Gu Xiechen frowned deeply, staring at the mountain of official documents piled before him in the Feya Palace.

He truly hadn't realized how much more complex managing an empire was compared to running an arms corporation or a small kingdom with only one planet. The sheer volume of affairs across the tens of thousands of civilizations and hundreds of thousands of planets in the Spiral Star Domain flooded him all at once, leaving even Gu Xiechen feeling utterly overwhelmed.

Fuya Ming must be exhausted, Gu Xiechen suddenly understood. She had essentially handled every single matter of the entire empire single-handedly. The Yafike Empire Comprehensive Affairs Processing System she utilized connected her own brainwaves directly to the empire’s main super-brain, processing these official documents at a terrifying speed.

According to the ministers of the Yafike Empire, Fuya Ming spent over twelve hours every day managing affairs, essentially processing more than three documents and proposals every second. Once, a newly appointed Imperial Vice-Minister tried to emulate Fuya Ming's method and handle matters at that high speed. He only lasted thirteen seconds before his brain temperature spiked, essentially cooking his mind. Without superhuman mental power and analytical ability, achieving Fuya Ming's work efficiency was impossible.

"She has truly worked herself ragged!"

Gu Xiechen felt a pang of apology. He himself couldn't manage such a massive empire, yet Fuya Ming managed every detail of it single-handedly. Especially concerning the secret migration affairs of the Earth Federation on Wol Star and a dozen other planets, she kept a tight grip on those matters. She even directly intervened in the arrangement of garrison and patrol squadron duties near these planets, down to the deployment of patrol craft level units.

Removing the brainwave interface headset from his head, Gu Xiechen rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and shook his head with a sense of helplessness. Fuya Ming had granted him full authority to handle imperial documents, but he simply lacked the experience and ability to manage them. Too many data points and details required processing; even Gu Xiechen’s divine sense, operating at the level of a Minor Golden Immortal, couldn't grasp it all. He truly couldn't fathom how Fuya Ming accomplished such an incredible feat.

From what Gu Xiechen knew, the Emperors of the six-star civilizations within the Star Alliance were all absentee rulers. It was impossible for them to maintain control over the entirety of their empires' affairs. Fuya Ming's capacity and efficiency were shockingly formidable, reaching a heaven-defying level.

Entering several commands into the affairs processing system, delegating a large volume of tasks to the officials of the Yafike Empire, Gu Xiechen looked up toward the grand hall doors. Ling Duorn walked in cautiously, bowing and scraping from a distance to greet Gu Xiechen.

He clutched a crystal storage card tightly in his hand, shuffling forward tentatively, step by small step, like an abused child bride.

"What is that in your hand?" Gu Xiechen glared at Ling Duorn.

"The latest directive from the Elder Council. I have been appointed the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. All civilizations' fleets are now under my unified command." Ling Duorn carefully presented the storage card to Gu Xiechen, offering a fawning smile, "The families of the previous commanders who perished will be severely punished. I am ordered to find the Roman people and annihilate them at any cost."

Glancing coldly at Ling Duorn, Gu Xiechen stated calmly, "Very well. Get on with your task. I can point you toward the general location where the Roman people might be hiding. The rest you should know how to handle!"

Ling Duorn nodded repeatedly, ecstatic, his eyes shining like a puppy anticipating a bone as he looked toward Gu Xiechen.

With a cold laugh, Gu Xiechen sensed the location of the spiritual imprint he had left on the Divine Crystal warship. He casually took out a piece of 'Celestial Azure Profound Crystal' known for its sensitive resonance with divine sense, forging a 'Spirit-Seeking Disk.' A faint golden light flickered on the disk. The direction the golden light pointed was the location of Gu Xiechen's spiritual imprint. He tossed the disk to Ling Duorn and said lightly, "Find that golden spot of light, and you will find the Roman people. Also, go release Chi Long Yanlie, who is being held captive."

