Sixty Death Star Cruisers and production lines for one hundred White Wing-class battleships were left to Fu Xiang Shen. She was tasked with establishing and organizing the production of the White Wing-class battleships.

Everyone except the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns was handed over to Fu Ya Ming for unified command and governance of the Spiral Star Domain. Gu Xie Chen, taking Peng Hua, Ducat, Lily, and others, piloted a Death Star Cruiser at high speed back toward the Earth Federation. The Roman proposal carried a heavy scent of conspiracy, a belief Gu Xie Chen held with unwavering certainty. His countless divinations combined with the visions foreseen by the Divine Eye confirmed that these Romans were indeed plotting something sinister, though Gu Xie Chen could not fathom their ultimate goal.

As the Death Star Cruiser carrying Gu Xie Chen departed the Spiral Star Domain, the Ascended One was in a deep, private discussion with Porpote.

Upon receiving intelligence reports from his subordinates, Porpote broke into a smug smile: "Do you think everything will go smoothly for us?"

The Ascended One narrowed his small eyes, revealing a terrifying grin utterly mismatched with his physique and appearance: "Of course, everything is going smoothly for us now."

Porpote laughed and nodded deeply. He let out a long sigh: "Davirms has been destroyed. Gu Xie Chen’s methods are a hundred times more brutal and ten thousand times more terrifying than I had anticipated. Davirms, just like that, was annihilated! Hmm, may such a fate never befall us."

The Ascended One nodded confidently: "As long as we operate with caution, that fate will never touch us. As long as we Romans develop in unity, this universe is destined to be ours!"

Both men rose simultaneously, looking up at the dazzling expanse of the starry sky above. They both extended their hands, embracing the boundless cosmos, a wild fire burning fiercely in their eyes.

The Death Star Cruiser sped forward through the spatial barrier. Gu Xie Chen remained seated before the massive Divine Crystal, performing his (turtle divination) while using the Divine Eye to peer into everything he could perceive. However, a certain power obstructed his view; he simply could not divine how the future would unfold.

"Damn thing!" Gu Xie Chen muttered a curse.

The road ahead was vast and unknown, and this state of utter unpredictability made him deeply uneasy. If he lacked this ability to foresee the future, he would have been far more comfortable. But precisely because he possessed this foresight, yet couldn't pierce the fog to see the future's direction, he grew increasingly anxious, unsure of what he was about to encounter.

"Ignorance is bliss; the most unfortunate are those like me who know some things but cannot see through the mist!"

After a few moments of self-mockery, Gu Xie Chen put down the fractured turtle shell and focused all his attention on cultivating the Grand Yin Scripture and completing the Grand Yang Scripture.

The Grand Yin Profound Pearl and the Grand Yang Profound Pearl emerged from within his body, slowly revolving around Gu Xie Chen along the trajectory of Tai Chi. Streams of Yin and Yang Qi continuously spewed forth from the two profound pearls, gradually merging into Gu Xie Chen’s body and transforming into a part of his cultivation.

As his cultivation steadily increased, the five-colored energy currents surging from his five viscera grew richer and more immense. His Innate Primordial Spirit, nourished by these five-colored currents, grew strand by strand, becoming increasingly powerful and vigorous.

The Haotian Pagoda and the Haotian Mirror floated contentedly above Gu Xie Chen's Innate Primordial Spirit, silently absorbing the five-colored currents erupting from the seven apertures of the spirit. More than half of the crevices on the second layer of the Haotian Pagoda had vanished, and it wouldn't take long for the second layer to be fully repaired. On the surface of the Haotian Mirror, the large fissures spanning the entire mirror surface were also completely gone, leaving only countless tiny cracks crisscrossing the surface.

Traces of black flame gradually merged into the Grand Yin Thorns, the Grand Yin Robe, the Azure Lotus Ring, and the Five Water Dragon Beard Fan attached to Gu Xie Chen. As his cultivation grew, especially with the progressive increase of Yang Qi within him and the gradual perfection of the Grand Yang Scripture, the limitations of these four natal magical artifacts began to reveal themselves. To make these four artifacts more compatible with Gu Xie Chen's future development, he would need to expend a significant amount of pure Yang materials to re-forge them.

