The City of Starlight, high above, remained unaware that a new God-level expert had emerged in distant Europe, one who intended to reclaim the Pope’s artifact set from Liu Hui.

He continued, as planned, to quietly develop Starry Sky Group, striving toward his ideals.

That afternoon, Zerg of the Insectoid race suddenly hailed Liu Hui. As soon as Liu Hui activated the planar communicator, Zerg’s terrifying avatar materialized on the screen.

“Respected Lord Zerg, greetings! It is a pleasure to see you. What brings you to call upon me today?” Liu Hui inquired.

“Respected Lord Liu Hui, the pleasure is mine! I have called you today primarily for two matters. The first is regarding the medicine you requested to restore a woman’s fertility. We have successfully manufactured it. Once the designated woman takes our medicine, her reproductive capacity will immediately return to its optimal state; having children will absolutely not be an issue,” Zerg stated.

Liu Hui was overjoyed upon hearing this. His fourth subordinate, Yue Wang, had finally reformed, choosing a life with Miss Ping Ping. Their union was arguably the best possible outcome for them both. Unfortunately, Ping Ping had lost her fertility due to multiple abortions, which remained the greatest regret between them.

Seeing how rare it was for Yue Wang and Ping Ping to finally be together, Liu Hui did not wish for them to remain childless, so he sought a way to restore Ping Ping’s fertility—a reward, in a way, for Yue Wang’s redemption. This was why he had entrusted Zerg with Ping Ping’s detailed medical reports some time ago, commissioning the creation of a drug for this exact purpose.

Now, hearing Zerg confirm the drug’s completion, Liu Hui felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. Liu Hui was certain that with children, Yue Wang and Ping Ping would certainly find happiness together.

Liu Hui then asked, “Lord Zerg, you mentioned two reasons for contacting me today. The first is the manufacturing of the fertility restoration drug. What is the second matter?”

Zerg replied, “The second matter concerns the modification of your Nayin organism. According to our schedule, its modification can proceed to the next stage. I have come today to deliver the necessary agents and the Xi Crystal required for this phase of modification.”

Liu Hui was ecstatic once more, exclaiming delightedly, “Are you saying Little Black can undergo its third evolution now? What will Little Black look like after this evolution?”

Zerg explained, “This is the third modification we are performing on your Nayin organism. Once this stage is complete, only one final modification will remain to fully complete the process. After this revision, your Nayin organism will undergo a massive transformation in its external appearance. Previously, you provided us with a drawing, requesting we model its alteration based on that image. The earlier modifications only adjusted its size without altering its form, so it will now finally adopt the likeness from your drawing. Furthermore, its length will reach three hundred meters, and all its physical capabilities will be greatly enhanced.”

Liu Hui was thrilled again. He harbored a deep-seated passion for the ‘Huaxia Divine Dragon’ archetype; this was why, when deciding to modify Little Black, he insisted on shaping it like the ‘Huaxia Divine Dragon.’ The prior modifications had only increased Little Black’s size, leaving its appearance unchanged. Now, after this modification, Little Black would finally transform its shape and truly metamorphose into the ‘Huaxia Divine Dragon.’

What excited Liu Hui even more was that after this evolution, Little Black’s length would hit three hundred meters, and its comprehensive abilities would be significantly bolstered. Little Black was already practically invincible; if its power were to be further amplified, it would truly fear no challenge from any force. Regardless of the opponent, dispatching Little Black would resolve the issue entirely. Liu Hui believed nothing on the current Earth could threaten Little Black, not even the launch of nuclear weapons—after all, Little Black could withstand the impact of interstellar cannon fire.

Having stated his purpose, Zerg placed a gigantic injection container onto the planar communicator. Liu Hui clicked the transaction button and took hold of the enormous container, inspecting it briefly before storing it in his spatial repository. Then, Zerg placed an immensely large, highly refined Xi Crystal onto the device. Liu Hui clicked the transaction again and secured the huge Xi Crystal in his repository as well.

After the exchange was completed, Liu Hui was in high spirits. However, Zerg on the other side appeared somewhat hesitant, as if there were something he wished to say but found difficult to articulate.

Liu Hui immediately recognized Zerg was facing a dilemma. But Zerg was an exceptionally fair individual; perhaps the words he wished to speak bordered on protocol violations, hence his hesitation.

“Respected Lord Zerg, it seems you have something to discuss with me?” Liu Hui asked. Trading with Zerg was always the most reassuring experience for Liu Hui. Since transactions with Zerg were never subject to unfairness or deceit, he was always in the best mood after their dealings.

