《Old Ancestor: Thrown Out By The Nanny From The Start》 Chapter 1 - My Foster Father Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Three hours earlier, a sanitation worker found an old man under a bridge. The old man wore unkempt clothes and had a blank look on his face. It was obvious that he was suffering from dementia. The sanitation worker couldn¡¯t get any information out of the man, so he posted a video clip on TikTok, hoping that he could contact the old man¡¯s children through social media. 3 The incident was so mundane that it would have gone unnoticed online. However, the worker¡¯s neighbor just happened to be an influencer with over two million followers. After she shared the video, the post went viral. The news soon got around and made it all the way to TikTok¡¯s hot search list. The title read, ¡°Abandoned 70-year-old claiming that he was left to die.¡± Together with a large photo of the old man, the post soon attracted much attention. It was as if the entire internet was at work. Some made the arrangements to send the old man to a care center, some contacted the police to look up his information, and some checked the street cameras to find where the old man came from. Still, others used their personal connections to search for his children. Keyboard warriors were also busy doing what they were good at. 2 ¡°What a bastard! A person who abandons their father is an animal!¡± ¡°His children are heartless!¡± ¡°Where are those cold-blooded bastards, anyway?¡± ¡°We should sue them as soon as we find them. Send them to prison¡­¡± While they were busy pointing fingers, the old man was lying in bed in a care center. He responded to the vulture-like reporters and recording caretakers with the same blank face. An hour later, the crowd finally gave up. The old man was too demented to remember anything. Someone was generous enough to cover his expenses for the next six months, so they decided that they could wait. Once everyone left the room, the old man¡¯s expression changed. Looking around the room, his face darkened. He finally remembered. He was Himmel Soan, an immortal. He had been Tutankhamun¡¯s spy, he had worked as Alexander the Great¡¯s general, he had once been the richest man in the world and used the money to help the poor, and he had been a village doctor who treated his patients without charging a dime. 3 In the past five millennia, Himmel Soan had taken countless identities and over a thousand pupils. He was truly a man with a thousand faces. At first, he had been resisting the law of nature and fighting the heavenly retribution with his formidable power. As a result, he was able to maintain his appearance. However, he got tired of the struggle 500 years ago and stopped fighting. He began to age, fall ill, and die like everyone else. Every 70 years, he would enter a new cycle and restart as a baby. Right now, he had three months left in the 70-year cycle, which was why he had a moment of clarity. Recalling what had happened in this cycle, Himmel smirked. A little over a decade ago, he had hired an honest-looking nanny at the age of 59. The nanny had three children. Since Himmel had been living an affluent life all on his own, the nanny and her children moved into his large house. Things went well at first. Himmel paid them well, and the nanny and her children showed him their respect. However, those people changed as time went by. Seeing that Himmel was becoming befuddled as he aged, they took control of the house and kicked him out. In the past three months, he lived as a beggar until the sanitation worker found him. 2 Once the memories rushed back, the look in his eyes grew cold. He slowly sat up but fell back down almost immediately. His eyes went glassy again. His new cycle wouldn¡¯t start for another month. Without activating his formidable power, even a demi-god like him couldn¡¯t resist the laws of nature. In the online world, everyone was still busy searching for the old man¡¯s family. Finally, someone found out that one of his children was Stella Shane, a member of a popular girl band. The news ignited the online world like a bomb. From the company that had signed Stella to the TV channel that held the talent show from which she was picked, every place was bombarded. The news could easily destroy a rising star. Right now, she was throwing a tantrum in her dressing room. ¡°Himmel Soan! That old bastard! Why won¡¯t he just die?! Didn¡¯t we throw him out of Bywater? Why is he still here? You idiot! You can¡¯t get anything done!¡± Opposite her sat Luna Shane, her older sister. Luna used to work as a cashier in a supermarket. Thanks to Himmel Soan¡¯s money, she was now the boss of a supermarket chain that was worth tens of millions. ¡°How am I supposed to know? It was Luke¡¯s job. If you ask me, he was so busy chasing women that he must have dumped that old fool at some street corner.¡± Luke, their older brother, didn¡¯t like her words. He took a drag of his cigarette and grumbled, ¡°I took him all the way to Cloudinus. I have no idea how he found his way back here! Damn it! It¡¯s been three months, yet he¡¯s still alive!¡± The cigarette smell upset Stella even more, so she snatched it away from between his lips. ¡°All you ever do is smoke! What should we do now?! If I can¡¯t make my debut, we would have paid the TV channel 5 million for nothing!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to think? We can just kill him,¡± said Luke. Stella kicked him in frustration. ¡°Everyone is watching that old bastard now! You¡¯ll give us away if you touch him!¡± ¡°What should we do then?¡± Luke was never the sharpest tool in the box. Stella was about to smash a glass when her sister rose to her feet. ¡°I have an idea, but we¡¯ll need a little help from you.¡± Stella¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Tell us! As long as we can get rid of that old fool, I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Luna grinned maliciously and whispered in Stella¡¯s ear, ¡°Do this, and not only would everyone sympathize with you, but that old fool would also be ruined forever¡­¡± An hour later, Sea Entertainment held an emergency press conference. Stella came up to the stage with tears in her eyes. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard about my foster father. First of all, I¡¯d like to apologize to everyone. I¡¯m sorry that my family business has taken up so many resources, but I need to clarify something¡­¡± She wiped her tears and continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t abandon my foster father. He was kicked out because he¡¯s an animal¡­¡± 6 She burst into tears while the reporters all cried out in surprise. Chapter 2 - Blasphemy Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations A foster father and his young daughter. Those keywords immediately put a juicy story in everyone¡¯s mind. Stella went on telling her sentimental story. ¡°I moved into Soan¡¯s house with my family when I was 17, and I¡¯ve always treated him like a real father. On a stormy night when my mother wasn¡¯t at home, he came to my room. If my sister and I hadn¡¯t fought him off, I don¡¯t know what would have happened¡­¡± Her tears broke many hearts. By not finishing the story, she successfully changed an abandoned poor old man into an animal. Stella¡¯s fans were filled with righteous indignation. They couldn¡¯t wait to find out where Himmel Soan lived and castrate the old bastard. 2 The internet was a place where people told their one-sided stories, and the public opinion could turn around in a minute. The people who had been calling Stella a heartless woman immediately switched sides and sounded as if they wanted to execute Himmel Soan. ¡°I can¡¯t believe what an old bastard he is.¡± ¡°He¡¯s such a pervert. I feel so sorry for Stella. I can¡¯t imagine how Stella made it through.¡± ¡°Thank god her sister was there. Otherwise, he would have taken advantage of Stella. God, I hate that old pervert!¡± ¡°Why is he even alive? We should dump him in the sewer!¡± ¡°He¡¯s been sent to some care center. That¡¯s what I heard. Let¡¯s find him! So what if he¡¯s an old man? We need to get back at him for Stella!¡± 1 ¡°That¡¯s right! For Stella! He¡¯s not getting away with it!¡± Some key influencers called out for help, and many more responded. Soon, details of Himmel Soan¡¯s past were revealed by numerous netizens. ¡°Himmel Soan, 69 years old. He adopted a daughter at 43, and that girl is no longer in the picture. He then adopted a female college student at 48, but he has severed all links with her. At 52, he adopted a village girl, who has also gone off the grid. Then when he was 59, the Shane family moved into his house¡­¡± ¡°Holy crap. That old bastard has been adopting girls the whole time. I bet he has done things to all of them.¡± 1 ¡°That¡¯s right. Otherwise, why couldn¡¯t they keep in touch with him? What a pervert!¡± 1 ¡°What kind of an animal would do such things to young girls? We shouldn¡¯t help him! He doesn¡¯t deserve to live in the care center at all!¡± Stella smirked when she read all the posts. She knew that her plan had worked, and she didn¡¯t need to worry about anything else. Public opinion would do the job for her. That old man would be drowned by the criticisms. 1 Meanwhile, in a secret base in Bywater. Dozens of computers were operating at the same time. The operators were comparing groups of numbers. One of them raised his phone and said gingerly, ¡°Sir, I think he looks like the person you¡¯re looking for.¡± A stately man in his fifties sat in a tall leather chair in an authoritative manner. Hearing the report, he immediately rose to his feet. The picture on the phone screen was the one of Himmel Soan that was posted on TikTok. The subordinate quickly turned off the screen. ¡°It¡¯s probably just a lookalike. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not looking for a beggar, Sir.¡± The answer he got was a slap in the face. His boss grabbed the phone excitedly, found the picture again, and enlarged it. The middle-aged man trembled uncontrollably, and his fair cheeks blushed in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s him! It¡¯s the Patriarch! Get our men! We¡¯re going to Bliss Care Center right now.¡± Over a dozen cars sped off in a hurry. They arrived at the care center twenty minutes later. The middle-aged man got off first, followed by a team of over twenty elite subordinates and bodyguards. He waved at the others before they went in. ¡°The Patriarch doesn¡¯t like noise. Stay 500m away from the building and wait for me there.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± His men nodded and walked out of sight. If the reporters had been here, they would have recognized the middle-aged man. He was Warren Soan, the president of the Orient Chamber of Commerce. 2 All the surrounding countries were members of this association. In other words, all business contracts between those countries had to be approved and examined by Warren. His power and wealth were beyond imagination. However, there was a humble look on the prominent man¡¯s face now. Warren straightened his expensive suit before entering the care center. A 100-dollar tip took him to Himmel Soan¡¯s room. His fingers trembled when he grabbed the door handle. He had to wait for a minute or so before he could open the door. Warren burst into tears when he saw Himmel Soan lying in bed. ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m sorry it took me so long!¡± Warren dropped to his knees. Other people would have been shocked if they saw this. Warren Soan was the kind of person that was respected by the leaders of countries. Most people only saw him on the television, but now, he was kneeling before a demented old man. It was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. But Warren himself found it perfectly normal. He grabbed Himmel¡¯s dirty, cracked hand and put it on his cheek, saying excitedly, ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯ve been looking for you for 30 years. Luck is finally on our side, and I found you here. I¡¯ll inform the others right away.¡± He pressed a button on his watch, sending off alarms in countless organizations. ¡°Boss, the Patriarch has been found. He¡¯s in Bywater.¡± ¡°Sir, the president has sent us a message. The Patriarch is in Bywater.¡± ¡°Chief, the Patriarch is in Bywater.¡± ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve received a message. The Patriarch is in Bywater.¡± The news was repeated many times by different people, but they were all equally excited. Moments later, countless influential people rushed toward Bywater. Meanwhile, numerous indignant netizens took action as well. In less than half an hour, the frenetic fans, who had been infatuated by Stella¡¯s pretty face, surrounded Bliss Care Center. Hearing the shouting outside, Warren slowly rose to his feet. He lowered his gaze, and there was a murderous look in his eyes. ¡°No one in the universe is allowed to insult the Patriarch.¡± As if responding to his brooding murmur, a person stood up on the rooftop of the building nearby. He raised his crossbow in tacit agreement and said coldly, ¡°Offending the Patriarch is a crime that¡¯s punishable by death.¡± 1 A person in the building across the street opened the window and looked at the noisy crowd below. ¡°How dare this trash disturb the Patriarch!¡± Many more people stood up in different directions and stared at the crowd. The looks in their eyes reminded one of the bottomless pits. Their voices seemed to come from hell, and there was no warmth in them. No matter where they were, they all turned toward Bywater with cold but frantic looks in their eyes because that was where that man was. Chapter 3 - Clear Out Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Bliss Care Center. Where there were people, there was gossip, and reporters loved such news. They would never miss such an event. Many influencers had also gotten wind of it and already set up their cameras. ¡°Daily News here. An hour ago, Miss Stella Shane, a member of the girl band, revealed her secret past, hinting that her foster father had molested her. We¡¯re here outside Bliss Care Center, trying to find the father¡¯s side of the story. Please keep tuned for our update.¡± 1 ¡°Channel A here. The incident with the abandoned 70-year-old has taken a different turn. The old gentleman is suspected of molesting his foster daughter and has gotten what he deserved. We¡¯ll find more about the truth later. Please keep watching.¡± ¡°Hi, everyone. This is Bliss Care Center, and the old pervert that has molested Stella is right inside. Anyone wants to go in and have a look? Leave a message in the comment section below. I¡¯ll break down that door as soon as my followers reach 100,000.¡± ¡°Hey, guys, I¡¯m right outside the place that the old bastard lives in. Follow my account, give me a thumbs-up, and I¡¯ll take you to him!¡± ¡°You¡¯re watching Entertainment Tonight. To prove that Miss Stella is telling the truth, I¡¯ll go inside and confront that old bastard. Fellas, click the button below and show me some support in the comment section!¡± 1 It was like a circus. Since Warren had paid the care center, the staff was doing all they could to block the gate, but there were simply too many people. The front gate was barely hanging on the doorframe. 1 Seeing that the defense line was going to be breached, several crossbows were aimed at the bustling crowd from on top of the surrounding buildings. There was no fear or sympathy in the bowmen¡¯s eyes. Rage was their only emotion because this trash had defiled their god. The old man inside was ten million times more important than all those people put together, and their deaths wouldn¡¯t be enough to atone for their crimes. They were about to release the arrows when a fleet of cars arrived, their horns blaring. Over a dozen latest Bugatti cars surrounded Bliss Care Center. One of the doors opened amid the stunned gazes. The crowd saw a pair of high heels step out. Then some long legs. The person wore a pair of beige wide-leg pants with a blazer of a matching color. Her shoulder-length hair was swaying in the wind, giving her a capable and efficient look. She was an extremely beautiful woman. She had a delicate chin, finely arched brows, a pretty nose, and very kissable lips. 1 She was in her mid-20s and was a rare beauty. If she were the moon, Stella would merely be a firefly. No one could look away from her. Such a beauty was hard to come by. The woman stood still and coldly glanced at the crowd in a contemptuous manner before she made a gesture at the people on the rooftops. She didn¡¯t care if they could see her or not. She then announced, ¡°Clear this place. Get them out of my sight.¡± More car doors opened, and bodyguards in dark suits filed out of the other cars, charging at the crowd that was attacking the front gate. The unorganized crowd was a rabble of people. Although they wanted their five-minute fame, they valued their lives more. Most of them fled the scene right away, but some still wanted to take the risk. ¡°Who are you people? You have no right to make us leave!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m a reporter! The people have the right to know the truth!¡± ¡°Touch me, and I¡¯ll post your face all over the internet!¡± 3 However, the bodyguards ignored all the protests and started throwing punches. The young woman standing behind them was the only one that could give them orders. She was Caroline Soan, Himmel Soan¡¯s first adopted daughter. He took her in when she was only a baby, and that was 26 years ago. Himmel gave her a billion dollars when she turned 20 and sent her away to make a career of her own. Six years later, her security company was worth 10 times more than when it was first established. It had business in every corner of the world. Although she wasn¡¯t as influential as Warren, she still could have everything she wanted. 2 Hearing that Himmel Soan was in Bywater, she pushed away everything else and rushed here at once with her elite employees. She smirked when she saw the crowd cry and scatter, thinking, Pathetic ants. You won¡¯t be slandering my father again. 2 Ten minutes later, everything quieted down, and the well-trained security officers fell back to their cars and covered the perimeter. The staff of the care center was dumbfounded. At first, they were worried that no one would be paying for the old man¡¯s stay after six months. Moments later, they feared that they wouldn¡¯t get paid if they didn¡¯t guard the door. But now, they had begun to form new ideas. ¡°Who¡¯s the demented old man? Why is he such a big deal? And who¡¯s this beautiful woman? How can she afford so many security guards?¡± Someone spoke gingerly, ¡°I think she¡¯s Miss Soan.¡± ¡°Which Miss Soan?¡± Everyone was intrigued. ¡°Caroline Soan, the president of IF Security.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Caroline Soan?¡± ¡°Shit, I remember now! She was in the Orient Chamber of Commerce meeting the other day¡­¡± The manager of the care center shuddered after he said those words. So that was why the middle-aged man inside looked so familiar. He was Warren Soan, the head of the Orient Chamber of Commerce! But why would such an influential man come here? That old man¡­ The manager looked at the bodyguards and then at Caroline, who was slowly walking toward the front gate. He seemed to have realized something. He immediately told the others to open the front gate and welcome Caroline in with a low bow. ¡°Miss Soan, are you looking for Mr. Warren Soan?¡± Caroline nodded. ¡°Where is he? Take me to him.¡± The manager was thrilled when he heard the affirmative answer. Damn! I was right! Such a bigshot was actually here, in his care center! Recalling the indignant speech Stella Shane gave in the press conference, the manager clenched his fists. That starlet had no idea who she had offended. Warren and Caroline Soan weren¡¯t someone she could mess with. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what would happen next. ¡°Mr. Soan is this way.¡± He showed Caroline to the room. She nodded and opened the door. The tough young woman, who wouldn¡¯t even blink when someone pointed a gun at her head, burst into tears as soon as she spotted Himmel. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve been searching everywhere for you!¡± Chapter 4 - Take Action Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Himmel Soan turned to her with a blank look in his eyes. The demented old man could no longer recognize the bright and beautiful young woman as his adopted daughter. ¡°Father.¡± Caroline couldn¡¯t stop her tears when she saw Himmel like this. Warren sighed. ¡°The Patriarch doesn¡¯t recognize us anymore.¡± He also couldn¡¯t connect this senile man to the commanding person that had singlehandedly established the Orient Chamber of Commerce. ¡°How could this happen?¡± Caroline sobbed. Himmel was the one who had brought her up for as long as she could remember, and she considered him to be her real father. It had never occurred to her that one day, the man that was the dearest to her wouldn¡¯t recognize her. Stella¡¯s expression grew cold when she recalled how Stella Shane and her family had been slandering Himmel. She then turned to Warren. ¡°I¡¯m taking my father away. Those people who have defamed him will pay for their actions.¡± 1 Warren slowly rose to his feet as well. He had met Caroline once 20 years ago and knew how much she cared about the Patriarch. However, since he was around, Caroline could stay put. ¡°Take your father home. I¡¯ll take care of the rest,¡± said Warren. ¡°But¡­¡± Caroline frowned but gave in in the end. The Orient Chamber of Commerce was more than a business association. It had a division named Blade that was established to deal with all kinds of tricky situations without leaving a trace. Only the key members of the Soan family knew of its existence; Caroline happened to be one of the key members. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Warren.¡± Warren smiled. ¡°I¡¯m only doing my job.¡± Ten minutes later, Caroline¡¯s bodyguards carefully carried Himmel into her car. Some paparazzi hiding in the shadows took pictures of the scene, and it raised a new round of speculation. ¡°Who¡¯s that beauty? What¡¯s her relationship with the old bastard?¡± ¡°Why is she so defiant? Her men have beaten up the onlookers. She can¡¯t do such things, no matter how pretty she is!¡± ¡°Look at her expensive cars. I think she¡¯s well-connected.¡± ¡°So what? She still can¡¯t break the law! We need to find out who she is.¡± 2 Stella had hired a great number of paid posters, who turned public opinion to her side. Those people soon aimed their guns at Caroline, shifting the focus away from Himmel Soan and making her the center of attention. Caroline wasn¡¯t bothered by such petty tricks. These people were nowhere close to threatening the Soans. Meanwhile, Warren also returned to their secret base. A tall man came in with a crossbow and bowed. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re waiting for your instruction on the incident with the Patriarch.¡± He was the captain of Team 1 in the Blade. There were over a hundred such teams all around the globe. Although the Bywater team consisted of a few dozen men only, every single member was an elite. If Caroline hadn¡¯t shown up, the team would have killed the entire crowd. Warren frowned. Even if they had killed all the blasphemers, the news would have never reached the press. Without his permission, no one would run a report on the Soan family. However, having the Blade kill such trash would be like breaking a butterfly upon a wheel. It would be a waste of resources. ¡°Terminate the TV channel and destroy Stella and the company behind her.¡± The door opened as soon as he said that. A middle-aged man wearing a suit came in with a darkened face. ¡°Do you think that will end everything? Those scumbags have slandered the Patriarch! They need to pay for it!¡± ¡°James?¡± Warren stood up. James Soan was the chairman of the Martial Arts Association here in the country of Moon and was an influential figure worldwide. Even leaders of countries could only have an audience with him when he felt like it. When he heard that the Patriarch was in Bywater, he dropped everything and flew out here. Although he wasn¡¯t an adopted child like Caroline, he had learned all his cultivation and martial arts skills from Himmel himself. James cared for Himmel as much as Caroline did. ¡°Of course, they will be held accountable, but the online community is a tricky group to handle. I need a little more time.¡± James snorted and sat down. ¡°It¡¯s not tricky at all. If they criticize the Patriarch, they should be silenced. You¡¯re not paying the Blade just to sit around!¡± James spoke in a murderous tone, giving off an air that reminded one of a fiend from hell. ¡°That¡¯s the last resort. Our priority is to have those people make public apologies.¡± Being the head of the Orient Chamber of Commerce that controlled the business of the entire region, Warren could see the big picture. He had calmed down from the initial fury when he first saw the Patriarch. James frowned and smacked the table. ¡°I know you have resources, but operating them needs time. The rumor is still spreading online, and things are only going to get out of hand. Are you going to watch as those scumbags ruin the Patriarch¡¯s reputation?¡± Warren frowned. ¡°Give me one day. If I can¡¯t handle it then, you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Alright. Remember what you said.¡± James left. Warren waved at the captain of Team 1. ¡°Follow my instructions and find the influencer the Shanes have hired. Tell him to change the public opinion at once, if he still values his life.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The captain left to carry out the order. Here in Moon Country, the Patriarch was a god to the Soans. The offenders would pay a dear price. Once the door shut, the room went silent again. The keyboard warriors were still enjoying their moment online. They had found out who Caroline was. The beautiful woman was the president of IF Security and was worth tens of billions. 2 Her identity should have intimidated those people, but they weren¡¯t afraid. They didn¡¯t believe that Caroline could find every single one of them. Plus, doxing a person was against law, so they believed that they had the moral high ground and could keep criticizing her. 2 They had no idea what kind of a person they were messing with. While they were typing, a storm was headed their way. Chapter 5 - The Ban Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Stella was looking at Caroline¡¯s picture on her phone. On the side, her brother was drooling. ¡°She¡¯s so hot. I bet sleeping with her will feel amazing.¡± Stella bellowed, ¡°You¡¯re useless! I told you to find out her relationship with the old fool, but all you can think about is sleeping with her!¡± Luke indifferently took a puff of his cigarette. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what women are for? How many directors did you sleep with to get to where you are now? You¡¯re no different than me.¡± 2 ¡°You¡­¡± Stella jumped to her feet in frustration, but her sister stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough! We can¡¯t be fighting each other all the time! Someone found out who that woman is. She¡¯s Caroline Soan of IF Security. I bet she¡¯s protecting that old fool for free because she wants the attention! Let¡¯s bombard her online and make her hand over the old bastard.¡± 2 It was a feasible plan. Stella immediately contacted her studio, who called her back five minutes later. Stella was excited when she picked up the call. ¡°Are you done already? Dinner¡¯s on me tonight.¡± The person on the other end said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Shane, but for a reason that I¡¯m not at liberty to reveal, the studio has been shut down. We won¡¯t be providing you with any services in the future. Goodbye.¡± The call ended, leaving Stella dumbfounded still holding her phone. She was one competition away from making her debut. Once she became popular, her studio would have a lot to gain. She couldn¡¯t understand why those people would leave her now. She wondered if they had lost their minds. She couldn¡¯t help but curse loudly a moment later. ¡°Screw them. So be it! I didn¡¯t like that dim-wit studio anyway. I can now work with my agent directly.¡± She then called her agent¡¯s number. Her agent was in a mess as well. They received a notice half an hour ago, telling them that the company was canceled. They immediately contacted the TV station and found out that the latter had also been told to shut down. Websites could shut down at any time, but shutting down a TV station was unheard of. This unprecedented move gave everyone an ominous feeling, and they all speculated that Himmel Soan, the demented old man, was the reason behind everything. To keep his channel running, the head of the TV station pulled a lot of strings. He made investigations while trying to keep his job. Soon, the news reached the state administration of television. ¡°Shutting down a TV station is a major move, and it can raise a lot of questions. Just cancel the talent show for now. We¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± The state administration held a special meeting, trying to find out who was powerful enough to do such a thing. It was something that shouldn¡¯t have been allowed. As for Stella¡¯s agent, they decided that it wasn¡¯t their business. There was nothing they could do. The agent didn¡¯t want to go down without a fight, though. They tried to get help from the chamber of commerce but only received a resolute no. 1 They were told to shut down their company, or the company would be compelled to shut down. They would then have to face the consequences. The company couldn¡¯t let all the investment they had put in go to waste. When they traced it back to Stella, they asked her for a huge sum of money as compensation. Stella was shocked when she received the phone call. Her bad luck didn¡¯t stop there. Both her sister¡¯s and brother¡¯s companies were notified as well. All the properties the companies owned were confiscated, and the companies were closed. Not only was Stella¡¯s dream of becoming a star finished, but her siblings¡¯ dreams had also been ended. They were back to zero. The Shanes were in a panic. They couldn¡¯t understand why dealing with a demented old man would trigger such a chain reaction. ¡°Who the hell is he? I won¡¯t have it! Luna, hire some more paid posters for me and let them tell everyone what has happened! I¡¯m not going down alone! If I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯ll take him with me!¡± She was getting frantic, so were her siblings. All their effort was going down the drain, and the loss was so big that they could never live with it. Luke rose to his feet. ¡°Damn it! I have to find out who¡¯s doing this to me!¡± After receiving the affirmative reply, Luna was howling on the floor and cursing everyone. The way she smacked her thighs and cried made her look like a shrew from the countryside. ¡°Screw the chamber of commerce! They have no right to shut down my business! I¡¯ve put all my money in it!¡± Something was happening to the online community as well. Everyone who had criticized Himmel Soan received an email with the title ¡°Kneel¡± at the same time. The email required them to record a video of them kneeling on the floor and apologizing to the old man. Otherwise, all their social media accounts would be disabled forever. 2 Some of them panicked, but some didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Shut down my accounts? Why? Does that mean I can¡¯t use Whatsapp or Twitter from now on?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t! I didn¡¯t do anything. Don¡¯t shut down my accounts!¡± ¡°I NEED my social media accounts. Fine, I¡¯ll apologize, but please don¡¯t make me kneel or record myself.¡± ¡°What am I going to tell my parents if they see the video? Please don¡¯t make me do it. I promise I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Many more people refused to give in. They believed that they could remain anonymous in the online world. ¡°Who the hell are you? I didn¡¯t break any law. You have no right to close my account! Touch me, and I¡¯ll make you pay!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. This is a free world! No one can shut down my account unless I want to. You¡¯re breaking the law!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not apologizing! What can you possibly do?¡± ¡°Screw you! You messed with Miss Stella. I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson!¡± In a few hours, all hell broke loose in the online community. Warren was busy as well because another bigshot of the Soan family had arrived at Bywater. Hayden Soan, the head of the Traditional Medicine Association, was here. One should never offend a doctor because all mortal men would fall ill and die one day. Having a competent doctor around could significantly improve one¡¯s quality of life. Hayden was practically a god among doctors. His name alone could make one¡¯s heart race. He had postponed all his research and came here just for the Patriarch. He would cure Himmel Soan at any cost. ¡°Where is he? Take me to him.¡± Ten minutes later, they arrived at Caroline¡¯s villa, but Warren received some bad news. ¡°We¡¯re having trouble shutting down the TV station.¡± Warren was experienced enough to immediately realize who was interfering. Hayden was displeased. ¡°The Patriarch has dedicated his life to this country and its people. He can shut down all the TV stations if he wants to, let alone one of them! Tim, go to Katown now¡­¡± Chapter 6 - Apology Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Katown. The state administration of television. Having received a phone call from their chief, the management team was holding an emergency meeting. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so simple!¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of shutting down a TV station on such short notice. Even if we¡¯re shutting it down, it would take months to prepare. Do you have any idea what impact it will have?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t received any phone calls so far. We can¡¯t shut down the station, not until we know who gave the order!¡± Suddenly, a secretary stumbled into the room, pushed by someone behind him. ¡°Who are you people?! Sir, they broke in! I couldn¡¯t stop them!¡± The directors rose to their feet and glared at the intruders. ¡°Who are you? Who permitted you to come here?!¡± The chief of the administration stopped them because he recognized someone among the intruders, someone that he feared. ¡°Mr. Soan? What brought you here? Has something happened to Dr. Soan?¡± Tim said coldly, ¡°Shut down the TV station right now. That¡¯s an order from Dr. Soan. This is an ultimatum! You have no right to argue! Shut it down!¡± ¡°This is ridiculous! He¡¯s just a doctor! Who gave him the right to tell us what to do?!¡± ¡°So what if we don¡¯t do as he says?¡± Two directors shouted at Tim one after another. Their chief immediately stopped them. ¡°Shut up! Do I need to tell you who Dr. Soan is?¡± ¡°Of course, we know who he is, but he has no right to give us orders! He doesn¡¯t even work in our field!¡± Tim said coldly, ¡°Dr. Soan said that if you don¡¯t shut down the TV station, the Traditional Medicine Association will stop working with any outsiders from now on! You can make your own medicine!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t do that!¡± said one of the directors. ¡°Of course, he can!¡± A man stepped out and took out a letter, slamming it on the desk. ¡°Read it yourselves!¡± The chief picked it up, and his face went ghastly pale. ¡°We¡¯re shutting it down right now!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Do it now, or we¡¯re all going to be fired! Do you want to lose your jobs?! Shut it down!¡± ¡­ ¡°Team 7 has arrived at Bywater!¡± ¡°Team 9 has arrived at Bywater, but the Patriarch isn¡¯t here! The hospital is empty!¡± ¡°Team 17 has arrived at Bywater! We¡¯re on our way to the hospital!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one there! Everyone stop heading for the hospital! Go to Caroline Soan¡¯s villa and bring the Patriarch back!¡± ¡°Team 1 copy!¡± ¡°Team 3 copy!¡± ¡°Team 7 copy!¡± Meanwhile, a group of mysterious people wearing costumes arrived at Bywater. Although the costumes were of an ancient style, they weren¡¯t too over the top and could pass as everyday outfits. ¡­ ¡°What? The TV station has been shut down?¡± ¡°Who on earth is that old man? Why are all reports on him removed from the press?¡± ¡°The TV station was shut down? Have we offended some important man?¡± ¡°Big deal! That president of IF Security must have paid them off. She¡¯s bluffing, but she won¡¯t scare me! Bite me! It¡¯s not like she can find aouijngaljsgayw¡­¡± 1 ¡°What¡¯s he talking qwoirksnfg¡­¡± Something strange began to happen. The comments some users left became unreadable. It only happened to a few people at first, but soon, the phenomenon spread out like a disease, and many more comments became unreadable. ¡°cojgnalkpv¡­¡± Such random combinations of letters were seen everywhere. Before long, the first apology video was posted on social media. It came from a user called ¡°Diss_Everything¡±. In the video, he held a cardboard sign that read ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± and was kneeling on the floor. There were also some angular marks on his cheeks as if he had pressed his face on something. They looked like the shape of a keyboard! He knelt on the floor and raised the cardboard over his head with tears in his eyes. It seemed that someone had kicked him around. He said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m Diss_Everything. What I posted online has offended Mr. Soan, and I¡¯m truly sorry for what I did. I apologize. The internet isn¡¯t a lawless land! I¡¯ll take responsibility for my comments. Please forgive me, Mr. Soan!¡± He then banged his forehead on the floor. Thump! Thump! Thump! He kowtowed three times and apologized again. ¡°What a wuss!¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone soft!¡± ¡°Lmao. What a coward! What will your parents think of you? So what if qokvjqglq¡­¡± Someone else¡¯s comments became a series of incoherent letters in the middle of his criticism. Behind the screen, a man was pressing his face down on the keyboard and rolling the guy around, hence the unreadable letters. All the users who had ¡°typed¡± those letters would post an apology video within two minutes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan. I¡¯m ¡®Fearless¡¯. I shouldn¡¯t have said those offensive things to you. I¡¯m kneeling on the floor here. The internet isn¡¯t a lawless land¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan. My ID is ¡®Catchamouse¡¯. I sincerely apologize to you¡­¡± 1 ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan¡­¡± More and more similar videos were posted online. Some people were dumbfounded, but some people were experiencing the same thing. The Shanes decided to hire more paid posters. When Luna made the phone call, the person on the other end shouted at her. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me again. I need the same package¡ª¡± ¡°Fuck off! Do you know how much trouble I¡¯m in? Get lost, you bitch! Don¡¯t ever call me again! Go to hell! All three of you!¡± the man screamed. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°What? What do you wanna say? I¡¯m broke because of you! All my money is gone! You¡¯ve messed with the wrong person! Once I know where you are, I¡¯m gonna kill you myself!¡± Luna was frightened and hung up. She slumped to the floor with a blank face and mumbled, ¡°Why is this happening? Why is this happening? Who on earth is that old bastard?¡± 2 Chapter 7 - Guardians Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Who the hell can he possibly be?¡± Stella was full of resentment. ¡°This has to be a coincidence! That old fool can¡¯t possibly have anything to do with it! Who have I offended?¡± ¡°Stella, look at this video!¡± Luke puffed out a cloud of smoke and handed her a tablet. There was a folder in it that contained nearly 300 videos. Stella tapped on a random one. A man was kneeling on the floor, holding a sign that read ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± He was apologizing to Himmel Soan, their foster father, in a sincere tone with tears covering his face. Stella immediately turned it off and opened another one. It was also an apology video! It was almost identical to the first one apart from the person holding the sign. She turned it off and opened the third one. Yet another apology video. She opened one video after another. They were all apology videos! ¡°Where did you find all these?¡± Stella panicked. ¡°It¡¯s all over the internet, but someone anonymous sent this folder to me,¡± said Luke. Luna finally recovered from her trance-like state. ¡°Stella, Luke, do you think it¡¯s possible that the old bastard is¡­ Can he be¡­¡± ¡°Can he be what?! That¡¯s not possible! Those are all paid posters! They have to be!¡± Stella was astonished, but she wouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°That woman from IF Security must have hired these paid posters for that old man. That¡¯s the only explanation! She paid them off! These videos are posted online just to shift focus!¡± Luke wasn¡¯t as calm as before. All his assets had been frozen, and it was a disaster for him. He wasn¡¯t in the mood of doing anything else. He flipped through the web pages and said, ¡°More and more videos are showing up online. There are at least hundreds of thousands of them!¡± ¡°Hundreds of thousands?¡± Stella asked. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± said Luke. ¡°It must have cost a small fortune!¡± said Luna. ¡°Will that woman really go that far?¡± Stella sighed and said gloomily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I still have one last card.¡± She had another patron. He was a very famous director with a lot of connections! She was given all the resources and opportunities because she had slept with that man. However, his request was so perverted that Stella wouldn¡¯t ask him for help unless she had no other choice. She was chilled to the bone when she recalled the way he had tortured her. Nonetheless, that man was very well-connected! He was her only hope! ¡°Hello, Director Mat. Miss me?¡± Stella put away her frustration and rage. She smiled obsequiously as soon as the call went through. ¡­ ¡°Sir, Team 3 has arrived at the designated villa!¡± ¡°Sir, Team 4 is 300m to the north of the designated villa!¡± ¡°Sir, Team 13 is 200m to the south of the villa and hiding!¡± All the teams had arrived on the scene. ¡°Attention! We¡¯re going inside in 30 seconds!¡± Inside the villa, Hayden was examining Himmel Soan with a solemn look on his face. Caroline asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? How is my father doing? When will he wake up? Will he recognize us?¡± One of Hayden¡¯s attendants said, ¡°Miss Soan, please don¡¯t rush us. Chief Soan is working on it. Everything¡¯s fine until he says otherwise!¡± Just then, they heard the sound of fighting outside. The door and windows were shattered, and some men dressed in traditional costumes jumped into the room. ¡°Who are you people?!¡± Caroline wasn¡¯t easily shaken. As the president of a big security firm, she had been through enough to be affected. She was anything but weak. ¡°We¡¯re the Guardians! We¡¯re here to bring the Patriarch home! He¡¯s suffering here! You don¡¯t deserve him! We can¡¯t leave him here!¡± ¡°The Guardians? Yosef Soan?!¡± Both Hayden and Caroline paled. Those were some fierce men, and their sole purpose was to protect Himmel Soan, their Patriarch. They had only heard about the Guardians from Himmel before but had never seen them. 2 Those people had the power to overturn regimes and were one of the most mysterious forces that the Soan empire controlled. 1 ¡°Where¡¯s Uncle Yosef? Let me talk to him!¡± said Caroline. ¡°After everything the Patriarch has gone through because of you people, our boss will never speak to you! Everyone who participated in it is punishable by death, including you!¡± Just then, the clamor stopped, replaced by a rumbling noise as if hundreds or thousands of people were marching together. More people were coming! ¡°Yosef Soan! What are you doing?!¡± a man marched in and shouted at the Guardians. It was none other than James Soan, the chairman of the Martial Arts Association. ¡°Our boss is cleaning the house, including you! The Patriarch has been living in hell! Where have you been? You don¡¯t deserve to serve the Patriarch!¡± James said, ¡°Are you accusing us now? Where have the Guardians been all these years, then?¡± One of the Guardians said, ¡°Our headquarter is abroad, and the Patriarch wouldn¡¯t let us come back! Otherwise, he would never have lived these 30 years like that! You people are useless! There¡¯s no point in keeping you alive!¡± ¡°Shut up! If the Patriarch wants to get rid of someone, do you think you can do anything to stop it, Yosef? If you want a fight, just name a time and place! You can kill all the trash out there, but if you want to touch them¡­¡± James pointed at Caroline and Hayden. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen! The Patriarch forbids us from fighting one another! He¡¯ll punish you for what you¡¯re doing when he wakes up!¡± ¡°Our boss says he¡¯ll take full responsibility!¡± said the Guardians. ¡°You don¡¯t get to make the call! Let me speak to Yosef!¡± James shouted. ¡°I can speak for my boss!¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll take care of you first, then!¡± Hayden suddenly shouted, ¡°Shut up! All of you!¡± Everyone quieted down and looked at Himmel Soan. He had raised his hand slightly and flicked his fingers. Everyone paled. The Guardians, James, and Caroline all bowed in respect at once. Hayden said, ¡°The Patriarch hasn¡¯t recovered yet! Your shouting will only disturb him!¡± ¡°Attention! Leave the room! Don¡¯t disturb the Patriarch!¡± Chapter 8 - Director Mat Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The captain of the Guardians gave the order in the earphone. The Guardians backed out of the room, so did James and Caroline. Hayden was left alone inside with the old man. He smiled bitterly and felt sorry for what he did. Himmel didn¡¯t wake up. It was just one of his tricks. With his ability, he could easily make the patient move or respond in the way he wanted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Patriarch! I had no choice! I¡¯ve offended you!¡± The Guardians were merciless, so was James. The difference was that James still had some sense, but the Guardians didn¡¯t. Himmel Soan was all they cared about. If Hayden hadn¡¯t done anything, those people would have really started fighting. ¡­ Things changed rapidly on the internet. After the apology videos, there was another piece of news. Gary Mat, the famous director, had posted something on social media. He claimed that he was the one who had directed all the apology videos. According to him, someone had paid him a lot of money to hire some amateur actors and post some videos online. They were none other than the apology videos. ¡°I can¡¯t live with my conscience. That money made me uneasy and kept me awake at night, so I¡¯ve stopped working with that person. I¡¯ll return the money as well. I can¡¯t let them cover the truth. That man is an animal! He has done horrible things to his daughter! Why should I help with clearing his name?! ¡°I¡¯ve decided to tell everyone what really happened. Please don¡¯t be afraid. In the end, we¡¯ll always have justice. As long as there are people with conscience, truth can¡¯t stay hidden forever! Have faith in justice and truth! ¡°I solemnly swear that I¡¯ve told nothing but the truth.¡± It was signed by Gary Mat¡¯s office and with the date of that day. It also came with the official seal of his company. The public opinion online immediately changed once more. ¡°I was so scared! I thought we¡¯d really offended some bigshot!¡± ¡°So, they¡¯ve hired a director. I didn¡¯t think that they would go so far. There were hundreds of thousands of those videos. How much did it cost?¡± ¡°IF Security is so rich!¡± ¡°Director Mat is so amazing! He actually managed to find so many amateur actors on such short notice! He really is one of the most influential directors in the entertainment industry! He¡¯s so charismatic!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Director Mat¡¯s conscience, or I¡¯d have been terrified! I really thought they could do something to me!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that someone would try to defend an animal. That Caroline is just as bad! Go to hell, bitch!¡± ¡°Boycott IF Security!¡± ¡°Get out of this country!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Get out of our country and our continent! She must be in on it with the old man! Shame on her!¡± ¡­ Stella sighed with relief. Luckily, she still had this card up her sleeves. Otherwise, she would have been doomed! ¡°Stella, you¡¯re so clever! You¡¯ve turned things around!¡± Luke gave her a glass of water and grinned. ¡°Introduce me to that Director Mat some time. I bet he knows many actresses!¡± Stella scolded, ¡°What are you talking about? This thing hasn¡¯t ended yet! Are you having dirty ideas again?¡± ¡°Director Mat has spoken, so we¡¯re safe. That bastard has frozen all our assets, but luckily, we can count on your relationship with Director Mat. As long as you make him happy, we¡¯ll have a chance to rise again, right? Director Mat is an influential figure in the film industry!¡± Luna also chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, Stella. We¡¯re counting on you to get our assets back. I have faith in Director Mat!¡± Stella frowned in disgust. Just the thought of that greasy, bald man nauseated her. But that ugly man was her only hope. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you people. What am I to you? An ATM?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Would you have become what you are now if it hadn¡¯t been for us? Who made you a star? You would never have met Director Mat!¡± said Luna. ¡°You¡¯re our only hope now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a grateful girl.¡± Stella smirked without saying a word. It was like she didn¡¯t have any real siblings at all. She decided to leave them forever once she was famous enough. All they ever wanted from her was her money. ¡­ ¡°Gary Mat? He must have a death wish!¡± Warren¡¯s plan was to use Blade to control public opinion online. He had caught 100,000 keyboard warriors and forced them to post those videos. His tactics had been very effective. Those trolls had stopped posting insulting posts right away. The other users didn¡¯t dare to say any offensive things when they saw those videos, fearing that they might be the next. They were almost too scared to touch their keyboards. However, Gary Mat just had to jump in, posting that announcement. After that, the insults were back and became even more outrageous. Those people would say the most unspeakable things. Even Caroline wasn¡¯t left alone. Gary Mat! ¡°Pay Gary Mat a visit. I don¡¯t need to tell you what to do, right? Summon the Five as well!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Who were the Five? Matano of the city of Hanz. Matcon of the city of Shein. Wancott of Kanda! John Lius of JE Group! And Pearl Dona! ¡°What? Boss wants to see me? Now?¡± In the city of Hanz, Matano was about to leave his office in Alinine when he received a phone call. ¡°I need to be there now? ¡°I see. I see. No problem!¡± Meanwhile, in the city of Shein, Tom Matcon was busy signing some papers in his office when his phone suddenly rang, breaking his concentration. ¡°Yes? What? Boss needs to see me? Understood. I¡¯ll be there right away!¡± ¡°Mr. Matcon, these files need your signature¡­¡± ¡°Take them away!¡± Tom brushed away all the files on his desk and said, ¡°I¡¯ll sign nothing and meet no one today. Get my private jet ready. I¡¯m leaving now!¡± ¡°But Mr. Matcon, Mr. Simmers is here, and he needs to see you urgently!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you understand English? No meetings today! Tell him to leave!¡± Tom shouted. 2 The secretary said anxiously, ¡°But Mr. Matcon, the entire company has worked very hard for six months to get this project, but you¡¯re¡­¡± Chapter 9 - Completely Shunned Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°I thought you were waiting for an opportunity to meet Mr. Simmers. Why¡­¡± The secretary was bewildered. ¡°Which part of my words can¡¯t you understand? Stop everything you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re fired! Zack, get my private jet ready! I¡¯m going out!¡± Tom Matcon gave the order. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The same thing happened to the other three of the Five as well. Kevin Matano, Tom Matcon, Jack Wattcon, John Lius, and Pearl Dona all boarded their private jets and headed for where Warren was. The five of them looked at one another in amazement when they landed, but they realized what was going on almost right away. It was rare for Warren to see all of them at once. It hardly ever happened. Most of the time, only two or three of them would be summoned. The fact that the five of them were all here meant that it must be something very serious. That was why they were all amazed when they saw one another. ¡°You¡¯re all here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So are you!¡± ¡°Do you know why the boss wants to see us?¡± ¡°Is something going to happen? Is one of us not doing well? Is someone going to be replaced?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If that were the case, that person would have been summoned alone, but we¡¯re all here now.¡± ¡°Are we all getting replaced?¡± ¡­ ¡°No problem! Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± A few minutes earlier, in Gary Mat¡¯s ocean view villa, Gary was making a phone call in the pool while surrounded by several sexy women in bikinis. He had his arm around one of the girl¡¯s shoulders while laughing into the phone. ¡°Stella, I haven¡¯t seen you for ages. Come and see me some time. By the way, I saw that many people were talking about you online. What¡¯s that about?¡± Stella was indeed the person on the other end. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Anyway, thank you, Director Mat, for helping me without asking any questions. I appreciate it. I¡¯ll come to see you as soon as I¡¯m done with the work on hand. Is it still the same villa?¡± Gary chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s still the same place. Remember to bring the outfit I sent you earlier. I like it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gary. I won¡¯t forget! I actually need to ask you for another favor.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll do anything for you. What is it?¡± ¡°My company has dismissed me, and my contract was terminated prematurely. All my accounts and assets are frozen as well¡ª¡± Before Stella could finish, several men landed in Gary¡¯s courtyard. Moreover, two helicopters were hovering overhead. ¡°Who are you people?¡± 1 The women around Gary shrieked and fled from the pool because the intruders all gave off an intimidating air like professional killers. One of them walked up to Gary, grabbed what was left of his hair, and dragged him out of the pool. Gary grimaced in pain and bellowed at the two men, ¡°You¡¯re dead! Do you know who I am? How dare you treat me like this! I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Smack! One of the men slapped Gary on the face, stifling his shouts in the throat. He immediately calmed down. A wise man knew when to retreat. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Gary thought, You¡¯d better not let me find out who you are. Otherwise, you¡¯ll pay for this when I¡¯m out of here! ¡°Take the phone. The chief of the SARFT is on the other end.¡± Stella heard everything on the other end. Gary Mat didn¡¯t have time to hang up the call, and the phone was dropped on the ground next to the pool when he was dragged out. ¡°The state administration is calling me?¡± Gary was perplexed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what administration he¡¯s from. Just pick it up! Stop asking questions!¡± Gary took the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Gary Mat, you can stop making films from now on. No film company will work with you again, and you¡¯ve been completely shunned by the industry. Not only that, but all the films you¡¯ve directed, no matter how well-received they are, will be removed from all media platforms. All of your information will be removed from the internet as well. It¡¯ll be like you¡¯ve never existed.¡± Gary was dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He was astonished. What have I done? he wondered. How did this happen? ¡°I¡­ You¡­ Are you Chief Johnson?¡± ¡°Who else do you think I can be?¡± ¡°Chief Johnson, what have I done? Why is this happening? Please don¡¯t do this, Chief Johnson! If I¡¯ve done something wrong, please tell me, and I¡¯ll apologize! I¡¯ve made some great contributions to the industry! You can condemn me, but you can¡¯t deny my talent and my work!¡± Gary shouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your talent and contribution are nothing compared to Mr. Soan. You¡¯re banned from the industry. That¡¯s it.¡± The conversation ended. The man hung up immediately after. ¡°What¡­¡± Gary sat on the ground and mumbled, ¡°How could this happen? Who¡¯s Mr. Soan? When did I offend him?¡± Stella heard everything on the other end. Her face had turned livid. It was almost purple. ¡°Gary Mat is no longer a director and has been banned, but by whom? ¡°Mr. Soan¡­ Could it be¡­ ¡°Could it be that old fool? ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Stella stared at her phone and muttered to herself. The man picked up Gary¡¯s phone. ¡°Miss Shane, is it? I think if you¡¯re not deaf, you must have heard everything. You don¡¯t have a choice now. Make a public statement and tell everyone the truth. If you don¡¯t apologize to Mr. Soan, your end will be more miserable than Gary Mat¡¯s!¡± ¡­ Something happened 20 minutes after Gary Mat made that statement. He posted something else. It was a very long article and was obviously prepared beforehand. In the letter, Gary apologized repeatedly to Himmel. It went viral in minutes, and the Shanes became desperate. Who was Himmel Soan? Even Gary Mat had been defeated! 1 ¡°Stella, what should we do now?¡± 1 ¡°How am I supposed to know?!¡± Stella screamed. She was panic-stricken. Chapter 10 - Major Issue Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the courtyard of a mountain-view villa in Bywater, Kevin Matano, Jack Wattcon, John Lius, Tom Matcon, and Pearl Dona were all waiting obediently. They had been speculating the purpose of this meeting ever since they got off their planes. Warren had appointed the five of them as the heads of the domestic business. Although they were the most influential figures in the country, Warren could still take everything away because he was the president of the Orient Chamber of Commerce. He could fire them with a snap of his fingers. The five of them had never had a meeting together. Why? Because the tasks Warren gave them had always been confidential. Why five? There were many reasons; one of them was that Warren needed them to supervise one another. If supervision was no longer necessary, he wouldn¡¯t need any of them anymore. The five people believed that Warren had summoned them all because he wanted to fire one of them. Another possibility was that more than one of them would be replaced by someone new. That was why all five of them were needed at the scene. It would be a warning for them. The idea scared them all, and their foreheads were covered with sweat. Was Warren Soan really going to fire them? Or did he have other plans? ¡°Come with me!¡± Warren came out at that moment and boarded a helicopter nearby. The five of them followed him without saying a word. The helicopter then took off, heading for somewhere in the city. The destination was Caroline¡¯s villa. James wasn¡¯t able to stop the Guardians. Being the most fierce follower of Himmel Soan, Yosef wouldn¡¯t obey anyone else¡¯s order. If Himmel hadn¡¯t raised his hand earlier, many people would have lost their lives. To them, Himmel was their God. Once ¡°God¡± had given the instruction, telling Yosef to back off, Yosef didn¡¯t dare to object, no matter how fearless he was. He didn¡¯t want to interfere with Himmel¡¯s recovery either, so he and James had reached a temporary truce. However, the atmosphere in the courtyard remained tense. The Guardians and James¡¯s men were still at daggers drawn. Amid the taut nerves, a helicopter landed, attracting the attention of both sides. Everyone looked up. Warren and his five subordinates got off. People like Kevin Matano and Tom Matcon might be well-respected figures in the outside world, but in front of the Soans, they didn¡¯t even dare to look up. They followed Warren around like children that had gotten into trouble. They had some vague idea of who these people were. Any of the Soans could easily crush all five of them. ¡°How¡¯s the Patriarch doing?¡± Warren asked with concern as he headed for the villa. ¡°Hey, stop!¡± Caroline stopped him. ¡°Dr. Soan is treating him. I think Father¡¯s going to be fine, but you can¡¯t go in yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Warren was relieved. Only then did he look around the courtyard and realize that something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jeff, the captain of the Guardians, said coldly, ¡°What do you think is going on? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking that question! It¡¯s been hours, and what have you done? The people that have insulted the Patriarch are still alive and slandering him online! What have you been doing?!¡± More trouble. Warren wanted to sigh. Just like James, Jeff was also a fearless man. Warren asked, ¡°Are you the Guardians? Where¡¯s Yosef?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Speak!¡± Yosef¡¯s voice came from the intercom Jeff carried. Warren sighed. ¡°Yosef, we can¡¯t solve all our problems by force, and I¡¯ve already told James the same thing. Give me some more time. I¡¯ll make sure that they all apologize to the Patriarch!¡± Warren and Yosef were brothers, and both were Himmel Soan¡¯s adopted sons. ¡°I never liked the way you handle things. I don¡¯t care! I won¡¯t wait! If you can¡¯t handle it, I will! I¡¯ll silence them in two hours!¡± Warren said, ¡°Yosef, that¡¯s pointless! You¡¯ll only be killing innocent people! The comments are there already. Even if you kill them all, their posts will still be there!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll delete all of them!¡± ¡°So what if you do that? Can you delete people¡¯s memories? Things have already happened. If you do that, they¡¯ll only feel that they¡¯ve offended the wrong person, but we¡¯ll never be able to clear the Patriarch¡¯s name!¡± Yosef smirked. ¡°What are you going to do, then? We¡¯ve given the task to you, but you¡¯ve achieved nothing so far!¡± ¡°Those people had started to apologize before Gary Mat intervened. He has sabotaged everything!¡± ¡°Is that your plan? Why didn¡¯t you take Gary Mat into consideration beforehand? Warren, you can¡¯t do it, so just step aside!¡± ¡°Yosef, I said I¡¯ll do it! Give me more time!¡± ¡°More time? You¡¯re only wasting our time! One hour. That¡¯s all you have. I need to see results in an hour!¡± Warren nodded resolutely. ¡°Fine, one hour! I¡¯ll give you results in an hour, and it¡¯ll exceed your expectation!¡± Yosef said, ¡°One hour, then. If you can¡¯t do it by then, you can stop making excuses. I¡¯ll defend the Patriarch in my own way!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Kevin Matano, Jack Wattcon, and Jack Wattcon listened in astonishment. The news about an old man molesting his adopted daughter had made its way to the headlines, and the daughter was Stella Shane, a rising star. Of course, they had heard about it, but they didn¡¯t take it too seriously, only glancing at the headlines. Bigshots like them had more important things to do. However, the Soans were talking about that piece of news right now! And they were referring to the old man as the Patriarch¡­ OMG! The worst part was that Stella Shane was connected to all of them, especially Kevin Matano! Alinine, Kevin Matano¡¯s company, had invested heavily in the entertainment industry, including film companies and agencies. Stella, the rising star, was one of the signed artists of Alinine! As the president of the company, he would be held responsible. ¡°So that¡¯s why I¡¯m here!¡± Kevin Matano broke into a sweat. He immediately took out his phone. ¡°It¡¯s me. Shut up and listen. Bring the president of Cat Entertainment to me right now!¡± Chapter 11 - Were Doomed Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Cat Entertainment was the company that had signed Stella Shane. ¡°Jack Wattcon here. Tell the editor of Starwave to get his ass down here! Right now!¡± Starwave had been the most active website in this incident, and it was one of Jack Wattcon¡¯s affiliated companies! This wasn¡¯t funny! Jack Wattcon wanted to kill himself. Seeing that Kevin Matano had taken action, he immediately called his men as well. Apart from the editor of Starwave, all the heads of news agencies, such as Hotdog, Flying Tiger, and Sky Dragon, were summoned. The other three of the Five didn¡¯t stay idle. They called the people in charge of their affiliated companies that were involved in this incident. ¡­ ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. We have to contact them ourselves!¡± Although Stella was the youngest of the siblings, she was also the smartest one. She had become even more resourceful after joining the entertainment industry and had been planning her every move. With how things had turned out, she only had two choices left. One was to keep doing what she had been doing. The other was to apologize. However, she would never post a video and admit that she had wronged Himmel Soan! She was a rising star. If she apologized, she would have to admit that she had been lying. The public would never tolerate a lying public figure! 1 Even her fans might turn against her, let alone the public. Her career would be finished! But¡­ If Himmel Soan could make a big director like Gary Mat lower his head, would she be able to make any difference? 1 ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± Luke asked. ¡°Luke, you still have the numbers of some reporters and editors, don¡¯t you? And I remember you also know people on some TV channels. They can¡¯t shut down all the TV stations! Contact those people! I want to go live!¡± said Stella. ¡°Go live on TV?¡± Stella nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Online live-stream will do as well! I won¡¯t surrender to that old fool!¡± Luna gradually recovered from her initial breakdown. ¡°That¡¯s right! We can always go online! We still have a large fan base. If we start a live stream and come up with the right story, they¡¯ll still support us!¡± Luke nodded. ¡°Good! You two think about the story while I make some phone calls!¡± Stella clenched her fists. ¡°We can do this! I¡¯m sure of it!¡± ¡­ ¡°Mr. Brooks?¡± ¡°Mr. Camball, hi!¡± ¡°Mr. Dickson? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Editor Hawk, you¡¯re here, too!¡± Meanwhile, the heads of various companies and media platforms had arrived at the place designated by the Five. Even though it was in the middle of the night and they had gone to bed for hours, when they received the phone calls from the Five, they got dressed immediately and came here as fast as they could. ¡°Why are you all here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why is everyone here?¡± ¡°Mr. Matano asked me to come here.¡± ¡°Me too. What about you, Editor Hawk?¡± ¡°Mr. Wattcon called me. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I was already in bed. Gosh! I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in a long time!¡± ¡°You went to bed so early, Editor Hawk. It¡¯s not like you! By the way, what¡¯s the deal with that old man molesting his adopted daughter? Your Starwave was having a field trip today. The front page is all about that story!¡± Editor Hawk lit a cigarette and chuckled. ¡°I have no idea. Our website just covers whatever topic¡¯s the most eye-catching. You know how the internet is. People always have polar opinions. The reporters don¡¯t know any better, and the truth doesn¡¯t matter anyway. People love that sort of incest stuff! The juicier, the better!¡± One of the other men laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. The truth is so hard to uncover, so nobody cares what the truth is. Entertaining the reader is always the most important thing!¡± ¡°Shut the f**k up!¡± A chubby middle-aged man suddenly ran out of the villa and kicked Editor Hawk so hard that he flew backward. The editor struggled to his feet and was about to start yelling when he saw the culprit. It was Kevin Matano, his boss! Kevin¡¯s face was livid as he shouted at them, ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°Mr. Matano, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Delete all posts and reports on Mr. Himmel Soan right now! All subsidiaries of Alinine will make a public apology, especially Starwave! All of you, videotape yourselves kneeling on the floor and saying you¡¯re sorry! Name yourselves and your job titles! Then post the videos on your company website! Understood?¡± Brooks asked in bewilderment, ¡°Mr. Matacon, do I need to make that video, too? My company belongs to the Kanda Group, not Alinine.¡± Jack Wattcon rushed out of the villa as if waiting on cue and kicked him in the belly. ¡°Do it now, or you¡¯re fired!¡± The directors turned around and saw that John Lius and Pearl Dona were here as well. ¡­ ¡°What? The TV channels have refused to work with us?¡± Stella looked at Luke in surprise. Luke looked dejected. ¡°All the websites said the same. It was fine at first, but they said no as soon as I mentioned your name! They even shouted at me!¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Luna panicked. ¡°What should we do now? Stella, what should we do? I¡¯m so broke now! I just called the bank. All my accounts are frozen! I have no money left!¡± Luke said, ¡°Damn it! Who on earth is that old fool? Why is he so good? Do we really have to apologize?¡± ¡°Do you think we can still do that?¡± Stella slumped into a chair with a blank face and smiled bitterly. ¡°I think it¡¯s too late for that. He wants to destroy us!¡± Luna said, ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t! Dad has been very kind to us. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll forgive us if we apologize sincerely!¡± ¡°Dad?¡± Stella said contemptuously, ¡°So, he¡¯s your dad now? I¡¯m not going to apologize!¡± ¡°Suit yourself. Luke, let¡¯s do it now! Get the camera and film me!¡± Luna knelt on the floor and asked, ¡°Do I look sincere enough?¡± 1 Chapter 12 - Midnight Chat Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Good evening, everybody. Welcome to tonight¡¯s Midnight Chat. I¡¯m Rachel! ¡°A piece of news regarding an old man molesting his foster daughter was widely discussed this afternoon. The daughter in the story is Stella Shane, the rising star. The story didn¡¯t attract much attention at first, but Stella released a statement later, which brought the whole incident to a new level. The online community has been paying close attention to it as well. ¡°Midnight Chat has always been a program about revealing the truth. I¡¯ve received the latest update on the subject, and tonight, I¡¯m going to discuss it with you guys and get to the bottom of this. Let¡¯s see if the old man really has molested his foster daughter!¡± Although it was past midnight, many people were still watching the show online. The anticipation had kept them wide awake. Very few people wanted to go to bed early anyway because they had all received threatening messages from the government or various apps. They wanted to know how this thing would end. If they went to bed, would they be able to wake up tomorrow morning? Hence, this late-night show became their last chance to find out the truth. The discussion revolving around Himmel Soan had been very confusing. Contradicting evidence kept showing up. At first, people thought that Gary Mat had revealed the truth, but only 20 minutes passed before he issued another statement, revoking everything he had said and apologizing to Himmel Soan. It only confused the netizens more. They couldn¡¯t figure out what the truth could be. The show went on. Rachel, the host, spoke to the camera, ¡°The incident started when an old man in his 70s was sent to a care center without any of his children showing up, but the aftermath has taken quite a few turns. Although Stella Shane, the famous singer, has made a statement, to know what really happened, we need to hear the story from other sources around her. We have Miss Ivy Larson here with us today. Miss Ivy is a diva, and she¡¯s also Miss Shane¡¯s good friend in the entertainment industry.¡± 2 Rachel greeted Ivy, ¡°Hello, Miss Larson.¡± ¡°Hello, Rachel. Hello, everyone!¡± Ivy was a diva who had won many awards. She had sang one song with Stella and had kept in touch ever since. But they didn¡¯t talk very often and weren¡¯t exactly best friends. A while back, Ivy was involved in a major scandal, which greatly affected her popularity. Her new album didn¡¯t sell well either. To regain her fame, Ivy had to attend all sorts of events, constantly making public appearances. Truth be told, she didn¡¯t have much to say on this matter. However, it was too popular a topic to be missed. If she still wanted to stay in the entertainment business, she had to try to get under the spotlight. Rachel said, ¡°Miss Larson, everyone knows that you and Miss Shane get along well. It¡¯s not just for show, right? Are you also good friends off the camera?¡± Ivy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We share everything. Although I¡¯m over ten years older, it doesn¡¯t affect our friendship.¡± Rachel chuckled. ¡°In that case, do you know Stella¡¯s past well? Has she talked about it before?¡± ¡°Yes! More than once!¡± Ivy sounded indignant and clenched her fists as though she was frustrated. ¡°Stella¡¯s foster father is an animal! He¡¯s a scumbag and a piece of trash! You wouldn¡¯t believe what he did after you hear me out! It¡¯ll totally change the way you see this world! I couldn¡¯t sleep for many nights when I first heard about it and couldn¡¯t find any inspiration for my music. I couldn¡¯t create anything. It took me a long time to get over that mood. After that, I was able to work on my latest song, Humanity. In fact, I wrote that song just for Stella. Feel free to try it if you¡¯re interested.¡± 1 Ivy was here to use Stella Shane¡¯s incident to boost her popularity, and of course, she would stick to her purpose. It was such a good promotion opportunity that she had to make use of it. 1 ¡­ ¡°Stella, look. It¡¯s Ivy Larson, the diva.¡± The TV was on in Luke¡¯s place, and it happened to be on the channel where Midnight Chat was showing. 1 The three siblings had been shooting the apology videos until then, and all three of them were intrigued. ¡°It¡¯s Ivy Larson! That diva! She¡¯s so famous!¡± 1 Luna was excited. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that such a diva would help us!¡± 1 Stella didn¡¯t think that she and Ivy were on such good terms. Ivy had been such a prominent figure before, while she was nothing in comparison. Ivy wouldn¡¯t even look at her, let alone talk to her. After all, Ivy was a diva! 1 Whereas, Stella was only a newbie in the industry who hadn¡¯t made her debut yet. 1 She had just begun to gain some popularity. But her fame was nothing compared to that of the bigshots in the industry. Although Ivy wasn¡¯t as popular as before, she still had many fans. Once she started talking, everyone would prick up their ears and listen. Gary Mat was a famous director, but the most famous singers and actors could easily outshine him. He was merely a director, someone who remained behind the screen. Although he was the one shooting the films, he still needed to weigh his choices when dealing with famous actors or artists. Of course, not all directors were the same. Gary Mat was definitely an influential figure himself, but would he dare to order the famous actors around? Of course not. He had to politely invite them and even make humble gestures at times. Famous actors could influence the box office more than the directors could. That was why the directors all wanted to cultivate their own stars. Ivy¡¯s words obviously carried more weight than Gary Mat¡¯s. ¡°In the end, someone who¡¯s practically a stranger helped me. The directors and presidents are so unreliable!¡± Stella sighed. Back in the show. Moved by her own story, Ivy was talking amid broken sobs. ¡°Stella has gone through so much. Her father died when she was little, and her mother raised three children by scavenging on the streets until she met their foster father. They thought they had been saved and could leave the hardship behind, but¡­ But who would have thought that man could be such an animal?! When Stella had her first period, he peeped through the keyhole as she changed her pads, and things only got worse. When she was 14¡­¡± Chapter 13 - Another Turn Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The interview immediately raised another round of discussion online. ¡°OMG. That old man is so perverted.¡± ¡°Damn! He¡¯s an animal! She¡¯s his adopted daughter, for god¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°I knew he wasn¡¯t a decent man at first glance!¡± ¡°Then why did Director Mat issue that second statement 20 minutes later?¡± ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s so obvious! He must have taken their money! Don¡¯t you ever watch the news? The president of that IF Security is a very powerful woman!¡± ¡°They must have paid him off! There¡¯s no doubt about it! I can¡¯t believe this. Someone is actually paying real money to help that old bastard!¡± ¡°Stella, I have your back!¡± ¡°So do I!¡± ¡°I believe Ivy! She¡¯s a trustworthy person in the industry! She wouldn¡¯t lie about such things!¡± ¡­ Luke and Luna were delighted when they read the comments, messages, and bullet screens online. Luna said, ¡°Stella! Stella! Are you seeing this? Things are turning our way again! ¡°If we knew this was going to happen, we should have asked for Miss Larson¡¯s help in the first place! It would have saved us a lot of trouble!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s so much more reliable than that Director Mat!¡± Luke chimed in. Stella narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t just sit around. While everyone is feeling sympathy for us, let¡¯s use this opportunity to turn public opinion to our side! Use your accounts on websites like Weibo, Sina Blog, Baidu BBS, and Bilibili. Make sure that all the posts saying bad things about me are overwhelmed! I need to clear my name!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do!¡± Luke took out his laptop and laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing similar things for you over the years. If we successfully turn things around, your career will be saved.¡± Luna nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll be even more famous after this incident, and more money will come our way! That old fool can¡¯t do anything to us!¡± ¡­ Outside Caroline¡¯s villa, everyone was waiting for Himmel Soan to wake up. It was past midnight, and some of them could barely keep their eyes open, but these people couldn¡¯t rest until his condition showed signs of improvement. Caroline was someone who cared about her appearance, and she usually wouldn¡¯t stay up late; she needed her beauty sleep. However, all her things put together wouldn¡¯t be as important as Himmel Soan. She would wait here for three days in a row if necessary. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t the Patriarch move his fingers just then? Why hasn¡¯t he woken up yet? It¡¯s been so long!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You should have faith in Hayden¡¯s medical skills. If he can¡¯t help the Patriarch, no one can!¡± Just then, a subordinate whispered something in James¡¯s ear. James looked stunned and turned to look at Warren. ¡°Warren, what the hell have you been doing?!¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t be so jumpy,¡± said Warren. ¡°I¡¯m jumpy? Go on the internet and see for yourself! The insulting comments are back! Is that how you¡¯ve been using the time we gave you? That¡¯s not what you promised!¡± Warren waved at one of his men. The latter immediately brought him a laptop. A quick search showed that Midnight Chat had risen to the most popular show tonight. He opened it and saw that Ivy was describing between broken sobs how Himmel Soan had molested Stella with her silver voice filled with emotions. She provided so much detail that one would think she had witnessed the whole process. And it didn¡¯t stop there. The show also invited some special guests¡ªAndy Lee, the has-been superstar, Jessica Tinch, the singer that had always assumed an indifferent demeanor, and Maria Mason, every man¡¯s dream girl. The show went up in the ratings when Maria made her appearance. She quietly walked to Ivy¡¯s side and handed her some tissue papers. Maria and Ivy belonged to the same agency. Apart from them, both Andy Lee and Jessica Tinch worked for that company as well. The purpose of their company was very straightforward tonight. It was to regain their popularity and put them back at the top again. Except for Maria, all the other three had gained their fame many years ago and had long passed their most popular days. Young fans nowadays weren¡¯t into their styles anymore. They wanted fresher faces. To stage a comeback to the game, the three of them needed a good opportunity. It was especially the case with Ivy. After the scandal, she was branded as a promiscuous woman, and it would be even hard for her to make a return. It had been a while since something so sensational took place, and they decided to use this chance well and steal some spotlight! Seeing Maria, Ivy leaned on her shoulder and wept. ¡°Stella has been through so much. Now that she has finally summoned her courage to talk about it, people won¡¯t stop questioning her. All the insults and threats must have filled her with despair! If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it! I would break!¡± 1 Rachel seemed touched. ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to think about what really has happened. As a woman, I can only imagine how Stella must have felt!¡± When Andy Lee walked into the camera, the number of the audience watching the live show reached a million. ¡°Gosh! It¡¯s Andy Lee!¡± ¡°Andy Lee¡¯s here?! Holy crap! He was my dad¡¯s idol when he was little!¡± ¡°Maria, I love you!¡± ¡°Andy, my prince! You haven¡¯t aged a day! I love you forever!¡± Andy waved at the camera and greeted the audience politely, ¡°Hello, everybody. It¡¯s Andy Lee here. I¡¯ve come here for Stella. Although I don¡¯t know her that well, I¡¯ve heard about the story. Stella and I crossed met each other at a meal. As for what meal it was, let me tell you a story¡­¡± He then went on to tell the story. He claimed that he had met Stella before she became famous. That day, Stella was eating at a restaurant with her adopted father, and the man kept touching her during the meal. Her mother could only sit there and watch without making a sound. One had to admit that Andy Lee was a great actor. With the look in his eyes and his subtle movements, he made the story sound so genuine. There was no sign that he was putting on a performance. ¡°That¡¯s disgusting! Where¡¯s that old man now? I can¡¯t take it anymore! I wanna kill him!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve bought him a funeral wreath. Can someone give me his address?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just low. Let¡¯s burn down his house! He¡¯s a scumbag! He doesn¡¯t deserve to live!¡± ¡­ Smack! Warren angrily closed the laptop. ¡°Get rid of everyone that¡¯s involved in this show! Is it live now? Call the TV station! Tell them to kneel and apologize in front of the camera!¡± 2 Chapter 14 - I Swear I Made It up Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Apology is useless!¡± Yosef bellowed on the intercom, ¡°Warren Soan! Stay out of it! I¡¯ll paint that studio in blood in three minutes!¡± ¡°Yosef!¡± Warren shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Everyone who has insulted the Patriarch deserves to die! Warren, you¡¯re useless! I can¡¯t tolerate these people while they continue to insult the Patriarch! If you try to stop me, I¡¯ll kill you, too!¡± 1 Warren looked at James. James said with a darkened face, ¡°I¡¯m with the Guardians this time. These people will only cry when death is staring down at them! If they¡¯re too stupid to tell right from wrong, there¡¯s no point in keeping them alive!¡± Caroline also spoke up, ¡°Uncle Yosef, don¡¯t do that! Father has always told us to win people by virtue. If he wakes up, he¡¯ll never let you do such things! He¡¯ll be angry!¡± ¡°If the worst comes to the worst, I¡¯ll atone my crime with my own life, but I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± Yosef roared angrily on the intercom. At that moment, lights lit up in the villa. ¡°James! Yosef!¡± The voice sounded old and weak, but it was definitely Himmel Soan¡¯s. Immediately, over a hundred people in the villa knelt on the floor. James, Warren, and Caroline all looked stunned. ¡°Patriarch!¡± ¡°Dad, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± ¡°This is great! The Patriarch has woken up!¡± James was elated and wanted to run into the house, but two men stood in his path, stopping him from going inside. ¡°What are you doing? Get out of my way!¡± James bellowed. He heard Himmel Soan¡¯s voice again. ¡°James, I¡¯m still too weak to see you. Hayden is here with me. You don¡¯t need to come in!¡± ¡°Patriarch, I haven¡¯t seen you in over 30 years! Please let me come inside!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush. We¡¯ll have all the time in the world! James, Yosef, I heard what happened. Please stay calm. Don¡¯t do anything reckless, and let Warren and Caroline handle it.¡± 1 ¡°But Patriarch, I can¡¯t take it! Those despicable men said such filthy things! I¡­ I want to¡­¡± Yosef sounded agitated in the intercom. ¡°Yosef, who gave you the order to come back? Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay abroad? Have you disobeyed me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Patriarch! I heard that you were in danger, and I was worried, so I¡­¡± ¡°Go back and guard our overseas assets!¡± ¡°Patriarch, please let me see you, just one minute! I¡¯ll leave right away!¡± A middle-aged man with long hair and wearing a traditional outfit walked into the courtyard with tears in his eyes. It was none other than Yosef himself! But Himmel Soan never spoke again. Hayden came out of the villa at that moment and told the crowd, ¡°The Patriarch is still too weak to talk. He has to rest. Please leave him in peace.¡± The others looked at one another and obviously had doubts. If Himmel Soan really had woken up, why wouldn¡¯t he see them? Some suspected that it was one of Hayden¡¯s tricks, but they couldn¡¯t take the risk to question him. If Himmel Soan truly had recovered, challenging Hayden would be seen as disobeying the Patriarch. That was a serious crime! After much consideration, the crowd retreated from the courtyard and let Himmel Soan rest in a peaceful environment. ¡°Yes, Patriarch! ¡°I¡¯ll be stationed 500m away from the villa. Feel free to summon me if you need anything,¡± said Yosef. James and Yosef left the villa. When Warren and Caroline wanted to leave, Hayden stopped them. ¡°The Patriarch didn¡¯t wake up. I lied to them, but I can only stall them for a while. Warren, Caroline, you need to quiet things down as soon as possible. The cover will be blown if they still can¡¯t see the Patriarch tomorrow! A lot of people in Bywater are going to die!¡± 1 Warren¡¯s pupils contracted, and his face paled. ¡°What? You lied to them? How could you pretend to be the Patriarch?!¡± Caroline said, ¡°We¡¯re under special circumstances, and we have to use special measures! I¡¯m sure Father would agree with Uncle Hayden when he wakes up! Uncle Warren, let¡¯s get on with our business, or the city will be destroyed!¡± Warren calmed down and nodded slowly. Their top priority was to take care of public opinion online. ¡°Damn it! What have Kevin Matano and Jack Wattcon been doing? How could they let this show air?¡± Warren made a video call with the Five. ¡°Who owns the website Tenrun?¡± Seeing Warren¡¯s livid face, Tom Matcon wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Are you deaf or blind? Can¡¯t you read what¡¯s on your front page? If it doesn¡¯t go away in the next ten minutes, I¡¯ll make you go away!¡± The other four people held their breaths, feeling glad that they hadn¡¯t been named. ¡°The other four, don¡¯t just sit around! The interview is being held on Sunshine TV Station. Do you know what to do?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, sir! We¡¯ll take care of it in ten minutes!¡± ¡­ In the television studio, Andy Lee was vividly describing what he had ¡°seen.¡± He had painted Himmel Soan to be such an evil man. ¡°That man kept touching Stella¡¯s legs! ¡°And he put Stella¡¯s hand into his clothes!¡± Andy Lee claimed that he had witnessed all those things. Ding! Just then, he received a message. The message was from ¡°Boss.¡± It read, ¡°Things have changed. Kneel on the floor and apologize to Himmel Soan. Otherwise, your career in the entertainment industry will be finished, and I¡¯ll be dead. Do it now!¡± ¡°Boss¡± had given his consent to let Andy come to the show. Therefore, the message shocked him. He couldn¡¯t understand why he would receive such a message in the middle of the show. He was still perplexed when he received another message. ¡°What the hell are you waiting for? Kneel and apologize! I¡¯m watching you!¡± Andy Lee fell silent and stared at his phone. Rachel asked, ¡°Mr. Lee, is there something wrong?¡± Andy suddenly looked up and said solemnly, ¡°Actually, I made up all the things I said.¡± He then dropped to his knees and held up a hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone, but I¡¯ve been lying to you! I¡¯ve never met Himmel Soan or Stella Shane. I only said those things to make people notice me again! I want to make a comeback to the entertainment industry, and that was why I told such lies! I swear that I¡¯ve never met Stella or Himmel Soan! If I¡¯m not telling the truth, I¡¯ll be struck down by lightning! I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan!¡± He then banged his forehead on the floor. Chapter 15 - Connor Wattcon Has Spoken Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The show was live! What Andy Lee said and did was immediately aired. ¡°What the hell? Turn off that camera!¡± Aaron, the director of the show, immediately switched the image to the other camera when he saw this and told the host through the earphone, ¡°Say something! What the hell is going on with Andy Lee? Tonight¡¯s show has brought our ratings to a historical high! We¡¯ve had over a million hits in 20 minutes! We can¡¯t afford any bloopers! 2.63 million people are watching us!¡± 1 Listening to his instruction, Rachel soon formed a plan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone, but I¡¯ve just received news that Mr. Lee is suffering from severe psychosis, and he sometimes rambles and can¡¯t control his movements. When he has one of his episodes, he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing. He has just had one of his fits during the show, and we had to take him backstage for his treatment! ¡°We¡¯ll contact Miss Stella Shane, the party involved, next and hear her talk more about her secret past. It is quite late now; I hope she¡¯s not asleep. I apologize for the inconvenience.¡± The audience wasn¡¯t easily fooled, though. Andy Lee¡¯s sudden outburst gave them a bad feeling. They wondered if he had been threatened as well. Could the president of IF Security have so much power? Yes, they were a big company, but they shouldn¡¯t be able to shake the entire entertainment industry! Making Gary Mat post that apology letter was beyond Caroline Soan¡¯s influence. Andy Lee had gained his fame a long time ago. Although his popularity had declined, he still had many powerful friends in the industry. These people were all bigshots, and no one should be able to threaten him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Andy? Has he gone insane?¡± Maria covered her mic and whispered to Ivy. Ivy took off her earphone and whispered back, ¡°Ignore him. Boss will take care of him later.¡± Meanwhile, the image of a phone lit up on the screen behind the host of the show. In the studio, Stella, Luke, and Luna were all looking at the phone. It was an incoming video call. Should they pick it up or not? ¡°Pick it up, Stella! Over 2.6 million viewers are watching this show. It¡¯s live!¡± said Luke. Luna also encouraged her, ¡°The tide is turning. Stella, we¡¯re counting on you!¡± Stella gave it some thought. She then messed up her hair and put on a miserable look before picking up the phone. Her face appeared on the screen in the studio. With her unkempt hair and lackluster eyes, she made people feel sorry for her. ¡°Hello, Miss Shane. I¡¯m sorry for bothering you at such a late hour. We thought you were asleep.¡± Stella shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Rachel said, ¡°Miss Shane, can you tell us a bit more about what your foster father did to you? I know that you and Miss Ivy Larson are good friends. She has told us some of the things earlier. Did you watch our show?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Will you confirm what Miss Larson said?¡± Ivy¡¯s stomach lurched. She didn¡¯t expect that the show would contact Stella today. She had made up everything. None of it was true! Stella wouldn¡¯t confirm that! Her company had made that plan for her. They believed that when Stella found out what Ivy said the following morning, the most she would do was to issue a statement to challenge Ivy. They never thought the show would invite Stella while it was being aired! Ivy feared that Stella would expose her lie. She would be doomed! However, Stella lowered her head and started weeping. ¡°Oh no! Stella is crying!¡± ¡°She looks so haggard! Her face is so pale!¡± ¡°Damn that old bastard! Look what he¡¯s done to Stella! I¡¯m gonna kill him!¡± ¡°Stella didn¡¯t say anything, so Ivy must have told the truth! Damn it! I¡¯m so angry!¡± ¡­ ¡°Yes¡­ She was right¡­¡± Stella nodded. Ivy and Maria exchanged surprised looks. It seemed that their company had solved everything for them. They must have contacted Stella when the show was being aired. They felt reassured. Meanwhile, something else was happening online. Joe Samson, the famous director, issued a statement in the middle of the night. It read, ¡°I, Joe Samson, am severing all links with Maria, Ivy Larson, Andy Lee, Stella Shane, and Gary Mat from this day on. I¡¯ll never work with these people again.¡± Chris Cook, the famous superstar, also said something similar. ¡°I, Chris Cook, condemn artists with low moral standards. I will stop having any interaction with people like them and sever all links with Maria, Ivy Larson, and Andy Lee, including in my personal life.¡± A statement with similar content was issued by Ten Round film production company, saying that the company refused to work with unprincipled actors such as Maria, Ivy Larson, and Andy Lee, who had insulted Mr. Soan. Almost all superstars, album companies, and bigshots in the entertainment industry did the same thing, covering 95% of all known artists. No one expected that they would all be awake at this hour and post the statements at the same time. As a result, almost every public figure that had discredited Himmel Soan had been boycotted, including Maria¡¯s agency. Connor Wattcon was Jack Wattcon¡¯s son, and he was known to be a busybody who liked to gossip. People had nicknamed him the ¡°entertainment supervisor.¡± He dared to speak the truth when no one else did, and he almost always told the truth. He said, ¡°Why are you people so stupid?! Maria, Ivy, and Andy Lee are all idiots! Can¡¯t they see what¡¯s really going on? That Stella Shane is obviously manipulating them! Has everyone gone blind? They¡¯ve all been fooled! Here¡¯s the truth. Stella Shane tried to seduce me to advance her career, but I¡¯m not interested in cunning women like her! She would sleep with anyone! She slept with Gary Mat the first day when she made her career choice, and you still believe her! Have you lost both your eyes and your brains?!¡± No one ever doubted the authenticity of his statement. After all, he was the ¡°entertainment supervisor.¡± With the power of his father, no one would dare to do anything to him. He could say whatever he wanted about the entertainment industry. No one could shut him up if he didn¡¯t want to shut up! ¡°Damn! What¡¯s this? Why is everyone doing it at the same time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many stars issuing statements all at once.¡± ¡°Gosh, this is big!¡± ¡°Is Connor telling the truth? Stella is my goddess! How could she do all those things?!¡± ¡°Are you doubting the ultimate supervisor of the entertainment industry?¡± Chapter 16 - The Truth Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°I¡¯m having a nervous breakdown!¡± ¡­ In the studio, Stella was still telling the story of her miserable past with her face covered by tears. Just then, Rachel, Maria, and Ivy all received similar messages. ¡°Kneel and apologize to Mr. Soan! Now!¡± ¡°Apologize and tell the truth. Say it or die!¡± The messages came from an unknown number. While they were reading the messages, the staff of the Midnight Chat program suddenly came onto the stage. They were led by the director of the show. They knelt in front of the camera while Ivy and Rachel were still sitting there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± The director knelt on the floor and shouted, ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m Jason Lock, the director of the show. We¡¯ve offended Mr. Soan in our show, and I sincerely apologize to him for everything we¡¯ve done! Mr. Soan, we¡¯re sorry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan!¡± behind him, the editor-in-chief, producer, and assistant director said in unison. Rachel and all the guests were dumbfounded, so was Stella on the other end. Jason went on, ¡°Midnight Chat has always been a show aimed at revealing truths, but I¡¯ve lied to you all. Every show has been pre-arranged, and today is no exception. The agency of Maria and Ivy communicated with us in advance, telling us to slander Mr. Himmel Soan to avenge Stella Shane. They¡¯re only trying to use the popularity of this event to make their has-been stars popular again!¡± ¡°What are you waiting for? Kneel and apologize! Do I have to slap you in front of the camera?!¡± Ivy and Maria both received a message from their boss. They were finally convinced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Both went pale and slipped onto the floor. Ivy said with a pale face, ¡°I¡¯ll tell the truth now¡­ Director Lock is right. I made up the whole story. I barely know Stella. That¡¯s the final truth. If I¡¯m lying, I¡¯ll catch AIDS tomorrow and die a miserable death! I only worked with her once, and she has never mentioned her adopted father to me.¡± Maria nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true! We were all lying! Stella is an ungrateful slut! She has slept with all sorts of directors just to get her career going. She even lived with Gary Mat for a while. It¡¯s true! I can even give you the dates! She lived in his house from March 16 to June 12 last year for three months!¡± Ivy added, ¡°That was why Gary Mat wrote that article for her! Mr. Soan, we¡¯re so sorry!¡± Both Ivy and Maria knelt and thumped their foreheads on the floor. What a shocking turn of events! The viewers were stunned. So was Stella. She was still on the other end of the line when Ivy and Maria exposed her lie to millions of viewers. It was such a scandal that she wanted to kill herself now. Rachel turned to the big screen. ¡°MIss Shane, is what Maria said true? Did you sleep with Gary Mat for three months?¡± Ivy raised her hand. ¡°I have proof! She was pregnant once and has had an abortion!¡± What?! Stella immediately hung up. Her face turned purple, and her eyes lost focus. This time, she wasn¡¯t pretending. She knew that she was finished. ¡°This is hilarious! That¡¯s your goddess! You had so much faith in her!¡± ¡°She¡¯s been sleeping with so many men! To them, she¡¯s like a dog!¡± ¡°Why is this happening? My goddess¡­ I don¡¯t believe it! They must have made it up!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better believe it. Why did you think she hung up when they asked her a direct question? Why didn¡¯t she confront them?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it? Stella has nothing to say because it was true!¡± ¡°No! It can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°Damn it! That b*tch has deceived us! I know where she works! I¡¯ll kill her now!¡± ¡°Count me in! I¡¯m so mad! I can¡¯t believe I felt sorry for her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s to say, her adopted father never did those things, did he?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trust anything she says! I won¡¯t! She has pretended to be so innocent, but she¡¯s evil from within!¡± ¡­ ¡°What should we do now?¡± Luna paced back and forth. She didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Stella, it¡¯s all your fault! It wasn¡¯t such a big deal at first! We could have just posted the apology video, but you had to go to that Gary Mat and other men! Look what you¡¯ve done now!¡± Stella stared blankly into the air without saying a word. She looked as if she was in a trance. Luna threw her hands into the air. ¡°Luke, ignore her! Videotape me now! I¡¯ll apologize to Dad!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s do it! Let me get the camera! We¡¯ll record each other!¡± Luna immediately knelt on the floor and began to apologize to Himmel Soan in tears. The phone of their office kept ringing, but none of them dared to pick it up. They knew that they wouldn¡¯t hear anything good. ¡°You b*tch! You¡¯ve tricked us all! Open the door!¡± Someone was banging on the office door. There was a loud bang as if something had smashed into it. A lot of fans had gathered outside and were knocking loudly. The door was almost unhinged and could fall down at any moment. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there! Open the damn door!¡± 1 ¡­ Public opinion changed again, and people started supporting Himmel Soan. ¡°We¡¯ve misunderstood Mr. Soan this whole time!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all Stella Shane¡¯s fault!¡± ¡°Are we sure that¡¯s the truth?¡± ¡°What? Do you still have doubts?¡± All the famous entertainment websites such as Tenrun and Starwave had removed the articles and videos that had slandered Himmel Soan. In ten minutes, nothing could be found online. All the posts left behind were those that told the truth. Among the criticisms, Stella¡¯s office made a move. They posted a video. In it, Luke and Luna were apologizing. ¡°Dad, we¡¯re so sorry! ¡°Here¡¯s the truth. Stella put us to it! Dad, you¡¯ve been so kind to us!¡± Chapter 17 - Overall Apology Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Stella, I¡¯m so disappointed!¡± ¡°Apologize! Where is Stella Shane? Why hasn¡¯t she apologized?¡± ¡°Are you scared, Stella? You aren¡¯t so tough now that you can¡¯t slander your adopted father anymore!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this world? How can such a kind man be mistreated like that? Good people like him don¡¯t deserve that! He must be so hurt!¡± ¡­ Finally, no one tried to defend Stella anymore. Almost all known stars issued statements in the middle of the night, taking a stand, condemning her, and refusing to work with her ever again. The companies in the entertainment industry issued the same statement, boycotting immoral artists. They made Stella Shane a negative example in teaching materials of film academies, deeming her a shame of the community. As the public opinion changed, the netizens began to make spontaneous videos and post them online to apologize to Himmel Soan. 1 Someone from the city of Heon said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan, for believing the rumors online and posting the insulting and inappropriate comments. I sincerely apologize to you. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Someone from Norve said, ¡°We should all boycott Stella Shane! Count me in! I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Himmel Soan. You¡¯re the kindest person, and I was misled. I¡¯ve deleted all the comments I posted before, and I¡¯m kneeling on the floor to apologize to you! I know what I said has had negtive impact on your health. I¡¯m so sorry! I hope you get well soon!¡± A guy from Zeu said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan! I hope you¡¯ll be better soon.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, get well!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is such a kind person. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine! Mr. Soan, can you hear us? We¡¯ll apologize to you in person once you get out of the hospital. I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Get well, Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Mr. Soan! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, get well soon! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡­ As the number of the videos increased, more and more people were leaving comments, wishing Himmel Soan well. It had attracted so much attention that almost everyone who had access to the internet was following the news. The Five took note of the situation and created a website where people could send Himmel Soan best wishes online. There was a candle on the front page, and the more people clicked on it, the brighter it would become. Moreover, people could give donations as well. It was something only Tom Matcon could come up with. The Soans didn¡¯t care about such things. They only wanted the insulting comments to go away. Within an hour, over ten million people had sent prayers for Himmel Soan. New messages kept popping up at the bottom of the page, and they were scrolling down a hundred at a time, so fast that no one had time to read them. The server was almost overloaded. The amount of the donation also exceeded 30 million after the first hour, and the number was still rising. Everyone who accused Himmel Soan had donated around 30 dollars. With 10 million people, the donation amount had reached 300 million. By now, Stella had lost all hope. It was a complete failure for her, and she had nothing left. After an hour of hesitation, she finally gave in. In that hour, she had had a nervous break down, shouted resentfully, complained about her life, and felt desperate. She was crying and laughing franctically at the same time. After venting her emotions, she decided to let go. She was the only one left in the office. Both Luke and Luna were gone. Piles of trash had been dumped outside her door. There were rotten vegetable leaves, eggs, carrots, cabbages¡­ There were even some funeral wreaths. They all came from angry netizens. However, she didn¡¯t care anymore. She picked up her phone and turned on the camera. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad¡­¡± ¡­ In Caroline¡¯s villa, Warren looked satisfied as he read the comments on his tablet. He had finally solved their problem! It was a close call. If he hadn¡¯t nailed it before sunrise, Bywater would have been in great trouble! So would a lot of netizens in the country! Once the fierce James and Yosef lost control, no one could stop them! In the villa, the electro diagram suddenly went flat. There were waves on the screen a second ago, but they weren¡¯t there anymore. Beep! Beep¡ª The machine made a long warning sound, immediately alarming Hayden, who was working on some medicine. He looked up and went pale. ¡°Patriarch! Patriarch! ¡°Why is this happening?!¡± ¡°Professor Soan, Mr. Soan¡¯s heart has stopped beating!¡± said one of the caretakers. ¡°Perform CPR!¡± Hayden shouted in a trembling voice, ¡°No, let me do it!¡± Himmel Soan was their God! He couldn¡¯t die! He didn¡¯t know that Himmel Soan had just ended another 70-year cycle. A new cycle was about to start. His body was failing quickly. But before long, a new cycle would begin, and he would find all the memories that he had lost. ¡°So, another cycle has ended.¡± To other people, Himmel Soan was as good as dead, and all his organs were failing. In reality, though, his mind was doing exactly the opposite. His mind grew clearer and clearer. Even with his eyes closed, he could still sense his surroundings and see everything nearby. He saw Hayden standing by the bed and performing CPR on him. The man looked anxious and frightened. ¡°Is that Hayden? His hair is all gray. He was still a young man when I last saw him. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. There¡¯s Warren, James, and Caroline. Yosef? Am I abroad? No, this is Bywater. Why the hell is Yosef here? That little brat! Didn¡¯t I tell him to stay abroad?! ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m confused. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve fully recovered my memories yet. Did I send Yosef abroad? Have I remembered it incorrectly? That¡¯s not possible¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t speak just yet. He couldn¡¯t even open his eyes or breathe. The revival started from his brain. That was the initial stage. His physical form would only recover when his mind cleared up. ¡°Patriarch! Patriarch!¡± Hayden did everything he could, but ten minutes had passed, and the old man wasn¡¯t getting any better. Chapter 18 - Himmelians Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Patriarch!¡± A miserable cry rang out in the villa in the middle of the night. It resonated in the night sky and could be heard from hundreds of meters away. James, who had been waiting a few hundred meters away, immediately opened his eyes. ¡°Patriarch?¡± He was perplexed. The voice sounded like Hayden¡¯s. Why? Did something happen to the Patriarch? His face suddenly went pale. Before he could run for the villa, a shadow-like figure beat him to it and entered the house first. ¡°Yosef!¡± The man was none other than Yosef himself. James cried out and ran inside after Yosef. Inside the villa, Hayden knelt beside the bed and was howling in misery. His cheeks were streaked with tears. Next to him, Caroline was crying at the top of her lungs as well, not caring how she looked. Here in this house, her image was the last thing on her mind. Warren looked stunned. He was elated for the turn of the public opinion a moment ago, but his face had gone blank now. Both Yosef and James were dumbfounded. Yosef unclenched his fists and turned his palms upward. He kept looking from Warren to Hayden and back. ¡°What the hell is going on? What happened? Tell me what¡¯s going on?!¡± He knew the answer, but he refused to believe it. He just couldn¡¯t! ¡°Speak! Answer me! Give me an answer! Stop crying! Someone, talk to me! What¡¯s happening?!¡± Yosef had begun to lose control of his emotions. James looked at the screen of the machine, where the electrocardiogram had turned into a flat line. The beeping sound went on. 1 That was the answer. It couldn¡¯t be more obvious. ¡°Patriarch¡­ Patriarch is¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Before James could make a complete sentence, Yosef shouted furiously and grabbed Hayden by his collar. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Patriarch talk to us just now? He was awake! Why is this happening? Answer me! Answer me, Hayden Soan! What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Uncle Yosef, calm down!¡± Caroline wiped off her tears and tried to stop Yosef, who was losing control. ¡°Get lost!¡± Yosef was so frantic that he wouldn¡¯t listen to her. ¡°Warren, you tell me! What¡¯s going on? The Patriarch was fine a moment ago! He was talking to us! Say something!¡± ¡°Patriarch¡­¡± Warren had been standing there in a trance-like state until then and only smiled bitterly at Yosef. He rolled his eyes when he uttered that name before he passed out and fell to the ground. The death of the Patriarch was such a hard blow. Himmel Soan was his God and his world! Warren felt that his world had collapsed now that Himmel Soan was gone. ¡°Uncle Warren!¡± Caroline quickly ran to his side to check up on him. ¡­ Somewhere else in the country, a golden tower stood alone in the middle of a desert. Henry Lang sat alone in his office. His secretary entered and said quietly, ¡°Director Lang, there¡¯s something you should know.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Henry asked. ¡°Please take a look at this.¡± The secretary put a tablet on the desk. Several web pages had been opened, and there were a total of six videos on the tablet. Henry quickly looked through all of them. ¡°The old man was accused of molesting his adopted daughter?¡± ¡°Stella called her father an animal.¡± ¡°The hospital is surrounded, and people are wishing him dead and sending him funeral wreaths.¡± Henry frowned as he read through the articles. ¡°What¡¯s all this? Why are you showing them to me?¡± The secretary said gravely, ¡°Director, please keep reading.¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this gibberish? Since when are you into gossip?¡± Henry mildly chided the secretary, but he was patient enough to keep reading. This place was the Non-Human Research Institution, aka ¡°Sky Eye.¡± It was established over a century ago before the Great Famine. Henry Lang was the sixth director. Sky Eye didn¡¯t have much actual power, but it was of vital importance to the country. They only had one mission¡ªto watch the Himmelians led by Liam Soan. They were some very tough people. Their identities were secretive, and they were unbelievably capable. In fact, that was an understatement. Those men were barely human. No ordinary men could do what they could. Because of their mission, Sky Eye was also called the Non-Human Research Institution. The truth was, Sky Eye wasn¡¯t capable of keeping those people under control. The Himmelians were at least twice as powerful as them. Sky Eye didn¡¯t have much power on normal days, but when the Himmelians were involved, they became the ultimate authority, and the government would open all doors for them. Even then, they still had less than 50% chance of fighting to a standoff with the Himmelians. Fortunately, the Himmelians weren¡¯t villains. On the contrary, they had made great contributions to the country and stopped foreign invasions multiple times. If awards were given out on the basis of merit, no one would deserve more awards than the Himmelians, not even Sky Eye. Liam Soan, the leader of the Himmelians, was the greatest member of them all. The world had been a peaceful place in the past two to three decades, and the Himmelians had remained inactive. Even when they came out, they did so in groups of no more than four or five people and never in large packs. As a result, Henry Lang¡¯s job description had been very undemanding. All he ever did was play. ¡°The old man¡¯s address is revealed, and people have been lashing out their hatred at him.¡± ¡°The president of IF Security picked up the old bastard despite the objections.¡± ¡°Hey, what are these? Why are you showing me¡­¡± Henry Lang complained as he read on. The title of another video read, ¡°The old man¡¯s real name is found out to be Himmel Soan.¡± ¡°Why are these all screenshots?¡± he asked. ¡°Because you can¡¯t find the actual videos online anymore.¡± ¡°Why¡­ Wait, what¡¯s he called?¡± Henry Lang finally realized what they were about. He opened the previous screenshots and was shocked. ¡°Himmel Soan?!¡± He paled and jumped to his feet, so violently that he kicked his chair away. ¡°Not THAT Himmel Soan?!¡± The Himmelians shared the same faith, a god that was also the creator of the Himmelians. The name ¡°Himmelian¡± came from his name. And his surname was Soan as well! ¡°Director, it¡¯s him!¡± The secretary nodded. Henry Lang had goosebumps, and his voice was trembling. ¡°Quick! Check their locations! See if the Himmelians are still there!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Liam Soan, please don¡¯t do anything stupid! You must stay put!¡± Chapter 19 - Go after Them Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Henry immediately sounded the alarm and assembled every one of Sky Eye. Over 800 members arrived in the next minute. ¡°Open up the passageway to the Himmelians! Everybody, come with me!¡± Under his leadership, the 800 people entered the underground elevator in batches. The elevator went all the way downward. No one knew how deep the golden tower went into the ground. The elevator kept moving downward as if there was no end. Henry was looking at all the files and videos his secretary had given him earlier. The more he read, the more anxious and frustrated he became. ¡°Those idiots! How can we have someone so foolish in this country?! They have no idea who Himmel Soan is! He would never touch that disgusting woman!¡± He looked at Stella¡¯s photo and found it nauseating. By the youngsters¡¯ standard, Stella was undoubtedly a goddess. But to someone of Henry Lang¡¯s level, she looked cheap without any distinctive features. She was just as pretty as the next influencer. There was nothing special about her, and her facial features showed that she had little chance of climbing up the social ladder. Stars of the past generation were the real beauties. There was Zoe Wanda, Xenia Loham, Rosaline Leigh, Garland Lambert, Lisa Reese¡­ They all had their distinctive features. One had to be an idiot to believe that Himmel Soan would fall for a woman with a face that had been altered to fit the fad. Luckily, the disturbance had ended, and the netizens had apologized. But the data terrified Henry. The numbers indicated that 67.21 million people had insulted Himmel Soan online, but only 10.14 million had apologized. That was to say, less than 1/6 had apologized, and the rest 5/6 had chosen to stay quiet or accuse Stella without saying anything about how sorry they were. That was a very important issue. And it was a dangerous sign! Henry knew that the Himmelians wouldn¡¯t stop until all those people had apologized. At least, it couldn¡¯t be such a low percentage. Of the 60 million people who had insulted Himmel Soan, 50 million people had to apologize for their actions. Less than half had apologized by now. ¡°Liam Soan, please don¡¯t do anything stupid because of those idiots online! You have greatly helped this country, and the government has begun to trust you. Please leave this matter to the authorities and don¡¯t be rash!¡± It felt ages before the elevator reached the destination at the bottom. Henry Lang kept praying to himself as the door opened. ¡°Please be there! Please be there! Please be there!¡± If he couldn¡¯t find the Himmelians there, it would mean that they were already on the move. The place was empty. When Henry saw the empty hall, he stumbled to the side as if his strength had been drained. A member of Sky Eye steadied him. ¡°Director, are you alright?¡± Henry¡¯s face was ghastly pale. Things had been quiet for many years. The Himmelians had been training in this place and hardly ever went out. It was as if they were cultivating in seclusion instead of training. Henry knew these people well. They told the outsiders that they were training, but they were in fact cultivating. ¡°We¡¯re doomed¡­¡± ¡°Director, do you feel alright?¡± ¡°Send a report to the government! I need the highest clearance level from this moment on. Follow my instructions! The 800 people shall be divided into 80 groups. Go after the Himmelians! We must make them return! I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve left the desert yet, so we still have time! Go now!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Aiden!¡± Henry called a name. ¡°Yes, Director Lang!¡± ¡°Notify the northeast branch. Tell them to find the Himmelian Village in the mountains and see if the residents are still there! Ken, inform the southwest branch. Let them search the Himmelian Pavilion in the lake. We need to know if the members are still there!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± All 800 members of Sky Eye scattered and disappeared in the underground base of the Himmelians. ¡­ ¡°Anyone who insults our master is punishable by death! The country of Moon has disappointed our master!¡± A team of mysterious men was marching rapidly in the desert. They were dressed in black from head to toe with hoodies over their heads. The tight-fitting outfit made them look rather strange. They walked extremely fast, about ten times the speed of ordinary people. The man leading the team was wearing a red cape. Under his red hood, his eyes glinted coldly like those of a king cobra hiding in the sand. He was none other than Liam Soan, the leader of the Himmelians. He was also one of Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils. Himmel Soan had many pupils, and Liam was one of the most outstanding ones. He had reached the next stage in his cultivation. He knew Himmel Soan better than most pupils. To other people, Himmel Soan was as good as a god. But to Liam, Himmel Soan was God. He knew that Himmel Soan was immortal and that his life had a 70-year cycle. Right now, he was at the beginning of a new cycle. Before that, though, Himmel Soan would enter a demented stage. Those clowns had taken advantage of his condition when he couldn¡¯t think straight. 1 Liam wouldn¡¯t let anyone insult his master, no matter who they were. He decided to kill every single person who had insulted Himmel Soan online, including those who had apologized. 2 ¡­ It was six o¡¯clock in the morning. Things hadn¡¯t cooled down online, and Stella was drowned by criticism. At four in the morning, she gave in under the pressure and posted an apology video. In the video, she had unkempt hair and unfocused eyes, and her spirit had noticeably sagged. She didn¡¯t make excuses with righteous indignation as everyone had expected, nor did she cry or play the miserable victim to beg the netizens and Himmel Soan for forgiveness. She only told the whole truth in a low, dejected voice and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I¡¯m sorry, Dad. Yes, what you heard just then was the whole truth. I¡¯ve made everything up. I guess I don¡¯t need to tell you the reason. It was quite obvious. I¡¯m sorry to have betrayed your trust! I¡¯m sorry for letting my father down after he so kindly brought me up! I¡¯m sorry for everything!¡± However, the netizens weren¡¯t going to forgive her. They showed her no sympathy and only lashed out at her with even more force. 1 ¡°Finally! You shameless woman! I thought you were going to make more excuses!¡± ¡°Evil people like you don¡¯t deserve to live! It¡¯s a waste of resources! I can¡¯t believe you have the gut to post this video! Go to hell!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so disgusting! I¡¯ve never met anyone as shameless as you! If I were you, I¡¯d kill myself!¡± ¡°Some people should delete their old comments before accusing her. Read it for yourself. You¡¯ve insulted Mr. Soan with the most unspeakable words! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡± ¡°That was because I was tricked! If Stella Shane hadn¡¯t misled me, I¡¯d never have said such things!¡± Chapter 20 - Kill Those Who Wont Apologize Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°We¡¯ve all been misled. Have you posted your apology video? Did you delete your comments?¡± ¡°I can delete the comments, but I¡¯m not obligated to apologize!¡± ¡°Shame on you! You don¡¯t get to accuse her! You¡¯re just as bad as she is!¡± ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t said anything insulting! I didn¡¯t know! Plus, I¡¯ve taught her a lesson on behalf of Mr. Soan!¡± For a moment, someone with the ID ¡°Harmony¡± became the temporary center of attention, and thousands of netizens began to attack him. The most frustrating thing was that some people supported his argument. ¡°Lmao. Do you think insulting her can cancel out what you did before? Is that all you can do, saying bad things about people? You insulted the old man first, then you insulted Stella Shane. How does that make it even?¡± ¡°So what? Unlike you lot, I still have my dignity. I won¡¯t post a video of me kneeling on the floor. I only kneel for my parents and God! Who does he think he is?¡± ¡°So, you respect your parents and God. I thought you didn¡¯t know what shame and virtue are! Did you spend the past 30 years in a bubble?!¡± ¡°A man should never let his knees touch the ground! You must be a woman. That¡¯s why you kneel so easily! How many people have you knelt for so far? Judging by your comment, I bet a lot! I bet you kneel to someone every single day!¡± ¡°Screw you! Shame on you! You can choose not to kneel, but you must apologize to Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. What can you do to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone should force other people to make apologies. It¡¯s moral coercion.¡± ¡°Moral coercion? If I may ask, do you know what morals are?¡± ¡­ The temporary truce online soon dissipated, and the netizens were divided into three groups. One group felt that since they had wronged the old man, it was only natural that they should apologize to him. Another group felt that it should be a personal choice. One shouldn¡¯t force other people to make the apology because they had all been tricked by Stella Shane. It wasn¡¯t their fault in the first place. Had it not been for Stella Shane, they would never have said those things. They were victims as well and shouldn¡¯t need to apologize. Stella Shane, the culprit, should be the one to apologize for the whole thing. Now that Stella had apologized, they believed that they didn¡¯t have to. The third group remained silent. They deleted all their old comments. They didn¡¯t post any videos or go after Stella Shane in the comment section. No matter what other people said, they simply wouldn¡¯t respond as if they were dead. ¡­ In Caroline¡¯s villa. Yosef was already devastated by Himmel Soan¡¯s death, and the most stubborn group was getting on his nerves all the more. He wanted to tear those people into pieces. If Himmel Soan¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t stopped them earlier, Yosef and James would have taken action and started killing already. ¡°These people never learn! Find everyone who hasn¡¯t apologized! I want them dead!¡± ¡­ Sandy worked as a cashier in a departmental store. When she checked her Twitter and other social media accounts this morning, she found hundreds of notifications. When she opened them, she saw that they were all private messages asking her to apologize. ¡°This is nuts!¡± She quickly checked the update on the news about the old man molesting his daughter and saw that the truth had been revealed. A lot had happened overnight. In the end, even Stella, the cause of the whole thing, posted an apology video. Nonetheless, Sandy didn¡¯t think she had done anything wrong. She only posted a few comments before she went to bed, and she didn¡¯t think she should apologize for anything. She found it too over the top. ¡°I¡¯ll never apologize! Not as long as I¡¯m breathing! Why should I? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I¡¯m the victim, too. I didn¡¯t know Stella Shane could be so evil!¡± Sandy read some more and ignored her DMs. She put away her phone, stretched in bed, and was ready to get up for work. Just then, her phone beeped. There was a new message. ¡°I switched it to silent mode. What is that sound?¡± She unlocked her phone. Suddenly, the screen turned blood red, and some black words appeared. ¡°You didn¡¯t apologize. You¡¯re dead! ¡°Offender no. 147564, Sandy Liffen. ¡°Locating¡­ ¡°Found. Near No. 33, Jade Road, Ninen Island.¡± Sandy freaked out. It was the scariest thing she had ever seen. She threw her phone away like it was on fire. ¡­ ¡°What a bunch of idiots! I just left some comments, and they are telling me to kneel and apologize? Screw them all!¡± Max was an administrator in an internet cafe. He had spent the previous night arguing with people online. The first half of the night was spent criticizing Himmel Soan while the latter half was spent on Stella Shane. His shift lasted till dawn. He yawned and was still pondering over the matter, Idiots! What can they possibly do to me if I don¡¯t apologize? I¡¯ve trashed Stella Shane, and that old man should thank me for it. It¡¯s almost eight o¡¯clock now. I¡¯m off! Just then, the internet cafe became pitch dark. Buzz! The electricity was back. All the computers rebooted as some customers shouted in dissatisfaction. ¡°Administrator, what the hell?¡± ¡°Shit! Why was the power off? I was still editing my comment! I was so articulate!¡± ¡°Screw you! I was halfway through my game!¡± Max rose to his feet. ¡°The fuses were probably blown. Don¡¯t worry. The voltage isn¡¯t stable here.¡± ¡°WTF!¡± Just then, someone shrieked. Max saw that his screen had turned blood red when it was switched on again. Would rebooting the computer do that? This was the first time something like this had happened. As he watched, black words with a melting effect began to appear on the screen. ¡°You didn¡¯t apologize. You¡¯re dead! ¡°Offender No. 231482, Max Lyewood! ¡°Locating¡­ ¡°Found. Computer No. 001 in Chimpanzee Internet Cafe, No. 72 Vary Street, Bywater.¡± ¡­ ¡°Boss, should we apologize?¡± A young man with bloodshot eyes asked the fat man sitting behind the desk. This company specialized in paid posters, and Jerry Sante, the boss, had successfully helped a hundred celebrities in white-washing their names. The paid posters were experts in directing public opinion and shifting focus to different directions. Stella had hired none other than Jerry to slander Himmel Soan earlier. ¡°Apologize? How? Show we all kneel and post a video? We don¡¯t work with Stella Shane anymore. Plus, she paid us to do it, and it was only our job! We¡¯re not in it with her! We shouldn¡¯t be blamed! If Himmel Soan hires us now, we can do the same thing to her!¡± Chapter 21 - Kill Them All Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°It¡¯s our job! We don¡¯t take responsibility for what we say! We don¡¯t need to apologize to anyone,¡± Jerry insisted. He had a point. They were paid posters, and their employers were the ones who decided what they would post online and what stand they should take. Because of the special nature of their job, they had stopped paying attention to what they said online a long time ago. They didn¡¯t care if they were on the right side. As long as they were paid, they were glad to become devil¡¯s advocates. Therefore, Jerry deemed his job justifiable and that an apology wasn¡¯t necessary. Although there were only fewer than 20 employees in the small company, they had an ¡°army¡± of millions of accounts. They could drown anyone online with their criticisms. Adam, one of the employees, nodded. ¡°I agree. It¡¯s not like they can track us down.¡± Dan, another employee, asked, ¡°Boss, is everything fine with Mr. Jones?¡± Jones was Jerry¡¯s boss. It was Jones¡¯s phone call that made Jerry decide to sever his links with Stella Shane without hesitation. Jerry said light-heartedly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! If Mr. Jones tells us to, we¡¯ll apologize. Each account will post an ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± comment, and that¡¯ll do the trick. There¡¯s no need for apology videos!¡± ¡°Totally! Jerry, we¡¯ll be off! We haven¡¯t slept the whole night.¡± ¡°Sure. Good job last night. Go ahead,¡± said Jerry. Something happened at that moment. All computers and phones froze, turning to blue screens. The screens then went black, and the computers and phones rebooted, but this time, they turned red. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The employees looked surprised. Jerry had seen enough to immediately know what had happened. ¡°What the hell? Someone has hacked us! They must have a death wish!¡± A hacker had obviously attacked the company. Meanwhile in the Tanton Manor in Subsea, one of the four megacities in the country of Moon. The clacking of keyboard typing filled the air. The excitement was highly infectious. A sweating chubby man pushed the door open and hurried into the room. Several hundred computers were neatly set on the desks in the room, but there were only over 100 operators. Some of them were bald, some wore hoodies or peaked caps, and some had thick glasses. They were the best hackers in the country. Each of them was operating four or five computers at the same time. They had been summoned here by Camille Soan, the best hacker in the country. It wouldn¡¯t be exaggerating if one were to say that she was one of the best hackers worldwide. With her status, she was as superior to ordinary hackers as Himmel Soan was to James and Warren. None of them would say no to Camille¡¯s call, and they all strived to be the first to arrive, fearing that they would lag behind the others. Today, they only had one task. They were told to locate every keyboard warrior who had posted insulting comments about Himmel Soan. The fat man rushed into the room and asked a girl that was quickly typing on the keyboard. She was surrounded by ten screens. ¡°Camille, how much longer do you need? The Guardians can¡¯t wait! They want some names now!¡± Camille looked at the message and took a deep breath. ¡°We need to locate over 50 million people; that¡¯s a lot of work. We can¡¯t do it in five minutes. Tell the Guardians to be patient.¡± The message was from Caroline. She told Camille not to give the names to the Guardians, or Bywater would be destroyed. The fat manager wiped his forehead. ¡°Can¡¯t we give them something first? Even a few hundred thousand names will do! I¡¯m under a lot of pressure here! The Guardians have urged me many times!¡± ¡°Stall them. The list comes in one big chunk, and I can¡¯t stop halfway. I¡¯ll have to start over from zero if I pause now unless the Guardians only want a fraction of the names.¡± ¡°They want all of the names!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give them anything for now. The program has to keep running until all the people are located!¡± ¡°Gosh!¡± The fat manager sighed and left the room. Camille told the hackers, ¡°Give all the names you found to me only! No one else can see them!¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, black words began to appear on Jerry¡¯s screens as well. ¡°You didn¡¯t apologize. You¡¯re dead! ¡°Offender No. 264783, Jerry Sante! ¡°Locating¡­ ¡°Found!¡± What¡­ What was going on? How could those words appear on the screen when the computer wasn¡¯t switched on? Jerry knew that it was such an advanced technique that he could never do it himself. He was in big trouble. Only the top hackers could do such a thing, and such hackers were probably working for the state. He could only imagine who would be powerful enough to hire such a hacker. After a moment of hesitation, Jerry said hurriedly, ¡°Quick, start the computers and apologize now! Log into all the accounts! Danny, make the videos! We all have to be in it, or we¡¯ll be in big trouble!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, similar situations were happening all over the country. Over 300 million computers were hacked and were showing the warning phrases; over 100 million phones were controlled remotely. There were also over 100 incidents when the phones exploded, blowing up the owners¡¯ hands. As a top hacker internationally, Camille had a special trick. She could send files to all the computers she had hacked, and those computers couldn¡¯t process such files. The machines could be overloaded and heated up to the point of exploding. But she didn¡¯t want to go to such extremes. She didn¡¯t know when the incident started, and when she did, it was too late. Otherwise, with her skills, she could have stopped those people from posting insulting comments. Even if they managed to, she could still delete them all. ¡­ The Himmelians walked out of the desert that was over a thousand kilometers wide in less than an hour. ¡°Himmelians, the purge has begun! Since these keyboard warriors refused to show our god any respect, they have no reason to exist!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± The Himmelians removed their hoodies, took out the sharp weapons on their backs, and headed for the nearest city outside the desert. From this moment on, they were going to avenge Himmel Soan. Chapter 22 - Himmelian Village on the Move Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the northeastern region of Moon Country, there was a vast unpopulated forest. One could walk for hundreds of kilometers without seeing a soul. A great mountain range ran across the region, known as the Great Cino. All kinds of ferocious animals inhabited both sides of the mountain range. It was a very dangerous place. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t last more than ten minutes if they stumbled into this area. No. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even come here. They would be stopped by the sky-high cliffs or bumpy roads before they could enter the mountains and couldn¡¯t get any further. This area was the no man¡¯s land of the country of Moon. However, it wasn¡¯t completely uninhabited. No one knew that a special group of people had taken this place as their home. Less than ten minutes after Henry Lang, the director of Sky Eye, gave the order, small helicopters appeared over the mountain range. Each one could only carry four passengers¡ªfive if pushed. A troop wearing the special force uniform was delivered to this vast forest by these small helicopters. Soon, there were soldiers everywhere. From above, they looked like swarms of ants that were scattering around the forest. Soldiers kept sliding down the ropes from the helicopters. Before long, there were hundreds of them, all wearing special force uniforms. Their destination was a village halfway up the reat Cino and only 300 meters away from their current location. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary village. Only the highest-level government officials knew how important it was. Ordinary people might have little idea of what those villagers stood for, but the high-ranking officials knew better! Any of them could become high-level officials in the government when they left the village without any additional requirements. They would be assuming posts that could command tens of thousands of people was no exception. The village was known as the Himmelian Village. It had existed for over a thousand years, and no one knew who founded it. However, all the villagers were very capable and had been practicing a strange type of martial arts since they were little. They were as capable as the Himmelians in the northwestern desert. The connection between the two was obvious. The Himmelians. The Himmelian Village. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. Sam Caves was the leader of this operation. He remained in the helicopter and anxiously watched from above. Cold sweat was dripping from his hair, and it was easy to tell how restless he felt. He was fidgeting, feeling uneasy. He couldn¡¯t sit still. Sam was the person in charge of the northeastern Sky Eye branch. Ten minutes ago, he received a message from the head of the northwest branch, saying that the people of the Himmelian Village were probably on the move. He had been doing this job for twenty years. In the two decades, he had dealt with the villagers more than once and knew how terrifying they could be. But those people had hardly ever left the village since he took office. No more than a handful had ever stepped out. However, according to Henry Lang, the whole village might be on the move this time. The idea made Sam break into a cold sweat. The entire village were on the move¡­ How terrifying would that be! Together, the village had the power to wipe off an entire city! No. That would be an understatement. It would be like killing fish with a torpedo. The force of the entire village would be unthinkable! Any villager alone could easily take down hundreds if not thousands of people. How terrifying! Some of them had skin tougher than bullets, and even metal blades couldn¡¯t penetrate it. How terrifying that power was! In other words, there were no ordinary people in the village. That was what the Himmelian village was like. They had never left the village together since Sam took office, nor had they ever done so in the millennium that the village was established. Why would they do that now? Sam couldn¡¯t understand why this was happening. He wanted to know the answer but had no clue at all. He had dealt with the villagers before and knew what they were like. They were unsophisticated, kind, and compassionate. If someone said something harsh¡ªwhich was very rare¡ª the old village head would scold them harshly. What would make them so angry that they all left the village at the same time? They hadn¡¯t dealt with the outside world for a thousand years. It had to be something big! Sam watched from above as the Sky Eye members rushed toward the village from all directions like a swarm of ants. He felt a heavy burden on his shoulders. ¡°Please be there! Please be there! Please be there!¡± He prayed. Then he heard the captain of Sky Eye on the intercom. The other party¡¯s words made his heart sink. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no one at the entrance! ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no one at the exit! ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no one in the village! ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve searched all the houses! They¡¯re all empty!¡± Damn it! Sam¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Give me the details!¡± One of the team members said, ¡°Captain, they shouldn¡¯t have been gone for too long. The water on the stove is still hot.¡± ¡°Captain, the beds are warm.¡± ¡°Captain, the stove fire has recently been put out. The wood is still smoking!¡± Sam was pleasantly surprised and immediately gave the order. ¡°Return to the rendezvous point! Send out ten helicopters and search the forest in all directions! We must find the villagers! We can¡¯t let them leave the mountain range!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The helicopters immediately scattered and flew in all directions, searching for the villagers. ¡°Why is this happening? Why?¡± Sam Caves was perplexed. Why would the friendly villagers leave their homes all of a sudden? Where were they going? If Sam had known that the villagers were gone because of the insulting comments, being as short-tempered as he was, he would go after those keyboard warriors himself and tear them to pieces! The northeastern and northwestern regions weren¡¯t the only places where such things took place. Similar things were happening in the southwest and southeast of the country as well. Somewhere else in the country, special force soldiers wearing diving suits came out of the water. The head of the southwest Sky Eye branch was waiting anxiously on the shore. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no one there! ¡°The underwater Himmelian Pavilion is empty! Everyone is gone!¡± The head was shocked. ¡°Have you searched everywhere? Are you sure? Is there no one?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir! There¡¯s no one! All members of the Himmelian Pavilion are gone!¡± Chapter 23 - : Himmelian Pavilion on the Move Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Damn it!¡± The director¡¯s face went pale. People of the Himmelian Pavilion were as capable as the villagers and the Himmelians. The only difference was that they were excellent swimmers. Their ability was something that ordinary people would find unbelievable, but it was true. They could dive deeper into the sea than submarines. At such depth, the water pressure could easily crush a person. The pressure grew as one dove deeper into the sea. The human body couldn¡¯t handle the pressure after a few dozen meters. After that, the pressure could turn one¡¯s head and internal organs into a pup. Yet, these people were different. They were more resilient than the deep-sea fish and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to dive tens of thousands of meters into the sea. 1 Moreover, they had contributed greatly to marine technology in the country of Moon. But they didn¡¯t do it out of altruistic reasons. When they felt like it, they would come back with seaweeds of fish that could only be found tens of thousands of meters under the sea and give them to the country for research purposes. When they didn¡¯t feel like it, they wouldn¡¯t give away anything no matter what they were told. Nonetheless, the contribution they made to science was extraordinary. To be able to dive tens of thousands of meters into the sea meant that these people were hardly humans. Ordinary people would never be able to do that. And they weren¡¯t just incredible in the water. When they came ashore, even the special forces weren¡¯t their match. They might not be able to destroy half of the country like the Himmelians or the villagers could, but if the country of Moon lost them, the development of their technology would stop for a century or even two! Who would know if the submarine could go tens of thousands of meters undersea in two hundred years? No one could guarantee it! But the Himmelian Pavilion could! If they would tell the government everything they knew, the country of Moon could solve all the secrets of the sea. Their technology would have been at least one or two centuries more advanced than other countries in the world. ¡°Why did the people of the Himmelian Pavilion leave the water? What¡¯s going on in our country? Can someone answer me?¡± The director was as confused as Sam Caves when he saw his soldiers come out of the water. Just like Sam, he had been solely dealing with the people of the Himmelian Pavilion for the past decades. But members of the Himmelian Pavilion weren¡¯t as nice as the villagers. They were the polar opposite. They had strange tempers and would stick to their principles. If someone didn¡¯t know these people well, they would find it extremely difficult to deal with them at first. Because of their strongly stated principles, those people had been following the rules that were established a thousand years ago by their forefathers. It restricted them from revealing no more than one secret to the government at a time. They could only make one exception once a month. That was to say, they could tell two secrets to the country per month at most. After that quota was used up, no matter how good the offer was, they wouldn¡¯t give any more information about the deep sea. As a result, the director of the branch believed that those people would never leave the water. Because there was something else written in their rules. People of the Himmelian Pavilion were forbidden to leave the water they lived in. But now, they had broken that rule. To the Himmelian Pavilion, those rules were the words of God. Why would they violate them now? ¡°Sir, we found these words in the water!¡± One of the soldiers showed the branch director a photo. The photo left him shocked. The words were blood red and read, ¡°Anyone who has insulted the Patriarch is punishable by death. The Himmelian Pavilion will do everything to avenge the Patriarch! We¡¯ll right the past humiliations!¡± ¡°Avenge the Patriarch and right the past humiliations?¡± The branch director¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Is their Patriarch still alive?¡± He looked at the soldiers in the water, but they couldn¡¯t answer him either. What he said only made them more astonished. They looked at one another and couldn¡¯t begin to describe their tumult of feelings The Patriarch of the Himmelian Pavilion was still alive! How old would he be? Was he even human? The Himmelian Pavilion had been established for at least a thousand years, and the Patriarch could only be older than that! ¡°Go after them now! Jason, contact the HQ and ask Director Lang if he knows who the Patriarch is and why he has been humiliated. No matter what has happened, we have to right his wrong and bring him justice. Otherwise, I can¡¯t imagine what will happen!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The soldiers jumped out of the water and soon ran out of sight. The branch director wiped away his cold sweat. The clothes on his back were already soaking wet. The Patriarch of the Himmelian Pavilion was still alive¡­ The piece of information was so shocking that he needed time to digest it. It made sense, though. Since members of the Himmelian Pavilion had extraordinary power, so would their Patriarch. A thousand years¡­ That would make him a god-like figure¡­ What did this country do to offend and humiliate a god?! The whole country would be in chaos if they couldn¡¯t handle it properly. No. The whole world could be in trouble! ¡­ ¡°Camille, what have you been doing?! Aren¡¯t you the best hacker in the world? Why is it so hard to locate a few people?!¡± Yosef called Camille on her cell phone. Camille wasn¡¯t a high-ranking member of the Soan family. Yes, she was a prominent figure. She was one of the best hackers in the world, if not the best one, but she didn¡¯t have any real power in the Soan empire. The Himmelians, the Himmelian Village, the Himmelian Pavilion, the Guardians, Orient Chamber of Commerce¡­ Any individual from those forces would be highly influential and could control up to tens of thousands of people. They were also fierce enough to fight a hundred men at a time. But what about Camille? She had always been working alone and typing codes into her computer. The other members of the Soan family could crush her as easily as stomping on an ant. Now that the Patriarch was gone, internal strife would break out in the Soan empire. If she didn¡¯t pick her side wisely, she would be kicked out. Yosef was the leader of eighty thousand Guardians and was the most fierce man in the family. But Warren had given Camille instructions beforehand and warned her of possible consequences. Camille didn¡¯t want to see a massacre in this country, so she chose Warren¡¯s side. ¡°Uncle Yosef, I need more time. There are too many people to locate all at once. Over 60 million users have insulted the Patriarch, and it¡¯s no longer a technical issue. My computers aren¡¯t equipped for an operation of such a scale. They can only locate 5 million every ten minutes. Anything faster will overload the server!¡± Chapter 24 - Three Himmelian Divisions Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool who knows nothing about computers! You¡¯re a top hacker in the world! You can compensate for such limitations with your skill! ¡°If you can only locate 5 million people with a computer, use ten or a hundred together! I¡¯ll deliver them to your doorstep if you don¡¯t have enough computers! I¡¯ll give you 30 more minutes, and that¡¯s it. If I still don¡¯t have that list then, Camille I won¡¯t be so nice anymore. I¡¯ll start from you!¡± Sweat covered Camille¡¯s forehead. ¡°I know, Uncle Yosef. Just give me some more time! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± She called Warren immediately after Yosef hung up. ¡°I can¡¯t stall much longer. Uncle Yosef wouldn¡¯t tolerate the waiting. He gave me another 30 minutes. If I still can¡¯t give him the names then, I¡­ I¡¯ll be¡­¡± ¡°I see. Don¡¯t worry! Just hold on!¡± Despite what Warren said over the phone, he was as anxious as Camille. He was also running out of options. It seemed¡­ He had to get extra help from abroad. He wondered if the news had gotten out of the country yet. If the people abroad got wind¡­ The situation might deteriorate further. He could only hope that the radical members abroad hadn¡¯t gotten the news. Meanwhile, he contacted the conservative members abroad and asked for their help to stall Yosef and James. He couldn¡¯t count on ordinary people to stop the Soans. He had to report it to the authorities. Warren knew that the government had formed two institutions. Sky Eye was the more visible one, and the one less known was called ¡°Dragon,¡± which also went by the names of ¡°Dragon Tribe¡± or ¡°Dragon Division.¡± The members were all top warriors trained by the country. Right now, Sky Eye and Dragon were Warren¡¯s only hope. Sky Eye probably wouldn¡¯t be of much help. It was supposed to balance out the power of the three Himmelian divisions, the Himmelians, the Himmelian Pavilion, and the Himmelian Village. But the idea was a joke. Sky Eye couldn¡¯t post any threat to any of the three divisions. The Dragon Tribe had stayed well-hidden, and Warren only discovered its existence by chance. He had never found where this tribe was located. He wondered if these secret elite warriors had the ability to stop the Soan empire. ¡°Hello, this is Warren Soan. Sir, I¡¯m about to tell you something, and you must listen carefully. This isn¡¯t a joke.¡± ¡°What?!¡± On the other end was a man in uniform. He jolted and almost dropped his phone. His lapel was decorated with medals, and he didn¡¯t look so surprised even when the enemy was pointing a gun at his head. ¡°Alright! I see! I¡¯ll report to my superior now! The Dragon Tribe will do our best! Thank you, Chief Soan!¡± The general sent a report immediately after the phone call. ¡°What on earth has happened? Have Yosef and James Soan lost their mind? Should I call Sky Eye first and tell them to handle it? The Dragon Tribe has been operating in secret so far. Isn¡¯t it a little early to reveal our identities?¡± The general hesitated and called Henry Lang. He fell off his chair when he heard what Henry told him. ¡°The Himmelians are on the move, too?! What¡¯s going on with the Soans?! ¡°What?! Their Patriarch is still alive, and a bunch of keyboard warriors has insulted him? How¡¯s that possible? Those people must have a death wish! I see! I¡¯ll contact the chief of the Dragon Tribe immediately!¡± Now wasn¡¯t the time to be conservative! ¡­ ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me! Mr. Soan, I didn¡¯t expect you to call me. How are you doing there in the east? Come visit us in the north someday! I¡¯d love to have a drink with you!¡± ¡°Rhona, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± said Warren. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Mr. Soan, you sound so anxious. What¡¯s bothering you? Slow down. Has someone offended you? Tell me who they are. I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± She rose to her feet with tears in her eyes thirty seconds later. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯ve found the Patriarch! What? In Moon? James wants to kill everyone, you said? Damn it! How dare they?! They¡¯ve crossed the line! I see. Hang on. I¡¯ll be there in an hour!¡± ¡­ ¡°Hello? What? You¡¯ve found the Patriarch? Over 60 million people have insulted him? They¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°How dare they disrespect their guardian?! They¡¯re as good as dead! They clearly have no respect for their God, so I¡¯ll kill all the scumbags on behalf of the Patriarch!¡± ¡­ ¡°This is the south branch of the Himmelians. How can I help you? What? You¡¯ve found the Patriarch? That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll tell my chief right away! What? The three divisions are on the move to kill a lot of people! Are they crazy? Damn it! Do they have instructions from the Patriarch? This is a mutiny!¡± 1 ¡­ ¡°This is the first outpost, East Sea Tribe of Moon. I¡¯m No. 0275. Everything¡¯s normal on the sea! Wait¡­ Something¡¯s moving! Sir, incoming ship at twelve o¡¯clock! It¡¯s approaching fast!¡± ¡°Please be aware. We spot one, no two¡­ No, three ships! Captain, 117 fast ships are spotted at one o¡¯clock!¡± ¡°This is Outpost 8. We found seven large ships approaching us at full speed!¡± ¡°Captain, we found over a thousand ships on the radar, and over 50 of them are big ones! We estimate that they¡¯re carrying at least 3,000 people!¡± The sea tribes of Moon stationed at the coastline started warning the approaching ships. East Sea wasn¡¯t alone. The same thing was happening on the southern coastline as well. Numerous ships of various sizes were rapidly approaching the shore, and before long, the radar had also found over a dozen submarines. It was something that hadn¡¯t happened for nearly a century! Chapter 25 - Superman? Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It didn¡¯t only just happen on the coastlines. Helicopters began to fly toward Moon from the west and north of the country like migrating birds. There were at least a few thousand of them, covering half the sky. ¡°What the hell is going on? Who are these people? Call the authorities, and broadcast to these people! Tell them to stop, or we¡¯ll start firing!¡± ¡°Captain, they¡¯ve sent a message!¡± ¡°Read it!¡± A border guard read the message aloud. ¡°We¡¯re Mr. Soan¡¯s followers from the southern region, and we¡¯re here to stop the three Himmelian divisions. We¡¯re your reinforcement. We¡¯ve notified Direct Lang and the chief of Dragon Tribe, and the permission is being granted as we speak. Make way for us before it¡¯s too late!¡± ¡°Captain, shall we let them pass?¡± ¡°Of course not! No one is allowed to cross the border without permission!¡± ¡°But Captain, if we stop them, judging by their attitude, they may start a conflict!¡± ¡°So be it! We¡¯ll destroy them! Carry out the order and sound the alarms!¡± ¡­ Henry Lang was given the highest clearance level and took control of all incoming messages. ¡°Let the southern followers through and the ones from the northern ice field, too. No one else is allowed to enter our border!¡± After giving the order, he knew that things were getting out of hand. No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn¡¯t be able to cover everything up. In that case, he had to use Plan B. ¡°Contact all film and TV directors! Tell them to issue statements together and reduce the impact of this incident as much as possible. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Even so, they probably still couldn¡¯t quiet things down. They would only reduce the impact to the lowest level possible. Director Lewis, Director Winner, Director Sandos, Director Logan¡­ All the known directors, no matter how famous they were, issued the statement almost at the same time. They announced that they were shooting some new film in certain regions, and all the seemingly abnormal phenomena would be visual effects only. The citizens didn¡¯t need to worry. ¡°What? A new film?¡± ¡°Director Logan¡¯s Sci-Fi movies are amazing. What¡¯s he making now?¡± ¡°Holy crap! All those directors are making a film together! It¡¯s going to be amazing!¡± As soon as the statements were posted, some mysterious men began to show up. Strong but nimble men wearing masks leapt onto roofs and vaulted over walls. They could climb up a ten-foot wall with a few jumps and were extremely agile. ¡°Shit! Is that Spiderman?¡± ¡°OMG, is that really a movie scene? It doesn¡¯t feel like it.¡± ¡°Is that Superman?¡± ¡°Oh god, is that a jet?!¡± ¡°Bullshit! That¡¯s obviously a fighter plane!¡± ¡°Are you blind? Look to the south! There are men on the jets!¡± ¡­ Planes whooshed by overhead. They weren¡¯t everyday airplanes but were triangular fighter planes and were flying very close to the ground. They whooshed through the city, creating sonic booms in the process. In the city of Suth, men were hovering above the city on saucer-like floating plates. They flew back and forth as if they were looking for something. These ¡°saucers¡± were the secret weapon of the country and were built with the most advanced technology. They were a type of jet aircraft. The flying plates were rather lightweight, and each one could carry one person. ¡°What film is this? Why does it look so real?¡± ¡°Are we even sure it¡¯s not real? Is it really a movie scene?¡± ¡°OMG! Look at those flying plates! When did we invent those?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s been around for a while. They haven¡¯t reached the mass production stage because of safety issues!¡± ¡°Where are the wires? Why can¡¯t I see any? Did that man just climb a five-story building with bare hands? That¡¯s so¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Sir, we didn¡¯t find anyone suspicious in Suth! We¡¯re about to secure the city and stop anyone from coming in and out!¡± ¡°Sir, we didn¡¯t find anyone from the Soans above the city of Norce! We¡¯re about to secure the city and stop anyone from coming in and out!¡± ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve spotted possible suspects from the Soans in the city of Jure. They haven¡¯t targeted any ordinary people yet. We¡¯re waiting for further instructions!¡± The reports came from members of the Dragon Tribe. If they found anyone from the three Himmelian divisions or the Guardians in any city, they would take action. If not, they would secure the city to stop the hostile members of the Soan empire. ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to wash away the humiliation you brought to the Patriarch with the blood of the trolls! Himmelians, draw out your blades for the Patriarch!¡± At the edge of the desert, the Himmelians were ready to enter the city. They scattered to find their targets. A Himmelian kicked down the door to the closest house nearby. With a thump, the wind blew into the house. Inside, a bald man in his thirties was typing excitedly on his keyboard. He was cursing as he typed. ¡°No, I won¡¯t apologize! What can you do? Are you going to climb out of the screen and bite me?¡± The sudden loud bang made him jump. Turning around, he saw a grim-looking man dressed in black standing in the doorway. The blade of his knife glinted coldly. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you? What are you doing at my house? Stay away from me!¡± 1 The man licked the blade of his dagger with his bloodred tongue. ¡°You¡¯ve insulted our Patriarch, haven¡¯t you? This is great. I¡¯ll feed you to my blade!¡± ¡°No! No, I haven¡¯t! Don¡¯t come any closer! Who¡¯s your Patriarch?¡± ¡°You were happy doing it just a moment ago!¡± ¡°What?¡± The bald man suddenly realized what this was about and shouted, ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll apologize! I¡¯ll kneel and post that video you asked for! Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that offer is no longer available!¡± The man raised the dagger, and blood splashed everywhere. The bald man fell on his desk. He covered the cut on his face and was scared out of his wits. He wasn¡¯t dead yet! Because right at the moment the man struck down, two more people rushed into the room. One pushed the bald man away, while the other parried the blow. The sharp blade should have cut his throat open, but it only cut his cheek. ¡°Who are you people?¡± the bald man asked with a pale face. Chapter 26 - Panicked Keyboard Warriors Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who we are. Just run! Himmelian, you need to stop!¡± ¡°Sky Eye! Do you have a death wish?¡± ¡°The proper authorities of the country will make sure that they pay for what they did. Your action won¡¯t change anything!¡± The Himmelian smirked. ¡°It won¡¯t change anything? No! It¡¯ll change everything! Once these people all disappear, no one will know how much humiliation the Patriarch has suffered! If no one remembers, it didn¡¯t happen!¡± 1 The two Sky Eye members shook their heads. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way. You¡¯re only lying to yourselves! It has already happened. Even if no one else remembers it, you still do. Killing everyone won¡¯t change that fact because you¡¯re participants as well! You¡¯ve witnessed how your Patriarch has been humiliated. Are you going to kill yourself as well?¡± The Himmelian nodded. ¡°If the Patriarch minds it, we¡¯re happy to take our own lives!¡± ¡°This is insane! What you¡¯re doing is wrong! You¡¯re only trying to cover it up, not solving the problem! Would you please try the authority just for this once? The government will take action, and soon, everyone who has insulted your Patriarch will apologize. The whole country will apologize to Mr. Soan! That¡¯s the right thing to do!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the Patriarch has passed away. He can¡¯t see anything now! All of these people must die!¡± The two men from Sky Eye were astonished. ¡°What? Mr. Soan has passed away?!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± The Himmelian bellowed and suddenly charged at the bald man. The two Sky Eye members immediately blocked his way. The blades glinted and flashed, and all the objects in the room were broken into pieces. That bald man was so frightened that he hid under the table and shivered. If the two Sky Eye members hadn¡¯t shown up, he would have been dead by now. He didn¡¯t know what was going on. The conversation left him utterly confused, but he wasn¡¯t a total idiot. He knew who Mr. Soan was. However, he didn¡¯t know that Mr. Soan was the Patriarch they were talking about. Who would have thought that the dying old man was an immortal that had lived for thousands of years and was the Patriarch to all the bigshots in the world? Even the keyboard warriors weren¡¯t that imaginative. Similar things were happening in different parts of the city. Members of Sky Eye moved as fast as they could and managed to stop the Himmelians before they attacked the ordinary people. The Himmelians were very capable, and the Sky Eye wasn¡¯t their match in one-on-one battles. But Sky Eye had more people. They engaged one Himmelians in twos and threes. That was how they had been able to hold the Himmelians back. ¡­ On the internet, many keyboard warriors described what they had encountered. There were screenshots and all sorts of pictures. ¡°Guys, do you know what¡¯s going on here? Is it for real?¡± [Pic 1] [Pic 2] [Pic 3] ¡°Why, the same thing has happened to me as well! I¡¯m freaking out here. Look!¡± [Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3] ¡°Shit! I thought I was alone in this! The same thing happened to you guys, too? Look!¡± [Image 1] [Image 2] ¡°That¡¯s so scary! It can¡¯t be real, can it? Is it just a prank?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t it happen to me?¡± ¡°Me neither!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out! I searched the comments of the people who have posted the pictures. All to them have insulted that old man! This is retribution!¡± Before long, someone was meticulous enough to solve the mystery. They noticed that almost all the people who had insulted Himmel Soan had encountered similar things. Even if they only posted one line, they still received that warning message with the dripping blood effect. There were at least 300 million netizens in the country of Moon. Among them, only 60 million had insulted Himmel Soan, and the rest hadn¡¯t done. They had remained objective in the whole process. These people didn¡¯t receive any threatening messages. ¡°That¡¯s karma! You people had it coming!¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t believe you! They can¡¯t locate me! They can¡¯t be that good! What if I throw away my phone? Can they still find me?¡± ¡°You idiot! Don¡¯t insult their technology! If they can find out who you are, throwing away your phone won¡¯t do you any good. You can¡¯t throw away your identity, can you?¡± ¡°What should I do? I don¡¯t want to die! They¡¯re not serious, are they? This is a society ruled by law! They can¡¯t break the law!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide. They¡¯ve gone through the trouble and located every single one of you, haven¡¯t they? Do they look like they¡¯re doing it for fun?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kneel and post an apology video now!¡± Some onlookers even called out to the people who were the most active in insulting Himmel Soan. ¡°@BrotherFree, @CryingKitten, @GeniusGhost# and 18 other users: I bet you¡¯ve all received the message! Don¡¯t play dead! Say something! You were so active the other day!¡± ¡°@Stella Shane: Stella Shane, did you receive the message? He¡¯s your father! It¡¯s said that you can repay your birth parents who didn¡¯t raise you if you cut down your fingers, but there¡¯s nothing you can do to repay someone who has raised you even if they didn¡¯t give birth to you! Stella Shane, you¡¯re worse than an animal! You deserve to be killed!¡± ¡°@Luna Shane @Luke Shane: You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you? You were so defiant earlier! Repeat what you said before, I dare you! Or you can beg for your lives! Let¡¯s see if your foster father will be lenient and spare your lives!¡± ¡°I heard that the old man has passed away!¡± ¡°What? Passed away? Who told you that? Don¡¯t spread rumors! The people who have spread rumors all regretted their decision! Do you want to receive a warning?!¡± In minutes, countless apology videos flooded the internet. Soon, the number grew from ten or twenty million to over 40 million, and the contents were even more ¡°interesting¡±. The keyboard warriors all knelt on the floor with faces covered by tears. They swore that they would correct their errors and claimed that they regretted what they had done. They looked miserable and would say the worst thing about themselves. ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m a stupid dog! I was such an idiot! I don¡¯t know what got into me to make me say such things. I sincerely apologize to you now! I¡¯m on my knees! Please forgive me! I¡¯ll never do it again! I promise!¡± Chapter 27 - Taken Away Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Stella Shane was sitting in her office and staring blankly out of the window. The sun had risen. A new day had begun. She couldn¡¯t remember how she got through the night. She had lost any hope to live on. All kinds of vicious comments online had drowned her. She was all on her own that night. No one tried to help her, not even her family members. They had remained silent and had even switched to Himmel Soan¡¯s side. They insulted her and revealed her old ¡°dirty secrets¡±. Why stay alive at all? Life had lost its meaning. After taking one last look at the webpage on her phone, she picked up the knife on the table. The internet was where she gained her fame, but it was also the place that had buried her. From now on, she would have to live with all the humiliation. Everyone could recognize her as soon as she went outside. As vast as the country was, there was no place for her anymore. And now, there was some military maneuver going on outside. High-tech equipment driven by special force soldiers that no one had seen before was hovering over the city. Perhaps all borders had been shut down. It was almost impossible for her to leave the country. Just then, some angry fans banged on her door, which wouldn¡¯t withstand the force much longer. That door was her last hope and her last psychological defense. Once it opened¡­ Stella sighed and was ready to give up. ¡°I never knew how well-connected that old fool was. As it turned out, I¡¯m the clown. If that old bastard had told us who he was, I would never have to live such a hard life!¡± But it was too late to regret now. She picked up the knife, ground her teeth, and aimed the blade at her wrist. At that moment¡­ There was a loud bang on the front gate. Stella involuntarily looked up, and her suicide attempt was interrupted. A fully-armed special force wearing military masks appeared in the doorway. ¡°We¡¯ve secured the target. Stella Shane is safe!¡± ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve found Stella Shane, one of our chief targets!¡± ¡°Copy that. Take her into protective custody.¡± The soldiers grabbed Stella by her arms and moved her toward the door without giving any explanations. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to help you, Miss Shane. Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll take you somewhere safe! You¡¯ll stay there for the time being.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have the answer once you get there.¡± They led her out of the office that was surrounded by curious onlookers. They watched as Stella was escorted to a helicopter, which then flew her out of the city. The news went viral again. ¡°The government has taken Stella Shane away! I saw it with my own eyes, and I have pictures to prove it!¡± ¡°Holy smokes! I didn¡¯t know it was so serious! Even the government is involved!¡± ¡°OMG. Who on earth is that old man?¡± ¡°Why do you even ask? He¡¯s definitely more important than we think. Even the government is involved! He can¡¯t be just a common folk!¡± ¡°Oh no! Guys¡­ I think I¡¯m in danger! I heard footsteps outside!¡± Someone with the user-id ¡°useless_scholar¡± created a post. The internet seemed to freeze for a second. After that, the comment section went wild, almost overloading the server. ¡°@useless_scholar: Bro, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°@useless_scholar: You still there? Who¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°@useless_scholar: My friend, what¡¯s going on? Are you alright? Talk to us! Who¡¯s there? Are they from the government or the old man?¡± But no matter what they asked, useless_scholar never replied. It was as if the person had been wiped off the face of the earth. He had left no comments or messages after that. ¡°Oh no, that person is a keyboard warrior. Check out his homepage!¡± ¡°Shit! He really is! That¡¯s it. No more questions. He¡¯s as good as dead!¡± ¡°Everyone is apologizing now. Not only wouldn¡¯t that guy apologize, but he also didn¡¯t even delete his old posts and comments. He was ranting only a minute ago. He must have a death wish! The old man¡¯s people must have found him!¡± Someone found useless_scholar¡¯s old posts. There were over a thousand of them, and all posts were insulting Himmel Soan. ¡°That old man is an animal!¡± ¡°He should go to hell!¡± ¡°Stella Shane, I love you! You¡¯re my goddess!¡± ¡°Old bastard, I¡¯m going to send you a funeral wreath made of marble! Can someone tell me which hospital he¡¯s in?¡± ¡°IF Security has taken him away. I bet that woman is a bitch! She looks so mean!¡± ¡­ All his posts had similar content, and there were more than ten pages of them. After the truth was revealed, he didn¡¯t apologize. Instead, he went on making excuses. ¡°We¡¯re victims, too. It wasn¡¯t our fault!¡± ¡°That bitch Stella Shane tricked us! We shouldn¡¯t be blamed! It¡¯s all her fault!¡± ¡°Hey guys, I have these bloody words on my screen. What¡¯s that about? Anyone experiencing the same thing? Please let me know.¡± ¡­ After reading through his posts, everyone concluded that he was dead. He was beyond the average keyboard warrior. Usually, none of them could create so many posts. To post thousands of comments overnight, the person wouldn¡¯t have time to sleep! The man was Johnny Sims. He was in a helicopter at the moment, and beside him were two other keyboard warriors that had made as many ¡°achievements¡± as he did. The three of them were as tame as kittens and didn¡¯t dare to utter a word. They were surrounded by special force soldiers in uniforms. There was a stern look in their eyes, and they all gave off an indimidating air. The only sound came from the spinning propeller overhead. It was disturbingly quiet otherwise. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?¡± Johnny couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. He swallowed and asked the question. One of the soldiers said, ¡°We belong to the Fire Dragon Unit of Moon. The authorities have sent us to protect you. You don¡¯t need to be afraid. Someone is hunting you down, and we must take you to a shelter before they find you. You¡¯ll be safe there.¡± ¡°A shelter?¡± Johnny and the other two men grinned. ¡°You¡¯re from the government! I was so scared! I thought that old bastard sent you!¡± Chapter 28 - I Wont Apologize Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Hearing the words ¡°old bastard,¡± the other ¡°soldiers of the Fire Dragon Unit¡± narrowed their eyes and gave off a murderous air. But the three keyboard warriors didn¡¯t notice a thing. Johnny was back to his old self and no longer seemed anxious. He crossed his legs and took out his phone. ¡°Can I use my phone?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said a ¡°soldier.¡± ¡­ Useless_scholar wrote, ¡°Guys, I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°Holy shit! He¡¯s back!¡± ¡°I thought he was dead! Why is he back?¡± ¡°@useless_scholar Bro, what happened? Who was your visitor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s going on over there?¡± Useless_scholar said, ¡°Thank you for your concern! I¡¯m fine! I thought the old bastard sent them, but it was actually the government. It was a false alarm. I knew that old bastard couldn¡¯t have this kind of resource. He couldn¡¯t have known where I lived. He¡¯s just an ordinary person like all of us! He can¡¯t be that powerful!¡± ¡°My friend, I think you should use your words more carefully. Don¡¯t you feel sorry for what you did?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Man, you really should post an apology video and delete your old posts. It¡¯ll be safer that way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hopeless. I was hoping that the old gentleman¡¯s people would take you away!¡± Useless_scholar replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, then. You all must have been so disappointed! Grow some balls! Why are you afraid of him? I won¡¯t delete anything, and I won¡¯t apologize. The government is protecting me now. That old bastard can¡¯t touch me! I¡¯ve scolded Stella Shane for him. What more does he want? Bring it on! I¡¯d like to see what he can do!¡± ¡°He¡¯s hopeless.¡± Stubbornman wrote, ¡°Oh no, there are a lot of soldiers outside my house! They¡¯re not from the old man, are they?¡± Useless_scholar wrote, ¡°@Stubbornman Calm down, bro. That old fool doesn¡¯t have an army. They must be from the government! Just relax.¡± A minute later, Stubbornman wrote, ¡°It¡¯s true! They¡¯re from the government! That old fool isn¡¯t so scary, after all.¡± ¡°These trolls are beyond saving,¡± other netizens commented. ¡°Even Stella Shane has posted an apology video. Why are they so stubborn? Do they think they¡¯re somehow tougher than her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. It¡¯s none of our business. Let¡¯s see what¡¯ll happen next!¡± ¡­ Earlier that day at 7:30 in the morning, in the penthouse suite 888 in Aurora, a five-star hotel in Bywater, Warren sat on the sofa with Yosef and James next to him. He had broken into a cold sweat. There were two more people in the room. One of them was an old man dressed in a traditional suit with hair so long that his braid reached his waist. The other one was a woman. She was scantly clad in shiny blue armor that was made from nail-sized scales, and her thick, wavy hair was even longer than the old man¡¯s. It was long enough to touch the floor. It was as if she was attached to her hair instead of the other way around. They were Drake Soan and Phoebe Soan, the most fierce members of the Soan empire. Drake was in charge of the village and Phoebe the Himmelian Pavilion. They were siblings. Liam, the head of the Himmelians, was their brother as well. His original name was Tiger Soan. The three siblings hardly ever left their territories. It was very rare of them to make contact with the outside world. Apart from Himmel Soan, hardly anyone in the empire could subdue them, not even the powerful members that operated overseas. The three of them would treat them as equal and no more. When they were around, people like Warren and Yosef would hold their breaths. The siblings were genuine cultivators. They were taught by Himmel Soan himself! ¡°Speak. How did things get to this point?¡± Drake sounded infuriated. ¡°Uncle Drake, please give me another chance! I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± Warren said tentatively. ¡°A chance? You¡¯ve had a whole night, and what have you done? From now on, you¡¯ll all follow my order! No one is allowed to insult Master! Everyone in this country will die!¡± Drake said coldly. Phoebe said, ¡°Drake, isn¡¯t it a bit over the top?¡± ¡°Over the top? They didn¡¯t hesitate when they insulted Master!¡± ¡°But there are over a billion people in the country, and only 70 million have insulted Master. The rest of them are innocent!¡± Warren nodded and wiped his cold sweat. ¡°That¡¯s right, Uncle Drake. We can¡¯t destroy the whole country because of those people!¡± Luckily, Phoebe was more merciful than her brother and was on Warren¡¯s side. ¡°Drake, how about we catch the keyboard warriors and make them pay for what they did? As for the innocent ones, please spare them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Uncle Drake. At least 200 million people in this country live in backwater mountain villages and don¡¯t have access to the internet. They¡¯re all innocent! There are also the elderly and children, who know nothing about it. We can¡¯t kill them!¡± Drake nodded. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll do that. Let¡¯s gather all the keyboard warriors first. We¡¯ll choose a suitable date and execute them together. Their blood will carry Master into the next world!¡± Warren and Caroline heaved a sigh of relief. Drake then snorted. ¡°It¡¯s been a night. You should have found all those people by now. Where is the list?!¡± Warren didn¡¯t dare to defy Drake¡¯s order and immediately handed out the 60 million names that Camille had given him. Camille had located them a long time ago. She just didn¡¯t give them to Yosef. Yosef¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Uncle Drake, I¡¯ve been trying to do exactly the same thing. If Warren hadn¡¯t kept that list from me, I would have killed all those people! You would never have needed to come all this way!¡± Drake glanced at Warren, and the look gave the latter the creeps. That look felt like countless sharp blades on his skin. ¡°Gather everyone on this list.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Yosef and James left with the names. Warren and Caroline had grim looks on their faces. It was inevitable. A lot of people were going to die. In the city of Onor, the largest emergency shelter in the country was located here. Today was the first time that it was put into use after its establishment. ¡°Stella Shane? Why are you here? Screw you! You started the whole thing!¡± Chapter 29 - : Youre Not Real Soldiers Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Most of the keyboard warriors had been led on by Stella Shane. Later, the online community turned on them, while some mysterious force threatened them, telling them to kneel and post apology videos. They believed that Stella Shane was to be blamed for everything. They didn¡¯t think that they had done anything wrong. In their eyes, they were virtuous people. They couldn¡¯t do anything wrong. Even if they did, it was all because they were misled by other people. They didn¡¯t believe that they should take any responsibility. They insisted that they didn¡¯t do anything wrong and that Stella should be the one who apologized. They blamed her for all the threats and insults they had received the previous night. They went on about how harmless they would have been if Stella Shane hadn¡¯t started the whole thing. Moreover, they wanted compensation from Stella for the damage she had caused. As soon as they spotted Stella, they jumped to their feet and started shouting at her, accusing her of everything. Luna and Luke were with their sister, so was their mother, who had been a scavenger before Himmel took them in. They had brought her along. Then, Stella became famous, and her siblings also started their own companies with Himmel¡¯s help. They had both made some money. Their mother¡¯s living standard had improved as well. She became a rich woman and was no longer the thrift and unsophisticated woman. Seeing the crowd charging at Stella, her mother and siblings stayed as far away as possible, fearing that they might be incriminated. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shut up and get in!¡± A ¡°soldier¡± behind them scolded coldly, stopping the crowd. ¡°Why should we stop? That bitch is the reason we¡¯re all here today, and we can¡¯t even complain about it?!¡± One of the keyboard warriors said indignantly, ¡°We would never have ended up here if she hadn¡¯t started the whole thing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s an ungrateful bitch! Why can¡¯t she just die?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I can¡¯t bear the sight of her! Stella Shane, I didn¡¯t know that you were sleeping with Gary Mat. No wonder you rose so fast!¡± Stella listened in silence. She was ready to die. Those insults meant nothing. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Get into the building! Don¡¯t block the gate!¡± the ¡°soldier¡± said impatiently. One of the keyboard warriors said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! We have all this space! We won¡¯t be in your way!¡± ¡°I told you. Get your ass inside!¡± the ¡°soldier¡± shouted. The keyboard warriors stamped their feet with rage. ¡°Why are you shouting so loudly?¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t shouting at you. Why are you so angry? Everybody, did you hear that? He has just insulted me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t just hear it! I recorded it! I¡¯ll post it online and show everyone that the government has insulted a taxpayer! What¡¯s your name? I¡¯ll sue you!¡± The ¡°soldier¡± suddenly charged at him and kicked him in the chin. The man flew 3m into the air, spitting out a mouthful of blood before he even landed. ¡°They hit him!¡± Another man tried to speak, but the ¡°soldier¡± cut him off by grabbing his hair and smashing his hand into the wall. With a thump, there was blood on the wall. The man passed out. The crowd fell silent. No one had thought that a public servant sent by the government would hit their citizens. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± ¡°Are you really from the government? You¡¯re not!¡± ¡°They¡­ they hit us! I¡¯ve recorded it! You can¡¯t do this! I¡¯ll¡­¡± The ¡°soldiers¡± removed their masks. The crowd saw that not only did they have long hair and beards, but they were also of various ages. Some were in their fifties, while some were barely twenty. They weren¡¯t real soldiers! The real soldiers wouldn¡¯t have long hair! Nor were they allowed to grow a beard! ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± A ¡°soldier¡± grabbed a man¡¯s phone and smashed it on the floor. He said coldly, ¡°You¡¯ll see. Now get inside! Do that, or you¡¯ll end up like them!¡± Oh no¡­ The crowd¡¯s hearts sank and knew that they were doomed. If these people weren¡¯t from the government, they had to be from the old man. They didn¡¯t expect that someone would dare to impersonate government officials! That was so bold! On second thought, since they had made such a big scene, they wouldn¡¯t mind crossing a few more lines. ¡­ ¡°Have you located them all?¡± In the city of Benen, a stately man with numerous medals on his lapel asked the special force with a solemn look on his face. ¡°Yes, Sir. The air force was very fast. They¡¯ve located 90% of those citizens.¡± The stately man said, ¡°Citizens? They¡¯re just a bunch of keyboard warriors! Trolls! They¡¯re the reason we¡¯re in so much trouble! If it weren¡¯t for direct orders from my superior, I would never try to save them. I didn¡¯t expect that saving they would be the Dragon Tribe¡¯s first task!¡± The man was Gordon Marlow, the leader of Dragon Tribe, the special force. He had the same clearance level as Henry Lang. While Henry Lang operated in public, Gordon had stayed hidden. His force was the most fierce in the country. After training the troop for thirty years, he had imagined many times what their first task would be. It might be a war with the three Himmelian divisions. It might be fighting a foreign enemy. Or it might be saving the country when there was a crisis. It had never occurred to him that the first task they would perform was to save such a group of people. Luckily, the three Himmelian divisions were involved as well, so it wasn¡¯t a total disappointment. He had always wanted to fight those people. ¡°Get moving. Let¡¯s find those people and keep them safe. Our priority is to save lives. As for the three divisions and the overseas forces, just leave them to Sky Eye.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The captain of the troop then spoke into the intercom. ¡°Carry out the original plan! Move out!¡± Meanwhile, outside Johnny¡¯s house, a fully-armed special force knocked on his door. ¡°Mr. Sims, are you there? ¡°Mr. Sims, we¡¯re from the government. Please open the door.¡± They knocked and knocked, but no one responded. Realizing that things weren¡¯t right, the soldiers broke down the door. The house was empty. Chapter 30 - The Conversation Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no one home! ¡°The man is gone! The door hasn¡¯t been forced open! ¡°There¡¯s no sign of struggling. He must have left willingly!¡± The Dragon Tribe searched the room inside out, but they found no blood or any signs of a struggle. However, someone was bound to see what had happened. They couldn¡¯t cover it up. The soldiers asked around and found out that a helicopter had picked him up. ¡°A helicopter? These people that picked him up, what did they look like?¡± ¡°They were dressed just like you! They were from the government!¡± ¡°What?¡± The soldiers immediately reported to their headquarter. Gordon was perplexed. ¡°What? So, the three Himmelian divisions are on the move.¡± He went silent for a while, trying to think about all possibilities. It was obvious that those people had impersonated government officials. It also meant something else. The shutdown had failed. The other side had infiltrated his defense, and all his intel might be useless. ¡°Everybody, switch to the intercom of the Dragon Tribe. I¡¯m going to give you special orders! ¡°People of the three divisions might have infiltrated the government. I don¡¯t know how they did it, but I can¡¯t distinguish them from the genuine ones at the moment. Therefore, arrest everyone that looks suspicious. Interrogate them until you find out who they are! ¡°Understood?¡± The teams replied on the intercom. ¡°Team 1 copy!¡± ¡°Team 3 copy!¡± ¡°Team 1 copy!¡± Gordon frowned and smacked the table. ¡°Teams 4, 2, 5¡­¡± He named nearly ten teams. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you copy? Answer me!¡± There was no reply. Infuriated, he made his command. ¡°Team 1, is Team 2 to your southwest? Find them and see what they¡¯re up to!¡± An idea then struck him, and he said solemnly, ¡°Oh no, they probably have encountered the three divisions! The teams that can hear me, go find the teams that haven¡¯t responded in your surrounding area. See what¡¯s happening to them and if they¡¯ve run into the Himmelian divisions!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The Dragon Tribe teams acknowledged his order one after another. In about five seconds, they heard someone else¡¯s voice on the intercom. ¡°Mr. Gordon Marlow, General, can you hear me?¡± Surprised, Gordon picked it up. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Drake Soan.¡± ¡°Drake Soan?!¡± Gordon was astonished. Of course, he knew who Drake Soan was. ¡°Mr. Soan? How did you get into this frequency?¡± Then, it occurred to him, and his eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Can it be¡­ Have you infiltrated the Dragon Tribe?¡± 1 ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± said Drake, continuing lightheartedly, ¡°Did you think that staying hidden would keep the Dragon Tribe safe? Did you think that the three divisions only have as few as a few thousand people?¡± Gordon fell into his chair like a puddle of mud. It was as if all strength had left him. ¡°We have¡­ We have traitors in the Dragon Tribe¡­ It¡¯s been decades, and I never noticed them!¡± The three Himmelian divisions were of vital importance. The truth was, they were three key sources that provided talented people for the government on a regular basis. Every month, no, every day, the government would have someone working specifically to look for people with special talents. They would be trained, tested, and filtered. The best ones would be sent to the Dragon Tribe and receive their final training. Gordon had always claimed that the Dragon Tribe was the most elite troop in the country. All members of the tribe were one-in-a-million geniuses and had been carefully selected. Their background was clean, and they were extremely talented. It had never occurred to him that these people would¡­ Of course, some of them were real geniuses, but some of them were sent there deliberately by the three divisions. Those people had been trained by the three divisions since they were little and physically very fit. They could easily pass the Dragon Tribe¡¯s tests. They could infiltrate the tribe without difficulty. They weren¡¯t the only ones, either. There were also the people who had openly left the three divisions. To others, they had fallen out with the three divisions and went back to society. The government would immediately recruit them and provide them with attractive job positions that could command tens of thousands of people. Did these people really betray the three divisions? No. It was only for show! ¡°Drake Soan, I didn¡¯t know that you could be so scheming¡­¡± Gordon switched on his computer and typed something. A window popped open. Henry Lang was looking at him through the camera in utter confusion. ¡°General, what¡¯s going on?¡± Gordon said, ¡°Director Lang, I have Mr. Drake Soan on the line. Since they¡¯ve contacted us, the three of us should talk.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯ve contacted Drake Soan? Where is he?¡± ¡°Here!¡± Drake spoke on the intercom. Henry said, ¡°Mr. Soan, could you tell me why you¡¯re doing this? Why have all the three divisions left their territories? Some people have said some things online. Is that really necessary?¡± ¡°Some people have said some things online? Is that it? Do you still think that it¡¯s not a big deal?!¡± Gordon said, ¡°Mr. Soan, I know that it¡¯s about your Patriarch. Although I don¡¯t know the details, I can tell that he¡¯s very important to you. Could you let the government handle the problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an option!¡± A woman jumped in on their conversation. It was Phoebe Soan. ¡°What? The head of the Himmelian Pavilion is there, too?¡± ¡°You recognize my voice!¡± Phoebe was surprised. Gordon didn¡¯t. It was just a lucky guess. Drake, Phoebe, and Liam (Tiger) were siblings, and they were very powerful in the Soan empire. Phoebe was about the only woman who was Drake¡¯s equal and could speak freely in front of him. ¡°Listen. We don¡¯t want to give you trouble, but you¡¯d better stop working against us from now on. Otherwise, I can¡¯t promise that your people will be safe.¡± Chapter 31 - Ultimate Purpose Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°If it comes to that, you¡¯ll know better than anyone what will happen!¡± What would happen when the Dragon Tribe and Sky Eye ran into the three divisions? What would really happen? The answer couldn¡¯t be more obvious. Gordon had thought that the Dragon Tribe was powerful enough, and it should be able to withstand at least one of the three divisions. But they had lost over half of their soldiers before the real mission even started. They had lost the battle before it even started! The Dragon Tribe might fall apart as soon as they made contact with the enemy force! ¡°I think I know how it will end, but¡­¡± There was a decisive look in Gordon¡¯s bright eyes after the initial resignation. ¡°I¡¯m a citizen of this country, and I¡¯ll never give in! Even if I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯ll die fighting you to the end!¡± Someone suddenly spoke behind him as soon as he said those words, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General, but you won¡¯t be able to do that. We¡¯re going to remove all your communication devices. You¡¯re not allowed to leave this room.¡± Gordon turned around in astonishment and saw two young men in the doorway. They were both his deputies, his second-in-command! ¡°Dan! Frank! Are you going to betray the Dragon Tribe as well? Wait, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re on their side as well.¡± Drake said, ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re from the Himmelian Village as well. It¡¯s not just the Dragon Tribe. We have people in Sky Eye too! General Marlow, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to remain in this room until our mission is over. We¡¯ll release you after that.¡± Henry Lang bellowed, ¡°Drake Soan, you can¡¯t do this! Have you lost your mind? It¡¯s not one or two people we¡¯re talking about here! You¡¯re not even going after a small group! You can¡¯t kill over a billion people!¡± Drake said, ¡°Not a billion. The 60 million keyboard warriors are all we want; we won¡¯t touch the rest of the population. Those 60 million people have humiliated our Patriarch in the most unforgivable way. The Soans never have the intention to betray this country, nor have we expected things to have gone so far. We¡¯ve provided you with really talented people, and they¡¯ve been more than happy to serve this country. If my Master hadn¡¯t been involved, they would never have revealed their true identities!¡± Phoebe said, ¡°That¡¯s right! They¡¯re the pillars of this country, but their loyalty has always stayed with us! If the Patriarch hadn¡¯t been involved this time, they would have served in the Dragon Tribe and Sky Eye until they retired. But now, they really can¡¯t help you anymore!¡± Behind Gordon, Frank spoke in a sorry tone, ¡°That¡¯s right. General, you¡¯ve been very kind to us. I¡¯d never have worked against you if this thing hadn¡¯t affected the Patriarch¡¯s reputation. I hate the idea of turning against you. Unfortunately, you¡¯re not one of us, and you¡¯ll never know how important the Patriarch is to us!¡± Henry Lang asked, ¡°How important is he?¡± Dan said, ¡°More than our own lives. Director Lang, can you understand us?¡± Henry nodded at the camera. ¡°I¡­ I think I may understand a little.¡± Something then occurred to him, and he shouted into the camera. ¡°But Mr. Soan, although you say you only want 60 million people, the Himmelians have been attacking civilians and killing innocent people! What do you have to say about that?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve spoken to Liam, and he has stopped carrying out that plan. He¡¯s on his way to me now. Apart from the 60 million sinners, we won¡¯t touch anyone else.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, is there really no other way?¡± Gordon took out his phone and showed him the apology videos. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you seeing this? Almost 40 or 50 million of those 60 million have apologized. There are over 30 million videos online. You can take a look! A fault confessed is half redressed. They¡¯ve admitted their mistake. Isn¡¯t that enough? Do you have to kill them?¡± Drake said, ¡°You can pull a nail out of a piece of wood, but the hole is still there. Sorry doesn¡¯t mean a thing! The hole would be left in the wood forever! Saying sorry won¡¯t cancel out what they¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you show some mercy? Won¡¯t you give them a chance?¡± Gordon asked in resignation, and he pleaded, ¡°I understand what you mean, but those people have been misled. They didn¡¯t know at first.¡± Drake said, ¡°They could have a second chance, and I¡¯ve given them that! If this thing had died down before the three divisions got involved, we¡¯d never have gone this far. General, Director Lang, I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s all I have to say. If you try to intervene again, we won¡¯t be so civil!¡± Henry asked, ¡°Can you tell us what your ultimate plan is? Is it just to kill people? What will happen after you kill those people? Can all the killing bring your Patriarch back?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡­ Drake switched off the communication device. He turned around and looked at the hundreds of people behind him. People like Caroline, Yosef, Jame, Camille, and Warren were all there. They were all influential figures in the Soan empire, and every single one of them was a leading figure in the outside world as well. Some were even famous worldwide. However, they shared one thing in common. They were all members of the Soan empire, and they all had a common mission. They were waiting for the Patriarch to return. Since that wasn¡¯t going to happen, there was only one thing for them to do. They lived for Himmel Soan. He was their God. Now that God was gone, they had no reason to remain in this world. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Drake asked Warren. Warren felt frustrated because he was a peaceful man. He didn¡¯t want to kill anyone. However, his words didn¡¯t count anymore. The worst situation was going to happen. That was the last thing he had expected. Warren sighed. ¡°The Soan¡¯s army of the northern ice field, the southern Himmelian branch, and the followers in the West Sea are still on their way. The West Sea members have crossed the Pacific and reached the East Sea. They should be with us soon. The southern branch has also flown over the snow mountains on the west. They should arrive in 30 minutes.¡± Drake sighed with a heavy heart. Their ultimate plan was to take their own lives. Once they avenged Himmel Soan, they would follow him into the other world. They had nothing to live for here in this world. With Himmel Soan gone, they had lost their faith. Chapter 32 - System Failure Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Send the message.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± At Drake¡¯s command, Camille went to her laptop and typed something. In an instant, she took control of all the computers in the country. Everyone¡¯s communication equipment stopped working, and they all received a mysterious file on their phone. It was an app. The forums, bbs, and blogs had been actively discussing the event, but everything suddenly went quiet. All the servers were down, and no one could type anything on their devices as the app automatically opened. A photo appeared on everyone¡¯s screen. It was an image of none other than Himmel Soan as an old man. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Shit, my computer froze!¡± ¡°Mon, my laptop is broken!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your computer! My phone is broken! Look! What¡¯s happening to my phone? It won¡¯t do anything! The keyboard won¡¯t work! I can¡¯t even switch it off!¡± ¡°What the hell is going on? My phone is the latest model! It cost me ten grand! I can¡¯t be broken!¡± ¡°Administrator, what¡¯s wrong with the lousy computers in your cafe?! I was in the middle of a game! I¡¯ve reached the high ground!¡± 1 ¡°Shit! I¡¯m leaving! Give my money back!¡± ¡°Shit! Why is it happening to my phone, too? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Who the hell is this old man? Is it a funeral photo or something? That¡¯s so ominous!¡± Not everyone followed the news online. These people had heard nothing about an old man being suspected of molesting his foster daughter. Therefore, they didn¡¯t recognize Himmel Soan. The people who followed the news recognized the old man as soon as the picture showed up. He was the old man that was supposed to have molested his foster daughter. ¡°It¡¯s him! He¡¯s that old man!¡± ¡°It seems that he has passed away. Damn that Stella Shane!¡± ¡°Shit, this old fool again! Is it ever going to end? Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s knocking on my door? Who are you? You can¡¯t break in like this!¡± ¡°It looks like some sort of a virus has attacked our computers and phones. They didn¡¯t break. Is that old man behind this?¡± ¡°Someone needs to tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡­ Words began to appear in the photo as the app kept running. ¡°Himmel Soan. ¡°He passed away at the age of 221. ¡°He was born in 1800 and died in 2021. ¡°He was a magnanimous and selfless man. He has established the three Himmelian divisions, including the Himmelians, the Himmelian Village, and the Himmelian Pavilion, as well as various branches including the southern Himmelian branch, the northern Ice Field branch¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! No one can live for that long!¡± Simon snorted when he saw the message on his screen. ¡°Holy crap! Over 200 years old? Seriously?¡± ¡°Who? That old man? Isn¡¯t he the one who messed with his adopted daughter? Is he human?¡± The app was still running. ¡°In 1862, Himmel Soan formed the Green Mountain group to defend the country against foreign enemies. Nathan Soan, the leader of the famous Green City Movement, was his pupil. ¡°Nathan Soan then became the first village head of the Himmelian Village. ¡°In the year 1871, Nathan led his men and chased away the violent beasts within 300km from the Great Cino mountain range, stopping the tigers from eating more innocent people. ¡°In 1872, a great shipwreck took place, and the country still couldn¡¯t build large ships of its own. Himmel Soan took Thomas Soan abroad to learn shipbuilding. After they returned, Thomas set up a scientific institution and made great contributions to the country!¡± ¡­ ¡°What? Himmel Soan has trained Thomas Soan as well?!¡± ¡°Thomas Soan, as in ¡®Thomas Soan¡¯s words are louder than a thunderclap in the country of Moon¡¯? I didn¡¯t know that great scientist was he the old man¡¯s pupil.¡± ¡°Seriously? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. It doesn¡¯t sound right at all!¡± ¡­ The message kept rolling. ¡°The Himmelians set up their community in 1911. In the next 30 years, they created over 100 oases in the desert and rescued as many as 1175 travelers. Up till 1993, the Himmelians have saved 24,257 people in the desert. ¡°In 1976, the first mountaineering team of the country encountered an avalanche while climbing Mount Everest. The Guardians stationed at the mountain top saved them in time and rescued all seven members! ¡°In 1979¡­¡± More words kept popping up on the screen. Since 1850, there had been major events almost every year. Many people suspected it at first, but soon, the app showed Himmel Soan¡¯s pictures with famous people and even interviews. The video footage didn¡¯t have the highest definition. It was obviously shot by ancient cameras, but one could still recognize the people in them. The voices were clear enough as well. ¡°I¡¯m forever grateful to my teacher, Himmel Soan!¡± That was Thomas Soan, the great scientist. ¡°I would have died at eight if it hadn¡¯t been for him!¡± That was the famous medical professor Grant Soan. ¡°My teacher has helped me more than my parents have! Without him, I would never have become what I am now!¡± That was Spencer Soan, the famous writer. ¡­ Countless valuable video footage was shown, dating from 1850. There was no video camera in the early days, but there were pictures and recordings. The app kept running until it was showing present-day videos. Frank, a member of the Dragon Tribe said, ¡°The Patriarch is my only reason to live.¡± Caroline Soan, the president of IF Security said, ¡°Without my adopted father, my company and I would never have existed. Warren Soan, the president of the Orient Chamber of Commerce said¡­ No one had expected that various bigshots would show up in the end. Famous people from home and abroad gave their speeches. Well-known entrepreneurs like Kevin Matano, Jack Wattcon, and Tom Matcon all said a few words as well. That was proof enough of the authenticity of the information. ¡°Oh god, this is real!¡± ¡°What kind of a man the keyboard warriors have offended?! He¡¯s practically a god!¡± ¡°He was a god that has lived over 200 years old, and they have insulted him! How abominable!¡± ¡°They had it coming! They all deserve to die! Even I want to kill them now! They¡¯re disgusting!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I should have spoken up for the old gentleman when it happened! I hope he won¡¯t blame us in the other world!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in saying that now! They¡¯re as stupid as pigs! No, we¡¯re worse than that!¡± Chapter 33 - Saint Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It seemed that the app had been running forever, but it hadn¡¯t covered half of the information. Himmel Soan had achieved so much more than that in his life. In 1974, Himmel Soan built the city of Sun for the country but gave the honor to the Orient Chamber of Commerce. In 1975, he financed the construction of the Great River Bridge. In 1982, he built the great bridge in the city of Suth. In 1988, there was a power shortage after the economic reform in the country of North Field, and Himmel Soan established the first hydro plant for them. In 1989, he built the first wind power plant in the Bitter Sea of Soullar. In 1990¡­ In 1993¡­ ¡­ The list never seemed to end. The country watched in silence when they saw Himmel Soan¡¯s name on all the famous major projects in the nation. ¡­ Nearly 300 thousand keyboard warriors had been brought to the shelter. The place would never be big enough to fit 60 million people. It wouldn¡¯t even hold 6 million. To gather all 60 million people, they would need at least 200 shelters. The three Himmelian divisions had the resources, though. They could build five hundred or a thousand shelters if they wanted, let alone two hundred, and no one in the country knew how many they had built so far. No one knew what their real power was. Meanwhile, the shelter that was packed with hundreds of thousands of people remained perfectly quiet. There were no shouts or fights, and no one was pushing around. All the trolls were staring at their phone. Even Stella Shane and her siblings were watching carefully. They felt conflicted and didn¡¯t know what to say. Himmel Soan. The man was like God. He had lived for over 200 years! He was the belief of the Soan empire. He had devoted his whole life to this country without asking for anything in return. He was happy to stay behind the curtain despite his great contribution. To call him a great man was an understatement. But¡­ ¡°What have I done?!¡± Even someone as arrogant as Stella Shane fell silent after reading the record of Himmel Soan¡¯s life. Compared to him, she was nothing. She was as unimportant as an insect, yet she had tried to step onto a giant and reach for the stars. How pathetic! She realized that she had done the most stupid thing. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to call him that! You don¡¯t deserve it!¡± Everyone here had insulted Himmel Soan, or they wouldn¡¯t have ended up here. However, a keyboard warrior would always be a keyboard warrior. One of them stood next to Stella Shane and mocked her when he heard her words. Stella immediately dropped to her knees. This time, she genuinely felt sorry. Himmel Soan was not someone she could offend. It would be blasphemous! ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done those things either. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°Me, too! I didn¡¯t know who Mr. Soan was! That was so foolish of me! I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m a bastard! A scumbag! I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan!¡± One of the men knelt on the floor and started slapping himself. The other keyboard warriors were moved by what he did and found his reaction justifiable. Smack! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan!¡± Smack! ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please forgive me!¡± Smack! ¡°Had I known how great you were, I would never have the courage any of those things, not even when I have a knife on my throat! I wouldn¡¯t have said anything!¡± Smack! The keyboard warriors slapped themselves as they apologized, and the crisp sounds resonated in the shelter that was silent a moment ago. The people of the three divisions took off their masks. Tears had filled their eyes. ¡°Rest in peace, Patriarch!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll miss you, Patriarch!¡± ¡°Rest in peace, Patriarch!¡± The Himmelians were moved, some even bursting into tears. The crying broke many hearts. ¡­ ¡°There are so many¡­¡± Chapter 34 - Faith of the Soans Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Gordon¡¯s heart sank when he saw the countless records on his phone. Henry Lang saw the same thing. All the electronic devices in the country had been hacked, and everything that had a screen was showing Camille¡¯s app. ¡°Are these records true?¡± Gordon murmured to himself in disbelief. Behind him, Frank, the deputy of the Dragon Tribe, nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s true, and I can tell you that the record doesn¡¯t cover everything he has done. The Patriarch doesn¡¯t want to gain fame or earn anything in return. He only wants to make our country greater. That was the sole purpose of his life. Otherwise, why do you think we worship him?¡± Dan said, ¡°Everything you¡¯re reading is what the three divisions have recorded, and they would only record what they¡¯ve seen. With the Patriarch¡¯s habit, he wouldn¡¯t tell us what he had done unless we asked. Sometimes he wouldn¡¯t tell us even if we asked! So we must have left a lot of things out. Maybe the Patriarch has even arranged the establishment of the Dragon Tribe.¡± ¡°I thought the three divisions had infiltrated the Dragon Tribe, but as it turns out, the Dragon Tribe was set up as an addition to the three divisions. Am I right?¡± Gordon sounded stunned. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. The Patriarch didn¡¯t care about such things. Why is it so important to distinguish one from the other? If that were the case, the Patriarch wouldn¡¯t have let the three divisions send talented people to the government every so often. He could have kept all those people to himself. Why should he help you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Gordon nodded. ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m sorry to have put you through all that!¡± ¡­ The app finally reached its end, and a sign appeared on the screen. It looked like a combination of the letters S, O, A, and N. One couldn¡¯t tell if it was an inscription or the word ¡°Soan¡±. It was the sign of the Soans, meaning that the members had been summoned. After that, the electronic devices became normal again. ¡­ Seeing the sign on his phone, Chad Soan, the contractor, put down his spade and safety helmet. He smiled at his coworkers. ¡°Guys, I¡­ I can¡¯t continue with this project anymore. Here¡¯s the salary for this year. Jack, take it and give it to everyone.¡± ¡°But why?¡± One of the workers was baffled. ¡°Mr. Soan, we¡¯ve been on this project for three years, and we¡¯re about to finish. Why are you giving up now? It¡¯s going to be a great project, like one of Hercules¡¯s 12 labors! Once it¡¯s done, the towns on either side of the mountain can come and go as they want!¡± Chad looked at the mountain. He would need at most another year to dig through it and build the underground tunnel. After that, traveling would be much easier and more convenient for people living on both sides! But he couldn¡¯t do it anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys, but here¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m from the three Himmelian divisions. I came this deep into the mountain to build a tunnel because someone had instructed me to! Mr. Soan was the one who sent me here!¡± Chad was very proud to work for Himmel Soan. It was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. ¡°But I have to leave now. I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you! I can¡¯t keep my promise to you. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡­ Just like Chad, Wendy was from one of the three divisions as well. She was sent to an impoverished mountain village as a volunteer teacher. Seeing the summoning sign on TV, she sighed and put down her chalk. ¡°Kids, I¡¯m sorry, but I need to go out for a bit.¡± ¡°When are you coming back?¡± one of the students asked. Wendy felt like crying. ¡°I may not come back! You¡¯re on your own, I¡¯m afraid! I¡¯ll be leaving now!¡± Chapter 35 - The Beginning Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Wendy had been teaching in the mountain village for free for six years. Numerous students had left the mountains after they graduated under her tutelage. But she couldn¡¯t stay here any longer because she had lost her faith. It was a meaningful job, but not to her anymore. ¡°Miss Wendy!¡± ¡°Miss Wendy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go, Miss Wendy! Where are you going?¡± The children ran out of the classroom and called after her in tears. Two elderly villagers heard the commotion and tottered closer to check upon them. ¡°Miss Wendy, where are you going?¡± ¡°Linda, Ursula, thank you for all your help over the years. I have to go! I¡¯m sorry! I can¡¯t stay here anymore!¡± Wendy cried as she ran out of the village and into the mountains without hesitation. ¡­ What happened to Chad and Wendy was happening all over the country. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys, but I can¡¯t keep my promise!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, where are you going? You said you were going to help this village so that we¡¯ll have a better life! Things have just begun to improve! Why now?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a member of the three Himmelian divisions and part of the Soan empire. I have to go back to see our Patriarch for the last time!¡± ¡­ ¡°Mr. Soan, can¡¯t you stay? What are we going to do without you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you either, but I have to! Goodbye, everyone!¡± ¡­ All the members of the Soan empire had to return when they saw the assembling sign. Drake was watching the videos sent by shelters from all over the country. He was conflicted. In the videos, his prisoners were slapping themselves while the members of the three divisions were crying aloud. They were moved by their action. Caroline¡¯s eyes were also red and swollen. ¡°Grandpa Drake, are we really going to kill them? They¡¯ve admitted their mistake. Can¡¯t we forgive them?¡± Warren said, ¡°Uncle Drake, please spare their lives. I¡¯m begging you! All 68 million people have apologized and are willing to accept any punishment. The Patriarch has always taught us to be forgiving and lenient. Are we really going to do this?¡± Drake sighed and asked, ¡°Is everyone here?¡± ¡°Yes. Our people from the northern ice field and the southern branch are all waiting outside.¡± ¡°What do they think? What do they think we should do?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll follow your order, but if it¡¯s possible, they hope that you can forgive these people. They didn¡¯t want internal strife among the Soans, so they stayed outside so that they won¡¯t start arguing with you.¡± Drake nodded. ¡°I see. Warren, start the last stage. As for those people, you can let them go.¡± Warren was elated and nodded. ¡°Sure! Thank you, Uncle Drake!¡± Yosef rose to his feet and announced to the crowd, ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± The crowd passed the message down the line. Drake led the Soans out of the room with sorrow in his eyes. They went to Caroline¡¯s villa. Hayden was dressed in an imperial robe. The golden robe was embroidered with nine dragons on it. He had also carefully fixed Himmel Soan¡¯s face and clothes. He saw through the window that Drake and the others were waiting outside. He said sadly, ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯re here to see you off!¡± Outside, Warren said loudly, ¡°Uncle Hayden, we¡¯re here to see the Patriarch off!¡± After that, 16 men from the Soan empire carried a giant flower bed into the courtyard. Hayden carried Himmel Soan¡¯s remains out of the villa. The others then helped him put Himmel into the crystal coffin at the center of the flowerbed. ¡°We¡¯ll bury the Patriarch in the place that¡¯s the closest to the sky! All members of the Soan empire, this trip isn¡¯t obligatory. You can choose whether you want to follow us on this last journey or not! We won¡¯t force anyone! Feel free to stay here!¡± After that announcement, Drake walked through the crowd and set off without looking back. There was nothing for him here! ¡­ In the online world. Once the computers and phones were working again, everyone rushed online. ¡°Shit! Did everyone¡¯s computer and phone break down? Or was it just mine?¡± ¡°You think too highly of yourself! It happened to our entire internet cafe! It definitely wasn¡¯t just you! I¡¯m sure of it!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Mr. Soan had made so much contribution! We crossed the line a little, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an understatement! We¡¯ve done such horrible things to him!¡± ¡°What have we done? Damn that Stella Shane! Would things turn out differently if we had spoken up for Mr. Soan?¡± ¡°With what was going on, who could have known?!¡± @Undereducated wrote, ¡°Guys, look! I just shot this!¡± Suddenly, someone named ¡°Undereducated¡± posted a video online. In the video, 16 men were carrying a giant flower bed, at the center of which was a crystal coffin. A man was lying inside. It was an old man wearing a golden imperial robe. The viewers immediately recognized him. By now, Himmel Soan was so famous that everyone knew what he looked like. At least a few hundred people were following the 16 men. They all had a solemn look on their face as they slowly walked after the coffin and flower bed. ¡°What are they doing?¡± ¡°I have no idea!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t someone say that the three divisions were going to stick with Mr. Soan, dead or alive?¡± ¡°Holy smokes! That¡¯s so scary! If that¡¯s the case, are they going to kill themselves?¡± ¡°Noooo!!!¡± ¡°Seriously? Now that¡¯s creepy!¡± ¡­ ¡°Good evening, everyone. You¡¯re watching Suth TV. I¡¯m your host, Linda. ¡°As you can see, over 9,000 people are following Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s coffin, and they¡¯re heading west. We have no idea what their plan is! ¡°Judging by the direction, they¡¯re going into the desert!¡± The three Himmelian divisions became the center of the attention of the entire country. Someone speculated online, ¡°They¡¯re not going to bury themselves alive, are they?¡± ¡°Who knows? We can¡¯t let them do that! We need to figure out a way to stop them!¡± ¡°What way? What can we do? No one can stop them now!¡± A few helicopters landed near the funeral procession. Henry Lang stepped out first. ¡°Drake Soan, what are you doing?¡± Chapter 36 - : Bad News Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Gordon jumped out of the helicopter after Henry Lang. Both of them scrambled toward Drake, looking agitated. Many more helicopters were coming their way. They covered half of the sky like migrating birds. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Drake said matter-of-factly, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten out.