Corn gleamed in the void, and the figures of a dozen cultivators, robed in high crowns and long sleeves, materialized in Yuzhou. Behind these cultivators, a slab of white jade, spanning about a li in diameter, floated silently, supporting several thatched huts. Innumerable streaks of black and red essence light, densely packed and crisscrossing haphazardly, encircled this great stone and the huts upon it. Within these beams, various talismans shimmered intermittently, accompanied by ethereal celestial music that occasionally drifted out. It was evident that this colossal stone and its humble dwellings were no ordinary magical treasures.

Gu Xichen, sharp-eyed even from a great distance, immediately spotted the three large, boldly inscribed characters—Ren Dongxi ()—on a wooden plaque above the largest thatched hut. His current vision was terrifyingly acute; every single blade of thatch on the huts was clearly visible to him. They were not mere straw, but painstakingly crafted, straw-shaped magic artifacts forged from some gleaming golden, unknown material. Each blade was intricately engraved with countless talismans and seals, from which wisps of rosy light constantly ascended, pooling above the huts into a canopy of radiant, auspicious mist.

As these cultivators appeared, they burst into laughter and sped toward Heaven Star, the massive stone keeping pace like a shadow. The black and red essence beams, along with the rosy, auspicious vapors above, remained inseparable from their bodies, thoroughly shielding them within layers of restrictive barriers. Only when Gu Xichen approached them alone did the cultivators halt their flight, arrogantly appraising him from head to toe. Discovering that Gu Xichen’s magical fluctuations were merely at the level of a second-grade Celestial Immortal, the noses of the dozen-plus cultivators nearly pointed straight up to the heavens.

“You dare block our path?” The lead cultivator, a middle-aged man with a face as beautiful as polished jade, queried in a melodious, light voice. “Do not waste your life. Stand aside and do not court death needlessly.”

Gu Xichen chuckled and was about to reply when a swirling cloud of plasma electromagnetic mist, spanning tens of li in circumference, erupted from the void nearby. A Roman battleship tore through the spatial barrier and leaped out. A contingent of a dozen Doom Guard Knights, accompanied by nearly ten thousand advanced Roman warriors clad in energy armor that spewed out blue flames several meters high, charged out from the vessel, surging toward the cultivators with palpable killing intent. The most formidable of these Doom Guard Knights possessed cultivation levels approaching that of a sixth-grade Loose Immortal; the rest of the Roman warriors were likewise elite.

However, the weakest of the cultivators before them was a second-grade Celestial Immortal. Watching the Romans rush toward them, the leading middle-aged cultivator shook his head at Gu Xichen with a sneer, then rubbed his hands together and cast them outward forcefully. Ten thousand rays of fierce light shot forth from the cultivator's palms. These beams of intense light seemed substantive, like real spears and long pikes, piercing through the bodies of the Doom Guard Knights and Roman warriors, punching through them to create transparent holes the size of a bowl.

Blood the color of pale gold scattered wildly. These charging Roman warriors were instantly annihilated, leaving nothing behind. Only two Doom Guard Knights shrieked as they reached the cultivators. Their purely energized bodies violently contracted inward, shrinking in the blink of an eye into spheres of dazzling, radiant light. Then, these two Doom Guard Knights detonated ferociously. The blinding shockwave instantly enveloped a void spanning a hundred li.

It was unclear what malevolent secret art the Romans had employed. Though their cultivation only neared that of a sixth-grade Loose Immortal—approaching the level of a first-grade Celestial Immortal—their self-detonation was continuous and inexhaustible. In a flash, dozens of overlapping explosions were generated. The power of each explosion rivaled the full-force strike of a second-grade Celestial Immortal. The area within a hundred li was reduced to a veritable tide of blazing light. The ferocious shockwave buffeted Gu Xichen’s protective divine light until it flickered precariously, almost shattering the defenses of his Yin-Yang Robe.

The terrifying explosions persisted for a quarter of an hour before gradually dissipating. Never mind the two Doom Guard Knights; the nearly ten thousand Roman warriors who had charged with them were also utterly gone, not even slag remained. Only the lone Roman battleship floated silently a hundred li away, its lights extinguished, resembling a coffin long buried deep beneath the earth.