Zerg hesitated for a moment before speaking, “The situation is this: our mortal enemy, the Protoss, has been continuously preparing for war. Their war preparations are now complete. Their armies, fully prepared, have moved to the front lines and are currently locked in a standoff with our forces. To ensure absolute certainty, all Insectoid commanders we have dispatched to the front are ones we have genetically modulated. With these enhanced commanders at the vanguard, we can rely on preventing the Protoss from gaining even the slightest advantage. However, the current issue is that all the modulated commanders we had on hand have already been sent to the front, leaving our headquarters relatively undermanned. If the Protoss were to dispatch their special forces to attack our base now, without our enhanced commanders here, we might suffer significant losses. While we would undoubtedly eliminate all invading Protoss special forces, the cost to us would be heavy.”

Liu Hui inquired, “So, what is your proposed course of action?”

Zerg sounded embarrassed as he replied, “Respected Lord Liu Hui, could you possibly advance me some White Powder? This would allow us to modulate additional commanders for emergency deployment, ensuring our defense line is absolutely secure. We can deduct this advance payment gradually from our future trades. What do you think?”

Liu Hui considered this. Zerg’s Insectoid race represented his own interests, as the development of his company relied heavily on the Insectoid gene drugs. If Zerg’s forces were defeated by the Protoss, Zerg might not perish immediately, but he would certainly be forced into continuous flight, leaving him no time to produce the necessary gene drugs, which would directly harm Liu Hui’s interests. Therefore, Liu Hui understood he needed to aid Zerg in his current predicament.

“Lord Zerg, how much White Powder are you hoping to advance?” Liu Hui asked.

Zerg replied, “The more, the better. If we could secure one million units of White Powder, our entire defensive structure could be far more robustly strengthened.”

Liu Hui quickly calculated: one unit of the illicit substance Zerg referred to was one kilogram, meaning one million units equaled one thousand tons. Since Liu Hui arranged for Alexander from the Magic Plane to cultivate the drugs for him, he no longer had to worry about supply. The ‘City of Starlight’ warehouse currently held over three thousand tons of the substance, more than enough to satisfy Zerg’s demand. Based on their standard exchange rates, Zerg would need at least a year of transactions to acquire this thousand tons. If Zerg gained this time, he could solidify his Insectoid defensive perimeter significantly.

Liu Hui then stated, “Lord Zerg, our relationship is a symbiotic one of shared destiny; naturally, we should help each other. However, you must understand that obtaining this White Powder is extremely difficult for me. Our standard dealings are based on principles of fairness. Therefore, if I advance you one million units of White Powder, you must offer me access to more varieties of drugs, and grant me certain price concessions on future medication trades.”

Seeing Liu Hui’s tone soften, Zerg was greatly pleased. “If you, Lord Liu Hui, can advance me one million units of White Powder, I will offer you a twenty percent discount on all future drug transactions, and I will dedicate research efforts toward developing more drugs to meet your needs. How does that sound?”

Liu Hui nodded. “That suggestion is reasonable and fair. Let us settle on that.”

Only then did Zerg truly relax. In his mind, which operated strictly on principles of fairness, he had assumed Liu Hui would refuse to advance such a large quantity of White Powder. He had not expected Liu Hui to agree to his rather abrupt condition. With this White Powder, the Insectoid strength could rapidly close the gap with the Protoss in a short time, making the Insectoids unafraid of a direct confrontation.

“Respected Lord Liu Hui, we will forever remember the assistance you have provided us today. Should you have any future needs, please do not hesitate to approach me. I will spare no effort to help you in any way I can,” Zerg declared. Liu Hui’s recent action had thoroughly earned the friendship of the Insectoid race.

Just as Liu Hui was feeling pleased after transferring one thousand tons of the substance to Zerg, he noticed that Xiaoyaozi from the Cultivation Realm was calling him.

Seeing Xiaoyaozi’s incoming call, Liu Hui felt a familiar headache brewing. Every trade with Xiaoyaozi resulted in him suffering a loss, making him feel distinctly uneasy whenever Xiaoyaozi initiated contact.

“Young Friend, why the grim expression? Has someone failed to repay a debt to you?” Xiaoyaozi appeared as ethereal and distinguished as ever; an uninformed observer might truly mistake him for an enlightened immortal.

“Well… nothing much. I was just about to eat, but I found a fly in my meal, completely ruining my appetite,” Liu Hui replied evasively.

“Heh heh, Young Friend, if you knew the marvelous thing I’ve obtained, you would surely be happy for me,” Xiaoyaozi chuckled knowingly.

“What marvelous thing?” Liu Hui cautioned himself internally to be extremely careful dealing with Xiaoyaozi, lest he be tricked again, yet he couldn't help but feel intensely curious. After all, everything Xiaoyaozi ever presented was an exceptional item that proved highly beneficial to him.

“Young Friend, I managed to bid on some excellent materials at the Qiyun Auction House a few days ago,” Xiaoyaozi said mysteriously.

“Senior, please just state your business in one sentence. I still need to eat; I am very busy,” Liu Hui said, feigning indifference to hide his irritation with Xiaoyaozi’s tendency to build suspense.