Once refined, these four natal artifacts would contain both Yin and Yang energies, truly adhering to the ultimate principle of Yin-Yang balance in the Heavenly Dao, granting them power far exceeding their current utilization of pure Yin energy. "What a pity, it would be wonderful if I could find another Grand Yang True Monarch whose soul I could devour to absorb all their memories," Gu Xie Chen mused with a touch of insatiable greed as he sensed his cultivation steadily rising. He paid no mind to the fact that his cultivation speed already vastly outpaced that of orthodox practitioners.

Within this cabin, Miao Hua was curled up on a soft couch in the corner, idly chatting with Han Mian. Their relationship seemed to have deepened another level.

Jiaomei'er sulked in another corner, one hand pressed against Yan Long, slowly absorbing the immense vital essence within him. Her enchanting, delicate face was etched with bitterness. She knew well that the more vital essence she absorbed, the closer the day approached when Peng Hua would consume her. Gu Xie Chen hadn't simply offered up a powerhouse like Yan Long for her unrestrained plunder of their hard-cultivated essence for no reason; he was clearly treating her as a cultivation furnace, preparing a benefit for Peng Hua.

Although this was the fate of the women of the Desire Demon Clan for countless years—to be used as tools for rapidly enhancing magical power by stronger beings—Jiaomei was truly unwilling!

She squinted her eyes, her pupils darting around, searching for an opportunity to escape. But thinking of the terrifying speed of the True Magnetic Dual Polarity Splitting Sword and the three vicious curse spells implanted in her body, Jiaomei’er drooped her head dejectedly and focused wholeheartedly on draining the last vestiges of vital essence from Yan Long.

Even though his true spirit was suppressed in the Black Jade Gourd within the Fallen Soul Array, Yan Long's physical body still emitted instinctive cries of pain as his vital essence rapidly drained. However, these sounds were indistinct, muffled as "Enn, ahh..." His cries of agony lasted only for a quarter of an hour. All his vital essence was sucked dry by Jiaomei'er, leaving behind only a withered husk of skin.

A plume of demonic flame ignited, utterly destroying the last trace left by Yan Long.

Glancing fearfully at Gu Xie Chen, who sat motionless like a statue before the Divine Crystal, Jiaomei'er lowered her head pitifully and devoted herself entirely to circulating the Desire Demon Clan's ancestral technique, the "Heavenly Fox Yuan Seizing Art." The vital essence belonging to Yan Long, now absorbed into her body, circulated rapidly, quickly transforming into Jiaomei'er's own cultivation.

Peng Hua smiled at Jiaomei'er. He understood Gu Xie Chen’s intentions perfectly. Ah, a true brother is a true brother; he even reserved such a great opportunity for me. By dual cultivating with the Desire Demoness, I can smoothly gain half of her immortal power cultivation? Ah, Davir... There were so many high-ranking members of Xinglang captured alive by the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns; if they could all be transformed through Jiaomei’er into Peng Hua's cultivation, what kind of power would I possess? Golden Immortal, perhaps?

Lost in these triumphant thoughts, Peng Hua’s smile grew even brighter. He painstakingly engaged with Han Mian’s conversation, fearing that if his "auntie" became displeased, she might sabotage his impending good fortune, which would truly be heartbreaking! After all, they all came from unorthodox demonic backgrounds; what was one act of dual cultivation? Han Mian shouldn't be so petty, right?

"Having too strong a girlfriend is also a kind of curse," Peng Hua thought blissfully.

In stark contrast to Peng Hua’s happiness and Gu Xie Chen’s deep worries, Ducat was holding the relics of his mother, fondly recalling every word and smile of Xiao Yiqiu during her life. What gentle words, what warm smiles! That feeling of filial devotion was wonderful. But all of it was now just memory!

His fingers gently caressed the small stones and shells. Ducat sighed softly, and somehow, he gripped the black crystal sphere. Why did this crystal sphere give him such a strange feeling? That sense of trembling was akin to a rabbit seeing a lion—a tremor originating deep within the bloodline. What was the origin of this crystal sphere, what story did it hold? What kind of existence was it?