¡± Gordon said, ¡°Drake, why didn¡¯t you tell us what Mr. Soan had done for this country?! He was the reason that this country has made so many achievements in the past century! He was the force behind all the development! If you had told us, we would have searched for him with you! Maybe¡­ Maybe none of this would have happened!¡± Phoebe waved him off. ¡°There¡¯s no point in saying that now. What happened happened, and any discussion is a waste of time. General, Director Lang, please go back and let us finish our mission.¡± ¡°Your mission? What¡¯s your mission? Please tell me it¡¯s not what I think it is!¡± Drake said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve released those 60 million people. What more do you want?¡± ¡°No, they deserve the punishment! Mr. Soan is the greatest man in the country! It¡¯s just like what you said, he¡¯s a god!¡± Henry Lang and Gordon Marlow didn¡¯t think that way before they knew about Himmel Soan¡¯s life, but after watching the app, they had a thorough understanding of his life. No wonder so many people around the world believed in Himmel Soan and treated him like God. He even became the only reason that kept them alive! He was worth it! Even Henry Lang felt that Himmel Soan was as legendary as a god. His exceptionally long life alone could amaze the world. After Henry learned the truth, he sided with the three divisions. Those people deserved to be punished! Drake smiled. ¡°Farewell, Director Lang!¡± With a wave of his hand, the ten thousand people followed him toward the west. ¡°Camille, tell the Himmelian Village to stop everything they¡¯re doing and meet us at the sacred temple!¡± Drake gave the order as he walked. Camille was the best computer genius in the world, and she could contact anyone from the Himmelian Village as long as they carried a communication device. Phoebe added, ¡°Tell the Himmelian Pavilion to stop what they¡¯re doing. They should set out for the sacred temple right now!¡± ¡°Tell the Himmelians to stop what they¡¯re doing. They should set out for the sacred temple right now!¡± ¡°Tell the Guardians to stop what they¡¯re doing. They should set out for the sacred temple right now!¡± ¡°Tell the elite members of the Martial Arts Association to abandon their previous plan. Their new destination is the sacred temple!¡± ¡°Tell the members of the southern Himmelian branch to abandon their previous plan and meet us at the scared temple as soon as they can!¡± ¡­ The orders were passed down in succession. Summoned by the Soan empire, all members of headed for the same destination. The sacred temple of Moon. It was located at the center of the country in the hometown of Master Ghon, the greatest scholar in history. It was also one of the eight most famous tourist destinations in the country. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Camille nodded. She ran to her car and sent the message to every member of the Soan empire through her computer. ¡­ Numerous reporters and vloggers were following them and broadcasting the event online. ¡°Hey guys, I¡¯m Ruth. I¡¯m right here with Mr. Himmel Soan, the great man himself. You can see his remains in that coffin over there, and these people are all his followers!¡± ¡°Look! That¡¯s Sean Lax, the first world heavyweight champion in our country! I didn¡¯t know that he was with the three divisions as well!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Kay! I¡¯m a big fan! He¡¯s a follower as well?!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see their names on that app!¡± ¡°If Sean Lax and Kay aren¡¯t important enough to be mentioned in that app, how powerful are the three divisions?¡± Their real power was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. In the past two centuries, countless famous men and great scholars who had made contributions to the country all came from the Soan empire. How incredible! No wonder Himmel Soan was considered to be their God! ¡­ In a remote valley in the northwest, a man with sun-tanned skin sat sadly by the side of a road. ¡°Mr. Soan, what¡¯s the matter? Are you tired or thirsty? Have some water!¡± The man was from the big cities. He had brought a lot of resources with him and invested in the construction of a road. He had brought hope to this small town that no one had heard of. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration when one said that it took them three days to get to the nearest big city. Without a proper road, they had to climb over mountains and sleep in the woods for two nights before they could reach modern civilization. This man had been building tunnels, bridges, and roads for them since he arrived. As a result, three-day the journey to the cities was shortened to 24 hours. They were building a tunnel through the mountain now. Once it was completed, the 24-hour journey would be further shortened to half a day. To the people here, this sun-tanned man was their God. He was concerned with everything that was happening to his God. Seeing the troubled look on the man¡¯s face as he sat by the side of the road, people of the town thought that he was tired. They moved closer to check upon him. The man said in resignation, ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys, but I may be gone for a while.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving? Why?¡± ¡°But Mr. Soan, the tunnel hasn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can keep my promise! I can¡¯t work on this tunnel anymore, but you can! You have to finish the project after I¡¯m gone! Joe, Tim, do you hear me?¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Somewhere far away!¡± ¡­ He wasn¡¯t the only one who behaved oddly. Similar things were happening in 80% of the undeveloped mountain villages in the country. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys, but I won¡¯t be here when the bridge is completed.¡± ¡°Sorry, everyone, but I need to go away for a while. Here¡¯s everything I have. You can take it!¡± ¡°You must work hard and have good grades. That way, you can leave the mountains and go to college in big cities. You¡¯ll be able to help your hometown in the future!¡± ¡­ Numerous members of the Soan empire were leaving their homes all over the country and heading for the sacred temple at the center of the country. They knew that they would probably be gone forever. ¡°Chief! Something¡¯s happening!¡± Chapter 37 - Please Dont Go Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations A young man in his early twenties ran to the village chief, looking flustered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you in a hurry?¡± ¡°Chief, this is bad! We can¡¯t let Mr. Soan go! He¡¯s going to die!¡± ¡°What?!¡± The young man¡¯s shocking words frightened the villagers. ¡°Ted, what are you talking about? What¡¯s going on? Tell us everything!¡± Ted panted for air and said, ¡°Mr. Soan is a member of the Soan empire, and something big is happening in the cities! Look!¡± Ted was one of the few college students in the village, and his college was in the city. He had been closely following the news about the old man molesting his daughter¡ªanyone who had access to the internet in the country knew about it. The focus had gradually changed from an old man molesting his adopted daughter to him being the god of the country and the three Himmelian divisions. After seeing the information shown by the app, Ted went to an internet cafe near his university and searched the names that were listed after the assembly sign. All those people belonged to the Soan empire and the three divisions. One of them was the sun-tanned man, Jason Soan. Ted had always been a thrifty boy, but today, he hailed a taxi for the first time in his life and headed back home as fast as he could. However, the taxi driver wouldn¡¯t drive any further when they reached the muddy country road. Ted broke the law for the first time. He knocked the driver unconscious and drove to the foot of the mountain on his own. He then climbed the mountain like his life depended on it and went back to the village. He wanted to stop Jason from leaving. ¡°Chief, where¡¯s Mr. Soan?¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone¡­¡± ¡°What? When?!¡± ¡°About ten minutes ago!¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to meet his death! We can¡¯t let him go! We need to get him back!¡± The villagers didn¡¯t know what was going on, but the boy was a college student and the hope of the village, so they believed that he would never lie to them. There was no time for explanations. They jumped into a tractor and went after Jason. He hadn¡¯t been gone for long. They still had time! ¡°Mr. Soan! Mr. Soan!¡± Jason was only halfway down the mountain when he heard someone calling his name. Turning around, he saw that the entire village had come out to look for him. ¡°Mr. Soan, don¡¯t go!¡± The old village chief held his hand and wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°Chief Norel? Why are you here?¡± Ted said, ¡°Uncle Jason, you¡¯re going to die, aren¡¯t you? You can¡¯t go! We won¡¯t let you go!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Soan, we can¡¯t let you go!¡± ¡°Jason, I¡¯ll break your legs if that¡¯ll keep you here!¡± ¡°Count me in! Mr. Soan, we¡¯ll tie you up and carry you back to the village if we have to!¡± The villagers put on their most ferocious looks. Instead of being offended, Jason was moved. He found the villagers adorable. ¡°Uncle Jason, please stay! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Ted knelt on the ground and kept begging him. ¡°I know what¡¯s going on. I know them all! Uncle Jason. Please don¡¯t go back! Please!¡± ¡°Ted, what happened?¡± Ted then summarized the story and told the others. The villagers were in tears. ¡°Jason, we didn¡¯t know that Mr. Soan had instructed you to do all those things for us! Is that right? Mr. Soan was the one who had built the bridge and road for us!¡± Jason nodded. There was a fervent look in his eyes, indicating how devoted he was to Himmel Soan. ¡°Guys, please don¡¯t make it harder than it is! I have to go back!¡± ¡°Jason, please stay! Don¡¯t leave us!¡± The villagers all knelt on the mountain slope, and it was such a moving scene. Jason sighed in resignation, but he still grabbed his luggage with a decisive look on his face. ¡­ ¡°Mr. Soan, please don¡¯t go!¡± Similar scenes were happening in another small village. When the villagers learned that those people were going to meet their death, they tried everything to stop them. Some tried to move them, some coaxed and pestered, and some more direct and tried to use force. But being the members of the three Himmelian divisions, these men were skillful martial arts practitioners as well. No one could stop them when they wanted to leave. When they reached the high grounds nearby, they would click the red button on the device they carried. Soon, a helicopter would arrive and carry them away. The villagers could only watch as their faith and hope disappeared into the distance. ¡­ The entire country was concerned with the incident, but even the government couldn¡¯t do anything about it. They couldn¡¯t use force to stop them because the three divisions would only reciprocate with even more force. Carrying Himmel Soan¡¯s coffin, Drake and his people traveled over a hundred kilometers that day. By that evening, they had reached another city 180 km away from Bywater. At this speed, they would reach the sacred temple in two days. ¡°Uncle Drake, all our people have received the message, and we¡¯ve sent helicopters to pick them up. I¡¯ve made some calculations. We¡¯ll have everyone in the temple for four days!¡± ¡°Great! We¡¯ll set out at noon four days from now! Phoebe!¡± Phoebe immediately stepped out. ¡°Yes, Brother.¡± ¡°Tell the Himmelian Pavilion to start working and build that road. We¡¯ll bury the Patriarch deep into the sea! It will be his eternal resting place.¡± 1 ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± That very night. ¡°Good evening, you¡¯re watching News Tonight. I¡¯m Vera. We¡¯ve just discovered a strange phenomenon. There is a road stretching deep into the sea. Please follow me and witness this incredible scene!¡± The camera then turned in the direction of the sea. A strange white bridge had appeared on the waveless surface of the sea. It was tens of kilometers long. And they couldn¡¯t say for sure whether it was a bridge or not. Every part of the bridge was white, and no one could tell what material was used to build the bridge, but no matter how heavy the waves were, the bridge remained floating on the water as if it had taken root. Some people were bold enough to walk on it. The bridge seemed quite narrow from afar, but when they moved closer, they saw that it was over 100m wide and looked like floating ice on the sea. ¡°We don¡¯t know where this road came from, but the answer should be at the other end.¡± Some people were already driving their cars onto the bridge, and Vera was one of them. When they were about to reach the other end of the bridge, a group of people dressed in identical uniforms arrived. ¡°Get off this road! This road leads to the Patriarch¡¯s forever resting place! You¡¯re no allowed to walk on it! Get lost!¡± Chapter 38 - The Road Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The road on the sea soon caught the government¡¯s attention. A helicopter flew along it to the other end and found some strange-looking divers in the water. They were half-fish and half-men and kept diving in and back out of the water. Every time they came back to the sea surface, the road would become a little longer. It was a technology the country had never seen before. These people were building a solid road on the sea surface without needing neither a foundation nor any cement! No one in the world could recognize the material either. The white substance was lightweight but very durable. Earlier that day, numerous people had come out to the streets and mourned Himmel Soan¡¯s death. When they went home in the evening, they followed the latest updates of the event. ¡°What? That road on the sea leads to Mr. Soan¡¯s burial place?¡± ¡°Is it in the ocean?¡± ¡°Is it in the Wonder Ocean?¡± The Wonder Ocean was the largest of the five oceans in the world. ¡°I heard that it was going to be at the center of that ocean.¡± ¡°Holy shit! How big is the Wonder Ocean? It must be tens of thousands of kilometers wide! To bury him at the center, they¡¯ll have to build a road that¡¯s thousands of kilometers long! Can anyone build such a long road?¡± ¡°Ten bucks says they can¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Guys, I live right by the sea, and that road is very close. If any of you are interested, contact me, and let¡¯s set up a chat group. We can go out and do something tonight.¡± ¡°Copy that. I have the same plane. Let¡¯s make some noise tonight!¡± ¡­ With the construction of the road in the sea, numerous relevant chat groups were set up. [Destroy Ocean Road Chat Group No. 1] DestroyTheRoad said, ¡°Guys, I¡¯ve got all the tools. I have spades, hammers, shovels, you name it. They¡¯re all brand new. I bought them earlier today. They¡¯re all steel ones and are very durable.¡± Three_Divisions_Are_God wrote, ¡°Same here. I¡¯ve got spare tools, so if you don¡¯t have anything, don¡¯t bother buying anything. Feel free to tag along tonight!¡± Cucumber wrote, ¡°I have three men here, and we¡¯re all ready to go. Just tell us the time.¡± He¡¯s Amazing said, ¡°I have six tough guys here! Don¡¯t worry! We have enough muscles!¡± I¡¯m Sorry Mr. Soan said, ¡°Do you think we can destroy it? Even cars can¡¯t crush that road! What can we do? I¡¯m not so sure.¡± The chat group leader said, ¡°What¡¯s with all the negativity? We can do this! Perseverance spells success! Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee!¡± He¡¯s Amazing wrote, ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t let the three divisions die! Let¡¯s do this!¡± There were countless chat groups like this, and all the members were trying to figure out a way to destroy the road so that the three divisions and members of the Soan empire wouldn¡¯t die. At midnight, the group leader led the members to the beach. They planned to dig a hole in the road to make it collapse. To their surprise, when they got there, they found many people there already, all doing similar things. Some brought hammers and chisels, some brought iron rods, and some even brought digging machines with them. They started working right away. The noise and clamor filled the air. After an hour, they realized with disappointment that the surface of the road was tougher than diamond. No digging or piling machines could make the tiniest dent. The government had kept itself busy as well. They had sent secret divers, trying to blow up the road from below. It was bound to be a busy and eventful night. Early the following morning, many people checked the latest updates on the road as soon as they woke up. They believed that all the people out there must have achieved something after a whole night¡¯s work. There must be good news waiting for them. The netizens were looking forward to seeing news on how the road had been destroyed and how the people had stopped the three divisions from killing themselves. But they were disappointed. The news only reported that the road was now over 1190km long. Those people had built 1000km overnight! ¡°Am I reading this correctly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! That can¡¯t be real! It¡¯s impossible! Impossible! I won¡¯t believe it! Not over my dead body!¡± ¡°A thousand kilometers per night? That¡¯s faster than a moving train! Is there a calculation error?¡± ¡°1000km? That¡¯s a quarter of the total length! At this speed, they¡¯ll finish in two days!¡± ¡°What happened to those chat groups yesterday? I thought they were going to destroy the road. Was the plan canceled?¡± The chat groups were actively discussing the same thing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what material they¡¯re using, but we couldn¡¯t destroy the road!¡± ¡°My excavator was at full power and fuming, but the road just wouldn¡¯t budge! It looks like soil, but it¡¯s tougher than any metal! I¡¯ve never seen anything like it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up! There must be another way! Let¡¯s keep going today. We¡¯ll all focus on one spot. Together, we can break a diamond. It can¡¯t be tougher than that!¡± ¡­ At the sacred temple. Drake had set up a worship hall. All the high-level officials of the Soan empire knelt next to the coffin and kept vigil beside the coffin the night before. ¡°How¡¯s the road doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve built a quarter already, and we¡¯ll build another quarter by the end of the day. It should be finished by tomorrow night.¡± Drake nodded. ¡°What about our men?¡± ¡°80% of them are here. The rest are on their way.¡± ¡°Are those abroad here as well?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve arrived, but the border control of the country forbids them from entering. They¡¯re still trying!¡± Liam had come back from the desert as well. ¡°That¡¯s okay. We still have time. If they can¡¯t arrive in time, we won¡¯t wait for them. Let them go back to their normal life.¡± One thing was clear. Drake and the others didn¡¯t ask those people to come here and die with them. They all came at their own will. It was the greatest honor of their lives to die with the Patriarch. They wouldn¡¯t miss that chance. ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± Gordon and Henry stood behind Drake in resignation. They spent the previous night trying to talk Drake out of it, but the Soans wouldn¡¯t change their minds. ¡°Director Lang, General, you can¡¯t change anything. By the way, we¡¯ve used a special rock to build the road. It¡¯s found 30,000m below sea level. No other country in the world has found it so far. Once we¡¯re gone, we¡¯ll inform you how to refine it. That¡¯s going to be the last piece of information we offer this country.¡± Chapter 39 - Who Can Stop Them Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± Gordon didn¡¯t know what to do and couldn¡¯t bring himself to think about it. If kneeling on the ground could do the trick, he would kneel. The Soan empire had made great contributions to the country. Without them, the technology of the country would become stagnant for at least two decades. The country had improved greatly, but not all regions in the country were at the same developmental level. The country was simply too vast. It was impossible to cover all backwater regions and build roads and tunnels for them all at once. The country still had a long way to go. In one of the richest cities in the country, people indulged in wanton lives and spent their nights partying. Some rich businessmen could spend a fortune at a time as if money was nothing. Their cars were worth tens of millions, and their villas were ten times more valuable than that. They also kept as many mistresses as they wanted¡­ Whereas in the poorest towns, people still had difficulty in finding food and water. Villagers there would need to walk for kilometers to get clean water, and their meals mainly consisted of wild plants and animals they could hunt. Rice was a rare treat for them. Moreover, they were surrounded by mountains, deserts, or infertile lands on all sides. Every now and then, someone would fall off a cliff, and their body was never retrieved. Talk about stark contrasts! The average income was also a joke. A 1.3m person and a 2.7m person had an average height of 2m, but that wouldn¡¯t give everyone a height of 2m. Although the country had a high average income, that was the effect of the high-income levels in big cities. The Soans had been guarding the country without advertising their good deeds. They tried their best to help the common people. Gordon and Henry knew that Himmel Soan was these people¡¯s god. Now that he was gone, these people had lost their will to live. But they were more valuable alive! The country needed them. ¡°Mr. Soan, the country needs you! Please stay! Do you need the president to beg you?¡± But Drake wouldn¡¯t budge from his stance. He was ready to accept his fate. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Even the president can¡¯t change anything. General, you don¡¯t need to worry. We¡¯ll carry out the Patriarch¡¯s command. Before we¡¯re gone, we¡¯ll give everything we have to the country, including all our assets of the Soan empire. You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need the money! We need all of you!¡± Henry Lang was getting angry, but he didn¡¯t dare to lash out at Drake. There was a conflicted look on his face. ¡°Mr. Soan, don¡¯t you understand? If Mr. Himmel Soan was still alive, he¡¯d have never let you do this!¡± Drake nodded. ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t let us, but it¡¯s just like I said, I¡¯m not forcing anyone to go with me. If anyone from the three divisions or the Soan empire wants to stay, they can tell me at any time. I¡¯m only speaking for myself. I won¡¯t push you into making any decisions. I¡¯ll go wherever my Patriarch goes!¡± Gordon and Henry looked at Warren, James, and the others with pleading looks in their eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t go! I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡°Please stay!¡± Caroline smiled as she recalled the life she had shared with Himmel Soan. ¡°I won¡¯t change my mind. Without my adopted father, I wouldn¡¯t have survived. He saved my life, and he was the reason behind all my achievements. Without him, there¡¯s no point for me to stick around! But I hope you guys can stay behind!¡± She looked at the ordinary members of the three Himmelian divisions behind her. ¡°Miss Caroline, don¡¯t say that! The Patriarch means as much to us as he is to you! We¡¯re nothing without him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We don¡¯t want anything! Nobody can change my mind!¡± ¡°Mine either!¡± ¡°Mine either!¡± ¡°Mine either!¡± ¡­ Gordon sighed when he heard their resolute replies. But Henry Lang wouldn¡¯t give up. He created a post that contained the information of all members of the three Himmelian divisions and asked the public to come up with ideas. He only had less than two days. Drake was waiting. He was waiting for the road to complete. And for the other members of the Soan empire to arrive. ¡­ ¡°What? My ticket isn¡¯t right? What¡¯s wrong with my plane ticket? Helen Soan, that¡¯s my name!¡± A chubby woman was making a scene at the airport. Her international flight had just landed, and everything had been fine until she reached the customs check. The official claimed that there was something wrong with her ticket and wouldn¡¯t let her go through. ¡°What the hell? Let me talk to your superior! Here¡¯s my ID card! Do you see my name there? I¡¯m Helen Soan! Can¡¯t you read? I can¡¯t believe this! Why can¡¯t I prove who I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Soan, but you can¡¯t go through!¡± the official at the custom insisted. Dragon Tribe members were guarding all the exits, and it was impossible to force one¡¯s way through. In her anger, Helen grabbed her bags and suitcases and threw them at the official. ¡°Screw you! I¡¯m Helen Soan! What¡¯s wrong with that? Let me through! I need to be somewhere urgently!¡± On any other day, she would have been arrested for creating such a scene. If it was posted online, people would drown her with criticisms. But today, the officials only smiled at her despite her insult and physical attacks. They wouldn¡¯t let her go through the custom. The country had forbidden anyone with the surname of Soan from entering. It didn¡¯t just happen in the airports. Similar things were happening in train stations as well. ¡°What the hell is going on? Of course, my name is Frank Soan! My brother is Will, and I¡¯m Frank! What do you mean they don¡¯t sound serious enough? What are you talking about?! Let me in!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but there¡¯s something wrong with your name. You don¡¯t have a valid ID card. Sorry, I can¡¯t let you in!¡± Frank punched the man in the face. ¡°I AM Frank Soan! Let me in! This is urgent!¡± The staff rose to his feet. He wasn¡¯t angry and even bowed at the man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan, but we can¡¯t let you through. Please go back, or we¡¯ll have to lock you up by force and release you three days later! It¡¯s your choice!¡± ¡°Damn it! My ID card is fine! You¡¯re doing it on purpose! Let me through! Let me through!¡± Frank charged toward the exit of the train station, but the members of the Dragon Tribe waiting on the side held him down. There was a commotion, and two people took advantage. Jumping over the fence, they ran off into the distance. ¡°Hey, stop them! Will Soan and Penny Soan have escaped! Stop them! We can¡¯t let them get to the sacred temple!¡± Chapter 40 - Stick Together Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Many netizens responded to Henry¡¯s post. In a public forum. ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t let anyone with the Soan surname get there! Even if they have nothing to do with the Soan empire or the three divisions! There will be no exceptions, even the ordinary people!¡± ¡°Damn it, my surname is Soan, but I¡¯m not one of them! I wish I was!¡± ¡°Guys, if you have a Soan surname, please stay at home for the next three days! You¡¯ll be making a great contribution! With you at home, we¡¯ll know that the Soans on the street are all real members of the Soan empire!¡± ¡°No problem! We won¡¯t create trouble for the country! We won¡¯t go anywhere!¡± ¡°The rest of us should get busy! Let¡¯s go to the highway exits of our cities and check everyone¡¯s ID card. No Soan is allowed to enter!¡± ¡°We should guard the train stations, too! Some people should watch the exits. When the Soans know that they can¡¯t get in through the stations, they¡¯ll try to climb over walls. We should guard all the spots where they can climb over. Call me at 1387XXXXX when you have news.¡± ¡°Since we can¡¯t change their minds, we need to use force! I heard from Direct Lang that not every Soan is a martial arts practitioner! There are ordinary people as well. We can¡¯t stop the practitioners, but I¡¯m sure we can tackle the common ones!¡± ¡­ In a forum where 100 million people were planning to sign a petition with blood. ¡°Has anyone from the city of Marine hasn¡¯t signed the petition yet?¡± ¡°Me, me, me! I¡¯m over at Marine Square. I have a couple of thousand people with me!¡± ¡°Those who want to sign the petition in the city of Lochen, please come to the Moon Square.¡± ¡°People of Est should come to the Est Island. We have three signing posts!¡± Henry Lang¡¯s post went viral online. Everyone tried to come up with ideas to stop Himmel Soan¡¯s followers, and signing a petition with blood was one of them. The idea was to collect as many signatures as possible in the next two days. It was estimated that 700 to 800 million people would sign. The signed scroll would then be sent to Drake in the hopes that it would move the three divisions and change their minds. All cities took part in the event. Some donated money, some sent people, and some provided the campaign with materials. The fabric manufacturers made white cloths that were over a thousand meters long and distributed them to people in the cities. People then signed their names and left their palm prints on them. The cloths were then delivered by trucks to the sacred temple. ¡­ In the forum that was aiming to destroy the road on the sea. ¡°How is it going, guys? Any progress?¡± ¡°Not at all! We don¡¯t know what material this road is made up of, but it¡¯s so hard! It¡¯s harder than diamond! Nothing can leave a mark on it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys. I¡¯ve borrowed an electric drill! The hammers couldn¡¯t break it, but I¡¯m sure a high-pressure electric drill will work!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that! My uncle runs an electric welding shop. I¡¯m going to borrow a soldering iron! I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll do the trick!¡± 1 ¡°Holy shit! You guys are awesome! I don¡¯t have much to offer, but I know a scientist, and he has an electronic laser knife. I¡¯m going to borrow it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. The scientist is a member of the Soan empire. They won¡¯t lend it to you. I¡¯ve been there.¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°Can anyone find a water jet cutting machine? A high-pressure water jet! I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll do the trick!¡± ¡­ In a praying forum. Unlike other forums, things were rather quiet here. All the users were saying silent prayers for the three divisions and Himmel Soan. There were some candles on the screen, and all visitors could click on them. There was a number on them. The number had exceeded a billion and was still rising. Even overseas internet users had joined in by using VPN. ¡­ ¡°I found a Soan, and he¡¯s on the run!¡± Jason finally arrived at the city where the sacred temple was, but as soon as he landed, a group of people wanted to check his ID. They weren¡¯t wearing police uniforms. He didn¡¯t suspect anything and gave them his ID card. They surrounded him upon seeing his name, saying that they were going to take him somewhere to talk. Jason didn¡¯t have time for that. He didn¡¯t want to miss the Patriarch¡¯s funeral. He was in a hurry. He had traveled thousands of kilometers, and he wasn¡¯t going to let them stop him here. He knocked over two men and ran toward the temple, following the GPS. But those people refused to let go and chased after him. Many more people joined in along the way. Having been working in the mountains for years, digging tunnels and building roads, Jason was in much better shape than the city dwellers. He soon shook off his pursuers. But he was an exception. The Soan empire had many ordinary members just like him. Many of them didn¡¯t manage to escape. They were caught and politely taken away. The politeness was genuine. Knowing that they were members of the Soan empire, those people didn¡¯t dare to hurt them. They only carried the Soans away. And they took the Soan members to president suits with swimming pools in luxurious hotels instead of detention houses or jail. ¡­ At a bus station. ¡°Free ride to the sacred temple!¡± ¡°Does anyone want to go to the sacred temple and stop the Soans? There are still seats available! I¡¯ll give everyone ten bucks! Quickly! The offer will end soon!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to check your ID before you get in! Please show me your ID card!¡± ¡°We still have two days, so let¡¯s do our best! If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll still drive you back for free!¡± Ted and his fellow villagers arrived at the city as well. They had expected a difficult journey to the sacred temple, but as it turned out, many people had volunteered to drive everyone there. They could even get a reward for going there. After everything Jason had done for them, they couldn¡¯t watch him die. Even¡­ Even if they couldn¡¯t stop him¡­ They still wanted to see him for one last time. ¡°Chief, get in!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to the sacred temple! Quickly!¡± ¡°Has your whole village come? Awesome! Hold on! We¡¯re leaving now!¡± All car owners were driving people for free from bus and train stations to the temple. Trains and buses had stopped selling tickets as well. Everyone would take a ride for free as long as they weren¡¯t a Soan. The service was more frequent as well. There was a train or bus every five minutes. All the petitions signed with blood were sent to the temple as well. They were unfolded, and the three divisions saw the hundreds of thousands of names. Chapter 41 - To Death Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations One scroll. Two scrolls. Five scrolls. Ten scrolls! All scrolls were filled with names and red handprints. The black, white, and red looked stunning together. Countless netizens also sent them videos. ¡°Hello, members of the three divisions. I¡¯m Tony Mann, I¡¯m a 20-year-old college student and one of the impoverished students you¡¯ve helped. I hope. ¡°Hello, Mr. Soan and the members of the three divisions. I¡¯m Jill Roe, an engineer¡­¡± ¡°Hello, members of the Soan empire, I¡¯m Wilson Duke. I apologize for my ignorance. In my 40 years, I never realized that you people had been secretly guarding this country. I¡¯m so sorry for what happened to Mr. Soan. I wish that¡­¡± ¡°Hello, uncles, brothers, and sisters of the Soan family, I¡¯m Will Sims. I¡¯m six years old¡­¡± ¡°Hello, members of the three divisions, I¡¯m Jacky Chow, the singer. It pains me to hear what you¡¯re going through¡­¡± ¡°Hello, members of the Soan empire. I¡¯m Andy Rufus, the actor. Celebrities, directors, entrepreneurs, scientists¡­ People from all walks of life sent videos, pleading to Drake and asking him to abandon the plan. They ranged from three-year-olds to men and women in their 80s or even 90s. Henry and Gordon burst into tears when they saw the handprints. Drake wasn¡¯t a cold-blooded man. In fact, he used to be a kind and warm-hearted village chief that spent his days in the mountains. He was greatly moved by the sincere videos and the hundreds of millions of names on the scrolls. But. Even that couldn¡¯t make him abandon his plan. Nothing could! ¡°Mr. Soan, don¡¯t you have feelings? Aren¡¯t you going to change your mind?¡± Henry wiped his tears. ¡°I¡¯ve informed the president. He¡¯s visiting another country at the moment, but he has put off all his plans. He¡¯ll be here tomorrow at the latest! Would you like to talk to him?¡± Phoebe shook her head. ¡°It won¡¯t change anything. Mr. Lang, General Marlow, you haven¡¯t slept for a whole day. Why don¡¯t you go back and have some rest? We¡¯d like to keep vigil in peace. Please let us do that!¡± ¡°LL¡­ Gosh!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan¡­¡± ¡°My sister has already made it clear. Mr. Lang, please thank all those people on our behalf, but what¡¯s happening now has nothing to do with the incident when they insulted the Patriarch. He¡¯s gone now, and we¡¯re going to follow him. Tell those people to stop blaming themselves! Please leave. We want to be on our own for a while, and the Patriarch needs a peaceful moment, too.¡± Drake looked at Himmel Soan in the crystal coffin and finally burst into tears, caressing the coffin repeatedly with his withered hands. He knelt on the ground and wouldn¡¯t get up. The city where the sacred temple was located was filled in less than a day. It was a small city with a population of 280,000, but over 10 million people had just flooded in. Yes, 10 million! The city was packed! All the hotels and B&Bs were filled to the brim. Many people already knew that they wouldn¡¯t find accommodation before they came, so they brought their own sleeping bags. They were sleeping by the side of the road. Crowds jammed the streets around the sacred temple. However, they weren¡¯t standing. They were kneeling on the ground. They were all the trolls that had insulted Himmel Soan earlier. Drake didn¡¯t kill them. He showed mercy and set them free. Either because of the pressure of the entire country or because they had truly repented, these people were all kneeling on the streets, begging Drake and his friends to change their minds. Luna and Luke Shane were among those people. However, there was no sign of Stella Shane. Despite their actions, the people of the three divisions wouldn¡¯t be persuaded. What seemed like the longest night finally passed. The city was completely paralyzed. Apart from a few main roads, everywhere else, from big streets to narrow alleys, was completely jammed. People were even sitting or lying on top of the vehicles parked by the side of the road. ¡°Drake, the ocean road is finished, and the destination is the mysterious waters. The Patriarch used to say that the waters contain mysterious power that interferes with the magnetic field in the area. It can give one a perpetual youthful look and make them live forever!¡± ¡°Alright. That¡¯s where we¡¯re going to bury the Patriarch.¡± ¡°Yes. Shall we set out now?¡± ¡°Has everyone arrived?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯ve lost contact with many of them!¡± ¡°Let it be. They get to live, after all. Get ready to leave!¡± The ocean road was completed earlier than scheduled. Following Drake¡¯s order, members of the Soan empire rose to their feet, carried the crystal coffin on their shoulders, and marched out of the temple in files. The three divisions led the way as they pushed through the heavy crowd. They opened the door to find all the people kneeling outside. ¡°Mr. Soan, please change your mind!¡± ¡°Yes, please! I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go! We don¡¯t want to see you die! This country can¡¯t afford to lose you!¡± ¡°Please stay! Mr. Soan, if someone has to die, it has to be us, who have no contribution to this world! Please don¡¯t go!¡± Hearing the pleading voices, Drake said, ¡°Move faster!¡± He was touched by these people. However, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be persuaded. Still, the pleading was getting to him. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± People of the Himmelians, the Himmelian Village, and the Himmelian Pavilion picked up their pace. However, it would still take them a day to walk to the seaside from the temple. People had already filled every inch of the roads they were going to travel on. They knew they couldn¡¯t stop the Soan empire, but they wanted to block the way and stall them as much as they could. Every hour and even every minute counted! People were still trying to destroy the ocean road, and they were making progress. If they could keep making minor troubles for the three divisions, the other group would have more chances to destroy the road. ¡°Mr. Soan, please don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m begging you! Stay!¡± By the time they reached the suburbs, the road was still packed with people. They blocked the road and wouldn¡¯t let the Soan empire pass. More people kept coming as if it was a never-ending marathon. ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯re coming for you!¡± There were strange looks on the faces of the members of the Soan empire. They were going to die, yet they were all smiling. Although they were smiling, the decisive looks in their eyes didn¡¯t bode well. For them, to die by the side of Himmel Soan was the most incredible honor in life. Even if Drake didn¡¯t ask them, and even Drake himself decided not to go through with it, they still wouldn¡¯t change their mind! Chapter 42 - Who Can Stop Them Now Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Who¡¯s There to Stop the Soan Empire?¡± ¡°The Saddest Day of This Country! Everyone¡¯s Weeping! Can No One Stop This Tragedy?¡± ¡°What Else Can We Do?¡± ¡°My Ludicrous Countrymen!¡± ¡°My Countrymen Are Pathetic!¡± ¡°The Disastrous Effect of Cyberbullying¡± ¡°The Himmel Soan Incident: Did Stella Shane Start It All?¡± Before long, countless posts were created, and one would feel overwhelmed just by reading the titles. People of the country did some thorough self-criticism over the Himmel Soan incident. Some felt awakened, some regretted what they had done, and some were furious. No matter what their reactions were, what was done was done. There was no turning back. Even Henry Lang and Gordon Marlow couldn¡¯t stop Drake. Who else could save the day? Drake had led his fellow members of the Soan empire on a one-way journey. Nothing changed for several days in a row, and many people were in despair. Would they see a miracle on the last day? They still held a sliver of hope, even if miracles would never happen. ¡®A day passed. Hundreds of millions of people came out to see off Drake, Phoebe, and the three divisions. People lined up from the sacred temple to the city of Skysea. Skysea was also where the ocean road started. It was one of the major coastal cities in the country. Based on the speed of the three divisions, they would reach the ocean road by midnight. Everyone was waiting anxiously. Finally, the president of the country came back from abroad. The administration of Skysea built a temporary airport for him to land. The president requested to meet Drake. And Drake agreed. Many people put their hopes on the president, praying that he could change Drake¡¯s mind at the last moment. The online community went silent when the meeting between the two men took place. It was as if everyone had gone offline. Or maybe, they were praying for the Soan empire in different comers of the country. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t end the way they wanted. Even the president couldn¡¯t change Drake¡¯s mind. He still told him the same thing. He wasn¡¯t going to force everyone in the Soan empire to die for Himmel Soan. It was on a voluntary basis. However, he wouldn¡¯t deprive those people of their rights to die for Himmel Soan either. As a member of the Soan empire, he knew perfectly well what it meant to other members. It would be a glorious mission! ¡°Has the president failed?¡± ¡°Oh my god! What will happen to this country?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all Stella Shane¡¯s fault! That bitch!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? By now, Stella Shane isn¡¯t responsible for everything that has happened! The real culprits who have caused Mr. Soan¡¯s death and the current situation are the trolls!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Stella Shane might have started the whole thing, but it would never have gone this far if it hadn¡¯t been for those trolls!¡± ¡°Those 60 million people are scumbags!¡± ¡°Tm so sorry! I¡¯m one of those 60 million scumbags! I sincerely apologize to everyone!¡± ¡°What good can your apology do to us now?¡± ¡°Enough! Even Mr. Drake Soan has forgiven them. There¡¯s no use accusing them now!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan can forgive them; I can¡¯t! Never!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is a generous man. He¡¯s forgiven those people because he knows killing them won¡¯t bring Mr. Himmel Soan back! He chose to forgive them; it¡¯s costing him his own life!¡± ¡°I totally agree with you! I wish they hadn¡¯t forgiven those people! I wish they had killed them all and gone on living!¡± Ina five-star hotel in another city in the country, Jason Soan was sitting on the sofa in a daze. He saw on the TV that Drake had led his people to Skysea. Himmel Soan was lying peacefully in the crystal coffin. ¡°Patriarch¡­¡± Suddenly, he started banging on the door and windows, shouting hysterically, ¡°Let me out! Let me out! Let me out of here!¡± Someone outside replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan, but you¡¯ll have to stay here for another night. We¡¯ll let you go first thing in the morning!¡± ¡°Are you the police? Who gave you the right to keep me here? I¡¯m going to sue you!¡± ¡°Tm sorry, Mr. Soan. I can¡¯t let you leave even if you¡¯re going to kill me!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Jason was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He didn¡¯t hate those people. He only hated himself. He knew very well that they were trying to protect him. However, they had no idea what Himmel Soan meant to the Soan empire. ¡®The person guarding the door felt depressed after learning that the president had failed to change the Soans¡¯ minds. Still, he was somewhat proud of himself because they had saved one member of the Soan empire. The Soan empire would march onto the ocean bridge that night and never return. After that, Jason wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything even if they set him free. ¡®What they did was contemptible, but it gave them the result they wanted. They wouldn¡¯t defend themselves even if Jason called the police afterward and sent them to prison. However, things weren¡¯t as simple as they had expected. Suddenly, there was a loud noise inside as if the glass had been broken. The man at the door was alarmed and stuck his ear on the door. He couldn¡¯t hear a thing. He tapped on the door. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you there?¡± He called Jason¡¯s name, but no one answered. He panicked and opened the door. The window glass was shattered, and Jason was no longer in the room. Damn it! They were on the 18th floor! ¡°Mr. Soan? Mr. Soan!¡± The man ran to the window and looked down. A large crowd had gathered downstairs like swarming ants. He immediately took the elevator and went downstairs. Surrounded by the crowd, Jason was lying face down on the ground. The impact of the fall had turned him into a pulp. ¡°Mr. Soan¡­¡± The guard grabbed his own hair, couched down, and howled. He thought he had done the right thing. But it had cost Jason his life. ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± he cried at the top of his lungs. ¡°What? Mr. Soan? Did you call him Mr. Soan?¡± ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s a member of the Soan empire! He¡¯s one of them! I failed to protect him! It¡¯s all my fault! I want to kill myself!¡± The man couldn¡¯t stop crying and kept blaming himself. The crowd was astonished.. Chapter 43 - Suicide Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°What? Did you say he¡¯s a member of the Soan empire?!¡± ¡°Call an ambulance! Quickly!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. He has jumped down from the 18th floor. Nothing can save him.¡± No one had expected the Soans to be so stubborn. If they couldn¡¯t attend Himmel Soan¡¯s funeral, they would take their own lives when the time came! ¡°Ms, Soan, I¡¯ve brought you some late-night snacks!¡± Hotel staff knocked on the door of Room 888, the presidential suite. ¡°It¡¯s already midnight. My manager says you must be hungry, so he told me to bring you some food. You¡¯re from abroad, right? Have you visited our city before? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve tried one of our famous local pastries! It¡¯s called a pine ball!¡± The young woman went on and on, introducing many things about the city. Feeling that she might have been too talkative and that the person inside never answered, she knocked again. ¡°Ms. Soan, are you asleep? I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve woken you up.¡± She turned to leave with the tray of food. However, she frowned after taking a few steps. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. She walked back to the door. ¡°Ms. Soan, are you there? I¡¯m coming in!¡± She called a few more times, but no one replied. The staff took out the key card and opened the door. The first thing she saw were the two feet dangling in the air. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A shrill scream escaped her mouth, and she was petrified. She went on screaming as she backed out of the room. The other staff members came to check on her when they heard the noise. They looked into the room to find that Ms. Soan had hanged herself. ¡°Take her down! Quickly!¡± the manager instructed the other staff to get the woman down. Luckily, they got there in time. She was still breathing. ¡°Take her to the hospital!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m sorry about this. We¡¯ll take you to your accommodation. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not going to harm you.¡± Chad Lim stopped a man with Soan as his surname at the train station. He forced him into his car and quickly drove him to the nearest hotel. There were two more men in the car, both his fellow netizens who had volunteered to do this job. They were filled with a sense of satisfaction because this was the sixth Soan they had stopped today. ¡®The man looked anxious and had bought a ticket to the city of the sacred temple. It was so obvious! He had to be a member of the Soan empire! ¡°Let me out! Pull over!¡± the man shouted and pounded on the door. Chad¡¯s car was brand new. Any other day, he would have punched the man for doing such a thing to his car. But today was different. He wouldn¡¯t blink even if the man broke his car door to pieces. That man was worth a lot more than this car! Rumors were flying that the government would compensate everyone after this incident was over. Everything would be accounted for! The government also wanted to stop the people of the Soan empire. ¡°Stop! Are you deaf? Pull over!¡± The man in the back seat grew agitated and tried to choke Chad. The two guys beside him quickly stopped him. ¡°Mr. Soan, please calm down!¡± ¡°Yes, please calm down! We¡¯re not bad people! Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re only taking you to your hotel!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are! Stop the car right now! I need to go to the sacred temple! It¡¯s important! I can¡¯t be late!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I know you¡¯re a member of the Soan empire, and you¡¯re going to give your life to Mr. Himmel Soan! But we can¡¯t let you do that!¡± Chad said, ¡°We respect Mr. Himmel Soan very much, and we¡¯re all responsible for his death. We¡¯re devastated and hold ourselves accountable, but he has passed away, and we need to move on! Even if you don¡¯t care about yourselves, please consider the future of this country! We need you!¡± However, nothing he said could reach the man. ¡®The man suddenly punched the person next to him, knocking him out. He then opened the door and jumped out of the speeding car. ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± Shocked, Chad hit the brake. ¡®They ran out of the car and found the man lying on the ground. He seemed to have broken his legs, and a pool of blood was gathering around him. However! Even in such a state, he was still crawling in the direction of the sacred temple. ¡°IL¡­ [must go to the temple!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, please don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Lwant to go¡­ Let me go¡­¡± Chad and his two companions were touched by his determination. The man wanted to see Himmel Soan for the last time even when his bones were broken and his life was in danger. ¡°Mr. Soan, let me take you to the hospital! Your injury is too severe!¡± ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t want you to die! Mr. Soan, let us help you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯m going to the sacred temple! I¡¯ll die there if I have to!¡± Chad looked at his two friends and saw the sympathy and resignation on their faces. After a long while, he nodded. ¡°Alright, Mr. Soan! I¡¯m taking you to the sacred temple. If you still trust me, please get in!¡± He and the other two knew that if a person were determined to die, nothing would be able to stop them. ¡®They were shocked by the resolution of the Soan empire. They weren¡¯t fellow members, so they couldn¡¯t comprehend what Himmel Soan meant to these people. It seemed as if the members of the Soan empire couldn¡¯t wait to meet their death! However, they could see the determination of the Soan empire. Trying to stop them would be an insult to them. This time, Chad was telling the truth. After carrying Mr. Soan into the car, they turned around and drove toward Skysea. ¡°They left the sacred temple and reached Skysea today.¡± ¡°Skysea? Mr. Lim, I¡¯m begging you. Please take me there before they get on the ocean road!¡± ¡°T¡¯ll try my best¡­¡± Chad had conflicted feelings. While everyone was saving the people of the Soan empire, he was aiding one instead. His fellow netizens would probably kill him if they found out what he was doing. They really would do it! Meanwhile, news of multiple suicides was posted online. All the deaths had happened to people with Soan as their surname. ¡°In South Mount County, Brian Soan jumped out of the window of his hotel room and was killed instantly.¡± ¡°Bob Soan in the city of Huons committed suicide by cutting his wrist open.¡± ¡°Kay Soan of Ninestate attempted suicide by bashing his head against the wall. He¡¯s been admitted to the ICU and is in a coma.¡± ¡°The sisters, Jade and Penny Soan committed suicide by taking poison. All rescue measures have proved ineffective.¡± ¡°At 10:10 pm, Jason Soan jumped out of a room on the 18th floor of a five-star hotel in the sacred temple city and was killed instantly.¡± Chapter 44 - Waking Up Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Chloe Soan hanged herself in the city of the sacred temple. She was sent to the hospital in time and is no longer in critical condition!¡± One after another, similar pieces of news were posted online, rendering the netizens speechless. From ten in the morning to midnight, people kept trying to take their own lives, and no one could stop them. They would bite off their own tongues if they had to. Finally, a few articles were released at half-past twelve. ¡°Are we doing the right thing? Do we know anything about Himmel Soan? Do we know what the Soan empire wants?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re fulfilling their glorious purpose!¡± ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t stop them!¡± Adam snorted after he read the three articles and closed the webpage in frustration. ¡°Bullshit! No one wants to die! Those people only did those things because someone higher up on the command chain ordered them to do so! We can¡¯t let them do that!¡± Adam wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that way. The netizens were avidly discussing the subject again. ¡°The author of those articles doesn¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about! The people of the Soan empire are too important for our country! We can¡¯t let them die!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so true! No one wants to die! Will you kill yourself just because someone else tells you so? Everybody is afraid to die!¡± ¡°I disagree with every single word in those articles! The author should be executed!¡± ¡°Totally!¡± ¡°Tm the author!¡± ¡°You? Who the hell are you? What do you know about the Soan empire? How can you know what they¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°Bro, you should check out who the person is before you start talking.¡± Everyone looked at the ID of the person who claimed to be the author¡ª¡±Henry Lang, Sky Eye¡¯. The name shocked everyone. ¡°Tm sorry, Director Lang! I didn¡¯t mean to offend you!¡± ¡°Director Lang, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here!¡± ¡°Holy crap! It¡¯s Director Lang! The real one! That¡¯s so scary! Glad I didn¡¯t say the wrong thing!¡± Henry Lang said, ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯ve been staying with the Soan empire for a while, and I think I have a better understanding of them than most people. I¡¯ll show you some videos.¡± The videos contained statements made by members of the Soan empire. ¡°Without the Patriarch, nothing has any meaning anymore. So what if I can live for ten thousand years?¡± ¡°What? Drake wouldn¡¯t let us sacrifice our own lives? I respect him and will do whatever he tells me to do except on this matter. I won¡¯t change my mind, even if he decides not to do it himself!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not one of us, and you won¡¯t understand us even if we try to explain it. Death means nothing to us. It¡¯ll be an honor to die alongside the Patriarch!¡± ¡°Suicides? I knew it! No, I didn¡¯t read them online. I¡¯ve guessed it all along. I would have done it myself even if you didn¡¯t bring me here!¡± The videos were shot while members of the Soan empire were resting. Since they¡¯d decided to meet their deaths, they stopped holding back and began to share what they really thought. ¡°T feel sorry for the villagers of Hocen, Barly, and Reco. I promised them that I would build a road for them to go through the mountains, but I failed to keep my word. I¡¯m so sorry, guys, but I think you¡¯ll understand me in the end! I¡¯m thrilled now, and I¡¯m looking forward to what will happen next!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be my honor to die alongside the Patriarch. As for who I have disappointed, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone. If you ask me, everyone in this country owes the Soan empire and the Patriarch. I can proudly state that I don¡¯t owe anyone anything in this world! My parents didn¡¯t do a thing for me except give birth to me. I¡¯ve been paying them every year, so we¡¯re even!¡± More and more videos were posted. Everyone who watched them burst into tears. ¡®The Soan empire didn¡¯t owe anyone anything. The public owed them! Nicely put! They recalled the articles earlier. ¡°Maybe Direct Lang is right. We shouldn¡¯t have done that. We aren¡¯t members of the Soan empire, and we don¡¯t know what it means to them! Maybe we¡¯re robbing them of their rights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re too selfish!¡± ¡°More of them are going to take their own lives if we keep detaining them. Is that really what we want?¡± ¡°It reminds me of sand. The tighter your grip is, the faster you¡¯re going to lose it!¡± ¡°I see. I still have ten members of the Soan empire here with me. I¡¯ll send them on their way now!¡± ¡°Same here. We stopped thirteen of them today and thought we were saving them. We didn¡¯t know¡­ I hope we still have time!¡± ¡°Director Lang, if you see this, please tell Drake that the whole country will remember them forever!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Director Lang, please thank Drake for protecting us. We appreciate what he did for Waterton over the years!¡± ¡°Please tell the leader of the Himmelians; the Second Oasis wants to thank them for the water!¡± ¡°The city of Marston wants to thank the Soan empire and their power plant!¡± ¡°The city of Heiming thanks the Himmelian Village for their help!¡± Drake smiled in satisfaction as he gazed at the night sky. It was as if he could see Himmel Soan¡¯s kind smile. ¡°Master, I¡¯m coming!¡± Finally, they arrived at the ocean road! Digging machines were still parked by the side of the road, but the ocean road was much tougher than anyone could imagine. A crowd had gathered on the beach. Although it was deep into the night and the wind was freezing, it did nothing to dissuade the grief-stricken public. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Mr. Soan! Whatever we do, we¡¯ll never be able to repay the Soan empire for what you did for us. If there¡¯s another life, we¡¯ll do everything we can to make it up for you!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± Drake nodded and marched onto the ocean road. Helicopters were following them and lighting up the road for them. Himmel Soan¡¯s followers carried his coffin and headed for the other end of the road. ¡°These stupid brats!¡± No one saw it, but in the coffin, Himmel Soan¡¯s fingers twitched. He was aware of everything that had happened in the past few days. However, he was in the revival process. He could neither speak nor move a finger. The whole process would take seven days. Aweek should pass in the blink of an eye! Who knew that Drake would create such a big scene?! Chapter 45 - See You Off Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The long white bridge was the only thing on the dark sea, extending all the way to the horizon. It was like a road leading to the sky. The destination was heaven. The helicopters were moving slowly in the sky, and light beams lit up the road like daylight. Everyone from the three divisions and the Soan empire was there. The looks on their faces were both excited and grave. They were filled with pride as they watched the crystal coffin. The procession was over a thousand meters long! The ocean road was packed! It was wide enough to have 150 people march side by side. One could only imagine how many people there were in total. Thirty minutes had passed since Drake set foot on the ocean road, but people were still left on the beach. The procession seemed much longer than a thousand meters! ¡®That was because more people had joined in. ¡°Mr. Soan, please let us see you off. Do you remember us? We¡¯re from Flower Village of Ninsen County! You built a bridge for us!¡± An old man joined the team and was following a middle-aged man with his eyes. ¡®The man was Syd Soan. He had spent a decade in that village and done many good deeds for the villagers. The old man had brought his entire village here to stop Syd, but there was nothing he could do. After arriving at Skysea, the villagers heard about the Soan empire. They might not be well-educated, but they knew what faith was. Syd Soan was their faith. ¡®They wondered if Himmel Soan meant the same to Syd as Syd was to them. Since they couldn¡¯t stop them, they had to thank Syd for all his help and bid him farewell in person. Syd glanced at the old village chief with tears in his eyes. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re in your 70s already! Stop following us! Please go back!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, what does it matter if I die here today? Please let me walk with you for one last time!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Sean, get your grandpa out of here! The road is over a thousand kilometers! He can¡¯t make it!¡± ¡°Uncle Soan, Grandpa wants to do this. Please don¡¯t turn him down. Otherwise, he¡¯ll regret it for the rest of his life!¡± Syd wasn¡¯t going to stop, and neither was the old village chief. The other villagers followed them as well. ¡°Sister June, this company would never become what it is if it weren¡¯t for you! You¡¯ve saved the company, and you¡¯ve saved me! I never knew you were a member of the Soan empire.¡± Josh Leigh owned the largest building material company in the country. Few people knew that he was almost starved to death only ten years ago. A woman named June Soan helped him and pointed him in the right direction. His business gradually expanded until it had branches all over the country. June deserved full credit for most of his achievements. She was why at least 60% of the work got done in his company. Two days ago, June resigned and confessed her real identity. Josh tried everything and even knelt in front of her, but it didn¡¯t change her mind. With everything that had happened, he knew there was nothing he could do. He had also read the posts online. June was doing it out of her honor, and he knew he shouldn¡¯t try to stop her. ¡°Sister June, goodbye!¡± ¡°Mr. Leigh, I think you¡¯ve done enough.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll walk you to the end of the road!¡± ¡°Mr. Leigh, you won¡¯t make it. The journey will take at least two weeks. Please go back! The company needs you.¡± ¡°June, please don¡¯t tell me to go! The company needs you more than it needs me. Our business would have shut down years ago without you. This is my last wish! Please let me see you off!¡± June sighed and stopped forcing him. She then followed her companions on the ocean road. Many similar situations had occurred in the past few days. As a result, the length of the procession increased significantly and was almost ten times longer. It had been two hours since Drake set out, but there were still members of the Soan empire on the beach. ¡°Tm sorry. I¡¯m late! Where is everybody? Are they all gone?¡± Acar drove onto the beach directly from the seaside road. A man crawled out, covered with blood. He was one of the members of the Soan empire that failed to kill themselves. The men could only bring him here when they saw they had no other choice. Harry Soan was elated upon seeing his fellow members on the beach. ¡°I got here in time! Thank you so much!¡± He thanked the people who were kind enough to drive him there. However, those people shook their heads in frustration. ¡°Mr. Soan, good luck¡­ I don¡¯t know what else to say. Is it really worth it?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s so worth it!¡± Harry nodded repeatedly. He then stumbled to the ocean road and joined the procession. ¡°Am I too late? The Patriarch is on his way, isn¡¯t he? Thank God I¡¯m here in time!¡± ¡°Sorry, guys! I¡¯m late!¡± ¡°rm sorry! I¡¯m too late! Where¡¯s everyone? Are they all gone?¡± ¡®Members of the Soan empire who had been kept captive arrived later than the others. They knelt on the beach in relief when they saw that not the entire procession was on the ocean road. With the help of the others, they marched onto the road as well. The netizens weren¡¯t as restless as before. What was done couldn¡¯t be undone, and they could only send out their best wishes. ¡°Thope there¡¯s no cyberbullying in the other world!¡± ¡°Thope there¡¯s no pain in heaven. I wish all members of the Soan empire would be happy forever!¡± ¡°If I can do it all over again, I would speak up for Mr. Himmel Soan, even if it means that I would be drowned in criticism! Even if they would destroy my reputation!¡± ¡°Tfs¡¯ are cheap! If I¡¯d known, I would have spoken up, too. I would do it even if they found where I lived and beat me to death!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying all this now? After everything that has happened, we need to reflect on our behavior! Can we believe everything we read? Rumors can get people killed!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! So many people are hiding behind their computer screens and saying the most horrible things without thinking about the consequences! The anonymity of the online world is a double-edged sword.. It¡¯s convenient, but at the same time, it can amplify one¡¯s dark side! Cyberbullying is a horrible thing!¡± Chapter 46 - Farewell Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Henry Lang¡¯s social media account had been inactive for decades until today. He posted another message while the others were avidly discussing the subject. ¡°Hello, everyone, I¡¯m Henry Lang of Sky Eye, and I want to talk about the Anti Cyberbullying Act. I think we all have strong feelings about the incident with Mr. Himmel Soan! The internet needs to be a law-abiding community! It¡¯s not a lawless place! However, legislation in this area has been lacking, and the online community hasn¡¯t been aware of that. They have no idea what consequences their posts would lead to! ¡°The president has summoned me and General Marlow, and we¡¯ve drafted the Anti Cyberbullying Act. It¡¯ll be implemented tomorrow. Although it¡¯s not the most comprehensive legislation yet, I believe with all our efforts, we¡¯ll get there eventually!¡± People clicked the link on the post and read through the act. ¡®What the trolls said about Himmel Soan was already considered severe cyberbullying. According to the act, they could be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than 20 years. ¡®The exact punishment would depend on the actual consequences. If the victim became clinically depressed and developed mental issues because of the severe consequence of cyberbullying, the bullies were punishable by law. If the victim contemplated suicide or put it into the act, the bullies could be imprisoned for at least ten years! ¡®That was some severe punishment. Assaulting people verbally in real life wouldn¡¯t get such punishments. However, people could do outrageous things online, and the country needed strict punishment to eradicate the problem. Law enforcement needed to be relentless at first to keep things under control. Once things improved online, they could then switch to more flexible means. ¡°Anti Cyberbullying Act? That¡¯s great news! The trolls would think twice when they want to trash someone next time!¡± ¡°We should have done this a long time ago! Cyberbullying has destroyed so many people! There are many more examples than I can think of. Do you remember that man in that car door incident?¡± ¡°Wait, I do remember that! What a shame! He was killed by rumors!¡± ¡°At the end of the day, the internet couldn¡¯t show us the whole picture. Someone can easily hide the whole truth, and no one can make an accurate judgment anymore!¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t make accurate judgments because we didn¡¯t have the Anti Cyberbullying Act! Now that we have it, I don¡¯t believe the trolls will dare to do the same things again. They¡¯ll have to discuss things subjectively, and I don¡¯t believe anyone will say hateful things about other people online!¡± ¡°If only we could have the legislation before Mr. Himmel Soan passed away. That way, the Soan empire wouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Souton and won¡¯t get to Skysea in time. If anyone from Skysea sees this, please send my gratitude to the Soans! I appreciate it!¡± ¡°Tl pay 2,000 dollars to anyone in Skysea who can see off the Soan empire on my behalf! I want to tell them I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Tl pay 4,000!¡± ¡°Tll do that for you for free! Send me a message and give me your names! I¡¯ll write them on a plate and hold it up!¡± At three in the morning, all members of the Soan empire were on the ocean road. Tens of thousands of people were still standing on the beach. Some people held up nameplates and followed the Soan empire to the ocean road. ¡°Condor Jeet, Dence.¡± ¡°Lucien Baker, Harbor City.¡± ¡°yanny Shin, Peter Cam, and Jodie Duke, Jule City.¡± ¡°Steve Wood, Kadon.¡± ¡°Hank Phan and Lawrence Yoo! of Breeze.¡± There were names on all the plates belonging to ordinary people in other cities. Train tickets were hard to come by at the moment, and they couldn¡¯t get any seats. Even if they could, they wouldn¡¯t get here in time because the Soan empire was already on its way. Therefore, they could only ask the people of Skysea to pass on their gratitude. The procession walked through the night until it was dawn. No one was talking. They all walked in silence as if they were on a mission, and they were doing all they could to complete it. The sum started rising from the eastern horizon. ¡®When the first beam of sunlight shone on the crystal coffin, Himmel Soan¡¯s eyelids twitched. As he was lying in the coffin, one had to look down from above to see the expression on his face. However, all the eyes were on the ocean road at the moment. No one noticed that Himmel Soan had woken up. But he couldn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t even open his eyes. His internal organs were reviving rapidly. Before long, they would be as good as new. This sixty-year cycle was over. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have woken up. However, he still needed some time to recover fully. He had to wait for at least ten more days to wake up. His cells, muscles, blood vessels, and bones all needed to revive. It would take a person three months to recover from a bone fracture. Himmel Soan needed to replace a lot more than a few broken bones. Ten days was already very quick! From his past experience, the whole process would need around 15 days. But he couldn¡¯t wait that long. He was fully aware of the behaviors of those brats. In 15 days, they would probably have thrown him into the heart of the ocean and jumped in after him! He had to recover before Drake gave him a sea burial. Otherwise, things could go very, very wrong. ¡®When he fully recovered, his body would undergo some changes. He would shrink in size and be in a weakened state. If those people threw him into the ocean, he might not be able to get out. He might drown! Three days later. The procession had made a thousand kilometers. The people of the Soan empire had amazing stamina. It would take ordinary people months to cover that distance. But it only took them three days. Of course, not everyone was able to tag along. The ordinary members had long been left behind. The people seeing them off couldn¡¯t keep up and left them on the second day. Only the helicopters stayed with them. However, the ordinary members of the Soan empire couldn¡¯t be left behind. Some kind people offered to give them a ride. By the seventh day, they had covered half of the total distance. Himmel Soan was also halfway through his recovery. He knew he still had time. On the ninth day, tidal waves rose on the sea. ¡®Walls of water smashed down on the ocean road, but Drake and his people didn¡¯t waver. They steadied the crystal coffin with iron chains and marched into the waves with full determination.. Chapter 47 - Awake Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Finally! On the 14th day, an enormous round square appeared at the end of the ocean road. It was big enough to fit 10,000 people. Drake knew his mission would end today. It was a beautiful day. The sea surface was as smooth as a mirror with sunlight bouncing off it. Members of the Soan empire all entered the round square. Drake looked up and waved at the helicopters. Henry Lang was in one of them. He sighed when he saw this. He knew everything was coming to an end. By now, the only ones left were members of the Soan empire and the helicopters, which Henry Lang and Gordon Marlow had been using as their rides. ¡°Mr. Drake, I¡ª¡± ¡°General, please say no more. Thank you for keeping us company. You should go back now.¡± ¡°Mrr. Drake, is there no¡ª ¡°Imean it! Please don¡¯t say another word! I¡¯d have gone back and wouldn¡¯t have ended up here if I had a choice.¡± Both Henry and Gordon fell silent and felt their minds weigh down with anxiety. Two reporters were with them in the helicopters. The entire country was watching the event through their cameras. ¡°guess this end is inevitable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks. We tried our best, but their determination is beyond my imagination!¡± ¡°I¡¯s beyond all our imaginations! I respect them for that!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mr. and Ms. Soans. From John Wong.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mr. and Ms. Soans. From Kevin Lockhart.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mr. and Ms. Soans. From Jessie Lee.¡± Many people burst into tears and left messages on the live stream. ¡°Master, we¡¯re coming for you!¡± ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m sorry! I wasn¡¯t there for you at your most difficult time.¡± Warren wiped his tears. Caroline wept. ¡°Dad, I was the first to come to you, but I was still too late! I¡¯ll be seeing you soon!¡± James said, ¡°Patriarch, what¡¯s the use of the Martial Arts Association without you?¡± Yosef said, ¡°Patriarch, I want to be your guard in the next life! I want to be your gun! I didn¡¯t do my job properly in this life!¡± Hayden said, ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve failed my job! I couldn¡¯t save you! Please punish me when we meet on the other side!¡± ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯re coming!¡± ¡°See you in a bit, Patriarch!¡± ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m sorry! Here I come!¡± Everyone burst into tears. They all wrapped a white cloth around their head. People like Warren, James, Drake, and Phoebe put on white funeral outfits. Drake was the first to walk to the edge of the square. Henry couldn¡¯t help but call out to him, ¡°Mr. Drake!¡± Drake looked up and smiled at Henry. ¡°After I¡¯m gone, someone will deliver you all the secret information the Soan empire and three divisions have obtained over the years. Mr. Lang, please leave!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Drake!¡± Henry bade the man farewell. Drake smiled and looked at the calm surface of the ocean. ¡°Goodbye, Goodbye, Mr. and Ms. Soans.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Goodbye, Mr. and Ms. Soans.¡± ¡°Goodbye, the three divisions! Goodbye, the Soan empire!¡± Almost every internet user in the country was staring blankly at their screen. Few people were in the mood to post comments. ¡°Pick up the coffin and follow me!¡± With a wave of Drake¡¯s hand, the crystal coffin was lifted off the ground. He then marched off, leading the procession toward the ocean. Phoebe and Liam followed him. After them came the coffin. Warren, Yosef, James, and the others followed the coffin. Something happened all of a sudden. The sky darkened, and a gust of wind swept across the sea. Tidal waves suddenly surged on the calm surface of the ocean. ¡®A tornado moved toward them from a long distance away. The water it drew from the sea pushed out all the helicopters in the sky. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why is this happening? It¡¯s supposed to be a sunny day today!¡± ¡°Steady the helicopter!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? The tornado seems unnatural!¡± The helicopter ride became so bumpy that Henry and Gordon felt dizzy. They couldn¡¯t see anything and almost fell out of the helicopters. The tornado felt like it had a life of its own. Instead of devouring the helicopters, it simply forced them away. The turbulence affected the live stream as well. Everything was spinning, and the viewers couldn¡¯t see what was happening. ¡°What the heck?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it a tsunami?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! I¡¯ve checked the weather forecast over there.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± Drake was about to jump into the sea, but he paused when he saw the sudden change. Waves rose around the square like walls and were at least dozens of meters tall. But they didn¡¯t smash onto the square. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is this happening?¡± That was so strange! It wouldn¡¯t take a genius to realize something weird was going on. ¡°Is the Patriarch angry? Does he think we¡¯re moving too slowly?¡± Liam was perplexed. He then said, ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯re coming!¡± He ran across the square and tried to jump over the edge. Just then, jets of water rose and pushed Liam back onto the square. It only confused the crowd even more. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Phoebe said, ¡°People of the Himmelian Pavilion, get into the water and find out what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Her subordinates jumped into the water. However, a strange force pushed them back as soon as they hit the water, and they were bounced back onto the square. Phoebe was utterly confused and kept looking around. Was there a capable person around that they didn¡¯t know of? ¡°Look! The coffin!¡± Just then, someone cried out. Drake turned around to see that the crystal coffin had risen into the air. It then exploded. Himmel Soan¡¯s remains floated in mid-air. ¡°Patriarch?¡± ¡°Patriarch!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Everybody was utterly confused. suddenly! Himmel Soan opened his eyes. ¡°You brats! On your knees! All of you!¡± Himmel Soan shouted as his body began to change.. 1 Chapter 48 - Eight Streaks of Lightning Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations They heard a loud noise above the sea surface. The water then erupted, and turbulent waves rose so high that they touched the sky. ¡®The waves formed a circle of walls, trapping the helicopters together with everyone else. It was like a well. If anyone could record this scene, it would shock the entire world. Only the force of nature could do such a terrifying thing. It was either that or some divine power! Himmel Soan floated in mid-air and was slowly rotating until he was no longer in a lying position but was standing up. All the members of the Soan empire burst into tears when they saw the old man. He was their God! Ordinary people would be terrified by such a supernatural phenomenon. However, members of the Soan empire were so excited that they were crying. They knelt on the ground and looked up at the old man. ¡°Patriarch¡­¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Father! Is that really you? Am I dreaming?¡± All they got in return was Himmel Soan¡¯s scolding. ¡°You idiots!¡± He then raised his hand. There was a series of smacking sounds. All the members of the Soan empire fell to one side with a distinctive palmprint on their cheeks. The seawater splashed onto their faces and bodies and mixed with their tears. It was a painful slap! However, they all laughed. It really was their Patriarch! Their Patriarch was still alive! In the online world. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing! Can the cameraman stop moving around? It¡¯s making me dizzy!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening to Mr. Himmel Soan?¡± ¡°People, just shut up for a minute and stop bullet chatting!¡± ¡°Yes, just be quiet! Why are you asking about Mr. Himmel Soan? Shouldn¡¯t you be worried about the reporters?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obviously either a tsunami or a storm and a big one! I hope the reporters and people of the Sky Eye are okay!¡± ¡°L pray for their safe return!¡± ¡°Shit! I think I saw something! The camera caught a person for like a second! I think he was floating in midair!¡± ¡°I saw it, too! The camera caught it for a split second!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. You guys are out of your minds! A man floating in the air, you say? Are we watching a movie here? The wind must have blown him off the ground!¡± ¡®The entire country was watching Himmel Soan¡¯s funeral, and countless people sent their prayers during the live stream. Of course, there were also those who wanted to find out the truth. ¡®The truth was that if it really were a storm, the people in the helicopters might not have been able to get away. Even the helicopters themselves could be destroyed. ¡°Patriarch, is that you?¡± Warren¡¯s eyes widened when he looked at Himmel Soan again. Himmel Soan seemed to be going back in time! His beard had shrunk back into his skin. His hair also became shorter. It was as if someone had given him a facelift. His skin was wrinkle-free and getting smoother and smoother. His clothes seemed too large for him now. His eyes, nose, and mouth were all going through various subtle changes. All in all, his features were becoming younger and smoother. Smack! Fork-shaped lightning cracked overhead, so bright that the sky was dimmed. Himmel Soan looked like a 90-year-old now. Smack! Another streak of lightning. It was suddenly as dark as night. It had been a sunny day, and getting darker was expected because there were dark clouds in the sky. However, this unexpected nightfall was beyond explanation! Another streak of lightning flashed in the night sky. In that split second, the crowd saw that Himmel Soan got another ten years younger. He looked to be in his 80s now! Smack! ¡®There was a third streak of lightning. Himmel Soan was a 70-year-old. Rain was pouring, and the wind was as strong as earlier. But the most dangerous moment had passed. The tornado had also disappeared. It was pitch black on the sea, and everything was briefly lit up again when another streak of lightning struck down. The crowd looked in the direction of Himmel Soan and saw his face in that split second. He seemed to be in his 50s now. The lightning died down, and darkness prevailed again. But soon, the next streak came. This time, Himmel Soan looked like a 40-year-old. In his fifties, he didn¡¯t seem drastically different from when he was 100. But the difference was quite evident when he was in his 40s. However, things didn¡¯t end there. After the seventh streak of lightning, the person in the sky was in his 30s. He had well-defined features, a sculpted jawline, and plump cheeks. He looked quite intimidating just by floating there. Then, there was the eighth streak. There wasn¡¯t a trace of the old man as the crowd remembered. In his place, a handsome 20-year-old floated in mid-air, but he had very sharp eyes, which reminded them of their God. ¡®The sky finally lit up after the ninth streak. The person in the sky had tured into a teenager. ¡°Who is he?¡± Phoebe stared at the teenager in bewilderment. ¡®The change was so drastic that no one could say for sure that it was Himmel Soan. However, although his appearance and body shape might have changed, he was still wearing the same shroud. Drake, Phoebe, and Liam had put it on for him with their own hands. It wasn¡¯t just any ordinary shroud. The outfit almost looked like an emperor¡¯s robe. Even the buttons cost a fortune! ¡°Holy shit¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Henry and Gordon tightly held onto the handles in the helicopters. The tornado earlier had nearly killed them. ¡®The helicopters were finally steady now. When they looked into the ¡°well,¡± they saw that a teenager had replaced Himmel Soan. Moreover, he was flying! Was he flying? Henry wasn¡¯t sure how to describe it. Anyway, he was floating in the air. It was either his own doing, the force of the wind, or the effect of the surging waves. However, the latter two didn¡¯t seem like the actual cause. That was to say, the teenager was flying. Ahuman was flying! Holy crap! It was incredible! Where was Himmel Soan? ¡®Where did he go? He was in Himmel Soan¡¯s shroud. What did that mean? ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± Henry laughed and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not possible! He can¡¯t be Himmel Soan!¡± What the Soan empire did next astonished him. They bowed to the teenager in the sky and shouted, ¡°Patriarch!¡± Chapter 49 - Not Dead Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations He. That teenager! He was Himmel Soan! He was the Patriarch of the Soan empire! What kind of a sick joke was that? Henry looked at Gordon and saw that the latter was even more astonished than him. ¡°Henry, I¡­¡± Gordon threw his hands in the air. He didn¡¯t know what to say and became incoherent. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I¡­ He¡­ I mean¡­ Did they call the wrong name, or did I hear it wrong? Did you hear it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Henry nodded, his lips quivering. Gordon knew what he had heard, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe it. However, he had to believe it after Henry¡¯s confirmation. It completely shattered his view of this world. He had lived long enough to see his fair share of monsters and villains. But he had never seen something like this before. It was beyond his comprehension. ¡°L.. We¡­ Did we¡­ Did we see something that we shouldn¡¯t have?¡± Henry and Gordon looked at each other, both realizing the significance of the incident. ¡°Stop the live stream! Shut it now!¡± In the online world. ¡°What the heck? Why does it keep swaying?¡± ¡°Yes, why? Are the helicopters still airborne? How long has it been? They should have let us know by now! If they have fallen into the sea, there shouldn¡¯t be any signal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s making me dizzy. I can¡¯t watch it anymore.¡± ¡°Wait! I think I¡¯m seeing something.¡± ¡°Yes! The image is back! Shit! What¡¯s going on? Why are the waves so high?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? People of the Soan empire are all kneeling on the ground! They haven¡¯t jumped into the sea!¡± ¡°Look! Do you see a person up there? Look!¡± ¡°Shit! I see it!¡± ¡°Where? I can¡¯t see anything!¡± ¡°Look! That person isn¡¯t very tall, and with the seawater as the background, he¡¯s hard to spot!¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t see it!¡± ¡°I see it! I see it now! What¡¯s that? Is the person flying?¡± ¡°Holy crap! There really is a person up there? What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s that, and where¡¯s the coffin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Where¡¯s the crystal coffin? It¡¯s gone! Have they thrown it into the sea?¡± ¡®The screen was covered by bullet chats when everything went white before the screen turned black. ¡°The live stream has ended.¡± That was the line on the screen. ¡°Shit! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why has the live stream ended?¡± ¡°No way! Has something gone wrong? Did the helicopters fall into the sea?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible! Didn¡¯t you see the last image? Plus, things have calmed down.¡± ¡°Everything was back to normal, apart from the rising waves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In that case, they couldn¡¯t have fallen into the sea. Why did they shut down the live stream?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me? Speaking of which, why didn¡¯t I see the person you were talking about?¡± ¡°He was there! There was a person flying in the air! The entire Soan empire was worshiping that person!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so dramatic! It¡¯s giving me the creeps! You¡¯re seeing things!¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve recorded it!¡± Many viewers were in the habit of making screencaps. Some viewers had recorded everything, including the blurry images. However, they couldn¡¯t find it anywhere when they searched their files. ¡°Sorry. Because of an error with the server, your screencaps are not saved. We have not found out what caused the malfunction, and we are looking into it. We apologize for the inconvenience!¡± ¡°What happened? The server went down, and my screencap is gone!¡± ¡°Shit! The same thing happened to my live stream app! The server is down!¡± ¡°So is my app! What the heck? I was recording everything! There were the people who went to see off Mr. Himmel Soan, the ocean road, the helicopters, everything!¡± All the live stream apps malfunctioned, and the screencap function had stopped working. That was to say, everyone had lost their screencaps. ¡®The public was enraged. Once that footage was lost, they couldn¡¯t get it back. Early the following day, people opened their browsers, trying to find out more about the Soan empire. It had been a day, and the Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe should have come up with an explanation about what happened to the Soan empire. ¡°all members of the Soan empire have returned. The whole country is rejoicing!¡± When people clicked open Sky Eye¡¯s social media account, they read such a title. Over a billion people had clicked on it. Every person who had read it jumped up and down in joy. ¡°They¡¯ve come back!¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t die! They¡¯ve all come back!¡± ¡°are they back? Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I knew it! I knew they would tum their heads around!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! This country needs them! We need them!¡± ¡°Our country should treat the Soan empire nicely from now on! They never asked for anything in return. We can¡¯t let them go through such humiliation again!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t let Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s incident happen again!¡± ¡°Tm so excited! I think the country should compensate for the Soan empire. They¡¯ve made so many contributions to us.¡± ¡°Look at the second title. The government is already discussing it. I think they¡¯ll reach a conclusion this afternoon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Mr. Soan is still alive! My savior is still alive!¡± ¡°But I¡¯ma little curious. What made them change their minds? Don¡¯t get angry, but I¡¯m just curious. I¡¯m so happy that the Soan empire has come back. I just don¡¯t understand what changed their minds.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m curious, too. Why?¡± The government announced its conclusion two hours later. The Soan empire had been helping the country with its development for the past two centuries and had made many contributions. After some discussion, they decided to compensate the Soan empire ten billion for their annual contribution. For two centuries, the sum would be two trillion. ¡°Holy shit! Two trillion?!¡± ¡°Our country is very generous!¡± ¡°think that¡¯s the least they could do. Of the two trillion, 1.5 trillion was probably made by the Soan empire.¡± ¡°Lagree. Two trillion isn¡¯t a lot.¡± Less than ten minutes later, there was another piece of news. ¡°The Soan empire won¡¯t take a dime.. They¡¯ve returned the whole two trillion!¡± Chapter 50 - Dragon Soul Temple Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°That¡¯s so generous of them!¡± ¡°They¡¯re saying no to two trillion? How incredible!¡± ¡°The country is willing to pay a generous amount to compensate them, but money is the last thing the Soan empire needs.¡± ¡®That was indeed true. The Soan empire didn¡¯t need money. They only wanted Himmel Soan back. And now, their wish was fulfilled. Linda was browsing the internet for the latest news on the Soan empire. After the turbulence the day before, the whole country was watching the progress closely. ¡®The first thing many people did when they woke up this morning was to go online. Linda was one of those people. She lived in a grassland region, and her window was open, so she could hear everything that was happening outside. Three planes had flown past her house in the past minute. She was wondering what was happening when the fourth plane flew overhead. She had heard about the recent events and knew that the people of the Soan empire wanted to die for Himmel Soan. However, the event took place in the country¡¯s central area, and Linda resided on the western border. The two regions were very far apart. Before her area could be affected, everything was already over. One would assume that nothing would happen after that. Yet, why did it feel that tension was up again? ¡°What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s so noisy!¡± Linda went to the window and looked out. She was perplexed by the scene. To the north of her house was a vast grassland known as ¡°West Wind.¡± It was very famous. ¡®West Wind wasn¡¯t the largest grassland in the country, but it was the most beautiful one, and the location was ideal. Because of that, it was very popular with vloggers and influencers. Everything was fine the day before, but an enormous construction site had been set up, and it seemed that thousands of people were busy building something. There were all sorts of equipment and devices. Even helicopters were hovering overhead. Many materials were delivered here by air, including glass, windows, and doors. That was why it was so noisy. This was supposed to be a popular tourism spot. Why was there construction work? No one had said anything about it. ¡°Mom! Mom?¡± Linda ran downstairs to find a visitor there. Her mother was talking to a man ina suit. ¡°Demolition?¡± Linda¡¯s eyes widened when she heard the request. Their house wasn¡¯t on any major route to any important locations, not to mention that it was on a grassland. Even if a house was to be demolished, it shouldn¡¯t be theirs. Why the sudden request? ¡°Dragon Soul Temple? What¡¯s that?¡± Her mother explained that a building known as Dragon Soul Temple was to be built here. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be specially built for the Soan empire. The country is using it as a way to repay them.¡± ¡°But why here?¡± ¡°They said that based on their measurements, we just happen to be at the very center of the country. If you draw a big cross on the land, this area is where the horizontal line meets the vertical one!¡± Although the grassland had ¡°west¡± in its name, it was given by the common folk based on the location of the sacred temple. The sacred temple was on the country¡¯s eastern side and was surrounded by large cities. As a result, people started to use the temple as a reference when talking about directions. They didn¡¯t specify they were referring to the sacred temple¡¯s east, west, south, or north. Gradually, more people formed this habit. Those who didn¡¯t know the origin thought they were referring to the directions of the country as a whole. In terms of general geography, the city of the sacred temple was in the east, but in this new system, it was the center. That was one of the reasons that the grassland was called ¡°west.¡± The other reason was that the country¡¯s western region was underdeveloped with a poor transportation system. As a result, the entire grassland region was considered the west. Technically, the grassland was at the center of the country. Because of that, the government was going to build a shrine for the Soan empire in that region. The shrine was to be named Dragon Soul Temple. The Soan empire had been protecting the country for a very long time and was considered the soul of this country. ¡°Is that true? That¡¯s great! Mom, let¡¯s start packing! We¡¯re moving!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? We haven¡¯t settled on the compensation yet!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother about the compensation! We¡¯ll take whatever they offer! We have to let them get on with the construction of the temple!¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind? What are you talking about? We¡¯re not going anywhere unless the compensation is good enough!¡± ¡°Mom! They¡¯re doing it for the Soan empire!¡± ¡°What Soan empire? Everyone¡¯s been talking about it these days. Who are they? Why do we have to move just because the temple is for them? Why shouldn¡¯t we take the money?¡± Linda¡¯s mother seldom went online and didn¡¯t know much about the ongoing events. Moreover, the western region was less populated and had remained relatively calm despite the recent upheavals. They heard discussions about the Soan empire but didn¡¯t know what it meant. ¡°Mom, we have to move! Don¡¯t worry about the money. I¡¯m sure the government will pay enough. Our top priority now is to let the government build the Dragon Soul Temple. That way, the Soan empire can officially meet here. It¡¯s going to be their office!¡± Linda explained to her mother about the Soan empire and Himmel Soan¡¯s contribution to the country. However, her mother wasn¡¯t impressed. When her father came home that evening and heard about it, he made the final decision. ¡°Let them have the house! Demolish it! The Soan empire has done so much for the country; of course, we¡¯ll make room for the Dragon Soul Temple, even if we have to give up this house for free! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll pay us the right amount!¡± Many people started moving out of the town that afternoon. After her father came back that evening, Linda¡¯s family moved as well. ¡®The town was emptied overnight, and the developer demolished everything. People were talking about the Dragon Soul Temple online as well. ¡°What? Dragon Soul Temple?¡± ¡°Is the government building that temple?¡± ¡°Is it for the Soan empire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the right thing to do! Mr. Himmel Soan had done so much for the country, and the Soan empire has given us so much without asking for anything in retum. They¡¯re worth remembering!¡± ¡°Dragon Soul Temple is such a great idea!¡± ¡°How long will it take to build it? Is it in the West Wind Grassland? I¡¯m from around there. Do they need a hand? I can drop by tomorrow!¡± Everyone who had heard about it supported the decision.. Chapter 51 - Secret of the Empire Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations 99% of the online community supported the idea. Sky Eye also made an announcement about the temple on behalf of the country. The construction of the temple would be broadcast live, making sure that there was no corruption in labor or materials. Once the temple was built, the names of all the members of the Soan empire would be carved on the walls. Although the Soan empire wouldn¡¯t take any money, the government would still offer it. The Dragon Soul Temple would have an account of its own, and the government would transfer some money into that account each year. Henry Lang never revealed the actual amount, but it would have to be a generous sum. Hundreds of billions, at least. ¡°I don¡¯t think the actual amount matters. The Soan empire wouldn¡¯t mind it either. After all, the government has never paid them a cent, and they¡¯ve managed to get by, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? What do you mean by that? Of course, it matters! They deserve a generous payment! Where do you live? How would you feel if 1 knock on your door?!¡± Dude, you¡¯re way over the line! That person was only offering their opinion. You don¡¯t need to get so wound up about it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right! I disagree! Yes, it¡¯s been so many years, but has it ever occurred to you how much money the Soan empire has to pay out of its own pocket? We could let them do that when we didn¡¯t know, but now that the government knows about it, they can¡¯t be stingy!¡± agree! Without Mr. Himmel Soan, we would never have made so many achievements in the past two centuries. I think we should give them half of what¡¯s in the national treasury if necessary!¡± have a frightening idea. I think what we¡¯ve seen and learned about the Soan empire is only a fraction of their contribution!¡± ¡°We must pay them a generous amount! We can¡¯t hold back just because the Soan empire doesn¡¯t care about the money! Didn¡¯t they mention two trillion? I think that¡¯s appropriate! The Soan empire should be content with two trillion a year!¡± Henry Lang read through all the comments and memorized all the suggestions. The country had to value the discussion and opinions of the online community. He was also glad about something else. Having browsed the web pages for so long, he saw minimal foul language. The Anti Cyberbullying Act was very effective. When Henry Lang sighed, Gordon asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lang? Why are you sighing?¡± ¡°General, the online community is so civil now. Do you remember what it used to be? In the old days, they would have taken each other¡¯s eyes out!¡± ¡°Yes, the Anti Cyberbullying Act is very effective, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gordon nodded when he read some comments. ¡°If the legislation on cyberbullying had been implemented earlier, none of this would have happened.¡± ¡°What? Are you having regrets now?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course, I am! It was almost beyond redemption, and the country could have lost so much!¡± If the people of the Soan empire had killed themselves, the country¡¯s economy would be stagnant for fifty or even a hundred years! The country¡¯s economy was flourishing, making many other countries jealous. If it were put to a halt, other forces would take advantage of it. The return of the Soan empire was great news to the country, even more significant than becoming the largest economy in the world. As the saying went, it was easier to build Rome than to defend it. Without adequate capacity, becoming the largest economy would only turn the country into a common target. With the Soan empire here, the country would be able to defend itself. The Soan empire would be the country¡¯s guardian angel! That was why the government was so happy when the people of the Soan empire came back and started showering them with money and housing. They did it to keep the Soan empire on their side. Something like that could never happen again! Henry was still shivering about what had almost happened. They were so close. They were so close to the inevitable! ¡°That teenager¡­¡± ¡°Shhhh!¡± Henry recalled the teenager floating in mid-air, but Gordon immediately shushed him. ¡°Be discreet! The Soan empire hasn¡¯t made a statement yet, so we should stay quiet as well. We don¡¯t want to upset them by saying the wrong thing. Henry, always remember to choose your words carefully!¡± ¡°| know that!¡± Henry looked around before saying, ¡°General, since there¡¯s no one around, I¡¯d like to talk to you about it before you leave.¡± Gordon also looked around the room. This was one of Henry¡¯s offices, and no one would come in without his permission. They didn¡¯t need to worry about bugs or hidden cameras. Slightly relieved, he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about. Just keep it to yourself.¡± ¡°But I want to know if the teenager really is Himmel Soan.¡± Do you think the Soan empire would make such a mistake?¡± But wasn¡¯t Himmel Soan¡­¡± He has lived for over 200 years. He¡¯s anything but ordinary.¡± Henry nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why the Soan empire is so powerful¡­¡± don¡¯t think so. If you ask me, Himmel Soan is the powerful one!¡± Gordon offered a different opinion. ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Henry nodded. ¡°Without the adequate capability, Himmel Soan would never be able to train so many people. That¡¯s to say, he¡¯s more powerful than all the people of the Soan empire put together. Right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of discussing it? He was flying and has turned into a teenager! We both saw it with our own eyes! There are also the three divisions. We used to want to study their secrets. What now?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! I guess we¡¯ve found the answer!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. We don¡¯t want to offend the Soan empire. We should also take care of the reporters, cameramen, and pilots of that day. Although the Soan empire hasn¡¯t said anything, we should be discreet! We can¡¯t afford any leaks!¡± ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t worry! I know what to do.¡± Henry nodded. Gordon asked, ¡°By the way, did Drake or Phoebe contact you? Where are they now?¡±. Chapter 52 - Trial of Dragon Cave Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°No. They¡¯ve gone off-grid since they came back.¡± ¡°Have they returned to the Himmelian Pavilion and Himmelian Village? You need to find a way to get in touch with them. Since they¡¯ve already come out once, is it possible to stop them from going back? I think it¡¯s a good idea to have them live in modern cities now,¡± said Gordon. Henry nodded. ¡°I agree with you, but it¡¯s still up to them. More importantly, it¡¯s up to Mr. Himmel Soan. I¡¯ve been trying to contact them since yesterday.¡± ¡°Any results?¡± ¡°No, but our effort wasn¡¯t completely fruitless. We managed to make contact with a member of the Soan empire. His name is Eason Soan.¡± ¡°Eason Soan? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s the Soan empire¡¯s representative in special times like this!¡± Gordon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great news! With everything that has happened to the Soan empire, it¡¯s understandable that they would want to hold an emergency meeting. The online community adores Himmel Soan, and many people are referring to him as ¡®God.¡± Everybody was worshipping Himmel Soan and was extremely interested in everything related to him and the Soan empire. If Himmel Soan or the Soan empire were to set up a way of communication where they could interact with the online community regularly, people of the country would feel closer to them and have a better impression of the Soan empire. That way, they probably wouldn¡¯t go back to that reclusive life again. ¡°That¡¯s one of the things I want to mention. Another thing is about the trolls¡­¡± Their hearts sank a little at the mention of this subject. The trolls and keyboard warriors must pay for what they had done! ¡°Their case will come to trial.¡± After a long silence, Gordon and Henry said in unison. They were on the same page. Dragon Cave. It was the largest stadium in the country so far. Back then, it was where the Olympic games were held. The stadium could fit half a million people! It was one of the most magnificent buildings in the country. ¡°What? A trail is to be held in Dragon Cave! It¡¯s going to be the first cyberbullying case after the Anti Cyberbullying Act was implemented!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the defendant?¡± ¡°Who do you think? Of course, they¡¯ll be people who have insulted Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do it! Send them all to jail!¡± ¡°The Soan empire and Mr. Himmel Soan might have forgiven them, but I won¡¯t! They almost killed the greatest benefactor of our country! They could have ruined everything!¡± ¡°Yes! They must be put on trial! Send them to jail! Lock them up for thirty, fifty, or a hundred years! Hell, they should rot in there for life!¡± ¡°Man, you¡¯re too nice. If you ask me, they should all be sentenced to death, effective immediately!¡± ¡°Totally! Look at the mess they¡¯ve made! We should execute at least a few of them!¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t execute all of them, we should at least execute Stella Shane! That bit¡ªI mean, that animal!¡± ¡°They really need to thank the Anti Cyberbullying Act. Otherwise, I would verbally abuse them with the worst thing I can think of!¡± ¡°Holy crap! The trial will take place in the Dragon Cave stadium! That place can hold half a million people! How many people are they going to sentence this time?¡± ¡°Those people had it coming! Throw them all in jail!¡± Sky Eye made an announcement, informing the entire country of the trial to be held in the Dragon Cave. The news was received with overall support from the online community. That night, the names of the trolls were announced on the Dragon Cave website and had been divided into five categories. The first category was the ringleaders. The incident was started by people like Stella, Luna, and Luke Shane, who were considered the ringleaders. They would be cracked down relentlessly, and there would be no leniency. The second category contained public figures like Gary Mat, Andy Lee, and Ivy Law. To make a comeback and for their self-gain, fame, fortune, and popularity, they led the public opinion against their conscience. They supported Stella Shane, misled the online community, and falsified the truth to swindle the uninformed masses. They turned Himmel Soan into a devil and animal with no human emotions. Those people would not be pardoned! The third category included the paid posters and various entertainment companies and show associations that tried to take advantage of the situation and grab attention for themselves. For instance, there was the Late Night Chat, Get to the Bottom of Them All, Midnight Heart-to-Heart, and Talk to Rachel. All those shows had conspired with their guests and fabricated facts to get the buzz going when they knew perfectly well that they weren¡¯t telling the truth. The producers, managers, and leaders of these shows and associations were all in the third category. The fourth category included the most active trolls. All of them had posted over a hundred sentences of abusive comments to insult Himmel Soan. For that, they were in the fourth category. Last but not least, there were the trolls who had posted over ten insulting sentences, and this category contained the greatest number of people. The nature of their offense hadn¡¯t been determined yet, but they would be punished for what they had done. The trial would continue on the next day. Henry and Gordon were very efficient. The announcement was made in the afternoon, and the trial started on that very evening. The entire process would be a live broadcast.. Chapter 53 - What Did I Say? Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°OMG!¡± ¡°There are so many people!¡± ¡°I¡¯d have thought they¡¯re holding the Olympics if I didn¡¯t know better.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the Olympics would have this many people.¡± ¡°The Dragon Cave almost can¡¯t fit all of them inside.¡± 8,000 drones hovered above Dragon Cave, recording the trial and streaming it online. Another 80,000 drones were standing by to make sure that the live stream wouldn¡¯t be interrupted by the malfunction or if any drones ran out of battery. 300 judges took charge of the trial, and they would give the verdict simultaneously. There were no juries, and the sentence would be passed down directly. Even with such a procedure, they still couldn¡¯t go through all the defendants in one night. By the time they read all the names, the sun had risen. ¡°The following defendants in the first category are sentenced to death. The four members of the Shane family: Stella Shane, Luna Shane, Luke Shane, and Helen Mat. Also sentenced to death are Gary Mat, Tony Lewis, Frank Kwok, Ethan Fraser, Andy Lee, Ivy Law¡­ ¡°The following defendants in the first category are sentenced to imprisonment for life: Sandy Lou, George Newt, Hilary Lee, Lucy Farse¡­ ¡°The following defendants in the second category are sentenced to imprisonment for life: Ken Hawk, Jack Hawk, Yuna Hawk, Jessica Lang, Emma Leigh¡­ ¡°The following defendants in the second category are sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of more than 30 years, without probation, commutation, or appeal¡­ ¡°The following defendants in the second category are sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of more than 25 years, without probation, commutation, or appeal¡­ ¡°The following defendants are in the third category¡­¡± The list never seemed to end. Over a hundred newsrooms were broadcasting the trial simultaneously, and the 300 judges took turns to read the names. ¡°I like it! This is what should be done!¡± ¡°I feel so good! They deserve the punishment!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan is God! We won¡¯t allow any blasphemy! Those people have defiled God! They deserved it!¡± The keyboard warriors and trolls thought they had dodged the bullet when the Soan empire set them free. However, the Anti Cyberbullying Act then came out, and they became the first group of people the country used the legislation on. They were used to saying whatever they wanted online, but this time, they would have to face the consequences. However, they held no grudges. Before the trial started, the netizens speculated that these people might cry, beg for mercy, or try to pull all kinds of strings to get their sentence reduced. Yet, the trolls were more resilient than they had expected. Not many of them broke down in tears. Only about 5% had such reactions, most of which were women. A huge majority repented and sincerely admitted what they had done. They knew how severe the matter was and regretted their actions. However, they couldn¡¯t turn back the clock and could only feel sorry for their conduct. They had no choice but to suffer the consequences. Because the person in question was Himmel Soan. They probably would be discontent if the victim were someone else. They would likely make a scene in court and try to come up with excuses. However, Himmel Soan was too prominent a figure, and the country would never have made all the achievements without him. The country had five types of medals granted to outstanding individuals, and receiving any of them could exonerate the recipient from all crimes, including a capital one. Until Himmel Soan turned up, no one had been. able to obtain all five of them. Being rewarded with any single one would be considered the most incredible honor. However, Himmel Soan had all five medals. Because of that, the trolls felt they had no right to ask for reduced sentences. One couldn¡¯t just talk about respecting Himmel Soan. They should feel it from the bottom of their hearts. Humans were controllable. However, human emotions weren¡¯t. o matter how great a person was, someone was bound to dislike them. The authorities could control people¡¯s conduct, but they couldn¡¯t control their minds. Himmel Soan was an exception. Any adult with a conscience and adequate intelligence would know what a great man he was. They might not say it out loud, but deep down, they had to recognize the man¡¯s virtue. o one could argue with that. The air in the room felt stifling. Everyone in the room was a tycoon in a particular field, and any one of them was capable of stirring things up in an industry. However, they were all covered by cold sweat and shaking like leaves in their seats. None of them dared to utter a word. The stranger thing was that opposite them sat a teenager that looked about 18 years of age. It was such a baffling scene. The teenager was none other than Himmel Soan. The other people in the room were all members of the Soan empire. Yosef Soan. Warren Soan. Caroline Soan. Camille Soan. Drake Soan. Phoebe Soan. Liam Soan. Any of those names could make ordinary people go pale. That was the effect of the Soan empire. ¡°That¡¯s to say, you¡¯ve followed none of my instructions. Correct?¡± Himmel Soan was so angry that he laughed. He watched his followers with an expressionless face. ¡°Patriarch¡­ We¡­¡± Warren tried to explain but didn¡¯t know what to say. Drake chimed in, ¡°Master, it¡¯s not all their fault¡ª¡± ¡°Was | asking you?!¡± Himmel Soan snapped at Drake before he could finish. Drake had been so proud and intimidating when facing Henry and Gordon, but now, he cringed like a little boy and didn¡¯t dare to say another word. ¡°Drake, I¡¯ll deal with you later!¡± Himmel Soan pointed at Drake, his two siblings, and the three divisions. ¡°How dare the three of you do that?! Who gave you the order? Speak! Who?!¡± ¡°Master, I¡­¡± ¡°You imprisoned so many people just like that! You had no right! What¡¯s the responsibility of the three divisions? What did I tell you? Who gave you the permission to come out of your seclusion? You should feel lucky that I couldn¡¯t move a muscle when I was in the crystal coffin. Otherwise, I would have killed all three of you in the sacred temple!¡± The room was silent. Dead silent. Drake and his siblings burst into a cold sweat. They had thought about explaining what they had done, but now, they didn¡¯t dare open their mouths. Himmel Soan smacked the table and growled, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the three of you later! Warren, Yosef, Lance, Caroline, and Hayden, have you done none of the things I told you to do? Is our country the largest economy in the world yet?¡± ¡°No¡­ Not yet, Patriarch¡­¡± ¡°No? Why not?!¡± Himmel Soan smacked the table again. This time, the wooden table couldn¡¯t withstand the force and cracked open. ¡°What have you been doing in the past three decades?!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you¡­¡± ¡°Why the hell did you do that? What did I tell you back then? I¡¯ll cut all your heads off if our country doesn¡¯t become the greatest nation in the world in thirty years! Did I tell you to look for me? Speak!¡±. Chapter 54 - Himmel Soan’s Chatterio Account Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Patriarch, please forgive us¡­¡± Warren lowered his head and spoke in a shaky voice. There was nothing scary about young Himmel Soan¡¯s delicate face, but no one dared to meet him in the eye. Just by sitting there, he gave off a suppressive air that reminded one of a mountain. The others found it hard to breathe. ¡°Forgive you? How? Tell me, what place does our country have in the world?¡± No one dared to answer that question. ¡°Third?¡± Himmel Soan asked in an uncertain tone. No one answered, and everyone seemed nervous. ¡°Fifth?¡± Himmel Soan made another guess. Still, no one answered. That didn¡¯t seem to be the correct guess either. Himmel Soan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°We have to be in the top eight, right?¡± He still received no reply, and the others looked even more nervous. Beads of sweat were trickling down their faces. Thump! Himmel Soan punched through the wall next to him and bellowed at the others, ¡°Are you telling me our country isn¡¯t even in the top eight?!¡± ¡°Patriarch, we¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not your Patriarch since you clearly didn¡¯t follow my orders! You must all have a death wish!¡± Yosef wiped away his sweat. ¡°Patriarch, please don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be angry? I¡¯m not angry! I¡¯m homicidal!¡± The high-ranking executives of the Soan empire fell off their chairs, knelt on the floor, and begged for mercy. ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯re so sorry!¡± ¡°Patriarch, please forgive us! We were only worried about your safety!¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry. It was all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have stayed behind in the Himmelian Village all those years. I should have sent the three divisions out to search for you!¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯m the one to be blamed! Drake had wanted to go out to look for you, but I stopped him! Master, I¡¯ll take full responsibility!¡± The look in Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes grew colder. ¡°Shut up, all of you! Do you still think searching for me was the right decision? Liam, did you say you would take full responsibility? It¡¯s too big a responsibility for you to take! Drake, do you remember what special instruction I gave you? When I¡¯m not around, you¡¯re the head of the Soan empire. Is this how you¡¯ve been running things?¡± Drake prostrated on the floor and wept. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Himmel Soan turned around and crossed his hands behind his back. ¡°Of course, you should feel sorry! Releasing those people was the only right thing you did! If you had killed them, the first thing I would have done when I came out of the coffin was to kill you!¡± Drake¡¯s stomach lurched, and he felt he had dodged a bullet. Luckily, he was lenient in the end and set the trolls free. Otherwise, Himmel Soan would have executed him out there in the ocean. ¡°Master, I won¡¯t do it again!¡± James knelt on the ground. ¡°Patriarch, please forgive Uncle Drake. If he hadn¡¯t intervened and let us do it our way, we would have made a huge blunder. Luckily, Uncle Drake took care of those people in the end. Otherwise, they would have all been dead!¡± ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re in the position to plead for someone else?¡± Himmel Soan turned to James, who was so frightened that he prostrated on the ground and didn¡¯t dare look up. James was the first person to turn radical. Despite his anger, Himmel Soan was still reasonable. James was right. If it hadn¡¯t been for Drake, the Martial Arts Association and the Guardians would have killed all those people. He had kept everything under control. Although he initially wanted to kill all those people, he showed mercy in the end and chose to let them go. Drake believed that since Himmel Soan was dead, killing the trolls wouldn¡¯t achieve anything. It wouldn¡¯t bring their Patriarch back. He knew that all Himmel Soan ever wanted was to guard the country, and he had been doing it for years. The thought of killing the people his master had tried to protect made Drake uneasy. It felt like a betrayal of his ideology. That was why he relented and let everyone go. Unexpectedly, he escaped certain doom and was rewarded for his good deeds. f he really had killed so many people, Himmel Soan would have taken his life. ¡°Patriarch, please forgive Drake!¡± said Hayden. Hayden was the only one that Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t so angry with. He had tried to stop the people of the Soan empire, but he was only a doctor. Although he was the most famous doctor in the country, he didn¡¯t have any actual power. His words didn¡¯t mean anything to those people. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have much to contribute to making this country the greatest one in the world. There was only so much he could do, and he had given the country everything. He had been treating citizens of this country ever since he gained his fame. He hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. What about the others? Caroline was the president of IF Security. Instead of running her company, she went out to search for Himmel Soan. Warren, the head of the Orient Chamber of Commerce, left his post to look for Himmel Soan. James was the president of the Martial Arts Association, and he also abandoned his responsibility to look for Himmel Soan. Yosef was one of the captains of the Guardians and a radical member. Of course, he did the same! Hayden was the only one that hadn¡¯t disappointed Himmel Soan! ¡°You¡­ 1 don¡¯t know what to say to you!¡± Himmel Soan was so angry that he was at a loss for words, but he also couldn¡¯t bring himself to punish them. ¡°You¡¯ll atone for your crimes by doing good deeds!¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± His followers prostrated on the ground and replied in unison. In the anline world Chapter 55 - The Server’s Down Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Thank you for all your concerns. I¡¯m alright now.¡± The post immediately went viral. 500 million viewers had been watching the Dragon Cave trial. The number immediately dropped by 60%. Only 200 million people were watching now, and the number was still falling. Those people had all gone to check up on Himmel Soan¡¯s account. ¡°@Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Mr. Soan, that¡¯s great! We¡¯re so relieved that you¡¯re alright!¡± ¡°@Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Himmel Soan. I want to apologize to you. I didn¡¯t speak up for you when you were being cyberbullied.¡± ¡°(VIP account)Kevin Matano_Alinine President @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Congratulations, Mr. Himmel Soan! Welcome back!¡± ¡°(VIP account)Vincent Lindt_Vincet Corp President @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): We feel so blessed! Mr. Himmel Soan, thank you for all your contributions to our country! I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯re alright! God bless us!¡± ¡°(Star)Mindy Leight (verified account) @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Welcome back, Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°@Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Guys! Look! Mr. Himmel Soan has created a post!¡± After Himmel Soan¡¯s first post, countless celebrities, bigshots, business tycoons, and influencers rushed to the post and left their congratulations in the comment section. Suddenly! Everyone¡¯s web page froze, and their browsers shut down. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I open the page?¡± ¡°Seriously? I typed a long paragraph and hadn¡¯t sent it yet!¡± ¡°What the hell! This is bullshit!¡± The live stream of the Dragon Cave trial hadn¡¯t run into any hiccups. However, after Himmel Soan created his first post, Chatterio¡¯s server collapsed. ¡°Shit! What happened? Why can¡¯t I open Chatterio?¡± ¡°Sir, there are too many comments, and our servers couldn¡¯t handle it. Over 8 billion comments were posted in the past minute. That¡¯s fifteen posts per user!¡± The director of Sowu, the company that owned Chatterio, stood there with his forehead covered with cold sweat. Their president was even more scared. It was Himmel Soan they were talking about! He was an Elder of the country! The first generation of Elders had long passed away. After that, the country had never admitted the existence of another one. Himmel Soan was an Elder now. The title alone was worth half the country! The entire online community was eager to offer their congratulations, but the servers couldn¡¯t bear the sudden load anymore. The Soan empire might not mind it, but if Sky Eye or the Dragon Tribe caught wind of the news, they would definitely blame the company. ¡°I don¡¯t care! You have ten minutes to solve the problem!¡± The phone rang as soon as he said those words. The caller ID was blocked. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m from Sky Eye.¡± ¡°Sky¡­ Sky Eye?!¡± The president of Sowu felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°Yes! What can I do for you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t we open your web page or the app?¡± ¡°Because there were too many comments. Over 8 billion comments were posted in Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s comment section in the past minute¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! You have three minutes to solve the problem. Take care of it, or shut down your company!¡± ¡°Yes! Of course! No problem!¡± After hanging up, the president threw his laptop at the director. ¡°Shit! I only have three minutes! Take care of it now, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m on it!¡± Himmel Soan had been removed from reality for thirty years. His memory went blurry thirty years ago, which was when he knew he was going into a chaotic state. That was also when his dementia began. As aresult, he was unfamiliar with the current world. However, he was an extremely fast learner. People only needed to explain to him once about complicated things. Not only could he memorize it, but he could also apply it to other fields. For simpler things, observation alone would suffice. He wouldn¡¯t need any instructions. Right now, he was sliding his finger up and down along the screen of a smartphone of the latest model. He had already mastered it. ¡°Why can¡¯t I open Chatterio? Is it because of my settings?¡± Himmel Soan asked curiously. Caroline said, ¡°No, Dad. I can¡¯t open it either. Something went wrong with Sowu¡¯s servers.¡± Camille said, ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯ll take care of it. Give me one minute.¡± As a top hacker, Camille had the means to ease the pressure on the servers. After her intervention, Sowu¡¯s servers, which had remained frozen, rebooted independently. The director wiped his sweat and sighed in relief. The downtime only lasted for one minute and a half. Soon, people could use Chatterio again. Everyone¡¯s mouth fell open when they clicked on Himmel Soan¡¯s profile. ¡°8.73 billion comments! That¡¯s unbelievable!¡± Even 0.1 billion comments were rare to come by. Some influencers deliberately tried to find means to do everything to grab attention and win sympathy, even by crossing moral boundaries. However, their conduct would only win them dozens of thousands of comments. Even the government¡¯s official account had no more than a billion comments in total. What about Himmel Soan? He had received 8 billion comments with one post in one minute. o one could ever surpass that. ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan is incredible!¡± Chapter 56 - Trash Chapter 56 Trash ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get so excited. Post no. 45 might sound brutal, but it¡¯s true. Our country is still not developed enough to be compared to Neige.¡± ¡°Forget about Neige. Our economy is even smaller than our neighboring countries, Nisean and Malgo.¡± ¡°You should be ashamed of yourselves! Even their grass is greener, right? You don¡¯t think our country is good enough, nor are our people. Is that it?¡± ¡°Guess what? That¡¯s the truth! We¡¯re not good enough! I don¡¯t mean any disrespect, and I¡¯m only stating the facts! Take our people as an example. Do you see how tall and strong the Neigians are? Their average height is 180cm! Ours is 165cm, and that¡¯s the data for males only. Do I need to tell you about the females?¡± ¡°Are we going to use height as the evidence? Look at this graph. This is a comparison between the data of the two countries from last year. Do you see how much better Neige is doing? We¡¯re so far behind them in average income, GDP, scientific achievements, and the fitness level of both athletes and ordinary people.¡± No one had expected that a problem with Sowu¡¯s server would lead to a comparison between the two countries. The netizens were divided into three groups. There were the patriots. There were the objective onlookers (who felt that the country wasn¡¯t good enough). And there were the neutral commentators (the REAL objective ones). The patriots: ¡°Your parents must regret having given birth to you! After everything his country has done for you, you haven¡¯t shown any gratitude! Do your parents know what you¡¯ve been saying?¡± ¡°Dude, calm down. We have the Anti Cyberbullying Act now, so be civil. What I want to say is¡­ Screw you, you ungrateful trash! If you don¡¯t like this country, go away! Stop bitching about it! This country has done nothing wrong to you! Where¡¯s your conscience?¡± ¡°No matter what this country is like, it¡¯s still our homeland. You don¡¯t think it¡¯s good enough, but you can¡¯t bring yourselves to leave it either. Don¡¯t know why that is? Why are you overlooking its merits? Mr. Himmel Soan is from this country, too. Do you think you¡¯re better than him? Where¡¯s that sense of superiority coming from?¡± The objective onlookers: ¡°Just admit it. We¡¯re not good enough. I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t want to be a member of this country, but facts are facts. Those countries have better genes than us. Look at all their great scientists! How many do we have?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because they don¡¯t want to leave this country. They don¡¯t have the means to do that. Look at all those celebrities. They all left this country when they got rich enough.¡± I_Love_My_Country: ¡°Let me give you a list. No, I¡¯ll @ them for you! You patriots should calm down. @Cthulu @Branco @Viclan.¡± A user named ¡°I_Love_My_Country¡± suddenly named 500 internationally renowned scientists, and they were all originally from this country. After earning a name, they all chose to live abroad in as many as 37 countries. Neige, Winland, Flamia, Hydria, and Soilia. Those were the five most powerful countries in the world, and over 300 of those 500 scientists resided in those five countries. They all used to be from the country of Moon! ¡°Are we calm enough now? If this country really is so great, why did those people leave?¡± ¡°Why do you even care? Stop lying to yourself! We¡¯re weak! Know yourself. That¡¯s the most important thing. Do you want me to name some celebrities and business tycoons for you? They¡¯re all living abroad, too! No one wants to be here!¡± ¡°Do you see it now, patriots?¡± The neutral commentators: ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not powerful enough yet, but we¡¯re catching up. No country has ever been able to make so much progress in sixty years!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. We¡¯re going to become a superpower one day. That¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Frankly, our country hasn¡¯t reached that level yet, but we aren¡¯t far from there either. All we need is an opportunity. When we find that opening, we¡¯ll surprise the whole world!¡± Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Is our country that weak? Himmel Soan created another post. The three groups of people immediately started arguing in the comment section. ¡°Mr. Soan, I assume that you¡¯re unfamiliar with the current situation of our country. It¡¯s not good!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Soan. We can¡¯t imagine what our country would have turned out to be if we hadn¡¯t had the help from you and the Soan empire!¡± ¡°We might seem to be doing just fine, but that¡¯s only a facade. The key to making a country great is technology, and we¡¯re very far behind in our science, technology, medical standards¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, Sowu¡¯s servers collapsed just then, but such a thing would never have happened in a foreign country. The world record was 13.2 billion comments in three minutes, but to do that, we need powerful and stable servers. If it weren¡¯t for our rubbish technology, your post could have broken the world record!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s face grew darker as he read through the comments. His followers were too frightened to breathe. ¡°These famous people are all from our country, aren¡¯t they? I assume they¡¯re all members of the Soan empire.¡± Warren nodded. ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± ¡°What are they doing there?¡± ¡°Well¡­ We sent them to other countries to look for you. Some areas required a certain security clearance level, so they covered all the countries and obtained the highest clearance levels in almost every country.¡± ¡°Search for me! You people just wouldn¡¯t follow my instructions!¡± Himmel Soan had learned to @ other people in his posts. He immediately created a third one. Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): @Cathulu @Branco @Viclan @Joe Wisenck @Robert Williams¡­ He wrote something else after those names. ¡°Come back!¡± The others found this post adorable and left comments one after another. ¡°Mr. Soan, it doesn¡¯t work like that. You have a Chatterio account, but they may not have one!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They usually use Twitter or Facebook. Their Chatterio accounts are probably all blank. I don¡¯t think any of them actually use them. They won¡¯t be able to see the notification!¡± Chapter 57 - Bickering Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°LOL. Mr. Soan is so adorable.¡± ¡°Did Mr. Soan think that he could contact those people by tagging them? Mr. Soan, it doesn¡¯t work like that. They can only get the notification after they download the Chatterio app and log into their accounts.¡± ¡°No, they may not see the notification even if they log in. They must get thousands of notifications every day. Mr. Soan, they won¡¯t see it!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Soan is so adorable. It¡¯s understandable, though. After all, he has just opened his account. Go_Against_Trend: ¡°Gosh! These people were born in our country, but they¡¯re all living in Neige now while still keeping our passports. What are these scientists thinking? Are they really going to come back?¡± ¡­ Himmel Soan¡¯s latest post became the center of attention again. The comment of a user named ¡°Go_Against_Trend¡± brought attention to a new level. ¡°Coming back? Why should they? Nothing we have is better than Neige! VVhy should they give up the comfortable life they already have over there?¡± ¡°So true! They haven¡¯t changed their nationality probably because they never got around to doing it or because the paperwork is too much of a hassle. If I were in their shoes, I¡¯d have done the same! Do you know what science is about? Patriotism is far from being enough. It requires resources, equipment, and necessary funding!¡± ¡°I agree. Science research isn¡¯t as easy as you think. With advanced equipment, the same scientific research program can be accomplished much more efficiently. In the astronomy field, for instance, our telescopes can only study the moon, whereas theirs can observe the sun! Which country do you think will make more achievements? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± ¡°You¡¯re very objective. I agree. Science should be objective. One has to choose between scientific research and patriotism. They can¡¯t have both. If you want to blame someone, blame our country for not being powerful enough!¡± ¡°I disagree. Since they haven¡¯t changed their nationality yet, I think it means they¡¯ll eventually come back¡± ¡°Yes, Neige is a powerful country, but our people are courageous and upright. Anyone with a conscience wouldn¡¯t forget the country that has trained them. It¡¯s where they grew up.¡± ¡®You people are so snobbish! You think they¡¯re all as selfish as you are! Mr. Himmel Soan might not know how Chatterio works, but he has spoken about what¡¯s on our minds. It¡¯s also what our country wants. I believe and look forward to the day they¡¯ll all come back!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! You lot, the so-called patriots, are so blind! That¡¯s why our country is such a backwater place!¡± ¡°Do you seriously believe you¡¯re thinking for our country? You can¡¯t be more wrong! You¡¯ve lost touch with reality! Is it so hard to admit that you¡¯re not as good as everyone else? Admitting it doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t love your country! It¡¯s not disgraceful either! We can only start catching up with them when we recognize the reality! You won¡¯t even admit the gap between our country and others. We can¡¯t be immersed in our past glory anymore! It will only make us arrogant and stop our progress! How are we going to make our country greater?¡± ¡°I totally agree with you! These so-called patriots should be taught a lesson! Admitting that you¡¯re inferior to someone else doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll stay that way forever! We can only narrow that gap after we recognize that gap! Patriotism has nothing to do with it! Do you hear me, you idiots?!¡± The online community was divided once more over the issue, and both sides strongly supported their own view. Back to an hour ago. In Winland. In TSCD, a top-grade laboratory, people were lining up behind a closed office door. One of the Winlandians knocked on the door and asked in the native language, ¡°William, are you alright? We¡¯re worried about you!¡± A Moonian was sitting in front of the window in a trance-like state. His face was expressionless, and his eyes were unfocused. He had been like this for the past 24 hours. During that time, he hadn¡¯t touched any food or water. The Patriarch was dead. The people of the Soan empire were all dead! He felt that he had no reason to live anymore. He had been working on an important science project and only finished the work the day before. However, the first thing he learned when he left the lab was that members of the Soan empire had taken their own lives. He immediately tried to fly back home, but it was too late. Moon had shut down its borders, and there was no flight. Knowing that he had no hope of going back, he sat in his office, trying to come up with a way to kill himself. He was still alive because he hadn¡¯t seen the group funeral of those people yet. Twenty-four hours had passed since then. He was waiting for a new update from Moon. William¡¯s original name was Kang. He changed it to William Soan after coming to Winland and often omitted the ¡°Soan¡± in his signature. As a result, very few people knew him as William Soan and even fewer as Kang Soan. To look for Himmel Soan, he came to Winland all by himself 21 years ago and had made himself an influential figure. Taking advantage of his job position, he searched almost every corner of Winland. However, Himmel Soan was nowhere to be found. Just like William, dozens of top scientists had come to Winland to look for Himmel Soan. ¡°I wonder what they¡¯ve done about the funeral¡­¡± William picked up his phone and saw that he could open Moon webpages again. Moon denied access to their internet when the Soan empire was on its way to the final destination. Only domestic users could open the web pages. ¡°I can log into my account now!¡± William immediately started searching for news on the Soan empire. ¡°The Soan empire is back! They¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°Himmel Soan, the elder of Moon, has made a miraculous recovery!¡± ¡°The Soan empire wouldn¡¯t take any compensation and has given back all two trillion!¡± ¡°Dragon Soul Temple is to be built. The Soan empire deserves the treatment!¡± ¡°Dragon Cave trial: cyberbullying is to be punished!¡± William gradually seemed alive again as he read through the news. He was excited. ¡°Himmel Soan, the Elder of Moon, has opened his Chatterio account,¡± William was shaking with excitement. ¡°Patriarch has a Chatterio account now!¡± He immediately downloaded the app and logged into it. ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°Ding!¡± He received countless notifications, but he ignored them all. Finally, from thousands of notifications, he found the one from ¡°Himmel Soan_ Elder of Moon (verified account)¡± .. Chapter 58 - Group Return Chapter 58 Group Return ¡°Come back!¡± William burst into excited tears when he read Himmel Soan¡¯s post. He replied with shaking fingers, ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± Flamia. Les TT Research Center. Smack! Someone slammed a file onto the desk. A Moonian with black hair and black eyes looked at a Flamian behind the desk and spoke decisively in the native language, ¡°Mario, I¡¯m going back home. Here¡¯s my resignation letter. I¡¯ve written down everything you need to know.¡± Mario buried his face in his hands in a melodramatic manner and spoke gravely, ¡°What? Oh my god! Branco, that¡¯s not funny at all! Damn it! That¡¯s the worst news! Are you still mad about what happened the other day? I¡¯ll buy you dinner. The best hotpot in town. How does that sound?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry, Mario. I¡¯m serious! I¡¯m quitting this job without your permission. I¡¯m leaving today!¡± ¡°Gosh! Are you listening to yourself? Have you lost your mind? That¡¯s the most ridiculous thing you¡¯ve ever said! I know a great doctor. I think you¡¯ll get better.¡± ¡°Mario, I¡¯m going to repeat it: I¡¯m not joking! I¡¯m going back, and I¡¯ve already bought my ticket.¡± Mario nervously walked away from his desk, asking, ¡°Branco, why? Can you give me a reason? Has Flamia disappointed you in any way?¡± ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t, but I¡¯m a Moonian, so I must go back!¡± After that, Branco took out his phone, logged into Chatterio, found Himmel Soan¡¯s post, and replied, ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± In Neige. No. 231 Laboratory. Viclan wrapped up his research program and handed a file to his assistant. ¡°Rachel, here¡¯s my resignation. Please hand it to the boss for me.¡± Rachel seemed shocked, but she secretly rejoiced because she would have a promotion opportunity now that Viclan was gone. 231 was a top research facility in Neige, and all the members were elites. Rachel couldn¡¯t understand why her boss let some foreigners run this place. Viclan was even made the deputy chief. How annoying! Just like Viclan, all those foreigners were going to quit today. For the longest time, Rachel couldn¡¯t stand the sight of them. She wasn¡¯t alone. Many other people in the research center were glad to see them gone. However, Rachel still feigned a sorry tone. ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving? Why? Viclan, what are we going to do about our program?¡± re ¡°I¡¯ve handed over everything. With your ability, I¡¯m sure you can continue the research from there. I¡¯m not asking for permission to resign. This is my final decision. I¡¯m leaving, with or without permission.¡± He then took out his phone and opened Chatterio. ¡°Yes, Patriarch! I¡¯ll arrive at Sacred Temple Airport in no more than 12 hours!¡± Rachel said, ¡°Viclan, I can¡¯t imagine what this place will be like without you!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°Alright. Have a safe trip home, Viclan.¡± Rachel happily took the file, left the office, and handed it to her boss. Back in Moon. The two sides were having an intense argument on Chatterio when something unexpected happened. The top international scientists Himmel Soan contacted earlier began to reply to his post, and the number of replies had been growing. Before long, over five hundred scientists and other famous people all replied to that post. ¡°Neige231ViclanV (verified account) @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Yes, Patriarch! I¡¯ll arrive at Sacred Temple Airport in no more than 12 hours!¡± ¡°FlamiaBrancoV (verified account) @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Yes, Patriarch!¡± ¡°WinlandWilliamSoanV (verified account) @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Yes, Patriarch!¡± ¡°SoiliaJacksonSoanV (verified account) @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Yes, Patriarch! I¡¯m on my way!¡± ¡°NiseanCarlBenceV (verified account) @Himmel Soan_Elder of Moon (verified account): Yes, Patriarch! I¡¯ll be there tomorrow morning!¡± The replies of the top scientists astonished the people on both sides. There was a brief moment of silence. Then, they began to post comments faster than shooting bullets. ¡°Holy crap! What the hell? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Seriously? They¡¯ve all replied! Am I seeing things?¡± ¡°For real? Are those the actual scientists themselves?¡± ¡°I have no idea! They all have ¡®V¡¯ in their IDs, and those are all verified accounts. I think they¡¯re the real ones.¡± ¡°Patriarch? Did they call Mr. Himmel Soan Patriarch? Are they also members of the Soan empire?¡± ¡°How powerful is the Soan empire? That¡¯s so scary!¡± ¡°Holy crap! Are they all coming back? They¡¯re all top scientists in the world! Our country will benefit greatly from their return! I¡¯m so glad! I¡¯m literally laughing right now!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Mr. Himmel Soan is so incredible! Where are the idiots that looked down upon our country? They¡¯re not talking now, are they? Come out, you dogs! Didn¡¯t you say our country isn¡¯t strong enough? Didn¡¯t you call them ungrateful and accuse them of ignoring their homeland? You¡¯re not so sure now, are you?!¡± ¡°Things are looking up for our country! They¡¯re coming back!¡± However, no matter what happened, doubters always existed. Some people would always disagree with things for the sake of it. ¡°I don¡¯t believe they¡¯re coming back!¡± ¡°Neither do I! They¡¯ll never leave those countries. I had a look just then. None of those accounts are usually active. I think they¡¯re all fakes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so true. Probably someone else is using those accounts. You people are celebrating too early.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. Neige has everything. Flamia has the best laboratories in the world. Winland¡¯s research department pays the best. Over there, they can earn ten or twenty times more than they do here. Why would they come back at all?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that! As far as I know, Soilia values scientific research above anything else. Young people here only idolize celebrities, but over there, they worship scientists! They¡¯re the pillar of society and more respected than anyone else. They have to be idiots to abandon such a high salary and nice working environment!¡± Chapter 59 - Everyone, Stay Chapter 59 Everyone, Stay ¡°So, in your belief system, everything can be valued by money. Is that it? Do you believe that everyone else is just like you? You¡¯re assuming that they¡¯re just as shameless as you are!¡± ¡°Shame? What good does shame do? Does it pay for your bills or food? Come on. How childish do you have to be to say such a thing? Money is what you need to get around in this world! Without money, you can¡¯t do anything! What can be more important than making money?¡± The two sides started arguing again. After seeing all the replies from the scientists, the conclusion should be pretty obvious, but some people still wouldn¡¯t believe it. It wasn¡¯t just the ordinary people. Even some celebrities had joined in. Midnight Consultation_Logan LiamV (verified account): ¡°None of it is true! Enough with the bickering already.¡± Ordinary People Host Ordin Winor (verified account): ¡°Stop arguing, people. There¡¯s no way those guys are coming back! Of course, I do not doubt Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s ability, but those accounts are probably all fake. They¡¯re only pretending to be scientists when they reply to Mr. Himmel Soan. The old gentleman is so famous at the moment that they all want a piece of the pie!¡± Director Peter MattisonV (verified account): ¡°It would be great if all those scientists could come back, but that¡¯s not going to happen! To tell you the truth, even I want to be somewhere else. They¡¯re doing so well out there. Why should they come back?¡± Mukbang Cissy ChaplanV (verified account): ¡°I know William, and I¡¯ve called him. He said he knew nothing about it! All those accounts are fakes! Don¡¯t believe anything they say! You have my word!¡± Seeing these posts, more people began to question the authenticity of the accounts. ¡°How about that, idiots? Do you believe it now?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve called the account users! Are you still going to say these people are real? Don¡¯t make me laugh! Do you know what time it is over there? They must be too busy to get online!¡± ¡°Totally. Even if they¡¯re going to use social media, it has to be some international ones like Twitter or Facebook. How many users does Chatterio have? You people are ridiculous!¡± ¡°Anyway, I just don¡¯t buy it. You idiots can believe whatever you want. I¡¯m not talking to you! With the current situation of our country, we can¡¯t catch up with Neige, Flamia, or Winland in twenty years. Where do you want to be for the next two decades, a leading country or one that has to work hard to become as good as everyone else? It won¡¯t take a genius to figure it out!¡± ¡°Forget it. You can¡¯t reason with idiots. Let them drown in their fantasy. After all, that¡¯s all they have! Unlike them, we need to work for a living. We don¡¯t live in dreams!¡± ¡°The difference between them and us is that they¡¯re going to starve to death! At their age, they still can¡¯t tell reality from fantasy!¡± ¡°So true!¡± ¡°I feel sad about people like you! It¡¯s not about differentiating fantasy from reality! It¡¯s about your conscience! Is that even blood going through your veins? Are you Moonians? You can¡¯t be! You don¡¯t deserve to be called one! Just because you don¡¯t have the balls, you assume everyone else is like you!¡± ¡°You can forget about many things in this life, even your parents, but you can¡¯t forget about your homeland! Do you understand that? I don¡¯t think you can!¡± ¡°I¡¯m laughing my ass off here! Those people actually said they had called those scientists! Who the hell do they think they are? Having a few million followers doesn¡¯t make them important people! Everyone has followers these days. Even I have ten thousand followers! So what? I still have to go to work. Do you seriously believe that fatso has some top scientist on her speed dial?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯s the idiot tomorrow! Viclan said he would arrive at the airport by then! I¡¯d like to hear your excuse when he lands!¡± In Neige. Rachel handed the file to her boss. She thought the news would make him happy, but he paled when he read the letter. ¡°What? Viclan left with the Moonians!¡± Rachel chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right! Those guys are finally gone! I never liked them! Viclan probably left because he didn¡¯t like the salary. Boss, I can take his place on the research team. I promise I¡¯ll do a better job!¡± The boss smacked the letter onto her face. ¡°You don¡¯t understand shit! Do you know how important Viclan¡¯s research is?!¡± Rachel was baffled. She couldn¡¯t understand why her boss was so angry. ¡°I¡¯ve been working alongside Viclan for three years. I think I know everything. Boss, please don¡¯t get upset! He¡¯s taught me everything!¡± ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re a piece of shit! Without Viclan, our research department will shut down!¡± Rachel couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°Boss, that can¡¯t be true. All Viclan ever does is hammer things. I can do it! Trust me! Based on the Soanian Theory, I know where the research is heading!¡± ese The boss retorted, ¡°Do you know who came up with the Soanian Theory? Do you know Viclan¡¯s real name?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You idiot! You¡¯ve been working under Viclan for three years, and you still know nothing! Viclan is the one who came up with that theory! Back in Moon, he used to be called Charles Soan! You can carry on with the research, but can you fill in the blanks in the Soanian Theory? Without that, what are we going to do next? Answer me! You idiot! Go away and get Viclan back! Right now!¡± He threw a laptop at Rachel, who dodged just in time. She broke into a cold sweat and fled the office. It had never occurred to her that Viclan was the genius that had put forward the Soanian Theory. Without him, Laboratory 213 indeed couldn¡¯t operate. The boss dialed a number after Rachel left. ¡°Hello, Jason, we¡¯ve run into the worst scenario. Your speculation thirty years ago was correct! Viclan has left 213!¡± Chapter 60 - Not Permitted to Leave Chapter 60 Not Permitted to Leave Lab 231 had been taking precautions against Viclan and his fellow compatriots leaving since they arrived three decades ago. They were concerned that they would suddenly steal some confidential information and leave. For that, Neige set up a mysterious organization to suppress and guard against Viclan and the other top scientists. That way, Neige could have total control over the core technology. Even if Viclan left the country one day, Neige wouldn¡¯t feel at a loss for what to do. years without showing any signs of leaving. As a result, the mysterious organization let its guard down, convinced that Viclan and his men wholeheartedly wanted to stay in Neige for good and help this country. The day they had been dreading finally arrived. The departure of Viclan and his fellow compatriots would slow down the technology development in Neige for twenty years. The information they had was way too important. Those were advanced theories that were known to them only. One such example was the Soanian Theory, the most famous theory in the past thirty years. Viclan was the one who had put forward the theory, but it wasn¡¯t complete at first. He had been trying to fill in the blanks ever since and was already making progress. It wouldn¡¯t take him much longer to complete the theory. When he succeeded, the scientific technology of Neige would be taken to a new level and about three notches more advanced than the other countries in the world. Yet, Viclan decided to leave all that in a critical moment like this. It would mean all of Neige¡¯s investment in the Soanian Theory, the Soanian Bridge Theory, and the Soanian Orientation Theory would be wasted. If that happened, Neige¡¯s scientific research standard would drop to where it was thirty years ago. It wasn¡¯t all bad news, though. Native Neigerian scientists had made some progress of their own. With that, Neige¡¯s scientific research standard would probably fall back by twenty years only. Viclan was already a vice professor in Lab 213. One had to be very capable to take that position. Therefore, Neige would never let Viclan leave. After receiving a phone call from their boss, Team 213, aka the mysterious organization set up to spy on Viclan, reassembled. Seven leaders sat in the living room of a villa, and the air felt stifling. ¡°What should we do now? Viclan has left Lab 213, and it¡¯ll be a great loss for our country! I think we all know how serious the consequences are.¡± ¡°Viclan can¡¯t leave! That¡¯s out of the question!¡± A short-tempered leader kicked the coffee table, shattering it to pieces. ¡°We must get Viclan back! We¡¯ll use force if necessary! He can¡¯t leave until he completes the Soanian fundamental theories, too! They belong to Neige! Neige is the only reason he could come up with the theories! He can¡¯t take them with him!¡± ¡°I agree with Jason! The Soanian Theory is too important to us! It contains seven fundamental theories, but Viclan only told us one and kept the other six to himself. He has stopped us from reaching the theory by reverse-engineering. That old fool can never leave! Even if he drops dead now, he has to do it here in Neige!¡± ¡°I should have kept Viclan under surveillance! I saw this coming thirty years ago, but I was misled by his fake loyalty! I stopped watching him over ten years ago, and he was able to hide his research achievements! It¡¯s too late now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Viclan isn¡¯t going anywhere! I won¡¯t allow it! I¡¯ll gather people. We¡¯ll kill him if we have to!¡± Flamia. ¡°Shit! Branco is leaving!¡± ¡°Oh no, so is Kamar!¡± ¡°Louis has quit his job, too! What¡¯s going on? All the Moonians have resigned!¡± The chief of the Scientific Research Bureau paled when he received those messages. ¡°What did you say? All the Moonians have resigned!¡± ¡°Yes. All the Moonian scientists are leaving!¡± ¡°Why? Are they not happy with how Flamia has been treating them?¡± ¡°We have no idea. Branco didn¡¯t speak a word yesterday and tried to take his own life a few times, but we managed to stop him. Today, he¡¯s all happy again. Then he quit his job!¡± The chief immediately made the decision. ¡°Notify the army now! Tell the guards to come here and stop Branco and the others!¡± ¡°Chief, are we going to force them to stay?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. Flamia can¡¯t afford to lose them. We¡¯ve finally made some achievements, and we can¡¯t let them sabotage it. We¡¯ll try to talk to them first. If that doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll drag them back. No one is allowed to leave, especially Branco!¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll notify the guards and get some men here.¡± ¡°If things get physical, do not touch their heads. Understood? Those are their most valuable parts! Be as gentle as you can!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Flamia and Neige weren¡¯t alone. Similar situations were happening in other countries as well. It wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched to call scientists the core of a country. All the countries in the world were focusing on scientific research. Science development had indeed made ordinary people¡¯s lives more convenient. In today¡¯s era, everyone was surrounded by science. From earphones, cell phones, and computers to more important things like fridges, air conditioners, and electronic stoves, everything was the fruit of scientific research. The same went with toilet seats, lamps, and routers. Needless to say, helicopters, bazookas, tanks, planes, dams, and power plans couldn¡¯t be separated from science either. A country was only as powerful as its scientific research. Neige was the most powerful country in the world because of its advanced scientific research. They had the most lethal weapons in the world. With their arsenal, no other countries would dare to offend Neige. Behind their prowess were the scientists. That was why top scientists like Branco, William, and Viclan were so important. No country would let them leave! It was like what Team 213 said. They would kill the scientists if they had to. Himmel Soan put down his phone and looked out of the window. ¡°Yosef!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, Patriarch!¡± Yosef walked into the room. ¡°How can I help you, Patriarch?¡± ¡°Do you know why I stationed you abroad?¡± Chapter 61 - Purpose of the Guardians Chapter 61 Purpose of the Guardians ¡°Patriarch, you¡­ You didn¡¯t tell me back then.¡± Yosef sounded tentative. Himmel Soan put his hands behind his back and looked out the window. ¡°The five big countries have been smooth sailing for decades, and it¡¯s expected that they would be more advanced than our country. Moon has seen better days. It used to be a great country in ancient times, but what happened a century ago drained us of its energy. To restore our greatness, we need to wait patiently, take one step at a time, and slowly build up our strength. ¡°One day, they will try to turn on us. I stationed you, Brandon, and Joan overseas so that you could all take roots in those countries. Before you, Timothy and the Guardians have been doing a good job. They managed to make some progress in establishing themselves. ¡°I thought given enough time, you and the others would penetrate the five countries. When they decide to turn on us, we wouldn¡¯t feel so helpless. However, you¡¯ve achieved nothing! You¡¯ve spent the last thirty years looking for me! I¡¯m so disappointed!¡± Yosef immediately bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Patriarch! I¡¯ve disappointed you! Please punish me!¡± He then dropped to his knees, willing to accept any punishment coming his way. Himmel Soan took a deep breath. ¡°Get up. If I wanted to punish you, I would have punished all of you when we were out there. I¡¯ve told you to atone for your crimes with good deeds, and I intend to keep my words. Send in Brandon, Joan, and other leaders of the foreign division of the Soan empire.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± Yosef then summoned Brandon, Joan, and the others. ¡°Patriarch!¡± ¡°Patriarch, did you want to see us?¡± ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯re at your service.¡± Himmel Soan pointed at the sofa and calmly said, ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Thank you, Patriarch!¡± He only started talking after they all took their seats. ¡°All the people I¡¯ve requested to come back are outstanding members of the society. Their absence would be a great loss to the five countries. I don¡¯t think those countries will be willing to let them leave. They¡¯ll do everything in their power to stop our men. I don¡¯t think many of them can get back.¡± Brandon shouted, ¡°How dare they?! Do they think the northern division will just stand by and let them do that?! No one is allowed to touch members of the Soan empire!¡± Joan said, ¡°I agree! If they try to hold back members of the Soan empire, our forces in the south won¡¯t allow it!¡± Yosef said, ¡°Patriarch, what do you want us to do? We¡¯re waiting for your order.¡± ¡°Go abroad and bring them back!¡± ¡°No problem, Patriarch! I¡¯m on it!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°Try not to start a conflict. Be subtle and use covert strategies.¡± Brandon, Joan, and the others looked at each other, confused. ¡°Patriarch, why? We¡¯re not afraid of them!¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not, but conflict is unnecessary. We shouldn¡¯t give up too much information just yet. If possible, we should bring them back quietly!¡± The others looked at one another, and all nodded at Himmel Soan. ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± Himmel Soan said coldly, ¡°Are you sure? If I ever find out you¡¯re not following my orders and doing as you wish as you did thirty years ago, you know what will happen¡­¡± ¡°Patriarch, please be reassured that we won¡¯t repeat our mistakes!¡± ¡°Alright. Start working.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°This is bullshit!¡± ¡°Bloody hell!¡± ¡°Go to hell!¡± The resignation of the top scientists grabbed the attention of the country leaders. Nearly all the countries were holding conferences, and people were saying the worst things they could think of. It was a scarce thing for high-ranking officials. as a sca ¡°Fuck! You haven¡¯t been doing your job! How could you let them leave? Who gave you that right? Did I permit you to do that?¡± Oraman was the greatest president Neige ever had, and he had been reappointed consecutively eight times. Yes. Eight times. In most countries in the world, one term of the country¡¯s leader was four years. What made Oraman so popular that he could be president for over thirty years? The reason was the Moonian scientists. They came here a little over thirty years ago. Since then, Neige had been at the forefront of technology in the world until it became the most powerful country. Oraman first became the president at 60, and he was 92 now. However, he was running for reelection again and had a high chance of winning. That hope would be gone if the scientists left. ¡°Screw all of you! I don¡¯t care how you do it, but you must bring them back! Don¡¯t you know how much we can lose if they leave this country? How can you let such things happen?!¡± Jerry said, ¡°Mr. President, it¡¯s not Lab 213¡¯s fault. I don¡¯t think we should have foreigners lead our top science labs. Their departure can be a good thing¡­¡± Oraman smashed a laptop into Jerry¡¯s face. ¡°You idiot! What the hell do you know? Use your brain!¡± A young woman stepped out and pointed the remote control at the big screen. Some data came up, and she started explaining it to the audience. ¡°We¡¯ve collected and analyzed some data of the past thirty years. Please have a look. Viclan is taking the famous Soanian Theory with him, and the next stage of our development needs that theory. It¡¯ll take us approximately fifteen years to figure out that theory independently. That is to say, our technology development will pause for fifteen years, plus or minus five years.¡± The high-ranking officials looked at one another in bewilderment. Jerry, who used to belittle Viclan, seemed astonished. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were so important. Have our own scientists achieved nothing in the past thirty years?¡± The young woman said, ¡°Of course not, but starting from 22 years ago, all our science projects have been based on the Soanian Theory. That¡¯s how we¡¯ve been staying ahead in the game.¡± ¡°If the Soanian Theory is so important, why didn¡¯t we ask him to give it to us?¡± ¡°We did, but the Soanian Theory consists of seven fundamental theories, three advanced theories, two core methods, and over ten thousand equations. Viclan only gave us one theory!¡± ¡°What will happen if we don¡¯t have those theories and equations?¡± The woman clicked the remote control, showing the next slide. Chapter 62 - Terrifying Soanian Theory Chapter 62 Terrifying Soanian Theory ¡°Without the support of the Soanian Theory, the airship project will have to stop. ¡°So will the H233T missile technology. ¡°The T22 cell phone chip will be suspended. ¡°The research of 115, our eighth-generation power core, won¡¯t be able to continue. ¡°The 324 human cell experiment needs to stop, too!¡± More and more data popped up on the screen, and the audience gradually realized how important the matter was. At the same time, they came to understand the significance of the Soanian Theory. ¡°The shutdown of the airship project may affect many aspects of our aerospace technology because the core technologies are based on the Soanian Theory. ¡°The HZ33T missile technology is about weapon energy. With that technology, our tanks can break the 7,000m range limit. Moreover, the shells can divide after launching and achieve precision strikes, hitting the exact targets we want. ¡°I think everyone here knows what the T22 cell phone chip is for. It will enable 100% speech input. That is keyboard-free input. The current cell phones can¡¯t even achieve semi-speech input. The ¡®voice input¡¯ we have now can only fulfill the most basic functions. With the T22 technology, cell phones can break free of their traditional forms. They can even become as malleable as the playdough. ¡°324 is a medical technology regarding human cells, targeting cancer in specific. As we all know, cancer exists because of deteriorating cells. If we succeed in 324, we can effectively stop the spreading and multiplication of cancer cells. We may even be able to cure cancer! ¡°115 mainly focuses on power generation. Vehicles, airplanes, ships, and even ordinary engines all need power¡­¡± The young woman went on. By then, the audience was blown away by the Soanian Theory. They finally knew why Oraman was so furious. Had they known it earlier, they would have lost their temper, too. Viclan and his fellow scientists were too important to Neige. Take cancer as an example. No country had ever been able to cure cancer. However, if their research succeeded, they would be able to do just that. How many years would Neigh stay ahead of other countries after that? Thirty years? Fifty years? Or even more than that! With the current scientific research standard on Moon, would they be able to cure cancer in fifty years? Highly unlikely! What if Viclan went back to Moon and offered the technology to his country? Their scientific research standard might exceed that of Neige! With better scientific research, the country would be stronger. They could build better weapons. Moon already had a large population and could quickly become one of the top three countries in the world. It might have a chance to exceed Neige! This was a pressing matter! ¡°You idiots! Do you know how important they are now?!¡± Oraman shouted. ¡°Yes, Mr. President! We¡¯ll get them back!¡± ¡°Hold on. Mr. President, I don¡¯t think getting them back will do any good if they¡¯re determined to leave. We need to find a way to get them to our side!¡± That was the most important thing! However, how would they do that? Controlling someone physically was much more complicated than winning their heart. Oraman turned to the speaker. ¡°Any suggestions?¡± The man was called Lincoln and was one of the high-ranking officials. He said confidently, ¡°I do, but I¡¯ll need your permission, Mr. President.¡± ¡°Consider it granted!¡± ¡°The Nobel Prize!¡± ¡°The Nobel Prize?¡± ¡°The Nobel Prize?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard it. That was a great idea! These scientists didn¡¯t care about financial gains. Few scientists did. They cared more about their reputation and honor. The Nobel Prize was one of the greatest honors they could have. There was the Nobel Prize for Literature, Physics, Economics, Chemistry, etc. They were all the most prominent prizes in their fields. Viclan and his colleagues must want the Nobel Prize as well. All scientists wanted to win such a prize in their lives. No one could say no to the Nobel Prize. ¡°That¡¯s so clever! Lincoln, good job!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. President, we can lure them back with a Nobel Prize!¡± Oraman nodded. In fact, they already had a shortlist for the Nobel Prize candidates. Viclan and his fellow compatriots weren¡¯t popular in Neige, and none of them was on that list. Oh 1 was on If their contribution to scientific research was fairly treated, Viclan should have won the Nobel Prize 22 years ago when he put forward the Soanian Theory. The Soanian Theory had more significance than the theory of relativity. However, that didn¡¯t make much difference. He hadn¡¯t been nominated even once in the past twenty years. ¡°Mr. President, the nominees for this year¡¯s Nobel Prize are already determined,¡± said someone who had failed to read the room. The president threw his pen at the man before he could say another word. ¡°Change it, then! You idiot! Did you leave your brain at home before you came in? Fix it, or give your job to someone else! You¡¯re dismissed!¡± They thought that Viclan and his people would come back as soon as the Nobel Prize was on the table. After all, Neige was the most powerful country in the world, and the Nobel Prize was the greatest honor. No one would say no to such an honor granted by the most powerful country. These people believed that nothing could be more tempting than the Nobel Prize. No matter why the scientists left, they would come back. They were so sure. After the president left, Lincoln and the others discussed the specific plan. ¡°The Moonians love houses. Let¡¯s give him a few villas by the sea! ¡°They also value etiquette, so we¡¯d better bring them back in person. It¡¯ll make it more official, and they¡¯ll be flattered. ¡°I think everything will go smoothly. We¡¯ll pick them up in person and offer them the Nobel Prize. They¡¯ll be foolish not to come back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll return. Why shouldn¡¯t they? Let¡¯s do it now. We shouldn¡¯t keep Mr. President waiting.¡± In an airport in Neige. Over a dozen men dressed in black walked out. They were the Guardians of the Soan empire. They had come here as fast as they could. Chapter 63 - Guardians Arrived Chapter 63 Guardians Arrived ¡°Viclan, the Patriarch sent us. We¡¯ll escort you back home!¡± Vincent, the captain of the Guardians, greeted Viclan and the other scientists with a smile when they got out of their vehicle. Viclan was so moved that he was in tears. ¡°Is the Patriarch alright?¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°Yes, the Patriarch is perfectly fine. He¡¯s looking forward to seeing you back!¡± Viclan said guiltily, ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for the Patriarch in Neige over the years but found no clue. Before I knew it, thirty years went by. I¡¯ve disappointed the Patriarch!¡± Vincent smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The Patriarch wouldn¡¯t blame you. I was nervous about meeting the Patriarch at first, but then I found him to be a very approachable man. Come, Viclan. The Patriarch is waiting for you!¡± Viclan said, ¡°I think we should stop calling me Viclan now. From now on, I¡¯m Charles Soan again.¡± ¡°Sure! You¡¯re about twenty years older than me. I guess I should call you Uncle Charles.¡± The two men chatted happily. Suddenly, a fleet of black sedans stopped nearby. Vincent frowned and told his fellow Guardians, ¡°Protect our scientists!¡± Despite having fewer people, the dozen or so Guardians immediately formed a circle around the thirty scientists. A stalwart Neigerian man with sunglasses walked toward Charles with a smile. ¡°Mr. Viclan, may I have a word with you?¡± He sounded rather friendly and didn¡¯t seem to be here to confront them. Vincent blocked the man¡¯s way, saying, ¡°If you need to talk, talk to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all Moonians, aren¡¯t you? I understand your reaction.¡± The man nodded and beamed at Viclan. ¡°Mr. Viclan, we mean no harm. We just want to talk to you in private. If you still want to leave after that, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Viclan looked at Vincent and considered it for a minute before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The airport is a public place. They won¡¯t dare to do anything here. Let me talk to them. We¡¯ve been here for so many years. Even if we¡¯re leaving now, we have to handle the handover properly.¡± Vincent said, ¡°Uncle Charles, be careful. Give me a sign if anything feels off.¡± He then crooked his pinky, a secret gesture used by the Soan empire. Crooking once meant everything was fine, twice was asking for help, and thrice was ¡°take action when seeing an opportunity.¡± Four times was to caution everyone that there was danger. Only the Soan empire knew the meaning of the gestures. Naturally, Viclan understood them as well. ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Viclan and Lincoln then walked away to have their conversation. Before long, Viclan came back to his people. He seemed hesitant. Seeing this, Vincent asked, ¡°Uncle Charles, is everything alright?¡±. ¡°Yes. Those men are high-ranking officials of Neige. They want us to return with them.¡± ¡°I knew it! Uncle Charles, the Patriarch, is waiting. We should get going now.¡± Charles said, ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What? Uncle Charles, are you having second thoughts?¡± ¡°No, of course not. Nothing they say will make me change my mind. It¡¯s just that they¡¯ve moved the Nobel Prize ceremony forward. It¡¯s going to take place tonight, and my colleagues and I are all winners.¡± ¡°All of you?¡± ¡°Yes, all of us!¡± Vincent was perplexed. ¡°Uncle Charles, what are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡­ The Nobel Prize means a lot to me, but it¡¯s not nearly as important as the Patriarch. I¡¯ve worked for Neige for many years, and I want to be recognized for it. I was thinking maybe I could go back after I accept the award. However, if the Patriarch needs me urgently, I can leave right now.¡± Everyone knew what it meant to win the Nobel Prize. Vincent also knew how hard it was to win that prize. He hesitated and said, ¡°Let me call the Patriarch and see what he says.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Back in Moon. Himmel Soan received Vincent¡¯s phone call. ¡°The Nobel Prize?¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes flickered. After hearing the other party, he replied without hesitation, ¡°Let me talk to Charles. ¡°Hello, Charles, this is Himmel Soan. Listen, you don¡¯t need to rush back. You¡¯re a member of the Soan empire, but you¡¯re also a scientist. I know science is what you¡¯re passionate about, and it¡¯s a hard choice for you to make. In fact, it¡¯s not that complicated. Just stay for another day and take the prize. The Soan empire isn¡¯t everything. You need to think for yourself as well.¡± Charles was so excited that his hands were shaking. He nodded repeatedly. ¡°Thank you, Patriarch! I¡¯ll be on my way as soon as the ceremony is over!¡± Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t a selfish man. Yes, Charles was a member of the Soan empire, but he also had his own dream. The two things shouldn¡¯t be exclusive. Moreover, the improvement couldn¡¯t be made overnight. Moon could afford to wait for a few more days. They would come back. That was all that mattered. Himmel Soan stood by the window and contemplated. He then gave the instructions. ¡°Call everyone and ask them if they¡¯ve been given the Nobel Prize. If they have, tell them not to rush back now. They can go to the ceremony and come back afterward. If they haven¡¯t won the prize, they can still attend the ceremony. Moonians are accepting the prize tonight, and it¡¯ll be an honor for them to witness it.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± Warren and a few others immediately called the scientist overseas. However, the prize was only given to scientists working in Neige. Still, the other scientists were encouraged to go to the ceremony as well. After all, it was the Nobel Prize. All scientists would look forward to it. It was like with soccer players. They trained for years so that they could play in the World Cup one day. Even if the scientist couldn¡¯t go up the stage, sitting among the audience would still be an exhilarating experience. ¡°What? Neige has pulled many strings and moved forward the Nobel Prize ceremony, and it¡¯s happening tonight? Damn it! They have no shame!¡± ¡°Screw them! They¡¯ve lured our scientists there, too!¡± ¡°Shit! Neige is using the Nobel Prize as a reward! They have no right to do that!¡± Flamia. ¡°Branco, you can¡¯t leave!¡± A few cars blocked the road. Over a dozen Flamians got out and stared at the car trapped in the middle. Chapter 64 - Patriarch Knows Chapter 64 Patriarch Knows Branco and his fellow scientists sat in the car in the middle. They were almost at the airport when the incident happened. Branco had anticipated something like this. They had a safe trip until they reached the last few miles, making him nervous. Then, over a dozen men pushed through the cars from both sides and surrounded Branco¡¯s vehicle. One of them stared at the Flamians and smirked. ¡°The Moonians are leaving, and no one is going to stop them!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± the leader of the Flamians asked coldly. The captain of the men in black said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m Theo Soan! Get lost now, or you¡¯ll be in great trouble when he gets angry!¡± The Flamian leader snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are! We won¡¯t let Branco leave Flamia, even if it means killing him!¡± Theo Soan smirked. ¡°And what makes you think you can do that?¡± ¡°Try me!¡± The Flamian leader gave the order, and his men charged at the Moonians. Theo shouted, ¡°Jack, Fred, protect Uncle Branco. The rest of you, attack!¡± The Guardians were far more capable than ordinary people. Although they weren¡¯t as formidable as the three divisions, no ordinary people would be their match, not even members of James¡¯ Martial Arts Association. They defeated the Flamians without any difficulty. Theo tapped Branco¡¯s car window, and the latter rolled it down. ¡°Uncle Branco, we¡¯re the Guardians. The Patriarch has sent us here to escort you back! The award ceremony is taking place tonight in Neige, and the Patriarch wants to know if you want to attend. If the answer¡¯s yes, you can go to Neige, and someone there will get you back to Moon. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything.¡± Branco was delighted. ¡°You¡¯re the Guardians!¡± He then asked in surprise, ¡°What did you say? The award ceremony?¡± ¡°Yes! Viclan has won the Nobel Prize!¡± ¡°Viclan? I have to go, then! But the Patriarch wanted us back¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. The Patriarch is the one who asked us to deliver this message.¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll stay a night in Neige, then, and go back home tomorrow!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± In Winland. ¡°William, you can¡¯t get away. Please come back with me, or we won¡¯t be so civil anymore!¡± A few Winish men cornered William and his colleagues. They might sound sincere, but they were trying to intimidate the scientists. Himmel Soan had anticipated incidents like this. That was why he sent the Guardians. Over a dozen black men jumped down from the building roofs on either side of the alley. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle William. We should have come earlier. Are you alright?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the Guardians. The Patriarch has sent us here to pick you up. He knew these people would give you trouble, so he sent us here to help you!¡± William¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°The Patriarch is a wise man! Thank you for your help!¡± ¡°My pleasure! The Patriarch also told me to deliver a message. The Nobel Prize ceremony is taking place tonight in Neige. If you would like to go, you can go to Neige first before returning home!¡± The Winish men were furious. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Get out of my way!¡± ¡°You clowns! You think so highly of yourselves, don¡¯t you? Guys, let¡¯s teach them a lesson! No one can take William away!¡± It was the same as what happened in Flamia. The Winish men charged at the Guardians, but they weren¡¯t their match at all. They were defeated in no more than three minutes. Similar things happened in other countries. Many scientists headed for Neige when they heard that the Nobel Prize was to be given to Moonians this year. Back in Moon, people were discussing avidly online. ¡°What? The Nobel Prize ceremony has been moved forward? Why?¡± ¡°The rumors are true, then. The scientists really are coming back, and Neige has stalled them with the Nobel Prize!¡±. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! You¡¯re living in a dream! Why do you think they¡¯re ever going to come back? With or without the Nobel Prize, they¡¯ll remain where they are! Stop dreaming!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take such news too seriously. Neige is always behind everything. They¡¯ve tampered with the Nobel Prize every year. Although, why is the ceremony so early this time? I thought it wouldn¡¯t happen for another two months.¡± ¡°You people are hilarious. Do you seriously think they¡¯re coming back tomorrow? Do you still believe it now? You¡¯re so dumb!¡± The netizens bickered online as they watched the Dragon Cave trial. ¡°We still have time. It¡¯s too early to tell. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be back tomorrow!¡± ¡°Look! We have another naive little fool here! I¡¯m laughing so loudly right now. You really believe they¡¯re coming back tomorrow!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see if they¡¯ll be here tomorrow! I hope you can still be so certain by then!¡± It was going to be an eventful night for Neige. Because of the 12-hour time difference, it was daytime in Moon when everything took place. By the following morning, people were saying all sorts of things online. ¡°What did I tell you? They would never abandon what they¡¯ve earned in Neige! You people must be dreaming! You idiots! Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s noon already. Didn¡¯t they say they would arrive at Sacred Temple Airport by noon? Where are they now?¡± ¡°Where are the people who were so sure they would come back? @CandiceMain, don¡¯t play dead! I remember what you said yesterday! Why have you gone radio silent? Say something! Answer me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Say something! What? You can¡¯t face reality now? Have you lost your faith? Do you still love your country?¡± Some vloggers were even waiting at the airport so that they could broadcast the scene live. ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m at the Sacred Temple Airport. I¡¯ve been waiting here since ten o¡¯clock this morning, but I haven¡¯t seen a single scientist. I think it¡¯s safe to say that the accounts that have replied to Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s post were all fake!¡± Chapter 65 - Wait for Me Chapter 65 Wait for Me ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m at the Sacred Temple Airport. I¡¯ve been waiting here since ten o¡¯clock this morning, but I haven¡¯t seen a single scientist. I think it¡¯s safe to say that the accounts that have replied to Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s post were all fake!¡± ¡°Hi, guys, you¡¯re watching Tim¡¯s channel. As you can see, I¡¯m outside the Sacred Temple Airport, but I don¡¯t see any of the scientists that replied to Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s post yesterday. It¡¯s already half-past twelve, and they were supposed to be here by noon. There are no more flights from Neige until four this afternoon. We can say for sure that those accounts are all fakes. They were only imposters.¡± The vloggers would do anything to attract attention. Some of them had been waiting there since five or six o¡¯clock in the morning, and they had reached the same conclusion. None of the scientists showed up. Needless to say, the naysayers online were thrilled. ¡°I knew this would happen!¡± ¡°Where are the patriots? Are you blushing now? Where are you all? Answer me!¡± ¡°They said noon. Do you see what¡¯s happening now? Why are you all so quiet?¡± ¡°This must be so hard on you all. You can¡¯t accept it, can you? Disillusion must be so bitter! That¡¯s why we have to be realistic! In this world, only money is real! Can patriotism pay your bills? Neige has a better environment, higher living standards, and more advanced research facilities. Why should they come back here?¡± ¡°So true. I can understand why they won¡¯t come back.¡± Meanwhile, it was nighttime in Neige. The Nobel Prize ceremony had begun. The audience consisted of top scientists from all over the world. A few elderly men sitting in the front row were the most famous native scientists in the country. However, none of them seemed happy. They were supposed to be winning the prize this year, but something happened the day before, and they were replaced. Moreover, the ceremony was moved up by almost two months! The committee had received pressure from above. Despite their reluctance, there was nothing they could do. The host jumped onto the stage and started the usual cliche. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Nobel Prize ceremony. Tonight, the greatest minds¡­¡± He went on for half an hour before getting to the point. Holding the name cards, the host started announcing the winners. ¡°These are the winners of this year¡¯s Nobel Prize. There are 23 in total. They¡¯re Viclan Soan, Louis Soan, Olben Soan¡­¡± After their names were read out, the winners came onto the stage one after another. ¡°What? They¡¯re Moonians!¡± ¡°Wait. What¡¯s happening? Why are they all Moonians?¡± ¡°Since when do we have so many great scientists?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself! Do you still consider them Moonians? They¡¯re Neigerians!¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t changed their nationalities, which means they¡¯re still Moonians. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s completely wrong! Yes, they haven¡¯t changed their nationality, but they¡¯ve worked for Neige for over thirty years! Do you know what that means? Let me explain to you. Ever heard of the H450 missiles? One such missile can kill hundreds of people. If they land in Moon, who do you think we should blame? Not Neige, but the Moonian scientists who have invented the technology! Do you still think they¡¯re our fellow compatriots?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve built weapons for Neige against our own country! They¡¯re no Moonians! They¡¯re animals!¡± ¡°Well said. They¡¯re ungrateful bastards! They¡¯re the reason Neige is so much better than us! I hope they¡¯re all dead!¡± ¡°You people are hopeless. Is hatred the only emotion you have? Your life must be miserable. If we use your logic, we shouldn¡¯t be wearing any clothes because you can use a piece of cloth to hang yourself! Why don¡¯t you accuse fabrics of being evil? Will you blame the people who have invented the fabrics next?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you freeze tofu long enough, you can kill someone with it. Has anyone stopped eating tofu? You can only see the negative side of things and ignore the positive side!¡± At the ceremony. Viclan and the others walked up the stage, and Oraman gave them the award. The president himself was presenting them with the Nobel Prize award. Other people would have been greatly moved. However, Viclan and his colleagues were Soans, and they would always put Himmel Soan first. No matter what reward Neige gave them, they would never change their mind. ¡°Let¡¯s welcome the winners to give their speech!¡± Viclan stood in front of the microphone and glanced at the audience. ¡°Thank you all for coming here tonight. I don¡¯t have much to say, but I would like to speak to the Moonian press. Where are our reporters?¡± The Moonian reporters were placed in the area the furthest from the stage. They were going to give up on interviewing the winners because they would never be able to squeeze through the crowd. However, the winners had asked to speak to them. After the initial astonishment, the reporters grabbed their microphones and ran toward the stage. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Mr. Viclan, what would you like to say to your fellow countrymen?¡± Viclan looked into the camera. The whole world was watching him now. ¡°Wait for me!¡± That was all Viclan said. The reporters were perplexed. Their arms were still raised, for they thought Viclan was going to say something else. They didn¡¯t realize the significance of what Viclan said at first. Then it struck them. ¡°Wait for me¡±? Who was he talking to? To Moon? Soon, the other scientists and the high-ranking officials also realized what Viclan meant. ¡°Viclan, what are you saying? Are you going back to Moon? ¡°We¡¯ve given you the Nobel Prize! Why do you want to leave us?¡± Oraman couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Viclan said, ¡°I should have won it 22 years ago!¡± Chapter 66 - I’m a Moonian Chapter 66 I¡¯m a Moonian ¡°You verified the Soanian Theory the following year after I put it forward, and you¡¯ve been using it without any scruples since then. However, it didn¡¯t stop you from discriminating against the Moonian scientists! I saw it with my own eyes! I¡¯m only accepting an honor that should have been given to me a long time ago. What¡¯s wrong with that? Don¡¯t make it sound like some generous charity. You owe me this award!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Bloody hell!¡± ¡°Oh my god, you ungrateful bastard! This country has treated you so well, but you¡¯re still trying to leave us! Have you forgotten how we¡¯ve helped you in the past thirty years?!¡± The ceremony was broadcasted live to the entire world. Neige wanted the attention. The higher the number of viewers, the more important the ceremony would become. As a result, Viclan and his fellow scientists would be under more pressure. They had thought that with the media attention and the award itself, Viclan and his people would think twice before they spoke their minds, no matter how straightforward they were. That was what Neige needed. It would give them enough excuse to keep the scientists. However, Viclan talked about going back home before they could start asking questions. The plan was to have Neigerian reporters ask questions first. They would start by inquiring how the scientist felt about winning the prize. After that, they would move to more sensitive questions, such as how Neige had been treating them over the years. There would be questions like, ¡°We heard Neige has invested trillions of dollars in your research. Is that true?¡± And ¡°Mr. Oraman held a meeting today and mentioned you and your fellow scientists in particular. This country clearly values you. Do you have anything to say about that?¡± So on and so forth. They believed that Viclan would have to say something nice to the media, such as ¡°Neige is a great country,¡± ¡°I¡¯m thrilled!¡± ¡°I want to thank Neige for what it has done for us!¡± and similar answers like that. That was what Neige had been hoping for. Once Viclan said such things, it would be very difficult for him to leave. Even if he said nothing, by showing up at the ceremony, he owed Neige a big favor. All the countries knew that Neige had tampered with the ceremony tonight, using its influence to move up the date by force. The winners were also determined by the Neigerian government. Viclan and his men were definitely aware of that. They should feel grateful for it! However, that wasn¡¯t what happened. Instead of showing gratitude, Viclan got angry and claimed that he deserved to win the prize. That infuriated the Neigerians. The audience erupted. ¡°Nice! Show them what a true Moonian is!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Grab the prize and take off! How thrilling!¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t forgotten us! Viclan said he was coming back! Where are the trolls? They aren¡¯t so talkative now, are they? Viclan himself said he was coming back. Are you still going to question his loyalty?¡±. ¡°Welcome back!¡± The world heard it when Viclan spoke into the camera that he was coming back home. The Moonians couldn¡¯t believe their ears. Online viewers filled the screen of the live stream with comments, congratulating the scientists. Back at the ceremony, the air felt stifling. It was as if a war was breaking out. The host was dumbfounded at first. When he realized what had just happened, he tried to save the day. ¡°I see Mr. Viclan loves Neige very much. You said you were going back home, but you¡¯re already at home. You¡¯ve lived in Neige for 30 years. Surely, this is your home now. You¡¯re going home later to celebrate. Is that what you meant?¡± He then winked at Viclan. He was creating an excuse for the scientists. If Viclan said yes, the situation would be resolved, and the ceremony could continue in a merry mood. It wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. Viclan looked at the Neigerians in the audience. They seemed less upset now. They would love to hear Viclan confirm the host¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right. Viclan has lived here for over thirty years. That¡¯s longer than the time he has spent in Moon. I¡¯m sure he thinks of Neige as his home now.¡± ¡°I think he has changed his nationality to Neige already.¡± ¡°Is that so? That explains a lot of things. Sorry, Mr. Viclan. What a big misunderstanding!¡± ¡°Mr. Viclan, welcome to Neige! That invitation extends to all your colleagues as well! I don¡¯t need to remind you what a great country Neige is, and we have the generosity to match that reputation! We welcome all talented people with an ambition to join us!¡± The bigshots in the audience smiled at the camera and made their little speeches. Some were talking to Viclan, and others to the scientists and officials of other countries. Back in Moon, the ceremony was still being broadcasted live. The screen was covered by bullet chats. However, the comments were saying exactly the opposite things now. ¡°Did you hear that? Viclan is a Neigerian now! He¡¯s no longer one of us! You can all stop cheering!¡± ¡°I knew it! No one could be that dumb! You people have all been played! He¡¯s going back to his home in Neige, not Moon! Did you hear that, you idiots?¡± ¡°Even the air is fresher there! Why would anyone choose us over them? Didn¡¯t someone question me just now? Where are they? You people just don¡¯t know when to give up, do you? You have to hear the exact words before you can accept reality.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to believe it now? No, they won¡¯t! Just let it be! They¡¯re all blind!¡± Back at the ceremony. Viclan held the microphone and told the Neigerians in the audience, ¡°Please stop! I¡¯ve never changed my nationality! I¡¯m still a citizen of Moon, and I¡¯ve never tried to become a Neigerian! Where did you get that information? Didn¡¯t I make myself clear enough? Fine, I¡¯ll clarify it. By ¡®going back,¡¯ I mean I¡¯m going back to Moon, my home!¡± ¡°Viclan!¡± A Neigerian official smacked the table and jumped to his feet, bellowing, ¡°What did you say? Say that again, I dare you!¡± Viclan looked at the man and spoke again. This time, he used his native tongue. ¡°I¡¯m a Moonian now, and I¡¯ll always be a Moonian! I¡¯m going back home!¡± ¡°Damn it! ¡°Bloody hell! ¡°You bastard!¡± The Neigerian lost his temper and started cursing. He even tried to get onto the stage to hit Viclan. ¡°We¡¯ve given you a Nobel Prize! The least you can do is show some gratitude!¡± Viclan replied, ¡°As I said, I earned this prize! That¡¯s alright. If you want it back, you can have it!¡± Chapter 67 - Screwed Chapter 67 Screwed Viclan then put the medal on the floor. Behind him, over a dozen Moonian scientists also did the same. ¡°Yes, you can have it back!¡± ¡°Take it!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want it! It¡¯s moral blackmail, and we won¡¯t have it!¡± ¡°Yes, we won¡¯t take it!¡± The Neigerian officials were furious when the scientists started giving back their trophies. Oraman, who was watching the ceremony somewhere else, was also infuriated. ¡°What are those idiots doing? Are they trying to offend the scientists? Stop them now!¡± However, things had gone out of hand. When Oraman gave the command, all hell had broken loose. The Neigerian officials rushed onto the stage and started throwing punches at Viclan and the scientists. The host and other scientists had to pull them apart. ¡°We don¡¯t owe Neige anything!¡± ¡°Yes! We don¡¯t owe you anything! You owe us!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see this coming! You were trying to attack us! I can¡¯t believe this is your attitude!¡± Viclan and his colleagues were fuming. They soon left the ceremony in a huff. Everything was broadcasted live. This year¡¯s Nobel Prize ceremony was bound to become a joke. Posts from Flamia: ¡°LMAO. The Neigerians have just made themselves into a laughing stock! They tried to bribe the scientists, but they wouldn¡¯t take the bait!¡± ¡°Neige moved up the ceremony by a month, but they achieved nothing!¡± ¡°Nice work!¡± ¡°Did you see that? The Moonians are like that! They never feel grateful for anything!¡± ¡°I agree with you! The Moonians are like that! Our Moonian scientists are leaving, too! We¡¯ve treated them nicely for nothing! Moonians suck!¡± Posts in Soilia read: ¡°Neige really has screwed up. Who would have known that Moonians would be so fiery?!¡± ¡°Fiery? You call that fiery? That¡¯s being ungrateful!¡± ¡°I agree! Moonians are like that! That¡¯s why their country is so weak! They had it coming!¡± ¡°I disagree. They¡¯re just patriotic. What¡¯s wrong with loving one¡¯s own country?¡± ¡°Do you know what Neige has done for them?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t give them a reason for moral blackmail!¡± The Winish netizens wrote: ¡°What¡¯s Neige doing? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be tough? Why don¡¯t they just lock up the scientists?¡± ¡°Dude, you sound really grumpy!¡± ¡°Grumpy? Do you know we¡¯ve lost our Moonian scientists as well? We¡¯ve provided them with everything for thirty years, and they¡¯re taking research materials away with them. Do you still think I¡¯m grumpy?¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t believe it! Kill the ungrateful bastards! I side with Neige!¡± Back in Moon. The bullet chats went back to what they were before. Everyone was singing praises for the country once more. ¡°Nice job! We Moonians have backbone!¡± ¡°Did you hear that? Viclan said he¡¯s coming back here! Go to hell, you trolls!¡± ¡°Viclan is awesome! I¡¯ve made up my mind. To hell with the celebrities. From now on, I¡¯ll idolize scientists only! I¡¯m Viclan¡¯s fan!¡± ¡°I think that should have been the case a long time ago. The young people should value science above anything else!¡± ¡°A country is only as strong as its younger generation. Do you see the kind of people the youngsters idolize nowadays?¡± ¡°Will Viclan and his colleagues be alright?¡± This piece of comment raised much attention. Would Viclan and his friends be safe? After all, Neige was known for its relentless means. The country was used to having things its way. If they couldn¡¯t get what they wanted, they would destroy it. Now that Viclan had publicly announced his decision to go back to his home country, people worried Neige would try to harm them. ¡°We should let Sky Eye know what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sent the Dragon Tribe a message!¡± ¡°Our country should intervene!¡± ¡°Yes! Those scientists are the future of our country! We can¡¯t let people harm them!¡± Numerous people left comments on Sky Eye and Dragon Tribe¡¯s Chatterio accounts. Both of them replied to the public¡¯s concern. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe will make sure Viclan and his colleagues are unharmed!¡± Meanwhile, Oraman summoned the high-ranking officials to his office and slapped them in the face. Being the president, he simply assumed he could slap whomever he wanted. The officials had thrown a tantrum during the ceremony, but now, they looked like children that had been caught stealing red-handed. They didn¡¯t dare to speak a word. ¡°You idiots! All of you! What have you done?! What did I tell you before the ceremony started? Have you forgotten all about it?!¡± ¡°Mr. President¡­¡± ¡°Did I tell you to speak?!¡± Oraman slapped the man again. He was puffing and panting from shouting at his men. They had a chance to turn things around, but that window of opportunity had closed for good. ¡°Mr. President, what should we do now?¡± one of the men asked. ¡°With everything that has happened, no matter what we do now, Viclan and his men aren¡¯t going to stay!¡± A man said viciously, ¡°In that case, Mr. President, we can¡¯t let them go back! If we can¡¯t have the Soanian Theory, neither can Moon!¡± Oraman¡¯s gaze was malevolent. ¡°Let¡¯s do that while they¡¯re still within our borders! I¡¯m leaving the task to you! Make sure you don¡¯t leave any loose ends. If you screw up again, I¡¯ll throw you all behind bars!¡± The officials shivered when they heard this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. President! We¡¯ve done it before. Viclan will never get out of Neige!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t get on that plane tonight!¡± Chapter 68 - Another Way Chapter 68 Another Way In an airport in Neige. The Soan empire had gathered over five hundred scientists there. They had bought tickets for the first flights available, and in three hours, they would leave Neige and be on their way home. However, they knew that it was going to be the longest three hours. At the same time, they also believed that the Patriarch and their country wouldn¡¯t let them down. Therefore, they remained very calm. They were right. Before long, the airport was surrounded by black sedans. The airport was cleared out until Viclan and his fellow scientists were the only ones left. Over a hundred stalwart Neigerians wearing sunglasses and suits rushed into the airport and marched toward Viclan. The leader of the team was called Ricardo. Meanwhile, a similar number of Moonians appeared behind the scientists. They also wore sunglasses and suits with their hair slicked back. Theo Soan was the one leading them. ¡°Mr. Viclan!¡± Ricardo walked up to Viclan, saying, ¡°There¡¯s a problem with your flight, and it needs temporary adjustment. Please come with us if you still want to go back home. We¡¯ll arrange a special flight for you.¡± Theo replied before Viclan could say anything, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. If the plane can¡¯t take off, we¡¯ll drive to Woodia, the neighboring country, and fly back home from there. Thank you, sir, for your kindness, but we¡¯ll take it from here!¡± Ricardo asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s any of your business.¡± ¡°What if I said no? Mr. Viclan, you must come with us today!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t worry about that. You¡¯re in no position to say no. You can try if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Theo casually put a hand on the back of Viclan¡¯s chair as he sneered at Ricardo, not the least bit threatened by him. Filled with rage, Ricardo said, ¡°I take it that you¡¯re Mr. Viclan¡¯s bodyguard. In that case, I¡¯d like to give it a go!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait! Bring it on!¡± Theo shrugged. Ricardo narrowed his eyes and was ready to strike. Just then, someone shouted from behind, ¡°Stop!¡± Ricardo and his men turned around and saw another group of Neigerian men entering the airport. This time, they were led by a Moonian. He walked up to Ricardo and showed him his credentials. ¡°Hello, Mr. Ricardo. I¡¯m Philip, the captain of Team 213. I¡¯m here with an order and will be in charge of this operation!¡± Ricardo believed him when he saw the credentials. Only a handful of people in Neige had his level of clearance. People with such credentials were very high up the food chain. No one would dare to impersonate them. Besides, it was impossible to duplicate the credentials. They all came with special chips that could be verified by a scanner. Ricardo took out the equipment, which made a beeping sound when he put it next to the badge. The guy was real! ¡°Thank you, Philip, for coming out here!¡± Philip nodded. ¡°I should thank you, Ricardo. You¡¯ve come all the way here for nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s all for the best of Neige!¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll take over from here. You guys can go back now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ricardo only followed orders and didn¡¯t care about anything else. After receiving the instruction from Philip, he left the airport with his men. Theo looked at Philip in bewilderment and asked in his native Moonian language, ¡°Are you¡­¡± Philip shook his hand and replied in the same language. ¡°I¡¯m Philip Soan from the first branch of Timothy Soan¡¯s division!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Theo Soan, the leader of the third team of the Guardians.¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know we had infiltrated Neige.¡± Philip chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not alone either. We paid a small fortune to build this identity, and it has come in handy! I know you could handle the situation without me, but we should always avoid conflicts if possible!¡± Theo said humbly, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I don¡¯t think I could have handled the situation without you. Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s chat when we¡¯re back home. I¡¯ve arranged a fight for us; it¡¯s been waiting for us for two hours. We can board in ten minutes. Let¡¯s get ready!¡± Today was the last time Philip was going to use this identity. Ten minutes later, he would leave Neige together with Viclan. Oraman kicked the desk, knocking it over. ¡°What did you say? They¡¯re all gone!? Goddamn it! Didn¡¯t you promise me that they would never leave? Do you remember what you said?¡± He then kicked an official to the ground. The man said timidly, ¡°Damn those Moonians! I didn¡¯t know they had people in Team 213, too! It was so careless of me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your bullshit! Scientific technology in Moon will make rapid progress in a short time! Tell me, what should we do then? Huh?!¡± The official remained silent in frustration, not knowing what to say. Another official said, ¡°Mr. President, I have an idea!¡± ¡°Spit it out already!¡± ¡°Yes! I know some Moonians are looking forward to coming to our country. They want our permanent residence. We can use it as a bargaining chip, asking them to spread rumors in Moon to boycott Viclan and his people! When that happens, they¡¯ll be disappointed in Moon!¡± The idea appeased Oraman slightly, and the other officials in the room also seemed pleased. ¡°That¡¯s great! When Moon disappoints Viclan, even if he doesn¡¯t come back here, he won¡¯t give the Soanian Theory to Moon either. We¡¯ll still be the greatest country in the world! ¡°We can then offer them some more rewards and win them back again!¡± Oraman nodded and told one of the officials, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. Don¡¯t disappoint me again!¡± ¡°Mr. President, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll bring them back this time!¡± The official left the office and called a number on the phone at the other end of the corridor. ¡°It¡¯s me. Didn¡¯t you always want permanent Neigerian residence? I¡¯m offering you an opportunity. If you succeed, I can even give you Neigerian citizenship!¡± Chapter 69 - Manipulate Public Opinion Chapter 69 Manipulate Public Opinion ¡°Really, Mr. Morado? Can my family come with me, too?¡± ¡°Of course! Do this thing for me, and you¡¯ll become a Neigerian in no time! You can¡¯t do it alone, though. I remember you mentioning that you have a society of some sort and that the members are all people who want to come to Neige?¡± Back in Moon, in the city where the sacred temple was, a chubby man in his forties was nodding excitedly at the phone. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Morado. The society was set up fifteen years ago, and we¡¯ve gathered some very loyal members. They¡¯re all looking forward to going to Neige but have never been given a chance.¡± Morado smirked. ¡°Then listen carefully. I¡¯m giving you an opportunity. If you can do this thing for me, all your members will be granted permanent Neigerian residence. The outstanding ones can even become citizens!¡± ¡°Really?¡± The chubby man was both astonished and excited. He asked tentatively, ¡°Did you say all of us?¡± ¡°Yes! All of you! I¡¯ll give everyone permanent residence but not citizenship. You need to make some contributions to earn that status.¡± ¡°We got this, Mr. Morado. Whatever the task is, we¡¯ll get things done!¡± ¡°Glad to hear it. Do you know what¡¯s going on with Viclan?¡± Morado asked. The man nodded. ¡°Yes! I watched the live stream! Viclan is an ungrateful man! I can¡¯t believe it! Neige has treated them so well, but they¡¯ve humiliated the country in front of the whole world! How ridiculous!¡± ¡°I like where you¡¯re going with it. The task I¡¯m giving you is related to Viclan. He hasn¡¯t gone back to your country yet, so here¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do.¡± The call lasted for nearly forty minutes. The man nodded from time to time and made solemn promises. ¡°Yes! ¡°Sure! ¡°Of course! ¡°No problem! ¡°You have my word!¡± It was three o¡¯clock in the morning in Neige when Viclan and his people boarded the flight. It was three in the afternoon in Moon, three hours after the Nobel Prize ceremony. At first, people rejoiced and were celebrating the return of the scientists. Numerous posts with such themes were posted online. No one knew when it started, but some people began to offer differing opinions. Such posts were created alongside the celebrating ones and gradually became the mainstream. ¡°Asking Viclan to come back is the dumbest decision ever!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with what he said? Didn¡¯t you watch the ceremony? Didn¡¯t you see what Viclan was like? Don¡¯t you know what he and his people have said and done? He doesn¡¯t deserve to come back!¡± ¡°I agree! Raising a person is so much more effort than giving birth! One can never do enough to repay a person or a place that has raised them! Yes, Viclan was born here, but Neige is the country that has made him what he is now! Not only wouldn¡¯t he show any gratitude, but he has humiliated Neige in front of the whole world! This is nothing personal, and I¡¯m not targeting Viclan, nor am I saying that Neige is better than Moon. I¡¯m just stating the facts!¡± ¡°Totally! I don¡¯t like Neige either, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Viclan isn¡¯t the most upright person! He and all his colleagues! Yes, they can turn Neige down, but they shouldn¡¯t have said it in front of the whole world! It¡¯s like accusing one¡¯s adopted parents!¡± ¡°Nicely said! They shouldn¡¯t have treated Neige like that!¡± ¡°I agree with all of you! You¡¯re absolutely correct! It¡¯s not about the grudges between the two countries. As far as I know, Viclan is 52 years old now. He was born in Woodia, came back to Moon at five, and when to Soilia at 18 years old. He moved to Neige at 20 and has stayed there until now. He has only spent 13 years in Moon. That¡¯s less than half the time he spent in Neige!¡± ¡°Gosh! Viclan was born in Woodia and only came back at five! He¡¯s only lived here for 13 years? Does he even love this country? Do you think he has a hidden agenda?¡± ¡°Agenda or no agenda, he has abandoned the country that has supported him for 30 years. He has only lived in Moon for over ten years, so are we sure that he won¡¯t abandon us one day when he has better offers?¡± ¡°Why do you even ask? Of course, he¡¯s going to leave us one day! All traitors are like that! No, we can¡¯t have Viclan back! I don¡¯t feel safe having him here! One day, he¡¯ll leak all our secrets!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t have him here!¡± ¡°I think what you said made some sense.¡± ¡°Shit! You¡¯re giving me the creeps! Is Viclan coming back to steal our secrets?¡± ¡°He has abandoned the country that has supported him for 30 years! We can¡¯t accept an ungrateful bastard! Who¡¯s to say that he won¡¯t betray us one day?!¡± ¡°No, he can¡¯t come back!¡± ¡°Go away, Viclan!¡± ¡°Viclan isn¡¯t welcomed here!¡± Some people began to manipulate public opinion. Not everyone online had the best judgment, and many people would agree with everything other people said. Many people found the ¡°analysis¡± reasonable and joined the boycott. Only half an hour ago, they were welcoming Viclan back. However, almost everyone was opposing the idea now. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for us to have Viclan in this country!¡± ¡°Our country will support them and provide them with many resources. If his return is a plot against us, we¡¯d lose too much!¡± ¡°Totally! I don¡¯t want Viclan back! Never! Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe must consider these possibilities! We can¡¯t have a traitor here!¡± Morado put the laptop on Oraman¡¯s desk. Oraman was pleased when he read through the comments. ¡°Viclan has abandoned all the nice things and left us. However, his fellow countrymen aren¡¯t moved. Not only that, but they¡¯re also accusing them of those things. I think Viclan will be very disappointed.¡± Morado laughed. ¡°When that happens, Viclan will come back!¡± Chapter 70 - What Do Moonians Want Chapter 70 What Do Moonians Want ¡°We¡¯ll offer an olive branch to Viclan, showing him how sincere we are. Keep in mind that when he comes back this time, we must get the entire Soanian Theory from him!¡± ¡°Of course! If he doesn¡¯t hand it over, we¡¯ll ensure he has nowhere else to go!¡± Oraman nodded. ¡°Since they¡¯ve betrayed us once, they can do it again! Deep down, they still consider themselves to be Moonians. All those scientists are on a blacklist now. We¡¯ll banish them once we get everything!¡± Morado said, ¡°Isn¡¯t banishment too low a price to pay? After the humiliation they¡¯ve put us through, why don¡¯t we exhaust them of all they know and put them under house arrest for the rest of their lives? They¡¯ll work for us until they die!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you. The Soanian Theory is all I want. As long as our scientific research can keep going, I don¡¯t care what you do. The general elections are taking place in one year. We can¡¯t afford anything to go wrong. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Holy shit! These Moonians are hilarious! They¡¯re stopping Viclan from going back! How stupid can they be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why their country is so weak! They never use their brains!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them. After all, their culture dates back thousands of years. There are some wise people among them!¡± ¡°Wise people? Where are they? All I see are idiots!¡± ¡°Well said! If you ask me, that country is doomed. They have no idea how important Viclan is! Neige has messed things up, but these Moonian netizens have saved their ass!¡± ¡°They¡¯re so stupid! I thought Moon was on the rise. Looks like that¡¯s not going to happen!¡± ¡°The smarter ones have already changed their nationality. They wouldn¡¯t remain in Moon. Those left behind are all pathetic and stupid!¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. If Moon doesn¡¯t want Viclan, Soilia will take him!¡± ¡°Your country? Aren¡¯t you worried that Viclan will betray you as well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. After this, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be distraught. They won¡¯t leave the next country that takes them in. I¡¯m sure if we show enough sincerity, everything will be fine!¡± ¡°Soilia has always valued scientists. If Viclan and his colleagues can join us, we¡¯ll treat them as honorable guests, regardless of their moral standing. As long as they spare no effort, we don¡¯t care how good or evil they are.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If Moon won¡¯t have them, we will!¡± In Woodia. ¡°Tell Mr. Owen to stand by! If Moon doesn¡¯t let Viclan and his people enter the country, we¡¯ll take action immediately, inviting them to join us!¡± ¡°Invite them? Why? Hasn¡¯t what happened in Neige taught us a lesson? Woodia isn¡¯t as powerful as Neige, and we can¡¯t afford an incident like that! We¡¯ll end up wasting a lot of resources, and they¡¯ll still be gone! We can¡¯t invite them here!¡± ¡°Shut up, you idiot! Don¡¯t you know what the Soanian Theory is? If not, do a bit of research. Yes, not everyone has gone to college, but you shouldn¡¯t talk about things you don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°The Soanian Theory? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know what that is, type it into your search engine!¡± ¡°Holy shit! The Soanian Theory is so awesome! It can affect all aspects of our life! All our scientific research in the next century will be based on it! But what does it have to do with Viclan?¡± ¡°The Soanian Theory was put forward by Viclan¡¯s team, and Viclan himself is the brain behind it! However, it¡¯s not completed yet. Viclan and his fellow Moonians are the only people for that job! The Neigerians have been trying to get the entire theory from Viclan, but he never gave it to them!¡± ¡°Seriously? I didn¡¯t know Viclan was so talented! We should recruit him! I hope the Moonians keep up with their insults!