As the intense light faded, the cultivators glanced back at Gu Xichen with lingering fear. The great stone behind them was now emitting dazzling black and red radiance. The thatch on the huts released torrents of auspicious light, and the clouds spanning several hundred mu above churned, descending in delicate, shimmering threads of color. This display meticulously shielded the fifteen or sixteen cultivators, large and small. The self-detonation of the two Romans had caused them no substantive harm; the defensive power of that massive jade slab was truly astonishing.

Shaking his head, Gu Xichen addressed the cultivators frankly, “These Romans have nothing to do with me!”

Before he could finish speaking, the stern of the distant Roman battleship—which seemed to have lost all motive power—suddenly spewed forth two pillars of plasma flame, each as thick as a li and nearly a hundred li long. The vessel accelerated with shocking speed, plunging straight toward the cultivators. The battleship dissolved into a point of bright light and traversed the hundred li distance in just a single breath, slamming into the trailing wisps of shimmering, rosy energy. A curtain of light shot up from the top of the Roman vessel, displaying a colossal, full-body image of Gu Xichen. Simultaneously, an extremely intense, high-frequency signal surged from the ship. This signal, one that cultivators could capture with their divine sense, read: “For Lord Gu Xichen, the Roman Knights charge!”

“For Lord Gu Xichen, the Roman Knights charge!” What a battle cry, what a passionate shout, what a selfless action!

Gu Xichen was left speechless, shaking his head. He muttered, “I truly have no connection with them,” yet the look in the cultivators' eyes clearly indicated that they had already decided the Romans were thugs, household slaves, or mere pets raised by Gu Xichen for his amusement. The Romans could be anything belonging to Gu Xichen, but they absolutely could not be completely unrelated to him. Given their preconceptions, these cultivators would never accept Gu Xichen’s explanation. That Roman battleship carried at least a thousand large-yield antimatter bombs. When the vessel collided with the cascading rosy mist descending from the huts on the massive stone, the ship instantly disintegrated. A surge of ferocious energy, one that even Gu Xichen found difficult to resist, erupted. Gu Xichen retreated tens of thousands of li along the path of the intense light. The black and white currents emitted by the Yin-Yang Robe coiled around him, forming the pattern of a Taiji diagram. Whisps of black and white vital energy spun and ground against each other, layer by layer shaving off the approaching chaotic energy.

When the dust settled and the explosion caused by the antimatter bombs finally dissipated, Gu Xichen flew forward a short distance and saw the cultivators, looking slightly disheveled, tidying their high crowns and long sleeves under the shroud of rosy light. Several even had their belts dislodged, clearly indicating the recent blast had not been entirely painless for them.

The Romans had struck viciously. The power of the battleship's self-destruction approximated the full strength of a peak first-grade Celestial Immortal. However, concurrent with the explosion, they had activated a spatial jump sequence, opening a conduit to the sub-space. When the blast occurred, the turbulent energy drew in the endless energy streams of the sub-space, and the instantaneous surge of sub-space energy was not easily tolerated. This group of arrogant cultivators had indeed suffered some hardship.

Bowing slightly to these cultivators, Gu Xichen was about to speak when the leading middle-aged cultivator glared and sharply reprimanded him, “No more eloquent excuses. Our orders are to eliminate all Romans. If you are connected to the Romans, you must die! All your explanations are sophistry; your only outcome is death!”

Rubbing and then releasing his hands, dozens of intense golden beams suddenly shot from the cultivator’s palm toward Gu Xichen. The golden light tore through the void, emitting crisp 'chii-chii' sounds, like golden blades slicing through a gentle breeze, aiming fiercely at Gu Xichen’s vital points. Dozens of Taiyin Divine Lotuses and Taiyang Divine Seals on the Yin-Yang Robe illuminated. Black and white currents, like intertwined dragons, formed a Taiji vortex several zhang in diameter before Gu Xichen.

The golden light struck the vortex, causing it to vibrate violently a few times before it spun and coiled, following the momentum of the incoming light, diverting all dozens of golden rays toward the distant void. Gu Xichen waved his Dragon Whisker Fan with his right hand. Instantly, five-colored True Water roared down from the sky, accompanied by the thunderous sound of the Milky Way splitting apart. Each stream of this five-colored True Water was a hundred li wide and several hundred zhang thick. The five streams converged into a single, surging wave that twisted and soared through the void, its momentum terrifying.