Unconsciously, Ducat gripped the crystal sphere tightly, rubbing it vigorously. A thread of true qi from his Great Scarlet Heaven Refining Fire Scripture unintentionally seeped into the sphere.

A shuttle-shaped streak of yellow, faint light suddenly flashed inside the crystal sphere. The shape of that faint light resembled a cat’s eye, narrowed into a slit. Furthermore, it was the eye of a cat that had experienced countless struggles, endless scheming, and had become incredibly cunning and fierce. Of course, cats weren't the only ones with such pupils; many reptiles—such as lizards, venomous snakes, and the legendary Western Wyverns—possessed spindle-shaped pupils.

For some inexplicable reason, fine, dense ripples suddenly spread across the surface of the crystal sphere. These ripples vibrated rapidly at an extremely high frequency. This ultra-high-speed vibration made the sphere’s surface sharp enough to slice Ducat’s palm like a razor blade, drawing a drop of his blood into the sphere. A faint blood-red light emerged from the core of the crystal sphere. As if a withered root had encountered rich, fertile soil and abundant moisture, this crystal sphere suddenly came alive.

Ducat hadn't even registered the thin, bloody cut on his palm before the black crystal sphere transformed into a beam of brilliant light and merged into his palm, flowing into his body.

A surge of energy—icy cold yet burning hot, excruciatingly uncomfortable—rushed through Ducat's arm, stopping only when it reached his brow. Wisps of black, semi-transparent halos continuously spread out from his slightly raised brow, gradually covering his entire body. Faint golden demonic markings seeped out beneath Ducat’s skin, but the black halo quickly blasted them to pieces. All the energy contained within the golden markings was devoured and absorbed by the black halo, and twisted black demonic patterns appeared beneath Ducat’s skin. These patterns writhed and coiled, possessing an evil beauty.

A faint demonic aura emanated from Ducat’s eyes, which had become dark and profound. His body trembled violently as the black crystal sphere melted within him, transforming into a mass of energy containing a vast amount of genetic information. This energy flowed rapidly throughout his body, slowly modifying his physical form.

From the structural organization of his muscle fibers to the molecular structure of his bones, Ducat’s body underwent earth-shattering changes in mere minutes. His body shook violently; this transformation caused him both pain and swelling, yet this sensation of painful swelling brought him immense pleasure. He suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of thirst and hunger; he was parched, ravenous, and needed a massive replenishment of energy, or he would die.

A large pile of Zakla crystals poured out of his storage ring. With a wave of Ducat’s hand, a sweep of black light completely absorbed the energy contained within these Zakla crystals.

But this was like a drop of water falling into a desert; this energy did not satisfy Ducat's frantic need. His body shook violently. He needed more energy—more, more energy that was richer in vitality, stronger, and better suited to his current physical condition.

A human-head-sized Divine Crystal shot out of Ducat's ring. Ducat bit down on the Divine Crystal. The material, which Gu Xie Chen had tested to be over a thousand times stronger than diamond, yielded under Ducat’s teeth, a large chunk breaking off! Ducat chewed the crystal fragments with an enjoyable crunch-crunch, swallowing the debris into his abdomen.

A massive influx of energy erupted from within him. This energy, icy cold yet as violent as raging fire, made Ducat almost moan in pleasure. What exquisite energy! Every cell in his body trembled, every molecule that composed his body cheered, and a feeling of fullness and power permeated him. But still, it wasn't enough!

He needed more energy. Ducat gave a strange smile and poured out a large quantity of Divine Crystals from Davirms' strategic reserve storage. Hundreds of one-star Divine Crystals, hundreds of thousands of two-star Divine Crystals, millions of three-star Divine Crystals. Ducat’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the pile of crystals before him. Two vertical, shuttle-shaped beams of blood-red light emerged from his eyes. This cold, emotionless blood-red light was filled with an aura of wickedness and cunning, yet Ducat himself failed to notice this.

Opening his mouth, a stream of black energy sprayed out. He vigorously absorbed the energy from every Divine Crystal before him, thoroughly satisfying himself.