¡± In fact, the Moonians didn¡¯t disappoint them. Seeing that the government hadn¡¯t responded, the netizens began to say more outrageous things. ¡°What the hell? Is the government blind? Can¡¯t they see our comments? Why won¡¯t they do something?¡± ¡°They should hurry up! If you ask me, we should shut the airport and tell them to go back to where they came from!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have such fellow Moonians! They¡¯re all ungrateful bastards! I can¡¯t believe they¡¯ve ruined the reputation of our traditional culture like that! How are we going to face the other countries now? Our image has been destroyed!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Look at what they did during the ceremony?! Our country is known for its virtue! It¡¯s alright to be mediocre, but one has to have a kind heart! No country will dare to hire them now! He¡¯s like a malevolent cell that can turn into cancer at any moment!¡± Moon might have many foolish people. However, it didn¡¯t mean that everyone was the same. The country had a large population, so there were bound to be idiots. If 10% of the population was foolish, it meant one out of ten would be a fool. With a hundred people, ten of them would be foolish. What about a thousand, ten thousand, or a hundred thousand people? More importantly, Moon had a population of over a billion and was touching the two billion mark. Ten percent of the two billion people were fence-sitters. It wasn¡¯t hard to comprehend. Some of these people were teenagers who couldn¡¯t form their judgments independently. Even people in their early twenties might not have a correct view of the world. Most of them would just go with the flow. However, the Moonian culture had lasted for thousands of years, and the country never lacked wise people. Only their voices were drowned by the noises. The trolls might have outpowered the sensible netizens, but they couldn¡¯t silence those with more followers. Jesper, one of the ten most famous influencers, created a post that contained many images. Jesper (verified account): What Do Moonians Want ¡°I don¡¯t know why everybody suddenly began to say such things. To be honest, I¡¯m shocked. That¡¯s why I am writing this article. It¡¯s on the longer side, and I hope you can spare a moment to read it. ¡°I¡¯ve been following this incident closely. I remember some people questioned Viclan as soon as they said they were coming back. Here are some screenshots I saved. Please take a look.¡± Attached were some screenshots showing the comments that questioned Viclan¡¯s purpose. They didn¡¯t believe him. They said there was no way the scientists would give up the nice research environment in Neige. ¡°The scientists then replied to Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s post, which was supposed to be good news. However, some people began to say that those accounts were fake.¡± Chapter 71 - Slander Chapter 71 Slander The paragraph was followed by more screenshots of the comments. They were all questioning the authenticity of the accounts, and some of the comments were left by VIP accounts. Jesper wrote, ¡°In other words, these people believe that Moon is the worst country globally, and they worship the foreign countries. To them, nothing good can ever happen to us. They consider everyone to be ungrateful and are capable of betrayal at any given moment. If someone compliments Moon, they¡¯ll only call those people hypocritical. ¡°I want to ask these people how tiresome your life must be? What¡¯s the point of living like that? You talk about facing reality, but you can¡¯t even comprehend what reality is! ¡°You claimed that all those accounts were fake, but as it turns out, they¡¯re all authentic! Viclan, William, and Branco are all coming back! I hope that you lot would finally shut up or join the celebration. However, you just wouldn¡¯t give up!¡± Attachment 1. Attachment 2 Attachment 3. Jesper then posted another dozen or so screenshots. They contained the comments those people just posted. Jesper (verified account) wrote, ¡°Have a look and see how shameless your comments are! You said there was no way the scientists would return, which was baseless speculation! Now that they¡¯re actually on the plane, you¡¯re trying to keep them out of our land. Can you even see how ridiculous your comments are? No one with the right mind can say such things! ¡°Do you want them to come back or not? Get your opinion straight! Let me guess. If the scientists can¡¯t come back, in the end, you¡¯re going to accuse them again, right? You¡¯ll say they¡¯ve disregarded their homeland and call them ungrateful bastards that have forgotten about their origin. Nothing they do is ever right in your eyes! ¡°We¡¯re all adults here, and we should be able to form our own opinions. Don¡¯t agree with everything other people tell you. These opinion leaders all have their hidden agendas. I have reason to believe that they¡¯re either deluded and paranoid, or they belong to some organization that doesn¡¯t want the scientists to come back! ¡°Their purpose is to sabotage our plan! Our country has been making little progress because these people have been stalling us! These people are sinners of this country! They¡¯re worse than traitors! @Sky EyeV (verified account) I think the government should look into it! These people should either be sent to a mental hospital or prison!¡± Jesper¡¯s lengthy post soon went viral. The misled people were rendered speechless. They realized that they had been agreeing to everything other people said. They had no opinions of their own and had been repeating other people¡¯s views. Viclan¡¯s return should be great news to Moon. Why should they try to stop it? Viclan had fallen out with Neige in front of the whole world. They had made it clear and left no other choice for themselves. Wasn¡¯t that enough to show how determined they were? The post made many people open their eyes. However, a small group of people was still criticizing Jesper, saying he was trying to manipulate public opinion and whitewash Viclan¡¯s reputation. Some people even started a live stream. In it, they trashed Jesper with everything they could think of. They also revealed Viclan¡¯s ¡°past.¡± They talked about things that happened when Viclan was little. Even his parents wouldn¡¯t remember such events, but these people spoke about them as if they had been with him. ¡°Viclan showed up in Grosen, Neige in the spring of 2012, wearing a thin coat only. Grosen is hundreds of miles away from the capital. Why do you think he went there? He was there to close a deal, and the buyer was a government official from Woodia! That¡¯s right! He sold the findings of Project T041 to Woodia at a very low price! ¡°Do you know how much he made? You wouldn¡¯t believe it! 100,000 Neigerian dollars! That¡¯s 1.2 million in our currency. Do you know how much Neige spent on that project? 1.3 trillion! However, he sold the findings for 100,000 only! How can we trust a person like that? He¡¯s a thief! We can¡¯t allow him to enter our country!¡± That came from ¡°Forever Boss,¡± a famous influencer. Even Viclan didn¡¯t know he had done such a thing, but Forever Boss sounded like he had witnessed the whole process. Forever Boss wasn¡¯t afraid of making up such things. His employers had told him that if he could sway public opinion in their favor, he would obtain Neigerian citizenship and start a new life there. By then, no Moonian law could touch him. He could say whatever he wanted. Jensen, another famous influencer, was doing the same thing on his channel. ¡°Viclan has cheated on his wife multiple times with his friends¡¯ wives! You won¡¯t believe how repulsive he is! I learned it from a friend in Neige who just happens to work in the same research lab. Almost everyone in that lab knows what Viclan has done! We Moonians are the only ones kept in the dark!¡± These two people weren¡¯t the only ones spreading such rumors. There were Mr. Fly, the influencer with over 10 million followers, Winnie, the once-famous director, and also Lulu, the pop idol. These influencers all opened live-chat channels and broadcasted Viclan¡¯s ¡°old history.¡± Their purpose was to ruin his reputation so that the whole country would boycott him. They believed that Moonians were stupid enough to believe everything they said. They didn¡¯t care about Moon¡¯s future. After all, they would soon become Neigerians. What they didn¡¯t know was that Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe had noticed what they were doing. Slandering Viclan and the other scientists was unacceptable! Viclan was a renowned personage. Moon couldn¡¯t wait to welcome him back. However, these people were telling such incredible stories that even Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe hadn¡¯t heard of them. How could they be more informed than the two forces? Chapter 72 - Cat out of the Bag Chapter 72 Cat out of the Bag ¡°Viclan is a wolf in a sheep¡¯s skin. His return won¡¯t do us any good! He¡¯ll only slow us down. Just think about it. When he wants to start a new research program, the government will have to fund the research. That¡¯ll be hundreds of billions of dollars at least! ¡°But it¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to give us any results! All he¡¯ll do is waste our resources! We don¡¯t need him back here! Have you heard what vile things he has done? That man is trash! In ancient times, a person like him would be put in a cage and thrown into the river! Why would our country take him back?¡± Mr. Fly, the famous influencer with over ten million followers, was dissing Viclan in one of his live streams. His viewers bought his gibberish and were also posting angry comments. ¡°That¡¯s so true! He can¡¯t come back!¡± ¡°That man is abominable! I¡¯m so mad!¡± ¡°What? Did you say his mother died from a heart attack because she was so angry at him? What kind of animal does such things?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he had to leave Neige. He has run out of his luck and needs a new patron!¡± Mr. Fly laughed inwardly as he read the comments and bullets chats. He believed he had made an outstanding achievement. He was going to become a citizen of Neige! He was already picturing his beautiful life over there. Just then, several strong men wearing special uniforms smashed open the door to his room. They were from the Dragon Tribe. ¡°Who are you?¡± Mr. Fly¡¯s face darkened. He rose to his feet and glared at those men. The leader took out a warrant. ¡°Are you Mr. Fly? Mr. Flynn Chance?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me! Who wants to know? This is trespassing! Guys, are you seeing this? Our country is always like this! No one has any privacy! This would never happen in Neige!¡± The team leader spoke to the camera and greeted the viewers with a smile. ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m Howard, a member of the second division of the Dragon Tribe. My service number is 5671. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to call the Dragon Tribe to verify my identity. Mr. Fly, aka Flynn Chance, is suspected of libel and fraud. This is a warrant for his arrest. Please take a look. ¡°I can tell you all with confidence that nothing this man said about Mr. Viclan was true. It¡¯s completely fabricated. We¡¯ve run a thorough investigation, and we wouldn¡¯t have arrested him without enough evidence. Please do not believe anything he says! ¡°Some of you still may doubt me, so let me tell you one more thing. Flynn belongs to an organization that has been working for Neige. Everything he has done was under that organization¡¯s instruction. All the members have a tattoo on their arms that says ¡®Neige.¡¯ We¡¯re going to roll up his sleeve now.¡± Mr. Fly was terrified. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! I¡¯m going to sue you! This is a violation of my privacy! You¡¯ve broken into my house! You have no right!¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t the soldiers¡¯ match. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn¡¯t break free. They rolled up his sleeve, exposing the tattoo. The viewers didn¡¯t believe it at first. Mr. Fly had paraded himself as an upright guy. No one had thought he would be working for Neige. He was supposed to be a patriot through and through! He used to sing praises for Moon all the time, talking about how great the country was. However, the viewers were convinced when they saw the ¡°Neige¡± on Mr. Fly¡¯s arm. ¡°Holy shit! Mr. Fly is working for Neige!¡± ¡°He made it so real! Has he been lying to us this whole time?¡± ¡°Shit! We¡¯ve misunderstood Viclan!¡± ¡°I feel so ashamed! I said so many bad things about him just then! Damn you, Mr. Fly!¡± ¡°Well done! Arrest him! He must be punished!¡± Howard smiled when he saw the change in the viewers¡¯ attitude. Mr. Fly was still trying to make excuses, though. ¡°I didn¡¯t do any of those things! Where did you get that? Guys, don¡¯t believe them! They¡¯ve made it up! The Dragon Tribe has set me up! I have this tattoo because it looks cool! It doesn¡¯t mean anything! I¡¯m innocent! Please help me!¡± His viewers wouldn¡¯t buy it anymore. ¡°No one is going to help you now! Neige isn¡¯t exactly the first thing anyone wants to tattoo on their arms! Even ¡®handsome¡¯ would make more sense!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that organization before. I didn¡¯t think it was real! But I believe it now!¡± ¡°Help you? You¡¯re going to prison! You¡¯re worse than a traitor!¡± No one would believe Mr. Fly now. His viewers stopped defending him and were accusing him instead. ¡°Take him!¡± With a wave of his hand, Howard shut down the live stream and took Mr. Fly away. He wasn¡¯t the only one the government cracked down on. All the influencers who had insulted Viclan in the live streams were visited by either the Dragon Tribe or Sky Eye. Sky Eye had remained silent until then, not because they didn¡¯t care. Instead, they had been trying to figure out who was behind the plot. All the crackdowns happened simultaneously so that no one would have a chance to stop their live stream and run off. ¡°They¡¯ve made all those things up about Viclan? Damn them!¡± ¡°Why would they do that? What was in it for them?¡± ¡°They deserved it! They¡¯re the poison of our society!¡± Things became much quieter online after those people were arrested. Once the netizens learned the truth, they apologized for their comments and became Viclan¡¯s supporters again. Banners were set up at the Sacred Temple Airport, and people had spontaneously lined up at the arrival hall so that they could welcome Viclan and his fellow scientists back. Other countries had been waiting to laugh at Moon, but they were disappointed by how things turned out. ¡°Patriarch, Viclan and the other scientists will land at eleven o¡¯clock this morning. We¡¯ll pick them up and bring them here right away!¡± Warren reported to Himmel Soan. Himmel smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve learned that online already. You don¡¯t need to bring them to me. Take them to see the Sky Eye first.¡± Chapter 73 - Bad News ¡°Yes!¡± Warren was delighted when he saw the way Himmel Soan smiled at his phone. Their Patriarch was well-versed with his smartphone and was enjoying it. What a lovely scene. Back in Moon, Henry Lang of the Sky Eye and Gordon Marlow of the Dragon Tribe saw the large banners when they arrived at the airport. ¡°Welcome back home, Mr. Viclan!¡± ¡°Welcome back home, Mr. William!¡± ¡°Welcome back home, Mr. Branco!¡± ¡°Welcome back home, Ms. Linda!¡± There were hundreds of banners, and it was a scene that no one had seen for decades. Dozens of honor guards had lined up and were waiting for the returning scientists. They weren¡¯t invited by Henry or Gordon. Instead, they came here on their own accord. Viclan was shocked by this scene, but he soon adjusted himself. Followed by the others, Henry and Gordon went forward to shake hands with the scientists. Viclan was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. Hundreds of channels and journalists were broadcasting Viclan¡¯s return. After those people were arrested, the online environment became much healthier. The comments now were all about greeting the scientists. ¡°Welcome back, Mr. Viclan! We¡¯ve booked rooms for you. Please follow me!¡± Viclan didn¡¯t forget his original plan. He turned down Henry¡¯s offer and wanted to see his Patriarch first. However, he received a message from Warren, saying that Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t see him at the moment and instructed him to go with Henry. As a result, Viclan had to follow Henry to a nearby hotel. In Neige. ¡°Damn it! Moon accepted them! Lincoln, is this what you promised me? Is this how you carry out your task? Didn¡¯t you say Moon would never have them back?!¡± Oraman was so angry that he knocked his table to the floor, and he had done that several times already. His subordinates didn¡¯t dare say a word and only stood there in silence. Oraman then slapped each of them in turn. ¡°Get out of my sight! Get me Maruse!¡± The officials shuddered when they heard that name. Maruse was the defense minister of Neige. Oraman was the president and was in charge of administrative affairs while Maruse was the vice-president as well as the defense minister. Once Maruse got involved, things would become much more severe. Even war could break out at any moment. Oraman was for real. Things were going to get complicated. Some radicals had been holding grudges against Moon for years, and they couldn¡¯t wait to see Maruse take action. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll notify Maruse now!¡± Everyone left the president¡¯s office. Before long, a tall, dark man entered the room. ¡°Mr. President, you wanted to see me?¡± ¡°Sit.¡± Oraman calmed down a little. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on with Viclan?¡± ¡°Yes. It has made a lot of buzz, and I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for your order.¡± Oraman poured himself a glass of wine and said slowly, ¡°When they went back, they took many of our technologies with them. It¡¯s inevitable that our science, technology, and economy will slow down. In the next two decades, Moon will make some rapid progress. They may become as powerful as us and even rise to the top!¡± ¡°Mr. President, feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°I want to find an excuse while we still have the power to suppress them. Do you know what I mean?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m on it!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Maruse was about to leave when Oraman stopped him. ¡°Anything else I can do for you, Mr. President?¡± ¡°Have someone do the job for us. We don¡¯t need to get our hands dirty. It¡¯ll turn us into a laughing stock.¡± Of course, Maruse was clever enough to understand that order. Maruse pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°I heard that Moonian scientists have left Winland, Soilia, and Flamia, too, and Flamia is especially unhappy. Shall we give them a chance?¡± Oraman took out two cigars and tossed one to Maruse. ¡°Flamia isn¡¯t alone in this. I think they¡¯re all on edge. You¡¯d better talk to all of them.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll do that.¡± Back in Moon. Himmel Soan was sitting by the window, playing with his phone. Suddenly, he raised his head with a sharp look on his face. ¡°Anyone outside?¡± Warren and Yosef immediately rushed into the room and nervously looked around, thinking someone had broken in. ¡°Patriarch, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± ¡°Get the car ready and take me to Viclan. Bring Henry and his people, too.¡± ¡°Patriarch, I thought you weren¡¯t going to see Viclan. Why the rush?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting the car now.¡± Having been in a confused state for over 30 years, Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t made a full recovery yet. He had gained 0.1% of his mental force just then. With that tiny percentage, he discovered a critical situation. A meteorite was flying toward Earth at one-tenth the speed of light. It was about 1/360 light-years away from Earth. At the speed of light, it would reach Earth in one day. However, nothing moved as fast as light, and the meteorite was only moving at less than one-tenth of the light speed. Based on Himmel Soan¡¯s calculation, it would smash into the planet in about fifteen days. Since he hadn¡¯t recovered his strength yet, he couldn¡¯t break down the meteorite. They could only depend on science and technology now. Viclan, Branco, and their colleagues were the top scientists on Earth, and they should have had a way to stop this disaster. Or they could use science to help Himmel Soan so that he could recover 1% of his power, which would enable him to destroy the meteorite. So far, Himmel Soan had only recovered 0.1% of his physical strength and mental force. He could easily destroy a mountain, but breaking down a meteorite was out of the question, not to mention such a gigantic one ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, to what do we owe this honor?¡± e. Henry and the others were eating when the door opened. A teenager no more than 20 years old came in, followed by Warren, Yosef, and other members of the Soan empire. Chapter 74 - Space Cannon Chapter 74 Space Cannon Henry and Gordon had witnessed Himmel Soan¡¯s revival and knew that the teenager in front of them was the once old man. However, Viclan and the scientists weren¡¯t there. Viclan was perplexed when he heard Henry address the teenager as Mr. Soan. He wondered which member he was. He then saw Warren and Yosef. ¡°Patriarch, this is Viclan!¡± Warren introduced Viclan to Himmel Soan. ¡°Patriarch?¡± Viclan¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Why is Himmel Soan so young?¡± However, he trusted that Warren wouldn¡¯t make such mistakes. This teenager should be Himmel Soan. ¡°Patriarch, you¡­¡± ¡°Please take a seat.¡± ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± The mood in the room had been merry and casual, but people became nervous when Himmel Soan showed up. He was such a mysterious and formidable man that no one dared to disrespect him. Even Henry and Gordon seemed intimidated. They used to be confident that they could fend off the three divisions for a while, but that was before they saw how capable Himmel Soan, the Patriarch, was. Once they became aware of the three divisions¡¯ real power and the miraculous revival of Himmel Soan, Henry and Gordon saw him as a god and didn¡¯t dare to defy him in any way. ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, I¡¯d like to propose a toast to you!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Henry was trying to fawn over Himmel Soan and get to know him better, but Himmel Soan didn¡¯t seem interested. He had a solemn look on his face the whole time as if something serious was going to happen. Not only did it make everyone uneasy, but it also made them start speculating. Was something big going to happen, or was it Himmel Soan¡¯s nature? ¡°Patriarch, I should be going to you instead of the other way around. To what do I owe this honor?!¡± Viclan asked gingerly. Himmel Soan cut to the chase. ¡°Charles, I talked to you about the rules of the ¡®Void Definition¡¯ thirty years ago. How¡¯s the research going?¡± ¡°Void Definition¡± was one of Himmel Soan¡¯s skills that could be qualified as a supernatural power. But it was still explainable. Back then, Himmel Soan told Viclan/Charles what Void Definition was about. The scientist then studied for the next decade until he put forward the Soanian Theory. That was to say, Viclan had Himmel Soan to thank for all his discoveries. ¡°Charles? Who¡¯s that? ¡°Charles Soan?¡± Henry was confused. He followed Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes and saw that he was looking at Viclan. Henry thought, ¡°Is Viclan a member of the Soan empire, too? Is he also one of the Soans?¡± Viclan said, ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m sorry, but I found very little in these thirty years. After you introduced me to the Void Definition, it took me as many as twelve years to discover the Soanian Theory. As for the Void Definition itself, I still haven¡¯t figured out its principles!¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know how to explain it either. He only knew how to use it because there was spiritual essence in his body. He instinctively understood how to activate the Void Definition with his spiritual essence, but he didn¡¯t know how ordinary people could use it. Since Viclan was a scientist, Himmel wondered if he could solve the problem with science. As it turned out, it wasn¡¯t so easy. If the skill was a car, Himmel Soan¡¯s spiritual essence was gasoline. He knew how to fuel the engine with his gasoline. The problem was, other people didn¡¯t have it! He needed to figure out how to enable people without gasoline to drive a car. Hence, he told Viclan the structure of the car. However, after years of research, Viclan was only able to build a tire. ¡°With the theory you¡¯ve come up with, is it possible to build a space cannon, something that can use compression power to make strikes?¡± Viclan and other scientists were the only ones who knew what Himmel Soan meant. The other people were utterly confused. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not good enough to make that happen yet. I haven¡¯t figured out the ¡®Void Split¡¯ you told me. So far, I haven¡¯t found the adequate material to split the void. Your theory is correct, but the requirements are too specific,¡± Viclan said awkwardly. William asked, ¡°Patriarch, why did you bring that up?¡± Himmel Soan said gravely, ¡°A super meteorite is going to smash into our planet in about fifteen days. We can only destroy it with a space cannon! Without it, we only have a one-in-a-70 million chance to withstand the impact.¡± Everyone paled when they heard the announcement. ¡°What? A super meteorite?¡± ¡°Is that true? It can¡¯t be! Mr. Soan, are you sure about that? Where did you hear it? From the internet? There¡¯s a lot of fake news online! It has to be a rumor!¡± ¡°Mr. Lang, please don¡¯t question our Patriarch. His power is beyond your imagination! If he says a meteorite is coming, it must be!¡± ¡°But no astronomer has noticed It!¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°No one expected to see that meteorite, and it¡¯s moving very fast. Our telescopes can¡¯t see it yet. It¡¯ll be at least a week before we can pick it up.¡± The distance between the sun and the earth was about 1/63140 light-years, whereas that meteorite was 1/360 light years away from the earth. That was much further than the sun. It took the sunlight eight to nine minutes to reach the earth, and nothing traveled faster than light. It would take over 5,000 minutes for light to travel from the earth to the meteorite and double that time for it to travel back. 10,000 minutes were equal to seven days. By then, it would be too late. Even now, it already felt like it was too late. ¡°What should we do?¡± Gordon asked, ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°Of course, we can do something about it, but I just haven¡¯t figured it out yet. General Marlow, how many resources can our country spare? To build a space cannon, we¡¯ll need about 9 billion. The Soan empire can cover 8 billion. Can you take care of the remaining one? We¡¯ll also need a place to build it!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Mr. Soan, I¡¯ll need some time to process that piece of information. What¡¯s a space cannon, and why are we building it?¡± Viclan joined the conversation. ¡°Air is a very powerful substance. The space cannon can compress the air before shooting it out like a cannonball.¡± Chapter 75 - The Meteorite Chapter 75 The Meteorite ¡°A space cannon? I think we have it! Is it like an air compressor?¡± Gordon asked curiously. Viclan said, ¡°That¡¯s far from being called a space cannon! Yes, the air cannon has been invented. Its shooting range is mostly within a hundred meters, and 50m is the most effective range.¡± The air cannon was also a weapon, and compressing air wasn¡¯t rocket science. Everyone knew it. However, the air cannon was nowhere near as powerful as a space cannon. ¡°The space cannon our Patriarch mentioned is heavy ground-to-air equipment that doesn¡¯t require oxygen. As you know, air consists of more than just oxygen. A space cannon is more than enough to destroy our nearest satellite.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is it that powerful?¡± ¡°By compressing air alone?¡± om Everyone was astonished, including some of the scientists. Those who hadn¡¯t lived in Neige didn¡¯t know much about scientific research there. Viclan had been working for Neige and put forward the Soanian Theory, which was also essential to the construction of the space cannon. To be more precise, the space cannon was based on the Void Definition. However, the Void Definition was a supernatural power, not science, and Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t explain it with plain words. Even if he could, the skill couldn¡¯t be used by people without spiritual essence. Therefore, they had to transform it into a scientific theory before implementing it. Take teleportation as an example. If Himmel Soan recovered ten percent of his strength, he could teleport from Moon to Neige in an instant. To do that, he needed to fixate his mental force on a specific location in Neige, tear open the space with his spiritual essence, and use his mental force to create a portal to that location. Tearing open space would create a suction force like a magnet. When two spots were torn open simultaneously, the two spaces would overlap. As a result, one could enter from one side and walk out from the other side. Only a physically strong person could do that. Space wasn¡¯t always intangible. At Himmel Soan¡¯s stage, he could see the folds in space, and they were folding upward and downward. Therefore, when he tore open the space, he needed to tear it in a downward motion. Otherwise, it would be too tough to budge. That was the principle of teleportation. Himmel Soan was aware of it. However, he didn¡¯t know how to explain it to Viclan. Even if he could, would Viclan be able to do it? Viclan could only study it step by step from the very basic theories. He didn¡¯t even know the shape of space. Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation would be too profound for him. Besides, Himmel wouldn¡¯t be able to do it if he didn¡¯t have the spiritual essence. Therefore, it would be very difficult to communicate with Viclan on this subject. To create the teleportation equipment, Viclan needed to figure out the shape of space first. He might make other discoveries in the process. The Soanian Theory was the result of a similar process based on the principle of the Void Definition. After that, he needed to find a controllable substance that could tear open space. Then, he needed to figure out a way to tear open the targeted space. Only then could he complete the teleportation. The procedures sounded straightforward, but each step was more difficult than the previous one. Without Himmel Soan¡¯s help, it would take the scientists three to five hundred years before they could get somewhere. Himmel Soan said, ¡°When the super meteorite enters the solar system, it¡¯ll affect all the planets. Earth will be overwhelmed by natural disasters like super tsunamis, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and plate collapses. Therefore, we must be prepared. Since the catastrophe is caused by the meteorite, it¡¯ll be accompanied by energy from space. Ordinary protection wouldn¡¯t be enough. I think anywhere within 500m underground won¡¯t be safe.¡± He sounded so grave that Henry and Gordon were alarmed. ¡°Even 500m underground isn¡¯t safe enough, you said?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The meteorite will create a lot of heat when it enters the atmosphere, hot enough to incinerate everything above ground. 500m is already a conservative estimate.¡± Henry asked, ¡°What about the space cannon? Can it stop the meteorite?¡± That was also what everyone else had been wondering because even Viclan didn¡¯t have the answer. Only Himmel Soan could answer it. Himmel shook his head. ¡°No, it can¡¯t! The meteorite has entered the solar system, but it¡¯s still too far beyond the space cannon¡¯s effective range. Even if we have the space cannon now, we still can¡¯t avoid the impact. We need to start building the defense system right now. We have to build a bunker 500m underground as a shelter, and the wall has to be¡­ We have to use¡­¡± He stammered, not knowing how to describe the substance. He asked Viclan, ¡°Do you remember an insulation substance I mentioned to you when I told you about the Void Definition?¡± ¡°Yes, I do!¡± ¡°Have you been able to recreate it yet?¡± Viclan said guiltily, ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m on the right track. I¡¯ve combined T02 with Y43, and the material invented is very similar to that substance.¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°Show it to me tomorrow!¡± The material was in fact Himmel Soan¡¯s vigorous energy. All cultivators had innate vigorous energy of their own. It was activated by the human body. Himmel Soan knew how to do that, but he didn¡¯t know its origin. He had told Viclan about it. If they could discover all the secrets about the human body, they would be able to wake up the innate vigorous energy in ordinary people. There were so many secrets buried in the human body, and only less than 1% had been discovered. Even 500m underground didn¡¯t feel safe. Heat could be transmitted. Once the meteorite hit, the earth would be very fragile, and the ground could cave in. There was the possibility that everyone would be buried alive. However, the bunkers would be secured if the walls were infused with innate vigorous energy. Viclan had found both T02 and Y43 in the human body and noticed that when the two substances were combined, they could create a type of energy similar to the innate vigorous energy Himmel Soan talked about. He didn¡¯t know if they were the same thing. It was possible that cultivators were training to control their bodies. Maybe in the language of science, Himmel Soan could activate the innate vigorous energy because he found a way to combine the T02 and Y43 in his body. Chapter 76 - Fake News Chapter 76 Fake News Take whistle as an example-although it might not be an appropriate one. Everyone could do it but not automatically. Cultivation was like a long process of learning to whistle. Everyone had this ability in them. They just didn¡¯t know how to use it without practice. Although Himmel Soan told Viclan what his ability was, Viclan couldn¡¯t obtain the ability himself. To do that, one needed a spiritual foundation. Only then could one generate the spiritual essence. Very few people were born with a spiritual foundation. It was mainly inherited and very hard to obtain through practice. Most members of the three Himmelian divisions had a spiritual foundation through inheritance, which was why they were such formidable warriors. They were no longer ordinary people. As the spiritual foundation was almost impossible to acquire, Himmel Soan could only introduce the principle to Viclan and let him figure it out on his own. When the airflow went through a narrow opening, it would make a sound. That was how simple the principle was. Everyone had the innate vigorous energy in them, but most people didn¡¯t know how to use it. Viclan needed to find the source of the innate vigorous energy and use an external force, aka science, to extract it. It was the same with teleportation and space cannon. Sky EyeV (verified account) wrote, ¡°We¡¯re making an important announcement. When you see this, please tell your friends and family! ¡°We¡¯ve learned from a reliable source that a super meteorite about 2.35 the size of Earth will hit us in 15 days. Please stay calm and do not panic. Our country has found a countermeasure. Everyone should pack their valuable belongings and wait for further notice. The government will soon start the evacuation!¡± The announcement went viral. If it had come from influencers, the public would only think they were spreading rumors again. However, Sky Eye was behind it. Sky Eye was run by the government, which meant they had some authority. They wouldn¡¯t spread rumors. But it didn¡¯t sound real either. ¡°What? A meteorite is going to hit Earth? Is that a prank?¡± ¡°@Sky EyeV (verified account) Is that true? You¡¯re scaring me!¡± ¡°Although it came from Sky Eye, it still doesn¡¯t sound real to me. A meteorite bigger than Earth? That¡¯s a planet, not a meteorite!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that big, why haven¡¯t any scientists noticed it yet? Why weren¡¯t we told earlier? Why did you wait until there¡¯s only half a month left?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you can forecast the alignment of the nine planets and the eclipse of the moon, why did it take you so long to notice a giant meteorite?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve made it up!¡± These were the polite comments. Some more radical netizens immediately started criticizing the post. ¡°I would believe it if it came from Neige. It¡¯s not that I look down upon our country, but the reality is that our scientific research is much inferior to that of Neige. So far, Neige has posted nothing on this subject, and we¡¯re the only country that has reached that conclusion. Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡± ¡°Some people may not like what we¡¯re saying, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve said anything wrong! We¡¯re very subjective! I¡¯ve checked the official websites of all major countries, and none of them have said anything about a meteorite. Sky Eye must be making fun of us! Q.E.D.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious where the information came from and why they called it reliable? I think our technology is quite advanced, and we¡¯ve learned a few things about the universe. We¡¯re able to forecast things like meteoric showers six months in advance, so why are we so late this time? Why only 15 days?¡± ¡°If what you said is true, where can we hide? Can anything destroy a meteorite twice the size of Earth? Where we hide won¡¯t make any difference.¡± ¡°I want to say something. Please don¡¯t hate me. First of all, this isn¡¯t happening. Secondly, even if it is, I think we can just copy Neige¡¯s reaction. Their technology is so advanced that they must know how to get through this catastrophe!¡± ¡°I love my country, but I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to reality. We¡¯re not as good as other countries in so many aspects. Of course, we¡¯re also the leading country in many fields, but I still don¡¯t think this is really going to happen. Even if it is, I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ll be the first country to forecast it!¡± Many people shared their opinions. They remained subjective, and even the radical ones managed to stay sensible. The foreign press had been watching the social media in Moon. In a matter of minutes, Sky Eye¡¯s post was translated to other languages, astonishing all other countries. They began to mock Moon. ¡°What? A meteorite? Holy crap! That¡¯s some bold statement!¡± ¡°Is that one of their latest movies? Are they into the natural disaster theme, too? I don¡¯t think they¡¯re imaginative enough to make a good sci-fi movie!¡± ¡°Just because Viclan has gone back doesn¡¯t mean they can catch up with us right away! They¡¯ll need at least a few years! A meteorite! Where did that even come from?¡± ¡°LMAO. That¡¯s the most hilarious thing I¡¯ve heard this year. I hope God can forgive them for their ignorance.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve asked my friend, an astronomer in Neige. There¡¯s no meteorite. They¡¯ve made it up! No meteorite has been spotted, let alone something of that size!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fake news! The Moonians make me laugh!¡± Netizens of Woodia, Soilia, and Winland sided with Neige. No one believed the post, and they all laughed at Moon. Soon the government officials got wind as well. ¡°A meteorite is heading our way? Why is Moon saying that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? They know we¡¯re still trying to get the scientists back, and war can break out at any moment. Therefore, they tried to mask it with something even more severe. Once that is over, we won¡¯t be so angry anymore, and they can avoid going against us.¡± ¡°They¡¯re so naive! With or without a meteorite, we won¡¯t forgive them! They need to pay for what they did! We haven¡¯t train Viclan for so many years for nothing!¡± ¡°I agree with Maruse. Winland will side with Neige. Guys, what do you think?¡± Chapter 77 - On Our Own Chapter 77 On Our Own ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to say. Let¡¯s contact Moon and start negotiating. Soilia will ask for a trillion, which is about what Soilia invests in scientific research every year. It¡¯s not all spent on the Moonians. We¡¯ll use the average amount and say they cost us 30 billion a year, which totals up to a trillion after 33 years. That¡¯s not a lot.¡± ¡°Winland hasn¡¯t invested as much as Soilia has, but we¡¯ll ask for a trillion as well!¡± ¡°Same here. Flamia will ask for a trillion, too.¡± Maruse looked at the government officials from various countries and nodded. ¡°Great. Neige will take the initiative and ask for a bit more. They need to pay us 3 trillion, which makes it 8 trillion in total. I¡¯ll contact the officials of Moon now.¡± Back in Moon. Henry and Gordon took Himmel Soan, Viclan, William (Clyde Soan), and Branco (Jude Soan) to the Pegasus Grassland. The vast grassland in the northwest was an outstanding location. ¡°Mr. Soan, is this place suitable for you?¡± Gordon looked at Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan looked at Viclan. ¡°How do you like it here?¡± Viclan remained cautious and said respectfully, ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯ll follow your order.¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. I didn¡¯t bring you here to keep me company. I need your opinion. You¡¯re a scientist, so you should know how much room we need to build a space cannon. You¡¯ll have the final say if this location works.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Viclan grew serious and examined the surroundings. He hadn¡¯t thoroughly studied the space cannon and didn¡¯t think he could make one yet. However, Himmel Soan had given the order, and Viclan had to build the cannon no matter what. From his speculation and what he had learned so far, there was enough room here. ¡°I think so, but I¡¯m looking for a spot where the air is more humid.¡± ¡°Why do you need the humidity?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Patriarch, you¡¯ve told me about the Void Definition, and I¡¯ve done some research on the part about the space cannon. To build one, I¡¯ll need air as well as some water molecules. Although we can humidify the air, we¡¯ll have a better chance if the environment is already humid.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t understand the theory because he didn¡¯t need water to release an air cannonball. All he needed to do was raise his hand, activate his spiritual essence, and run it through the required energy channels. Then, he could fire an air cannonball. He could even do it now. However, he was far from regaining his full strength, and his cannonball wouldn¡¯t be very effective. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave it to you. General Marlow, Mr. Lang, I¡¯ll inform all members of the Soan empire in the next few days and let them come here to help with building the space cannon. You¡¯ll have to take care of the underground shelter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mr. Soan. We¡¯ll spare no effort and build that bunker in five days. In ten days, we¡¯ll move all the civilians inside.¡± Time was running short. But they had no choice and had to use whatever was available. ¡°We also need to discuss the cost. A great number of resources are needed to build the space cannon, and the Soan empire will invest all our capital into it. I hope you can put in a share as well.¡± ¡°Naturally. As the safety of this planet is concerned, I think all countries should share the responsibility. Money isn¡¯t the most important thing. If we unite everyone and work as one force, we can do it without the money. More importantly, many materials we need to build the space cannon can¡¯t be found here in Moon. We need to purchase them from other countries, and the process can take up a lot of time. Mr. Soan, shall we share the information with other countries so that they can provide us with the materials?¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky and said slowly, ¡°What a wonderful world we¡¯ll have if we¡¯re no longer divided into countries. That¡¯s the ideal world I want. However, do you think they¡¯ll agree? They won¡¯t believe you even if you tell them the truth. We¡¯ll do whatever we can. If they want to help us, great, but we need to prepare for the worst. We have to build the space cannon even if they won¡¯t lend us a hand.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree! ¡°I¡¯ll put people on it right away!¡± After the location was decided, all the members of the Soan empire gathered at the Pegasus Grassland and started working. They thought they could at least build the shell first, then fill it in piece by piece. Himmel Soan talked to Viclan alone in his room. He needed some insurance. ¡°Charles, please take a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you, Patriarch.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the likelihood that you can build a space cannon?¡± Viclan told him the truth. ¡°I think I have a 30% chance.¡± ¡°30%.¡± Himmel Soan repeated. He didn¡¯t have much hope in the first place. 30% was better than what he had expected. Viclan grew uneasy, fearing that Himmel Soan might be upset. Himmel Soan said, ¡°So be it, then. As long as you do your best, the result isn¡¯t the most important thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Patriarch. I¡¯m so useless. It¡¯s been thirty years, and I still can¡¯t comprehend the Void Definition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. There¡¯s only so much you can do. Here¡¯s the thing. Charles, you need to figure out a way so that I can speed up my recovery process. If I can regain 10% of my power, I¡¯ll be able to crush that super meteorite.¡± Charles was surprised. ¡°Patriarch, what do you need?¡± Himmel Soan was disappointed by the question. ¡°That¡¯s alright. You can go back to your work.¡± It seemed that he only had himself to count on. Charles felt guilty because he couldn¡¯t help Himmel Soan in a critical moment like this. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Patriarch. I¡¯ve let you down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Please give me a moment.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Himmel Soan called Charles before he left the room. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Patriarch, is there something else I can do for you?¡± Himmel Soan pondered for a moment before he spoke again. ¡°Find me all the textbooks on general science, chemistry, and physics! From primary school to college!¡± An idea had just struck Himmel Soan. He realized that asking Charles to figure out the supernatural power was too difficult. Maybe things would move faster if he did the research himself. Himmel Soan had only recovered 0.1% of his physical and mental strength. But that was enough. The fraction of power enabled him to detect something 1/360 light-years away from Earth, hence the discovery of the meteorite. 0.1% of his power was enough to make him a formidable man. Moreover, he had a photographic memory. Chapter 78 - To the Point Chapter 78 To the Point Himmel Soan was a fast reader because he could scan whatever he was reading with his mental force. Viclan had reached where he was after spending half of his life in scientific research. Himmel Soan could reach his level in a matter of days. They had ten days to prepare for the event. The Earth would be affected on the 11th day. Ten days would be enough. Himmel Soan was confident that he could master all the knowledge in the next few days. He knew how the Void Definition worked, but he needed an external device that could work as his body and release an air cannonball with a tremendous force. He would rather do the research himself than give the job to others. Before, he didn¡¯t think the work was important enough. After all, as a cultivator, his body was his best device, and his spiritual essence was the best form of energy. He could achieve the effect he wanted on his own. However, a lot of things were happening at the same time. He couldn¡¯t recover his full strength any time soon, and a super meteorite was coming. He had no choice but to study it on his own. ¡°Patriarch, why do you need the textbooks?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll get them for you right away.¡± Viclan soon got Himmel all the chemistry and physics textbooks he could find. Himmel Soan started from the basics and memorized the periodic table within one second. ¡°[image] I shot this photo at the Pegasus Grassland this afternoon. There are so many people. I think they¡¯re all from the Soan empire. What are they doing?¡± ¡°[image] I saw it, too! Here are some of the pictures. Does anyone know what they¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Holy crap. That¡¯s a lot of people!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just happening in the Pegasus Grassland. I saw people from Sky Eye in the Loess Plain, too. There are a lot of tunneling machines. I wonder what they¡¯re digging for.¡± ¡°Is it some ancient remains? An old tomb, maybe?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. This one is much bigger. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a tomb. They¡¯re digging a huge pit.¡± ¡°Seriously? Are they building a shelter? I¡¯m joking.¡± ¡°LOL. Is a meteorite really going to hit us?¡± ¡°Bullshit! That¡¯s not going to happen!¡± ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s very straightforward. We can wait for what Neige will do. The news is real if they¡¯re also building a shelter. If not, we don¡¯t have anything to worry about. They¡¯re not idiots. If danger is coming, they¡¯ll be the first ones to flee. If they¡¯re not panicking, why should we?¡± ¡°So true. Fifteen days, is it? I can¡¯t wait to see what will happen in the next two weeks.¡± ¡°General Marlow, Director Lan, Maruse, the vice-president of Neige, has just called. Seven countries are holding a negotiation this evening, and they¡¯ve asked the two of you to attend it.¡± ¡°A negotiation with seven countries?¡± Gordon liked the sound of that. ¡°Great! I was hoping to talk to them as well. Let¡¯s not wait until this evening. Call them now.¡± His secretary immediately initiated a video call and invited the high-ranking officials of other countries. Soon, six people appeared on the screen, each from a different country. There was Maruse from Neige. Koji from Flamia. Park from Soilia. Saul from Woodia. They all looked very serious with no smile on their faces. They all seemed displeased. Henry and Gordon had the same demeanor. Henry said, ¡°Hello, everybody.¡± Maruse said, ¡°Long time no see, Director Lang.¡± Park said, ¡°Quit the pleasantries. Let¡¯s get to the point.¡± He was talking to Maruse, but Gordon took over the conversation. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll cut to the chase. A major event is going to happen. We¡¯ve detected a super meteorite coming toward the solar system at an extremely high speed. It¡¯ll reach us in 15 days and enter the trajectory of Earth. Unfortunately, it¡¯s going to hit our planet. ¡°This is a catastrophe the human race has never seen before. We need to work together. The only instrument that can stop the disaster is a space cannon. However, it¡¯s very expensive to build, and we don¡¯t have many of the chips and spare parts. It¡¯s time that every country put in its share.¡± He then took out a list and showed it to the others. ¡°Here are all the things we¡¯ll need. Flamia is known for its copper alloy, so we hope you can send us ten thousand tons asap. Needless to say, Neige has the best chips. Mr. Maruse, please let President Oraman know that we need the chips in two days. The list contains some other materials we¡¯ll need. Please take a look and send the materials to us in the next three days.¡± The other six people laughed. They were here to ask for compensation. It had never occurred to them that Moon would make their request first. Instead of giving them money, the country was asking them for free materials! How arrogant! Maruse said angrily, ¡°General Marlow, am I hearing things? Did you just ask Neige to send you chips? How much are you going to pay?¡± Henry said gravely, ¡°It¡¯s not about money anymore. If Earth no longer exists, what good will money do? We can settle the account after we get through this. You can always take shelter in my country. It¡¯ll be free!¡± ¡°Take shelter? That¡¯s hilarious!¡± Saul laughed and said contemptuously, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re some superpower now? Take shelter in your country? If a meteorite really is going to hit us, how good can your shelter be? Your lie is so elaborate that you¡¯ve even fooled yourself! Why haven¡¯t we found anything?¡± Koji smirked. ¡°Did you say you detected a meteorite? With what? Don¡¯t tell me you have more advanced astronomical technology than Flamia and can see further into space than us.¡± Park smashed the desk. ¡°That¡¯s enough! I don¡¯t want to hear another word about this meteorite! General Marlow, Director Lang, Branco, and his fellow scientists have left us and returned to your country. Shouldn¡¯t you compensate us for our loss? We¡¯ve spent a fortune in training them, but you end up harvesting their intelligence.¡± Maruse chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve also invested a lot of resources in Viclan. I won¡¯t ask for too much. Give us three trillion, and we¡¯ll drop the matter!¡± Chapter 79 - Negotiation Failed Chapter 79 Negotiation Failed Henry and Gordon were both angry and frustrated. They were telling the truth, but it was evident that the others didn¡¯t believe them. That was what frustrated them the most. But they felt more anger than frustration. The Moonian scientists had worked for them for thirty years. During that time, they had made significant contributions, and their research had supported their economy. Instead of showing gratitude, they were asking for compensation now. And the amount was in trillions. That was outrageous! How preposterous! Koji said, ¡°We won¡¯t ask for too much. One trillion will do.¡± ¡°Woodia wants a trillion, too.¡± ¡°The same with Winland.¡± ¡°Soilia values scientific research and has invested heavily in this field. Therefore, we¡¯ll ask for one and a half trillion. Director Lang, General Marlow, please make the payment as quickly as you can manage.¡± Henry was so angry that he laughed. He no longer cared about the shelter. He only wanted to argue with these people about the compensation. If the compensation had to be paid, their countries needed to pay Moon! ¡°What? Three trillion? One trillion? And one and a half trillion?¡± Henry pointed at the other officials, his face blushing from anger. ¡°Are you going to pay Moon?¡± Maruse¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No, you¡¯re going to pay us!¡± ¡°Bullshit! My people have worked for you for over thirty years, and you¡¯re asking us for money?! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! Have you lost your goddamn mind?¡± ¡°Director Lang, we¡¯d appreciate some respect!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve shown us no respect at all!¡± ¡°Yes, we have! We¡¯ve been polite the whole time!¡± ¡°What you said has nothing to do with respect!¡± Henry shouted at Maruse. Gordon tugged at his sleeve. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Let¡¯s get down to business!¡± Henry took a deep breath, trying to calm down. No matter how frustrating the other side was, the Moonians decided that they should remain polite, which was their tradition. They believed that one had to have the ability to tell right from wrong. The compensation and the shelter were two different matters. That was how a responsible country should behave. ¡°The compensation can wait. Once we get through this catastrophe and Earth is safe again, we can talk about it then. Is that alright? Now, let¡¯s get back to the construction of the shelter and the space cannon¡­¡± ¡°No more shelters or space cannons! Shut up, you idiot! We¡¯re not shooting a movie here!¡± Gordon was displeased as well and said with a darkened face, ¡°Mr. Maruse, we don¡¯t have time for such nonsense. If everything goes as planned, you¡¯ll all spot the super meteorite in a week. By then, you¡¯ll only have seven days left, and you won¡¯t have enough time to build a shelter. Without your help, we won¡¯t be able to complete the space cannon either. ¡°It¡¯s time that we work together to defend our planet. We can¡¯t afford internal strife now. I hope you can keep a clear mind on major issues like this. If Earth doesn¡¯t exist anymore, what good will money do?¡± Henry added, ¡°That¡¯s right! Gentlemen, this is a major issue! We¡¯re not joking! We¡¯re perfectly aware of the nature of our jobs, and we¡¯ll never try to pull a prank under such an occasion!¡± Park said, ¡°Shut up already! Listen. I¡¯ll say one last time. I don¡¯t want to hear about f*cking meteorites, disasters, or shelters again! Understood? If you can¡¯t understand English, get your president here!¡± ¡°Mr. Park, that¡¯s enough!¡± Gordon finally lost his temper. ¡°We¡¯ve been deadly serious, but you kept insulting us and wouldn¡¯t show us any respect or trust! The meeting is over! If you don¡¯t-¡° ¡°General!¡± Now, it was Henry¡¯s turn to calm Gordon down. ¡°We need to look at the big picture!¡± If other countries didn¡¯t believe them, they should try to convince them instead of getting angry. Gordon sighed. ¡°Guys, we¡¯ll buy the materials from you, okay? Just ship the goods. If what we said would happen doesn¡¯t happen in the next two weeks, we¡¯ll pay you ten times the original price! If the meteorite does hit us, you¡¯ll be helping humanity as a whole. How does that sound?¡± ¡°No!¡± Maruse refused. ¡°Pay the three trillion you owe us; then we¡¯ll sell you the materials!¡± ¡°Yes! Pay up. We¡¯ll talk about the rest after that!¡± ¡°I agree! Pay the 1.5 trillion you owe Soilia, and we¡¯ll ship you the goods you need in the next 15 days!¡± Gordon stomped his foot in frustration. ¡°You people are incorrigible! We don¡¯t have time for this! This is not the time to talk about who owes who what! If you ask me, you all owe my country! Can we put that aside for now?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an option!¡± Maruse refused again. ¡°The sole purpose of this meeting is to talk about compensation. What else do you want to talk about? The meteorite that is supposed to hit Earth in two weeks? The shelter? I¡¯m not a three-year-old! You can¡¯t fool me!¡± Koji said, ¡°If we have to talk about that, we¡¯ll do it after you pay us!¡± Park said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Pay up!¡± Gordon and Henry sighed. It seemed they weren¡¯t going to persuade these people today. They couldn¡¯t be blamed either. Even Gordon and Henry found it hard to believe at first. If they hadn¡¯t heard it from Himmel Soan himself, they would take it as a joke, too. However, it came from Himmel Soan. The man had lived for hundreds of years and could revive. He had spent his life making contributions to the country. He wouldn¡¯t lie to them. ¡°If you don¡¯t pay us, we may resort to means that you won¡¯t like to get our money back,¡± Maruse said grimly when he saw that Henry and Gordon had stopped talking. Henry nodded, still angry. ¡°Mr. Maruse, I think your purpose today is to make things difficult for my country. Money is just an excuse, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mr. Lang, if you think that way, there¡¯s nothing I can do. Your best option is to cough out the money.¡± Chapter 80 - Break off Relations Chapter 80 Break off Relations Those six countries were outrageous! Gordon and Henry were kind enough to warn them of the impending crisis. Instead of thanking Moon, they wanted to blackmail the country. Anyone would be angry. They were bullies! If the two of them were the selfish type, they would never have told the other countries about it. It was just money. If Moon were to empty its treasury, it should be able to cover the cost. There should be enough money to purchase all the materials from other countries. They should be able to build the space cannon and the shelters. In that case, other countries wouldn¡¯t have time to build shelters. After the catastrophe, there wouldn¡¯t be many people left on Earth. By then, the Moonians would be the only survivors on this planet. The country could owe the entire planet. However, Henry and Gordon didn¡¯t keep the information about the meteorite to themselves. The thousand-year-old tradition and virtue of Moon forbade them from doing so. Moreover, civilization and its inheritance needed diversity. The world would be such a boring place if all that was left were the Moonians. Without competition, there would be no progress. Even if Moon were the only country in the world, it would feel lost. ¡°We¡¯ll pay you for the materials! Can we please talk about Viclan later? I¡¯m going to say this one last time. We¡¯re not joking!¡± ¡°Of course you are!¡± Maruse bellowed, ¡°If you¡¯re so stubborn, there¡¯s no point for further conversation. You¡¯re responsible for what¡¯s going to happen next! Don¡¯t blame Neige for it!¡± Maruse¡¯s screen then turned dark. He had left the video conference. Koji smirked. ¡°I¡¯m going to say the same to you! Goodbye.¡± He switched off his camera as well. Park said, ¡°Our country holds the same opinion. The conversation is over for now, but I believe it won¡¯t be long before you want to talk to us again. Good luck.¡± One after another, the six countries left the video conference. The meeting was over. Henry and Gordon looked at each other and sighed. It seemed that it was impossible to convince these people. Meanwhile, the news about the conference spread out to other parts of the world. ¡°LOL. Is Moon trying to trick us?¡± ¡°LMAO. Did you check out their website? It¡¯s hilarious!¡± ¡°You need a VPN to open it. I¡¯ve saved some screenshots on my page. Check it out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s hilarious. A super meteorite is going to hit Earth. Moonians have wild imaginations!¡± ¡°Have they lost their minds?¡± ¡°Why are you surprised? They never had any common sense.¡± Seeing that people from other countries were all laughing at them, some Moonians felt utterly humiliated, while others fought back. They left comments on social media accounts of users from other countries. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you people? What does it have anything to do with the ordinary people of Moon? This is outrageous, attacking people of a country as a whole!¡± ¡°You love bickering, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll give it to you! Since the implementation of the Anti Cyberbullying Act, I haven¡¯t been able to unleash my true power. This is going to be so much fun! I¡¯ll show you my expansive vocabulary, you pigs! Bring it on!¡± ¡°You idiots! If it turns out to be true, you¡¯re all going to be crying for mommy, but mommy won¡¯t be able to help you! All they can say is, ¡®Honey, mommy will die with you.¡¯ LOL.¡± Economic sanctions. Half an hour after the meeting ended, Neige made an announcement. It severed all relations with Moon and banned the transportation of all goods. Flamia, Soilia, and Woodia made similar announcements in the next three minutes. They would stop having interactions with Moon, and all Moonians residing in those countries would be repatriated to their home country. Even the Moonians that had obtained the nationalities of Woodia, Soilia, and Flamia would be banished. The Moonian online community erupted when the people heard the news. ¡°What the heck? Do they want a war? They¡¯re humiliating us! We should kick their citizens out of our country, too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Kick them out! They should know how it feels!¡± ¡°So what if they don¡¯t want to give us those things? We don¡¯t want them!¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t understand what Sky Eye is trying to achieve. Why is this happening?¡± ¡°I support my country no matter what! I¡¯m proud to be a Moonian, regardless of what decision my country makes!¡± ¡°I hope you can still say that in two months. You can¡¯t be older than 18. Do you know what the sanctions mean? Do you know how serious the consequences are? I bet you can find over a hundred objects in your home that came from other countries.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Tell me. What can I possibly find?¡± ¡°First of all, the phone you¡¯re using isn¡¯t made by us. The screen came from Flamia, the chip from Neige, the speaker probably from Woodia, and the capacitor from Soilia. 70% of your household electric appliances are imported. Even if they¡¯re made here, the technologies used are foreign. If they break off all relations with us, we won¡¯t be able to make anything. Do you understand it now, kiddo?¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s so scary! Don¡¯t we have domestic brands?¡± ¡°Wake up. Domestic brands mostly just assemble the products in our country instead of manufacturing them here. The parts are from all over the world. Similarly, Moonian parts can also be found in many pieces of equipment produced in other countries.¡± This comment made many people panic. ¡°What? Are you saying that I can¡¯t even buy a phone in the future?¡± ¡°Am I going to lose my TV?¡± ¡°No! This isn¡¯t happening! I need my air-con! I can¡¯t live without it!¡± ¡°What did we ever do to them? Why is this happening? Can Sky Eye give us an answer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What¡¯s going on?¡± It seemed that Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure for much longer. People like Maruse and Koji were pleased to see how things had turned out. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can last. If you don¡¯t pay up, you¡¯ll be all on your own!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret your decision!¡± However, Henry and Gordon would never regret what they had done. They knew the truth would come out eventually. As late as next week, other countries would beg Moon to build a space cannon. The catastrophe wouldn¡¯t discriminate. All the people on this planet would be affected. They could only get through the crisis by working together. No. That wouldn¡¯t be enough. They also needed Himmel Soan¡¯s help. Chapter 81 - Collapsing Economy Chapter 81 Collapsing Economy The other countries demonstrated how serious they were in the following two days. Even more people joined the discussion online. Flamia, Neige, Soilia, Woodia¡­ Seventy-three countries joined hands in boycotting Moon. The Moonian economy took a dive in those two days. In the city where the sacred temple was, Lex, the owner of a processing plant, got out of his car with his bag under his arm, looking depressed. He walked into the workshop and waved at his staff. ¡°That¡¯s it. Everybody, please stop what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Why? Boss, isn¡¯t the deadline today? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure we can finish by the end of the day. Have some faith! We don¡¯t mind working overtime. Right, everybody?¡± Chad, the manager, was a smooth talker. He chuckled when he heard what Lex said. ¡°Just buy us a big lunch tomorrow. We¡¯d all love the sound of that!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± all the staff replied in unison. Lex was a good employer. He treated his employees well and often took them out for lunch. He had promised the staff that after this delivery, he would take them all on a trip and a nice restaurant as a reward. However, there was no smile on Lex¡¯s face today. ¡°Sorry, guys, but the trip isn¡¯t going to happen. We¡¯ve run into a problem, and they¡¯ve canceled the order.¡± Chad was surprised. ¡°What? Canceled? They¡¯ll have to pay the penalty!¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t. They won¡¯t even talk to me. They¡¯ve blocked me, and I can¡¯t sue them.¡± Chad was astonished. ¡°How can that happen? It doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame them. They¡¯re in a worse spot than us. They¡¯ve lost orders that are worth billions of dollars.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you watch the news? Dozens of countries are boycotting us at the moment. Those goods were supposed to be shipped out, but the buyers don¡¯t want them anymore. The cargo ships can¡¯t even leave the harbors. What can they do? Nothing!¡± Chad said, ¡°In that case¡­¡± ¡°Just go home. You people have always wanted a vacation, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re going to have a very long one now. As for your salary, please give me some time. I haven¡¯t been able to collect any money, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay you what you¡¯re owed.¡± In other words, he was sacking them. To be more precise, the factory was closing down. Lex had thirty partners, and all of them had run into problems. He had lost everything and almost wanted to jump off the building. Their orders with foreign countries were terminated. Some of those partners were domestic. One would think that orders with them wouldn¡¯t be affected. However, the partners also had partners of their own, which included business partners overseas. When they terminated their contracts, Lex was indirectly affected. ¡°Boss¡­¡± ¡°Just go. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t look fine!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± Lex suddenly collapsed. Chad caught him in the air. Everyone panicked and sent Lex to the hospital. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is this happening?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of the announcement Sky Eye made! Is a meteorite really coming?¡±. ¡°What do you think? I don¡¯t buy it! So far, no other countries have made that announcement.¡± Some of Lex¡¯s employees chatted in his ward. ¡°I hope Sky Eye will give us an explanation soon. If things keep going like this, we¡¯ll starve to death before the meteorite kills us all.¡± Sandy was filled with frustration when she saw the empty racks in her supermarket. She was so angry that she kicked over the cash register. All the manufacturers had stopped producing goods, and the supermarket couldn¡¯t replenish its stock. What it had was already sold out. Sandy didn¡¯t know why she was still opening for business. She would lose the supermarket if things didn¡¯t improve soon enough. Sandy and her husband had borrowed 800,000 from the bank to open this supermarket. They hadn¡¯t paid back half of it yet. Who would have thought something like this would happen? She hated it! ¡°What meteorite? Why do they have to make up such things? They¡¯re ruining our future! I still have a mortgage to pay this month! What should I do? Can someone help me?¡± The pressure was crushing her. It was the last straw. Sandy couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She fell forward onto the counter and burst into tears. ¡­ Justin sat in the lobby of a sales center, scratching his head in distress. He had bolted the door from inside, but the closed door couldn¡¯t block the voices. ¡°Justin, get out of there!¡± ¡°I need my money back now!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve paid the deposit! Why did you stop the construction? Why?! When can we get our flats?!¡± The manager came out of another room, carrying his bag and looking panic-stricken. Justin glanced at him, and the manager said, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m leaving. Otherwise, those people outside are going to kill me! Boss, you should get out of here, too! We dismissed the construction team after the engineers went back to their own countries. We can¡¯t finish this project. If they knock that door down before you can get away, they¡¯re going to kill you!¡± The manager slipped and fell to the ground. Despite the pain, he scrambled to his feet, grabbed his back, and slipped away from a side door. Run? Where to? Justin had nowhere to go. The people outside were all shareholders that had invested in this property. The buildings were of a Woodian style, so they hired Woodian designers. However, they ran off with the money two days ago, and Justin couldn¡¯t go after them because he couldn¡¯t enter Woodia. The shareholders had all lost tens of millions of dollars. If they knocked down that door, Justin would meet a miserable end. It was all because of the boycott. Almost all the countries had joined hands and worked against Moon. Justin couldn¡¯t stop the designers from leaving. Moon hadn¡¯t stopped anyone from coming in or leaving the country. However, other countries wouldn¡¯t let any Moonian enter their borders. ¡°I¡¯m begging you! Please remove that announcement! You¡¯re killing people!¡± Similar situations had been happening everywhere in the country. The bigger and the more prosperous the city was, the more severely it was affected. With how things had been going, people would start jumping off buildings in three days. Lex, Justin, and Sandy already wanted to take their own lives. Chapter 82 - Help Us Chapter 82 Help Us If things didn¡¯t improve in a day¡¯s time, they would jump down the buildings. At the Pegasus Grassland, a construction site had been set up here. The outer frame of the space cannon had already taken shape. It was a gigantic square. The length of the sides was all over 5km. From above, it looked like the base of a pyramid. It was only a miniature, though. The full-sized space cannon would be more than a hundred times bigger. This thing was supposed to destroy a super meteorite 2.5 times the size of Earth while being multiple times smaller. That was incredible! There was a buzz, followed by some puffing sounds. Viclan was simulating the compression in the lab. Apparently, he had failed again. There was enough energy when the buzzing sound appeared at first. However, it soon turned into a deflating noise, and the energy dissipated. It could hardly crush an egg, let alone a meteorite. Viclan was worried, and so were all the other scientists. There was nothing they could do. It was beyond their comprehension, and they didn¡¯t know how to solve the problem. Even if they could, it would take them at least a few decades. It was impossible to do it in a few days. ¡°We¡¯ve failed again!¡± Viclan was so frustrated that he wanted to smash his desk. He was anxious, worried, and angry at his impotence. The Patriarch trusted him so much and gave him this important task, but he was going to fail him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Viclan. One step at a time,¡± William tried to calm him down. ¡°I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t do it! This time, I may disappoint the Patriarch after all.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t! I¡¯m sure the Patriarch won¡¯t blame you. Calm down, and let¡¯s try it again.¡± Viclan pulled himself together and went back to his research. Himmel Soan had finished all the textbooks the day before and started experimenting today. He realized that science did have some similarities with his ability. There were many differences as well. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint it just yet. Once he learned some scientific theories, he became much more efficient than the scientists. ¡°The space cannon can be fueled by the spiritual essence, but what makes the spiritual essence? Did I absorb something from the external world? Did it combine with something inside my body? It has to be some external particle or element.¡± The spiritual essence was a type of powerful energy. Being a cultivator, Himmel Soan could form spiritual essence, but what exactly was it? Could he create it with scientific methods? Things would be much easier if he could. For instance, water was composed of hydrogen and oxygen. Each water molecule consisted of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. That was it! Spiritual essence should follow the same principle. It was an intangible substance, just like electricity. If that were the case, things would become trickier. So far, people still hadn¡¯t figured out what formed electricity. Electricity was a natural phenomenon caused by the repulsion and attraction between protons and subatomic atoms. However, human bodies couldn¡¯t generate electricity. Static electricity in winter times was all one could get. However, the human body could generate spiritual essence and innate vigorous energy. Leaning back into his sofa, Himmel Soan was lost in his thoughts until he was trance-like. Spiritual essence was essential to the construction of the space cannon. The innate vigorous energy might do the trick, but it wouldn¡¯t be as effective. It was a type of energy similar to the spiritual essence and was generated when one reached perfection in their innate stage. It wouldn¡¯t be as potent as the spiritual essence used by the actual cultivators. There were so many unknown aspects in the human body as well as in the natural environment. It was next to impossible to find in them the elements that could compose the spiritual essence. The components might consist of two, three, ten, or even a hundred elements. The ratio had to be exact, or it would affect the result. Where should he start with the research? It was impossible! ¡°What if we use my body as the intermediary?¡± The idea suddenly struck Himmel Soan. They weren¡¯t going to create the spiritual essence any time soon. Himmel Soan knew how to generate it, but he hadn¡¯t recovered his full strength yet. What if some external device could turn him into a spiritual essence generator and extract the spiritual essence from him? Another option was to build an enormous container to store the spiritual essence. Himmel Soan was physically healthy, but unless he made a full recovery, he wouldn¡¯t be able to generate much spiritual essence at one time. However, he could store it in some container and accumulate it in the space cannon. This container would function as Himmel Soan¡¯s dantian, the elixir field. He then came up with several plans and decided to give them a go. In the online world. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys, but I can¡¯t take it anymore. There are things I can¡¯t say in the real world, but here on the internet, I¡¯d like to apologize to my family and friends. I¡¯m going to let you down!¡± ¡°Man, hang in there. I owe people 90 million, and my debtors probably want to kill me now! I¡¯m in much bigger trouble than you are. I¡¯m going to take a walk by the river tonight.¡± ¡°Is everyone in trouble now? I guess I¡¯m one of the luckier ones. I only owe the bank 1.2 million, but my business has closed down. I don¡¯t even have a fraction of that!¡± ¡°What can we do? My wife has been crying since this morning. My child needs food, and my mom is in the hospital. There¡¯s so much pressure! I don¡¯t understand why this is happening! Why did all the countries start boycotting us?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t there a lot of tough people two days ago? Where are they now? Can they still make a living?¡± ¡°Who would have thought the impact would be so great? I thought my company didn¡¯t have foreign connections, but our shareholders have. We¡¯ve lost over 60% of our income.¡± ¡°I hope Sky Eye can see our comments and solve the problem asap! I don¡¯t regret being a member of our country, and I support the decision, but I hope the government cares about its people, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I hope this is over soon. Although I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s going on, I hope Sky Eye can make the right decision. We need our life back.¡± Sky Eye read all the comments. Before long, it released an announcement that could cheer up everybody. Chapter 83 - A Great Country Chapter 83 A Great Country Sky EyeV (verified account) wrote, ¡°Hello, my dear fellow citizens. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to be born into this peaceful age! However, our happiness is now facing a great threat. This is no joke. Sky Eye has been paying attention to your situation and knows that you¡¯re going through a difficult time. Therefore, we¡¯ve made the following decisions! ¡°First of all, all banks and creditors shall not recover the debts of this month, and the arrears shall be compensated by the state. The borrowers who fail to repay the loan this month will not be recorded in the credit registries. ¡°Secondly, your loss is the result of the decision of Sky Eye. Therefore, everyone is entitled to apply for compensation from your local government. The actual amount will depend on the specific case, and the maximum amount will be 20,000 dollars. ¡°Thirdly, because of the increasing unemployment and the fact that Sky Eye urgently needs more staff, as long as you¡¯re between 18 and 60, healthy, and have some form of ability, you¡¯re welcome to work for us. You¡¯ll be paid on the basis of your contribution, and the minimum wage per day is 500 dollars. There will be no upper limit.¡± The announcement went viral. ¡°Holy crap! 500 dollars a day? That¡¯s more than what I earned before! Is that possible?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can our country afford that?¡± ¡°This is so amazing! We¡¯re such a great nation! No other country in the world can pull it off!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so proud to be born into this country! It¡¯s the greatest thing that has ever happened to me!¡± ¡°500 dollars a day? Seriously? Where can I find them? I¡¯m so broke right now! I don¡¯t care if I have to sell my blood or my kidney!¡± ¡°Why would they want your blood or kidney? Things really are getting serious now. I do hope we can get through this. We need our peaceful life back!¡± ¡°Our nation is on the rise! I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re getting paid! By my very rough estimation, Moon has lost at least five trillion this time! How much will the government need to pay to compensate all of us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible! The country will support us forever! It¡¯ll never let us down!¡± The measures pacified the public. Most of the netizens stopped panicking. However, there were bound to be negative opinions. ¡°I don¡¯t buy it! I don¡¯t believe they¡¯ll pay us!¡± ¡°500 dollars a day? And that¡¯s the minimum? Are they tricking us into hard labor?¡± ¡°Our top priority should be reconnecting with the world and repairing diplomatic relations. If we don¡¯t do something, it won¡¯t be long before we drain our treasury. We can¡¯t do this forever!¡± However, the objections were negligible. These people couldn¡¯t be considered Moonians. They believed all countries were better than Moon, and no matter how hard Moonians worked, they could never be as good as the others. They would gladly accept anything the other countries dumped at their doorsteps. The patriotic Moonians soon buried them with criticisms. ¡°Shut up, you idiots! What kind of hard labor will give you 500 dollars a day? Let me know when you find such a job. I¡¯ll do it! You¡¯re so ungrateful! All you ever do is blame the country for everything!¡± ¡°Have you lost nothing? How can you say such things?! You people disgust me! If you don¡¯t believe it, keep your mouth shut and just watch! Nobody wants your opinion!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so subservient to foreign countries! If you love them so much, why don¡¯t you leave? They must love people like you!¡± People from other countries had been laughing at Moon online in the past few days. It frustrated the Moonians, but apart from replying to the comments with insults, there was nothing else they could do. However, they knew what to say now! They felt courageous and confident. Posts from Flamia: ¡°Moon will be finished soon! They can¡¯t last much longer!¡± ¡°Its people will abandon the country in a few days!¡± ¡°That¡¯s got to be the dumbest decision the country has ever made!¡± Moonian netizens retorted. ¡°Shut up! Our country has a culture that¡¯s thousands of years long, and we can always see the big picture! It¡¯s beyond you idiots¡¯ comprehension! Flamia is going to be doomed! We have excellent policies now! Check out Sky Eye¡¯s official website, losers!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t believe something serious was going to happen, but I do now. When the meteorite arrives, where are you going to hide?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bunch of short-sighted losers! Do you know how much damage you¡¯ve done to Earth? Even without the meteorite, we still should be prepared. When a tsunami hits us, Flamia will be the first to go down! I hope you¡¯re still laughing when that happens!¡± Similar situations were happening on social media websites in Woodia, Winland, and Neige. Moon had the largest population on Earth. The country had over two billion people, and the population of a province was larger than that of many countries as a whole. In Neige. ¡°Moon doesn¡¯t have unlimited funding, and they can¡¯t keep doing this forever. I¡¯m looking for a nanny. If any Moonian wants a job, I can arrange the smuggling service for them. Anyone interested?¡± ¡°Screw you! I¡¯ve checked your front page. You¡¯re over 200kg, and you¡¯re still looking for a nanny? Are you ever going to use your legs? You can¡¯t even run out of that house when there¡¯s an earthquake!¡± All social media websites became battlefields. The Moonians demonstrated their great vocabulary of sarcasm to the world. That very night, nearly a million people arrived at the various branches of the Dragon Tribe and Sky Eye. The first batch of workers was soon taken to the ¡°battlefields.¡± There, they would help with the construction of the space cannon and the shelter. Sky Eye didn¡¯t try to keep any secrets. Anyone could post pictures online. ¡°Holy crap! It really is a construction site!¡± ¡°Shit! What the hell is that? It¡¯s humongous!¡± ¡°Is that the space cannon? It looks bigger than a pyramid!¡± ¡°Guys, I¡¯m working underground and digging a tunnel! There¡¯s a huge site here. Let me show you!¡± (pic 1][pic 2][pic 3] In the photos were members of the Dragon Tribe, Sky Eye, and the Soan empire. They were all working hard. Digging machines, drills, and excavators were all humming, and soil was carried out of the tunnel by truckloads! Chapter 84 - Message, Finally Chapter 84 Message, Finally Before they came along, the task was entirely carried out by the people of Sky Eye, the Dragon Tribe, and the Soan empire. These people were very careful with confidential information and didn¡¯t have time to use the internet. Hence, nothing had been posted online. As ordinary people joined in, the situation here became known to the outside world. It didn¡¯t make much difference, though. Sooner or later, things happening here would come to light. It was only a matter of time. ¡°That¡¯s gigantic!¡± ¡°Was what Sky Eye said true, then? Are we really building a shelter? But why? Is a meteorite really going to hit Earth?¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be happening. Why hasn¡¯t any other country announced it? They shouldn¡¯t be keeping such things from us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care why they do it, but I trust my country! There must be a reason behind it!¡± ¡°Me, too! I¡¯m busy this afternoon, but I¡¯ll sign up tomorrow! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re not getting paid for it. It¡¯s a proper job, and the factory I worked in has shut down.¡± ¡°I heard all trains, buses, and flights to the Pegasus Grassland are free, and they come with meals. Meals are also included while we help build the shelter and the space cannon.¡± ¡°No reason for hesitation, then. Let¡¯s do this!¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s true? In that case, we¡¯ll only have twelve days left! Guys, let¡¯s trust our country for this once and finish the shelter and the space cannon in the next twelve days! I¡¯m on my way now!¡± ¡°So am I!¡± Someone started posting such comments online. It attracted much attention, and people began to sign up for the construction. No one knew if these people were paid to do it or if the comments were spontaneous. All in all, these people did the government a great favor. Countries like Neige, Woodia, and Soilia wanted to get involved. They thought they could hire some paid posters to stall the construction of the shelter and the space cannon. While at it, they could spread panic in public as well. However, they decided there was no need to do such things. They believed Sky Eye had made a very stupid decision. Not only did it slow down the economy of Moon, but it would also cost them a lot of resources and workforce. How foolish! It had been three days since Moon made the announcement about the super meteorite, but scientists of other countries hadn¡¯t noticed anything yet. The news had to be fake. Therefore, they didn¡¯t try to stop their opponent from destroying itself. They were waiting for Moon to make itself into a joke. They couldn¡¯t wait to see what would happen to Moon. Moon had an ample amount of cheap labor. If its economy collapsed, the other countries could hire the Moonian laborers at an even lower cost. No. Maybe they didn¡¯t even need to pay the Moonians at all. They probably would work for free, as long as the food was paid for. The following day was uneventful. Few Moonians questioned the country¡¯s decision online, and most of the working labor had arrived at the Pegasus Grassland to help with the construction. Not many Moonians were active on social media either. Instead of arguing with people of other countries, they probably had gone to work on the Pegasus Grassland. The next day, the world felt a threat. They saw what a country could do when its people united and worked as one. Almost a hundred million people joined the construction, significantly speeding up the process. The efficiency increased by a thousand times in one day. The space cannon took up half of the Pegasus Grassland. It was 150km long and 140km wide. It was even visible from the moon. That was its actual size. The frame would be finished in one day, and the next step was to fill the interiors. The shelter was making decent progress. They had dug out a space that could hold five million people 1km below the surface level. But that wasn¡¯t enough. Moon had a population of two billion. To save them all, they would need 400 such shelters. They didn¡¯t have time to build that many. There was no time to think about that. They could only dig as many shelters as they could manage. After all, five million was only the standard capacity. They could always squeeze more people into the space. If fifty people could be squeezed into a seven-passenger minibus, one shelter could probably hold five to ten times its capacity, if the people inside were pressed together. The shelters could also be divided into multiple levels because they had a thousand meters to work with. Ten levels would give them a total capacity of 50 million. A hundred levels would make it have a billion. If they stretched it, they would probably build twenty levels in one shelter. The top priority was to keep everyone alive. They weren¡¯t meant to live comfortably down here, so personal space didn¡¯t matter as much. Himmel Soan had made some progress as well. Once he had some clues, he made much faster progress than Viclan and the other scientists. He was confident that he could find out the components of the spiritual essence in a week. The third day arrived. It was also the fifth day after Himmel Soan announced the incoming meteorite. Finally, the world began to panic. Neige received a blurry image from their satellite, and the high-ranking officials were frightened out of their wits. The information was classified as highly confidential. Winland was the next country to discover the satellite. After that, Soilia, Woodia, and Goldia all received the information in the next couple of hours. The first video footage was captured thirty days ago. In it, one could see a spot of light in the distance. Fifteen days later, the spot became much larger. Light traveled at a speed 360 times that of the super meteorite. In the first video footage, it was hard to tell how far away the meteorite was from Earth. However, in the second video, the distance could be easily calculated. The meteorite was a long distance away from Earth thirty days ago. It took fifteen days to send the videos back to Earth. By then, the meteorite had moved much closer. Nothing could travel faster than light, and nothing manmade could travel faster than that meteorite. When the other countries finally discovered the meteorite, it was too late. If it weren¡¯t for Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force, Moon wouldn¡¯t have discovered it in advance either. Chapter 85 - Panic Chapter 85 Panic Metaphorically speaking, it was like seeing a derailed train smashing into a train station at 500m/s. The safety officer stood 50m away from the station. He spotted the train from 10km away and started running toward the train station. Although he was only 50m away, he was much slower, and it would take him ten seconds to get there. In those ten seconds, the train would cover 5km and was ten seconds away from crashing into the station. What could he do in those ten seconds? He wouldn¡¯t have time to evacuate the station. Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force enabled him to detect the ¡°train¡± in advance. It would be like warning the others when the train was 20km away. That would give them forty seconds to prepare for the impact. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was better than ten seconds. Himmel Soan sensed the meteorite fifteen days in advance, whereas the other countries only had seven days. There wasn¡¯t much they could do. ¡°The meteorite is real!¡± ¡°We need to report it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so large and moving so fast!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time! We only have seven days! That¡¯s not enough!¡± In Neige. In Woodia. In Winland. In Soilia. By the end of the next day, all other countries received the information. In Goldia. ¡°What? A super meteorite? Why didn¡¯t you say something earlier? What have you been doing?!¡± ¡°Mr. Prime Minister, we didn¡¯t have enough time! It¡¯s moving too fast! This is already the latest information!¡± ¡°The latest? Bullshit! You¡¯re all idiots! Notify the homeland security and tell them to get the missiles ready! We must bring down the meteorite!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t! Data shows the meteorite is 2.5 times the size of Earth. No weapon on this planet can destroy such a large object.¡± ¡°What did you say? Nothing can do it? We¡¯ve spent so much money on research, and this is your answer? You can¡¯t even bring down a meteorite?¡± ¡°For the smaller ones, yes, but this one is too big! It has the power to wipe out the entire planet! No country has weapons that are powerful enough to destroy it. In theory, maybe, but no one can build them. It¡¯s possible that Neige could have some secret weapon. We can ask them.¡± In Soilia. ¡°The Moonians weren¡¯t lying! A super meteorite really is coming!¡± ¡°The news will cause a nationwide panic if it gets out! We must keep the information confidential!¡± ¡°What? Are you telling me to keep it a secret? How? We only have seven days left. How long do you think you can keep it from the public?¡± ¡°What should we do now? We¡¯ve never seen a meteorite of this size. If it hits Earth, it¡¯ll vaporize us all!¡± ¡°Neige! They¡¯re our only hope! It¡¯s the greatest country in the world, and its technology is about thirty years more advanced than ours. They¡¯ve been doing secret experiments as well. I¡¯m sure they have some formidable weapons hidden somewhere. Maybe they can destroy the meteorite.¡± ¡°Contact the other countries and ask Neige if they need help. If they can destroy the meteorite, we can send them supplies for free!¡± Flamia. ¡°Damn it! You people are all useless! Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?¡± ¡°Mr. President, we wanted to, but we couldn¡¯t! We¡¯ve only just received the information ourselves!¡± ¡°Why did the Moonians discover it so many days ago?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°So what if they knew? No technology on Earth can save us from this catastrophe unless Neige has started working on advanced weapons for many, many years! But that¡¯s next to impossible! Theoretically, we can build weapons that target space, but that¡¯s it! We don¡¯t have most of the materials to build such weapons!¡± ¡°Enough with this crap! Contact Moon now!¡± The heads of state from all over the world held an emergency meeting. After that, they started discussing the matter with neighboring countries. Neige received the largest number of distress calls. Winland, the second-largest country in the world, was also contacted by many countries. Despite being a developing country, Moon received the third-largest number of calls. Moon had a close ally, the country of Panthera. The Panthera folk were known for their ferocity and had always been on friendly terms with Moon. It kept a low profile and didn¡¯t get involved with international affairs. However, after seeing the image taken by its satellite, Panthera also panicked. Back in Moon. Sky Eye headquarters. ¡°General, Neige, Iceana, and Flamia want to hold a video conference.¡± ¡°Director Lang, the president of Panthera is on the line. Do you want me to pass you through? ¡°Ice Tribe threatens to sanction us for not sharing the information with the world. ¡°Globe Tribe is asking us if we have a plan.¡± All hell broke loose, and everyone was multitasking. It was especially the case with Henry and Gordon. Both were holding half a dozen phones, and neither knew which they should answer first. Some countries were calling to ask how they obtained the information in advance. Some called to accuse them of not being sincere enough and questioned them why they didn¡¯t release the information earlier. Others were seeking help. They thought because Moon was the first to make the discovery, the country must have formed some sort of plan. ¡°General, the president of Neige is inviting all heads of states to a video conference.¡± ¡°I see. Mr. President will be here in a minute.¡± It was a global conference. There were over a hundred countries on Earth. However, most of them weren¡¯t large enough to have any influence. Neige initiated the meeting, and 72 relatively large countries participated. It had been seven hours since Neige received the news, and a video conference started at six o¡¯clock that evening. The Moonian president, General Marlow, and Henry Lang were there. So were the high-ranking officials and heads of countries like Panthera, Goldia, Woodia, Neige, and Soilia. The screen was divided into 71 sections. Chapter 86 - Energy Cannon Chapter 86 Energy Cannon ¡°What¡¯s the matter with your country? Why didn¡¯t you tell us in advance that something so serious was going to happen?¡± Someone started the conference by smacking the desk and accusing Moon. Henry checked the screen and saw who it was. The man was the vice-president of Fogia, which was more like a subordinate than an alliance to Neige. Neige had initiated the meeting, and Fogia was only acting as the scout. Henry, Gordon, and the Moonian president all saw through the plan. Neige had its hidden agenda. That country was all about earning profits. To some extent, profitability was more important than human lives. The Moonians decided to wait and see what the Neigerian had to say. Henry said, ¡°Now, that¡¯s baseless slander. We didn¡¯t tell you, you say, but is that true? Did we really keep the information to ourselves? Anyone who has internet access knows that announcement. Millions, if not tens of millions of internet users, visit our website every day. I can show you the data. Over 900 Fogians left comments on our website yesterday, mocking and insulting my country. I¡¯ve collected and translated all those comments for you. Would you like to read them?¡± The Fogian vice-president said, ¡°They might know it, but I didn¡¯t. Is that how the government officials in your country work? Why didn¡¯t you notify my government that something like this was going to happen? Do you always contact the internet users first for state affairs? Did you talk to me at all? Have you set up any video conferences? You didn¡¯t even call us!¡± Gordon jumped in, ¡°I see. You didn¡¯t know, but why is that? I remember it now! I have a document here that¡¯s signed by countries that sanctioned Moon together. Mr. Vice-President, your name is on it! You put it there yourself! Do you remember that?¡± The Fogian vice-president seemed embarrassed, but he insisted, ¡°These are two different matters. You¡¯re digressing!¡± ¡°Different matters? How so? You were boycotting my country, so I had no way to contact you. Did you give us any notice before you launched the sanctions? Our announcement is on our website, and it¡¯s still there. Can¡¯t you read? After what you did to us, why should I try to help you at all?¡± The president of Oceania said, ¡°That¡¯s true, but this is too important a matter for such an argument. The two issues aren¡¯t comparable! Boycotts and sanctions are like neighbors bickering with each other. One gets over it in time. However, when the village is on fire, it can kill everybody. Are you still going to keep it from your neighbors?¡± ¡°Well put, Mr. President. However, I can see your name on that list, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like I said; they¡¯re two different matters. You shouldn¡¯t mix them together.¡± ¡°Fine. Answer me, then. Why did you boycott Moon? Do we owe you anything?¡± The Oceanian president said, ¡°Those countries have trained your scientists for years. I felt indignant that you wouldn¡¯t pay the compensation. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°I see that Mr. President does use the internet. You seem very well-informed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use that condescending tone.¡± ¡°May I ask how you came to know about the scientists?¡± The Oceanian president¡¯s face darkened. ¡°The entire world knew it. Why couldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well said! If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you learn about the meteorite when it had been made known to the world? You¡¯re in no position to blame us. You can check your email now and see if you received a letter six days ago. In it, we told you that a catastrophe was going to happen in two weeks. Did you reply to that email?¡± ¡°There was an email? I think I missed it.¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. You just didn¡¯t want to read it because that email also came with a request, asking for help with some materials!¡± Despite being inferior in number, Henry and Gordon won all the arguments no matter what criticisms were thrown at them. The first day after the announcement was made, the two of them had emailed all the countries in the world. However, very few of them had replied. ¡°It just occurred to me that you probably blocked our email when you launched those sanctions. Don¡¯t blame us, then,¡± said Henry and Gordon. Seeing that the other countries couldn¡¯t win the argument, Neige finally stepped up. ¡°Let¡¯s leave that aside for now. We should focus on the meteorite. If we don¡¯t do something about it, we won¡¯t have Earth anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t that our purpose today?¡± ¡°Neige, it¡¯s time for you to tell the truth. Do you have a space weapon or not? We can¡¯t stop that meteorite, but I think you may have something.¡± Oraman looked at Maruse, who was in charge of military affairs and knew everything about their weapon development. Maruse said, ¡°Well¡­ We do¡­¡± The answer sent a sensation around the conference table. They did have the weapon! What a sneaky bastard! They had kept it from all other countries! What the heck? On any other day, the other countries would condemn Neige, but right now, it had become humanity¡¯s only hope. Instead of criticizing them, the other countries felt relieved. ¡°It¡¯s true, then?!¡± ¡°Neige is so¡­ Gosh! Luckily, you¡¯ve built it, or we¡¯d all be doomed.¡± ¡°I knew it! I knew you would have something!¡± Maruse said, ¡°Slow down. I haven¡¯t finished yet. We have the weapon, but we don¡¯t have the fuel, which is extremely valuable. We won¡¯t make it unless we¡¯re at war. To activate this weapon, we need to invest a lot of resources and money. Neige doesn¡¯t have that kind of money.¡± Someone immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just tell us how much money and resources you need. Pleubo will do everything in our power to help you. Everybody, all our lives are on the line. We should put aside our past grudges and help them with all we have.¡± ¡°I agree!¡± ¡°So do I!¡± The president of Panthera asked curiously, ¡°What weapon can destroy a meteorite 2.5 times the size of Earth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an energy cannon,¡± said Maruse. Someone drew in their breath. The energy cannon was a mighty weapon, and the range was supposed to cover the distance between Earth and its moon. Chapter 87 - Energy Cannon Can’t Help Chapter 87 Energy Cannon Can¡¯t Help Theories of the energy cannon were proposed eighteen years ago. Back then, it had created quite a global sensation. All countries in the world signed a petition boycotting the weapon. It was too powerful, and once it was built, the end of the world would be inevitable. No country should be allowed to possess the weapon because the consequence would be too severe. The ban had never been lifted. As it turned out, Neige had been doing research on it in secret. All coins had two sides. The energy cannon was formidable, but a single launch would also require an unimaginable amount of resources. It was equivalent to twenty times the national income of a country. Even Neige could only afford to fire it once. A second launch would destroy the Neigerian economy. It was as if the cannonballs were made of money. Ninety-three types of raw materials were needed to build an energy cannon, and each of them was more expensive than the next. Take the least expensive one as an example. It had to be refined and processed after it was purchased. It would then be melted and combined with another substance. It would only be effective if the combining process were successful. However, with the current technology, there was a 97% rate of failure. Out of a hundred trials, only three would succeed. Each trial would cost 300 million, a hundred times meaning 30 billion in total. One launch would need ten portions of this material, and those 30 billion could only produce ten portions. Therefore, the total cost of this material was 100 billion. And it was only the least expensive one. There were 93 materials in total. The most expensive ones would cost trillions. Some of the materials were very rare on Earth, and a tiny amount would cost a fortune. That was why even Neige could only afford to fire the weapon once. The energy cannon seemed to be the only solution. It was the last hope of Earth. ¡°As soon as we received that information, we started the simulation. Based on our calculations, we need to fire the energy cannon at least three times to destroy the super meteorite. To be on the safe side, we need to prepare the materials for five launches. Neige only has enough money and resources to build one, and we¡¯ll need other countries¡¯ help for the remaining four. Please send the materials over to us as soon as possible!¡± Neige was all about profits, and one could only trust half of what Maruse said. When he said Neige could build one, they actually could build two. Neige was determined to turn this project into a lucrative deal. If the other countries were to donate ten thousand trillion, Neige was going to embezzle at least 60% of it. The presidents and prime ministers looked at one another in resignation. They didn¡¯t want to make that donation, but to save Earth, they didn¡¯t have any other choice. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°Leibia isn¡¯t rich, but we promise to give all we have. Neige is our savior. Please save us from this catastrophe!¡± ¡°I agree! We¡¯re putting all our hope on Neige. Please don¡¯t disappoint us!¡± Maruse chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You should all have faith in the power of the energy cannon. It¡¯ll destroy the meteorite!¡± ¡°Even ten energy cannons put together won¡¯t destroy it!¡± A few people entered the conference room in Moon. They were led by none other than Himmel Soan himself. Behind him were Viclan, William, and other top scientists. ¡°Mr. President!¡± Himmel Soan extended his hand. The president had heard about Himmel Soan from Henry and Gordon. Naturally, the head of state should be informed of such things. The president asked, ¡°Mr. Soan, how are you doing now?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. I feel fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. What did you say just then?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°Even ten energy cannons together won¡¯t destroy that meteorite.¡± Over seventy heads of states were watching him from the other side of the screen. ¡°Who are you?¡± Himmel Soan had a crash course on languages these days and had already mastered over thirty languages. ¡°I¡¯m Himmel Soan, and I¡¯m a¡­ scientist! Sorry for interrupting the meeting, but I had to. For the safety of humanity, I have to tell you all I know about this meteorite.¡± ¡°A Moonian scientist?¡± Officials of Neige, Winland, and Flamia weren¡¯t too pleased to see Viclan, William, and Branco. ¡°What¡¯s your name? How old are you? You¡¯re too young to be considered a scientist,¡± said one of the presidents. Henry immediately said, ¡°This is Himmel Soan, the greatest scientist in my country. He might seem young, but he¡¯s more knowledgeable than any scientist in human history!¡± ¡°What? Is this a joke?! Can you hear yourself?¡± ¡°More knowledgeable than any scientist in history? Are you suggesting he¡¯s better than Nobel or Einstein?¡± ¡°Einstein is the greatest scientist in history! He¡¯s the only scientist I worship! No one can make more achievements than he did!¡± Henry said, ¡°Yes, Einstein is a great man, but Mr. Soan here is equally impressive.¡± ¡°Bullshit! I¡¯ve had enough of this! You¡¯re insulting Einstein now! What does he want to tell us? Speak!¡± The Moonian president didn¡¯t like the tone of the Leibian president. ¡°Show some respect. You¡¯re the head of a state, and you should choose your words more carefully! Ordinary people can say such things, but not you! You¡¯re insulting my country!¡± The Leibian president glanced at Maruse and Oraman before he summoned up his courage. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, but if you insist I did, I can¡¯t change your mind.¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°You¡¯re from Leibia, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll remember this. Mr. President, don¡¯t waste your time on him. If we don¡¯t share this information with them, they¡¯ll blame us again later.¡± The president nodded. Himmel Soan turned to face the screen. ¡°Everybody, please hear me out. As for whether you believe me or not, it¡¯s not my business.¡± ¡°Just cut to the chase! You¡¯re wasting our time! What¡¯s a scientist doing here, anyway?