and nodded, his smile relaxed as he began inquiring about the events of the recent period.

Just as Gu Xichen had planned before returning to the Earth Federation, after he and Fuya Ming departed the Yafik Kingdom, countless conservative nobles within the kingdom who resented Fuya Ming immediately surfaced. They colluded with each other and even instigated external forces, aiming to overthrow Fuya Ming's rule in one fell swoop. Holm, Linghu, and the others remained inactive. They merely focused on drilling the raw recruits of the Yafik Kingdom with maniacal intensity. Only when the rebels had amassed their own army and gained a certain momentum did they finally make their move.

With the immense assistance of the Four Heavenly Kings of Mo Liqing and the Five Brothers of Xin Jia, the rebel forces were utterly crushed as if by a collapsing mountain. All rebel leaders were either killed or exiled, and all rebel soldiers were thrown into the recruit camp to undergo devilish training. The nations that had secretly colluded with the rebels and interfered in the Yafik Kingdom's internal affairs were visited by Mo Liqing and Xin Jia, causing such chaos that no one dared to entertain any other crooked ideas about the Yafik Kingdom.

After spending nearly half a year eliminating the internal strife and thoroughly tidying up the Yafik Kingdom's interior, Linghu and the others coordinated with Poloboru to dispatch "Volunteer Forces" to aid the rebels in the Thunder Martial Kingdom. On one hand, there was Poloboru's financial offensive; on the other, the newly trained elite troops from the Yafik Kingdom rotated in and out of combat, coupled with the sheer might of Xin Jia and the others. This combination led to the complete overthrow of the Thunder Martial Kingdom in just over a year, forcing all royal members to flee in disgrace towards Yafik.

Originally, Linghu, out of "goodwill," had proactively invited the royal family members of the Thunder Martial Kingdom to exile in Yafik, promising them suitable protection. However, unexpectedly, they ran into Gu Xichen halfway there and were blasted into fragments by a barrage of fire, thus saving the trouble of having to detain the Thunder Martial royal family on Planet Yafik.

These were the major events that had transpired.

As for the other affairs of the Yafik Kingdom, they proceeded smoothly. The soldiers in the recruit camps, having rotated through battles against the Thunder Martial Kingdom army, were beginning to exhibit the bearing of elites. The construction of the Doko Space Port was proceeding exceptionally well, bringing in tax revenues amounting to tens of trillions for the Yafik Kingdom over the past year or so. The citizens of Yafik also earned massive profits there. All this was done under the banner of Fuya Ming, and the entire nation's loyalty towards her reached its zenith.

Gu Xichen listened to the reports from Linghu and the others with satisfaction, then smiled faintly at Fuya Ming. "Your Majesty, my Queen, it is time for you to reclaim the authority that belongs to you."

Fuya Ming nodded and smiled. She tapped the vambrace on her left arm a few times and successfully took command of the Yafik planetary defense system. Linghu then handed her a comprehensive command terminal, and all military and political authority of the Thunder Martial Kingdom reverted to Fuya Ming. Through this terminal, Fuya Ming easily monitored the movements of all armies in the Thunder Martial Kingdom. She was astonished to find thirty standard Yafik fleets lying in ambush near the region, and nearly a million ground troops stationed within the former territory.

"Well done," Gu Xichen turned to Poloboru. "It seems you have the Thunder Martial rebels under control?"

Poloboru bowed respectfully to Gu Xichen and smiled. "You gave me so much Starlight Silver, this was too easy."

Laughing, Gu Xichen patted Poloboru's head and waved his hand, causing nearly ten thousand cubic meters of pure silver ingots to fly out. Without any explanation from Gu Xichen, Poloboru knew this was his reward. He let out a wild, hoarse cheer, his small body leaping forward, gleefully clutching a pile of silver ingots and shaking his body in excitement. Judging by his unseemly posture, he was practically assaulting the pile of silver.

Glancing helplessly at Poloboru, Gu Xichen issued a string of orders.

Half an hour later. Envoys from the Yafik Kingdom sped toward the allied nations via high-speed warships. They carried royal edicts personally written by Queen Fuya Ming of Yafik, inviting the leaders of those nations to convene in the Yafik Kingdom to discuss how to handle the internal turmoil of the Thunder Martial Kingdom.