If it were merely the five-colored True Water, it would suffice, but atop these five flows, the five-colored True Fire burned fiercely: Golden Crow Heavenly Fire, Solar True Fire, Void Undying Fire, Violet Profound Heavenly Flame, and Pure Spiritual Pristine Fire. These five flames, each with a distinctly different nature, carried a suffocating heat, swirling around the five-colored True Water, unleashing a deafening roar of ascending, surging fire. Fire amplified the water's momentum; water augmented the fire’s might. The normally opposing forces of water and fire merged here in perfect harmony, their power seamlessly integrated.

Faced with this inexplicable anomaly, the dozen-plus cultivators clearly paused. Before they could react to this incredible assault, the five-colored True Water carrying the five-colored True Fire crashed into the cloud canopy emitted by the huts atop the great jade stone. The massive cloud cover, thick enough to span a thousand zhang, visibly sagged downward. With a massive boom, the thick canopy dissolved rapidly, like a snow lion meeting fire. In a blink, a deep pit spanning several mu and seven or eight hundred zhang deep was torn open, nearly creating a transparent hole.

The cultivators were greatly startled. They cried out simultaneously, and four or five leaped up, flying back into the thatched huts on the great stone. They sat cross-legged, rapidly forming hand seals and driving streams of spiritual light into the huts, activating them to spew out billions of golden rays that converged to form a golden cloud canopy of the Geng Metal attribute, meeting the water and fire forces from the sky.

“Foolish! Don’t you know that Innate True Water specifically restrains Geng Metal energy?”

With a mocking roar, Gu Xichen flew up and hovered above the great jade stone. He swung the Dragon Whisker Fan fiercely with his right hand. Vast clumps of viscous, five-colored True Fire, resembling molten glass and emitting a booming resonance, tumbled down like raindrops, entirely incinerating the cloud canopy formed by the Geng Metal energy. The auspicious and vital clouds below fared even worse; with one sweep of the fan, all the auspicious light and vital energy were swept away by the power of the water and fire, not even a trace remaining.

“What a powerful magic treasure!” The leading middle-aged cultivator shouted sternly. “His own cultivation is nothing; he relies only on the artifact. Fellow Daoists, let us join forces! Do not forget the Star Alliance bounty!”

Seeing that Gu Xichen’s Water and Fire Dragon Whisker Fan perfectly countered the artifact they relied upon as their fortress, the cultivators all took to the air to meet Gu Xichen. When the middle-aged cultivator mentioned the “Star Alliance bounty,” everyone’s eyes lit up. They looked at Gu Xichen with the avarice and madness of misers staring at a golden doll.

Without needing further inquiry, it was clear that the Star Alliance had offered an astronomical reward, otherwise, these accomplished cultivators would not have reacted this way.

Gu Xichen’s eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to unleash his divine abilities to test the mettle of these cultivators, a graceful figure flashed past from the flank. Jiao Mei'er, driving her Nine-Tailed Banner, had arrived beside Gu Xichen unnoticed. This little demon pitifully clutched Gu Xichen’s sleeve, her two large, sentient eyes glancing fearfully at the cultivators. She choked out to them, “Your Excellencies are lofty in virtue and profound in cultivation, already possessing Celestial Immortal bodies. Why must you trouble my Master?”

The figures of the dozen-plus cultivators, the weakest of whom were second-grade Celestial Immortals, froze momentarily. They simultaneously swallowed, staring dumbly at Jiao Mei'er.

Jiao Mei'er’s fair face paled, then flushed deeply. She carefully swayed the Nine-Tailed Banner in her hand, her graceful, beautiful body shrinking behind Gu Xichen. She whispered cautiously, “My Master is a good person; don’t hurt him. You are all bad people, but you can still repent and become good again.” Her rosy little tongue licked her lips, and Jiao Mei’er smiled gently, saying softly, “Whoever helps my Master deal with these villains, this servant will offer herself in service, devoted to him for all eternity.”

The dozen-plus cultivators swallowed again. Their eyes turned crimson as if smeared with red paint, their gazes becoming wolf-like. Hearing Jiao Mei'er’s words, they suddenly attacked their companions. Streaks of treasure light and sword qi flew everywhere. In the blink of an eye, all but the leading middle-aged man were beaten into a pulp of flesh and bone, their souls scattered and dissipated. Even the most cultivated middle-aged man had seven or eight large holes ripped through his body by sword qi, leaving him on the verge of death.