Ling Duorn paused for a moment. Chi Long Yanlie had been imprisoned for refusing to obey the Star Alliance's orders and resisting the formation of the Allied Forces. However, since Gu Xiechen commanded his release, he would be freed. He smartly assured Gu Xiechen that he would personally return to the Star Alliance headquarters to release Chi Long Yanlie and would even appoint him as the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces.

A very perceptive little fellow, Gu Xiechen nodded with satisfaction and casually tossed Ling Duorn a few elixirs that could enhance physical cultivation. He said coldly, "Handle things well, and there will be rewards for you later. You know the current state of the Star Alliance; two successive devastating blows have significantly weakened their strength. Follow me, and a bright path awaits you!"

Ling Duorn knew exactly what Gu Xiechen meant by devastating blows. The first was the complete annihilation of the fleet that besieged Heaven Star, which wiped out over half of the Star Alliance's mobile fleet belonging to six-star civilizations; the loss of one hundred fifty Dragon Star Envoys made every member of the Elder Council's heart clench. The second was the destruction of the Bloodline Secret Vault, an event only circulated secretly among high-ranking members of the Star Alliance Elder Council, yet it sent a chill down everyone's spines, from head to toe.

Perhaps following Gu Xiechen wholeheartedly would be an excellent choice.

Blinking, Ling Duorn suddenly gritted his teeth and reached into his sleeve, pulling out a small, finger-sized vial carved from Divine Crystal... [The following text appears corrupted or incomplete in the original]... He respectfully presented it to Gu Xiechen. Gu Xiechen stared, surprised. He sensed an extraordinary aura emanating from the vial—powerful, tyrannical, profound, filled with corrosive and devouring energy. Moreover, this power was incredibly pure, as pristine as a diamond mined from the earth's core, utterly flawless, translucent like a mountain stream thawing in spring.

Taking the small vial, Gu Xiechen popped the stopper and poured out three drops, each the size of a soybean, spinning rapidly in his palm. The pitch-black drops emitted a pungent odor, resembling a mixture of sulfur dioxide and ammonia. An ordinary person smelling that scent would certainly pass out. Gu Xiechen frowned at the three drops of blood and suddenly sneered, "This is the blood of your Elder Council's progenitor, Mo Tang Longgen, isn't it? The power contained within is immense!"

Ling Duorn started in shock, then quickly laughed, "It is indeed the blood of Ancestor Mo Tang Longgen. This is a special reward from the Elder Council for my excellent performance in saving the entire Allied Fleet from the brink of collapse." He laughed shyly and murmured, "The current Chairman of the Star Alliance is my direct great-grandfather, so obtaining this reward was easy."

Gazing greedily at the three blood beads, Ling Duorn licked his lips and said, "Absorbing these three beads will make my genes assimilate more perfectly with Ancestor Mo Tang Longgen's genes, thereby awakening a greater power within my bloodline. However, if the noble Empress Fuya Ming absorbs these three beads, perhaps it might grant her the opportunity to surpass the Ancestor."

Surpassing Mo Tang Longgen's chance? Gu Xiechen let out an incredulous laugh. He suddenly recalled how Ling Duorn and his brothers had once forced Fuya Ming into marriage because they were astonished to discover that her blood possessed characteristics of a so-called perfect genetic template, identical to Mo Tang Longgen's. They couldn't even be sure if Fuya Ming carried Mo Tang Longgen's genes; they merely assumed it because her blood exhibited the same traits. In reality, Fuya Ming had no connection to Mo Tang Longgen. The reason their blood shared identical characteristics was because Fuya Ming cultivated the Hanyuan True Canon, transforming everything in her body from acquired to innate, thereby possessing the features of an innate physique. Mo Tang Longgen was also an innate being, so naturally, their blood shared certain commonalities. For instance, both Fuya Ming’s and Gu Xiechen’s blood, like Mo Tang Longgen’s, had high density and resisted contamination from external dust, causing the blood beads to roll like pearls and carry a strange aura.

Shaking his head and chuckling, Gu Xiechen tossed the three blood beads back into the small vial and threw the vial to Ling Duorn, sneering, "Enough. You don't need to flatter Fuya. Just do your job well, keep control of the Star Alliance fleet, and mobilize them according to my intentions. That will be more than enough."