In the edicts, Fuya Ming sharply pointed out that because the fugitive fleet of the Thunder Martial royal family was completely annihilated by an energy storm, the Thunder Martial Kingdom was legally a nation without a master. As allies, the various nations had an obligation to resolve the lingering conflicts and troubles left behind in the Thunder Martial Kingdom. Whether to recognize the succession rights of the rebel army led by the Duke of Raging Flames, whether to select an heir from the distant bloodlines of the royal family, or whether to place the Thunder Martial Kingdom under the trusteeship of the nations—all these required a formal arrangement.

Several days later, the envoys reported back that the heads of state of the various nations were quite interested in the proposal for trusteeship over the Thunder Martial Kingdom.

Lounging lazily in a pavilion in the Yafik Kingdom, Gu Xichen quietly enjoyed Fuya Ming's vigorous massage on his head with her long fingers. The subtle pain sharpened Gu Xichen's focus. With a peculiar smile, he watched the newly appointed Foreign Minister of Yafik report on the latest developments of the past few days.

The heads of state of the allied nations would gather in the capital of Yafik in ten days to discuss the aftermath of the Thunder Martial Kingdom's affairs. Meanwhile, news trickling from the Thunder Martial region was even more startling: within the last few days, every family in the Thunder Martial Kingdom possessing even a trace of royal blood—even those whose ancestors had intermarried with royalty seven or eight generations prior—had been completely wiped out, leaving no survivors.

"They are quite ruthless," Gu Xichen mocked with a smile.

It was obvious the allied nations had begun to act fiercely; they were unwilling to see the Thunder Martial Kingdom produce a new king, but they also knew they couldn't monopolize such a rich prize. The best course of action was to eliminate all potential successors beforehand, allowing the nations to jointly govern the Thunder Martial Kingdom.

As a former powerhouse among Four-Star Civilizations, the wealth left behind by the Thunder Martial Kingdom was indeed tempting.

"However ruthless they are, they can't compare to you," Fuya Ming murmured, gently stroking Gu Xichen’s temples, kneading vigorously near his pressure points.

Gu Xichen smiled with narrowed eyes. He suddenly asked the new Foreign Minister, who was so timid he dared not even look up, "If I were to marry Fuya Ming, would the ceremony be complicated?"

The Foreign Minister jumped in shock. He scratched his ear vigorously and, with a hint of fear, asked Gu Xichen to repeat the question. Gu Xichen asked the same question again. The poor old man stared blankly for a long moment before sputtering out an answer while nervously stealing glances at Fuya Ming. Gu Xichen finally managed to make out the old man's reply: Yafik history had known queens, but queens never married out; only princes of an outside surname married the queen.

Fuya Ming burst into laughter. She grabbed Gu Xichen's ear fiercely. "Only you marrying me then, hmm, what do you think?"

Gu Xichen shrugged nonchalantly; he didn't consider it a big deal. What difference did it make whether he married Fuya Ming or she married him? It just meant sleeping in the same bed at night! Such a nominal matter wasn't worth worrying about. Would his cultivation drop a major realm just because he married Fuya Ming?

He slapped Fuya Ming's hand away playfully and chuckled. "Then, once we annex these allied nations and form the Yafik Empire, we shall marry."

The Foreign Minister standing by trembled, dropping several intelligence reports from his hand. Had he heard correctly? To annex all the allies of the Yafik Kingdom and establish the Yafik Empire? Good heavens, if they absorbed the current allies, Yafik would possess the territory, population, and strength only a Five-Star Civilization could boast. This would undoubtedly draw the covetous eyes of higher-level civilizations from beyond the Spiral Star Domain. Could Yafik's current strength resist violent interference from those higher powers?

Regardless of what Yafik's officials thought, ten days later, the leaders of Yafik's allied nations gathered on Planet Yafik.

Escorted by one hundred ceremonial warships, over ten beautifully decorated battleships, nearly ten thousand meters long, descended slowly from the sky. On the ground, ten thousand Yafik warriors, clad in ancient metallic armor and wielding antique metal cold weapons, let out perfectly synchronized cheers. A thousand-strong band struck up welcoming music, petals rained down from above, pure white Birds of Paradise flew up from the ground with crisp chirps, and countless colorful ribbons were dragged across the sky by dozens of rotorcraft. The grand welcoming ceremony made all the visiting national leaders beam with satisfaction.