“Uh, Miss, you are…” The middle-aged man stared raptly at Jiao Mei'er, stammering, wanting to claim he had killed the others and greatly helped Gu Xichen.

Jiao Mei'er chuckled lightly. She twisted her waist and walked out from behind Gu Xichen, slowly approaching the middle-aged man from behind. She gently extended a claw into his chest and slowly dug out his still-beating heart. Looking with disgust at the crimson heart, Jiao Mei'er sighed deeply, “How uninteresting. You are already dying; what good would it do if this servant offered herself to you? Reincarnate quickly, and when you grow up into a proper man, come back to enjoy pleasure with this servant!”

With a light kiss on the middle-aged man’s stiff cheek, Jiao Mei'er gripped his vital points at the waist with both hands, sucking out every trace of the magic power and vital essence remaining in his body. In a single blink, the middle-aged man was drained down to just a sheet of skin floating in the icy Taiyin. Jiao Mei'er, having absorbed this influx of power, suddenly radiated wisps of pink rosy light.

After absorbing the essence, spirit, and vitality of Yan Long and other high-ranking members of the Star Alliance, this Demoness of Desire had successfully advanced to the peak of sixth-grade Celestial Immortal!

Once she crossed that great bottleneck from Celestial Immortal to Golden Immortal, this little demon would be a genuine Golden Immortal-level existence! The terrifying Devouring Demonic Art of the race of Demonesses of Desire was truly shocking. Gu Xichen clapped his hands lightly and sighed, “Very good. In the future, if anyone like this comes, you will be responsible for handling them.”

Jiao Mei'er looked pitifully at Gu Xichen and cautiously asked, “If Mei'er obeys and helps Master clean up these blind bastards, can Master ask Lord Penghua to lift the witch curses within Mei'er? Having those three curses, Mei'er cannot eat or sleep well.”

Gu Xichen swept a cold glance at Jiao Mei'er. A stream of Xuanhuang Qi flashed across his body, violently rebounding the Heavenly Demonic Seduction she had released. Jiao Mei'er cried out miserably, spitting blood from her seven orifices as she was thrown backward tens of li, nearly having her soul shattered by the backlash force of the Haotian Pagoda. She looked at Gu Xichen in utter terror, kneeling trembling in the void, daring no longer to employ any petty tricks. Gu Xichen looked down at her and harshly admonished, “Do your job properly, and there will be rewards in the future. Disobey, and you will be instantly reduced to dust.”

With a flick of his flowing sleeve, the thousand or so main warships of the allied fleet watching the battle were swept thousands of li away by an invisible, immense force, tumbling and colliding along the way. By the time the battleships stopped rolling, they were all too heavily damaged and exploded simultaneously.

Jiao Mei'er lowered her head in fear, completely subdued by Gu Xichen’s power and might.

In an instant, the innate characteristic of the Demonesses of Desire to submit to the strong surfaced. Jiao Mei'er suddenly felt that this wasn't so bad; such a formidable Master seemed to promise good prospects for the future.

This thought was cemented deeply in Jiao Mei'er’s heart when Gu Xichen put away the highly defensive jade stone and huts and bestowed them upon her. Such a Master was indeed excellent. The demon kings in the Ten Directions Hell would never bestow rare immortal artifacts upon a non-combat race like the Demonesses of Desire, kept merely for pleasure.

After eliminating the first wave of attacking Star Alliance cultivators, Gu Xichen commanded the Heaven Star Garrison to mobilize the Death Starships and White Wing-Class Warships to sweep clean the allied fleet in the Alpha Star Field. Against the Heaven Star Garrison fleet, which held absolute advantage, the standard Star Alliance Class-One warships disintegrated like toys made of mud.

The Ten Heavenly Lords joined forces to set up an extremely powerful "Star Annihilation Formation" near the spatial jump point connecting the Alpha Star Field to the Heaven Star Field. This grand formation, using natural celestial bodies as its tools, possessed the terrifying power to annihilate stars. Coupled with the thirty-six top-grade immortal artifacts Gu Xichen placed within as the formation’s core, the array's power became even more formidable. Even without anyone actively commanding it, this array was enough to trap Celestial Immortals below the fourth grade, making it impossible for any ordinary Star Alliance civilization’s fleet to occupy the Alpha Star Field as a stronghold.