Ducat let out a joyous breath toward the sky. What immense power! Such violent, potent energy circulated freely within him. His physical body continued to strengthen rapidly, gradually becoming covered in a faint, crystal-like black glow. His bodily functions were enhancing swiftly, and his physical structure underwent a massive overhaul. The energy within him was also rapidly transforming into another exceedingly high-quality power, one filled with a strange, unsettling aura.

Ducat's innate talent for immense strength was stimulated to its limit. He felt the power of his body doubling every second, a rate of augmentation that intoxicated him.

His talent for controlling electronic instruments was also being pushed to the extreme. His mental power surged violently, like a Pacific Ocean suddenly flooding a dry riverbed, waves crashing wildly in all directions. Ducat's spiritual power rapidly surpassed the levels of the Deity Transformation Stage, Void Realm, and Tribulation Crossing Stage, rocketing straight up to the Grand Sovereign Heaven realm—and it kept climbing!

The vast Fire Origin energy cultivated from the Great Scarlet Heaven Refining Fire Scripture was rapidly converting into another form of power. This pure, violent force, imbued with a terrifying attribute of devouring and dissolving, rapidly expanded, swiftly filling Ducat's incredibly robust body.

In just one hour, Ducat's physical strength, mental power, and true qi level all rapidly broke through to the Profound Embryo Nurturing Heaven, equivalent to the fourth grade of Heavenly Immortal.

Two beams of evil light shot from Ducat's eyes. Wherever his gaze fell, the surrounding space subtly warped. A breath of corruption and decay materialized in the air.

"Hmph!" With a light snort, Ducat reined in all his power. He narrowed his eyes and muttered in a low voice, "What is going on? I should tell them about this."

But in the blink of an eye, Ducat shook his head hesitantly: "No, I can't tell them about this. Why should I tell them? This is my secret!"

After a moment of silence, Ducat nodded: "This is my secret, no need to tell them. Anyway, I won't do anything to them."

Taking a deep breath, Ducat waved his fist with satisfaction: "This is good. Feeling powerful feels so good. You can't say my cultivation is too weak now, can you? Hmm. My current strength is even greater than yours; you can’t force me into seclusion for cultivation anymore. I can help you better now because I am undeniably a powerhouse."

But in the next instant, Ducat sneered: "Why should I help you? If you look down on me, I won't bother helping you! Why should all the benefits and glory belong only to you?"

Blinking his eyes, Ducat said in a low voice, "I need even more energy to advance my strength further! Hmm, I can sense that the potential for my body's development is limitless. I can become even stronger; I absolutely can be stronger. I feel like my ascent to power has no ceiling! What a miraculous power I possess!"

Two streaks of blood-red light flickered in Ducat’s eyes, and he suddenly let out a dry, hissing laugh.

The cabin door opened softly, and Lily stepped in with light footsteps. She asked gently, "Xiao, what have you been up to these past two days? In half a month, we'll be back on Heaven Star."

"Lily!" Ducat gazed deeply at Lily's graceful and beautiful body and said in a low tone, "Oh? We are returning to Heaven Star soon? Very good. Lily, while Gu Master and the others are busy on Heaven Star, can you accompany me to Mars? Do you remember that cave? I want to go back and see. I really don't want to see them again!"

Lily understood perfectly and nodded, nestling into Ducat’s embrace, saying gently, "I know, I don't want to see them either."

"Yes, neither of us wants to see them." Ducat kissed Lily forcefully on the mouth, tore away the thin fabric of her clothing, placed her on the floor, and then eagerly pressed down on her. A fanatical flame flickered in Ducat's eyes—a flame representing all the most negative emotions, including domination, plunder, invasion, and destruction!

Lily cried out in surprise, then forcefully wrapped her arms around Ducat's neck, closed her eyes, and murmured, "Like this? This is wonderful."

Where Lily could not see, Ducat curled his lips into a sinister smile. He whispered, "Yes, Lily, this is wonderful. I should have had you long ago!"

Soft cries of pain and gasps of breath constantly came from the cabin, but the sounds were completely muffled by the thick door. No one knew what was happening inside!