Queen Fuya Ming of Yafik, dressed in a magnificent robe, flanked by the Four Brothers of Mo and the Four Generals of Wind, Thunder, Lightning, and Rain, stepped onto the long red carpet to greet the visiting heads of state. The national leaders, equally well-dressed and exuding an aura of regal dominance, gave impromptu speeches by the landing field at Fuya Ming's warm invitation. They all pledged to deliberate and formulate the most appropriate plan to resolve the current chaos in the Thunder Martial Kingdom.

Gu Xichen stood at the entrance of the largest conference hall in the Yafik Kingdom, smiling faintly as he watched Fuya Ming and the allied leaders approach, conversing convivially.

Fuya Ming reached the doorway of the conference hall, then lightly turned, linking her arm with Gu Xichen's, and smiled at the visiting allied leaders.

The king of Redwood Kingdom, the strongest among the Fourteen-Nation Alliance aside from the Divine Martial Kingdom, looked at Fuya Ming with surprise. "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?"

Fuya Ming sighed faintly and stated coolly, "Nothing much. I was only responsible for bringing you here."

Everyone detected an ominous premonition in Fuya Ming's tone. The King of Redwood Kingdom exclaimed in alarm and anger, "What are you Yafik intending to do? Attempting to oppose all of our combined nations with the strength of one? Fuya Ming, are you insane or being controlled?"

Gu Xichen gave these people no time for further rambling. He rubbed his hands together and released them, sending a muffled thunderclap that stunned the leaders of the twelve visiting nations and their Ability User bodyguards.

Casually seizing the King of Redwood Kingdom, Gu Xichen smiled and inquired, "Do all your brains contain bio-chips? To prevent mental control by outsiders? But what use are those bio-chips when I can directly control their souls?"

Activating the Soul Hooking and Spirit Seizing technique from the Great Wilderness Scripture, Gu Xichen hooked his finger lightly, effortlessly drawing the soul of the King of Redwood Kingdom out of his body.

A cryptic and esoteric incantation spilled from Gu Xichen's lips. He gently caressed the soul of the King of Redwood, infusing its depths with lines of mysterious and malevolent runes. Gradually, the cursed, evil power of Gu Xichen’s spell seeped into the spirit nexus of the King of Redwood, implanting a directive of absolute obedience deep within his soul. With the final word of the chant, Gu Xichen swiftly pushed the King of Redwood's soul back into his body.

The King of Redwood woke from his stupor, looking around vaguely. He scrambled to his feet and knelt reverently before Gu Xichen.

"Honorable Master, your humble servant Redwood offers you absolute loyalty and the highest reverence."

Gu Xichen nodded with a smile and motioned for the King of Redwood to stand aside. He proceeded in the same manner, controlling the leaders of the other eleven nations one by one. Next came the state ministers who had accompanied them to Yafik—prime ministers, vice premiers, marshals, and generals. Essentially, these individuals controlled more than half the power in their respective countries.

The rest became simple. After a sham deliberation that lasted three days and three nights, the leaders of these nations, the strongest in the Spiral Star Domain in terms of national strength, unanimously agreed to entrust all management of the Thunder Martial Kingdom to the Yafik Kingdom. The Thunder Martial Kingdom's primary rebel leader, the Duke of Raging Flames, was reportedly killed by his own insurrectionist subordinates. These rebel leaders swiftly contacted every nation, declaring their willingness to accept the leadership of the Yafik Kingdom and allow the Thunder Martial Kingdom—now Thunder Martial Star—to become a component of the Yafik Kingdom.

The rebel representative, a tall man with a face covered in black hair, declared emotionally and tearfully on the news broadcast that the highest pursuit of his life was to live in a peaceful, serene, happy, and joyful nation like Yafik. They had overthrown the brutal Thunder Martial Kingdom with weapons, and from now on, they would let their horses graze on southern mountains and melt their swords into plowshares, content to be honest, law-abiding minor estate owners under the Yafik Kingdom. "Plucking chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge, leisurely viewing the southern mountains"—this was the lifelong aspiration of these rebel leaders.

A week later, the Yafik Kingdom forces led by Fuya Ming fully landed on Thunder Martial Star, smoothly taking over all authority. Approximately three million rebel soldiers surrendered to the Yafik forces and became part of the Yafik Kingdom's military. The power structure of Thunder Martial Star underwent a complete reorganization; a large number of officials from the Yafik Kingdom replaced the old bureaucracy of the Thunder Martial Kingdom, becoming the rulers of the planet.