Over the next month or so, the number of Star Alliance fleets arriving at the Heaven Star Field grew daily, but Gu Xichen displayed an extremely violent, even cold-blooded and ruthless style. He attacked in concert with Penghua and others, aided by the Death Starships and White Wing-Class Warships. Every ship that arrived in the Heaven Star Field was destroyed instantly. Unconsciously, a belt of scrap metal, measuring roughly ten million li in length, width, and height, formed in the distant space around Heaven Star, filled with countless large and small pieces of wreckage—a truly horrifying sight.

Occasionally, a few cultivators, ranging in strength from Nascent Soul to sixth-grade Loose Immortal, were mixed in with the allied fleet, but there were no more luxurious lineups like the first group composed of a dozen Immortals. Facing these minor pests, even Gu Xichen couldn't be bothered to act; Penghua simply captured them all and dumped them into transport ships bound for Earth, to be absorbed by the disciples of the Nine Nether Dao.

Another half month passed like this. Just as Gu Xichen was meditating and circulating his energy on Heaven Star, cultivating using the ceaselessly surging Yin and Yang energy from the Taiyin Profound Pearl and the Taiyang Profound Pearl, a faint, ethereal aura flickered in the void, and an Immortal of extremely profound cultivation appeared.

Gu Xichen rushed to the high heavens immediately, intercepting the withered old man standing there, clad in a bright red Daoist robe with hair so messy it resembled a bird's nest.

Upon seeing this old man, Gu Xichen froze. In the full family portrait of the Yanlong Empire royalty shown to him by Chi Long Lieyan—his only friend among the six-star civilizations—this old man’s figure was present. According to Chi Long Lieyan’s explanation, this elder was his ancestor five generations removed, whose cultivation in the Heaven Burning Art had reached the level of a fourth-grade Celestial Immortal. His Buddhist Demon-Subduing Golden Body cultivation was so advanced that it was impervious to sword strikes and remained intact even through heavenly tribulations, ranking him among the top three experts in the Yanlong Imperial Family.

However, this old man, named Lasco Lieyan, was also the one with the lowest moral character in the Yanlong Imperial Family. He was addicted to drink and lust, possessed a vile character, and spent his days roaming various places in the Star Alliance, moonlighting in illegal activities such as piracy, banditry, theft, and pimping. In the Star Alliance’s list of the top 100,000 most dangerous fugitives with the highest bounties, over nine hundred of those listed were actually incarnations of this Lasco.

Gazing upon Raskol, a figure blacklisted as untouchable by the Red Dragon Flame's circle, Gu Xichen frowned.

A flash of violet light erupted, and the Giant Spirit God stepped forth, clutching his long Xuanhua Battle-Axe. With imposing grandeur, he flashed behind Raskol, the great axe held steady just shy of the old man’s neck. Immediately following, the Ten Heavenly Lords emerged from the purple glow. Silently, they established the Ten Absolute Formations, sealing the surrounding void tight. Within the grand formation, ten Innate Supreme Treasures simultaneously locked onto Raskol’s figure; the array would instantly activate should he dare make a move.

Raskol stared at Gu Xichen in shock. He blinked several times, then cried out in a manner suggesting deep grievance, “What is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of this? I am a guest!”

Gu Xichen retorted sharply, “I welcome the Red Dragon Flame and all his kin, but you are the one exception! Mr. Raskol Flame, the highest bounty target on the Star Alliance wanted list!”

The old man awkwardly scratched his oily, crimson-red, bulbous nose and forced a dry chuckle. “Ah? You already know? This is actually the case—”

Before his laughter could fully land, the old man’s eyes suddenly rolled back, and he whipped his hand out, grabbing for the Giant Spirit God’s calf, intending to heave him away. The divine power of the Buddhist Demonic Subduing Golden Body possessed unfathomable might. The old man’s withered, chicken-claw-like hands suddenly transformed, growing several dozen feet wide, easily clasping the Giant Spirit God’s leg. Raskol chuckled triumphantly, “But your venerable Sir can’t stand talking under the threat of violence from others!”