Finally, the Heaven Star Domain was in sight! Under Gu Xie Chen's deliberate command, the Death Star Cruiser, along with a thousand White Wing-class battleships, swaggered in a wide circle around the Thirteen-Star System. They even deliberately flew the Death Star Cruiser close to the atmospheres of several planets controlled by the Romans, causing them some minor, troublesome hurricanes, before the massive fleet slowly returned to Heaven Star.

Forty devastating Death Star Cruisers hovered above Heaven Star, while the captured White Wing-class battleships slowly orbited it. The immense fleet instantly intimidated the Romans; Roman scout vessels that had been patrolling nearby vanished without a trace.

Ducat had long ago expressed his desire to return to Mars with Lily for a visit. Gu Xie Chen, suspecting nothing, readily agreed to his request. Ducat immediately took Xiao Xiao and Lily onto a White Wing battleship and rushed toward Mars at top speed.

Just as they disembarked, after exchanging brief words with Du Lang about the Earth Federation's developments in the Spiral Star Domain, the Roman envoy arrived on Heaven Star.

The delegation was led by the Roman High Priest and the current kings of the two fallen Roman kingdoms, Nanket and Heisuo Jin, accompanied by the core elite of the Romans—all famous and important figures among the Romans.

In the VIP reception room on the highest floor of the Earth Federation headquarters building on Heaven Star, Gu Xie Chen received the Roman High Priest and the two kings.

To Gu Xie Chen's shock, as soon as the Roman High Priest and the two Roman kings entered the reception room, they immediately knelt respectfully on one knee, offering the highest salute to Gu Xie Chen, Du Lang, and the others.

Gu Yechen sat stubbornly on the sofa, frowning, a trace of Xuanhuang Qi coiling around him, a crushing pressure subtly spreading outward. At this moment, Gu Yechen had entered that transcendent state of utter detachment, devoid of sorrow or joy. Never mind the three Arch-Priests of Roman kneeling before him; even if they were to slit their own throats right there, Gu Yechen would not show the slightest flicker of emotion. His realm was different now, and so was his perception. This Roman was not the Roman of the past. And Gu Yechen was certainly not the Gu Yechen of before. Simply the presence of the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns lined up behind Gu Yechen was enough to annihilate the entire Roman race; there was absolutely no need for Gu Yechen to show any false deference to the current Romans.

Poison Wolf rose with a fixed, humorless smile. He hurriedly extended his hands to help up the three kneeling figures. He tutted repeatedly, sighing, "My lords, you absolutely cannot do this, you must not. You are being far too courteous, far too courteous! How can we possibly bear such an honor? This is truly… alas, how can we possibly accept such a gesture?"

Arch-Priest Roman bowed his head deeply, murmuring in a low voice, "We have come specifically to surrender to the Earth Federation. For all the deeds we have committed, we are deeply remorseful."

The long-winded speech was enough for Gu Yechen to grasp the Arch-Priest Roman’s meaning: the Romans deeply regretted the harm they had inflicted upon the Earth Federation over the years, and they were willing to use all their strength to atone. Simultaneously, the Romans tossed out a monumental lure: if Roman technology were combined with Earth’s high-level processing capabilities and their inherent belligerence, the two races working together could conquer the entire Star Alliance, making it tremble beneath their feet.

Gu Yechen remained silent, and Poison Wolf said nothing. None of them took the Arch-Priest Roman’s words seriously.

Poison Wolf merely smiled genially, helped the Arch-Priest and the others to their feet, and settled them onto the sofa. Then he, too, sat beside Gu Yechen, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his posture like an uncarved piece of wood, not uttering a sound. The few of them stared at each other—large eyes meeting large eyes—for a long, drawn-out time.

The unsettling silence persisted for a full quarter hour before the Arch-Priest Roman finally let out a soft sigh.

With a gentle scoop of his right hand, he pulled a piece of Hanyu (Cold Jade) box, roughly two feet in all dimensions, out of thin air. The Arch-Priest Roman stated calmly, "I know that our past actions are difficult for Your Excellencies to accept. Therefore, to demonstrate the sincerity of our submission, we wish to present a treasure left by our Mother Goddess to the most honored Lord Gu Yechen."