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Xiechen felt he needed to offer Ling Duorn and his faction more benefits. These young men were a crucial nail he had driven into the heart of the Star Alliance, and their strength should naturally be enhanced. Perhaps one day they could even rise to the position of Star Alliance Chairman? Thinking of this, Gu Xiechen retrieved a fist-sized vial carved from beautiful jade and handed it over. The thin jade bottle couldn't conceal the faint golden light emanating from within, yet despite its small size, it weighed hundreds of pounds.

Ling Duorn gaped in surprise and delight, pulling out the stopper. Inside the bottle was blood that was viscous like glue, entirely golden, and continuously radiating powerful energy fluctuations. This was the Angelic Holy Blood that flowed from Hatanlongyin after he was split in two by the axe of the Giant Spirit God. Gu Xiechen, adhering to the principle of not wasting any raw material, had collected all the Angelic Holy Blood left by Hatanlongyin after his death. Hatanlongyin's strength was much weaker than the Sun True God of that era, so his original form was smaller, but the resulting Angelic Holy Blood still amounted to tens of thousands of tons.

"Take this. I have met Mo Tang Longgen. He could devour all external energy and convert it into his own. I assume those who inherited his bloodline have this trait as well. This is the bloodline of the Angelic race that annihilated the first wave of the Star Alliance fleet. If you absorb it, it might enhance some of your primal power."

For Gu Xiechen, who had killed a powerful Angel, a mere hundred pounds of Angelic Holy Blood was less than a drop in the ocean. But seeing Ling Duorn's expression of sheer ecstasy, Gu Xiechen knew he had given the right gift. Perhaps Ling Duorn's previous deference to Gu Xiechen was merely due to duress, but now his loyalty to Gu Xiechen leaped several notches higher.

Bowing and thanking Gu Xiechen profusely, Ling Duorn walked out of the hall with a chuckle. The genetic material and power contained within this bottle of Angelic Holy Blood were enough to significantly boost his own strength and that of the leading wolves of his faction, which would greatly benefit their status and authority within the Elder Council.

Watching Ling Duorn's retreating figure, Gu Xiechen smiled faintly. By winning over Ling Duorn and his group, the Star Alliance fleet became a sharp blade in his hand—he could strike whomever he wished. If they wanted to plot against the Roman people of the Earth Federation, they could slowly enjoy the feast Gu Xiechen had tailored for them. Gu Xiechen would drive these wolves of the Star Alliance fleet to tear apart the Roman people's flesh piece by piece until the entire Roman race was utterly erased from the universe.

"No one can spill the blood of my kin and remain unharmed," Gu Xiechen smiled grimly, looking up at the ceiling and murmuring to himself, "I am not a savior, but when certain matters come knocking, I have no choice but to act. A true man knows what must be done and what must not—this is forcing my hand!"

His figure flickered, transforming into a clear breeze, and Gu Xiechen slipped out of the Yafike Imperial Palace, heading directly towards Fuya Ming's secret chamber. Because of Gu Xiechen's arrival, Fuya Ming had entrusted all state affairs to him and was diligently cultivating in seclusion in the chamber, striving for a major breakthrough in her cultivation.

The Star Alliance Allied Fleet's engines had all been destroyed by Ducat, turning every warship into an immobile gun emplacement. Consequently, countless transport ships carrying vast quantities of spare parts were rushing to replace the main engines, repair damaged hulls, and install powerful signal and mental wave jammers on the Star Alliance warships. Gu Xiechen had leaked Ducat's peculiar abilities to the Star Alliance's warship designers, who immediately devised countermeasures to his powers. Ducat would surely be greatly surprised the next time they met.

At the current pace, it would take about half a year for the damaged Star Alliance fleet to be fully repaired. However, fleets from even more civilizations were being mobilized toward this sector. The Elder Council had placed a bounty among the Bloodline Families: one hundred drops of Mo Tang Longgen's innate essence blood. This unimaginably massive reward for the bloodline descendants stimulated everyone’s eyes to redden, and all bloodline families mobilized their full strength. Based on the mobilization fervor of these fanatical bloodline families, in three months, they could assemble an armed force three times larger than the damaged fleet.