“Hmph.” Raskol puffed out his breath, putting all his strength into trying to lift the Giant Spirit God and throw him. Yet, the Giant Spirit God stood firm. His eyes, large as cartwheels, flickered toward the old man once. He weighed the long-handled Xuanhua Battle-Axe in his grip, tossed it aside, and drew a slightly smaller, short-handled battle-axe from behind him. He gently used the edge of the axe to brush against the old man’s head. In the Giant Spirit God’s view, it was merely a light touch, but the old man let out a miserable wail, “Aoww, aoww!” His withered body, which originally stood less than six feet tall, instantly shrank to four and a half feet. That casual brush from the Giant Spirit God had nearly crushed every joint in the old man’s body.

“Don’t try to match strength with the Giant,” Gu Xichen said, hands clasped across his chest, watching the old man jump and cry out on the spot with gleeful detachment. This unlucky old fellow probably had all his joints bruised. Hmph, didn’t the Giant Spirit God thoughtfully pick the smaller axe? If he had used the bigger one…

Raskol struggled to regain his original height. He twisted his waist, scrutinizing the Giant Spirit God with a look of utter disbelief before sighing heavenward dejectedly, “A monster. Alas, but such a monster is good.”

Squinting his mismatched eyes, the old man looked Gu Xichen up and down, then nodded and inquired, “You are Gu Xichen? The person my unfortunate grandnephew said could be absolutely trusted?”

Someone absolutely trustworthy? Gu Xichen’s heart stirred slightly. This Red Dragon Flame actually held such an opinion of him?

A faint, warm current echoed in his chest. Gu Xichen stated calmly, “We are friends. More than friends. We are brothers.”

Raskol’s expression turned very serious. He nodded, “Brothers, yes. Men need a few brothers. My unfortunate grandnephew sent me to ask you: are you willing to go to that place with me? The risk is immense. But the foreseeable rewards are also vast, and it might very well solve your biggest current trouble.”

That place. Again, that place!

Gu Xichen frowned. He knew exactly what that place meant. The Wolf Pack faction’s entire scheme against the Yavil Empire was centered around a top-secret jump channel, wasn’t it? That channel led to some ancient ruin, and from there, it seemed vaguely connected to some other location—a path that might lead there.

After a moment of silence, Gu Xichen looked at Raskol and asked, “Where is the Red Dragon Flame?”

Raskol shrugged. He sneered, “Imprisoned.”

Without waiting for Gu Xichen to ask, Raskol provided a detailed explanation of everything that had transpired in the Yanlong Empire. The Red Dragon Flame was indeed imprisoned.

Davilms was destroyed, and the Star Alliance headquarters was razed. But a new Davilms was swiftly established, built right in the original Davilms star system, even replicating the original architecture perfectly. New Star Alliance Chairmen and other figures appeared, halting the internal wars among the six-star civilizations at the fastest possible speed. These civilizations, thrown into discord by the loss of their sovereign, quickly nominated new Emperors and Kings, returning swiftly under the Star Alliance’s dominion.

Following this, the Star Alliance issued a declaration of war against the Earth Federation, demanding that all six-star civilizations commit all their military forces to the assault.

The Red Dragon Flame was immediately arrested by Star Alliance Enforcement and thrown into prison because he voiced a few dissenting opinions during the mobilization assembly. Without explanation or excuse, the Red Dragon Flame, the reigning Emperor of a six-star civilization, was detained by the Star Alliance and then replaced by a junior relative from the Yanlong Imperial family—the one with the worst aptitude and least courage—who was casually selected by the Alliance to take control of the Yanlong Empire.

It was also during the Star Alliance mobilization assembly that the freshly minted Star Alliance leadership presented detailed intelligence on the Earth Federation. This intelligence was so minute it even included Gu Xichen’s blood type from his childhood physicals and his genomic map, down to the details of his first outing with a female classmate during his youth, accompanied by a detailed psychoanalysis profile of Gu Xichen. Beyond Gu Xichen, intelligence packets were also complete for key Earth Federation figures like Poison Wolf, Xiao Yusheng, and the Bearded Commander.

Even the combat habits and command styles of all high, middle, and low-ranking officers in the Earth Federation army—including their service records and details of their family structures—were laid out meticulously.

This intelligence was reportedly submitted by the head of intelligence for a three-star civilization that had long coveted the Earth Federation. However, this intelligence chief died in a traffic accident!