Gu Yechen let out a cold laugh, shaking his head. "A treasure for me?"

Arch-Priest Roman cut straight to the chase, countering directly, "Is that not so? Are you not the one who dictates the fate of the Earth Federation? Do you not, single-handedly, effectively control everything in the Federation?"

Exchanging a swift glance with Poison Wolf, Poison Wolf narrowed his eyes and chuckled. This old rogue was still attempting to sow discord even now, but unfortunately, this trick wouldn't work! What was the relationship between Poison Wolf and Gu Yechen? Could such a simple tactic of sowing discord possibly affect them?

Shaking his head, Gu Yechen spoke blandly, "What treasures could you possibly possess? Your Mother Goddess… I apologize, I have never heard of her."

Arch-Priest Roman handed the box in his hand to Nanket beside him, instructing him to place it before Gu Yechen. The Arch-Priest stated coldly, "The Mother Goddess is the only true deity of our Roman people. She is the only truly existing divine spirit in Roman history, unlike those Jiling Shen (Spirit-Parasite Gods) who rely on Shenjing (Divine Crystals) for their existence."

Gu Yechen narrowed his eyes, silent. Arch-Priest Roman spoke in a low tone, "Examine the treasure we offer, and then decide if you truly need it, most honored Lord Gu Yechen."

Reaching out to touch the smooth surface of the Cold Jade box, Gu Yechen suddenly let out a deep sigh. He glanced at the Arch-Priest Roman and slowly lifted the lid. A soft, sacred light burst forth from the box, revealing two orbs, each about a foot in diameter. One orb was crimson red, the other moon-white. A potent aura of vitality streamed from the two orbs; they felt almost alive. What truly shocked Gu Yechen was that each orb contained a massive surge of Xiantian Chunyang Qi (Innate Pure Yang Energy) and an equally massive surge of Xiantian Zhiyin Qi (Innate Ultimate Yin Energy).

Faint traces of blood vessels marked the surfaces of the orbs, and on the side facing Gu Yechen, clear striations were visible. These two orbs looked precisely like two gigantic eyes, and the pupils within them were vertically slitted spindles—a feature that instinctively reminded Gu Yechen of lizards, vipers, or the dragons of Western legend. "What are these?" Gu Yechen and Poison Wolf asked in unison. It was fortunate that Penghua was not present; he had taken Han Kui to visit their fellow disciples of the Nine Nether Path. If he were here, he would undoubtedly be consumed by the urge to slay them and seize the treasures.

"These are the eyes of our Mother Goddess," Arch-Priest Roman gazed upon the two orbs with boundless reverence. He stated in a deep voice, "Our Roman people have two Mother Goddesses. These are the eyes of our female Mother Goddess. One eye represents blazing light; it can unleash flames that burn everything, destroying our enemies. The other eye represents gentle light; it can release life force that soothes all things and strengthens our bodies. This was the source of divine power our Mother Goddess used when she created the Roman people."

Gu Yechen remained contemplative. These two treasures were intensely alluring; they scratched a profound itch in his soul.

The orb containing the Zhiyin Qi could be set aside for a moment; its quality was inferior to his Taiyin Xuanzhu (Ultimate Yin Profound Orb), but the surge of Yin energy would certainly provide a massive replenishment to the overly depleted Xuanzhu.

As for the orb containing the Chunyang Qi, its quality surpassed his current Taiyang Xuanzhu (Solar Profound Orb) by tens of millions of times. If he could integrate its entire essence into the Solar Profound Orb, it might be possible to forge an ultimate treasure comparable to the Taiyin Xuanzhu in a short time.

If he achieved this, Gu Yechen could leverage the two orbs to truly attain a state of Yin-Yang balance, creating perpetual life force. An internal Yin-Yang balance would provide the foundation necessary for an ancient Great Divine Power practitioner to carve out a personal pocket of void space.

It was a difficult decision! Should he spare the Romans? Should he not? However, it was true that the current Romans posed absolutely no threat to the Earth Federation anymore.