¡± ¡°A scientist? I¡¯ve never heard his name before. This is ridiculous. Is Moon calling everyone a scientist now?¡± Chapter 88 - Do You Believe Him? Chapter 88 Do You Believe Him? ¡°Do they have no talented people at all?¡± ¡°Forgive me for being harsh, but if you keep doing this, it¡¯s only a matter of time before your country declines! You have to be more serious about it! Science is too important a matter to be overlooked!¡± Panthera was Moon¡¯s ally, and its president couldn¡¯t stand such criticisms anymore. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you people? Do you want Moonians to be as foolish as you? Who they consider a scientist is none of your business! Stop interfering! I can call my son a scientist if I want to. You talk too much! Just shut up!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°What? Do you have a problem with that? Do you what to see how Panthera does science? You¡¯re welcome to visit my country.¡± Panthera was one of the most influential countries in the world, and Neige was about the only county that was Panthera¡¯s match. Even Winland wouldn¡¯t mess with that ferocious country. The president of Panthera was a straightforward man that would always speak his mind. He then turned to Himmel Soan with a smile. He was curious what a teenager had to say over such an important matter. He knew Moon well and didn¡¯t believe they would treat science so lightly. The fact that Himmel Soan was in that conference room had proved his competence. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Himmel Soan smiled. ¡°I think we all know some basic physics. For instance, friction generates heat, and high temperature generates kinetic energy.¡± While he explained, Viclan and the others set up a model. Himmel Soan held a miniature meteorite and used the model to imitate what was to happen. ¡°Because the meteorite is moving very fast, it had created a unique defense system on its surface level. So far, we haven¡¯t formed a theory on what type of energy it is. The meteorite is moving at 1/360 of the speed of light. We¡¯ve never seen anything that fast! ¡°Why do planes and rockets have to have hard shells? It¡¯s because they move very fast. The high speed will change the shape of substances. Even iron will be distorted. ¡°The meteorite isn¡¯t a plain stone. Despite being extremely fast, it can still stand the heat, and it¡¯s not changing its shape. Do you really think the energy cannon can destroy it? I know how powerful an energy cannon is. It can easily destroy our moon, but you¡¯ll be disappointed if you think it can destroy the meteorite. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no friction in the vacuum, but no other object can move that fast in outer space. I estimate that it has destroyed over thirty planets so far, and they were all larger than Earth. That¡¯s how hard the material is. ¡°I¡¯ll use T as a basic unit here. 1T is equivalent to the impact of a car explosion. To destroy the moon, we need 46,000 T. To destroy the sun, we need 1.2 billion T. To destroy this meteorite, we¡¯ll need 4.9 billion T, and the power of the energy cannon is somewhere between 500 to 800 thousand T. The energy cannon won¡¯t make a dent in the meteorite, let alone destroy it. ¡°You¡¯ll be terribly mistaken if you count on the energy cannon to save you from this catastrophe.¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation was very straightforward and easy to understand. One of the presidents smirked. ¡°What was that? Destroying the sun requires 1.2 billion T, and that meteorite needs 4.9 billion T? Are you saying it¡¯s tougher than the sun?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Although the sun is 1.3 million times the size of Earth, and this meteorite is only 2.5 times, it¡¯s denser than the sun. If the meteorite is iron, the sun is cotton!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, are you saying we should prepare for death? It sounds like we have no hope at all,¡± said another person. Viclan said, ¡°No, we still have the space cannon! It can concentrate the energy in the air. My country is building one, and it has far surpassed our budget. Not only can it compress air, but it can also concentrate ¡®space.¡¯ The power of space and time has always been a mystery. However, it¡¯s not all bad news. Mr. Soan has advanced knowledge in space, and he estimates that the space cannon¡¯s power can exceed 10 billion T. That¡¯s more than enough to destroy the meteorite.¡± ¡°You must be dreaming!¡± ¡°Stop bragging! 10 billion T? We¡¯ve never heard of a space cannon before! Where¡¯s your research? Show me your research!¡± ¡°You Moonians are full of bullshit! If you have such a weapon, why are you still a backwater country?¡± ¡°Himmel Soan, the scientist? He¡¯s just a nobody! He doesn¡¯t know a thing!¡± Just like what Himmel Soan had predicted, these people wouldn¡¯t believe him. However, he didn¡¯t try to convince them either. He only delivered the message. As for where the other countries would believe him, that wasn¡¯t for him to decide. ¡°Mr. President, that¡¯s all. Here¡¯s a list. If anyone believes our theory, we can ask them to help us with the resources on that list.¡± Himmel Soan handed the president a piece of paper, who said, ¡°Thank you for your hard work. If you need anything for your research, feel free to let me know. We¡¯ll do everything we can to help you!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± The president gave the list to Henry after Himmel Soan left. Henry said, ¡°Mr. Soan has told you nothing but the truth. He¡¯s also the first person who discovered the meteorite. Right now, we need all the help we can get. We only need to fire the space cannon once. If we can collect all the materials on this list, we¡¯ll get through this catastrophe. We can¡¯t do it on our own. Please help us.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re asking for money!¡± ¡°The catastrophe will affect all the countries no matter where you are! You won¡¯t be helping us. You¡¯re helping yourself and everyone else!¡± The president of Panthera considered for a moment and said, ¡°We believe you. Send me the list. I¡¯ll find everything we have and deliver it to you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Seriously? Do you buy that bullshit? What the hell is a space cannon? I¡¯ve never heard of it before!¡± ¡°Should I believe you, then? Or do I have to count on the energy cannon?¡± ¡°The energy cannon can destroy Earth. Why should you trust it?¡± Chapter 89 - Metal Ark Chapter 89 Metal Ark ¡°Are you mentally challenged, or are you deaf? Didn¡¯t you hear what Mr. Soan said? The super meteorite is much heavier than you think, and it¡¯s even harder than the sun. Can your energy cannon destroy the sun?¡± ¡°Panthera! You¡¯ve crossed the line!¡± ¡°We¡¯re always like this. If you don¡¯t like it, talk to your boss and see what he¡¯ll say. You¡¯re welcome to visit us any time!¡± The Pantherese were natural warriors who were used to the cold climate. It was said that the grown men there could fight bears and wolves with their bare hands. Even the Neigerians were intimidated by them. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t want to visit Panthera. ¡°You¡­¡± The other man¡¯s face darkened. This was an international conference. Panthera had just humiliated him in front of the world. By ¡°boss,¡± Panthera was referring to Neige. However, Neige didn¡¯t want to offend Panthera either because the Pantherese would fight like they had nothing to lose. Their opponents would gain very little even if they won in the end. ¡°Panthera, that¡¯s enough. Focus on the subject. Don¡¯t make it personal.¡± ¡°Did I make it personal?¡± It was impossible to argue with Panthera, so Oraman ignored the president and cut to the chase. ¡°That Himmel Soan didn¡¯t make any sense at all. He was only trying to scare us. No meteorite can be more sturdy than the sun. It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t studied meteorites before. The energy cannon is more than enough to destroy it!¡± ¡°Yes, the energy cannon has been a taboo, but I have faith in it. It¡¯s definitely going to destroy the meteorite. Mr. Oraman, please give me a list of the things you need. I¡¯ll find them for you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Same here. Mr. Oraman, please send us a copy, too.¡± The Pantherese president snorted and smacked the desk. ¡°You idiot! Do you ever use your brains at all? Oraman, have you shut down your brain as well?¡± ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t like your choice of words!¡± ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t say another word. You guys have fun.¡± The meeting didn¡¯t reach a consensus. Of the seventy or so countries, sixty supported Neige, and the remaining ones weren¡¯t all on Moon¡¯s side. Only Panthera and six other countries sided with Moon. The rest remained neutral. Moon had done all it could. They had told the other countries everything. If they still wouldn¡¯t believe it, there was nothing Moonians could do. Luckily, Moon still had a few allies. Otherwise, Moon might not be able to gather all the resources it needed. Panthera was a close ally and one of the largest countries in the world. They provided Moon with most of the resources it needed to build the space cannon. Henry spoke again before the meeting ended, ¡°I forgot to mention something, but I think you should know.¡± ¡°What now? Spit it out. We need to start collecting resources.¡± Henry gave that man a harsh look before saying, ¡°Even with the space cannon, we won¡¯t be able to stop all the disasters.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We don¡¯t care about the space cannon either. We have the energy cannon!¡± ¡°Can you let me finish?¡± ¡°Sure! Go ahead!¡± ¡°P . Henry continued, ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan suggested that when the meteorite is close enough, our planet will be affected. The surface temperature on Earth will rise significantly. He didn¡¯t specify how high it would go up. However, it¡¯s more than any ordinary human can bear. Even staying 300m or 400m underground won¡¯t be safe enough. All the countries should start building shelters now, preferably 500m or deeper underground. 1km would be much better. ¡°The rising temperature won¡¯t be the only phenomenon. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcano eruptions may happen simultaneously. Please make the preparation in advance. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be too late!¡± Someone said, ¡°500m underground? That¡¯s too deep. 100m should do the trick. No one can dig 500m downward.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. We can use the energy cannon earlier than planned. Director Lang, what concerns you isn¡¯t going to happen!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We can destroy the meteorite with the energy cannon before it gets too close. That¡¯ll save us a lot of trouble. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need to build any shelters. We can carry on our life as we used to and treat this meteorite like all those who have visited us before.¡± ¡°The energy cannon will solve all the problems for us.¡± Henry shook his head. These people were so stupid! He decided to let them be because he had fulfilled his duty. He couldn¡¯t force the others to believe him. ¡°Gosh! The meteorite is real!¡± ¡°Moon wasn¡¯t lying!¡± ¡°Our country is amazing! That meteorite was detected so many days in advance. Where are the people that have been calling us a liar? Where are they now? If you don¡¯t believe it, don¡¯t hide in the shelters, then!¡± ¡°Our technology has made some great progress! We¡¯re more advanced than so many countries!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so proud of our country!¡± The Moonians were both concerned and excited. This news meant that the super meteorite was real. The human race was threatened. However, it also repaired Moon¡¯s reputation. Before, the world was questioning and laughing at Moon, claiming that it was lying and trying to spread panic. But now, none of those people said a word. It was as if they had switched to the mute mode. ¡°@Bruce Weren¡¯t you laughing at Moon? Why are you so quiet now? I won¡¯t let you hide from us forever!¡± ¡°@Gilian You bitch! You¡¯ve been slandering my country all the time! How do you feel now? Speak! You¡¯re from Iceana, right? I know you live in southern Iceana. I hope the meteorite will smash right into your house!¡± ¡°@Kolumba Weren¡¯t you so active before? You said you wanted me to be your maid. You¡¯re not saying that now, are you? Where¡¯s your shelter? What? You haven¡¯t built one yet? We have shelters. If you become my servant, maybe I¡¯ll take you there!¡± Moonians started creating such posts and comments all over the world. Even the approaching doomsday couldn¡¯t stop them. The foreign netizens seemed to have gone off the grid simultaneously. Everything went quiet. However, it only lasted for half an hour. Soon, forums and social media websites became busy again. Chapter 90 - Farewell, Comrades Chapter 90 Farewell, Comrades ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! What did you build? A space cannon? I¡¯ve never heard of that thing before!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be vaporized with your space cannon!¡± ¡°Go to your shelter? Dude, you know nothing! Neige is the ultimate shelter!¡± ¡°Have you gone insane? Why are you building a shelter 1km underground? Do you think that depth will keep you safe? Do you know what¡¯s going to happen? Earthquakes! You¡¯re going to be buried alive!¡± ¡°My country is building an ark, and the seats are limited! Do you want to come?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hilarious. An underground shelter? The ground will cave in on you! A metal ark is the ultimate solution!¡± ¡°A metal ark can sustain fire and water. It will keep everyone safe from the falling rocks as well. Moonians are so dumb.¡± The Moonian netizens countered those comments. However, although they didn¡¯t want to admit it, those comments pointed out some of their concerns. The world would be overrun by tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcano eruptions. Hiding underground felt like suicide. An earthquake could probably crash the shelter. What was the government thinking? The space cannon didn¡¯t sound so reliable either. No country was keeping any secrets at this stage. That time had passed. Neige had built a metal ark a long time ago so that they could use it when natural catastrophes like this one happened. They were going to evacuate some of its people into the ark. Everyone knew what the country was like. Only the rich and powerful could get into that ark. They had already started selling tickets. One had to admit that their ark was of extremely high quality. In less than ten minutes, the Neigerian metal ark became the most popular topic on social media. ¡°The price of a single ticket is 300 million dollars. That¡¯s daylight robbery!¡± ¡°Look more closely. It¡¯s not 300 million. It¡¯s 360 million!¡± ¡°Bullshit! It¡¯s 380 million!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s 400 million!¡± ¡°Holy crap! It¡¯s going up by the minute!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already 600 million now!¡± ¡°There are 80 million tickets in total, and people from all countries are eligible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already 650 million now. I don¡¯t think I can wait much longer.¡± ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re a Moonian, and our country has a shelter! Why are you spending so much money to take shelter in Neige?¡± ¡°Our shelter¡­ Pardon me for being frank, but it¡¯s underground. A single earthquake can destroy it!¡± ¡°Are you even a Moonian?¡± ¡°Shut up already. You¡¯re a total loser. Yes, I¡¯m a Moonian, but why can¡¯t I take shelter in Neige? That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t love my country! I have the money, and I¡¯ll buy it now.¡± Patrick was the CEO of a public company. He had received a notice from the government asking him to gather some resources. He carried out the order without hesitation and collected everything in three hours. ¡°Sir, the materials have been sent to the Pegasus Grassland.¡± Patrick nodded and told his secretary, ¡°Nice job. We¡¯ll donate another half a billion to the country. In a difficult time like this, we should do everything in our power to help the country.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°After that, buy me five entrance tickets to the Neigerian metal ark.¡± ¡°What?¡± The secretary was surprised. ¡°Boss, are you leaving us?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°We have a shelter here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to Neige. Can¡¯t I do that?¡± Compared to an underground shelter, the metal ark felt much safer. It would protect the people inside from lightning, fire, water, and collision. As for the underground shelter, one couldn¡¯t make the same promise. Clyde was the CEO of another public company in Moon. He knew that he was going to lose his company. A fraction of that meteorite would wipe out his city. Therefore, he transferred all his assets overseas. ¡°Jack, get me six tickets to the Neigerian metal ark.¡± ¡°Boss, are you leaving?¡± ¡°Of course, I am. Do you expect me to go to the shelter in Pegasus Grassland? I¡¯m not going to squeeze into that place with you.¡± ¡°But boss¡­¡± ¡°Stop it! We can¡¯t count on the Moonian shelter. I¡¯d have got you one if it weren¡¯t so expensive. I can only take care of my family. Sorry, Jack.¡± Jack had always been a timid man, but he suddenly snapped. ¡°You¡¯re betraying this country. Why should I do anything for you? Get out of my sight! Buy the tickets yourself!¡± ¡°Jack, you¡­¡± ¡°Call me Sir! Get lost! You¡¯re not welcome here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bold thing to say, Jack. I hope you and your family will enjoy your death! Get crushed by the meteorite or get buried alive!¡± ¡°Screw you!¡± Jack punched Clyde in the face. He had had enough of this boss and finally found the chance to get it back at him! Similar things were happening all over the country. Rich people were fleeing to Neige. Patrick was one of the responsible ones who tried to help the country before he left. However, not many were like him. Most rich people simply transferred their property out of the country and mocked their compatriots before leaving. They called the underground shelter a stupid idea. Things like this weren¡¯t limited to the real world. It was happening online as well. No one knew there were so many billionaires in Moon until today, and they were all heading for Neige. They posted on their social media accounts before they took off. ¡°Goodbye, my homeland. Goodbye, my fellow workers. Thank you for your hard work all these years!¡± Many people replied to the post. ¡°Get lost, you ungrateful bastard!¡± ¡°Go away! I hope you¡¯re too late to board that ark!¡± Rich people like them were usually too busy to argue with people online. Now that they were leaving, and the world might end soon, they decided to unleash their inner selves. They responded to the comments. ¡°Screw you! You¡¯re just a jealous loser like everyone else! I¡¯m rich, and there¡¯s nothing you can do!¡± ¡°I hope I¡¯ll never see your face after we get through this catastrophe!¡± ¡°Moon is an underdeveloped backwater country! I¡¯ve risen to my position all because of my clients overseas! What? Can¡¯t I speak my mind?¡± ¡°Farewell, my fellow countrymen. I hope paradise isn¡¯t as cramped as your shelter, and you¡¯ll get your own metal arks there!¡± While everybody was arguing online, the Moonian government didn¡¯t try to stop anyone from leaving. They respected individual choices, but there were things they still had to do. Chapter 91 - Unreliable Underground Shelter Chapter 91 Unreliable Underground Shelter The countdown started at 9 pm tonight, 165 hours before the meteorite arrived. Moon announced the first batch of cities that were going to be evacuated. ¡°Sky EyeV (verified account): The evacuation will start from the coastal cities and move inland. The cities furthest from the Pegasus Grassland will be evacuated first. One hundred twenty million people will be transferred. The cities in question are¡­¡± Moonians left the national flag emoji in the comment section below. ¡°This is great! The evacuation has started finally!¡± ¡°I heard the meteorite is 165 hours away. Keep up the good work, guys!¡± ¡°My city is on the list! Nice! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll let you know what the place is like once I get there!¡± Common Folk wrote, ¡°Why don¡¯t we build metal arks? @Sky EyeV (verified account) are you sure the underground shelter is safe enough? What will happen during an earthquake? Is the entrance sealed? What if the Pegasus Grassland is flooded by seawater? What if the meteorite happens to land on top of the shelter? Can it withstand the impact?¡± Those were the questions many people wanted to ask but never dared to. The post raised another round of discussion. The fence-sitters jumped at the opportunity when they saw someone else had taken the lead. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why aren¡¯t we building any metal arks?¡± ¡°When a tsunami, volcano eruption, and earthquake hit us together, can we survive it? I¡¯m really concerned.¡± ¡°@Sky EyeV (verified account) We have over 160 hours, and it¡¯s not too late to start building that ark! We have the largest population in the world! It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to build one in the next 48 hours! Sky Eye and the government should look into it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The underground shelter can¡¯t be the solution! An ark is our only hope! The government should listen to us! So should Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe!¡± However, not everyone agreed with them. ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re the smartest person in the world? If you can realize it, so can the officials! They would have built it a long time ago if they thought it¡¯d work.¡± ¡°So true. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford it! Don¡¯t treat everyone like a fool!¡± ¡°Our country was the first to know about this, and we had seven days to build it if we wanted to. The government must have a good reason not to do that. You people worry too much.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you do as you¡¯re told? Stop bickering! You¡¯re welcome to go to Neige if you don¡¯t like it here. They have an ark.¡± ¡°Of course, I want to go, but I don¡¯t have that kind of money! Tell me. If you had the opportunity, would you stay here or go to Neige? Be honest!¡± ¡°Everyone knows we¡¯re all staying here because we aren¡¯t rich! What¡¯s wrong with admitting the truth? The underground shelter won¡¯t work! I don¡¯t care why they¡¯re building it! I just don¡¯t want it!¡± ¡°Please build an ark!¡± ¡°Please build an ark!¡± ¡°Please build¡­¡± More and more people began to protest. Meanwhile, quite a few high-ranking officials also expressed the same view. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we building an ark? What are Director Lang and General Marlow thinking?¡± ¡°An underground shelter isn¡¯t safe at all!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Director Lang.¡± ¡°Wait! I¡¯m coming with you! You can¡¯t change his mind on your own.¡± A few officials discussed among themselves and went to Henry Lang¡¯s office together. Henry was terribly busy at the moment. He had only slept for five hours in the past two days. Seeing his visitors, he knew why they had come. He knew some of his subordinates were bound to question their decisions. It wasn¡¯t just the shelter. They might question the space cannon, too. Even Henry himself didn¡¯t believe it at first. No. The truth was, he didn¡¯t quite believe it even now. However, he might not have faith in the shelter or the space cannon, but he had faith in Himmel Soan! Himmel Soan was God. It wasn¡¯t a metaphor. It was a fact. No human being could regain their youth as he did. If he said it would work, then it would. ¡°What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be working on the evacuation?¡± Henry smacked the files on the table. ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°Director Lang, why are we building a shelter?¡± ¡°To protect our people from the catastrophe, obviously. Why are you even asking that question? Do you think we¡¯re building it for fun?¡± ¡°But Director Lang, can it really save us from the disaster? What if there¡¯s an earthquake? What if the seawater floods the Pegasus Grassland? What if the meteorite lands on top of us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even 2km below the surface might not be safe enough, let alone 1km. It¡¯s already dangerous to dig such a big hollow space underground. A little external force can easily bring down the dome! So many people are going to be buried alive!¡± Henry said, ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to worry about. Just finish your task. Leave those problems to other people.¡± ¡°How can we not worry?! So many people¡¯s lives are concerned! Director Lang, don¡¯t you care about them?!¡± ¡°How dare you say that to me? What kind of question is that? Do you want to quit? I won¡¯t stop you. I already have too many things on hand. Stop making more trouble for me!¡± The official frowned. ¡°We¡¯re not making trouble, but this concerns-¡° ¡°What? Do you know more than Viclan and the other scientists? They all agreed with this plan! Are you saying you can demolish their theories?¡± ¡°No matter how great they are, even computers can make mistakes, let alone humans. No one can guarantee that they¡¯ll always be right. Direct Lang, please talk to them. It¡¯s still not too late to build the ark!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Henry smacked the desk and shouted, ¡°Bring up the ark again, and you¡¯re all sacked! It¡¯s the country¡¯s decision, and as the officials of this country, all you need to do is obey the order and carry out the plan! No more questions!¡± ¡°But-¡° ¡°But what?¡± The official wanted to retort, but he stopped abruptly when he saw the look on Henry¡¯s face. He sighed and led the others out of the office. Chapter 92 - Take Liberty Chapter 92 Take Liberty ¡°What should we do now? Director Lang won¡¯t change his mind!¡± The officials complained to one another after they left the office. The underground shelter is a terrible idea! That was their belief now. However, Director Lang was persistent and forbade them from mentioning the ark. If they tried to persuade him again, they would really lose their jobs. They couldn¡¯t find anyone to file a complaint. Henry Lang was already the highest-ranking official, and only General Gordon Marlow of the Dragon Tribe had the same rank. If they couldn¡¯t get through Henry Lang, could talking to Gordon make any difference? It didn¡¯t seem likely, but they still wanted to give it a go. They were all rare talents of this country and genuinely cared about their homeland. They had disobeyed the order because they were worried about the ordinary people. The result was just as they had predicted. Gordon¡¯s reaction was the same as Henry¡¯s, and he chased them out of his office. ¡°We¡¯re running out of options!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this!¡± ¡°What choice do we have? Director Lang and General Gordon won¡¯t change their minds. Do you want to go to Neige?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! Why would I want to do that?!¡± Chief Lyton took off this uniform. ¡°If they won¡¯t change their minds, I¡¯ll quit!¡± ¡°What? Lyton, what are you talking about? Our country needs you more than ever. You can¡¯t leave now!¡± Lyton shook his head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need me. Anyone can assist in the evacuation. I have more important things to do!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The others were curious. ¡°If the government won¡¯t build an ark, I¡¯ll build one myself!¡± The other officials were shocked. ¡°Lyton, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Do you know how much it¡¯ll cost?¡± ¡°The government will never allow it!¡± Lyton said, ¡°I know that, but all the countries are busy now, us included. Even if they discover what I¡¯m building, they won¡¯t have the time or energy to arrest me. I¡¯m doing it to help this country! Many people online are questioning this decision, too. If I tell them my plans, they¡¯ll support me! They¡¯ll probably join me in the construction. Seven days will be enough to build the ark!¡± ¡°But how will you get the money?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they give us some compensation the other day?¡± The country¡¯s plan had put a lot of people out of their jobs, so the government was going to give away trillions in compensation. ¡°Are you going to touch that money? You must be out of your mind!¡± ¡°What good will money do if we don¡¯t have any people left? I¡¯m only doing this to save more people! Maybe the ark will contain the last survivors of our country!¡± If the underground shelter failed, all those people would be buried there. Chief Lyton believed that his ark would never go wrong. The people in the ark would become the last survivors. The others gritted their teeth and hesitated. ¡°Alright. In that case, I¡¯m in! I¡¯ll join you!¡± ¡°Me, too! If nothing happens to the shelter, I¡¯ll willingly go to jail or die!¡± ¡°No, nothing will happen to you! We¡¯re doing this for our country. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll forgive us!¡± They formed a plan to embezzle the compensation fund. Meanwhile, some of them started spreading rumors online, asking for a Moonian ark. However, because of their limited funds, the metal ark of Moon could fit at most two million people. Maybe not even that many. The news brought many people to tears. After that, everyone who had posted comments online expressing their anticipation for a Moonian ark received a private message from Lyton. In as short as six hours, Lyton contacted nearly 700,000 people. They would help him with building the ark. With extra hands, they wouldn¡¯t need a week. Three days would be enough. They would have both the money and the space to build it. One hundred fifty hours till the impact. The rich people of Moon had reached Neige. However, the ark was so popular that they couldn¡¯t get a ticket. What a lucrative business! Neige saw the opportunity, so they started pre-booking and used the time to build more arks. However, they couldn¡¯t find enough resources in such a short period of time. Things were different in Moon. It hadn¡¯t built any ark and still had the resources to build a few solid ones. Neige, on the other hand, had built an ark and used up some of the key materials. To build more, they would have to purchase materials from other countries. But that would take so long. With that time, they could build a few more arks. Therefore, they decided to use inferior materials instead, but they still had some defensive ability. Moreover, Neige came up with a genius idea. To be qualified to buy a ticket, one had to take part in constructing the ark. With the money earned from pre-selling the tickets, they asked the buyers to build their own arks! How original! All Neige did was collect money. How typical! The rich Moonians were also sent to the construction site, where they started working like ordinary people. To get on the ark, they had to do some hard labor. The hilarious thing was, they loved doing it. The Moonians weren¡¯t alone. There were people from all over the world. The Neigerian officials were delighted. A secretary was reporting to Oraman and Maruse, ¡°We¡¯re going to make a profit of 200 billion dollars from the arks. And that¡¯s only a temporary estimation. If more people take refuge here, the figure will increase from 30% to 60%. ¡°The resources are all on their way, as well as the donations. We¡¯ll earn an 8,000-trillion-dollar profit from the energy cannon.¡± The materials were more important than money. Money could be printed, but they couldn¡¯t create the materials out of the blue. Oraman turned to Maruse with a cigar in his mouth. ¡°After this is over, we¡¯ll be the richest country in the world. We¡¯ll have more resources than all the other countries put together! I would never have thought Neige could achieve this while I¡¯m the president!¡± Chapter 93 - Innate Vigorous Energy Device Chapter 93 Innate Vigorous Energy Device Maruse licked his boss¡¯s boots. ¡°Mr. Oraman, you¡¯re going to be the most outstanding president in the history of Neige!¡± ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case! Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± The countdown went to the last 140 hours. Global News. ¡°Good morning, everyone. Daphne here. You¡¯re watching Global News. Today, we¡¯re going to show you the different policies of eight countries. We¡¯re lucky enough to visit the shelters in all those places. Follow us and have a look. ¡°First of all, you¡¯re going to see the Soilian shelters. Soilia is going to build nineteen arks in total, and each can hold two million people. However, the most popular topic in Soilia at the moment is to take shelter in Neige. The ark you¡¯re now seeing is made by Winland. It¡¯s quite unique, isn¡¯t it? It looks like a small cyclone¡­¡± Global News was a popular program, and they used twenty-four hours to record the arks in eight countries. The Neigerian ones attracted the most attention. So far, they had built over eighty arks, and a hundred more were under construction. When the meteorite came, Neige would have the largest shelter space in the world. Countries like Woodia, Soilia, Winland, and Goldia adopted the same approach, building arks as Neige did. They believed that concealed containers like these arks could provide the human race the most protection because they were water-, fire-, and collision-resistant. Hence, they were the safest. Not all arks were the same, though. Luxurious arks came with recreational facilities because calculations showed that people needed to spend at least 72 days after the initial impact. Half a year would be even safer. Leaving the arks prematurely would get one killed. Therefore, the arks had to be equipped with all the living facilities. To rich people, it would be a vacation. Only the poor would see it as taking refuge. However, if one could get into the arks, they were already much more affluent than most people in this world. The people left behind had no chance of surviving. Luxurious arks even came with their own cooks, basketball courts, and gyms, whereas the ordinary ones were mere living quarters. The passengers in the ordinary arks should count themselves lucky if they had a bed of their own. Everyone was allocated an area of no bigger than five square meters, and the rooms were filled with bunker beds. Being cooped up in such a place for six months could be insufferable. Panthera didn¡¯t build any arks. Global News didn¡¯t just show the arks in eight countries; they also interviewed the people there. In Neige. ¡°My opinion? Why do you even ask? Neige is obviously our ultimate solution. Maybe we might not even need the arks in the end. The energy cannon can solve the problem before the meteorite hits us.¡± ¡°The arks are just double insurance, and I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need them in the end. When the meteorite comes into range, our country will immediately destroy it with the energy cannon. The debris may not land on Earth. Even if they do, they might land in some uninhabited area.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. Neige has seen it all. I¡¯m sure we can get through this! Mr. Oraman is an amazing leader!¡± In Soilia. ¡°Although our country has always valued technology, it¡¯s common knowledge that we don¡¯t have the most advanced technology level. If I have the money, I¡¯ll go to Neige. After all, it¡¯s the greatest country in the world.¡± ¡°The arks are the most effective way to protect us in a catastrophe. What? The country of Moon? They¡¯re just a bunch of clowns. I heard they¡¯re building shelters hundreds of meters underground as if that¡¯s going to save them. If the meteorite really lands on top of them, even a 5km-deep shelter can¡¯t save them.¡± en ¡°Space Cannon? Never heard of it. What¡¯s that?¡± In Panthera ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t have arks. We¡¯re going to the underground shelters, like the Moonians.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t trust Moon? Are you saying we should trust Neige? That meteorite is moving so fast. Are you sure the energy cannon can hit it?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the worst decision we¡¯ve ever made! The president shouldn¡¯t trust Moon too much! The energy cannon is the key! We shouldn¡¯t have built shelters like the Moonians! We¡¯re doomed!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to Neige!¡± As the doomsday drew closer, people no longer hesitated to speak their minds. Even in Panthera, many people questioned the president¡¯s decision and chose to trust Neige. What Moon said was too novel to be convincing. No one understood the space cannon theory. As a result, not many people held much hope for Moon. Even some Moonians felt the same way. Ten hours had passed since the first announcement, and Moon had transferred some people into the shelter. Lyton had also started working on the ark. The Moonian ark was enormous. They had enough funds to build two arks, but Lyton spent them on a single ark to make sure they built the safest shelter. Two arks could save more people. However, they wouldn¡¯t be as safe. Safety was their top priority. No matter how many arks they built, if they weren¡¯t safe enough, they would be useless. Poorly built arks would get everyone killed. The arks were built to save people. If they failed to do that job, they shouldn¡¯t be called ¡°arks.¡± Therefore, Lyton spent trillions of dollars on a single ark. It was much bigger than ordinary arks, estimated to fit seven million people. However, it was going to be packed. That was acceptable as long as the people inside could survive. ¡­ ¡°Done!¡± Himmel Soan fiddled with a big device in the lab. He was thrilled because, after twenty hours of testing, analysis, and experiments, he had finally created this vigorous energy assistance device. It could help ordinary people focus and create the innate vigorous energy that only cultivators of the innate stage could generate. The innate vigorous energy was key to the underground shelter. ¡°Anyone out there?¡± Warren and Yosef replied, ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± ¡°Find me twenty members of the Soan empire.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± They left the lab and came back shortly after with twenty men. Chapter 94 - Success Chapter 94 Success ¡°Stand by this device, put your hand on it, and close your eyes.¡± The device had a circle of metal plates around it. They were about 30cm wide and were as smooth as mirrors. As instructed, the twenty people stood around the device, put their hands on the metal plates, and closed their eyes. The top opening of the device looked like an air vent. The twenty people shuddered simultaneously when Himmel Soan switched on the device. White steam rose out of the air vent. The device was dissipating heat. The innate vigorous energy was invisible. Only cultivators could see it. Himmel Soan saw pale green gas rise out of the device together with the white steam, and it soon filled the lab. With the click of a few buttons, the pale green vigorous energy started moving as if it was under command. It moved alongside the walls, sealing off the lab. ¡°Warren.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± ¡°Leave.¡± Warren was taken aback, but he still did as he was told. However, he ran into an invisible wall before he could reach the door. He covered his nose in pain and crouched down. ¡°Warren, are you alright?¡± Yosef immediately ran to his side. However, his head bumped into the invisible wall when he reached Warren. There was a loud thump, and he covered his forehead in pain. Surprised, he reached out, trying to feel what was blocking his way. He felt the invisible wall. It was solid to the touch, but when he tapped it, it didn¡¯t make any sound. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Himmel Soan wanted to examine if the ¡°manmade¡± innate vigorous energy was different from the energy generated by the human body, so he said, ¡°Yosef, do you have any weapons on you? Break the invisible wall!¡± Yosef nodded, took out his dagger, and stabbed at the wall. The dagger bent. He then set an arrow on his bow and shot it at the wall. The arrow snapped. ¡°Patriarch, I¡­¡± ¡°Do whatever you want with the wall, but not here! Take the device to the Pegasus Grassland and let William run it. I¡¯ve told him how to operate it. I don¡¯t care what method you use; just break this wall!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Himmel Soan stopped the program, and the pale green gas returned to the device. It could both produce and store the innate vigorous energy, just like the human body. However, it couldn¡¯t store the energy as long as the human body did. At most, it could store the energy for three to five days. That was long enough. Himmel Soan would focus on the spiritual essence from now on because the space cannon was the key. He could produce the innate vigorous energy now, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before he could do the same with the spiritual essence. Spiritual essence was a special type of energy. He believed that if the spiritual essence could be produced in mass quantities, it could completely replace electricity. When he achieved that, they wouldn¡¯t need to build a power generator in the underground shelter. Before long, Yosef sent him a message. ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯ve tried everything we can think of, even plasma lasers, but nothing worked! This substance you¡¯ve created is invisible but unbelievably solid. Even a laser can¡¯t cut it open!¡± ¡°That was my aim. Tell William, Mike, and George to collect the blueprint from me. We¡¯re going into mass production.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The one Himmel Soan built was a small prototype, which could only generate the amount of innate vigorous energy generated by twenty people. The shelter would hold hundreds of millions of people, and the meteorite would be much more powerful than a laser. That small amount of innate vigorous energy was nowhere near enough. The shelter was enormous. To sustain the entire building, they would need the amount generated by at least a million people. The device was the key. Now that the key issue was resolved, everything else was much easier to handle. ¡°Patriarch, did you want to see us?¡± ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s the blueprint of the Vigorous Energy Machine. I¡¯ve written the principles and the procedures on it. Keep the blueprint confidential, and start mass production. After we build enough machines, send some to Panthera and Grassia, our allied countries. Remember, a 3W machine can sustain fifty people. If there are a hundred people in the shelter, we¡¯ll need two such machines. I¡¯ll leave you to figure out how many machines we need to keep for ourselves.¡± ¡°This is genius! It contains such profound knowledge! Patriarch, how did you figure it out? This is incredible!¡± William was a scientist and could understand the blueprint. Only those who could comprehend it would know how intricate the knowledge was. It was beyond imagination! William knew he could never make the discovery on his own. He was blown away by Himmel Soan¡¯s talent after he studied the blueprint. ¡°Yes, Patriarch! I¡¯m on it!¡± 130 hours to go. ¡°Himmel Soan, the sinner of the human race.¡± This suddenly became the most popular topic on all major websites. It was started by a TV show called ¡°Super Interview.¡± The guest was Parkson, one of the Neigerian high-ranking officials. By now, nothing was more important than the incoming meteorite. Everyone was talking about it. Naturally, that was also the theme of this interview. The discussion over different shelters was unavoidable. They gradually started talking about Moon. When the host asked Parkson about his view on the underground shelter, Parkson sneered and mocked the country. ¡°They¡¯re literally digging their own grave. They have the largest population in the world, and it wouldn¡¯t be hard for them to build an ark. However, they won¡¯t do it. Not only that, but they also wouldn¡¯t let their allies build arks.¡± The host asked, ¡°Why do you think that is?¡± ¡°Why? Why¡­¡± Parkson thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s because of a scientist named Himmel Soan. He has provided the country with the idea of the underground shelter and concluded that the metal arks are useless.¡± ¡°Himmel Soan? I¡¯ve never heard that name before.¡± ¡°Neither have I. He¡¯s not even twenty yet, and he¡¯s a nobody.¡± ¡°Not even twenty? How useful can his suggestions be?¡± ¡°What do you think? Of course, they¡¯re useless. If the debris really lands on top of the shelter, it¡¯ll collapse like a glasshouse.¡± Chapter 95 - Alarmist Talk Chapter 95 Alarmist Talk ¡°What about the people inside?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s all going to die!¡± Parkson then gave some further explanation. ¡°We¡¯ve never seen anything moving as fast as that meteorite except for light itself. Because of that, it¡¯ll affect the surface of Earth when it approaches the atmosphere. No, the impact will start even long before that!¡± ¡°How will it affect us exactly?¡± ¡°In many ways! First of all, there¡¯s the ocean. The force of the super meteorite will create a pressure that¡¯ll bring forth rising tides and tsunamis in all seven oceans. To make things worse, even the larger lakes will erupt, and the water will flow into the cities.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the cities be flooded?¡± ¡°Yes, they will be! Then there are volcanos. The pressure will squeeze out the magma, and all volcanoes on Earth will erupt simultaneously. The surrounding cities will all be destroyed. Don¡¯t scream just yet because there¡¯s more. Right after that, we¡¯ll be hit by earthquakes of a magnitude 10. ¡°Now shown on the big screen is the range of the earthquakes our scientists have predicted. All the areas circled out will be affected.¡± A world map appeared on the screen, and over 70% of the area had been circled out. The host was shocked. ¡°The earthquake hit us as well? But we¡¯re not on top of two joining tectonic plates! We never had any earthquakes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s inevitable!¡± Parkson demonstrated with two tables in front of them. ¡°The earthquakes we know of are indeed caused by plate movements. They will occur when two plates squeeze against each other, but things are different now.¡± He started shaking the tables. ¡°Compared to the super meteorite, Earth is too small. All tectonic plates will be moving, and only someplace very deep below the surface level will be spared. Those places can¡¯t escape the earthquakes entirely. They¡¯ll still feel it, but the magnitude will be reduced. If the magnitude is ten around the world, those places will only have magnitudes of two or three.¡± The host nodded. ¡°That is to say, the whole earth will be shaking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Parkson nodded. ¡°What about the underground shelters?¡± can r ¡°Underground shelters are a joke! Unless they can reach the core of Earth, there¡¯s no way they can survive this catastrophe! Do you think one kilometer is deep? It¡¯s much shallower than the focus of an earthquake!¡± The host asked, ¡°What about the people inside?¡± Parkson said, ¡°They¡¯re all going to die! ¡°I don¡¯t even need to run any simulations. Once the earthquake starts, all underground hollow spaces will cave in. The shelters will collapse even if they¡¯re 2km underground! The deeper they are, the more lethal they will be! The person who made that decision should be condemned! He¡¯ll be responsible for countless lives, but he still hasn¡¯t realized it yet. What¡¯s even more ridiculous is that some countries have accepted his suggestion. How pathetic! May God forgive him. He¡¯s just a boy. ¡°Himmel Soan, the sinner of the human race.¡± That was how this topic was created. The host said angrily, ¡°Mr. Parkson, why are you asking God to forgive that Himmel Soan when he has done the most unforgivable thing? He should be executed!¡± ¡°God has mercy, but I don¡¯t! God can forgive him, but I can¡¯t! I hereby ask all my fellow human beings not to believe such rumors! The underground shelters and the so-called space cannon will only destroy us! Metal arks and the energy cannon are our only hope to get through this catastrophe! There¡¯s still room left on Neigerian arks! We¡¯re a selfless nation. No matter what your nationality is, you¡¯re welcomed on the arks! Book your ticket now!¡± The show went viral online. Even some heads of the state grew excited. Arks weren¡¯t hard to build; all countries could build them. However, not all arks were the same. Neige was the largest country in the world, and it was supposed to have the best arks. They would have much higher defensive power. After the interview was aired, the comments online became much harsher. Pantherese netizens wrote, ¡°I agree! Arks are the only solution! I don¡¯t know what our president is thinking! Please listen to your people, Mr. President! Wake up! We don¡¯t need any underground shelters! They¡¯re useless!¡± Goldian netizens wrote, ¡°Ignore the Moonians. They have so many people, and they can afford to lose a million or two. Hell, they¡¯ll still have more people than us if 99% of them are dead!¡± Winish netizens wrote, ¡°This Himmel Soan person will be condemned forever! Moonians, good luck! LOL.¡± Moonians wrote, ¡°What the hell? Why aren¡¯t we building arks? Mr. Himmel Soan, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°Should we trust Mr. Himmel Soan, or¡­¡± ¡°How? I respect him, but it doesn¡¯t mean he can put all our lives in danger! Underground shelters won¡¯t work! @Himmel Soan: Mr. Himmel Soan, please talk to Mr. President and build the arks! Otherwise, you¡¯ll be condemned forever! We don¡¯t want that to happen!¡± Grassian netizens wrote, ¡°Our country is Moon¡¯s ally, and we¡¯ve always followed its footsteps, but I beseech my president to revoke his command. We can¡¯t build any more underground shelters! They won¡¯t help us! If Mr. President still won¡¯t change his mind tomorrow, I¡¯ll take my own life to warn my fellow countrymen!¡± Woodian netizens wrote, ¡°I¡¯ve bought a ticket to the Neigerian ark. I can¡¯t wait to see what will happen to the Moonians. Himmel Soan has done us a big favor!¡± Moonians wrote, ¡°We want to talk to Himmel Soan! We don¡¯t want underground shelters!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let Himmel Soan speak! We don¡¯t want shelters! We want arks!¡± ¡°Himmel Soan must answer for this!¡± Soon, Moonian netizens began to protest in groups, trying to force Himmel Soan to give them an explanation. Chapter 96 - Let Himmel Soan Speak Chapter 96 Let Himmel Soan Speak The high-ranking officials in other countries couldn¡¯t wait to laugh at Moon. ¡°Patriarch, the public is furious. They¡¯re demanding that you give them an explanation!¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Himmel Soan was working on the energy converter and the element extractor. He didn¡¯t know where the spiritual essence originated from. However, he could speculate. Since spiritual essence could be generated by the human body, it had to come from one of the two sources: external or internal. If it were a combination of the two, things would be more complicated. Spiritual essence was definitely not a mixture of various types of energy. However, the spiritual essence released by cultivators was a compound substance. It sounded confusing, but it was, in fact, quite straightforward. One would feel refreshed and uplifted when they came to places with beautiful scenery and fresh air. That was the effect of spiritual essence. Being a cultivator, Himmel Soan was the most qualified to speak on this subject. All cultivators would find places with great spiritual essence to cultivate. Spiritual essence lodes would be ideal for the task. That was the spiritual essence of the natural world. Martial arts practitioners would absorb such spiritual essence before releasing them, which would become a formidable force. The spiritual essence released was different from the energy that was absorbed. Cultivators¡¯ dantian could refine the natural spiritual essence, making it more potent and effective. The processed spiritual essence could heal wounds, destroy mountains, defend the body, and enable one to fly. The processed spiritual essence was what Himmel Soan needed. However, he needed to figure out how to process and refine it outside the human body. He could see the structure of his dantian and the course the spiritual essence took inside him, but he had yet to figure out the principle behind it. He had reached a critical stage when Warren stumbled in, telling him that he needed to offer an explanation. Of course, he got angry. ¡°P_¡± ¡°I said, go away!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Warren lowered his head and left the room. After he was gone, Himmel Soan picked up his phone and checked some comments online. He sighed. It wasn¡¯t easy to make people trust the underground shelters and the space cannon. However, all the outstanding achievements in history had to go through difficulties, and it always took time for the general public to accept new ideas. He would have explained to the public if he hadn¡¯t been so busy. He knew how vital public opinion was. He would be in big trouble if the people lost faith in him. But something else was more important at the moment¡ªthe lives of people on Earth. Without the space cannon, the energy cannon alone could never destroy the meteorite. If he wasted time explaining to the public now and couldn¡¯t build the space cannon in the end, he really would become the sinner of the human race. He knew he was onto something and was so close to getting it right. All he needed was an epiphany, and he would figure out the principle of spiritual essence. He would explain to the public after that. 120 hours to go. After the ¡°Himmel Soan the sinner¡± topic, something else went viral. ¡°No reply from Himmel Soan. Tacit admission.¡± Winish people wrote, ¡°It¡¯s been ten hours, and that Himmel Soan hasn¡¯t said a word.¡± Soilians wrote, ¡°I heard he¡¯s only twenty years old. What can he possibly know? How can he be a scientist?¡± Woodians wrote, ¡°Bullshit! He¡¯s just a fraud! His scam will get all the Moonians killed!¡± Flamians wrote, ¡°Himmel Soan is an idiot. Moonians, please wake up and face reality. Flamia is building arks as well, and we still have room left. We welcome you to join us. Although our countries have had some issues in the past, the human race should stick together in a global catastrophe like this. Free feel to come to Flamia.¡± Goldians wrote, ¡°Flamia is so generous! Moon is our neighbor. Although we don¡¯t have the most advanced arks, they can still provide some protection. We welcome Moonians to join us.¡± Pantherese wrote, ¡°I thought Himmel Soan would make an explanation, but ten hours have passed, and he has remained silent! My fellow Pantherese, our allied country is in trouble, and we must give them a hand! I hope the Moonians will stop trusting Himmel Soan and start building arks! They can join us any time!¡± Moonians wrote, ¡°Mr. Soan, we respect you, but why are you doing this? Why won¡¯t you say something? Are you afraid now? Is it so hard to answer our questions? The whole world is questioning your plan, and all we need is your guarantee, even if it¡¯s not genuine. However, you won¡¯t speak a word! Why? I¡¯m so disappointed!¡± ¡°Bah! Stop calling him Mr. Himmel Soan! I knew it! The underground shelters aren¡¯t reliable! The whole world is building arks, but we¡¯re still following that old fool¡¯s order! He¡¯s a fraud! I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to Neige. I don¡¯t have any money, but I have faith in Neige. They won¡¯t let me die! They¡¯ll save a spot for me on the arks! I don¡¯t mind washing dishes or cleaning the floor!¡± ¡°Shut up! You can¡¯t insult Mr. Himmel Soan! He¡¯s 200 years old!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse! Plus, no one knows if he really is that old! There¡¯s no way to verify! Even if he¡¯s 2,000 years old, he still can¡¯t risk the lives of all Moonians! Maybe he¡¯s too old to think straight. He can¡¯t keep up with modern technology and can only come up with outdated methods! Why do you have to listen to him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a harsh thing to say, but it makes sense! What? Is the Soan empire still killing people now? So be it! I have to speak my mind even if they kill me! Himmel Soan is an old fool! Our country will be destroyed if we keep following him! We need arks!¡± ¡°Patriarch, we can¡¯t control the public opinion anymore! Please say something!¡± Warren walked back and forth outside the lab. Henry and Gordon were even more anxious. They had been pacing around for hours, but Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t open the door. Suddenly, they heard Himmel Soan¡¯s laughter. Finally, he had figured out the principle of refining spiritual essence. Once the most challenging part was over, the rest would be much easier. Chapter 97 - Done Chapter 97 Done All he needed now was the actual space cannon, which was built according to the energy channels in the human body. It should be mostly finished by now. Building the space cannon was a major project, and the country had already started working on it over a week ago. Viclan, Branco, and several other scientists were in charge. Himmel Soan only needed to work on the core structure. The most vital part was the spiritual essence. After that was the compression structure that mimicked the function of the dantian. These two parts were essential to the space cannon. Once Himmel Soan figured out how to build them, the space cannon would almost be finished. Now that he had succeeded in reproducing the spiritual essence, mimicking the function of dantian wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. He also had a backup plan. If nothing worked, he would use himself as the energy source, although it would have some detrimental effect on his health. But that wouldn¡¯t be necessary anymore. Once the problem with replicating the spiritual essence was solved, mimicking the dantian wouldn¡¯t be an issue. He was going to fill his dantian with the refined spiritual essence and see if he could fire the space cannon with it. He drained the spiritual essence in his system, extracted some processed spiritual essence from the device, and injected it into his body. Outside, Gordon and Henry sat by the door, whereas Warren and Yosef were a few steps away. They trusted Himmel Soan. However, they had to do something about the panicking public. They would be in even bigger trouble if the people lost faith in them. What was Himmel Soan thinking? Something exploded at that moment, shaking the entire Pegasus Grassland. Henry, Gordon, and several other people waiting outside the lab were blown away by the blast coming out of the lab. Some smashed into the corridor walls, while some fell out of the second-floor window into the flowerbeds below. If it hadn¡¯t been for the flowerbeds, they might have lost their lives. From a distance, people saw a beam of light shooting through the roof of the building into the clouds. The building covered an area of thirty acres, but it swayed when the beam of light rose and almost collapsed. Luckily, it held up in the end. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Are you alright, Henry? Wake up!¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Is the meteorite coming? I thought we had over a hundred hours!¡± The explosion spread out from the building to the entire Pegasus Grassland. All the people working on the grassland saw the beam of light, and the sound seemed to linger for over ten seconds. Some workers were moving machines around. The blast knocked them off their feet, and they passed out from the impact. The entire Pegasus Grassland was panic-stricken. ¡°Patriarch? Patriarch!¡± Warren ran toward the lab after he steadied himself. The door to Himmel Soan¡¯s label had lost its original shape, and white smoke was coming out of the cracks. Yosef and James started banging on the door. They wanted to tear the door out of its frame. ¡°Patriarch, are you alright? Patriarch!¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I have no idea! I think it came from the Patriarch¡¯s lab! Patriarch, please answer us! How are you feeling? Are you there?!¡± Panic set in. They didn¡¯t care what caused the explosion. Himmel Soan¡¯s safety was their top priority. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± They were relieved to hear Himmel Soan¡¯s voice. ¡°Patriarch! We were so scared. Glad to hear you¡¯re okay. This door¡­¡± ¡°Guys, let¡¯s tear this door open!¡± ¡°Patriarch, please wait a moment while we get you out of that room.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Stay away from the door,¡± Himmel Soan spoke again. Immediately after that, strange energy surged out of the room, pushing the distorted door out of the frame and almost hitting Yosef on the head. Luckily, Yosef was a martial arts practitioner as well. He dodged the flying door and patted his chest, still shocked by the narrow escape. Himmel Soan walked out of the lab, glowing from the excitement. ¡°Patriarch, what happened?¡± ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Himmel shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He then turned to Gordon and Henry. ¡°I have two things to tell you. First of all, make an announcement, telling the people that I¡¯m going to hold a press conference in ten hours. I¡¯ll answer all the questions during the event. Second, I¡¯ve figured out how to fuel the space cannon, but I need a special metal to refine the fuel. You need to purchase it in large quantities. Tell Viclan and Branco to stop what they¡¯re doing and come here. I¡¯ll give them the blueprint.¡± cal Gordon and Henry were worried at first. As they listened to Himmel Soan, the looks on their faces changed from bewilderment to delight. ¡°No problem!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation would work wonders in convincing the wavering netizens. ¡°Patriarch, did you want to see us?¡± Before long, Viclan and Branco arrived at Himmel Soan¡¯s office. There was a roll of cloth on Himmel Soan¡¯s desk. It was quite thick and about 30cm in diameter. The cloth would be at least 30m long when unfolded. ¡°Yes.¡± Himmel patted the roll of cloth, saying, ¡°This is the blueprint of the space cannon. I¡¯ve noted down all the relevant theories on it. Take it back with you and study it. You have to master it in the next 24 hours and build the space cannon strictly following the requirement on it. We don¡¯t have much time left. You need to hurry up.¡± Viclan was dumbfounded and looked around the room. ¡°Where¡¯s the blueprint?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking at it!¡± Himmel Soan patted the cloth again. Branco and Viclan¡¯s mouths fell open. ¡°Why is it so big?¡± ¡°Enough with the chitchat. Take it back and start working on it.¡± The two men wiped away their cold sweats and carried the roll out of the room. They had to master it in a day! Was Himmel Soan making fun of them? He didn¡¯t say only Viclan and Branco could see the blueprint. Since they had hundreds of scientists on their team, they decided to divide the task among them. After they left, Henry and Gordon went to see Himmel Soan again. ¡°Mr. Soan.¡± ¡°Have you made the announcement?¡± Chapter 98 - Press Conference Chapter 98 Press Conference ¡°We¡¯ve made the announcement, Mr. Soan. May I ask what that explosion was?¡± Himmel said solemnly, ¡°That was the space cannon.¡± Gordon was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Can we build a space cannon now?¡± Henry said, ¡°I thought it would be more powerful.¡± Himmel Soan explained, ¡°It¡¯s not finished yet. I only have a prototype. It¡¯s more like a testing version.¡± Being a cultivator, Himmel Soan could fire the space cannon at any given time. It wasn¡¯t hard for him. Just now, he had injected the processed spiritual essence into his body and tried to fire the space cannon with it. It worked. The spiritual essence was compatible with him. That was to say, the device had provided him with the right type of spiritual essence. However, it wasn¡¯t dense enough. If one were to range the pureness of the spiritual essence from one to ten, the spiritual essence refined by Himmel Soan¡¯s dantian was ten. What he processed with the device only had two. The spiritual essence that came from his dantian was five times purer. The purer it was, the more potent it would be. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t expect to see such a result. It meant he would need a larger space cannon that required more energy. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be as powerful as he had planned. Luckily, they had built the space cannon larger than the blueprint designed to be, which made up for the lack of potency. ¡°The earlier output is about 1 out of 1.62 billion the impact of a real space cannon.¡± Both Gordon and Henry were dumbfounded. Their expressions seemed to freeze on their faces. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Himmel Soan nodded and typed some figures on the calculator. 16231¡­ He omitted the last seven digits. It was approximately 1.62 billion. ¡°OMG¡­¡± ¡°Is that the so-called space cannon?¡± ¡°1.62 billion times more powerful¡­ That much power can destroy the sun!¡± ¡°Will we still have a solar system after it¡¯s fired?¡± Henry and Gordon had always trusted Himmel Soan. However, they didn¡¯t have as much faith in the space cannon. They did now. It was definitely going to be their savior. The energy cannon was nothing in comparison. Now, both the innate vigorous energy and the spiritual essence were taken care of. 120 hours to go. There were three more tasks. First of all, they need to build a large container to store the spiritual essence. It would serve the dantian¡¯s purpose. After that, they needed to complete the construction of the space cannon. More than enough laborers were waiting on the grassland, and they had collected most of the materials. The only thing needed now was the blueprint. 120 hours meant five days. Three days would be enough. Last but not least, the spiritual essence needed to be refined. The drop in the purity was unexpected. To maintain the potency, Himmel Soan had two approaches. He had taken the first approach already. The space cannon they were building was twice the size he had designed at first. But that still wasn¡¯t enough. He also needed to amplify the power by five times. The space cannon was already completed. It would be a waste of resources, and they wouldn¡¯t have time to rebuild one either. Hence, he needed to do something about the spiritual essence. He needed at least 2.5 times the amount of spiritual essence he had initially planned to produce. It was as straightforward as calculating the area. To ensure the area was unchanged when the length was reduced, the width had to increase, and vice versa. ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan will hold a press conference in ten hours. It will be broadcasted live online, and you¡¯re welcome to ask any questions.¡± ¡°Good. I have quite a few questions, and I want to hear his answer.¡± ¡°Finally! Mr. Himmel Soan is going to give us an explanation! I¡¯m sure he has his reasons!¡± ¡°You can believe what you want. He shouldn¡¯t put all our lives at risk!¡± ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? If you have questions, just ask Mr. Himmel Soan.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to ask what he¡¯s thinking! Why did he build these underground shelters? What reasons did he have?¡± At this point, all countries had given other countries full access to 99% of their websites. Anyone could visit them. . Being Neige¡¯s No. 1 opponent, Moon was closely watched by all other countries. The high-ranking officials of other countries were all intrigued when they heard Himmel Soan was going to hold a press conference. They were more eager than the Moonians in finding out what he was up to. In Neige. ¡°Send some reporters and ask some difficult questions. We¡¯re going to embarrass Moon.¡± ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll use discount tickets to the arks as bait and lure some dumb Moonians over to work as hard laborers.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. Wait. Take some scientists with you. That boy calls himself a scientist, doesn¡¯t he? We¡¯ll see exactly how much he knows. If he can¡¯t answer the questions, all the better. He¡¯ll be humiliated, and Moon will fall apart!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Neige¡¯s allied countries came up with similar ideas. They decided to expose Himmel Soan¡¯s lies as soon as he came out. They wondered why the Moonian president trusted him so much. Ten hours were long enough to spread the news around the world, and those countries had ample time to find the scientists to ask the questions. Once the press conference started, the meteorite would only be 110 hours away. Unusual things were already happening on Earth. The wind had grown stronger on a global scale. The atmosphere was affected by the meteorite as well. The sunlight seemed to have dimmed even at noon. The darkening light gave one the feeling of approaching doomsday. By then, some people were already too scared to leave their houses. The press conference was held in the city where the sacred temple was. Viclan, William, Branco, Warren, Himmel Soan, and Henry went up the stage. The flashes from the cameras were blinding. Holding their microphones, the reporters couldn¡¯t wait to ask their questions. Over three hundred cameras from over seventy countries were recording the conference and live-streaming it to the world. Chapter 99 - Answer Chapter 99 Answer ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m May from Moon Global News. I¡¯m here at the press conference, where Moon is going to explain to us about the space cannon and the underground shelter. As you can see¡­¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I¡¯m Millie from Neige. I¡¯m in the Moonian city where the sacred temple is¡­¡± ¡°Hello, my Winish viewers. I¡¯m Judy from the Column¡­¡± ¡°Good evening, Flamian viers. I¡¯m Cindy, your old friend. I¡¯m here at the sacred temple¡­¡± Reporters from all over the world had gathered in the city hall. The press conference wouldn¡¯t start for another few minutes, so the reporters were busy telling their audience what it was about. They didn¡¯t have to give much context as it was already all over the internet. The whole world was watching. Men and women from all the social classes in all the countries had their eyes on the press conference. They wondered what Moon was up to and why it was working against Neige. Moonians weren¡¯t fools. Why would they stick to the shelters when they clearly weren¡¯t going to work? Why would they disregard a formidable weapon like the energy cannon? Why could they ignore the mockery from the rest of the world? Was their scientific research standard so high, or were they simply ignorant? Who were the fools here? Moon or the rest of the world? What kind of a weapon was this space cannon? Who was Himmel Soan? Why did the country support him? Was he the biggest fraud, or was he the greatest genius scientist? All those questions might be answered at the press conference this evening. Moon used to be a great country a thousand years ago before it declined. However, it was on the rise again, and no one could stop the trend. History would prove it. The Moonian president was anything but foolish. Moreover, he had smart people working under him, and there was no way he would be swindled by a fraud. That was to say, Himmel Soan was a genius scientist. But it was too early to reach any conclusion yet. The answer would be provided that evening! ¡°Testing, testing.¡± Henry tested the microphone. ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m Henry Lang, the director of Sky Eye.¡± He was welcomed by a round of thunderous applause. Henry, Gordon, and Himmel Soan looked around the room and saw attendants from all over the world. There were more than just reporters. Among the audience were also strange-looking people with unkempt hair and disheveled clothes. They were scientists! The most competent ones! Viclan, William, and Branco had worked with these people before and immediately recognized their faces. They would definitely throw some difficult questions at them tonight. That wouldn¡¯t be a problem, though. Today¡¯s conference was all about truth, and truth was what Himmel Soan would tell the world. People began to ask questions online again. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Himmel Soan?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Where¡¯s the old gentleman? Who¡¯s that young man? I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°Where did Mr. Himmel Soan go? Didn¡¯t he summon this meeting?¡± ¡°We want to talk to Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± Flamians wrote, ¡°LOL. Your Mr. Himmel Soan probably got cold feet!¡± Winish netizens wrote, ¡°Face the reality! I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking! Use your brain. If you still have one! Is that even possible? Underground shelter? Space Cannon? Wake up!¡± Woodians wrote, ¡°We don¡¯t like your country much, but this isn¡¯t the time to argue over such things. Moonians, wake up and run for your lives. Every country has arks, and they won¡¯t turn you away if you ask them for help!¡± Netizens from all over the world were watching the live stream and arguing in the comment section of the Moonian webcast channel. People watching the press conference on local websites in their own countries didn¡¯t have as much fun because they didn¡¯t have Moonians to argue with. For instance, the Flamian channel was mostly watched by Flamian viewers. ¡°They¡¯re so stupid, all of them!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t agree more!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t agree more!¡± ¡°Why are you watching a bunch of idiots talking gibberish?¡± ¡°You¡¯re watching it, too, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡­ In Woodia. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a fraud. Why bother? I want to see the Moonians panic. They won¡¯t build the arks now, and they¡¯ll regret it later!¡± ¡°I want to see them tear that Himmel Soan apart!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not entirely his fault. Only idiots will be swindled. If the Moonians hadn¡¯t been so dumb, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t have been able to fool them!¡± ¡°What an animal! Himmel Soan should be executed!¡± At the press conference. Henry took the mic with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d like to welcome all the reporters. I know you¡¯re traveled thousands of miles to get here, and I¡¯d like to thank you all. Enough with the chitchat. Let¡¯s welcome Mr. Soan.¡± The big screen behind him lit up, showing a giant ¡°cannon.¡± It looked like the stick shift in a car. That was the space cannon. Himmel Soan walked up to the screen. ¡°Everybody, this is the finished space cannon.¡± ¡°One moment, please!¡± A Neigerian reporter raised his hand and interjected, ¡°Sir, could you tell us who you are?¡± Another reporter rose to his feet, asking, ¡°Could you tell us what a space cannon is?¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t we heard about it before? Did you invent that name?¡± ¡°How different is it from an energy cannon? Which is more powerful?¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Gordon smacked the table and shouted, ¡°You¡¯ll have time to ask your questions after Mr. Soan explains everything! Show some respect!¡± People began to ask questions online again. ¡°Mr. Soan? Who¡¯s he talking about?¡± ¡°Wait. Did he call that young man Mr. Soan?¡± ¡°I think he meant Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused. Who¡¯s who here? Why is this young man hosting the conference? Where¡¯s Mr. Himmel Soan?¡± Himmel Soan looked into the camera. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Himmel Soan.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s Himmel Soan?¡± Chapter 100 - Do You Know Science Chapter 100 Do You Know Science ¡°Wait. Let me sort it through. I¡¯m totally confused. Isn¡¯t Himmel Soan a 200-year-old man?! ¡°I thought so, too! How can this boy be Himmel Soan?¡± ¡°They share some resemblance, but he¡¯s way too young!¡± ¡°Be quiet! Let¡¯s hear what he has to say.¡± Himmel Soan went on talking to the camera, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re confused, surprised, and unconvinced. I can understand your feelings. ¡°Before I talk about the space cannon, I¡¯d like to introduce myself. I¡¯ve read all your comments online, and on behalf of the Soan empire and myself, I¡¯d like to thank you all! ¡°Soan-47 is a substance found in the human body, and it had never been discovered before. It¡¯s the cause of aging and degeneration of human organs. I know many people are still questioning my age now, and today is the first time that I sat down to talk to you all. I¡¯m going to tell you everything you want to know. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m 221 years old.¡± The audience erupted. ¡°What?¡± ¡°WTF?¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Did he say 221 years?¡± All the reporters were astonished. The interpreters stopped talking abruptly, thinking that they had heard it wrong. What Himmel Soan said also started a round of discussion online. ¡°What? 221 years old? Seriously?¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! No one can live that long!¡± ¡°Did he say he has lived for over 200 years? He can¡¯t be serious!¡± ¡°LOL. He¡¯s indeed a fraud!¡± ¡°Soan-47? Is he writing fiction or something?¡± It didn¡¯t matter if the viewers believed him or not. He wasn¡¯t hiding anything from them. There was no need to. Of course, he had made up that ¡°Soan-47¡± substance. It was just to make people look past his real age. He couldn¡¯t tell them he was a cultivator. Luckily, there was science, and he could attribute his longevity to it. Countless reporters raised their hands, trying to ask a question. Himmel Soan gestured to them to be patient and went on. ¡°I was born in 1800. In 1882, when I was 82, I ate a strange fruit, which significantly prolonged my life. I¡¯ve been studying this fruit ever since. In 1991, I found another such fruit and tried to find its secret. In the end, I discovered Soan-47. However, I didn¡¯t do my experiment properly and became befuddled. In common terms, I caught dementia. ¡°I lived the next thirty years in a confused state, and I can¡¯t remember what I did, including the adoption of Stella Shane. I did all those things without realizing them. You know the rest of the story. It caused quite a sensation online, and I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused. ¡°I should have died, but a substance in the ocean reacted to the mysterious fruit I had eaten. Not only was I brought back from the dead, but I also grew younger until I reached this state. I¡¯ve been studying the effect ever since. If I can solve the mystery, I can bring immortality to the human race.¡± Obviously, Himmel Soan was spinning lies because he needed a believable explanation for his age. Anything else wasn¡¯t important. Once he got over it, he could move onto the space cannon. His words caused another round of discussion online. A mysterious fruit. Immortality. Revival. Everyone was intrigued. Most people wouldn¡¯t believe it. Himmel Soan understood it without checking the comments online. ¡°It was the strangest fruit, and I¡¯ve only seen it twice in my life. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called, so I¡¯ll call it the Immortal Fruit for now. If anyone finds one and hands it to the authorities, the country will give them a ten-figure reward. Of course, they can eat it, too.¡± A black fruit in the shape of a bird appeared on the screen. It was originally a bird, and Himmel Soan had photoshopped it into a fruit. There was no Immortal Fruit. Himmel Soan¡¯s longevity came from his cultivation! ¡°But that can wait. Let¡¯s talk about the space cannon first.¡± Himmel Soan pressed the button on the remote control, bringing back the picture of the space cannon. Reporters raised their microphones and shouted at the top of their lungs. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you really over 200 years old?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, what did the fruit taste like?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, do you live like an ordinary person? I mean, do you go to the toilet? Do you eat as much as we do? Do you need to sleep?¡± Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t be bothered to reply. His age wasn¡¯t the purpose of this press conference; the space cannon was. ESS ¡°Please take a look. As you can see here, the space cannon is a heavy weapon that can compress gas before firing it. Gas can be very powerful when it¡¯s compressed. It can generate more power than any solid substance. We all know what a water jet is. Essentially, it¡¯s a water cannon. Water itself is fluid and without shape. However, the water jet can cut through iron and steel, The space cannon works on the same principle.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Someone smirked when Himmel Soan talked about the space cannon. It wasn¡¯t one of the reporters. Rather, it was one of the Neigerian scientists! Viclan rose to his feet and told the man, ¡°Lewis, if you try to make a scene, I¡¯ll have you thrown out!¡± Lewis¡¯s clothes were covered with wrinkles. He crossed his legs and retorted, ¡°What? Now that you¡¯re back home, you¡¯re too clever to answer my questions? Is that it? Viclan, you¡¯re an outstanding scientist, and your theory has made a great contribution to the world. Why are you helping this fraud? I can bear the talk of Immortal Fruit and Soan-47 substance. But now, he¡¯s all over compressing air! Viclan, you should know better! It won¡¯t work!¡± ¡°Shut up, Lewis!¡± ¡°Why should I? It¡¯s because I¡¯m right, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s completely a lie! Himmel Soan, is it? Do you know what science is?¡± Another Neigerian scientist stood up and sneered at Himmel Soan. ¡°Answer the question. Do you know what science is? How dare you call yourself a scientist?!¡± Chapter 101 - No Respect Needed Chapter 101 No Respect Needed ¡°What did you say? Compressed air? How much air will you need? Are you going to drain the air in the atmosphere?¡± asked a scientist of unknown nationality. Everyone laughed when they heard the questions. They were obviously mocking Himmel Soan. Another scientist said, ¡°If compressed air is as destructive as you say and you¡¯ve built the space cannon, how come no other scientist has figured it out? If you understand the theory, why can¡¯t the others? Why hasn¡¯t any other scientist done any research on this type of weapon? Why are we still using ordinary explosives? ¡°Mr. Soan, where did you find the Immortal Fruit? Are you sure you¡¯re over 200 years old? If that fruit exists, why hasn¡¯t anyone else found it? Why are you the only so-called immortal man in human history? It sounds like the fruit hadn¡¯t taken shape until you came along.¡± Those words started another round of laughter. ¡°Silence!¡± Viclan smacked the table. However, his reaction only resulted in more questions and criticisms. ¡°Mr. Viclan, this is a press conference, not a court, and we have the right to ask what we want. You can¡¯t tell us what to do.¡± ¡°We just want some answers. Are you going to take away our rights to speak?¡± ¡°Is this how your country treats your guests? We didn¡¯t fly all the way here to listen to this fraud! Mr. Soan, if you really are over 200 years old, can you show us some documents to prove it? We can always dissect you if you let us.¡± Things became quite chaotic. It was obvious that these people had come here to make sure the conference wouldn¡¯t go smoothly. They were here to sabotage it! Slamming the table, Henry rose to his feet. ¡°Shut up, all of you! Say one more word, and I¡¯ll kick you out! We won¡¯t mistreat our guests, but we value respect and courtesy! If you don¡¯t show us any respect, you won¡¯t get any in return! If you don¡¯t have good manners, you¡¯re no different from a hooligan, and we¡¯ll treat hooligans in the manner they deserve!¡± Hearing his angry voice, members of the Dragon Tribe picked up their loaded guns. The sounds of flicking the safety immediately silenced the protesting scientists. Violence could be very effective. The silence was finally restored. Henry sounded apologetic. ¡°Mr. Soan, please continue.¡± Himmel Soan nodded and went on. ¡°I¡¯ll publish my research results on the Immortal Fruit after we get through this catastrophe, but it¡¯ll be limited to domestic sources. As for whether I¡¯ll publish them in the international media, it¡¯ll depend on my government¡¯s decision. Though I need to remind you that by then, there won¡¯t be many countries left in the world because the arks aren¡¯t adequate shelters.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡ª¡±. ¡°Shut up! Can¡¯t you let him finish? Which country are you from? Do you have no manners at all? Are you a Neigerian?¡± Henry cut off the scientist before he could finish his sentence. That scientist rose to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re violating freedom of speech! You can¡¯t stop me from expressing my views!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, but now isn¡¯t the time to talk about such things. I know your country values freedom, and so do we, but we have our own laws. If you insist on having your freedom and won¡¯t follow our laws, I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re not welcomed here!¡± The Neigerian scientist then spoke into one of the cameras. ¡°Everybody, are you seeing this? That¡¯s what this country is like! I have no right to speak! I¡¯m denied my basic human right!¡± Two members of the Dragon Tribe walked up to him as Gordon said calmly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Not only have you lost your right to speak, but you¡¯ve also lost the right to attend this conference! Escort him out and send him back to where he came from!¡± The action raised much discussion in the comment section of the live-stream channels. ¡°What the hell? That¡¯s so bossy! How could they chase the man away? They could have given him a warning!¡± ¡°So true! Our scientist traveled half a world to get there, and those men threw him out just like that!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being objective at all. They¡¯ve come to our country. On the Moonian land, they have to follow Moonian laws! Are you going to listen to Himmel Soan or not? Is that how your country holds press conferences? That person was clearly trying to make trouble. He had no business staying there!¡± ¡°I support Moon. I¡¯m not a Moonian, but I support Moon on this! You people are trying to mislead the public!¡± Some viewers supported Moon, while others felt they had overreacted. The Neigerians were furious. ¡°What a bunch of losers! They can¡¯t treat our people like that!¡± ¡°I was going to save them an ark ticket. I¡¯d rather give that ticket to a dog!¡± ¡°They can¡¯t throw out our scientist! Do they even know who he is? He¡¯s one of our top scientists! They showed him no respect whatsoever!¡± ¡°That country deserves to be wiped out. Luckily, we won¡¯t need to see their stupid faces after this disaster!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This catastrophe is a trial to eliminate the idiots, and Moonians are the most idiotic people!¡± Henry looked into the cameras and said calmly, ¡°I know the Neigerian officials are watching this conference, too, and I also know they¡¯re the ones who sent those scientists here. I know what they¡¯re trying to achieve. If they don¡¯t stop now, we won¡¯t be so civil anymore. You said you wanted answers, and we¡¯re giving them to you. However, you tried to stop us from answering the questions and showed us no respect. You had it coming. If you want a war, we¡¯ll give you one!¡± His tone was intimidating. The Neigerian high-ranking officials watching the conference online got furious. ¡°He¡¯s just a director! Who gave him that power?!¡± ¡°How dare he do that to our scientist?! Inform all the countries that want to use our arks. Their people are forbidden from embarking our arks unless they break off all relations with Moon!¡± Chapter 102 - Space Cannon Chapter 102 Space Cannon Neige was the top travel destination at the moment, and countless people had arrived there from all over the world. They were all very rich. If this incident stopped these wealthy guys from boarding the arks, they would definitely create a scene. 20% of the population controlled 80% of the resources. Those rich people were the 20%. If they started a riot, the global economy would decline. To appease these people, these countries had to comply. The press conference continued. Sending away the scientist was an adequate warning, and no one dared to interject after that. Himmel Soan could talk about the space cannon in peace. ¡°Please take a look. These are the theories of the space cannon, including the fuel, the air valve, the disk haler, the barrel, the air vent, and the power source¡­¡± The detailed structure of the space cannon appeared on the screen. If Himmel Soan were to go into the basics, he would still be here for the next 24 hours. It was also what was drawn on the roll of cloth that Viclan had taken away. The contents were too profound and complicated. One could only comprehend less than 5% of them with the current scientific theories. The remaining 95% still belonged to the unknown. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t understand a word, and only scientists could understand part of it. The scientists in the audience smirked when they saw the graph at first. However, they were astonished once they started paying attention. ¡°I see decomposition and fusion here. That¡¯s ridiculous. You can¡¯t have a third element. Wait. Is it because Z30 is added? Will a third element be produced when oxygen meets 230? Yes! Yes, it would! That¡¯s because it contains five sub-elements. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?!¡± ¡°This is bullshit. What¡¯s that formula? I¡¯ve never seen it before. Did he draw it from his imagination? What¡¯s that? Is that the Soanian Theory? So, that formula is derived from the Soanian Theory. Everything here is correct! The formula is correct!¡± ¡°This is amazing! I see it now! Why didn¡¯t I think of it before? Oh my god! Everything here is correct!¡± The scientists¡¯ mouths fell open when they carefully studied the graph. Himmel Soan pointed at the cameras. ¡°Record this graph and post it online so that everyone can study it.¡± The graph was posted online via high-definition cameras. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! What¡¯s all this gibberish? You can¡¯t call that a theory!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t make any sense at all, no matter how many formulas there are! I¡¯ve studied physics and chemistry!¡± ¡°Oh, shut your stupid mouth already! How old are you? Most of the formulas are all correct!¡± ¡°Yes, they are! Not most of them! All of them! My dad and I are both scientists, and I understand these formulas. The unknown formulas can be deduced from the known ones. The graph is absolutely correct!¡± ¡°Holy crap! Is this the work of a human being? It¡¯s so profound! I can only understand a little, but I believe it¡¯s 100% correct!¡± If one were to draw an analogy, scientists in this world would have only learned addition and subtraction, whereas Himmel Soan had mastered multiplication and division. He had even gone far beyond that, introducing concepts like ¡°fractions and ¡°square root.¡± It was only expected that other people wouldn¡¯t understand his theories. Someone who knew addition and subtraction might be able to understand multiplication and addition, but there was no way they could understand fractions and square roots. They could comprehend at most 10% of the graph. Himmel Soan was the only one who could understand everything. Viclan had worked on it for ten hours, and he only understood a fraction of it. Although the formulas had been written out, one couldn¡¯t understand them straight away. ¡°Here¡¯s the breakdown of the space cannon. Feel free to study it on your own. Based on this graph, we know we¡¯re facing three difficult points. The fuel, the storage of the fuel, and the power source. I¡¯ll explain all three of them.¡± The image on the screen switched to a video, illustrating the theories. However, no matter how detailed Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation was, the others still couldn¡¯t understand it because of a gap in their knowledge. Using the previous analogy again, the scientists only knew addition and subtraction, whereas Himmel Soan was touching on factorization that involved a lot of multiplication and division, neither of which the scientists had learned. It was impossible for them to understand factorization. No matter how thorough Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation was, they were still confused. In the end, Himmel took out a small syringe that contained some green spiritual essence. ¡°This is the material I¡¯ve refined. As I said, it¡¯s powerful enough to destroy the solar system. You may not believe me, so I¡¯m going to demonstrate it to you. Himmel Soan put a drop of spiritual essence into a miniature space cannon. The cannon wasn¡¯t much bigger than a finger. No one believed it could destroy anything. However, the scene next astonished everyone. The energy ejected by the space cannon blew away the roof of the city hall. After a loud bang, the top half of the walls were gone, and the roof was pulverized. A beam of light shot into the sky until it disappeared into space. That was one drop of spiritual essence. How formidable! Himmel Soan said, ¡°That¡¯s only a tiny fraction of the real space cannon¡¯s power. A full-sized space cannon is hundreds of billions of times more powerful!¡± The room was dead silent. Turning around, Himmel Soan saw all the scientists sitting there with their mouths hanging open. They didn¡¯t understand the explanation, but the demonstration was pretty straightforward. It was thousands of times more powerful than the energy cannon. ¡°Gosh! What was that?¡± ¡°Where did the roof go?¡± ¡°Is that the space cannon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the effect of one drop! Seriously?¡± ¡°OMG! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± The bullet chats and comments stopped for twenty seconds before coming back at much higher frequencies. The world was shocked. Chapter 103 - God of Science Chapter 103 God of Science The mini space cannon was also shattered to pieces after the launch. It wasn¡¯t hard to deduce that the space cannon itself had to be durable enough to withstand the firing of the spiritual essence. Moreover, the recoil force was powerful enough to inflict injuries. Even Viclan, Branco, Henry, and Gordon were astonished, let alone the foreign scientists. It was the first time they had ever seen the space cannon in action. Himmel Soan had been talking about the space cannon all the time, but no one knew what it could do. But they knew now and wouldn¡¯t question it anymore. No one made a sound. Himmel Soan looked at the audience and asked, ¡°That¡¯s how the space cannon works. Any questions?¡± The scientists looked at one another and discussed quietly. Before long, someone raised a hand. Instead of blurting out their questions, they asked for permission to speak this time. If Himmel Soan didn¡¯t pick them, they would keep their hands in the air without making a sound. They were showing respect to the person they now believed to be a great man. The power of the space cannon had intimidated them, and the theories involved had opened up a new world for them. If everything Himmel Soan said was true, he would be the greatest scientist in human history. He would bring human civilization to a new height. To call it a great contribution was an understatement. Scientists like Nobel and Einstein had made such great achievements that primary students around the world knew their names. But their scope was limited to science only, unlike Himmel Soan, who had opened a whole new chapter for the human race. Those greatest scientists were torch-bearers, and their achievements were necessary stairs in the progress of human civilization. What Himmel Soan did was like an elevator in comparison. The stairs could lift people one level at a time. Himmel Soan, on the other hand, didn¡¯t need any stairs. He had created a great leap. It seemed that everything he had said was true. He was bound to become an unparalleled scientist. ¡°This gentleman, please.¡± Himmel Soan pointed at a scientist. The man rose to his feet, gingerly asking, ¡°Mr. Soan, what fuel does the space cannon need? What can create power more formidable than even a nuclear reaction?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Sicolium Essocobia. I call it SE2.¡± ¡°Sicolium Essocobia¡± was a name Himmel Soan made up on the spot, and he probably forgot it as soon as he mentioned it. He used that name because the initial letters were the same as that of ¡°spiritual essence.¡± SE2 meant ¡°spiritual essence with a level-2 density.¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s own spiritual essence was level 10, but he could only produce level-2 spiritual essence with the current device, hence SE2. It sounded complicated, and the scientist was confused. ¡°Sicolium Essocobia? What¡¯s that? Could you elaborate?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°It¡¯ll take days to explain. In fact, the human body contains the biggest secrets. If we can learn everything about it, we¡¯ll be able to solve everything. Humans should be the ruler of nature, not the other way around. We still have a long way to go.¡± He meant every word he just said. Cultivators were the rulers of nature. If everyone was a cultivator, no catastrophe would affect them. Cultivators trained themselves with the law of nature, which was how the natural world ran. That was the essence of cultivators. Obviously, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t tell that to the audience, so he pressed a button on the remote control. ¡°Please look at the big screen for the explanation of SE2. Feel free to take pictures and study them in your own time. You know what? Just apply to my country for the entire file. There are over 3,000 pages, and you can¡¯t take photos of all of them. I¡¯ll hand the file to Sky Eye. Anyone interested can ask them for the detailed equations.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯d like a copy.¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± ¡°Mr. Lang, I¡¯m a Neigerian ambassador, and for the friendship between the two countries, please save us a copy, too.¡± SE2 was bound to become the key research subject of all the scientists. Obtaining this substance would be like having a superweapon that could destroy the solar system. Even nuclear weapons were like toys in front of it. The scientists had to pay special attention to this substance. Henry tapped on the table. ¡°Please be quiet. We¡¯ll talk about that later because the purpose of this conference is to explain the space cannon, not SE2. We¡¯ll make further arrangements once we get through this catastrophe.¡± This time, no one talked back. They sat back in their seats and kept their silence. ¡°Mr. Soan, where are we on the construction of the real space cannon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 70% completed.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, is it possible to build one for Winland?¡± ¡°One space cannon will be more than enough.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, how will the space cannon affect Earth? Can it withstand the recoil force?¡± ¡°Yes, it can. The mini space cannon didn¡¯t have any protective device, whereas the full-sized one will be equipped with various devices to counterbalance the kick and confine the force to a limited area. The cannon won¡¯t do any harm to Earth.¡± Various scientists from other countries asked their questions in turn, and Himmel Soan answered all of them. When confidential information was involved, he would find an excuse or make something up, but he would tell the truth for the rest of the questions. People were also asking questions online, and Henry would read them to Himmel Soan before he patiently answered them. When they had a better understanding of the space cannon, people realized that the energy cannon was like a toy in comparison! Chapter 104 - Innate Vigorous Energy Extractor Chapter 104 Innate Vigorous Energy Extractor Space cannon was a superweapon. It didn¡¯t belong to this era. If one were to put a time stamp on it, it was a weapon of one or two millennia later. Humans of this age didn¡¯t have the ability to build such weapons. However, Himmel Soan, the 200-year-old man, had successfully built one. Because of the space cannon, people began to believe his age. Maybe he was the key to saving Earth! The original plan was to spend two hours on the space cannon and one hour on the underground shelter. However, the audience was so intrigued that they kept bombarding Himmel Soan with questions. After three hours, they were still inquiring about the space cannon. Himmel Soan cleared his throat, saying, ¡°I think we should stop here. I¡¯ve told you the space cannon¡¯s overall structure and principle, and you¡¯ve seen the diagram. Let¡¯s move on to the next subject. I¡¯m going to tell you why I find the arks unreliable and why we have to build underground shelters!¡± The audience took out notebooks and listened carefully. Himmel Soan started from the beginning. ¡°I have my own theory, and I don¡¯t like using existing units. Before I get into the details, I¡¯ll introduce the units in my system. I use T to represent power and Z the hardness. The two correspond with each other. The power of iT can destroy an object with the hardness of 1Z. That¡¯s all you need to know. ¡°From my observation, the hardness of the super meteorite is close to 5 billion Z-4.9 billion Z, to be more precise. The power of the energy cannon is between 50 to 80 thousand T. It¡¯s never going to be powerful enough to destroy the meteorite! ¡°1.2 billion T of power could destroy the solar system. That is to say, the meteorite is harder than the sun and even harder to destroy. It¡¯s not what the energy cannon is designed to do! ¡°The meteorite is approaching Earth at 1/360 the speed of light. With its hardness, one can only imagine what damage it will do to Earth. The impact will exceed over 10 billion T. Do you think a mere ark can withstand that kind of impact? ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to stop it with the space cannon, but the meteorite will still affect Earth when it approaches us. Tsunamis and volcanic eruptions are unavoidable, and earthquakes are expected. The arks can withstand all of that. However, they won¡¯t withstand the broken pieces of the meteorite! ¡°Nothing can completely pulverize the meteorite, not even the space cannon. After it¡¯s blown up, small pieces of it will still enter the atmosphere and land on Earth. The power of those pieces will be between 60 thousand T to 1.7 million T. ¡°That¡¯s to say, the energy cannon may not have the power to destroy even one piece of the meteorite. Do you think the arks can withstand the energy cannon? Of course not! The defensive power of the arks is within 20 thousand Z. They¡¯ll be destroyed by a small piece of the meteorite.¡± Someone raised their hand, asking, ¡°Mr. Soan, will the underground shelter withstand it, then? What if there¡¯s an earthquake?¡± ¡°Regarding the underground shelter, the depth between 500m to 1km underground is the possible safe zone, whereas anywhere deeper than ikm will be the absolute safe zone. Because of the meteorite¡¯s shape, when the broken pieces hit Earth, they¡¯ll create pits at most 400m deep. There can be exceptions, which may reach beyond 500m. Therefore, the deeper the underground shelters are, the safer they will be. ¡°Then, there are the earthquakes. The falling meteorite pieces and earthquakes can cause the underground shelter to collapse. Therefore, we need another substance, the IVE!! Of course, that was short for ¡°innate vigorous energy.¡± Using the abbreviation made it sound much more sophisticated. ¡°What¡¯s IVE?¡± ¡°It¡¯s another substance. It¡¯s not as powerful as SE, but it¡¯s much more pliable and durable. It can sustain the entire underground shelter. Even if the ground caves in, the shelter will maintain its structure. Bring forth the device.¡± Viclan waved his hand, and some staff carried the giant Innate Vigorous Energy Extractor onto the stage. Himmel Soan said, ¡°This is the IVE Extractor. It needs a human factor to work because one of the elements it needs comes from the human body. One only needs to put their hand on the device, and it¡¯ll produce IVE. It¡¯s already in mass production in my country. A thousand devices are needed for a shelter that fits a million people. Of course, we can always upgrade the capacity. That way, we may only need ten or a hundred devices.¡± Someone asked, ¡°Mr. Soan, in that case, can we have this device on the arks?¡± ¡°No. The device has to be set on a steady, level surface. The arks are too bumpy. A little tilt and the device will stop working.¡± ¡°What if we steady the ark?¡± ¡°Are you sure you can do that? Once the earthquakes and tsunamis hit, how are you going to stabilize the arks? When the arks tilt, the device will stop working, and the arks can be destroyed by the meteorite pieces at any moment!¡± The audience finally understood why Himmel Soan insisted on building the underground shelter. That also explained why he had called the arks unreliable. ¡°I see!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan knew it all along. Why didn¡¯t he tell us before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He knew all along! Why is he only telling us now? Why didn¡¯t he tell us as soon as he discovered the meteorite?¡± ¡°Do you believe him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you? We don¡¯t have much time left!¡± ¡°You deserve to die!¡± ¡°You¡¯re all idiots! Do you believe everything other people tell you? Arks are the more reliable choice. That Himmel Soan sounds so fake!¡± Henry also brought up those questions at the conference. Himmel Soan ignored the people who still wouldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I told the world a meteorite was coming as soon as I discovered it. Did any country believe me? Some people still doubt me now, but that¡¯s all I have to say. My country is giving out the blueprint of this device for free. You¡¯re all welcome to make a copy. We still have time to build some more. Moon also needs to build a lot of extractors, so we won¡¯t be able to help other countries. I¡¯m sorry!¡± In Neige. When Oraman heard this, he shouted at his secretary, ¡°Get a blueprint now! We¡¯ll start the production right away!¡± Chapter 105 - It’s All Fake Chapter 105 It¡¯s All Fake ¡°Mr. President, do you really believe him?¡± Maruse stared at Oraman in disbelief. In his opinion, Himmel Soan was full of bullshit! The Immortal Fruit didn¡¯t exist. It was only fabricated by Moon to fool the world. Oraman said, ¡°I don¡¯t see any signs of deception. You also saw what the space cannon did.¡± One of the officials said, ¡°Mr. President, that man has no credit at all! The space cannon is unattainable because it¡¯s way beyond our current technology standard. It¡¯s like jumping from the first floor to the third without mentioning the second floor! Science is about taking one step at a time, but that Himmel Soan has completely ignored that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s an essential process. Without it, one can never achieve an advanced technology standard! What he said was like a sci-fi movie. We can create the effect with CGI, but we can¡¯t replicate it in reality!¡± Oraman asked, ¡°What about that space cannon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably some kind of illusion, too. Mr. President, I¡¯m sure you know how magic is performed. The magicians can fly, teleport, make people disappear, and even change the weather. However, they¡¯re all illusions. Magic isn¡¯t real. You must know that! Can any country make people fly or teleport them? Of course not!¡± Maruse said, ¡°I agree! Moon is an ancient country, and they have a lot of old tricks. What they did during the press conference was probably one of those tricks.¡± Oraman sat down and rubbed his chin. ¡°If that were the case, why would he give us the blueprint for free?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a clever plan! The blueprint must contain some sort of secret that can steal information for Moon. Once other countries build it, they will be controlled by Moon. That¡¯s their first step to world domination! They¡¯re more aggressive than us. We only want to profit from the catastrophe, but they want to take this opportunity to rule the world!¡± Oraman fell silent, his face darkening. If what they said about Moon was true, he would have almost fallen for the scam! How cunning! For a split second, Oraman really wanted the blueprint and initiate mass production. He broke into a cold sweat when he thought back to it and felt glad that he had dodged the bullet. ¡°I¡¯m impressed! They almost fooled me! ¡°We must warn the other countries, too. They have to watch out, or they¡¯ll all become victims.¡± ¡°Although the chance is slim, what if he¡¯s telling the truth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you said; the chance is slim. More likely than not that he¡¯s lying. Moreover, Mr. President, do you really think we can build a weapon that belongs to a future era? Is that possible?¡± Oraman nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s impossible! I was being naive. I¡¯ll leave it to you to sort it out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Their top priority was to stop any other country from trusting Moon. One moment ago. ¡°So, Moon has been right all along! Arks won¡¯t save our lives! Get the blueprint now and build the underground shelter!¡± ¡°What are we waiting for? Get the blueprint!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve misunderstood Moon! We¡¯re the real clowns!¡± ¡°Thank you, Moon! Thank you, Himmel Soan! Without you, we¡¯d be dead!¡± ¡°Are the arks only 200,000Z strong? I¡¯m glad I¡¯m poor and didn¡¯t buy a ticket!¡± ¡°Is there still space left in the Moonian underground shelter? How much is a ticket? I want to buy one!¡± Once the hired posters from Neigerian joined the commentators, things took a drastic turn. It was like everything changed in a moment. ¡°Open your eyes, guys! That wasn¡¯t real! The Moonians have tricked you with an illusion! Neige has dug out some information from Moon. As you can see here, it wasn¡¯t a live stream but a recording! The people in it are all actors! Scientists and reporters of other countries may not know it, but no Neigerian participated in that event!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That video has been edited, and those people were all hired actors!