Gu Xichen carried a camera, his mood utterly delighted, as he filmed the surrounding scenery with unrestrained enjoyment.

This was one of the most vital external ports of the Polaris Empire. The skies were a constant stream of aerial vehicles zipping back and forth, while the higher strata of the atmosphere were dense with shuttling starships. The streets below pulsed with a surging crowd; intelligent beings of every race materialized here, and beauties from myriad species appeared without end. Overweight tycoons, flanked by guards and slaves, swaggered through the thoroughfares. A significant portion of these slaves were Minotaurs. Given their formidable combat prowess coupled with their straightforward natures, Minotaurs were the optimal choice for armed servitude.

One Minotaur, two Minotaurs, three Minotaurs—Gu Xichen, a malicious grin playing on his lips, recorded the spectacle of countless Minotaur slaves in the marketplace being arbitrarily berated and lashed.

These were merely common sights. Over the last few days, Gu Xichen had also infiltrated gatherings frequented by the opulent nobility, meticulously filming the process of them roasting Minotaurs and preparing Minotaur steaks. The scenes of those towering Minotaurs being slaughtered like livestock, their large frames bearing expressions of numb apathy, were truly arresting.

Although he had fled headlong, terrified by the immense power of the Asura Vikings, Gu Xichen felt no corresponding psychological burden. He had labored for half a month, finally capturing a wealth of the footage he desired. Every time he filmed the scenes of Minotaurs being wantonly tormented, he couldn't help but chuckle, hehehe.

Jin He and the Ten Heavenly Lords followed close behind him, yet they had no inkling of his true purpose. Gu Xichen had no intention of explaining anything to them; he simply continued to film various scenes of city life. After half a month, Gu Xichen settled the Ten Heavenly Lords in a quiet city within the Polaris Imperial Capital Sector, placing Qian Ye there as well. Then, he departed alone.

Riding his sword, he flew at breakneck speed through the spatial barrier. Gu Xichen spent ten days locating the cruise ship that Vakiris had docked near a barren ore planet. Swiftly, he shifted his physical form into that of a towering Minotaur giant, several meters high. The Taiyin Robe transformed into a beast-skin kilt tied around his waist. Carrying a double-bladed battle-axe conjured from the Five Waters Dragon Beard Fan, Gu Xichen strode onto the cruise ship and bellowed with his mouth wide open at the Minotaurs milling aimlessly within: "My brothers, I, Chi You, have returned!"

The moment he opened his mouth, Gu Xichen nearly passed out from a wave of stench. It was a potent miasma of sweat, fermented excrement, and the noxious breath produced by over six thousand Minotaurs who hadn't brushed their teeth in ages. The hot, fetid air seemed to condense, rushing into his gaping maw, instantly traversing his internal organs. Gu Xichen’s body seized up violently; he straightened rigidly, immobilized for a long moment.

One could only imagine what these six thousand-plus Minotaurs had turned the cruise ship into after being cooped up for several months with their limited hygiene practices.

Finally managing to expel a burst of Taiyin Qi that dispersed the terrifying stench, Gu Xichen hastily enveloped his entire body with the same energy, sealing his orifices and pores. Only then, weak and depleted, did he lift the double-bladed battle-axe and roar: "No arguing, no pleasantries! Return immediately to your kinsmen's settlement. I have words for your elders."

The Minotaurs, startled by Gu Xichen’s thunderous shout, had initially surged toward him in ecstatic delight. They opened their mouths, babbling incoherently, eager to express their longing and worry for him. But Gu Xichen was deathly afraid of their collective halitosis and dared not exchange many words with the horde, hastily issuing orders for everyone to get on with their tasks.

Vakiris was a meticulous man. After delivering these Minotaurs to this ore planet near the Death Star Sector, he had embedded the detailed locations and navigation charts of the planets where the Minotaur tribes resided into the cruise ship's navigation system. This vessel was another of Vakiris's luxury toys meant for pleasure, boasting powerful autonomous piloting functions. Gu Xichen merely marked the destination on the navigator. The ship proactively plotted the optimal route and set sail at its fastest speed.

Three days later, the cruise ship entered the Death Star Sector. Avoiding the myriad abyssal traps within the sector by following a charted safe passage, the vessel smoothly approached the planets inhabited by the Minotaurs. Under the guidance of the purchased Minotaurs, the ship landed on one of the planets, positioning itself right beside the secluded village where the Great Elder of the Minotaur tribe resided.

The ship's hatch had not yet opened, nor had the ramp deployed, when a pillar of pitch-black smoke suddenly erupted from the nearby forest, shooting straight up into the sky for a thousand meters. It was unclear what substance was mixed into the plume, but intermittent crimson flashes exploded at its apex, accompanied by thunderous sounds that carried for hundreds of miles. In the blink of an eye, a deep, resonant drumming echoed from the surrounding woods, carried on the wind along with the distinctive, booming howls of the Minotaurs.

Gu Xichen, clutching his axe, had just stepped out of the hatch when nearly a thousand lean, powerfully built Minotaurs surged out from the dense thicket. Wielding wooden spears and clubs, they stared at Gu Xichen’s massive physique, which towered a good half a body length over their own, with utter astonishment. The Minotaurs blinked furiously, first sizing him up from head to toe, muttering soft murmurs as they exchanged opinions. Then, every single gaze locked firmly onto the double-bladed battle-axe in Gu Xichen's hand.

Taking step after measured step down the ramp, Gu Xichen widened his ox-eye sockets and roared with indignation: "Descendants of the Ancestor God, my brothers! Is this how you greet your kin? Look at the pathetic junk in your hands! You bring shame upon the Ancestor God's glory!"

The Minotaurs emerging from the woodland uniformly dropped their wooden spears and clubs onto the ground, their hands swiftly retreating behind their backs. A Minotaur standing four meters tall cautiously approached Gu Xichen. Shaking his massive head vigorously, Gu Xichen let out a deep snort and puffed out his chest with force, bellowing: "The children of the Ancestor God are all stout warriors!"

The four-meter-tall Minotaur grunted, summoning all his strength, and slammed a powerful punch into Gu Xichen’s broad pectoral muscle.

Thump. Gu Xichen’s towering form remained utterly motionless, but the Minotaur cried out strangely, clutching his fist as he staggered backward. He gazed at Gu Xichen’s imposing frame with profound horror, his body trembling slightly as he straightened his own chest and walked a few paces closer to Gu Xichen: "The children of the Ancestor God are all stout warriors!"

"Heh heh," Gu Xichen chuckled grimly. He clenched his fist, striking a dramatic pose as if to mirror the blow against the Minotaur's chest. His fist was the size of that Minotaur's head. The Minotaur, already tense, squeezed his eyes shut, daring not to look at Gu Xichen. Greeting unfamiliar kinsmen by striking each other’s chests was a tradition of the Minotaur clan.

But Gu Xichen’s fist was simply too large? His physique...