Seeing Gu Yechen hesitate, the Arch-Priest waved his hand again and retrieved another Cold Jade box from the void. This time, the box contained a red, fleshy stalk, coiled like a spring, about thirty-six inches long. An overwhelmingly powerful surge of life force emanated from this red stalk, a vitality so immense that Gu Yechen could barely conceive of it. To draw a comparison: the combined life essence of all the citizens slaughtered by the Dark Creatures of the Polar Star Empire probably amounted to less than one billionth of the life force radiating from this stalk!

"This is…" Gu Yechen looked at the Arch-Priest Roman in horror.

Arch-Priest Roman nodded proudly, "We Romans have two Mother Goddesses. They perished later. This is a remnant of the body of our male Mother Goddess, holding an astonishingly powerful life essence. Alas, we cannot extract any benefit from it, or else the Roman people would not have fallen to our current state of defeat."

The two orbs were one thing; they were merely embellishments.

But this stalk, containing such a vast reservoir of life force, truly stirred Gu Yechen’s heart. With this item, drawing even a portion of its vitality could immediately enhance one's Xiantian Shengqi (Innate Vitality). This object was akin to the mythical power of turning stone to gold, capable of transforming decay into wonder, capable of turning a lowly grass snake into a divine dragon soaring through the nine heavens! What was contained within this segment of flesh was too shocking for Gu Yechen; he could not refuse such a treasure.

Snatching it back, he swept the two eyes and the stalk into his Taiyin Xuanzhu for safekeeping. Gu Yechen looked coldly at the Arch-Priest Roman, contemplating whether to kill the three of them on the spot.

Arch-Priest Roman perceived the faint, chilling killing intent in Gu Yechen’s eyes and hurriedly lowered his voice, speaking solemnly, "If you kill us, we Romans are completely prepared. The vast majority of our people have already left our homeland. They will continue to wander the cosmos, and they will use every means available to ambush you, fighting you to the death."

"...Threatening me?" Gu Yechen stared fixedly at the Arch-Priest. "No, I am merely stating a fact!" Arch-Priest Roman retorted sharply, "In the name of the Supreme Mother Goddess, we Romans are willing to become a brother race to the Terran people! Why do you still reject our goodwill? Would you rather have one more friend, or one more sworn enemy? You decide!" Gazing coldly at the Arch-Priest Roman, Gu Yechen suddenly took a deep breath, "The price is still not enough. Those three treasures can only buy off me alone. And I have so many brothers by my side!"

Silence descended for a moment, then Arch-Priest Roman stamped his foot heavily, glaring at Gu Yechen through gritted teeth, roaring, "Are you truly intent on stripping bare everything our Mother Goddess left behind? You, you..."

Gu Yechen said coldly, "We hold the absolute advantage now. Do you see the Death Star Ships in orbit? Any single one of those ships could effortlessly annihilate the entire Thirteen-Star Cluster region! Either hand over everything you possess and truly become our friends, or your Roman people will vanish entirely!"

He pointed ferociously at the Arch-Priest Roman and sneered, "Right now, you Romans have no grounds for bargaining! Either become a vassal of the Earth Federation, or face extinction!"

Nanket roared in anger, "Most of our people have already evacuated! What can you possibly do to us?"

Gu Yechen gave Nanket a cold look. He suddenly snatched at the air and drew forth a pitch-black stone blade. A gust of cold wind swept past, and the stone blade left a faint trace of blood on Nanket's little finger. But the consequence of this tiny scratch was that a retainer from the Hallsom family serving outside the reception room suddenly let out a piercing wail, his body cleanly sliced in half along the central line!

Nanket was stunned; all the Romans were stunned.

Gu Yechen spoke in a low voice, like a demon, "That is correct, your people have evacuated. But have the patriarchs of your great families evacuated?"

He chuckled a few times, and Gu Yechen spoke with a tone of ultimate killing intent, "As long as one family patriarch exists, I can use remote sorcery to kill every single person in that family. Do you still believe you have the right to fight me?"

The stone blade flashed again, and a shallow, almost insignificant scratch appeared on Hexokin’s wrist. But the two cousins of Hexokin standing by the door simultaneously shrieked, their heads suddenly flying skyward, severed by an invisible force.