The thick scent of conspiracy unsettled and angered the Red Dragon Flame. This was why he questioned the mobilization of so many six-star civilization forces against the minuscule Earth Federation during the assembly. The Red Dragon Flame even threw down a gauntlet: he would not lower himself to bully a mere one-star civilization, and the Yanlong Empire would absolutely not participate in the attack on the Earth Federation. This very statement led to the Red Dragon Flame’s imprisonment. If not for the fact that the Red Dragon Flame was a rare peak expert at the Planetary level, he would likely have already been executed.

The Red Dragon Flame truly was a loyal friend. Gu Xichen clenched his fists. As for that detailed, almost absurdly thorough intelligence, it clearly originated from the Romans. Damn those Romans. They were singularly focused on inciting war between the Star Alliance and the Earth Federation. Look at them; they were even willing to sacrifice the Doom Guard Knights. What else wouldn't they do?

If he ever found those Romans, he would ensure their immediate and utter annihilation. This race that should have been destroyed long ago! Gu Xichen trembled with rage; he had already decreed the final fate of the Romans. Even if he had to employ the most cruel and inhumane methods from the Great Desolation Scripture, he would utterly destroy them!

Because of one of their nonsensical plots, how many elite warriors of the Earth Federation had already sacrificed, and how many more would they sacrifice in the future?

Taking a deep breath, Gu Xichen let out a low roar. Then, he asked Raskol, “What exactly is in that place? What are you Yanlong Empire preparing to do?”

Raskol stated gravely, “What is in that place? We are not entirely clear either, but it is evident that all core figures of the Star Alliance originate from that place. Although they act with utmost secrecy, for many years, our major six-star civilizations have been covertly watching this matter, and even the great families within the Star Alliance are paying attention. That place must be a critical hub for the Star Alliance.” He spoke with vehemence, shouting, “Historically, the Star Alliance has suffered destruction due to various natural and man-made disasters, but every time their high command structure was annihilated, they rebuilt in a matter of moments, as if by magic. Even this time when Davilms was utterly destroyed, they reconstructed a Davilms in just a few months, and it was a hundred times larger than the previous one!”

Taking a deep breath, Raskol said excitedly, “To truly understand the nature of the Star Alliance, to see its true foundation, we must go to that place!”

“It is very risky! Think of the sheer number of peak experts the Star Alliance possesses!” Gu Xichen reminded Raskol.

Raskol declared proudly, “There is risk! But this is the best opportunity! The Star Alliance is bent on destroying the Earth Federation, and they are dispatching one hundred and thirty Dragon Star Emissaries along with two thousand seven hundred and fifty peak experts of varying strengths!” He emphasized this point forcefully, “One hundred and thirty Dragon Star Emissaries, all at the cultivation level of Celestial Immortal Fifth Grade! Two thousand seven hundred and fifty peak experts, with cultivation ranging from Celestial Immortal Fourth Grade down to early Celestial Immortal! How many experts do you think can be relied upon in that place now?”

Gu Xichen gasped, his mind buzzing. One hundred and thirty Fifth Grade Celestial Immortals. Over two thousand seven hundred Jade Immortal level experts! On the surface, this number was not terrifying, and their direct offensive power might not even match the instantaneous destructive output of the forty Death Star Vessels Gu Xichen commanded! But these were living Immortals with high intelligence, not inanimate objects like the Death Star Vessels that required a long cooldown after unleashing a mere Early Golden Immortal level attack. There were countless methods to evade a Death Star Vessel’s attack, and even more ways to dodge a White Wing class warship!

Furthermore, the Death Star Vessels originated from the Star Alliance, and the blueprint for the White Wing class warship also came from them. Gu Xichen would never believe that they hadn't embedded some backdoor protocols within them!

These one hundred and thirty Dragon Star Emissaries and over two thousand seven hundred Celestial Immortals were enough power to obliterate the tiny Paradise Star a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times over. If they truly intended it, they could certainly achieve it.

“How long until they arrive?” Gu Xichen asked Raskol.

Raskol made a gesture. “Three years, by Star Alliance standard time! They are bringing a planet-destroying vessel of limitless power, one hundred times more destructive than a Death Star Vessel! But this Planet Destroyer is too massive and too slow. In three years, they will reach this location.”

Three years? Gu Xichen suddenly asked, puzzled, “In three years, why don’t those Dragon Star Emissaries and peak experts rush here sooner? They have sufficient strength to wipe us out.”