Fuya Ming announced the official permanent stationing of two million troops and twelve standard space fleets, totaling six hundred Grade-One warships, on Thunder Martial Star. She declared emotionally that she would work wholeheartedly to benefit all citizens of the Yafik Kingdom, dedicated to forging a strong and happy nation.

The leaders of the twelve nations sent a joint communication, highly praising Fuya Ming's noble sentiment. They unanimously agreed that Fuya Ming would be an outstanding national leader, and under her guidance, the Yafik Kingdom would surely rise to the pinnacle of the universe, leading the Spiral Star Domain to become a pivotal major power within the Star Alliance.

Media corporations in the Star Alliance, sensitive journalists who sensed the slightest ripple, detected an undercurrent in the speeches of the twelve leaders. What did they mean by, "Under the leadership of the Yafik Kingdom, the Spiral Star Domain will become a pivotal major power in the Star Alliance"?

Thus, countless reporters rushed toward the Spiral Star Domain, toward the Yafik Kingdom, using the fastest and most expensive means possible.

But these reporters were a step too late. In the half-month following the departure of the twelve national leaders from the Yafik Kingdom, they launched bloody purges within their respective nations. All conservative and obstinate factions were eradicated root and branch, leaving only those who submitted without question or defiance. One month later, the twelve leaders simultaneously announced that they believed the Yafik Kingdom, ruled by Fuya Ming, held the potential to become a top-tier civilization in the Star Alliance; therefore, they led their nations' hundreds of millions of citizens to join the newly established Senate of the Yafik Kingdom, becoming honored and respected elders.

The armies of the twelve nations surrendered to the Yafik troops that suddenly appeared over their territories, and all warships were taken over by Yafik soldiers. The tens of millions of soldiers from the twelve nations were broken up and integrated into the Yafik Kingdom's military, then sent to Doko Star for training. All national wealth of the twelve countries was centralized on Planet Yafik and deposited into the top-secret vaults of the Yafik Kingdom.

Fuya Ming and the officials of the Yafik Kingdom were overwhelmed, working frantically. The simultaneous integration of twelve nations was akin to a shark swallowing twelve times its own body weight in food. The affairs were numerous and complex; coordinating these disparate nations into a single, strong, unified state required immense effort. Exhaustion was pervasive, yet Fuya Ming and her subjects were willingly and blissfully weary.

The fourteen nations of the League unified into a single state that day, immediately possessing fourteen administrative planets and nearly a thousand mineral planets, with a total population exceeding ten billion. Their sphere of influence encompassed nearly half the Spiral Starfield. They influenced and controlled over ten thousand lower-level civilizations, and if Fuya Ming wished, she could annex the most lucrative ones at any time, leaving those lower civilizations utterly defenseless.

In their external propaganda, the Foreign Minister of Yafik had already openly unfurled the banner of the Yafik Empire. A nation boasting fourteen administrative planets, over ten billion subjects, tens of millions of soldiers, and tens of thousands of powerful individuals was certainly qualified to be elevated to an empire bearing the title of Emperor. The national strength of the Yafik Empire had quietly surpassed the threshold of a five-star civilization.

Fuya Ming had formally requested that the Star Alliance’s Executive Officer of Yafik, Youyou, conduct an evaluation of the Yafik Kingdom's national strength and officially recognize the Yafik Kingdom as a five-star civilization.

Just as the consolidation work for the Yafik Empire was in full swing, Gu Xichen quietly left Yafik Star alone. He headed toward Ducat’s destination—the planet famous for its production of White Jade Ganoderma.

There, Ducat encountered some trouble. The disciples he led from the Nine Nether Path, Kunlun Mountain, and Zhongnan Mountain ran into cultivators.

These were not cultivators from the Asian Dao Alliance, but cultivators indigenous to the Star Alliance itself.

Two ghost cultivator disciples, possessing the Golden Core stage strength of the Nine Nether Path, were severely injured by a technique resembling the Five Thunders Orthodox Law, causing damage to their very essence, nearly resulting in their souls being scattered.

Ducat dared not act rashly. He paused the immigration project and urgently cabled Gu Xichen to take charge.

This planet was not far from Yafik. Gu Xichen took a Black Triangle fighter jet manufactured by Xiao Xiao, arriving at his destination in just a few hours.

Ducat greeted Gu Xichen aboard the mothership, while Lili Mao had already descended to the planet, tracking that group of cultivators.