The vicious sorceries within the Dahuang Scripture—their profound mystery, savagery, and wickedness—were beyond the comprehension of the Romans.

The Arch-Priest immediately shrieked, "We surrender! We are truly and sincerely surrendering to the Earth Federation!"

This time, the Arch-Priest Roman’s right hand moved repeatedly through the void, bringing forth nearly a hundred items, all shimmering with various strange lights, and placed them before Gu Yechen. At the center of these objects, which radiated an alarming wave of powerful immortal energy and shone with magical light, spun a crystal, roughly a foot square, of azure-blue. This crystal emitted an equally heart-palpitating aura, yet this aura carried a refreshing coolness, as if a mere wash of it could clear even the dullest intellect.

Gu Yechen jumped up in utter shock, and the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns also paled, exclaiming in unison, "Where did you acquire all these things?"

The Luopo Mirror, the Sizhi Su, the Lieyin Yin, the Qiankun Ruler, the Dingfeng Pearl, the Changhong Rope, the Juque Sword, the Moye Sword, the Yinyang Sword—they were all famous divine artifacts from ancient times! The Ten Heavenly Sovereigns derived their name from that very war, so they were intimately familiar with these treasures. Moreover, the original owners of many of these artifacts were either their relatives and friends or their sworn enemies. How could they not recognize these relics?

The Arch-Priest looked triumphantly at the pale-faced Gu Yechen and the others, pointing at the azure-blue crystal, and sneered, "This is the Wisdom Crystal, condensed from all the intelligence of our Mother Goddess before her demise. These artifacts were items our Mother Goddess luckily found in some marvelous places!"

Gu Yechen looked coldly at the Arch-Priest. He roared sharply, "Since you possess these ancient magical tools, even though their main bodies are heavily damaged, they still possess infinite power. Why didn't you use them?"

The Arch-Priest pointed at the azure-blue crystal and roared back, "The Yusheng (the newly born) is my child; do you think I don't understand that principle? However, these were the treasures used by our Mother Goddess before her fall. Though she has perished, the crystal containing all her wisdom still controls them. We Romans simply do not possess the power to shatter this Wisdom Crystal. Even if we could, we wouldn't want to! Even if we wanted to, we wouldn't dare!"

This was an undeniable truth, and Gu Yechen accepted his explanation.

Looking at the multitude of treasures before him, and then at the azure-blue crystal emitting that powerful, cool energy, Gu Yechen sighed with emotion, "Forget it. Consider yourselves lucky. We are taking all of this. On account of these items, we will not take the initiative to attack you. But if you dare take any hostile action against our Earth Federation, you are doomed!"

Nanket and Hexokin’s faces grew grim. Gu Yechen had slain their kin to assert dominance, and now he was taking so many of their treasures, only to yield such a non-committal promise?

Of all the shameless people in the world, was there anyone more shameless than Gu Yechen?

Just as Nanket and Hexokin were about to argue with Gu Yechen, Arch-Priest Roman, seemingly satisfied, stood up. He forcefully commanded them to follow him away from Paradise Star.

It seemed that all Arch-Priest Roman required was Gu Yechen's promise not to attack proactively.

Watching the retreating back of Arch-Priest Roman, and looking at the incomparably precious treasures before him, Gu Yechen fell into deep thought.

Poison Wolf also began to ponder.

After a long moment, the two spoke in unison, "Offering excessive courtesies means either plotting evil or intending to steal..."

Poison Wolf nodded and chuckled softly, "Why don't we wipe out the Romans tomorrow?"

Gu Yechen hesitated for a moment, then suddenly nodded, moved by the thought.

Because I am attending a meeting in Wuzhen, updating conveniently is difficult, so the update time and word count for each day might seem erratic. Please be understanding! Also, since it's the end of the month, Touzho begs for votes! Touzho mistakenly brought the wrong power cord for his laptop and has no way to write, so he has to drain the last of his stored drafts to update. Touzho is in tragedy—such a tragic Touzho needs the comfort of monthly votes! (To be continued)