Raskol shook his head. He said calmly, “The Star Alliance wishes to avoid any accidental casualties. Planetary-level peak experts are too precious. Originally, across all twenty-six six-star civilizations combined, how many Planetary experts were there? Even the Star Alliance cannot bear to see their elites sacrificed in vain.”

Then, we can only make this trip to that place.

Gu Xichen looked at Raskol.

Raskol slowly nodded. He said in a low voice, “Although that place is secret, it is the relic of an ancient, massive battlefield. There, time and space have undergone distortions and fractures that we cannot comprehend. Therefore, there should be many secret passages leading there. Even that pack of cubs from the Wolf Pack found one, didn't they?”

Taking a deep breath, Raskol ground his teeth, “Our Yanlong Empire possesses one such secret passage leading to that place. However, that passage has become very dangerous recently because it is near the border of the Viking Empire, which has now become the nest of a strange breed of creatures. These damned things—we must evade them to enter the passage.”

A nest of strange creatures? The Viking Empire border? Gu Xichen looked at Raskol with a strange expression, let out a few dry chuckles, and then reached an agreement with Raskol to jointly investigate that place.

Since they were going to sow chaos in the Star Alliance’s home base, meticulous preparations were absolutely necessary.

Gu Xichen brought along a Death Star Vessel and a massive supply of Divine Crystals, and also prepared a river-like pile of Zakula Crystals. As for other resources, large-scale destructive weapons were indispensable. All factories of the Earth Federation were running at full capacity, churning out countless powerful weapons such as nuclear bombs, antimatter weaponry, and planet-shaking bombs, all handed over to Gu Xichen.

The disciples of the Nine Nether Path sent Gu Xichen a huge quantity of single-use talismans and magical artifacts. All of them were extremely malicious and vicious, shockingly shameless and ruthless in nature.

The disciples of the Kunlun Dao Sect sent Gu Xichen large quantities of newly refined ammunition and auxiliary spirit talismans. They even sent over a dozen immortal elixirs left behind by the ancestors of the Kunlun Dao Sect—a debt of gratitude that was immense. Those immortal elixirs possessed miraculous healing powers capable of resurrecting the dead and regenerating flesh, all forged by Golden Immortals of the Great Overarching Heaven level. To have survived until now, they were all priceless treasures.

The Taoists of Mount Zhongnan only sent Gu Xichen three Willow Wood Puppets. These three Willow Wood Puppets were all crafted by the founder of Mount Zhongnan, Yin Xi, and were reputed to be capable of substituting for a guaranteed fatal catastrophe once, unless a Saint personally intervened.

Clutching these three Willow Wood Puppets, Gu Xichen could not speak another word. He only bowed deeply to the disciples who delivered the goods from the Kunlun Dao Sect and Mount Zhongnan, then dragged the slack-jawed, drooling Raskol into the sky. With the True Magnetic Liangyi Light-Splitting Sword unfurled, Gu Xichen and Raskol vanished into the vast void.

On Paradise Star, Miao Hua, Siren, Aruipuya, Jiao Mei’er, and the Ten Heavenly Lords remained to garrison the area. With Paradise Star’s defense system augmented by the Ten Absolute Formations, the planet was practically impregnable. Unless the legendary Planet Destroyer arrived, the safety of Paradise Star needed no further worry.

Gu Xichen brought only the Giant Spirit God with him to that place.

With Gu Xichen’s current Daoist magic and divine powers, coupled with the Giant Spirit God’s incredible divine strength, it would be sufficient.

After a month of long-distance flight, utilizing hundreds of secret spatial jump points provided by Raskol to save significant travel time, and even crossing vast stretches of the starry sky through three legendary ancient teleportation arrays, Gu Xichen, the Giant Spirit God, and Raskol finally arrived at the border of the Viking Empire.

The thirty-seven core family members of the Yanlong Imperial line were already waiting there.

The group was led by Baxin Flame, the eldest and most profoundly cultivated member of the Yanlong Imperial family, having reached the cultivation level of Celestial Immortal Fifth Grade. He was an old man so muddled he had forgotten his own name. His first words upon seeing Gu Xichen were, “Oh my, which of my grandsons has returned?”

Gu Xichen was utterly stunned, while the members of the Yanlong Empire could only offer nervous, dry chuckles. (To be continued)