In three months, Gu Xiechen would participate in the joint fleet's operation, where he would utilize every resource at his disposal to attempt to crush the Roman people decisively in one blow.

Gu Xiechen did not want this scourge of a race to exist in the universe any longer. If the Star Alliance could not completely annihilate them, then the Angelic race would also become a blade in Gu Xiechen's hand.

Three months!

Looking at Fuya Ming, who sat quietly on a cushion of cold jade, Gu Xiechen smiled gently. Since their first meeting and mutual affection, they had never spent a prolonged period together. Gu Xiechen was always forced to rush around externally, rarely even getting a chance to see Fuya Ming. Yet, their bond had deepened significantly. They were like two brilliant twin stars in the sky; although separated by immense astronomical distances, their light shone in synchronization, and they could always sense each other's existence.

What is love? Is it moonlit trysts, eternal vows, sharing life and death, or love that lasts until the seas run dry and mountains crumble?

That is certainly love.

But there is another kind of love, seemingly plain, yet enduring and profound, like a cup of light tea—the more you savor it, the more flavor unfolds.

You think of me, and I think of you, for a lifetime, with no one else but you in my eyes, and only me in yours, for all eternity, never replacing the one in your heart. Even without romantic flourishes of sweet vows and moonlit meetings, this too is love, isn't it? Gu Xiechen believed this was love, and it was a love worth cherishing forever.

A slight smile touched his lips, and Gu Xiechen carefully released his divine sense, gently probing Fuya Ming's consciousness.

"Fuya, release your barriers, and let me guide you in realizing what the true Path of Grand Yin entails!"

Following Gu Xiechen’s soft psychic transmission, Fuya Ming’s consciousness immediately opened without hesitation. Her heart yielded completely to Gu Xiechen. His divine sense immediately entwined with hers like gentle waves, and in an instant, their souls reached a state of perfectly harmonious resonance. In that moment, their souls merged into one.

All of Gu Xiechen's accumulated experience and insights regarding the Grand Yin True Scripture flooded into Fuya Ming's soul like a tide, deeply engraving themselves onto her soul's origin, as if she had possessed this experience all along. Vast streams of five-colored energy spewed forth from Gu Xiechen's Innate Primordial Spirit, slowly nurturing Fuya Ming's soul and causing her nascent spirit to expand rapidly, undergoing swift metamorphosis. With Gu Xiechen's soul realm at the level of a Minor Golden Immortal, he forcibly propelled Fuya Ming's soul to the peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm in a short period.

His Innate Primordial Spirit, overly taxed, showed signs of weakening, having expended too much of its soul origin power. Only with the constant stream of Primordial Chaos Qi emanating from the Haotian Pagoda nurturing and repairing the Primordial Spirit did Gu Xiechen stabilize at the Minor Golden Immortal realm, preventing a descent in level due to excessive depletion.

Opening his mouth, the Azure Lotus Precious Banner transformed into a blue lotus, emitting myriad rays of precious light and boundless white mist that surged into Fuya Ming's Violet Palace. It floated steadily above her nascent spirit. Gu Xiechen guided Fuya Ming step by step to imprint her own spirit mark upon the Azure Lotus Precious Banner, helping her refine this supreme defensive artifact.

Next came the seven Innate Supreme Treasures left by the numerous immortals of the Kunlun Sect. These artifacts, crafted using the bodies and souls of the Innate Great Sages from the New Universe as raw materials, possessed overwhelming power and subtly carried a strange rule derived from the Outer Domain—their offensive and defensive capabilities were beyond the reach of cultivators born within this universe.

The Kunlun immortals had not even managed to utilize these Innate Supreme Treasures before they perished under the ferocious counterattack of the Outer Domain Innate Great Sages. The seven Innate Supreme Treasures were pristine, exactly as they were when newly forged. Gu Xiechen guided Fuya Ming, allowing her to easily achieve the initial refinement of these seven supreme artifacts.