Xiaoyaozi wasn't offended. He laughed heartily and continued, “I paid a significant price to acquire those materials at the Qiyun Auction House. These materials have many uses, one of which is repairing damaged magic artifacts. The Hongguang Armor I traded to you previously was damaged. If it were mended with these materials, its overall defensive capabilities would see a massive boost. Ah! It seems you aren't very interested in this matter… and you need to eat. In that case, forget it. I was planning on offering these materials to you at a bargain price. Farewell then!”

Upon hearing Xiaoyaozi’s words, a wave of excitement washed over Liu Hui. The Hongguang Armor he currently wore possessed decent defensive capabilities initially, back when God-level experts hadn't yet appeared. However, the armor was damaged; at best, it could only withstand one full-power strike from a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator—equivalent to a God-level expert’s full blow—but it could not withstand a second one.

Thus, since the emergence of God-level experts, the Hongguang Armor offered Liu Hui insufficient protection. Now, hearing Xiaoyaozi claim those materials could repair the armor and enhance its defense, Liu Hui was instantly intrigued. Anything that could safeguard his life was something Liu Hui absolutely had to secure.

Seeing Xiaoyaozi prepare to terminate the call as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hui shouted, “Senior, wait a moment!”

Xiaoyaozi paused, sounding puzzled. “Young Friend, why are you shouting? Are you trying to frighten this old man to death?”

Liu Hui forced a smile onto his face. “Look at what you say, Senior. How could someone as truly immortal and distinguished as you be startled by the words of a mere mortal like me! I stopped you only because I wish to learn more about the materials you acquired. You must understand, I am young and have yet to see many strange things!”

Xiaoyaozi chuckled, stroking his white beard. “Since that is the case, I shall continue. If your Hongguang Armor is reforged using these materials, its defensive capabilities will increase substantially beyond its current level. Previously, the Hongguang Armor could withstand at most one full strike from a Foundation Establishment expert. After reforging, however, it will be able to resist the full force of a Golden Core expert’s strike.”

Liu Hui was inwardly ecstatic. The strongest power on Earth currently consisted of God-level experts, who were equivalent to Foundation Establishment cultivators. Given humanity’s current potential, it was highly unlikely that Golden Core experts, a tier above Foundation Establishment, would appear anytime soon. This meant that if he wore the repaired Hongguang Armor, he could effectively ignore the attacks of God-level experts. Although several God-level enemies attacking simultaneously might breach the armor’s defense, Liu Hui was no fool; he wouldn't just stand there and take the hits. If he couldn't win, couldn't he flee? Therefore, wearing this mended Hongguang Armor would genuinely guarantee his survival.

“Senior, can you see about repairing my Hongguang Armor? I face many enemies now. If I am accidentally killed, your losses would also be substantial, wouldn’t they?” Liu Hui asked with a strained smile, yet sighing internally over how Xiaoyaozi always seemed to possess exactly what he needed most, forcing him into submission every time.

Xiaoyaozi laughed. “Young Friend, but I cherish these materials as well! I intended to use them to repair some of my own artifacts. But these materials only came in this single batch. What shall we do?”

Liu Hui ventured a test. “Senior, is it impossible for you to return to that auction house and purchase more?”

Xiaoyaozi shook his head. “Do you think these rare materials grow on trees? The batch auctioned at the Qiyun Auction House was the only one to appear in several centuries. Who knows when such materials will surface again.”

Liu Hui smiled. “Then, Senior, could you bear to part with them? I truly require these materials!”

Xiaoyaozi suddenly adopted a rather slimy demeanor. Facing the planar communicator screen, he rubbed his right thumb and forefinger together and said suggestively, “Young Friend, if you can show sufficient sincerity, I wouldn't mind transferring these materials to you. You must know, when faced with artifacts, I much prefer Spirit Stones!”

Liu Hui sighed inwardly, realizing he was inevitably going to be fleeced by Xiaoyaozi again. He tentatively asked, “Senior, how many High-Grade Spirit Stones would you require to repair my Hongguang Armor with these materials?”

Xiaoyaozi pretended to ponder for a moment, then held up one finger.

“Ten?” Liu Hui tested the waters.

“No…” Xiaoyaozi shook his head.

“One hundred…” Liu Hui tried again.

“No…” Xiaoyaozi appeared slightly annoyed.

“Could it be a thousand? Senior, you are being utterly rapacious!” Liu Hui feigned dissatisfaction.

“No, still far too little…” Xiaoyaozi increased the vigor of his headshake.

Liu Hui gasped in mock shock. “That can’t be! Could it be, Senior, that you are being so benevolent this time as to only charge me one High-Grade Spirit Stone? I thank you so much! I never expected you, my elder, to show such great care for this junior of yours!”