¡± ¡°Just think about it! How can a superweapon like that exist? Things like Immortal Fruit only exist in movies and fiction. They can¡¯t be real! Moon has fabricated the whole thing!¡± ¡°Why did they do it?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve given us the blueprint for free! I know some scientific theories. The blueprint looks fine to me.¡± ¡°Do you really know the theories? Are you sure you can understand everything on the blueprint? You can only understand a fraction of it, and you¡¯ll have to seek Moon¡¯s help for the rest. They¡¯ll give you some spare parts, which are the key to their plot! They¡¯ll bug those parts! Once you use the device, all the secrets of your country will be sent back to Moon!¡± ¡°They¡¯ll control the security, weapons, and internet systems of your country! Moon will become the ruler of the world! That¡¯s their whole plan!¡± Some more level-headed netizens questioned the conclusion. ¡°If all that was fake, Moon wouldn¡¯t exist after this catastrophe. What¡¯s the point of making such an elaborate plan?¡± ¡°Says who? We have 105 hours till the impact, a little over four days. The machines can be built in a day, and in two days, all countries will have them. Moon will have instant control over all the nations, and they¡¯ll take away all your arks! You¡¯ll become their free labor! The only survivors will be Moonians and those who submit to them! ¡°Once that happens, your future is doomed! Moon will become the only leading country after the catastrophe! We can¡¯t let that happen!¡± Chapter 106 - Liar Chapter 106 Liar Once the paid posters began to do their job, the public opinion online changed. Everyone was thanking Moon at first, but gradually, some people began to curse the country until everyone was doing it. That was to say, only a handful of people were wise enough to survive this catastrophe. In Winland. ¡°Mr. President, what do you think?¡± ¡°The Neigerians won¡¯t risk their own lives. If they don¡¯t want the blueprint, nor do we! Accepting it may even offend them.¡± ¡°But what if it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Neige should know better than us. They want to figure out the truth more than we do. We¡¯ll just follow them.¡± In Panthera. ¡°Mr. President, people are saying¡­¡± ¡°Ignore them. They¡¯re all idiots! Moon has kept nothing to itself, but those people can still find a way to refute it. They¡¯re risking their own lives! I don¡¯t care what they do. Moon has sent us some devices, but it doesn¡¯t have the time and energy to build more for us. Give the blueprint to the manufacturers and tell them to go into full production.¡± ¡°Mr. President, are you sure we can trust Moon? According to Neige, this is the first step of Moon¡¯s world domination!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been allies with Moon for so many years, and there are no secrets between the two countries. What can they possibly steal from us? What do they need it for? Moonians know everything about our country! Don¡¯t be so dumb! Get on with it!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Padaski was Moon¡¯s closest ally and agreed with Moon on everything. The country was underdeveloped, and Moon had given Padaski all the help it could offer. Because of that, Padaskians treated Moonians almost better than their own. Seeing that almost all other countries were criticizing Moon, the Padaskians couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. They fought back for their Moonian brethren. ¡°You people deserve to die!¡± ¡°How much do you know about Moon? You just assume they care about profit as much as you do! They have a thousand-year-old civilization, and it¡¯s beyond your comprehension! You people have no shame at all! It¡¯s impossible to explain to you what a great nation is doing! I won¡¯t stop you if you want to die!¡± ¡°Moon is saving the world, not endanger it! Why won¡¯t you listen?¡± ¡°Guys, please start building the devices while you still have time! We already have 20,000 of them! Moon gave them to us for free! Do you think Moon is trying to control Padaski, too? Does anyone not know the friendship between our countries?¡± It didn¡¯t work! Their persuasion did nothing to change the situation. The power of conspiracy theory was terrifying. Countries that were more advanced than Moon were especially convinced by those theories. They believed that Moon wasn¡¯t good enough to be in the top ten and should remain a backwater country forever. It was like the psychology of a mediocre student. He didn¡¯t feel threatened by the top students because he would never be their match. However, he would never let students with poorer grades exceed him. Moon was currently considered to be the worst student in this ¡°class.¡± ¡°Liar! He has played with our feelings!¡± ¡°I thought Moon was so generous, but they¡¯re only trying to steal our secrets! Shame on them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s such a mean thing to do!¡± ¡°Stop trying to fool us with some fake video! It has been debunked online already! I knew it! How could a twenty-year-old know so much?!¡± ¡°He even claimed himself to be 200 years old! He can go to hell!¡± ¡°They almost fooled us!¡± ¡°I hope all Moonians will die in the catastrophe!¡± ¡°If Moonians somehow survive this disaster, I¡¯m going to pay them a visit! Just wait and see!¡± ¡°Those heartless bastards! They¡¯re still trying to control other countries when death is upon us! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so angry! I think it¡¯s giving me a heart attack! We should stop giving Moon any resources!¡± Needless to say, Neige¡¯s campaign was very successful. Over 95% of countries were persuaded. They thought they had made a clever move. Little did they know that they had led themselves into their own doom. Himmel Soan and Henry were celebrating the success of the press conference. However, they soon read the comments online. Himmel Soan sighed. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ve done everything we could, and there¡¯s no time for a second press conference. We still need to work on some key parts of the space cannon. I have to finish the work in two days.¡± Henry was so frustrated that he smashed the laptop. He told his secretary, ¡°Just leave it be! Don¡¯t show me any of those comments again. They¡¯re on their own!¡± Gordon asked, ¡°What did the Moonians say?¡± The secretary said, ¡°They have faith in us.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s all we need.¡± Other countries had a reason to doubt Moon, but Moonians didn¡¯t. They would love to see their country rise to the top, so most of them believed the press conference to be true. This was Himmel Soan¡¯s last public appearance before the meteorite arrived. The number of insulting comments was still growing. They were furious at first but grew less intense as time went by. The catastrophe was almost upon the human race, and everyone was busy finding their own shelter. ¡°Build as many devices as we can. We may be able to save some more people.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± That was Henry¡¯s last command before the time came. 100 hours to go. 80 hours. 48 hours. No one was in the mood to bicker. The super meteorite was two days away. It was almost visible from Earth, even blocking the sun. The sky had dimmed, and natural disasters were taking place all over the world. Eight million Neigerians were evacuated. The Redmen Volcano erupted after three hundred years, resulting in 9,891 casualties. The ice cap of the south pole cracked and started melting. The sea level rose, and tsunamis attacked the coastal countries. Countless people were affected. Earthquakes began to happen in many regions. Chapter 107 - Chaos Chapter 107 Chaos ¡°Run! It¡¯s a tsunami!¡± ¡°Ah ¡° ¡°Help! Help me!¡± ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± ¡°Honey, grab my hand!¡± ¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s an earthquake! Run!¡± ¡°Where can we go? We don¡¯t have the money for the arks! We can¡¯t escape!¡± ¡°Look! There¡¯s a helicopter! Over here! Help us!¡± ¡°Are they blind? Over here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so scary. I feel so lucky that we¡¯re on the ark!¡± ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on outside?¡± ¡°What do you think? All the cell towers are destroyed, and we can¡¯t get any service. It doesn¡¯t look promising¡­¡± All hell had broken loose. Winland and Flamia were coastal countries, and they were the first to be affected by the tsunami. All 88 arks were activated, but they weren¡¯t big enough to fit all their citizens. The rich people had taken shelter in Neige, and the poor had stayed behind. The Flamian and Winish arks weren¡¯t free either. One still had to buy a ticket. Moreover, the seats were limited, and many people couldn¡¯t get in. ¡°I heard Moonian shelters are free. Is that true?¡± ¡°Are you serious? Do you still have faith in them? There¡¯s an ocean between us and that country! It¡¯s impossible to travel by boat now. So what if they¡¯re free! Are you going to swim?¡± ¡°Even if you get there, how do you know their shelter is safe? If seawater floods that country, it¡¯ll pour into the underground shelter, and everyone inside will drown!¡± When the tsunami was finally over, the survivors gathered together, all soaking wet and anxious. They were trying to figure out a solution. They were surrounded by seawater, and the wind was billowing. If they hadn¡¯t had a roof over their heads, they would freeze to death. The building they were in was a 99m tall skyscraper, but only a few floors were above the water level now. It looked like a lone island in the sea. Flamia and Winland were hit by the tsunami, whereas Neige and Woodia had earthquakes. The super earthquake tore the ground open, devouring countless lives. Helicopters kept flying back and forth in the sky, and some still had working communication devices. However, they never stopped to help the survivors. They were picking up the rich people. Tickets to the Neigerian arks were sold at 1 billion Neigerian dollars at their peak. The price then dropped and remained at 30 million. But only very few people could afford it. Many Neigerians survived on bank loans. They couldn¡¯t raise 30 thousand, let alone 30 million. They had lost all hope. ¡°Please help us!¡± They shouted at the helicopters when they flew by, but their efforts were in vain. Neige had built over 1,000 arks, more than any other country in the world. But they were all filled to the brim. The passengers were wealthy people from all over the world. It was common knowledge that Neige was the wealthiest country in the world and only wanted the best for themselves. They valued profit above anything else. If one had the money, Neige didn¡¯t care if they were a criminal. Without the money, no one could board the arks, not even a native Neigerian. Although many countries had arks, they weren¡¯t as durable as the Neigerian ones. Most countries believed that Neige was the real shelter. The arks were sent into the ocean when the earthquake hit, and Neige was on the brink of crisis. Countless people lost their homes. Maybe those killed in the catastrophe were the lucky ones. The dead didn¡¯t need to worry about finding food, shelter, and ways to get onto the arks. Padaski, Panthera, and Iceana weren¡¯t close to the sea, but they were located above where the tectonic plates joined and were overwhelmed by the erupting volcanoes and tornadoes. Over two hundred volcanoes erupted one after another, and the hurricanes in some areas were unprecedented. How strong were they? A gust of wind could peel off the top layer of the ground, uprooting the trees and even the buildings. However, strange things were happening in Panthera, Padaski, and Lumia. The tornadoes looked like they could destroy everything between heaven and earth, and magma fell like thunderstorms. No trees or buildings could withstand a natural disaster of this scale. Rocks, trees, cars, and even trains were blown off the ground and flew in the air. However, in each major city of these countries, a large house remained standing. They were the above-ground shelters. Inside was the passageway leading to the underground shelters. No matter how strong the wind was or how much magma was falling, anything landing on the big house would be bounced off. The house itself was packed. The people inside were looking at the sky in terror and astonishment. No wind could budge the house even a little. Rocks made loud thumps when they hit the roof, but the house remained unaffected. That was because the house was supported by over fifty high-power IVE Extractors. Thousands of people had put their hands on the devices, and an endless stream of innate vigorous energy defended the house against the turmoil outside. Apart from spiritual essence, nothing could breach the shield. ¡°That¡¯s incredible! We¡¯re still alive! We survived!¡± When they looked out of the windows again, they saw a bleak view. The hurricane had destroyed all the plants, vehicles, and buildings in the city. This shelter was the only thing still standing. It looked like a lone reef in the ocean. No tidal wave could make it move. ¡°Are we safe? The IVE Extractors are amazing! It¡¯s a miracle!¡± ¡°Mr. President has ordered us to go underground. It¡¯s too dangerous here. The meteorite will hit Earth in about 40 hours.¡± Chapter 108 - Because of Trust Chapter 108 Because of Trust The Pantherese president was in one of the above-ground shelters. The building was a 180m tall skyscraper. He had spoken to Himmel Soan and asked the latter if they could shield a building with the IVE Extractor and only go underground when the meteorite was very close. The answer was yes, but they had to maintain the capacity of the extractors. With enough innate vigorous energy and the proper surface to attach to, the innate vigorous energy could even shield a city. However, it needed a proper base. The building of the above-ground shelter was the proper surface, and so were the walls of the underground shelter. Innate vigorous energy looked like a liquid gas and could even become solid. The prerequisite to becoming solid was to have it attached to an object. The energy wouldn¡¯t take shape on its own without being directed by mental force. Being a cultivator, Himmel Soan could easily control the innate vigorous energy with his mental power. He could mold the energy into a shield around himself. However, ordinary people didn¡¯t have mental strength. The innate vigorous energy produced by the extractor had the texture of glue. It was useless without a container. To protect the city with it, one would need a building that could cover the whole city. It was both unrealistic and unattainable. An underground shelter was much more efficient and practical. Moreover, there was the meteorite. The falling broken pieces of the super meteorite were equivalent to a spiritual essence attack, which the innate vigorous energy couldn¡¯t withstand. All in all, underground shelters were the safest options. That was why Himmel Soan had always insisted on building them. He had thought it through beforehand. If there were a better choice, he would have used it. If they were to protect the land at the cost of human lives, they could end up losing both. However, if they were to prioritize the human race, they would have both the people and the land. They could live in destroyed cities because the survivors could rebuild the world. But if the human race went extinct, what good would empty cities do, no matter how intact they were? The Pantherese president got nervous when the tornado appeared. It moved closer and closer to the building they were in, but he gritted his teeth and stood his ground. Other people tried to talk him into taking shelter underground, but he was a stubborn man. Soon, the tornado devoured the building. There were 70,000 people in here, and they were all frightened. They were expecting falling stones to crack the building open. Or the wind might uproot the entire structure. This was the moment to test Himmel Soan¡¯s theory. It could cost their lives. If what Himmel Soan said was true, it would mean that Moon was worth trusting The tornado soon spat out the building and moved away. The surrounding area was grazed to the ground, but the building was intact without so much as missing a brick. The Pantherese inside were soaking wet from their sweat. Thousands of stalwart men still had their hands on the devices and were ecstatic that they were alive. ¡°The machine has saved us!¡± ¡°That was unbelievable!¡± ¡°We¡¯re alive! We¡¯re going to be fine! We defeated the tornado!¡± ¡°Long live Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°I love that man!¡± ¡°I was so scared! If Himmel Soan had lied to us, we would have turned into a pulp! We¡¯re so lucky!¡± Some people dropped to their knees and burst into tears. Some hugged one another in excitement. Others sat in the corner and lit a cigarette with gratitude written all over their faces. ¡°Mr. President, weren¡¯t you afraid? Did you know this was going to happen?¡± someone asked the president, who was standing by the window and looking out. The man took a drag of his cigarette and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not clairvoyant, but I have faith in Moon. I knew they wouldn¡¯t harm us, nor would they put our lives at risk!¡± ¡°Panthera and Moon are allies forever!¡± said one of the high-ranking officials. The president spoke again after he finished his cigarette, ¡°Get everybody into the shelters and send rescue teams to search for survivors! If they find any, bring them back! Stay safe and come back here before the next tornado hits us!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. President?¡± ¡°From now on, Himmel Soan will be the god of science! If Panthera can survive this catastrophe, we¡¯ll grant him the highest form of honor!¡± The high-ranking officials were surprised at first, but they soon bowed their heads. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± It was only the precursor. The actual catastrophe hadn¡¯t started yet. So far, the hurricanes, volcanoes, and tsunamis hadn¡¯t posed any real threats to the arks. All arks were packed, no matter which country they belonged to. All countries were in survival mode now. The doors were all sealed, and no one was allowed to go in or out. The arks went through a bumpy ride, but so far, their lives weren¡¯t threatened. They had water, food, and other resources that could last at least six months onboard. Of course, that only applied to the luxurious arks. The less expensive ones weren¡¯t as well-equipped, and the passengers barely had enough room to stand. ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a toast to our safety and freedom!¡± In the luxurious arks, the wealthy men were already celebrating over champagne. Eternity was the largest and most luxurious Neigerian ark, and it was also the most durable ark in the world. It was the ride of Oraman, Maruse, and other high-ranking Neigerian officials. The ship was over a thousand meters tall. It looked like a mountain and was about the size of a city. It was fixed to the ground with eight million steel columns. There was a launch portal at the top of the ark. Eternity wasn¡¯t just an ark. It was also the launch base of the energy cannon! Chapter 109 - Eternity, the Hope Chapter 109 Eternity, the Hope At the bottom of Eternity was a giant generator. The ark was also equipped with a backup generator and transmitters. No matter what happened outside, as long as the three cabin doors remained intact, the people inside would be safe. Yes, Eternity was protected by three layers of hulls. That way, the safety was triple-guaranteed. There was some space between the two layers. Once the first protective shell was destroyed, Eternity could manually shake off that layer. The Neigerian scientists had run numerous tests. Each layer was as durable as the next, and even rockets couldn¡¯t leave a dent. The Neigerians believed that Eternity would last forever, as the name suggested. They were convinced that the catastrophe wouldn¡¯t be able to touch anyone aboard Eternity. The passengers of Eternity also regarded themselves to be the luckiest. Money alone couldn¡¯t give one access to this ark. Of course, one had to be rich, but that was only one of the requirements. More importantly, one had to be well connected. There were almost no Moonians on this ark because Neige had boycotted Moon. Even the wealthiest and most privileged Moonians couldn¡¯t get in, including those that had changed their nationality to Neige. Other arks didn¡¯t have communication devices, but on Eternity, life was as normal as before. The scientists working in Cabin One were closely monitoring what was going on outside, and all the satellites were watching out for the super meteorite. However, the meteorite was moving too fast for them to lock onto its location. They could only estimate its location with data that had lagged behind. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the super meteorite has entered the solar system and is 38 hours away from Earth. Please be reassured that we¡¯ll destroy it before it lands on Earth! Even if that solution fails, Eternity will still be your haven! Please drink and dance while we wait for this catastrophe to end! I can¡¯t say the same for other countries, though. Some of them will be wiped off the face of the earth! Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± Oraman, Maruse, and other passengers began to celebrate. Oraman whispered to Maruse, ¡°Contact Panthera for me. I want to know what¡¯s going on over there.¡± ¡°Sure, but I don¡¯t think there is a Panthera to contact at this point. I heard they were hit by a super cyclone and volcano eruptions. That country has probably been wiped off the map.¡± Maruse chuckled. Oraman laughed. ¡°The Panthese president put too much faith in Moon. What can those lousy devices possibly do? I hope he¡¯s still alive because I can¡¯t wait to see him wallowing in regret. I want to see him kneeling and begging to get on our ark!¡±. He shifted in his seat as he said those words, which he considered a joke. Maruse also laughed. ¡°I¡¯d love to see that, too. Panthera used to be a superpower, but that man has just destroyed his own country. His people will hate him forever. Get in touch with the Panthese president!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Back in Moon. ¡°Done!¡± Himmel Soan completed his calculation. Everything was just as he had expected. Metaphysics wasn¡¯t the enemy of science. The two were, in fact, connected. There was no limit to science. Himmel Soan only realized how powerful science was after he did some research. He used to think metaphysics would end science because there would always exist things that science couldn¡¯t explain while metaphysics could. Cultivators could move mountains and seas with a wave of their hands. Could science do that? Cultivators could have eternal youth and immortal lives. Could science do that? Cultivators could save or take lives with their minds. They could travel from the core of the earth to outer space. Could science do that? The answer was yes. However, science was much more complicated than metaphysics. Cultivators worked on their own power to comprehend the laws of nature and use them to exert a force that could exceed all known power. Science could exert the same level of power, but the process was much more complicated. It could be simplified, but that would require more advanced scientific technology. For example, a cultivator at the Gas Refining Stage could crush a brick with his bare fists. A scientist could easily achieve that as well. He could use gunpowder. It would easily blow up a brick. At first, gunpowder wasn¡¯t very convenient to use. With the development of technology, the devices changed. Cannons, rifles, and pistols were invented. Pistols represented the scientific solution. The more advanced the technology was, the smaller the pistols became. When gunpowder was first invented, a whole barrel couldn¡¯t bring down a bridge. But now, a bomb the size of an apple could wipe off the building of several blocks. That was how science had made its progress, and it was a sign of simplification. The current scientific research standard would need at least hundreds, if not thousands, of years to achieve Himmel Soan¡¯s power. However, science would get there eventually. Himmel Soan could easily destroy Earth even now, let alone in his prime state. Science could do the same. When he recovered his full strength, Himmel Soan could destroy the solar system or even the galaxy. Science couldn¡¯t do it now, but it could one day. Himmel Soan¡¯s recent inventions proved that one could extract and utilize the spiritual essence with scientific methods. When more scientific methods were discovered, eventually, scientists would make a breakthrough and probably improve the potency of the spiritual essence. The space cannon could be simplified. Maybe in a hundred thousand years, the enormous space cannon could shrink to the size of a pistol. Everyone could have one, and one bullet could destroy the sun. That was science. The difference between science and metaphysics was that not everyone could learn metaphysics. It required talent and comprehension. It was more like a craft passed down from one generation to the next. On the other hand, once there was a scientific breakthrough, the entire human race would reap the reward. People didn¡¯t need to learn anything for that, and even children could benefit from it. It was more like a household device. However, to make such a scientific breakthrough was so difficult. To shrink the space cannon that was half the size of the Pegasus Grassland to a weapon the size of a pistol was way more complicated than it sounded. Chapter 110 - Science and Metaphysics Chapter 110 Science and Metaphysics The goal was impossible to achieve without millions of years of effort. Maybe out there, someone had succeeded. Himmel Soan looked up at the sky. There were countless planets in the universe, and Earth shouldn¡¯t be alone. Earth couldn¡¯t be the only planet with a civilization. Other planets had to have life forms as well. He wondered how long a history those planets had. Had they invented the mini space cannon yet? What was their technology standard? One of the reasons that Himmel Soan was confident about this conclusion was the super meteorite. It didn¡¯t feel natural. The speed was too high. Could it be ¡°man-made¡± somehow? Then someone launched it from far, far away. The meteorite could be a detector that collected information along the way and transmitted it back to its home planet. That would be terrifying! To create a super meteorite, that civilization had to be very advanced. Earth would be nothing in comparison! Himmel Soan pondered for a moment before rolling up his blueprints. ¡°Warren.¡± ¡°Patriarch!¡± ¡°Give these two blueprints to Viclan. Tell him to start working on it right away.¡± Himmel Soan then activated his mental force to search for the meteorite. It had entered the solar system and would probably reach Earth in 36 hours. He would fire the space cannon when it was an hour away. That gave him 35 hours to prepare, about one day and a half days. He had to use this time to build the spiritual essence storage device and the power source so that he could assemble the finished space cannon. He still had time. Moon had the largest population on Earth, and the workers were very efficient. The construction of the device wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Moreover, the storage device wasn¡¯t complicated to build. The raw materials were the tricky part. Now that the materials had been sorted out, they could start the mass production. The mold was already prepared. The materials would be put into the mold, and it would only take a few seconds for the parts to take shape. The worker could then put them together. It was that simple. ¡°Mr. Soan, I heard you¡¯ve built all the parts of the space cannon.¡± Henry, Gordon, and the president arrived at the lab. Himmel Soan nodded at them. ¡°The blueprints are done. All we need to do is build the device. How is it going out there?¡± The three men¡¯s faces darkened. ¡°It¡¯s not looking good. The catastrophe is upon us. Everything hit us at once, and many countries are in danger. There are tens of billions of people on Earth, and we can¡¯t possibly build enough arks to shelter them all. Our information suggests that over a million people have died.¡± Gordon said, ¡°Mr. Soan, your IVE Extractor is amazing. Our country has been hit by tornadoes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms. Thanks to the device, we haven¡¯t had many casualties. Most people have entered the underground shelter. We couldn¡¯t move the signal towers, base stations, and power generators, so we¡¯ve set up IVE Extractors around them. So far, we¡¯ve lost fewer than ten thousand facilities. Cell services and electric power have remained relatively normal.¡± Moon was a vast country. Because of that, it had been hit by more disasters than other countries. Moonians trusted Himmel Soan¡¯s IVE Extractors and the underground shelter. Over 90% of the population had been evacuated, and the rest 10% was considered missing for the time being Some had gone abroad, and some might be in hiding. All in all, no dead bodies had been found. The casualties so far were 800, and most of them were workers and members of the Dragon Tribe and the Soan empire. Very few civilians had died. ¡°Good. The meteorite hasn¡¯t arrived yet, and things will only get worse. We can¡¯t let our guards down! Get everyone into the underground shelter pronto!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°What about other countries?¡± Himmel Soan asked. The president sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not very promising. We¡¯ve sent them the devices, but few of them were willing to accept them. They all believed we had tampered with the machines. We¡¯ve opened up our borders. If any individual or country asks for our help, we¡¯ll give them all the help we can offer.¡± Gordon said, ¡°The president has sent out troops to our neighboring countries. They have the IVE Extractors with them and will rescue the people stranded by storms and hurricanes.¡± That would work. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think of that before. The soldiers carried tents, IVE Extractors, and power generators with them. If they ran into disasters like a sand storm, they could set up the tent and shield it with innate vigorous energy. That way, they could stay out of danger. However, it wasn¡¯t 100% safe. In the case of a flood, the water could enter the tent from below. Similarly, there was little they could do when they ran into a landslide. ¡°Don¡¯t send any more people. We need to guard this place. Mr. President, Director Lang, General Marlow, we don¡¯t have much time left. Get all the Moonians back. I¡¯ll take it from here and lead a rescue team consisting of people of the three divisions only.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, we can¡¯t let you do that!¡± The president was nervous. Himmel Soan was too important to the country, and they couldn¡¯t afford to lose him. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. President. Please go to the underground shelter immediately. The Soan empire will take care of the rest.¡± Himmel Soan then left the room and gave an order. ¡°Assemble the three divisions!¡± Drake said, ¡°The Himmelian Village is ready!¡± Phoebe said, ¡°The Himmelian Pavilion is ready!¡± Liam said, ¡°The Himmelians are ready!¡± Members of the three divisions were all cultivators. Some of them were only junior ones, but they were still far more capable than ordinary people. An ordinary person would have no chance of surviving these tsunamis and earthquakes. However, members of the three divisions would have a 90% survival rate. The Villagers were the most capable ones. They could walk in the ruins as if they were on level ground. The Himmelians were the most nimble ones. They could adapt to most situations. The Himmelian Pavilion had the best swimmers, and they would work wonders in the flood and tsunamis. Chapter 111 - In Full Strength Chapter 111 In Full Strength ¡°Mom! Mom! ¡°Mom, I¡¯m scared¡­ ¡°Mom¡­ Help me¡­¡± ¡°Honey, hold on! Don¡¯t be scared! I¡¯m here! Mom¡¯s here!¡± The earthquake split a remote city in Woodia into two halves. The left half had sunken 200m into the ground, while the right half was on the verge of collapsing as well. The ground opened up so abruptly that many people fell into the chasm. Then came the stones, and it was almost impossible to survive. Even if one could avoid the falling stones, the 200m drop could still kill them. Even a rock or a vehicle would be shattered by the fall, let alone a human being. A little girl was hanging off the edge of the cliff, and her mom was holding her by her hand. The mother was gritting her teeth, and tears were rolling down her cheeks. She knew she couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer, but she was still cheering her daughter up. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t let go!¡± The woman¡¯s lower half was almost gone. When the stones fell, she pushed her husband out of the way, but her legs were crushed by the big rock. Her husband didn¡¯t survive. Although the stone missed him, he fell into the chasm and had been missing ever since. He was said to be missing, but it was obvious what happened to him. No one could survive a fall from that height. He was dead. Before the woman would scream, she saw her eight-year-old daughter falling over the edge. Adrenaline kicked in. She crawled to the edge of the chasm with her hands and caught her daughter in time. However, she couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer. The pain of losing her legs was excruciating. She had little to hold onto, and grabbing her daughter had drained her energy. It was impossible to pull the girl back up. After the earthquake, few people were still standing. Even if they could, their top priority was to find their family. The people closest to the woman were nearly 100m away. No one could help her now. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Mom, why are my friends all in the ark? Why aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t afford the tickets.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they free?¡± Free? Who was she kidding? No country would do that! Even countries like Soilia, Grassia, Goldia, and Flamia were selling tickets, not to mention Neige, where everything had a price. They had no choice. There were too few arks and too many people. Time was of the essence, and no country had enough time to build as many arks as they wanted. The developed countries built thirty or forty arks. The less wealthy ones like Woodia only managed to build eleven in seven days. They weren¡¯t the worst because some countries couldn¡¯t build a single one. What good could eleven arks do? Woodia had 200 million people. Even 110 arks couldn¡¯t fit all of them. The girl cried when her mother fell silent. ¡°Why is the Moonian shelter free? Mom, I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± The woman wept. ¡°Honey, I can¡¯t hold on for much longer, but I¡¯ll be by your side! If there¡¯s another life, I still want to be your mom! I hope we¡¯ll be Moonians in another life¡­¡± Maybe the Moonians were foolish. They didn¡¯t build any arks before the catastrophe hit. Instead, they trusted Himmel Soan and built an underground shelter. However, they never gave up on any human being. The Moonian shelters were all free. Even if the country would be wiped out, everyone would die together. Everybody was treated equally. Woodia wasn¡¯t like that. Only the wealthy people could live here, while the poor were left to die. The woman wasn¡¯t afraid of death anymore. At this point, all her opinions had changed. She could accept death, but she didn¡¯t want to die in frustration. All lives were supposed to be equal. Yet in the catastrophe, the wealthy people¡¯s lives obviously became more precious. The world wasn¡¯t a fair place. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Sensing her mother¡¯s grip loosening, the girl cried. The woman studied her daughter¡¯s face carefully because they would soon part forever. She had lost all her strength. She hoped she could remember the girl¡¯s face when she was in another world. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m coming with you!¡± The woman gave up and jumped into the chasm with her daughter. Right then, dozens of men in black jumped into her sight. They leaped from one spot to the next like beans bouncing off the ground, covering dozens of meters with each jump. Some of them even stuck to the wall of the cliff like lizards and made their way to the ground level. One of them caught the girl and another one caught the woman. They threw out some hooks to fasten themselves onto the wall. The woman was astonished. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the Moonian rescue team. Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t give up! We¡¯re going to take you back to our country. You¡¯ll be safe there, and your wounds will be treated!¡± The man was from the Himmelian Village. He couldn¡¯t speak the Woodian language, but the translation device he carried translated everything he said. The woman¡¯s first reaction wasn¡¯t to rejoice. Instead, she shouted, ¡°Help my daughter! Help her!¡± The other man approached her with her daughter in his arms. ¡°Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t worry. Your daughter is safe!¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°My baby¡­¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, your legs are bleeding! We have to treat it asap! Off we go!¡± The Soan empire only had so many people, and there were too many countries in the world. They could only send fewer than one to two hundred men to each country. But they could save many lives. They were the savior to those people. They were God. They were angels sent by heaven! ¡°There are two more here! Give me the first-aid kit!¡± ¡°I have one more here! I¡¯m out of medicine! Give me some!¡± The people of the Himmelian Village were stronger than bulldozers. They quickly removed the ruins and dug out the people that had been buried underneath. Himmel Soan had invented some glasses that could detect body temperature. No matter how deep they were buried, the glasses could spot them. ¡°Captain, I have seven people here.¡± ¡°Captain, I found twelve survivors. I need a helicopter.¡± ¡°Captain, Team Four found twenty-two people here, and three are severely injured. They must be evacuated immediately!¡± Chapter 112 - Global Rescue Chapter 112 Global Rescue By now, national borders no longer mattered. No one was there to guard the borders when everyone¡¯s life was threatened. Hence, Moonian helicopters flew all the way to Woodia to transfer the wounded. The airport was nearby. It was already abandoned, and all the flights had stopped operations. The Moonian helicopters could land and take off without asking for permission. All the survivors were taken to Moon. ¡°Help¡­ Help me¡­¡± le ¡°Help¡­ I¡¯m drowning¡­¡± ¡°Run! The flood is coming! Run!¡± ¡°Dad! Dad, where are you?¡± ¡°Who are you? Out of my way!¡± Flamia. The tsunami flooded the cities. The survivors had no time to think. They started running for their lives. But the flood moved much faster than their two legs could carry them. The waves were over ten meters high. The flood had the power to crush everything on its way. The tall buildings were as fragile as glass, and it only took one wave to wash everyone away. Some of them were luckier than others. When the flood hit, they remained conscious and were crying for help. But no one was there to save them. The flood was as relentless as the sickle of Death, harvesting lives as it moved on. The principle of respecting the old and cherishing the youth didn¡¯t apply anymore. Everybody only cared about their own lives. Humanity lost its morals. The old and the young that were in the way were pushed away and stomped on. Some were even killed in the process. The people that pushed them didn¡¯t get away either. The flood soon caught up with them. Some of them were struck down by the waves and drowned in the water while others were slammed into the walls, splashing blood everywhere. They didn¡¯t have much hope to live. Human beings were so puny and fragile when facing natural disasters. The flood rushed through the city, claiming lives after lives. The people were filled with despair. Suddenly, they saw helicopters in the sky. Judging by the words written on them, they belonged to Moon. The survivors on higher lands had stopped asking for help. They had seen helicopters flying by before, but none of them stopped even once. They would fly away even if they heard their pleas for help. The people didn¡¯t believe these ones would do things differently. However, the helicopter voluntarily stopped above them. Whoosh¡­ Numerous lifebuoys were thrown into the water. Dozens of men also jumped out of the helicopters. They were members of the Himmelian Pavilion and were all excellent swimmers. One could even compare them to fish. No, to some extent, they were even better swimmers than fish. Could all fish dive 20,000m into the ocean? Shallow water fish couldn¡¯t go into deep water. The deepwater fish couldn¡¯t survive in the shallow water either. However, the people of the Himmelian Pavilion could do both. They practiced Himmel Soan¡¯s swimming skills, and the water was their second home. They could swim freely in tsunamis and floods, no matter how shallow or deep the water was. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re Moonians!¡± ¡°Are they insane? They jumped into the flood!¡± ¡°Are they trying to save us? Who are they kidding? No one can withstand the waves!¡± Survivors on the roofs were shocked when they saw members of the Himmelian Pavilion jump out of the helicopters. They weren¡¯t laughing at those men. They were only confused, unable to understand why they would commit suicide like that. That thought didn¡¯t last long. They were soon astonished and filled with respect. Those people swam faster than fish. Some even went against the tide. The torrent was so rapid that even ships couldn¡¯t sail against the waves. However, these guys could defy the current. One after another, they caught the survivors in the water and put the lifebuoys around them. Moon as a country had never seemed so noble. ¡°Help us!¡± ¡°Please help us!¡± The survivors on the building roofs shouted at the helicopters. The Moonians didn¡¯t disappoint them. The helicopters moved closer and dropped the rope ladder. ¡°This is wonderful!¡± ¡°They¡¯re here to save us!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to live! Thank God!¡± ¡°If we get into their helicopters, are they going to take us to Moon?¡± ¡°Who cares? The most important thing is to stay alive! You need to get your priorities right!¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to go to their country! I hate Flamia! Why didn¡¯t they save me when they obviously had space on those helicopters? I¡¯d rather die in Moon!¡± Meanwhile, people in the water were carried ashore and went through emergency procedures. The Himmelians weren¡¯t gods. Some people were already dead when they were out of the water. Similar things were happening all over the globe. Members of the Soan empire had reached all other countries. People of the three divisions made great contributions and saved thousands of lives. The survivors were flown back to Moon. Once they calmed down a little, they chatted with one another on the plane. ¡°Are we safe now?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on the way to Moon!¡± ¡°Moon? Why not Neige? Moon doesn¡¯t have any arks! Can we survive in Moon when the meteorite hits Earth?¡± Another survivor shot to his feet and bellowed, ¡°You should forget Neige because it has forgotten you! Neige is the largest country in the world, and it¡¯s supposed to help the others in a time like this, but where were they when earthquakes and tsunamis devoured us? We¡¯ve been questioning Moon the whole time, but it has sent people to help us! If you still have problems with Moon, we can always throw you out now!¡± Chapter 113 - I’m Going to Neige Chapter 113 I¡¯m Going to Neige ¡°What? Am I not right?¡± The survivor rose to his feet and glared at the other one. They were both tall and strong, and neither would give in. ¡°I feel grateful toward Moon for saving me, but going there won¡¯t keep us alive! Once the meteorite hits, Moon won¡¯t survive! Why can¡¯t they take us to Neige?!¡± His words made several other survivors waver. They appreciated Moon for saving them. However, they felt going there would only keep them alive for a bit longer. Once the meteorite arrived, Moon would still be wiped out, and they would all die. They believed that the Neigerian arks were their only hope. Why wouldn¡¯t Moon do the decent thing and drop them off at Neige? ¡°Shut up! Without Moon, we wouldn¡¯t even be having this conversation!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say Moon didn¡¯t save us, but it doesn¡¯t mean they can make the decision for us, nor does it mean I¡¯ve agreed to become a Moonian! Who gave them the right to take me there? I want to go to Neige!¡± ¡°One more word and I¡¯m throwing you out!¡± ¡°Go ahead! We¡¯re going to die anyway! I¡¯d rather die here than in Moon!¡± ¡°Screw you!¡± Another survivor rose to his feet, grabbed the other by his throat, and dragged him toward the cabin door. The others on the helicopter all stood up and joined the fight. All hell broke loose. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop it!¡± Eventually, the people of the three divisions had to intervene. ¡°Our next stop is Soilia. If you want to go to Neige, we¡¯ll drop you off at the Soilian airport. We respect your opinion,¡± said one of the men of the three divisions. One survivor was displeased. ¡°What? Drop us off at the Soilian airport? How are we going to get to Neige on our own? We can¡¯t fly! What if something happens in Soilia? Are you going to make sure of our safety?¡± ( A member of the three divisions was infuriated. These foreigners were so annoying! They were never grateful and only wanted more for themselves. They always blamed other people for their own mistakes. The last time when there was a natural disaster, a country asked Moon for help. Moon sent resources without hesitation. However, when the crisis passed, the country turned on Moon. It joined hands with Neige and requested an investigation on them. The Moonians hated the country for this betrayal. What an ungrateful thing to do! The Moonian culture was thousands of years old, and it had been a state of etiquette since ancient times. The foreigners would never comprehend this feature. Moon told the world about the meteorite as soon as Himmel Soan discovered it. A gentleman is open and poised; a petty man is unhappy and worried. The Moonians believed they had a clear conscience. Rick was the survivor that was most eager to go to Neige. He was from Iceana and was almost killed by a volcano eruption. Luckily, the three divisions saved him in time. However, he took everything for granted. He believed no one could rob him of his freedom, not even his saviors. He bellowed at the three divisions, ¡°I don¡¯t care! You must take me to Neige! I won¡¯t take no for an answer!¡± Peter Soan said ominously, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve done enough by saving your life. This flight is going to Moon, and it won¡¯t change its course for any individual. If you want to go to Neige, you can get off in Soilia, or you can go to Moon with us and figure out what to do once you¡¯re there!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to figure out? We¡¯ve run out of time! By the time we reach Moon, the meteorite will be upon us! I have to go to Neige! I don¡¯t care what you do, but I must get there in three hours!¡± Rick was persistent and sounded like he was the person who gave out orders. Another survivor chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! I want to go to Neige!¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± ¡°There are hardly any planes in the air, and you don¡¯t need to worry about your course! Can¡¯t you just turn around and go to Neige? You can get back to your mission after you drop us off!¡± Peter snarled, ¡°No, we can¡¯t change our destination! People in Soilia are waiting for us to rescue them! Their land is flooded, and they can¡¯t survive much longer without food! We have to get there asap!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. That¡¯s your mission, not mine. I¡¯m going to Neige!¡± Members of the three divisions got furious. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t forbidden them to do anything, they would have thrown those men out of the plane. ¡°One more word, and I¡¯ll kick you out of that door!¡± One of the survivors glared at Rick. Not all foreigners were the same. Some of them were very polite. Duncan was one of the latter. He told the people of the three divisions, ¡°I don¡¯t get it. How can you put up with this man? I want to punch him in the face and send him to where he deserves to be!¡± Peter said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯re three hours away from Soilia, and you¡¯ll be able to go wherever you want.¡± Rich kicked the cabin door. ¡°No Soilia! Haven¡¯t I made myself clear enough? I want to go to Neige!¡± en Just then, Peter heard Himmel Soan in his headphones. ¡°Open the cabin door.¡± ¡°What? Patriarch¡ª¡± ¡°Open the cabin door!¡± Peter looked at the other members of the three divisions and noticed they were as shocked as him. Apparently, they heard it, too. ¡°Open the cabin door!¡± Two men immediately opened the door. A gust of wind blew into the helicopter. All the survivors, Rick included, were terrified. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Rick asked in a trembling voice. Duncan smirked. ¡°What do you think? They¡¯re going to throw you out! Since you don¡¯t want to go to Moon, there¡¯s no need for you to stay here!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Of course, we can!¡± A person jumped into the helicopter while everyone was watching. No. He flew into the cabin! All the people inside were shocked. How did he do that? Chapter 114 - Ten Hours to Go Chapter 114 Ten Hours to Go It was none other than Himmel Soan. Members of the three divisions immediately dropped to their knees. ¡°Patriarch!¡± ¡°Patriarch!¡± ¡°Patriarch!¡± The survivors recognized Himmel Soan as well. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the scientist from Moon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who claims to be 200 years old?¡± ¡°How did you get here? I know your face! You¡¯re Himmel Soan!¡± After the initial shock, Rick rose to his feet. ¡°Mr. Soan, is it? I want to file a complaint! I want to go to Neige, but these people won¡¯t take me there! What are you going to do about it?!¡± Himmel Soan glanced at him. ¡°That¡¯s easily done. Come over here.¡± Rick pondered for a few seconds before marching toward him. ¡°What?¡± Himmel Soan suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him out of the cabin. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve our effort, and you¡¯re a waste of our resources. You can go to Neige now!¡± ¡°Ah-¡± Rick¡¯s scream resonated in the air as he fell through the clouds. ¡°Anyone else wants to go to Neige?¡± Himmel Soan looked at the others. Rick¡¯s former companions stopped talking altogether and sat in their seats like well-behaved kids. Duncan liked this turn of events, while the people of the three divisions smiled. That ungrateful man got what he deserved! Himmel Soan said, ¡°Please sit down and fasten your seat belt. There¡¯s strong wind ahead, and we¡¯re going to experience some turbulence. Don¡¯t worry. Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The three divisions never doubted Himmel Soan and trusted his prediction. They immediately fastened everyone onto their seats. The rescue helicopter had taken in more passengers than usual, so not everyone had a seat. Those who didn¡¯t have a seat belt were tied down by ropes. Seeing that everyone was safely fastened, Himmel Soan jumped out of the cabin door. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?!¡± Duncan and the other survivors shouted. ¡°Why did he jump?!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t carry a parachute!¡± ¡°He¡¯s been pulled away by the airflow! We have to help him!¡± Peter raised his hand to calm them down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! He¡¯s going to be fine. Mr. Soan is a scientist and has invented more things than Tony Stark! I think you all know who that is.¡± ¡°Look!¡± Someone pointed out of the helicopter, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Himmel Soan was flying alongside the helicopter. He wasn¡¯t wearing any flying device, not even a helmet or an eye mask. It looked like he was flying on his own. How shocking! Even Iron Man needed his suit! However, one couldn¡¯t see anything remotely similar to a suit on Himmel Soan. ¡°How does he do it?¡± ¡°Is he flying?¡± ¡°Gosh! I must be having an illusion!¡± Peter immediately explained, ¡°Please calm down. Mr. Soan is wearing an invisible flying suit invented by himself and scientists like Viclan and William. It allows him to use the airflow to fly. The suit hasn¡¯t been launched yet. You¡¯ll know more in the future!¡± Viclan and William were much more famous scientists than Himmel Soan. Once their names were mentioned, the survivors were gradually convinced. Rick had passed out during his fall. Himmel Soan had pushed him out of the helicopter to set an example for the others. It was very effective. No one else dared to say another word. From afar, the helicopter was about the size of a grain. Ahead of it was a large patch of dark clouds. The clouds were rolling, and lightning flashed from time to time. The catastrophe wasn¡¯t just limited to the ground. The sky was also a dangerous place. Ordinary aircraft wouldn¡¯t be able to go through the clouds. The airflow and the lightning would tear them to pieces. Himmel Soan dived in first to lead the helicopter through the clouds. Although he had only recovered 0.1% of his strength, it was enough to handle natural disasters like this. He could even withstand the heat of the mouth of an erupting volcano, which was thousands of degrees high. With the little power he had recovered, he could destroy most of the earth. The thunderstorm wouldn¡¯t leave a scratch on him. ¡°Gosh! He¡¯s in the clouds!¡± ¡°Is he navigating for us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable!¡± ¡°Is he going to be alright? ¡°I think I believe him now. Everything he said online was probably true!¡± Himmel Soan and the Soan empire worked together. They evacuated hundreds of thousands of survivors in the next ten hours. Most of those people had been abandoned by their own countries. Their countries had to because their hands were tied. With the limited resources, only the rich and powerful could survive. Ordinary people were left to die. Rick wasn¡¯t the only one with a behavioral problem. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t want guys like him to bring trouble to Moon and drive wedges between people, so he had let his men teach them a lesson on their way back. If those people still insisted on going to Neige, the Moonians had to take coercive measures and treat them as prisoners. They would force those men to go to the underground shelter. The meteorite was ten hours away. The time was upon the human race. The underground shelter was cramped. Tens of thousands of devices were distributed throughout the shelter, and members of the Dragon Tribe and Sky Eye had evenly spread out the innate vigorous energy. They were ready for the impact. The space cannon was also completed. Just like the underground shelter, the space cannon was protected by the IVE extractors as well. Otherwise, it would be destroyed by the sand storm and earthquakes as soon as it was set up on the Pegasus Grassland. The grassland had a high altitude and wouldn¡¯t be affected by floods. The only thing that could pose any threat was the Pegasus Volcano 150km away. It was the second-largest volcano in the world. It had been stirring since the natural disasters, but it hadn¡¯t erupted yet. Chapter 115 - The Missing Twenty Million People Chapter 115 The Missing Twenty Million People According to the experts, if the Pegasus Volcano erupted, the entire Pegasus Grassland and the surrounding cities would be affected. It had been ages since the volcano¡¯s last eruption. Until now, nothing had woken it up, no matter how destructive the earthquakes were. However, the record was going to break now. On the eastern coast of Moon, an ark laid at anchor by the shore. Many exhausted people stood by the doors and windows and looked at the water outside. It was the only Moonian ark. Several officials had built it with embezzled money. It didn¡¯t mean they were corrupt. In fact, they were all good people. They only took the money because they thought they could save some Moonians. Hundreds of thousands of people worked 24/7 for seven days and finally finished the ark when the meteorite was ten hours away. Lyton and the other passengers stood in the doorway and looked at what was going on outside. They were filled with emotions. They were glad that the ark was completed. They capered about, shouting and laughing. The ark gave them a sense of security and the confidence to face future catastrophes. However, they couldn¡¯t help but feel distraught when they saw their land getting destroyed. Lyton sighed. ¡°After this is over, who knows what our country will be like.¡± Jamie also sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve done our best. Mr. President won¡¯t build arks, and we couldn¡¯t change his mind. Luckily, the people here supported us and found the materials we needed. Otherwise, all the Moonians would have died!¡± ¡°Did you watch the press conference? That IVE extractor¡­¡± ¡°Do you believe them?¡¯ ¡°I¡­¡± The crowd fell silent. After the press conference, many videos were posted online, all claiming the conference to be fake. According to them, the foreign scientists were all actors hired by the Moonian government, and the whole thing was a show. Apart from the few loyal allied countries, no other countries had faith in Moon, including the people here on the ark. They had questioned Himmel Soan¡¯s theory from the beginning. Because of that, they chose to build the ark. They didn¡¯t hate Moon. On the contrary, they loved their country. They only hated Himmel Soan. Without Himmel Soan, the president would have built the arks. With the resources and the population Moon had, they could work twice as fast as Neige. That was a known fact in the world. Moon was famous for its efficiency. With the largest population in the world, Moon could finish construction projects much faster than any other country. Moreover, the Moonians were hard-working people. Yes, some of them were lazy, but the proportion was much smaller than the rest of the world. The thousand-year-old wisdom enabled the people to work in harmony with one another. Projects that took other countries three years to complete could be finished in six months or sooner in Moon. A dam would take other countries ten years to build, but Moon could finish it in one year. That was how efficient the country was. Neige had over a thousand arks, but most of them weren¡¯t built by the country. The actual workers were the people taking shelter in Neige, using the materials Neige provided. If Moon were to build arks, its large population could build over ten thousand arks before the meteorite arrived. What a shame, thought Lyton. People of this country had all been tricked into building underground shelters, wasting so much time. Even now, they still believed they were doing the right thing. Just then, Lyton saw something moving in the flood. They were swimming against the tide toward them. When they were close enough, people on the ark saw that the swimmers were some men. Nathan Soan was a member of the Himmelian Pavilion, and he was on the way to rescue people from the flooded region in eastern Moon when they ran into this large ship. He immediately led his people toward it. The ark was tall enough to stay well above the water level, so all the doors and windows were open. Many people were looking down at the water. When Nathan was close enough to the ark, he saw the Moonians on it and spoke into his earphones. ¡°HQ, do you copy? We found an ark on the eastern coast, and the passengers are all Moonians. I don¡¯t know the exact number yet!¡± ¡°Find out what they¡¯re up to.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The government had run some numbers and saw that only 92% of the population was in the underground shelter. The other 8% was outside. That was 160 million people! Where did they go? They broke down the number. Eighty million were members of the Soan empire, the Dragon Tribe, Sky Eye, and high-ranking officials who were still fighting on their posts. Thirty million were the wealthy people who had bought tickets to the Neigerian arks. Twenty million had left the country a long time ago. The convicts of the Dragon Cave trial, people who died in the disasters, and the researchers made up another 10 million. Twenty million were still unaccounted for! The numbers didn¡¯t add up. It now seemed that they were here in the ark. However, the ark didn¡¯t look like it could fit 20 million people! There had to be others! ¡°Who are you? Are you Moonians?¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Soan.¡± Lyton smiled at Nathan. He was a high-ranking official as well and had encountered the Soan empire before. He knew Nathan by sight but didn¡¯t know his name. Most of the members of the Soan empire had the same surname. Even if it wasn¡¯t their surname, they could still be addressed as Mr. Soan. Nathan was surprised. ¡°Mr. Lyton, is that you?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you build this ark?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a pleasant surprise, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re the last hope of this country!¡± Nathan climbed onto the ark and looked inside. ¡°How many people do you have here?¡± Lyton didn¡¯t try to hide anything from him. ¡°13 million.¡± ¡°What? 13 million?!¡± The ark didn¡¯t look like it could contain so many people! Five million would already be a stretch. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I can understand why you won¡¯t believe me because you can only see the part above the water. We have cabins under the water, too.¡± Nathan nodded. ¡°You need to stop this and get to the Pegasus Grassland asap. We¡¯re running out of time!¡± Chapter 116 - We’re Not Leaving Chapter 116 We¡¯re Not Leaving ¡°Mr. Soan, don¡¯t you understand? Arks are the only way we can survive a catastrophe! The underground shelter is a joke!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the joke!¡± Nathan pointed at Lyton and bellowed, ¡°Are you going to be responsible for 13 million lives? Didn¡¯t you watch the press conference? Didn¡¯t you see the IVE devices? Without them, your ark is as good as a paper boat! The meteorite will kill you all! You won¡¯t be laughing then! Come back with us!¡± Lyton shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan, but I¡¯m not going!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be so civil if you insist on doing this. We¡¯re doing this for your own good!¡± Someone couldn¡¯t stand him anymore and smirked. ¡°For our own good? If that¡¯s the case, you should arrest Himmel Soan and let the country build arks! How can the underground shelter be safe? Use your brain! It¡¯s never going to work!¡± Nathan turned to the man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I do use my brain. All of us do. If you haven¡¯t watched the news, it¡¯s not too late. If you don¡¯t have internet here, I¡¯ve downloaded the files on my tablet. Mr. Lyton, please read it to them.¡± He then gave Lyton a tablet. Lyton looked at the file and picked a paragraph to read aloud. ¡°Our country has named this super meteorite ¡®Despair One.¡¯ According to our observation, it¡¯s covered by a layer of a tough substance that doesn¡¯t exist on Earth. We¡¯ve named it ¡®Tia¡¯ for the time being. It¡¯s 180 thousand times harder than diamond and can easily cut through our planet.¡± After reading it, Lyton gave the tablet back to Nathan without any expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s one of Himmel Soan¡¯s discoveries, isn¡¯t it? How impressive. Despair One is moving so fast; how did he manage to extract this substance? How did he know Tia is 180 thousand times tougher than a diamond?¡± It was very easy for Himmel Soan to obtain that substance. He could fly into outer space and obtain it in person! However, people on earth would never believe that. Nathan said, ¡°He could do those things because he¡¯s the best scientist on Earth. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°The best scientist? Says who? Himself?¡± Lyton said sarcastically. Nathan was displeased. ¡°Mr. Lyton, I can understand why the stupid foreigners wouldn¡¯t believe Mr. Himmel Soan, but you¡¯re a Moonian! Why won¡¯t you trust your own countryman? Mr. Soan will never deceive his fellow Moonians!¡± Mr. Lyton said, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say what you told me is true, but I still believe the arks are our only way out!¡± He then turned to the other passengers and shouted, ¡°Anyone who wants to leave can feel free to do so. You can make your own decisions, be it to stay here or to leave for the underground shelter. I won¡¯t force you!¡± The passengers replied immediately, ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll stay here!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not as gullible as the fools outside! The underground shelter will become an underground reservoir as soon as the Pegasus Grassland is flooded! How safe can it be?!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die here in the ark! My family will stay here, too! I¡¯m not walking into your trap!¡± Nathan was so frustrated that he shouted at the passengers. ¡°There¡¯s no trap! We¡¯re only trying to help you! Do you really think hiding here will keep you safe? Without the IVE Extractors, no substance on Earth can stand the impact of the meteorite! Do you think the ark is safe? Watch this!¡± He then punched the cabin door. There was a loud thump, but nothing happened. Nathan was surprised. He was a cultivator and could easily punch through any metal. That was a thick door, but he was sure he could punch through it within ten blows. Yet, his punch didn¡¯t do anything to the door, and it only hurt his fist. His cultivation level wasn¡¯t high enough. Unwilling to give up, Nathan threw more punches. He kept hitting the door. However, the door was much tougher than he had expected. He couldn¡¯t even make a dent. Instead, his knuckles started bleeding. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone so stupid!¡± ¡°Is he trying to punch through the door? Keep at it, and you may get what you want next year!¡± The crowd figured out what Nathan was doing and laughed at him. The door was much tougher than Nathan had expected. After dozens of punches, it remained without a scratch. Seeing that Nathan¡¯s fist was covered with blood, Lyton stopped him. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mr. Soan. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to prove to you that the door isn¡¯t hard enough!¡± The crowd laughed again. ¡°Not hard enough? Was that what he said?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the hardest metal on Earth, and you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not hard enough. Hasn¡¯t your little experiment failed?¡± ¡°If this material isn¡¯t hard, then nothing is!¡± ¡°Did you just call us stupid? You¡¯re the stupid one! All the people going into the underground shelter are idiots!¡± Even Lyton couldn¡¯t help but mock Nathan. ¡°Mr. Soan, I think you know how hard the door is. Stop wasting your energy. We¡¯re not leaving.¡± Nathan had no choice but to contact the HQ for help. Moon was a vast country. Although natural disasters had taken place in many regions, the country still managed to provide signals for telecommunication devices. However, it was only limited to people out on missions. The cell phones of ordinary people had stopped working. HQ asked to talk to Mr. Lyton, who then agreed. Lyton got a tongue-lashing from Henry Lang, but it couldn¡¯t change anything. Lyton had quit his job. If he refused to go back, no one could force him. Nathan took the device. ¡°Director Lang, what should we do now? Shall we bring them back by force?¡± Chapter 117 - Last Five Hours Chapter 117 Last Five Hours The passengers shouted, ¡°If you do that, we¡¯ll kill ourselves! I¡¯d rather die than let you idiots kill me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll take my own life!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that! We can take control of our own lives! If we¡¯re going to die, it¡¯s not going to happen in that stupid underground shelter!¡± ¡°Touch me, and I¡¯m going to kill you! The only way I¡¯m leaving this ark is in a body bag!¡± Henry heard every word. He sighed and told Nathan, ¡°Forget about it. We won¡¯t force them to come if they don¡¯t want to. We still have a few thousand spare IVE Extractors. They can have them. I hope they can get through the catastrophe alive.¡± Nathan nodded and hung up. ¡°Mr. Lyton, since you wouldn¡¯t go to the underground shelter, I won¡¯t force you. Please take these IVE Extractors! 13 million lives are concerned!¡± sec Lyton pondered for a few seconds and looked at his fellow managers of the ark. They exchanged looks before one of them asked, ¡°Did you tamper with the devices?¡± Nathan sighed. ¡°What can we possibly do? Control you? Steal your secrets? What confidential information do you have that¡¯s worth stealing? If you¡¯re not afraid of death, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of anything.¡± Lyton and his colleagues agreed. Lyton nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the instructions of how they work. They¡¯ll make sure nothing can penetrate your ark. However, the devices must stand on level ground. The slightest tilt will render them useless. I hope you won¡¯t be hit by any meteorite bits. If this ark sways to either side, the devices won¡¯t protect you.¡± That was why Himmel Soan chose to build the shelter underground. If the devices fell, all the innate vigorous energy would dissipate. If that happened, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference where people were hiding. Lyton and his colleagues didn¡¯t take Nathan seriously because they never had any faith in the machines. The ark was the only thing they trusted. They weren¡¯t even going to use the devices. Nathan saluted them, saying, ¡°Good luck.¡± He then went back into the water with the other members of the Himmelian Pavilion to search for refugees. The HQ in the Pegasus Grassland sent out a team to carry the devices to the eastern coast despite the perilous journey. 10% of the land in Moon had been affected by natural disasters. The other 90% was safe to travel. However, traveling in a time like this was testing one¡¯s luck. If they were unlucky, they could be struck by lightning or get caught in a tornado. All of them would die in that case. To ensure the safety of the journey, all the trucks carrying out this mission were protected by the IVE from the devices they delivered The same risk remained. The devices had to remain level. If there was an earthquake or if the trucks fell over a cliff, the devices would be disturbed, and they would all be doomed. But with 13 million lives at risk, their effort was worth it. They were also racing against the meteorite. It would arrive in ten hours, and the return trip from the Pegasus Grassland to the seaside would normally take that much time. However, if anything went wrong, they might not be able to get back to the grassland. Lyton had no idea what the country had done for them. The delivery team should be admired for their courage. Five hours to go. The rescue teams brought back the last 180 thousand foreigners they had saved, and Himmel Soan gave the command: no one was to set foot outside the underground shelter, and all members of the Soan empire were to return to the shelter. Many things would happen in the next five hours because the meteorite had reached a position where it could affect Earth significantly. It would take Despair One five hours to reach Earth. It would only take light fifty seconds to travel the same distance. The light could cover the distance from the sun to Earth in eight minutes and to the moon in 1.28 seconds. The distance between Despair One to Earth was 39 times that of between the moon and Earth. That was how close it was. The moon was the first to be affected. It was daytime, and the people on Earth couldn¡¯t see the moon. However, Himmel Soan could sense it. The moon had digressed from its course and would no longer circle Earth. It would affect Earth significantly. Even children knew the moon was what caused the tide to rise and fall. It was also the reason why there were four seasons on Earth. Without it, the rotation axis of Earth would change. There would be no distinctive seasons, and the glaciers would melt. However, it would take a long time for that to happen. The moon wasn¡¯t their top priority. Himmel Soan knew he could get the moon back when his power recovered. He needed to take care of the meteorite first. The oceans were out of control, and the seawater flooded the land. The weather became even worse. Storms, hailstones, and lightning were happening one after another, 90% of the Moonian land was affected by natural disasters, and globally, only 20% of the land remained safe. Back in Moon. The president sat uneasily in the underground shelter. His telecommunication devices were still working. He didn¡¯t know what Himmel Soan did, but the entire underground shelter had a signal. Himmel Soan stood at the launching door of the space cannon. He was covered by an invisible shield, which could block out all the rain and hailstones. Suddenly, he sensed that the team delivering the IVE Extractors was in danger. The next second, he disappeared from where he was standing and was on his way to rescue them. Lyton and his colleague were touched. Their country had sent people to deliver the devices in weather like this. Although they weren¡¯t going to use the machines, they still felt grateful. He then sealed the cabin doors and was ready to get through the next five hours. One way or another, everything would be over in five hours. In Neige. Oraman arrived at the launching site of the energy cannon, where he would wait for the final launch. However, something went wrong. §Ö TO ¡°Mr. President, we have bad news. The earthquake destroyed the base station, and the control panel has stopped working.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean? Are you saying we can¡¯t launch the energy cannon?¡± ¡°We can, but it won¡¯t be as accurate, and we have to fire it manually.¡± Chapter 118 - Internet Chapter 118 Internet ¡°I don¡¯t care! No matter what method you use, you have to fix the energy cannon!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± In Goldia. ¡°Mr. President, all the base stations have been destroyed, and the telecommunication is down! We can¡¯t contact other countries!¡± ¡°So be it. We¡¯ll have to go with the flow now.¡± In Woodia. In Soilia. In Flamia. In Winland. In Panthera. The telecommunication service was down in 95% of the countries, cutting them off from the rest of the world. Even Moon was affected. Although the base stations had been taken underground, they still needed satellites to work, and the signal couldn¡¯t be very good at that depth. Moreover, the thick clouds and the constant thunderstorm would further affect things. Somewhere in Moon, hundreds of trucks were trudging through a heavy tempest. The downpour looked like a waterfall, and the drivers couldn¡¯t see anything three meters away. The rain had blocked everything. The GPS stopped working at that moment, rendering them completely blind. They could only stop and wait for the end to come. The meteorite would hit Earth in five hours. They didn¡¯t need to wait that long. Under such circumstances, they would be dead in thirty minutes. The rain was so heavy. This place would be submerged in half an hour, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to go anywhere. Just then, a streak of light ripped open the rain curtain. It was extremely bright. Before they knew it, the light had reached them. Immediately after that, the windshields were no longer covered by rain, and they could see far ahead of them. Something strange was happening. The area within a thousand meters from them had stopped raining. The ground was still wet, and the downpour continued. However, no rain fell upon them as if a giant umbrella had opened above them. People in the vehicles couldn¡¯t help but step out to see what was going on. The water outside had reached their knees. Small vehicles wouldn¡¯t be able to operate in a situation like this. Luckily, the trucks were tall enough. They saw a man floating in mid-air above them. The man was glowing, and the light covered the entire fleet. Not a single droplet of rain could penetrate the light. The man was none other than Himmel Soan. ¡°Patriarch?¡± ¡°This is amazing! Patriarch has come here to help us!¡± ¡°Patriarch really is like God!¡± ¡°Long live the Patriarch!¡± Himmel Soan calmly said, ¡°Go ahead. You must get into the underground shelter in the Pegasus Grassland in three hours.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The people went back to their vehicles and drove toward the grassland as fast as possible But the water was too deep, significantly slowing them down. Himmel Soan activated his mental force as he escorted the fleet. He had to make sure the global communication remained functioning. If it broke down, it would lead to many unforeseeable dangers, and more people would die. For instance, all arks were equipped with radars that could detect incoming threats. Once the radar system failed, the arks would be blind. If they ran into large buildings or fell over cliffs, the people inside would be killed. Therefore, he had to get the global communication system back. At that thought, Himmel Soan activated all his spiritual essence and used himself as the global signal provider. The vehicles beneath him detected something. Ding! The GPS was back. ¡°Wait. The GPS is working again.¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°It has to be the Patriarch! He¡¯s helping us!¡± In Neige. as Ding! The internet was working again. The Neigerian engineers had been working on getting the signals back when the devices became normal again. ¡°The signal is back.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°How did that happen? It¡¯s so stable!¡± ¡°Hey, Grace, what did you do? How did you fix it so quickly?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I haven¡¯t started yet!¡± ¡°Then who is it?¡± The scientists and engineers were both surprised and confused. ¡°Where did the signal come from? It¡¯s so strong!¡± ¡°I found it! It¡¯s from Moon, not one of our bases!¡± ¡°Moon? How can their signal cover our land? Have they invaded our system?¡± ¡°Report it to Mr. President!¡± Neige wasn¡¯t alone. The signal returned in Woodia, Flamia, Goldia, Panthera, and other countries as well. The world was back online. People in the arks and shelters were surprised when they saw that they could use the internet on their phones just like before. ¡°My phone can go online again! I¡¯ve got a full signal! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so fast, even faster than 5G!¡± ¡°Too bad that we don¡¯t have much to look online. Most of the servers have been destroyed.¡± ¡°Moonian websites are still working. The Neigerian ones, too! This is amazing!¡± ¡°I think only websites of those two countries are still accessible. I didn¡¯t know Moon had such advanced technology. It¡¯s almost Neige¡¯s equal!¡± ¡°You¡¯re missing the point! Where did the signal come from? I¡¯m behind on payment on my phone bill, but I can still use the internet. How strange!¡± Himmel Soan split his spiritual essence into billions of portions. They turned into invisible threads and knitted a giant web that covered the entire sky. The web linked all the devices. Himmel Soan had built an information network all by himself. The Moonian devices were also back online. The country immediately received a video call request from Neige. Henry Lang answered it on behalf of the president. As soon as the call went through, Oraman shouted at him, ¡°Did you hack our system and invade our network? Answer me!¡± Henry had no patience to deal with him now. At this point, there was no need to put up with him anymore. After everything the man had done, Henry decided he had had enough. ¡°Oraman, have you lost your mind?¡± Chapter 119 - Control Your Energy Cannon Chapter 119 Control Your Energy Cannon Oraman couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He raised his eyebrows, asking, ¡°What did you say? Say that again; I dare you!¡± ¡°I said you¡¯ve lost your mind! Do you hear me now?!¡± ¡°How dare you disrespect me like that?! I¡¯ll destroy you with the energy cannon now!¡± ¡°Oraman, behave yourself!¡± Just then, the Panthese president joined the video call. ¡°The energy cannon is built from the materials provided by all the countries in the world, and it can only fire five times. It¡¯s reserved to destroy the super meteorite, and you¡¯re only its keeper, not the owner. Who gave you the right to aim it at Moon?¡± Oraman was taken by surprise. ¡°How did you get in? I didn¡¯t invite you to this video call!¡± The Winish president joined in as well. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but it seems all the countries are sharing the same network, and we can only visit the government sites of Moon and Neige. The whole world is watching this video call, and anyone can join in at any time.¡± ¡°What?¡± More screens were being divided into more and more sections. One. Two. Three. A hundred. Eight hundred A thousand. Thirty thousand. Ten thousand. Fifty thousand. Over a million people joined in the video call, and their faces were too small to be distinguished from one another. Everyone was talking at the same time. All the languages were mixed together, and no one could make out what other people were saying The chaos paralyzed the two websites. There was nothing wrong with Himmel Soan¡¯s network. Even another billion users wouldn¡¯t make it crash. However, the servers of the two governmental websites couldn¡¯t handle the significant number of visitors. Why were those two the only websites that were still working? It was because their servers were intact. As for the rest¡­ Take Penguin Web as an example. Its HQ had collapsed, and the server was buried under the debris. Of course, the website had stopped working It was the same with websites like Thandos, Tiger Search, and Ellibro. Their servers were either flooded or smashed to pieces by falling buildings. They weren¡¯t the only ones. The servers of Facebook and Google no longer existed. The server of the Neigerian government website had been moved into Eternity, which was why it was still intact. The Moonian one was safely stored in the underground shelter. Therefore, the two government sites were the only ones that were still working. Although there was internet service, the users couldn¡¯t visit any other websites. As a result, billions of people rushed to the two websites. There was a ¡°video¡± button on both websites, and one could join the video call just by clicking it. Oraman immediately ordered the technician to delete the button and ended the video call. It relieved the pressure on the servers. Moon also deleted the button, and only a few special accounts could use that function. The other users couldn¡¯t join the video call anymore, but they could leave comments. The video call was no longer encrypted, and the whole world could watch it. Oraman then started another video call. He knew the whole world was watching. 99.9% of the global population was on their phones. They didn¡¯t have anything else to do and could only visit one of the two websites. ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m Oraman, the Neigerian president. My country¡¯s signal bases were destroyed by natural disasters, but somehow, the signal is back. After some investigation, we discovered that the signal source is Moon. We have reason to believe that Moon has hacked our network and equipment. I hereby make a formal protest! Moon has to stop their invasion immediately! I¡¯m warning Moon in front of the whole world. If they don¡¯t stop what they¡¯re doing, I¡¯ll fire the first round of the energy cannon at them!¡± ¡°You ungrateful bastard!¡± Just then, another window popped up on the screen. It was Himmel Soan. He was obviously outside because behind him was a downpour. Himmel Soan had tolerated Oraman for a long time, but to maintain the relationship between the two countries, he had kept his silence. However, after he restored the network and communication, Oraman was accusing him of invading his country. ¡°Oraman, I¡¯m going to make it very clear this time. You won¡¯t be able to fire the energy cannon. Fine, I¡¯ve invaded your network. What can you do? I can control the energy cannon whenever I want, and I can fire all five rounds at Neige!¡± Maruse angrily shot to his feet. ¡°Bullshit! Who the hell do you think you are? Try it; I dare you!¡± ¡°As you wish!¡± Himmel Soan ended the video call after that. Ding! Ding! Ding! Warning sounds rang out in Eternity¡¯s control room. ¡°Energy cannon ready to launch. Ten!¡± The system started the countdown. Everyone in the room freaked out. ¡°What happened? Did someone hit the button?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t touch anything!¡± ¡°No one can do it on their own! The three control panels have to give the command simultaneously to activate it! Report to Mr. President now!¡± ¡°Mr. President, the energy cannon is ready to launch on its own!¡± ¡°What?¡± The president was still on the video call when a Neigerian scrambled into the room. The world heard the man and was astonished. Could Himmel Soan really control the Neigerian energy cannon? Oraman instantly ended the video call, and the viewers couldn¡¯t see what was going to happen next. They were all very curious. Someone then wrote, ¡°We have access to the Neigerian surveillance footage now! We can see everything!¡± As Himmel Soan had control over the entire network, he had removed all the passwords to the Neigerian control system. Everybody now had access to the Neigerian database. People soon found secret files, equipment, and surveillance footage. The image from over a thousand surveillance cameras on the arks could be watched online. The viewers saw Oraman run into the control room with only three seconds left. ¡°Where is it aiming at?!¡± Oraman asked anxiously. Chapter 120 - Establish Skynet Chapter 120 Establish Skynet ¡°It¡¯s aiming at Neige¡­¡± The technician pointed at the coordinates on the control panel. ¡°It¡¯s right above us! It¡¯s aiming at Eternity!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Oraman paled and fell backward. The people behind him immediately caught him. Maruse said, ¡°Abort now!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve run out of time!¡± The countdown reached ¡°one¡± at that moment. Everybody on Eternity was scared out of their wits. All hell broke loose. Women were screaming, men were shouting, and children were crying. What good could it do? Eternity had been sealed off, and they had no way to escape. ¡°Damn the Moonians!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! Help!¡± ¡°Calm down! Maybe the energy cannon can¡¯t penetrate our hull.¡± ¡°It¡¯s designed to destroy the meteorite! How can Eternity withstand it?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Moonian was so capable! We¡¯re going to be killed by our own weapon!¡± ¡°No! No!!!¡± ¡°Help! Help me!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan! It was all our fault! Please abort the launch! I¡¯m so sorry! Please don¡¯t kill us!¡± People were begging, screaming, crying, and bellowing at the same time. Millions of people were having nervous breakdowns. The world was watching, and all the countries were astonished, be it Neige¡¯s allies or enemies. They were all shocked that Himmel Soan could control the Neigerian network and that he had launched an attack on Neige! No one had expected that the Moonian technology was so advanced. The Neigerians would never have expected that they would die like this. Everyone held their breaths and waited for the end to come. A voice rang out in the Neigerian control room. ¡°Abort! The launch has been terminated.¡± The world went silent for a few seconds. Oraman, Maruse, and the scientists stared at the screen for a few seconds before realizing what had happened. The scientists threw their hands in the air and cheered loudly. Oraman and Maruse let out a breath of relief as well. Himmel Soan¡¯s face appeared on the screen again. ¡°Did you see that, Oraman? If I really want to do something to you, I won¡¯t need to hack your system! Your defense mechanism is useless to me, and I have zero interest in your confidential information. I¡¯ve brought your internet back, and I can promise you even the meteorite won¡¯t disrupt the service. Feel free to use it. However, if you still feel dubious, I can cut Eternity off the network. You can repair it on your own.¡± After that, all the screens in Eternity¡¯s control room lost their connection, and some computers even had the blue screen. Meanwhile, the Neigerian website went offline as well. The Neigerian server was inside Eternity. Once the ark lost the connection, the Moonian government website became the only accessible website in the world. In Eternity. The people inside went through an emotional roller coaster. One moment, it seemed the world was about to end. The next moment, they were told it was a false alarm, and everybody felt they had narrowly escaped death. However, before they knew it, their phones and computers lost internet connection. Life just wouldn¡¯t be the same without the internet, especially for the younger generation. Instantly, many people asked Oraman to get the internet back as soon as possible. Some even suggested that he should cooperate with Moon so that they could use Himmel Soan¡¯s network again. Although the passengers on Eternity couldn¡¯t use the internet, people elsewhere could see the video footage of their surveillance cameras from the Moonian website. The entire world could see what the passengers were doing. The countdown reached the last four hours. Moon posted an announcement on its website. They had set up a website called ¡°Skynet.¡± Himmel Soan built the website on his own, and it was devoted to live broadcasts. But it wasn¡¯t filming Earth. It was showing the incoming meteorite. Himmel Soan had built the website with his mental force, and the image shown was also what his mental force could detect. It was the first time the human race laid eyes on the meteorite. It was enormous! It was enormous! It was enormous! In fact, calling it enormous was an understatement. The viewers could see both the earth and the meteorite on the screen. Next to the meteorite, Earth looked tiny. In the far corner of the screen was the moon. Compared to the meteorite, it looked like sesame next to a watermelon. How magnificent! Everybody was blown away by the view. It was incredible. Even sci-fi films wouldn¡¯t come up with more creative scenes. To help global communication, Himmel Soan created columns on Skynet by countries. Users would log in to their own country¡¯s column after verifying their identities. It was like all the countries had built their own governmental websites on Skynet. The only one missing was Neige. However, everyone could watch what was happening in Neige on Skynet. Although Himmel Soan had disabled their network, he had hacked their surveillance cameras. In the Winish column. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel a catastrophe was coming until now. That¡¯s too big to be a meteorite! It¡¯s practically a planet!¡± ¡°Can Earth really withstand the impact? Are we sure the energy cannon can destroy it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all we have now! I¡¯m praying!¡± ¡°Wake up, people! I never believed in the energy cannon anyway. We couldn¡¯t be more wrong! The Moonians have been right all along! The internet was down, but they could create a signal source and build the Skynet! We wouldn¡¯t be talking here if it hadn¡¯t been for their signal!¡± ¡°I agree! I¡¯m so scared now! I don¡¯t think the arks will be safe!¡± ¡°Do you think the underground shelter is?¡± In the Flamian column. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s so huge! We¡¯re doomed!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We still have the energy cannon!¡± ¡°Seriously? Do you still believe in the energy cannon?¡± ¡°Or what? Should I count on the space cannon?¡± ¡°Exactly how reliable is that space cannon?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that, but I know Moon has been much more reliable than Neige so far! They¡¯re the only reason that we¡¯re still chatting!¡± Chapter 121 - Two Hours Countdown Chapter 121 Two Hours Countdown ¡°I¡¯m sure Moon has made some contributions, but the space cannon¡¯s blueprint is too unbelievable! It¡¯s not something we can build with our current technology!¡± ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± ¡°Look! That¡¯s the live broadcast of the meteorite! Its speed is 1/360 the speed of light, and no equipment has been able to catch its image until now! It¡¯s beyond the ability of the human race. However, Himmel Soan is following the meteorite now! Doesn¡¯t that prove how advanced their technology is?¡± In the Soilian column. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have been more wrong, and we¡¯re going to pay for our mistake with our own lives! Is it possible that the IVE Extractors can withstand the impact of the meteorite?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t our fault. The Moonian concept is too far beyond our time. No one could have comprehended it! Many of the underground shelters are in the right direction, but no one could see how that would work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to beg Moon for help! I don¡¯t want to stay here in the ark anymore! I want to leave! I want to go to the Moonian underground shelter!¡± ¡°Save your breath! The world is falling apart, and Moon can barely help itself. Going out now will only get you killed.¡± The seawater had flooded the land as if it were a living creature. Water normally flowed from higher to lower grounds, but it was moving in the opposite direction. The moon had abandoned its original course, and the magnetic field on Earth had gone berserk. Gravity was everywhere, and seawater seemed to be flying up into the sky. Numerous arks around the world were in trouble. Some smaller arks were blown into the sky by a level-20 hurricane. The highest scale of hurricanes was normally 12, and a level-20 one was unimaginable. Like Mount Goron, Mount Hilya in Iceana was one of the hundred most famous mountains in the world. When the hurricane brushed past Hilya, it scraped 100m off the top of the mountain as if it had stripped the mountain of its outer layer. The mountain used to have rich plantations and various rare animals. However, the hurricane left the mountain completely bare, without even any grass left. That was what a Level-20 hurricane could do. Some smaller arks were already destroyed. Ark 47 of Woodia happened to be next to a volcano. There was an earthquake when the volcano erupted. The ground was torn open, and the ark tilted. When rocks and magma fell from the sky, Ark 47 rolled into the chasm. Its hull was severely damaged. Some very lucky passengers might survive, but 99% of them would die. The fall was over 1km, and the impact could shatter one¡¯s internal organs. The ark contained various machines. Even without them, people still had little chance to survive when so many of them fell upon one another. Goldia was close to the north pole. Once the sea level rose, some arks were affected. The strong wind blew them further north to the extremely cold region. The low temperature made the external power freeze. Without power, the temperature in the ark dropped rapidly. The passengers huddled together for warmth but to no avail. The temperature kept dropping. It wouldn¡¯t take long before they would all freeze to death. There were so many similar examples. Most of them occurred to the inferior arks. Some luxurious arks had also run into trouble, but they had all managed to get through it. The superior arks were built with better materials and had a much better defense system. If a luxurious ark were to be sent to the north pole, the power generator wouldn¡¯t have been frozen. That was because their generators were all built inside. Moreover, the materials used to build these arks were both heat, and cold-proof. They were also equipped with enough food, water, and first-aid items. However, there were only a handful of such arks. Over 95% of the countries tried to build arks as fast as they could before the catastrophe happened. They didn¡¯t have time to worry about the quality. If they couldn¡¯t find an adequate material, they would use something inferior to replace it. That decision became their deathtrap now. They were directly killed by natural disasters, but they were partially responsible for what had happened. Himmel Soan saw everything. But there was nothing he could do. He had recovered 0.12% of his power. If he could recover 0.3%, maybe he could save the entire human race. Right now, spreading out his mental force around the globe and building Skynet had stretched his power to its limit. If he could, he would have punched the meteorite into pieces before it could affect Earth in any way. Beneath him was a fleet of vehicles that contained thousands of people. If he walked away now, the weather would tear all of them into pieces. Yes, compared to the millions of people in the ark, this fleet was dispensable. However, they were Moonians, and they trusted Himmel Soan. They were kind people who had delivered the devices to Lyton when they were perfectly aware of the danger involved. Because of that, Himmel Soan was determined to save them, even if he had to abandon all the passengers on that ark. Moreover, there were members of the Soan empire in these vehicles. If other countries had listened to Himmel Soan, built the underground shelter, and accepted the IVE Extractors, something like this would never have happened. It was like the old saying. The evil one brought on oneself was the hardest to bear. People online were divided into three groups. 70% of the people still had faith in Neige. About 20% believed in Moon. The other 10% remained neutral, claiming that everyone was in trouble, and believing in either country wouldn¡¯t make any difference. The countdown went to the last two hours. In Eternity¡¯s control room. ¡°Mr. President, our internet is back!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Oraman was delighted and laughed, ¡°The Moonians can stop bragging! We¡¯ve managed to fix it without their help! Connect us to the satellite and broadcast the video footage!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± People also noticed that the Neigerian government website was back. Those 70% suddenly had hope again. ¡°This is great! Neige has gotten its internet back!¡± ¡°I knew they could do it!¡± ¡°We still have two hours, and the meteorite is getting closer and closer to Earth. It can reach us any moment from now! I hope Neige will fire the energy cannon soon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It should be close enough! We can¡¯t let the meteorite hit us!¡± Countless netizens left comments on the Neigerian website. Chapter 122 - Savior Chapter 122 Savior In Neige. Maruse put on the tie for Oraman, who was wearing a tailored suit with his hair slicked back. However, with his sparse yellow hair, the hairstyle didn¡¯t do much to improve his look and only made his hair look more like hays. ¡°It¡¯s our turn to save the world. The world is yet to see the energy cannon¡¯s power, and the people will witness it now!¡± He was probably very serious. However, if Himmel Soan and the other Moonians heard this, they would crack up. Oraman looked at himself in the mirror and was filled with joy. ¡°Neige is going to have its greatest president today! I¡¯ve been the Neigerian president for 32 years, and I¡¯ll be remembered forever!¡± Maruse nodded. ¡°I¡¯m so honored to be working under you, Mr. President! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be the greatest president our country ever had! Your picture will be on our future banknotes!¡± Oraman laughed and pointed at Maruse. ¡°Yours will be there, too.¡± Maruse was thrilled. He believed that the energy cannon would definitely stop the super meteorite. Neige would be the savior of the whole world, and Oraman¡¯s leadership was what made all of it possible. ¡°Moon will never be the savior! Never! The space cannon is a joke! It can never succeed! Even if it can, it won¡¯t happen in 2022. 5022, maybe!¡± ¡°I agree with Mr. President. Just because they used some trick to hack our network doesn¡¯t mean they get to show off their ability! Power is the most important thing in this world. As long as we have the energy cannon, Moon will never surpass Neige! Never!¡± Oraman nodded. He looked into the mirror again and was extremely pleased with himself. ¡°Are we ready?¡± ¡°Yes! The live stream can start at any moment!¡± ¡°Good! Switch to the satellite image. I¡¯ll show the world how we¡¯re going to destroy the super meteorite.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Oraman¡¯s image suddenly appeared on the Neigerian website. ¡°Hello, everybody.¡± Oraman waved at the camera. The number of visitors surged from seven million to 1.9 billion. Everyone knew that Neige was going to take action. Oraman smiled at the camera. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to talk to you now because it means my viewers are all safe. Based on the accurate calculation of our scientists, the meteorite will reach us in 75 minutes and 36 seconds. Everyone was astonished. According to the Moonian website, the meteorite was still 128 minutes away. That was over two hours. Who should they believe? Oraman then posted the satellite image online. It didn¡¯t have the highest definition. However, one could still make out the approaching meteorite. ¡°Why is it so blurry? The 80s wants its camera back!¡± ¡°The Moonian image is so much clearer!¡± ¡°The Moonian one is in 1080p, while the Neigerian one is only 360p!¡± The Neigerian satellite image was nothing compared to the Moonian one. But it was the best Neige could do. It wasn¡¯t easy to process satellite images. In a moment of crisis like this, they were lucky to get any image back at all. Himmel Soan had to admit that Neige had the most advanced technology in that aspect. No other country could have done it. What Himmel Soan did could be considered cheating As the meteorite¡¯s speed was 1/360 of the speed of the light, the image Neige was showing was something that happened 12.5 seconds before. Neigh used the travel time of light to calculate how far away the meteorite was. Because of that, there could be deviations. Himmel Soan had used his mental force to record the image and put it online. The technology on Earth probably couldn¡¯t do it in one hundred years. Not probably! It would definitely be a no! It took light 12.5 seconds to travel from the meteorite to Earth. Therefore, it would take the meteorite 360 more times. It was equivalent to 4,500 seconds, or 75 minutes. That was how Neige calculated the meteor¡¯s ETA. Of course, it wasn¡¯t accurate. First of all, they couldn¡¯t be sure how long ago the light had traveled. They could only calculate the distance the meteorite had covered based on comparisons between two consecutive images. The closer the meteorite came, the sooner the images would be sent back to Earth. Using various formulas, they managed to guess its location. They would eventually get a definite answer. In the end, it might take the light one second to travel to earth, but the meteorite would need six minutes. All the information would become accurate, and no calculation would be needed at that time. Then, Oraman would fire the energy cannon. Seeing how the people had questioned the image, Oraman replied calmly, ¡°This is the actual image! We¡¯re not faking anything. Unlike certain countries, Neige wouldn¡¯t show the world a sci-fi movie to win your trust!¡± He was obviously talking about Moon, its only enemy at the moment. Oraman knew Skynet had been showing the super meteorite. ¡°So far, no technology on Earth can reach the speed of the light, nor can any country videotape such a fast-moving meteorite. Please watch more closely and don¡¯t let them fool you! The Neigerian images are the only real thing!¡± Those words earned Oraman much trust, and people also questioned Moon on the Skynet. Himmel Soan and his fellow Moonians weren¡¯t surprised. Neige never liked Moon and would pick on them no matter what the country did. Chapter 123 - Neige the Hypocrite Chapter 123 Neige the Hypocrite Himmel Soan saw them as a bunch of clowns and couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with them. He had tried to help Neige. However, not only they wouldn¡¯t show any gratitude, but they were also turning against him. As a result, Himmel decided to let them be. He didn¡¯t have the energy to care about Neige anymore, and those people could say whatever they wanted. ¡°I agree! I felt from the beginning that the Moonian video was too fake!¡± ¡°Totally! The camera has to be so close to the meteorite to record that kind of image. What¡¯s the meteorite¡¯s speed? It¡¯s 1/360 of the speed of the light, which means the camera has to move at the same speed! How is this achieved?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one possibility: Moon has made that video in advance and is showing us a recording! They didn¡¯t expect us to see through it! I almost bought it!¡± ¡°You people are so stupid! Are you seriously still believing in Neige now? What have they ever given you? Did they help you or your countries?¡± ¡°You must be a Moonian spy! Judging from your profile photo, I think you¡¯re a Flamian. Your country should be ashamed of you!¡± Seeing such accusations, many survivors went online to defend Moon. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from Flamia, but when the unthinkable happened to my family and me, our country didn¡¯t help us, nor did Neige. Instead, Moon came to our rescue! Moonians brought us to the underground shelter in the storm, and that¡¯s why I can still talk to you now! Yes, Neige is the largest economy in the world, but what has it done for other countries? All it ever brings us are wars and disasters!¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Iceana, and I almost died in a volcano eruption a few hours ago. Moonians saved me and brought me to a safe area. My country abandoned me in the catastrophe, and Neige never cared about the common people either. I¡¯ve stopped seeing myself as an Iceanese. From now on, I¡¯m a Moonian!¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Woodia. The country has been flooded by a tsunami, and the rich people have all boarded the arks to get away from Woodia. No one bothered about poor people like us! My wife was killed by a collapsing house, and my children were carried away by the flood. I should have died in the tsunami, too, but Moonians risked their own lives and saved me!¡± ¡°I finally see how blind and stupid you people are! Look back in history, and you¡¯ll see that Moon has never started a war against any other country! Not even once! Other superpowers have invaded Moon many times! Although Moon has grown much stronger now, it has never tried to seek revenge. Whenever other countries were in trouble, Moon had always been the first country to offer help!¡± ¡°Did you say Moon wants global domination? That¡¯s complete bullshit! It¡¯s a lie made up by Oraman, the Neigerian president! He tried to turn everyone against Mr. President! Neige has started so many wars, including the Grassia War, the Toyama War, and the Helenian War. Haven¡¯t you learned anything from the past?¡± ¡°Moon even fixed the internet for us. What did Neige do? It only cared about its internet safety and had little consideration for other countries! Trusting Neige would only get you killed! Call me biased, but Moon has saved my life, so I trust the country unconditionally, even if that faith will kill me in the end! Moon showed me what it felt like to be among warm and trusting people. You¡¯ll never understand that!¡± Neige banned all those users and deleted some of the accounts from the website. However, some people refused to be intimidated. ¡°See? That¡¯s how Neige does it! It¡¯s trying to silence us! It means we¡¯re right! We¡¯re telling the truth!¡± ¡°Neige will never be as generous as Moon! They don¡¯t know what generosity is! All Neigerians are petty and narrow-minded!¡± ¡°Trust Neige, and you¡¯ll regret it in the end. It¡¯ll be too late¡­¡± Oraman glanced at Maruse, who immediately took the hint. He gave a secret order, deleting all the accounts making such protests and banning them for good. Soon, such voices disappeared, and Neige took the opportunity to shift public opinion. ¡°Moon is a joke! They¡¯ve lived in their dreams for so long that they never wake up! They lied about being the greatest country in the world until they believed that lie themselves! The space cannon and the IVE Extractors are all lies!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The press conference was full of loopholes. I can see photoshop signs everywhere. That meteorite video can¡¯t be faker! I can¡¯t understand why some fools still trust them.¡± ¡°Neige never gives up on anyone, but its power is limited, and the catastrophe happened so suddenly. Understandably, Neige couldn¡¯t help every person on Earth. I heard that Neige had prepared some free arks, and everyone could board them. Not many people know this, so those arks are all half-empty.¡± ¡°What? Free arks? When? Why didn¡¯t I hear about that?¡± ¡°Neither did I!¡± ¡°Just check the Neigerian website. It¡¯s been there for a while!¡± ¡°Oraman is amazing! Neige really hasn¡¯t abandoned the people on Earth! The free arks do exist! I found the announcement! It was made three days ago!¡± Creating a fake announcement was a piece of cake for Neigerian technicians. Free arks? That was never going to happen. Neige was all about profits, and nothing there was free. With the current climate, there was no way to verify this claim, and Neige could say whatever it wanted. Even if they announced that Eternity was free to board, no one could reach it now. Oraman believed the energy cannon gave him the power to command the world, and he would use this opportunity to get every penny out of many people¡¯s pockets! Chapter 124 - True Colors Chapter 124 True Colors Oraman went on with his speech. ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss with all the presidents and prime ministers around the world how to launch the energy cannon and some issues after the launch. As you can see, we¡¯ve set up columns for each country on our website as well. Everyone can log into their account with their identification document. The columns are confidential for individual countries and are accessible to citizens of that country only. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk about our terms. ¡°First of all, Neige will help the world to get through this crisis. However, many things will change afterward, even the tectonic plates. Tsunamis may also bring opportunities, bringing the secret under the sea to the surface. As compensation, after the world is rebuilt, Neige will decide the territory of all countries. I¡¯m sure everyone will agree with that. Correct?¡± Of course not! No other country would agree! What was that supposed to mean? It was an outright threat! It was a pure invasion! Oraman talked about readjusting national borders. That was only a euphemism. He was only trying to maximize Neige¡¯s benefit! He might shrink some countries by a third or even more! With Neige¡¯s habit, Oraman might reduce some countries to half their sizes! Neige would definitely lay claim on the lands where resources were found! There was no doubt about it! ¡°What?¡± ¡°Readjust the national borders?¡± ¡°Neige will do it? Is that a joke!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve never mentioned that before!¡± ¡°Why is he bringing it up now? What¡¯s he trying to do?¡± ¡°I disagree! Although the shifting tectonic plates may destroy many countries, the borders have been fixed for decades or even centuries! Why should we readjust them? It¡¯s completely unnecessary!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see it? Neige is trying to encroach on other countries¡¯ land!¡± ¡°I disagree!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have it! Oraman, you¡¯ve crossed the line!¡± Hardly anyone agreed. Countries of all races and regions strongly disagreed with Oraman¡¯s suggestion. However, there was bound to be some noise. 1% of the countries sided with Neige. ¡°I can live with that! I think the disappearance of national borders is the trend. After this catastrophe, people on Earth should be more united. We shouldn¡¯t just focus on our own countries! Since Neige is going to save the world, why won¡¯t we all become one big nation and let Neige be our leader?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Neige is the reason that we still have a planet to live on. If we don¡¯t have Earth, nothing else will matter. I agree with Mr. President Oraman!¡± ¡°Me, too! Without national borders, Earth will make more achievements even faster! Our enemy isn¡¯t here on Earth but there in outer space. Why should we be bothered with how big our country is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Science is the key. We should all work together and find a way to travel into outer space. Isn¡¯t it a good idea to find a new earth? We can¡¯t afford more war. Neige is the greatest nation on Earth. It¡¯s only natural that they should lead us!¡± Some of them might have been encouraged by Oraman¡¯s people, while others might actually feel that way. But they failed to shift the public opinion. When the national territory was in question, everyone stood their ground. No meant No. Ding! The Woodian president¡¯s face appeared on the website. He asked angrily, ¡°Oraman, what are you driving at?!¡± Ding! The Soilian president joined the video call as well. Ding! Flamia, Iceana, Hydria¡­ Dozens of presidents joined the video call and scolded Oraman. ¡°Are you threatening us now?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so before? Are you trying to take the world as your own territory?¡± ¡°Oraman, you¡¯re too ambitious! To build the energy cannon, we¡¯ve drained the resources in our countries. But now, you¡¯re trying to take our land! You¡¯re shameless!¡± Oraman and Maruse only smiled when they heard the angry words. ¡°You can always say no. Eternity is made from the hardest material ever existed, and it can also turn into a space shuttle. We can survive in outer space if we have to. We have enough food and oxygen for the next three centuries. Neige has found a way to survive on Mars. If you refuse my request, we can take Eternity to Mars. Please don¡¯t force yourself to do things you don¡¯t want to.¡± Seeing his cheeky smile, all the presidents lost control. ¡°Oraman! Screw you! You¡¯re despicable!¡± ¡°Oraman, I¡¯ve been so wrong about you! How can you do such a thing now?!¡± ¡°This is a plain robbery! You¡¯re robbers!¡± ¡°Did you have this in your mind all along?¡± Oraman laughed when he saw how angry the other presidents were. ¡°Are you going to agree or not? If you do, we should sign an agreement. I know a piece of paper won¡¯t actually control you, but that¡¯s alright. My scientists have calculated that we only need to launch the energy cannon twice to destroy the meteorite¡ªthree times at most. Neige will then have two launches left. If you want to tear up that agreement, your country will become the energy cannon¡¯s next target. Do I need to repeat how powerful the weapon is?¡± Maruse chuckled. ¡°One launch, and you won¡¯t have a country to lead anymore.¡± The other presidents were furious. Oraman had stopped pretending and revealed his true color. He was threatening everyone. ¡°Oraman, you Neigerians are so vicious! We should have supported Moon!¡± Oraman laughed. ¡°Moon? You don¡¯t need to worry about them. They¡¯ll be the first to disappear once the meteorite hits Earth. After them is Panthera!¡± Moon, Panthera, and their allied countries were all using underground shelters. Oraman and Maruse believed that those countries would never survive the catastrophe. Oraman laughed. ¡°Most of Moon has already disappeared. I think their underground shelter is filled with water by now.¡± Maruse laughed as well. ¡°That¡¯s very likely!¡± Chapter 125 - Three Launches Chapter 125 Three Launches Oraman didn¡¯t forget the purpose of this meeting. After he was done laughing, he went back to threaten the other presidents. ¡°What¡¯s your answer? I¡¯d like to remind you that the meteorite will arrive in 59 minutes. You only have less than an hour left, and that¡¯s not a lot of time!¡± The other presidents ground their teeth. Neige held Earth¡¯s fate in its hand, so what choice did they have? No one wanted to die. Neige¡¯s Eternity was made of the rarest and hardest materials on Earth. It could take off for Mars at any time! It would survive the catastrophe even if Earth itself was destroyed. There were many news reports on Eternity. It was called the greatest invention of the 21st century. Oraman wasn¡¯t worried about his safety at all. He already felt like he didn¡¯t belong on Earth anymore. ¡°Koji, let¡¯s start from you.¡± Oraman looked at the Flamian president. Flamia had always been Neige¡¯s minion and would attack whichever country Neige commanded it to attack. It would never say no to Neige. However, today was an exception. Koji hesitated. If he said yes, he would be betraying his own country. Neige could rob Flamia of its entire territory! When that happened, Koji would be condemned forever by the Flamian people. Maruse urged him, ¡°If the answer is no after the catastrophe is over, Flamia will become Neige¡¯s primary target!¡± Would many countries still have the ability to go to war after the catastrophe? Of course not. Armies would be nonexistent, military bases would have been destroyed by earthquakes and tsunamis, and the weapons would all have been damaged by water. How could any country wage wars? The energy cannon would become the only functioning weapon on Earth. Moreover, it was also a superweapon. Neige could rule Earth without breaking a sweat. If Koji said yes, Neige probably would leave him with half a country to rule. If he said no, Neige would take everything. Koji gritted his teeth and lowered his head. ¡°We agree¡­¡± ¡°Great!¡± When there was a first, there would be a second. More would follow after that. Oraman was pleased. ¡°Flamia will keep its original territory, and I¡¯ll even give you some more land!¡± Koji was feeling depressed until he heard those words, which immediately cheered him up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course! Neige will give special treatments to the countries that say yes first!¡± The Soilian president immediately raised his hand. ¡°Pick me, Mr. Oraman! Bluea agrees to that suggestion!¡± ¡°Oceania, too!¡± ¡°Fabria, too!¡± ¡°Soleilia, too!¡± More and more countries said yes. However, they were primarily small countries. Such countries seldom had any say over important matters. Apart from Flamia, other Top 10 countries all remained silent. Woodia, Goldia, Winland, and Iceana reached a tacit agreement, and no one would give in. They were just as powerful as Neige, and it took them a lot of effort to get there. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t hand their countries to Neige on a plate. They knew they were Neige¡¯s real target. Oraman had no interest in the small countries. His real purpose was to weaken them. Other countries had said yes because they didn¡¯t have much to fight for. Once the top countries agreed with the proposition, Neige would take away their land to weaken them and might even remove their countries from the world map. Ninety presidents were attending the meeting. Over thirty had said yes, about a third of the total attendants. The remaining two-thirds hadn¡¯t given an answer yet. Oraman was in no hurry. ¡°What? Haven¡¯t you made up your mind yet? You don¡¯t have much time left. The meteorite will arrive in 40 minutes.¡± Meanwhile, countless people rushed to the Moonian site, almost overloading the server. Everybody was asking for answers from Sky Eye, the president, and Himmel Soan. ¡°@Sky Eye: Can you destroy the meteorite? Is the space cannon real?¡± ¡°@Himmel Soan: I¡¯m begging you! Just tell us the truth! Which is better, the space cannon or the energy cannon? You must make an oath and tell the truth! If you lie, your family will be condemned forever! Make that oath, and I¡¯ll believe you! I¡¯ll join Moon and cut all ties with Neige!¡± ¡°Do you have the power to get through this catastrophe? Neige wants to rule the world, and you¡¯re the only one who can stop them! Mr. Soan, please hack their system again!¡± However, Moon didn¡¯t reply to any of the questions. The Moonians were busy preparing to destroy Despair One. They didn¡¯t have the time to answer questions. They had made it very clear from the beginning. Since the others wouldn¡¯t believe it, there was no need to explain it to them repeatedly. Moreover, the truth would come out soon. Neige would never be able to rule the world, and Oraman would become the enemy of the human race. The oceans flooded the land, and hurricanes took place worldwide. Half of the Moonian land was already below the sea surface, and the water wasn¡¯t very far from the Pegasus Grassland. The Pegasus Grassland was on a plateau, but the seawater had almost risen to its level, which showed how serious the situation was. The natural disasters had destroyed all the buildings on the grassland. Only the tall barbette remained standing. It was the base of the space cannon. The total height of the cannon was three thousand meters. The area it took up was equally incredible. A transparent film covered the surface of the space cannon. All the natural elements, from lightning to magma would slide off the film. That was the effect of the Innate Vigorous Energy. Even earthquakes couldn¡¯t shake the giant cannon. The ground might crack up, but it wouldn¡¯t split open. It was like putting a wooden board on a table. Without the wooden board, the table would split into halves when the tabletop cracked open. However, the wooden board would hold the table together. Similarly, the space cannon stabilized the ground beneath it. The staff was busy working inside the space cannon. Himmel Soan joined them and started refining the spiritual essence after he escorted the fleet back to the Pegasus Grassland. ¡°How much spiritual essence do we have now? Is it enough to fire the cannon twice?¡± ¡°Yes, we do! It¡¯s close to the amount of three launches!¡± ¡°Good job! Keep refining more! We should try to store enough spiritual essence for three launches!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yosef nodded and asked, ¡°Patriarch, isn¡¯t one launch enough to destroy the meteorite?¡± ¡°It is, but we have to prevent any accidents! Two will be safer, and three will ensure nothing can go wrong!¡± Chapter 126 - Ancestors Chapter 126 Ancestors ¡°We¡¯ll guarantee complete success!¡± Yosef was glad to hear that. He wiped away the dust on his face and nodded. ¡°Patriarch, Moon will be proud to have you!¡± Himmel Soan gave him a stern look. Yosef was scared and took a step back. He realized he had said the wrong thing. He wondered if Himmel Soan would scold him. But that didn¡¯t happen. Himmel Soan sighed and looked up at the sky through the glass ceiling. Despite his young face, his eyes looked old. ¡°I share the same ancestors with the other Moonians. I¡¯m a descendant of the two ancient emperors, and I¡¯m proud to be one.¡± Yosef asked, ¡°Patriarch, I have a question. I hope it won¡¯t offend you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes looked as old as the universe itself. Looking into them, one would think they could see all the stars. ¡°One million years? Two million years? I¡¯ve lost count!¡± Yosef¡¯s mouth fell open. One million years old? Maybe two million? What¡­ Had the human race even been around for that long? ¡°Patriarch, were you born in prehistoric time?¡± ¡°No, I was born in the 90s.¡± ¡°The 90s? But you were active in 1800!¡± Himmel Soan explained, ¡°Something strange happened on a rainy night. When I woke up, I wasn¡¯t in this world. The other world I went to was a civilization created by cultivators. I think you can imagine what it looks like. I lived millions of years over there until I became the most capable cultivator of that world. ¡°I did everything to return to our world, and I succeeded in the end. However, my physical body was destroyed in the process. I ran into some terrifying monsters when I traveled through spacetime, returning to Earth with severe injuries. The two ancient emperors helped me to fend off those monsters.¡± Yosef nodded. ¡°That was why you said you were proud to be their descendant.¡± The two ancient emperors were ancestors to all Moonians. There was once an epic war between them. All Moonians considered themselves to have the same ancestors. Himmel Soan was no exception. Without the emperors¡¯ help, he would have been killed by the monsters when he returned to Earth. With his physical form destroyed, Himmel Soan had to practice a unique technique that would rejuvenate him every few decades. His original body wouldn¡¯t need such a method to achieve immortality. When he finally recovered from his injuries, the war between the two emperors was over, and it was three thousand years before the feudalistic age started. Himmel Soan had witnessed all the legends, both in the east and the west. The destruction of the nine suns. The sun-chaser. The taming of the great river. The land reclamation. The discovery of herbal medicines. The Vikings. The pharaohs. At first, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t dare to help the ancient people because he was afraid he would change the course of history. He was born in the 1990s and shouldn¡¯t be living among the ancient people. If he meddled with the wrong thing, he would change the future and might eventually prevent his parents from meeting each other. The question bothered him for thousands of years. Then one day, he suddenly figured it out. He had to intervene because he couldn¡¯t meet himself in this world. There couldn¡¯t be two Himmel Soans in this timeline. One of them had to disappear. It was the law of Nature. One universe could only have one Himmel Soan. Therefore, he needed to change something. His parents and grandparents couldn¡¯t be born. It also meant he would never see his parents again. If he wanted to see them, he had to travel to the future. He could fill in the blanks of Himmel Soan that was missing from this universe. That was the only way he could exist here. Unless he would be willing to kill ¡°himself.¡± Therefore, he started helping the people in this universe two thousand years ago. He didn¡¯t start until human civilization was formed. Since 1800, Himmel Soan began helping the human race more often, and human society was making faster progress. He knew he was going to be born in 1990, so he had 190 years to locate his direct ancestors. As for where he would start, he decided to improvise. His father was born in 1976. However, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t allow him to marry and have children. If that happened, another Himmel Soan would be born. If the Himmel Soan in this universe was created, the other Himmel Soan had to disappear. He had lived millions of years in a strange world and paid dearly to return to his old world. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t accept that fate. It might not be the most decent thing to do, but he had no other choice. His survival would benefit this world more than his disappearance. Moreover, since he didn¡¯t belong to this universe, technically, his parents here weren¡¯t his birth parents. His real parents were in the universe where he couldn¡¯t go back. Therefore, he made sure his extended family in his universe all became rich and lived comfortably. That was his way of compensating his parents. His father was Tim Soan, and his mother was May Young. On the day Tim and May were supposed to get married, Himmel Soan had Tim arrested and sent abroad so that the couple would be parted forever. The Himmel Soan in his universe had been completely wiped out. Tim was in his 50s now and was still single. He had become a rich businessman in another country. May was also in her 50s. She still lived in Moon and had married someone else. Her husband was infertile, so they had no children. They were a wealthy couple with countless properties. It was also Himmel Soan¡¯s way to compensate them. At first, it made Himmel Soan sad to think about what he had done. By now, he had moved on and was no longer affected by it. ¡°You said nothing wrong. Yosef, go back to your work.¡± It had been years since he talked about himself. If Yosef hadn¡¯t brought it up, he would have forgotten about it. Himmel Soan never doubted anyone in the Soan empire. It wasn¡¯t a confidential matter, and he wouldn¡¯t mind telling them about it. However, he would only do that when he was in a good mood. It was the first time that Yosef had heard about his Patriarch¡¯s past. He nodded. ¡°Of course, Patriarch.¡± Chapter 127 - Reply Chapter 127 Reply ¡°Patriarch, the whole world is asking us questions. Are we really not going to give them any answers?¡± Yosef doubled back after taking a few steps to confirm with Himmel Soan. ¡°No. That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± There was no need to answer any of the questions now. Neige wouldn¡¯t be Earth¡¯s savior, and the energy cannon wouldn¡¯t be a threat to Moon either. It was only those people¡¯s wishful thinking The Neigerians would wake up when their hope was shattered. So would the rest of the world. The meteorite would arrive in less than two hours. There was no time for unnecessary explanations. ¡°I see!¡± Presidents of the major countries were anxiously waiting online. Should they say yes or not? Neige was blatantly threatening them. Many countries were furious. But there was nothing they could do. ¡°What did Moon say? How confident are they?¡± the Winish president asked his vice-president. He had instructed the vice-president to contact Moon. He wanted to seek help from Moon, or at least hear the truth from them. Would Moon be able to destroy the meteorite? If the answer was yes, they wouldn¡¯t need to surrender to Neige. However, Moon didn¡¯t reply. Winland wasn¡¯t alone. Countries like Soilia, Woodia, and Goldia were all trying to get in touch with Moon. They did all they could to contact Henry Lang, Gordon Marlow, and the Moonian president, but all their efforts bore no fruit. The entire country seemed to have switched to the mute mode and showed no intention to intervene. Oraman checked the countdown and saw that there were 25 minutes to go. He grinned like a monkey. ¡°My fellow presidents, you don¡¯t have much time left. The meteorite will arrive in 25 minutes. If you still refuse to take my offer, I¡¯ll take off with Eternity and wait on Mars until this is over. Good luck!¡± Maruse gloated. ¡°You had this coming, so don¡¯t blame us for being unhelpful.¡± The Goldian president shouted, ¡°What? Mars? We¡¯ve given you everything, and you¡¯re abandoning us?¡± Oraman shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. You were stupid enough to give them to me in the first place.¡± ¡°How can you say such things? You¡¯re shameless!¡± To build the energy cannon, all the countries had given away all they had and offered the precious metals to Neige for free. The countries that didn¡¯t have any materials to offer made huge donations. They put all their hope on Neige. However, the Neigerian ark was going to leave Earth. They had never heard of such shameless deeds before. ¡°Oraman, God is going to punish you for this!¡± ¡°Mr. President of Goldia, you seem to have a lot of opinions about me!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The Goldian president wanted to speak, but his vice-president stopped him. Protests were useless now. It was clear what they needed to do. They had to give Oraman what he wanted. It was the only way to save Earth. Oraman and Neige would gain world domination. If someone offended Oraman now, their country could be removed from the world map in the future. ¡°Keep talking,¡± Oraman smirked. The Goldian vice-president smiled apologetically. ¡°Mr. President Oraman, Goldia agrees with all your terms! Neige will readjust the national territories when this is over, and Goldia will cooperate.¡± Goldia had given in. It was the second country to surrender after Flamia. At this point, Oraman couldn¡¯t be bothered to put on an appearance anymore. He laughed out loud. With the energy cannon, he could rule the world. All the survivors would obey him! Maruse looked at the other presidents. ¡°What about you guys? Have you made up your mind yet?¡± The other presidents looked like they were going to throw up. They all had miserable looks on their faces and were pale as dead bodies. People all over the world were cursing Oraman. The angry comments drowned the ones written by the paid posters. Everyone participated in condemning Neige; people were cursing with the worst thing they could think of. ¡°Oraman, go to hell!¡± ¡°Oraman must resign! He¡¯s a dog!¡± ¡°Oraman, God will never forgive you! You¡¯ll be condemned forever!¡± ¡°Hell is the only place you¡¯re going! Even if you become the king of Earth, you can¡¯t cover up your crime! I¡¯d rather die than surrender to you! I¡¯ll wait for you in hell!¡± What good could their protests do? The general trend was unstoppable. Some people were undaunted by death, but most people feared the prospect. Oraman would rule the world even if they died, and their death would achieve nothing. After much consideration, the presidents finally gave in. ¡°What now? You still have fifteen minutes. Have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°Winland will cooperate.¡± ¡°Soilia, too.¡± ¡°So will Woodia.¡± Sixty. Seventy. Eighty. Over eighty countries said yes. Oraman smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t force anyone. I support democracy, and you all have your rights. I respect it if you won¡¯t accept my terms. I could make the suggestion after the catastrophe was over, but I didn¡¯t do that. I asked you in advance because I didn¡¯t want to threaten you. I¡¯ve given you a choice, haven¡¯t I?¡± The Winish president cut him off. ¡°Save you spit, Oraman. Just launch the energy cannon!¡± Oraman smiled. ¡°Alright. Since everyone has said yes, I won¡¯t waste any more time. Maruse, show us the image of the meteorite being destroyed.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The video call ended, and the surveillance footage from the satellite filled the screen. The meteorite was very close. It was as if it would crash into Earth in the next second. ¡°Get the energy cannon ready.¡± Oraman gave the order. A smaller screen appeared in the lower right corner, showing the outside of Eternity and the operators in the control room. The giant cannon barrel slowly rose, and the operators adjusted its angle until it was aiming at the super meteorite. All the scientists in the control room were on the alert and combat-ready. ¡°Mr. President, the energy cannon is ready. We can launch at any moment!¡± Oraman nodded and looked at the countdown clock. 10 minutes 51 seconds. 10 minutes 50 seconds¡­ Chapter 128 - Disasters Chapter 128 Disasters 10 minutes 39 seconds. 10 minutes 8 seconds. 10 minutes 1 second! ¡°Mr. President, Despair One is within the energy cannon¡¯s range!¡± The energy cannon could only hit the meteorite when it was ten minutes away from Earth. The meteorite was moving too fast, and they could only estimate its location based on the approximate time it would reach Earth. The long distance meant the images from the cameras were delayed. Not everyone could use their mental force like Himmel Soan. Oraman wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He knew their estimations could have errors. The world was waiting for the historical moment, and he couldn¡¯t mess up here. As the meteorite approached, Earth¡¯s magnetic field became chaotic. The ozone layer split open, and sunlight shone down without any filter. Frostia was right under that area. The country was already flooded. As the ozone layer thinned down, the seawater was vaporized as people watched. The entire Frostia turned into a giant steamer. The steam was so thick that people couldn¡¯t see things 30cm away. Without the protection of the ozone layer, the temperature rose to over a thousand degrees. After the sea dried up, the ground got covered with cracks, and the top layer rolled up like dry pieces of chocolate. The steam didn¡¯t exist for very long either. Before long, there was no moisture left. Frostia had 69 arks, and the shells had all turned red and started to melt. Even though they weren¡¯t made of ordinary steel, they still couldn¡¯t withstand such high temperatures. ¡°Help¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so hot¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s baking me alive! Help!¡± ¡°Turn on the air conditioner!¡± ¡°It has busted! The ark can¡¯t withstand the heat!¡± The special metal held on for a brief moment, but the heat soon penetrated the outer layer. 90% of the objects inside were made from ordinary materials. Copper was necessary for some electronic devices, and it wasn¡¯t replaceable. Copper and iron wires, steel rods, and aluminum alloy parts had all melted. The air-cons and power generators all exploded, and multiple locations were on fire. Everyone was panic-struck. Men were shouting. Women were screaming. Children were crying. All the noises mixed together and became indistinguishable. Stampedes happened in several cabins. The interior of the arks was separated into various departments like dormitories. Each room could contain ten, twenty, or even thirty people. Only the luckiest ones could get out in time. The cabins closer to the top were the hottest ones, and the door handles had been melted by the heat. The people inside couldn¡¯t get out. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so thirsty¡­¡± A little girl crawled toward her mother, who was no longer breathing. She looked as dry as a mummy and would eventually turn into a pile of ash. Maybe things wouldn¡¯t end there. If the temperature kept rising, there would be nothing of her left. Not even ashes. The girl was around three old. Her face contorted as she crawled because when she lifted her arm, her skin had peeled off. The temperature of the floor was over 300 degrees. She couldn¡¯t feel the pain anymore. She was losing hydration so fast that she was shrinking. She couldn¡¯t even bleed. 70% of the human body was water, and she had lost over 50% of it. If she still had strength left, she would realize her flesh was falling out. The heat was cooking her alive. The temperature was rising so fast that she had yet to react to it. That was why she was still conscious. Several men tried to get out, but they jumped back as soon as they touched the ark¡¯s metal wall. It was too hot to touch! The skin that made contact with the wall was already blackened. ¡°Help!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°Please help us!¡± ¡°Honey, where are you¡­¡± ¡°Mom! Dad!¡± Boom! The television hanging on the wall in the lobby exploded, sending sparks everywhere. It was only the beginning. More electronic devices exploded after that, affecting many people. The people killed in the explosions were the lucky ones though. Those that barely survived had to watch themselves get cooked to death. Some people were conscious during the whole process. Both were horrible ways to die. The temperature had risen beyond the level that human beings could withstand. The ark was full of noise at first, but everything went quiet shortly after that. All the passengers were lying face down on the floor. Some still had their eyes open, while others were barely breathing. However, it wouldn¡¯t matter! They had reached the end of their lives. By now, many people had realized how wrong they had been. Arks couldn¡¯t keep them safe! They wouldn¡¯t have been cooked to death if they had gone to the underground shelter! Compared to this, they would rather be drowned! However, it was too late to regret it. They had to be responsible for their own choices. Similar things were taking place in all the Frostian arks. They were trapped in the arks like helpless lambs while the arks began to melt and change shapes under the heat. They had lost all hope. Just then, a pale-blue web appeared in the sky and blocked the heat. The web slowly rose into the sky and mended the hole in the ozone layer. It was created by Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force. However, he was a little too late. He couldn¡¯t save the dead passengers. What happened to Frostia wasn¡¯t an isolated case. Because of the approaching meteorite, all sorts of natural disasters happened in countries all over the world. In Heatia, a country near the equator, animals began to mutate. It happened to animals like lions, deers, giraffes, elephants, and crocodiles. The super meteorite was covered with tens of thousands of substances that couldn¡¯t be found on Earth. When it approached Earth, the substances combined with the air and turned into something toxic. Chapter 129 - Global Catastrophe Chapter 129 Global Catastrophe Any animal that inhaled the toxic air would grow larger and go into a frantic state. No one cared about those wild animals in a chaotic time like this though. Various countries kept cubs and genes of wild animals. Heatia was a poor country, and only 10% of its population got into the arks. The other 90% were left to die. The frantic beasts charged into cities and hunted the people by following their scents. Humans also went berserk when they inhaled the toxic substance and began to attack animals and other humans. All hell broke loose in Heatia. Heatia was close to the equator and wasn¡¯t affected by tsunamis or earthquakes. There were no volcanoes on its land either. It had never occurred to them that they would escape the natural disasters only to die in the hands of their own people. Meanwhile, the Pegasus Volcano on the Pegasus Grassland began to wake up. Rumbling noises kept coming from the bowels of the earth as if something could explode at any moment. The glacier on both poles melted, raising the sea level, and the seawater flooded the land. The catastrophe had reached a global scale. Raging storms and tidal waves attacked countless arks floating in the oceans. Most of them were built with durable materials to withstand the horrible weather. However, they would have to count themselves unlucky if they were struck by lightning Although the metal hull of the arks was flame- and cold-resistant, it could still conduct electricity. If an ark was struck by lightning, all the electronic devices would explode, and the engine could also be destroyed. When that happened, the passengers would be trapped in the sea. It wasn¡¯t an unlikely event. Some arks were already hit by lightning and sank into the sea. There was little hope of finding any survivors. Himmel Soan used his mental force to track the disasters all over the globe and would save as many people as his power could handle. But with so many things happening simultaneously, he couldn¡¯t be everywhere all at once. Something would happen in the west when he was in the east. Someone in the north would be in danger when he went to save lives in the south. He couldn¡¯t cover so many countries all at once unless he recovered enough power to create his own avatars. He barely had enough strength to help others now. If he had the spare power to create avatars, he might not even be able to protect Moon. Himmel Soan immediately detected the abnormality in Pegasus Grassland. He focused his mental force on the volcano through the crater. Although he couldn¡¯t stop the eruption, he would hold it off for ten or twenty hours. More and more people were posting comments online. ¡°Gosh! I just saw a nearby ark sink into the sea!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing. I saw a Frostian ark melt into liquid! It was so scary!¡± ¡°What? Melt into liquid? How¡¯s that possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Frostia became so bright just then! I don¡¯t know what happened, but everything was burnt down! The houses were turned into piles of ashes! It was so horrible! I can¡¯t imagine what happened to those people!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world! Nature is taking its revenge! Earth is purging us!¡± ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s a meteorite, not some great purge! Lord, please help us get through this catastrophe!¡± ¡°What¡¯s Oraman waiting for? Why hasn¡¯t he launched the cannon?¡± ¡°Is he too old to remember what he should do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush him! He must be waiting for the optimal launching time!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush him? It¡¯s easy for you to say! There¡¯s a thunderstorm outside, and everybody on this ark will die if we¡¯re struck by lightning! We can¡¯t wait anymore! We only have less than ten minutes left! The meteorite is almost upon us!¡± ¡°Launch the cannon, damn it! People are dying!¡± The world was in a state of panic. In Eternity¡¯s control room, the scientists were trembling. Their hands were on the launch buttons, but they couldn¡¯t press them. Oraman hadn¡¯t given the order yet. ¡°Mr. President, are we going to launch it? We have eight minutes left. I think we need to do it now.¡± Oraman looked at the clock on the big screen. ¡°Eight minutes. Let¡¯s launch it now!¡± ¡°Ready to launch!¡± ¡°Ready to launch!¡± All the scientists focused on the control panel. ¡°Countdown! Ten! ¡°Nine! ¡°Eight!¡± The world was nervously watching the launch protocol. Everybody was praying. It was their last hope. ¡°Three! ¡°Two! ¡°One! ¡°Launch!¡± ¡°Launch the energy cannon!¡± The scientists hit the buttons. The screen then showed what was going on outside Eternity. The cannon barrel began to absorb light until it gave off a red glow. The cost of one launch was thirty billion. Developing countries couldn¡¯t even dream about it. Even Neige, the wealthiest country in the world, could only afford the materials for one launch. That was how expensive it was. There was a loud thump. Poof, just like that, thirty billion was gone. A thick streak of light with a 200m diameter shot up the clouds. The image on the screen changed again. It showed the streak of light rising into the sky. One could see that the light was in fact a giant missile. It flew away from earth at lightning speed. The fire around it disappeared after it entered outer space because nothing burnt in the vacuum. The missile flew toward the meteorite. The camera on the satellite followed it closely while everyone on Earth watched nervously. ¡°Look! The Moonian website is showing the missile, too! The image is so clear!¡± ¡°Gosh! It¡¯s a hundred times better than the Neigerian image!¡± ¡°How can it be? I thought Moon was only showing recordings. How can they be following the energy cannon? So, it¡¯s true that they do have a camera out there. They weren¡¯t showing CGI videos!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! If that¡¯s the case, how advanced will their technology have to be?¡± ¡°The two websites are showing the same thing! The angles are identical! If Neige is broadcasting the launch, so is Moon! Moon couldn¡¯t have predicted what the missile looked like and put it in their recording! Look, the two images are exactly the same! It means Moon is broadcasting the launch, too!¡± Chapter 130 - Moon Is Correct Chapter 130 Moon Is Correct Without the Neigerian broadcast, the viewers wouldn¡¯t have realized that the Moonian one was authentic. Neige insisted that the Moonian video was fake. However, the video footage on the two websites was the same. If the Moonian one was fake, so was the Neigerian one. Neige would be accusing itself. The reason that Neige slandered Moon was rather straightforward. The Moonian video had too high a definition. Despair One was moving at a speed of 1/360 that of light. Nothing moved that fast on Earth neither could anything man-made travel that fast. Even if such a thing was invented, it had to be in one of the developed countries. It couldn¡¯t happen in Moon, which wasn¡¯t even among the top ten countries. Neige had always discriminated against Moon. It wouldn¡¯t believe or allow Moon to have such advanced technology. Neige itself could only show blurry images with its most advanced satellite. Yet the Moonian images were so clear. How could that happen? No matter how reluctant Neige was, they couldn¡¯t deny the truth. The videos had to be both real or both fake. The Moonian image showed the actual missile. How could Neige explain that? Could Moon insert the footage into the recording beforehand? If that was the case, how could they time it so accurately? No one knew when the launch would occur because even the Neigerians didn¡¯t know when Oraman would give the order. Shortly after the energy cannon was launched, the missile reached outer space, and the video on the Moonian website began to show it as well. The timing was perfect. The meteorite had moved so close that even the Neigerian satellite could take its picture. It was safe to say that the Moonian images were genuine. The country didn¡¯t fabricate anything At the same time, it also proved that Moon had the technology to track the meteorite. They could follow an object that was moving at 1/360 of the speed of the light. No one wanted to believe it. But they had to. ¡°Which side should we believe?¡± ¡°Which side? Obviously, they¡¯re both real!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right. The Moonian countdown still had an hour and three minutes left, but the Neigerian one is down to seven minutes. When will the meteorite arrive?¡± Apart from the video quality, the countdown times were also different on the two websites. According to the Moonian website, the meteorite wouldn¡¯t arrive until an hour later, but the Neigerian website showed that there were only seven minutes left. The time was essential. If the Moonian one was accurate, the missile might run out of its fuel before reaching the meteorite. After that, the inertia would keep it going. It would eventually miss the meteorite and fly into deeper space until it was stopped by some external force. Something like that could happen. However, the meteorite was so large that the missile would still collide with it. The explosion should do some damage. The force of a bullet came from its speed, and a bullet could do more damage if it were spinning when it went into an object, creating a larger opening. Speed was the key. However, some heavy weapons no longer depended on speed. They relied on the explosives, which had destructive power when they went off. It was the case with hand grenades, and the energy cannon was no exception. It would explode when it collided with its target, and the only function of the thruster was to get the missile to where it was supposed to be. It wouldn¡¯t affect the effectiveness of the weapon. The missile might miss its target, and that was the worst scenario. There was no air in space. Even if the meteorite moved close to the missile, it wouldn¡¯t create an airflow to blow the missile away from its course. ¡°I think I¡¯ll trust Neige.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t affect the outcome. The meteorite is moving toward us as well, so the missile will eventually hit the target!¡± ¡°I choose to believe Moon! If both countries are broadcasting the launch, Moon definitely has better technology than Neige! You can tell it from their higher definition! Oraman is a despicable man! He¡¯ll be punished!¡± Nothing happened in the end. The missile got lost in outer space. The distance was too long. It would take the meteorite another hour to reach Earth. Therefore, the missile would need to fly for at least another forty minutes. That was when it stayed on its course. If it went off course, it would never reach its target. When the viewers saw this, some sighed, some cursed, and some shook their heads. ¡°Seriously? The meteorite is so far away! Why did Neige tell us there were only seven minutes left?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll take more than half an hour!¡± ¡°The Moonian timer is the accurate one! It seems the meteorite won¡¯t reach us until an hour later!¡± ¡°I was so nervous! I¡¯ve even written my last words, thinking that Earth would be destroyed in the next second. I still had an hour! WTF?! What¡¯s Neige doing?¡± ¡°Neige has been trying to hide the fact that Moon has surpassed it, but that¡¯s an impossible mission! It¡¯s very clear that Neigerian technology isn¡¯t as advanced as that of Moon. The Moonian technology is the most advanced!¡± ¡°Gosh! Does that mean the underground shelter is the right way to go?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that? How can you ask that question when so many arks have been destroyed, and so many people have been killed? I don¡¯t know if the underground shelter is the right way, but the arks are definitely the wrong choice! I¡¯m on edge all the time, fearing that we¡¯re going to be struck by lightning. I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about such things if we were a thousand meters underground.¡± Once more, Moon was proved to be correct, but it wouldn¡¯t make much difference now. Countless people posted comments on the Neigerian website, asking for an explanation from Oraman. Oraman was shameless enough to turn on his camera and make a speech. ¡°Neige has expected this to happen. We planned to shoot the missile into space and let it naturally collide with the meteorite. Why, you ask? That¡¯s because we need to keep the explosion as far away from Earth as possible. Once the energy cannon destroys the meteorite, the debris will affect a large area, and it may affect Earth, creating more disasters than there already are. That¡¯s why we¡¯re letting the missile travel far into space!¡± Chapter 131 - Fire in the Hole Chapter 131 Fire in the Hole Oraman actually managed to fill up the gaps in his theory. To make it more frustrating, some people actually believed him. Many viewers felt enlightened when they heard the excuse and found it reasonable. They agreed that the missile couldn¡¯t be detonated close to Earth, or the explosion would make an impact on the planet. While Oraman was talking, the missile suddenly picked up its speed. It was moving even faster than the super meteorite. ¡°What¡¯s happening? ¡°Holy crap! It¡¯s so fast! It was so slow a minute ago!¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to hit the meteorite! I¡¯m so nervous!¡± Yes, Himmel Soan had given it a hand. He was using his mental force to push the missile forward so that it would collide with the meteorite much sooner. There were two reasons. First of all, he couldn¡¯t stand those Neigerian officials anymore. Himmel Soan had set up the current internet service, and he knew everything they were saying. Oraman was shameless, and Himmel Soan had to use this way to expose that man¡¯s lie. They insisted that the energy cannon could destroy the meteorite. Himmel would show them what would happen. Oraman would lose his hope if he saw the result with his own eyes. The second reason was that Himmel Soan wanted to destroy the special protective layer around the meteorite. Himmel Soan had discovered the layer quite a while ago and announced it to the world. The protective layer was formed by a substance that couldn¡¯t be found on Earth. If he could destroy the protective layer, it wouldn¡¯t be so difficult to break the meteorite. Although it wasn¡¯t that difficult for him to destroy the protective layer, he didn¡¯t want to waste his spiritual essence. Now that Himmel Soan had become a scientist, he could use spiritual essence in scientific research. Moon had enough spiritual essence to launch the space cannon three times. It would take at most two launches to destroy the meteorite. If the protective layer was gone, one launch would probably be enough. He could use the remaining spiritual essence in post-catastrophe constructions. That was why Himmel Soan accelerated the missile so that it would collide with the meteorite sooner. Not only that, but he had also hacked the Neigerian computers and fired the remaining four missiles. In the online world. ¡°Mr. Oraman, why did the missile suddenly speed up?¡± Oraman didn¡¯t know what had happened, so Maruse went up the stage and whispered something in his ear. Oraman nodded and calmly said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a type of technology. The energy cannon is an example of our most advanced technology, and the missile is equipped with highly effective thrusters that can greatly improve its speed.¡± Someone else asked, ¡°The missile seems to be flying faster than Despair One. Is it approaching the speed of the light, too?¡± Oraman hesitated for a moment before chuckling, ¡°That¡¯s right. I know Moon can show a clearer image of the meteorite, but we have even more advanced technology. The speed of our missile is close to 1/100 of the speed of the light!¡± Another viewer asked, ¡°Mr. Oraman, you said earlier that Moon didn¡¯t have the technology and that their images were fake. Why have you changed your opinion?¡± Oraman said, ¡°I like your question. Who¡¯s next?¡± The next question was, ¡°Mr. Oraman, you said Moon might have been wiped off the face of Earth. You told us the underground shelter wasn¡¯t reliable and was probably flooded. However, the Moonian website is still active, and many Moonians are using it. I checked it just now, and there are 1.2 billion active users. The elders and children don¡¯t know how to use smartphones, and the soldiers are all on duty. Together, they should add up to 1.9 billion people. The Moonian population is 2 billion, so not many of them are dead. Are you sure the underground shelter is unreliable?¡± Oraman said, ¡°Lovely question! Time will prove everything! Next.¡± The next one asked, ¡°Mr. Oraman, Moon hacked the Neigerian system before. Can we reach the conclusion that Moonian technology has surpassed that of Neige? If you do become the ruler of the world one day, will you be bothered by the fact that another country used to be better than Neige? Will Moon become Neige¡¯s nightmare?¡± Oraman said, ¡°Moon has never been able to hack our system! You¡¯ve been misinformed! Moon has never surpassed Neige either! I have just been informed that the missile can collide with the meteorite, so I¡¯ll stop answering questions. We¡¯ll know the result very soon. It¡¯ll be a historical moment. You¡¯ll see for yourself.¡± After that, the Neigerian website soon quieted down. Half the users disappeared. They went to the Moonian website instead. Why would they watch the Neigerian broadcast when Moon had a much higher definition? Even Oraman himself was watching the collision on the Moonian website. ¡°Why were all the missiles fired? Who told you to launch them all? Didn¡¯t I tell you to save two missiles for later use?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t give that order! It was a system failure, and they were launched automatically.¡± ¡°You idiots!¡± Oraman was furious. He had planned to use the energy cannon to threaten other countries. Now that all the missiles were launched, he had nothing to blackmail them. ¡°Five missiles¡­ What a waste. The meteorite will never reach Earth!¡± Maruse sighed and looked down at his tablet, which was showing the broadcast on Skynet. Four more missiles flew out of the atmosphere. The first one had reached the meteorite. It was very close and would collide with the meteorite in ten seconds. Everyone held their breaths and waited for the collision. Boom. No sound was made. However, everyone seemed to hear it in their heads. The missile immediately disassembled. Yes. There was no flame. Not even a spark. There was indeed an explosion. However, it was like a sesame landing on a football. The explosion didn¡¯t do anything to the super meteorite. What was left of the missile stuck to the meteorite¡¯s surface and was pushed toward Earth. Just like that? The whole process didn¡¯t last longer than five seconds. The viewers hoped to see some aftermath, but they were all disappointed. Chapter 132 - Despair ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°No! It can¡¯t be! Why is this happening? Didn¡¯t Oraman say he could destroy the meteorite with the energy cannon?¡± ¡°Neige was so sure that they could destroy the meteorite! Is that all the energy cannon can do? Is that your most powerful weapon?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! You¡¯ve been bragging about the energy cannon, and look what it did! That¡¯s it! We¡¯re all going to die! This is the end for all of us! Oraman, you¡¯d better wish you don¡¯t run into me in heaven. Otherwise, even God won¡¯t save you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! Why is this happening? Why? Oraman, give me an explanation!¡± ¡°Explanation won¡¯t help us now! They¡¯ve launched five missiles, and what good did they do? Nothing!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush to a conclusion yet. They still have four missiles left!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We still have hope! Maybe the first one lost its power, and the remaining four will do the trick!¡± ¡­ Everybody panicked, including Oraman. In Eternity¡¯s control room, Oraman was throwing a tantrum, overwhelmed by his fear. ¡°Why is this happening? Why?!¡± he shouted at the scientists. The scientists looked equally surprised. This shouldn¡¯t be happening! How did things turn out like this? It didn¡¯t make any sense! ¡°Mr. President, it doesn¡¯t fit the Soanian energy contortion theorem! That¡¯s not what we predicted!¡± Oraman kicked the scientist to the ground. ¡°Why are you telling me that? You¡¯re the scientist! Why do I need you if I can solve the problem myself!? Why has your prediction failed? Shouldn¡¯t you have covered all the possibilities? Why are you telling me this now? Do you think I have the answer? Take him away and execute him!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that! Mr. President, I know what¡¯s going on!¡± The mention of an execution somehow gave the scientist an epiphany, and he figured out everything. ¡°What¡¯s going on, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a protective layer!¡± ¡°A protective layer?¡± Hearing that, the other scientists discussed among themselves. ¡°Yes, it must be a protective layer!¡± ¡°It¡¯s different from anything on Earth. Just like what Himmel Soan said, it¡¯s a unique substance!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be right!¡± ¡°We should have thought of that! The meteorite has been traveling in the universe for so long and survived all kinds of collisions. Apart from being very hard itself, it¡¯s also covered by a protective layer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It has to be the case!¡± ¡­ Oraman wanted to kill those people. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think of that before? Telling me now won¡¯t help us at all! I don¡¯t care what you do, but you must destroy the meteorite for me!¡± One of the scientists shook his head. ¡°Mr. President, there¡¯s nothing we can do. If the meteorite really has a protective layer, we can¡¯t destroy it, not even with the energy cannon.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? What have you been doing?¡± Oraman started beating the scientist. Maruse rushed over to stop him. ¡°Mr. President, killing him won¡¯t help us!¡± Oraman pointed at the scientists. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I can¡¯t die! I¡¯ll outlive all of you! You must think of a way to keep me alive! I don¡¯t want any more accidents!¡± The scientist put a hand on his swollen cheek and said gingerly, ¡°Mr. President, our only option now is to go to Mars. We can stay there until this blows over. Eternity still has enough fuel to get us there.¡± Oraman kicked him again. ¡°I made that up! Do you really think we can go there? How are we going to survive on Mars? Are you even a scientist? Use your brain!¡± No one dared to speak a word. What he didn¡¯t know was that his action was being broadcasted to the whole world. Himmel Soan had hacked the Neigerian network, and all users could have free access to the cameras on Eternity. They all saw what Oraman said and did to the scientists in the control room. Most people were on Skynet, watching how the energy cannon was going to destroy the meteorite. However, some people were interested in something else. They remained on the Neigerian website and watched the surveillance footage of Eternity. ¡°It¡¯s over. Even Oraman doesn¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°He¡¯s panicking. It means Neige can¡¯t handle the meteorite either! Oraman even talked about fleeing to Mars!¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°What choice do we have? We¡¯re going to die!¡± ¡°Screw Oraman! He has no heart!¡± ¡°Cursing him won¡¯t do us any good! Go back to your loved ones and tell them your last words. After that, find a nice spot, keep yourself comfortable, and wait for the end to come!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, over four billion users were on Skynet. Almost all the survivors on Earth were watching the remaining four missiles. They hoped to see a miracle. However, they were disappointed. The four missiles performed just like the first one. They exploded when they hit the meteorite. That was it. No damage was done. The human race had put all their hope in those missiles. Oraman lost all hope when he saw this. ¡°Get Eternity airborne! We¡¯re leaving for Mars!¡± 1 That was the only option now. Oraman commanded the scientists. Maruse was surprised. ¡°Mr. President, are we really going to Mars?¡± ¡°We still have some hope on Mars. Staying on Earth will only get us killed. We can always come back if Earth still exists after this. As for whether we¡¯ll survive on Mars, it¡¯ll be up to fate. Maybe we¡¯ll mutate in some way and adapt to the new environment.¡± That was his last bet. Chapter 133 - Neige Fled Oraman was betting on his luck. That was his only choice. They had run out of ideas. They could sit there, waiting for the end to come, or make a desperate effort that might save them. The energy cannon did nothing to stop the meteorite. The whole world was disappointed by its effectiveness. However, no one bothered to curse them anymore. By now, scolding Oraman wouldn¡¯t do them any good. It wouldn¡¯t change anything. They only wanted to spend their last few moments with their loved ones. There were things they couldn¡¯t tell their families before, but they didn¡¯t need to hold back anymore. This was probably going to be their last chance. ¡°Dad, I love you! I could never bring myself to say those words to you because it felt so awkward. I just want you to know that I love you forever!¡± ¡°Son, I love you, too!¡± ¡°Dad, I know you¡¯ve had such a hard life!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s another life, I hope we can still be father and son!¡± ¡­ ¡°Marilyn, I¡¯m in love with you! I have been since we were in high school! You¡¯ve always been so outstanding that I could never bring myself to tell you my feelings. I¡¯m not from a good family, and I don¡¯t have good grades either. I know you¡¯ll never like someone like me, but I still want you to know!¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ve always known how you feel about it, but it¡¯s never going to work for us!¡± ¡°Thank you for being so straightforward! I knew you were going to say that, but I still had to let you know!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a kiss for you!¡± ¡­ ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve been keeping this secret from you. You shat in your pants because of me! I accidentally mixed your medicine with some laxative!¡± ¡°You little bastard! I embarrassed myself in front of all my friends, and I never knew why! It was you!¡± ¡°Grandpa, stop hitting me! We¡¯re about to die in a few minutes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I can¡¯t kick your ass when I¡¯m dead! I¡¯d better do that now!¡± However, the grandfather and grandson soon burst into tears and cried in each other¡¯s arms. ¡­ Although people felt desperate a few hours ago, they were more angry, impulsive, and wouldn¡¯t accept their fate back then. By now, all the rage had disappeared, and everyone had quieted down. People embraced, kissed, and sat down quietly. They either looked up at the sky or watched the video on Skynet as they waited for the meteorite to arrive. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Today was going to be the last day of their life. It would also be Earth¡¯s last moment. Human civilization would end here. They wondered if some aliens would discover the human civilization one day or if there would be enough survivors to continue their lineage. Maybe there would be. But none of that mattered now. Everyone was enjoying their last moments with their family. Even the vagrants that didn¡¯t have a family joined the people around them. In a moment like this, race, family background, and social status didn¡¯t make any difference anymore. Everyone loved everyone else. It was the world that people had always dreamed of. However, humans only got to live in such a world when the end was coming. Himmel Soan wished time could freeze at this moment, and there wouldn¡¯t be so many conflicts in this world. That wasn¡¯t going to happen, though. Once these people knew they weren¡¯t going to die, they would return to what they were like before. It was unavoidable. However, Himmel Soan would save them no matter what. He was ready to launch the space cannon. He was waiting till the countdown reached the last hour. He still had a minute left. ¡°The Neigerians have taken off.¡± Someone posted that comment online. All the users rushed to the Neigerian website to find that it was shut down. They went to the Moonian government website after that. Not only was it still running, but it was also showing surveillance footage on the Neigerian side. The Neigerian surveillance cameras used a separate system, and they were still functioning even when the website was down. Through the surveillance footage, the viewers saw that Eternity was taking off. Many Neigerians in other arks also recorded the moment when Eternity rose into the sky. Flames pushed Eternity off the ground, and the ark flew out of the atmosphere. Its destination was Mars. ¡°This is unbelievable!¡± ¡°Oraman has run off with his men!¡± ¡°I hope they die out there!¡± ¡°Can they survive on Mars?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes. But it¡¯s very hard to achieve. We haven¡¯t learned enough about the environment on Mars.¡± ¡°Maybe the Neigerians know how to survive on that planet!¡± ¡°No, they don¡¯t! I hope they¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. They may be the last human beings. Let¡¯s hope they¡¯ll survive.¡± ¡°Yes. They may be the hope of our civilization. We should hope they can survive!¡± ¡­ People online suddenly become much more tolerant toward them. They knew anger wouldn¡¯t change anything. Although Oraman and his men were despicable, they were still residents of Earth. If the planet were gone, they would be the sole survivors. Just then, someone posted an announcement on the Moonian government website. ¡°The space cannon will be launched in thirty seconds. Please get ready for impact because it may affect Earth. Hold on, and don¡¯t panic!¡± ¡°Look at that announcement!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve forgotten about Moon!¡± ¡°Their website is still running, which means their technology works! Maybe they can destroy the meteorite!¡± ¡°Dream on! Even the energy cannon couldn¡¯t do anything to the meteorite. The so-called space cannon is only a theory, and even if they have built it, with the current technology level, it can¡¯t be more powerful than the energy cannon. There¡¯s no way that Moon can destroy the meteorite!¡± ¡°Moon has kept a low profile, and the Moonians haven¡¯t said much. They don¡¯t seem worried at all.¡± ¡°It makes me wonder, too! What have they been up to?¡± ¡­ Nearly a million people were waiting inside the space cannon for Himmel Soan¡¯s command. Himmel Soan closed his eyes and tried to sense the meteorite¡¯s location. There! ¡°Launch!¡± Yosef heard him and gave the order, ¡°Launch!¡± Eight hundred thousand people pressed the buttons in their hands. Spiritual essence rushed into the space cannon. Chapter 134 - Space Cannon Saves the Day Back in Moon. At the Pegasus Grassland. Tremors spread out from the grassland toward the entire country and even affected some surrounding countries. Buzz¡­ The sound was ear-splitting. When the spiritual essence was pushed into the injection device, all the people in the underground shelter felt suffocated. But it only lasted for a split moment. In the surveillance footage on Skynet, the viewers could see a dot of light light up on Earth. In the next second, the dot quickly moved toward the meteorite. It wasn¡¯t a missile. It was a beam of light. It kept moving away from Earth and into space. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Where did that light come from?¡± ¡°OMG!¡± ¡°Is that real?¡± ¡°Holy crap!¡± ¡°The space cannon is working! Hooray!¡± ¡°Moon is amazing!¡± ¡­ The surveillance footage was very clear. The beam of light shot up into the sky and headed directly for the meteorite. When it made contact with Despair One, the meteorite cracked. It then shattered into a million pieces and flew in all directions. Himmel Soan recorded the scene with his mental force and broadcasted it on Skynet. The desperate viewers froze for a moment when they saw this. The next second, they cried out in ecstasy and embraced the people around them. One launch. That was all Himmel Soan needed. The meteorite was pulverized, and the collision created an extremely bright light. The viewers thought they were going blind. The light soon reached Earth, and the sky turned white from the blinding light. ¡°Gosh! What was that?¡± ¡°It was the space cannon! The Moonian space cannon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Gosh! Run!¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind? Where can we possibly go?¡± ¡­ They didn¡¯t celebrate for very long before panic set in again. After the meteorite exploded, many pieces flew toward Earth. They were only a fraction in size of the super meteorite, but the largest ones were 1/10,000 the size of Earth. They were still big enough to destroy the planet. It was too early to celebrate! Himmel Soan had anticipated this. However, he didn¡¯t expect it to be on such a big scale. Earth wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the larger pieces. ¡°Switch the space cannon to the dispersion mode!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Himmel Soan changed the space cannon¡¯s mode. In this mode, the spiritual essence would be scattered into space. One launch would create hundreds of millions of smaller shells. Although they were smaller, they were still much more effective than the energy cannon. Yosef immediately gave the order and changed the space cannon¡¯s mode. ¡°Launch!¡± The ground shook again, and countless streaks of light flew out of Earth. Small explosions took place after that. All the broken pieces were taken out. The shells destroyed all the larger pieces. Some smaller pieces of the meteorite weren¡¯t hit, which breached the atmosphere and descended toward Earth. But they couldn¡¯t pose much threat now. The largest ones were about the size of a fist. The space cannon wouldn¡¯t work well in destroying something so small. After all, it was only a machine, not a living person. The space cannon was too big, and it took time to change targets. It would work wonders on large targets, but not so much on the smaller pieces. Himmel Soan activated his mental force and suddenly disappeared. The next second, he appeared in the sky and stopped dozens of small pieces of meteorites. He had covered Earth with his mental force and could sense all the pieces that were flying into the atmosphere. He kept jumping from one spot to the next, crushing all the broken pieces that were falling toward Moon. Still, there was only so much he could do. If only he could recover a little bit more of his power, he could destroy the broken pieces with his mental force alone. But as of now, he was still too weak to do that. While Moon was safe, other countries were in trouble. There weren¡¯t many broken pieces, but they could all lead to serious consequences. One piece would leave a giant crater that was 5km in diameter and 300m deep. Almost nothing on Earth could withstand the impact. If other countries had listened to Himmel Soan and built the underground shelters, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t have needed to worry about the broken meteorite pieces now! In Flamia. ¡°The meteorite has been destroyed! We¡¯re safe! We¡¯re going to live!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Someone cheered loudly in an ark, and more people joined in. Over half a dozen arks had been joined together, and the passengers could see the nearby arks from the windows. ¡°Are you alright?¡± A guy from Flamia¡¯s Ark-36 shouted at someone in Ark-35. The reply soon came, ¡°We¡¯re all fine! What about you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing alright, too! We¡¯re safe!¡± ¡°I saw from the broadcast that many smaller pieces have entered the atmosphere. The Moonian website has posted an announcement!¡± ¡°I saw it, too. They¡¯re only the size of my fist. It¡¯ll be alright!¡± ¡°We¡¯re inside the arks. The ceilings will hold, right?¡± ¡°Of course¡ª¡± Boom. The passengers in Ark-36 were still talking when a broken piece of the meteorite fell on top of the ark. There was a loud bang, and Ark-36 exploded. Everything happened in a split second. The debris flew everywhere, and all the passengers on the ark were killed. The passengers on Ark-35 were petrified. ¡°Get the ark moving!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°We have to leave here! The ark can¡¯t withstand the meteorite pieces! We have to get away!¡± ¡°Where can you possibly go?¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± The passengers looked at the surveillance footage, which was showing the sky above their ark. They could see a meteorite piece the size of a fist quickly approaching them. It grew larger and larger on the screen. ¡°No!¡± Chapter 135 - Regret All the passengers on Ark-35 watched the screens in terror. Some even grabbed their hair and screamed. There was nothing they could do. The meteorite piece went right through the ark¡¯s overhead protective hull. Boom! There was another loud explosion, and Ark-35 disappeared into the flames. ¡­ In the online world. ¡°Oh my god! Did you see these?¡± Someone posted the videos of the two arks¡¯ destruction online. They weren¡¯t the only ones that had been hit by meteorite pieces. Similar things happened in Soilia, Goldia, and Woodia as well. All the countries were affected. Once the meteorite pieces entered the atmosphere, they were influenced by Earth¡¯s gravity. People on Earth didn¡¯t know where they would land. Countries on the other side of the planet weren¡¯t exactly safe. They might be hit even worse. Most of the pieces would fly halfway across Earth and land on the other side of the planet. Boom¡­ If one were to look down from above, one would see explosions happening all over the world. ¡­ In Woodia. Ark-28. ¡°Guys, we¡¯ve just picked up a meteorite piece coming our way, and it¡¯ll land on top of us in about thirty seconds! Farewell, everybody!¡± ¡°What? Seriously?¡± ¡°Is this some kind of sick joke? Get the ark moving! We have to leave this place!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the ark was built in a rush. It has a defensive system but no engines. It can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Are you saying we¡¯re trapped here? This is ridiculous!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. As the captain of the ark, I apologize to everyone!¡± ¡°Sorry can¡¯t save us!¡± ¡°Shouting at him won¡¯t change anything! Save your energy. We only have a few seconds left. If we had listened to Moon and built the underground shelter, none of this would have happened!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t we listen to Moon and Mr. Soan? They¡¯ve predicted everything about the meteorite, and their defense is impeccable!¡± ¡°What good will all that talking do? Neige and that Oraman are to be blamed! They¡¯ve tricked us all!¡± ¡°We only have ourselves to blame! Padaski and Panthera both refused to trust Neige, and they¡¯re doing just fine!¡± ¡°If we could choose all over again, we would have trusted Moon. We¡¯ve lost that chance.¡± ¡­ Everybody saw the incoming meteorite piece on the screen hanging in the ark¡¯s lobby. Their end was coming. They had lost all hope. A figure appeared in the sky. He wore a fighting suit and was riding an aircraft that looked like a flying Segway. He destroyed the meteorite piece with a single punch. Flames immediately devoured the person. The passengers in the ark covered their mouths and stared at the screen in disbelief. Why would someone go out in a dangerous situation like this? To make it even more unbelievable, the man was flying while crushing the meteorite piece. However, they were sure that the person was killed. ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see his face, but I think he was a Moonian.¡± ¡°We have to find out who that was! He saved all of us!¡± ¡°Did Moon send him?¡± ¡°He sacrificed himself for our ark. We have to find out his name, no matter what the cost is!¡± ¡­ While they were mourning the person, a figure charged out of the heavy smoke in the sky and flew toward Ark-11 in the distance because another piece was falling toward that ark. ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡± ¡°Oh my god! How did he do that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s like a god! He¡¯s God reincarnated!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that man? Find out who he is!¡± ¡°Why does he look familiar to me? He moved so fast that I didn¡¯t see his face clearly. Check the recording and enlarge his face!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Himmel Soan, the Moonian scientist!¡± Soon, the technicians enlarged his face. It was still blurry, but they could make out who he was. It was Himmel Soan, the young scientist! He was hovering in the sky on the aircraft. The aircraft was only a cover though. He could fly on his own. However, that would require too many explanations. Himmel Soan tried to help as many countries as he could get to. The countries he helped were lucky. There was only one Himmel Soan. Most people weren¡¯t fortunate enough to survive the calamity. The arks were as fragile as paper boats when the meteorite pieces fell upon them. Since the arks were built in a rush, most of them didn¡¯t have motor drives. They were essentially immobile escape trunks. Despite knowing that the meteorite pieces were going to fall on them, there was nothing they could do. Not all arks could both fly and go into the water as Eternity did. Neige built its first Eternity over a decade ago. As the country¡¯s technology advanced, they kept improving the ark. Eternity had always been laced with the best equipment the country could build. It was the best ark in the world. ¡­ ¡°Gosh! Look! The meteorite pieces have destroyed so many arks! The world is in chaos!¡± In Panthera. All the Panthese were hiding in their underground shelter and watched the videos on their phones. Countless people were cursing and praying in desperation online. They only realized now what a stupid choice it was to hide in the arks. Many people wrote that if they had another chance, they would join Moon and do whatever Moon told them. So many people were waiting in terror, fearing that they would be hit by a meteorite piece. More pieces were falling into the atmosphere. The Panthese looked around them and secretly rejoiced. ¡°Luckily, we¡¯re underground!¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Something exploded at that moment. The entire underground shelter shuddered, and many people cried out. Everyone looked up at the ceiling. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I think a meteorite piece fell on top of us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that we¡¯re underground! We would have been killed if we were on an ark!¡± Chapter 136 - Gratitude Padaski was Moon¡¯s number one allied country. The whole world knew how close they were. Many Padaski people had protested earlier when their president supported Moon. No one could deny that the two countries were very close. How close? One might ask. Padaskian shop owners wouldn¡¯t charge Moonians tourists when they found out where they came from. Even the Padaskian police didn¡¯t dare meddle with gang shootouts. However, if a Moonian happened to pass by, the gangsters would cease fire. They would resume fighting after the Moonian was gone. That was how close the two countries were. Padaski was almost like a subordinate to Moon, and Moon took care of its buddy in return. Whenever it was going to give away aids, Padaski would always be the first choice. Padaski had low living standards, so Moon would provide it with aid. Padaski had poor infrastructure, so Moon financed the country by building railways and roads. No other two countries in the world had been this close. However, things were different this time. It seemed the whole world was against Moon and supported Neige. When all the other countries opposed the underground shelter, Moon insisted on building one. Padaski followed suit without asking any questions. The president never considered if the underground shelter would be reliable enough. He knew Moon wouldn¡¯t intentionally put his country in danger and had thought everything through for him. Nonetheless, it made some people worry. After all, the Moonians were only human, and they could make mistakes. No one could deny the friendship between the two countries. But maybe even the Moonians didn¡¯t know they were making a mistake. The Padaskian people feared that Moon might have made the wrong choice. They were worried. The people grew agitated after their president made the decision. They implored him to change his mind and asked the Moonians to think it through. However, no one could change their decisions. The underground shelter was given the green light. The people weren¡¯t displeased. They were only concerned. They were worried that the underground shelter wouldn¡¯t be safe enough and that Moon would be destroyed because of it. But they still trusted Moon, even if it meant they might all get killed. Since Moon had made up its mind, they would follow its order till the end. Later, when Moon sent them the IVE Extractors, the Padaskians put them into use without hesitation. Right now, they kept hearing rumbling sounds overhead. The ground seemed to be shaking. Yet not a speck of dust fell off the walls of the underground shelter. They could feel the ground tremble, but it didn¡¯t affect them. The underground shelter remained intact no matter how violent the trembling was. High-power IVE Extractors were set 500m apart in the underground shelter. Fifty people sat around each extractor with their hands placed on it. When the machine was activated, nothing seemed to change. It was like a miracle. Although no one could sense anything, the underground shelter was as impregnable as a castle. The people were thrilled when they saw what was happening in the rest of the world. Needless to say, Moon was right again. Moon had saved Padaski. Tens of millions of Padaskians were alive because of its decision. ¡°Thank god we trusted Moon. Otherwise, we would be the ones dying in the arks now!¡± ¡°Listen! Another piece has fallen upon us! That was a big one!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯ll be fine! We must have faith in Moon!¡± ¡°Long live our friendship!¡± ¡°Thank you, Moon! Thank you, Mr. President! I¡¯m so glad that I¡¯m a Padaskian!¡± ¡°The Padaskians feel so lucky to have the Moonians as our close friends!¡± ¡°Neige had it coming! Those people all need to pay for their mistakes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Moon had made it very clear, but no one would listen!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t blame them. We doubted Moon before, too. If our countries hadn¡¯t been such good friends, we wouldn¡¯t have trusted Moon either. If that had been the case, we would have ended up like them!¡± ¡°At the end of the day, they are still human lives. Yes, they¡¯ve made mistakes, but they don¡¯t deserve to die like that! I really hope the catastrophe will be over soon!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that Moon is the greatest country in the world. Neige has made a terrible mistake, and it doesn¡¯t deserve to be called the greatest country anymore! What they did and said was detrimental to their reputation. After this is over, Moon will rise to the top!¡± ¡°Do you think Moon will rule the world?¡± ¡°Moon isn¡¯t like Neige. When did it ever wage wars against other countries? It has never invaded any other land! Whenever there was a war, it was always started by someone else!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t care if Moon will rule the world. I¡¯ll support them forever!¡± ¡°Moon won¡¯t do that! I¡¯ve studied their culture, and I know the Moonians are peace-loving people. They¡¯re all very wise!¡± ¡­ In the online world. ¡°I saw a Moonian flying around on an aircraft and saving people like Iron Man! Look! I took a picture of him. It¡¯s a little blurry.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Himmel Soan? He¡¯s the man from the press conference!¡± ¡°It really is him! Gosh! What kind of a person is he? I heard Moon had spotted the meteorite in advance because of him!¡± ¡°He said he was two hundred years old! Is that true, too?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that thing he¡¯s riding? Why is it moving so fast? How can he break the meteorite pieces with his bare hands?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point in asking those questions now? Meteorite pieces are falling all over the world, and it¡¯s pretty clear that the arks won¡¯t work. We must find a way to survive this!¡± ¡°What choice do we have? Let¡¯s ask Moon for help!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot! No one would come out now! How can they reach us?¡± Chapter 137 - Request to Go Back ¡°I don¡¯t care! Moon has the power to help other people, so they have to save me!¡± ¡°How foolish are you? You don¡¯t get to give orders! They have no obligation to help you! What was your government doing when Moon told you to build underground shelters? Moon has even posted the IVE Extractor¡¯s blueprint online. Any country could have built the shelters. Your country just wouldn¡¯t listen!¡± ¡°Where are you from? Why are you defending Moon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Panthera. So what? Do you want a fight? Bring it on! If you¡¯re still alive after this is over, I¡¯ll come to you! I hope you¡¯re as tough in reality as you sound online!¡± ¡°A Panthese! No wonder!¡± The Panthese weren¡¯t called ¡°natural warriors¡± for nothing! It was said that they could kill bears with their bare hands. It might be an exaggeration, but the Panthese were known to be an aggressive people. After the great favor Moon did them, the people of Padaski and Panthera all started defending Moon online. They remained silent earlier because they hadn¡¯t seen any outcome yet. They weren¡¯t sure if Moon had made the right decisions. As it turned out, Moon was right. In fact, it was the only country on Earth that had made the right decision. Moon had saved their lives, and they wouldn¡¯t let anyone attack it. ¡°Panthera is very safe now!¡± ¡°Of course it is! Panthera has followed Moon¡¯s instructions and supported Moon from the very beginning! The Panthese are all hiding in their underground shelter, which is supported by IVE Extractors. Right now, Padaski, Panthera, and Moon are among the safest countries!¡± ¡°I regret it so much! I should have trusted Moon! I should never have come to Neige!¡± Before the catastrophe started, the rich people purchased tickets and went to hide in the Neigerian arks. By now, they all regretted that decision. Some of them were already dead. The survivors complained online and asked Moon, their home country, to help them. ¡°I¡¯m George, a Moonian. I believed in the rumors and bought a ticket to board the Neigerian ark. I¡¯ve realized how foolish that was, and I want to go home! Can Moon send someone here and pick me up? I can pay for the service! I have a lot of money! I¡¯ll give you ten billion! As long as Glacier Bank still exists, my money is safe!¡± Glacier Bank was the largest and safest bank in the world, and many wealthy people liked saving their money there. The bank had branches all over the globe. One could use their card in all the countries. ¡°Glacier Bank? That country is probably gone, together with your money!¡± ¡°Why should Moon come here to pick you up? You abandoned your country when there was trouble and spent your money in a foreign country. You forgot about your country until now. It¡¯s too late to apologize! How can you even call yourself a Moonian? I¡¯m a foreigner, and I can¡¯t stand you anymore! You¡¯re a disgrace!¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m Kimberly, and I¡¯m a Moonian, too! Doesn¡¯t Moon have a flying warrior out there? Please send him here and pick me up! I¡¯m on Ark-14 in Neige! All the arks nearby have been destroyed by the meteorite, and mine can be in danger at any moment! Director Lang and General Marlow, please help me! I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Louis from Panthera, and I¡¯m in Ark-64 in Neige! Mr. President, please pick me up! I¡¯ve made the wrong choice, but I¡¯m still a Panthese! Panthera always looks after its own people, doesn¡¯t it? I bought the ark ticket because Neige tricked me! Please get me back home! Please!¡± Tony, a Moonian popular singer, also asked for help. ¡°I¡¯m Tony, a Moonian! I¡¯d like to apologize to my country and my fans! I¡¯m sorry to have fled Moon before the catastrophe. It was a mistake, and I desperately need my country¡¯s protection! I understand if my country won¡¯t help me. After all, I¡¯ve made a mistake. However, I still hope that my country could take me back home if that¡¯s within their power. I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life repaying this grace!¡± ¡­ ¡°Please help me, Moon! I¡¯m Regiel, the 8th richest man in Neige! If you can take me to Moon, I¡¯ll teach you everything I¡¯ve learned in running my business, and I¡¯ll donate all my money to your country! Please send the warrior to get me! I¡¯m in Ark-2! I¡¯ve realized that the Neigerians are bastards! They¡¯ve fooled us all! ¡°If you can¡¯t take me back to Moon, can you please send a flying soldier and let him guard our ark? You have two billion people, and there are no more than ten thousand arks in the world. If you send out ten thousand flying soldiers, we¡¯ll all be safe!¡± Ten thousand? Where could Moon find so many flying soldiers? That one flying soldier was none other than Himmel Soan himself! There was only one Himmel Soan! Even members of the three divisions didn¡¯t dare to go out now, let alone ordinary people. So many people were posting comments online, asking for help. The Moonian president frowned. He wanted to lend a hand, but there was nothing he could do. Gordon and Henry were frowning as well. Warren, Yosef, and Drake were all in the room. No one spoke a word. In the end, the president broke the silence. He asked Drake, ¡°Mr. Soan, do we have any more flying soldiers?¡± Drake shook his head. ¡°Mr. President, that flying soldier is our Patriarch, and there¡¯s no other one like him. Where are we going to find more flying soldiers?¡± Henry asked, ¡°Is there another way to save those people?¡± Phoebe said, ¡°Director Lang, we can barely keep all our people safe, let alone the rest of the world. Camille sent a message just now and said the meteorite rain can continue for another ten hours. There are simply too many of them, and most of the pieces have fallen into the atmosphere. The Patriarch is having a hard time stopping them now. I don¡¯t think he can do it for ten hours!¡± ¡°Drake, send out the three divisions! We¡¯re getting those people back!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s voice rang out in Drake¡¯s earphones. Chapter 138 - Save as Many as We Can ¡°What? Who are we bringing back?¡± Drake was perplexed when he heard the command. The others heard him and realized that he had received some order from Himmel Soan through his earphones. They all stopped talking and looked at Drake. Drake pointed at his earphones, indicating that he had received an order. Himmel Soan said, ¡°We¡¯re going to pick up whoever asks to come to Moon!¡± ¡°What? Patriarch, is this a joke?¡± ¡°When did I ever joke about such things? Get going!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Drake didn¡¯t know what to say, but he didn¡¯t dare disobey his Patriarch, so he turned to the others with a conflicted look on his face. Henry asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Drake said, ¡°The Patriarch told us to go out and save those people!¡± ¡°What? Get me online!¡± Henry asked Drake to switch on the computer. Himmel Soan¡¯s face appeared on the screen. Everybody gathered around the computer. Gordon asked, ¡°Mr. Soan, who are you going to save?¡± Himmel Soan showed them the situation outside through his sunglasses, which were his communication device. They could see that Himmel Soan was flying over a land on fire. The broken pieces of the meteorite were falling around him while fire and smoke covered the ground. There was an ark every few kilometers. The arks weren¡¯t safe. They would explode as soon as a meteorite piece fell upon them. Most of the arks weren¡¯t mobile, and it wouldn¡¯t be safe for the passengers to come out either because various natural disasters were still happening. The world was overwhelmed by hurricanes, thunderstorms, and tsunamis. Although the atmosphere had been mended and Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force had covered the planet, the disasters still weren¡¯t under control. The people on Earth could only wait until the natural disasters stopped on their own or were controlled eventually. As a result, the passengers had no choice but to wait. Each ark contained at least 50,000 people. Some larger ones contained over 100,000 people. Whenever an ark was hit by a meteorite piece, at least 50,000 people would be wiped off the face of Earth. Yes, many of those people were abominable, and some were even the radicals who had attacked Moon. However, they were still human beings. Besides, there were many innocent people in the arks, too. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t watch while the innocent people were killed. He would try to save as many people as he could. After all, this world needed human beings. Natural disasters had annihilated at least five countries. All the other countries would lose at least 20% of their total population. It was like a great purge. Some of the survivors could have the talent to help the human race in the future. Himmel Soan wanted to save innocent people. As for those who had attacked Moon before, he would help them in passing. He would let the Moonians decide if they would punish those people now or in the future. For now, he only wanted to help as many people as he could. The others saw on the computer screen that Himmel Soan was charging at a piece of meteorite. The next second, he collided with it. Smoke and fire filled the screen, but it soon lit up. Himmel Soan had flown out of the flames, and the meteorite piece had been destroyed. He had saved another ark. Himmel Soan talked to them as he continued his flight. ¡°Save the people that need saving! Save those that have asked for help online!¡± ¡°Why? Mr. Soan, if we send people out now, they¡¯ll get killed! We may not be able to reach other countries!¡± Gordon said, ¡°Mr. Soan, those people left Moon willingly. They abandoned their homeland in the face of a catastrophe. Now, they want to come back, but why should we help them? If they could abandon their country, why shouldn¡¯t their country abandon them? They aren¡¯t worth it!¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to save them. I gave the order to the three divisions!¡± Drake said, ¡°But Patriarch, we can¡¯t withstand the meteorite, either! What if the pieces fell upon our men¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t withstand it, but you can dodge! Save as many as you can, but ensure your own safety first. Try to bring them back with as few casualties as possible,¡± said Himmel Soan. Phoebe spoke up, ¡°Patriarch, that¡¯s impossible! Maybe we can reach other countries, but how are we going to get back? We can¡¯t dodge the meteorite while protecting those people!¡± ¡°The IVE Extractors!¡± Everybody¡¯s eyes lit up. Drake asked, ¡°Can we use them on the planes, too?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± If the planes were equipped with IVE Extractors, would they be able to withstand the falling meteorite pieces? However, if the plane shifted in the air¡­ Henry said, ¡°It won¡¯t be safe enough!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t pick them up. We can send IVE Extractors to all the arks.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have that many devices!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best. It¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡± The others fell silent because they didn¡¯t believe they should rescue those people. Those people had it coming. If they had listened to Himmel Soan, they wouldn¡¯t have been in this mess. The Moonian president spoke at that moment. ¡°We have the power to help other people, so we can¡¯t just sit idly. We still have some spare room in the space cannon. Let¡¯s transform it into a factory and start building IVE Extractors. We can send the devices to as many arks as we can manage. Remember, the Moonians¡¯ safety is our priority. We won¡¯t try to save everybody! ¡°That¡¯s the best we can do!¡± The others nodded and agreed with the president and Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan said, ¡°I created this battle armor that comes with its own IVE. There¡¯s one set in my office now, and you¡¯ll find the blueprint inside. Give everything to Viclan. Let him start mass production ASAP. He must make a thousand sets in the next hour. All the soldiers should wear the armor when they go out. They¡¯ll be safe as long as they aren¡¯t directly hit by the meteorite pieces.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch! Consider it done!¡± ¡­ The meteorite pieces would continue to fall for at least ten more hours. If Moon didn¡¯t do something, the world would be destroyed. Chapter 139 - Show Our Determination After the catastrophe was over, the only countries remaining on the map would probably be Padaski, Moon, Panthera, and a few others. All the others that hadn¡¯t been wiped out wouldn¡¯t have many people left. ¡­ The Moonians became very active online. Earlier, they had been complaining to everyone about how unreliable the underground shelter was, determined that they would die. Some had knelt on the floor and prayed while others embraced one another. Right now, they were all jumping up and down, and their faces were covered by tears of joy. ¡°Moon is amazing! I can¡¯t believe we actually survived that!¡± ¡°The IVE Extractors are so powerful! Hail the underground shelter! Hail Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan has saved us all! We owe him our lives!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said some disrespectful things to Mr. Soan, and I want to apologize to him! I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan, but you¡¯re right! I¡¯m such an idiot! I hope you can forgive me!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t worry if I were you. Mr. Soan would never be offended by someone like you. He probably didn¡¯t even see your comments. However, I do feel offended, and you¡¯d better not let me find out who you are or where you live. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to find you and beat you into a pulp!¡± ¡°Count me in! These people are detestable! I want to punch all of them in the face!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that! I¡¯m going to slap myself! Here¡¯s the video!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s another one called ¡®Sorry, Moon!¡¯ I¡¯m truly sorry!¡± ¡­ Apologizing wasn¡¯t all they were doing. Many people were appealing to the government, asking them to save the people on the arks. Most of them were teenagers or in their early 20s. ¡°Tony is my idol! Please bring him back to Moon!¡± ¡°Tony has done great things for our country. We can¡¯t let him die!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget about Charles! He¡¯s an important figure to Moon! We can¡¯t let anything happen to him!¡± ¡°Please bring Thomas back! I can¡¯t live without him!¡± ¡°OMG! My goddess Mildred has posted a video asking for help! We must help her! Please send the flying soldier to Neige and bring back our goddess! If Sky Eye won¡¯t go, we will!¡± ¡°Yes, we will!¡± ¡­ People who weren¡¯t into celebrities were shocked by such suggestions. The astonishment soon passed though. Some were amused by these youngsters, while the others were infuriated. ¡°Is this the purpose of your lives, being fans of celebrities? What do you see in them, anyway?¡± ¡°Do you want to save them on your own? Go ahead! No one will stop you! We won¡¯t cry for you when you¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still alive because of your country and Mr. Soan! Without them, you would have died a long time ago! You can¡¯t even save yourselves. How are you going to save other people? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± ¡°Who are these people? Have their parents taught them nothing? How important can those celebrities be? They make it sound like the world would end without their idols.¡± ¡°What have those people ever done for our country? Did they make donations? Did they help with scientific research? What contributions did they make? All they have are their pretty faces!¡± ¡°Look at the world outside! People are dying everywhere! Some of them are more handsome than your idols, but it didn¡¯t help them at all!¡± ¡°If you have to be someone¡¯s fan, be Mr. Soan¡¯s! He¡¯s young, handsome, and so much better than your idols!¡± ¡°Comparing Mr. Soan to those people is an insult to Mr. Soan! They¡¯re useless and can¡¯t be more helpful than Mr. Soan¡¯s pinky! Those fans are beyond saving! Just let them be!¡± ¡­ Youngsters were always rebellious. Once they were determined to follow someone, they wouldn¡¯t change their minds no matter what they were told. The fans revolted, arguing with whomever that was accusing them. They believed that their idols couldn¡¯t do anything wrong. Sammy was Tony¡¯s loyal fan. He contacted some of the most agitated fans and tried to start a secret rescue mission. ¡°Guys, we can¡¯t let our idols die out there! We must do something!¡± Sammy created a chat group that included all the fervent fans. It was impossible to pretend to be a fan to join the group because one had to answer a series of questions that only the most loyal fans knew the answers to. Moreover, the Moonian website was the only working website at the moment. One wouldn¡¯t have a search engine to search for answers. Vivian said, ¡°That¡¯s right! We must find a way to bring them back!¡± John wrote, ¡°What can we do? The government won¡¯t save them. My dad asked me just then if I was into celebrities, and I told him I wasn¡¯t!¡± Sammy said, ¡°If the government won¡¯t save them, we¡¯ll force them to! I have an IVE Extractor here, and it¡¯s operated by people of our age. We can replace them when they change shifts. We¡¯ll then open the door and charge out!¡± ¡°Charge out? Seriously? People are going to die!¡± ¡°Yes! I know that, but it¡¯ll show the government how determined we are! They¡¯ll never let us die! When they come to save us, we¡¯ll ask them to save our idols first, or we¡¯ll never come back!¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a plausible idea.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too dangerous outside!¡± Sammy said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re doing it! It¡¯ll prove our determination! They¡¯ll have to save us!¡± Vivian said, ¡°We won¡¯t be in danger! Haven¡¯t you seen our technology? We have the most advanced technology in the world! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll find a way to save us! Everything will turn out fine!¡± Seeing that no one replied, Sammy asked, ¡°What do you say? Think about it, but I need to remind you that we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Chapter 140 - Never Forget ¡°While you¡¯re hesitating, our idols are probably dying out there!¡± The group members remained silent. Most of them were in their late teens or early twenties. They didn¡¯t have the courage to commit to something like this. Yes, they were head over heels in love with the celebrities they followed. However, they would think carefully when their lives could be in danger. ¡­ Meanwhile, unprecedented events were taking place all over the world. By now, there were only 87 countries left. Apart from five or six countries that were Moon¡¯s close allies, all the other countries were asking for help. Their presidents sent the letters themselves. In Winland. ¡°Hello, Mr. President. I¡¯m from Winland, and my name is Tehan. In a critical moment like this, I feel so grateful that we have a nation like Moon on this planet. Earth still exists because of you! We¡¯ve had our disagreements before, and Winland has offended your nation. I¡¯d like to apologize for everything we¡¯ve done! I apologize to Mr. Soan, to Moon, and to all the Moonians! ¡°I know you¡¯re a busy man, so I¡¯ll keep it brief. If you can spare some resources, could you help Winland? I can accept that my president and I are going to die, but please help the ordinary people! We¡¯ll appreciate it if you can bring them back to Moon. If Winland still exists after this, we¡¯ll do everything we can to help Moon in the future. The two nations will be friends forever! ¡°I know it¡¯s very difficult to evacuate so many people. If you can¡¯t do that, is it possible to send some IVE Extractors? Thank you, and please help us!¡± ¡­ After Winland sent the letter, many other countries followed suit. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be proud. Staying alive was the top priority. In Woodia. ¡°Hello, Mr. President of Moon! Woodia and Moon have been neighbors throughout the centuries, and we¡¯ve always been on friendly terms. I know we¡¯ve had minor skirmishes over the years, but as neighbors, such things are inevitable. I believe that Moon is a generous country, and you¡¯ll forgive us for everything. Still, I¡¯d like to apologize for our past offense. I¡¯m sorry, and I hope you can forgive us! ¡°I hope Moon can send ten thousand flying soldiers to help the Woodian people. Our most elite members are in Arks-13, 26, and 44. The passengers have all made great contributions to our society! I implore you to save them. I know all lives are equal. I would exchange their safety with my own life! I know you don¡¯t have unlimited resources, and you¡¯ll have to prioritize. ¡°Please help us! If my country survives this, we¡¯ll repay you for your help!¡± ¡­ Being Neige¡¯s No. 1 lackey, Flamia finally joined the other countries and sent the letter as well. ¡°Mr. President, this is Koji. First of all, I¡¯d like to apologize. Then, I¡¯d like to apologize more! I¡¯m sorry for all the things we¡¯ve done to your people. For the longest time, we refused to admit what we have done, but the harder one tries to conceal a thing, the more it attracts attention. We were your enemy, and we¡¯re the sinner of the human race! We shouldn¡¯t have tried to forget the past! ¡°Your people have always been hostile toward our nation, and I understand that! However, the mistakes were made by our ancestors, and the current citizens are innocent! I¡¯m not trying to shirk responsibility. I understand the crimes my ancestors have committed, and I won¡¯t make excuses for them. We¡¯ll take responsibility for their crimes and try to make up for them. ¡°However, that¡¯ll only happen if Moon gives us a chance! Flamia is on the verge of utter destruction. Without your help, my country will disappear from the face of Earth! Moon is a great nation with thousands of years of culture. I believe you¡¯re a generous man that will make the right choice! ¡°Finally, I¡¯d like to apologize one more time. I¡¯m going to kneel on the floor while the whole world is watching. I want to express my repentance for what our ancestors did to your people. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The letter came with a video. The Moonian president, Henry, and Gordon fell silent when they saw it, and tears welled up in their eyes. They saw the Moonian national flag hanging in the office of the Flamian president. Koji, his vice-president, and various high-ranking officials were kneeling in front of the flag and repenting for the crimes of their ancestors. It had happened a couple of centuries ago. The Flamians invaded Moon, burning and robbing as they moved along. It was a chaotic time in the rest of the world as well. Flamia wasn¡¯t the only invader. Soilia, Goldia, and several other countries all took part in the invasion. Himmel Soan happened to reach the end of his cycle during that period. He was in a muddled state, which was why those invaders could ravage the nation for decades. They were eventually chased out of the Moonian land. All Moonians would remember that part of history. They wouldn¡¯t mind seeing Flamia wiped off the face of Earth. Koji, the Flamian president, sent the video to both the Moonian president and the Moonian government website. The whole world could see it. The Flamians finally admitted what they had done and were apologizing for it. That was what the Moonians had always wanted. Seeing the video, many Moonians burst into tears. They finally got their apology! ¡°We can¡¯t forgive them! The Flamians are the last people on Earth that we¡¯ll help!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let them burn in hell!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice-looking fellow. I think we should move on. Yes, they¡¯ve done some horrible things, but killing them won¡¯t bring back our ancestors!¡± Chapter 141 - Making Trouble ¡°I agree! Keep them alive so that they¡¯ll live in the fear of being ruled by Moon forever! They should be tormented! That¡¯s the only way to comfort the spirit of the deceased!¡± ¡°I agree with what you said, but isn¡¯t it a petty thing to do? We always talk about our long history, and we should show the generosity of a great country. I think it¡¯s cruel enough to save them and let them live in the shame of their actions. Ruling them seems unnecessary.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all talking nonsense. To do all the things you mentioned, we have to keep them alive first. We¡¯re only humans, not God! Yes, we can help people, but we can¡¯t help that many! Mr. Soan has been fighting alone out there for an hour! Who¡¯s going to save all those people? That¡¯s a ridiculous request!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What we say is irrelevant because we don¡¯t have the manpower!¡± ¡°We¡¯re only making suggestions. I know we don¡¯t have the power to save everyone, but we can¡¯t even talk about it now? The meteorite shower won¡¯t stop for another ten hours, and Earth is already a mess! I can¡¯t imagine how things will be when this is over or how many people will die! I think we should be content to see the Flamians apologize in our lifetime. That¡¯s the only correct thing they¡¯ve done so far.¡± ¡°I agree. We¡¯ll feel so lonely without our old enemy! They¡¯ve apologized. What more do you want?¡± ¡°So what if they¡¯ve apologized! They have killed so many of our people. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ just won¡¯t cut it! How can you forget about our history so easily? That¡¯s a scar that¡¯ll never heal!¡± ¡­ The Moonians went into heated discussions, arguing about whether they should forgive the Flamians or not. It attracted much attention. Because of that, not many people remembered how the youngsters had requested to save their idols. Sammy wrote in the chat group, ¡°Now that they¡¯re all talking about the Flamians, we have a much better chance. Let¡¯s do it! Let¡¯s show them how determined we are! We¡¯ve made up our minds, even if we¡¯re going to lose our lives!¡± Vivian said, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s do this!¡± While the other people were arguing online, Sammy, Vivian, and their fellow youngsters quietly gathered outside Zone 407 on the east side of the underground shelter. Each zone was protected by an IVE Extractor. When the IVE Extractor of a zone stopped running, one could have access to the escape corridor. Each escape corridor was connected to an exit. Outside the exit was the Pegasus Grassland. Sammy looked around and saw that he had about sixty to seventy followers. He was confused. ¡°There are tens of thousands of members in our chat group; why are there so few of you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re too afraid to come!¡± ¡°What a bunch of wusses!¡± Despite the love they expressed toward their idols, when they had to choose between the lives of their idols and their own, 99% would choose the latter. Apart from a few extremely popular people, only a handful of celebrities could make large groups of fans give away their lives willingly. One such example was one of the greatest pop singers and dancers in history. He had fans all over the world, and many fans would faint from excitement during his concerts. Quite a few fervent fans had taken their own lives to demonstrate their love for him. Another example would be a great Moonian martial arts practitioner who had disciples in almost every country. When he passed away, many pupils also committed suicide. Flamia even addressed the man as the ¡°Martial Arts Saint.¡± Those two were about the only two celebrities that could make their fans lose themselves in their love for them. ¡°If they won¡¯t go, we will! Trust me. What we do will make the headlines, and Tony will see it! He¡¯s going to be so touched!¡± ¡°Yes! I want my goddess to see my name on the front page! Although I can¡¯t marry her, I¡¯ll make her remember me forever!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Sammy led the others to IVE Extractor 407 and told the operators, ¡°You¡¯ve worked through the night. It¡¯s time to take a break. We¡¯ll take over from here.¡± The fifty operators turned to Sammy. ¡°It¡¯s not the time to change shifts yet. Every shift is two hours long, and we¡¯ve only been here for over an hour.¡± ¡°Sir, you look exhausted. We youngsters have much more energy, and we¡¯ve been sitting around with nothing to do. We¡¯d like to do something for our country. Please let us give you a hand.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Do you know how it works? This is the switch, then¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve taken the training course. We¡¯ll be fine!¡± The operators weren¡¯t suspicious. It had never occurred to them that some kid would try to open up the protective shield. It was a suicidal move. No one with the right mind would do such a thing. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s all yours. I appreciate your help. Our country will be proud of you!¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± The youngsters sat down around the IVE Extractor and put their hands on the extracting plates. They smiled as they watched the operators walk away. ¡­ On Moon¡¯s eastern coast. Streaks of lightning covered the sky, and hailstones were smashing into the only Moonian ark, making loud popping sounds. Lyton, Jamie, Wilde, and several other leaders watched the surveillance footage while sipping their wine. Surveillance cameras had covered every corner of the ark. ¡°It¡¯s nowhere near as scary as I expected,¡± said Lyton. ¡°The meteorite has been destroyed. We only need to wait for another ten hours for the meteorite shower to end. Then the catastrophe will be over.¡± Suddenly, he saw a streak of light falling toward them. ¡°It¡¯s a meteorite piece!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°We¡¯re in trouble!¡± ¡°Are we going to be alright?¡± They all stared at the screens and were too nervous to breathe, fearing that their slightest move would affect the ark¡¯s defense system. Chapter 142 - Sit Back Down The piece fell right on top of the ark. The flame melted all the hailstones nearby, and the ark jolted. Then¡­ Nothing happened after that. Everybody¡¯s mouth fell open because they didn¡¯t expect it to end so soon. But it had ended. They waited for another ten seconds; everything remained silent. Only then did they start talking again. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it was all that scary!¡± ¡°Our ark is so durable!¡± ¡°Why did the arks of other countries break so easily?¡± Jamie was perplexed. Someone else said, ¡°Their arks aren¡¯t nearly as good as ours. Moonian products always use the best materials. Although we rushed a little when we built the ark, it still has the best quality!¡± Everybody agreed with him. ¡°Yes! The Moonian products are the best, and we¡¯re also the most effective! I¡¯m sure those arks were destroyed because they used inferior materials and low-grade technology. They were as fragile as glass!¡± ¡°That must be the case! Lyton, please examine our ark and see if everything is fine.¡± Lyton didn¡¯t buy it. He didn¡¯t think his ark was much better than any other ark. Even if his ark was well-built, it couldn¡¯t have survived the meteorite piece without a scratch. There had to be a crack or a hole of sorts. However, the piece didn¡¯t even dent the ark. Lyton half-mindedly gave the order. ¡°Check the ark and see if anything is wrong.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Soon, the result was back. ¡°Mr. Lyton, the ark is in perfect condition. The piece only left a black mark on the top, and the core is intact!¡± Everybody cheered when they heard the report, and their confidence was greatly boosted. However, it only made Lyton more suspicious. Could the Moonian ark be that durable? They were in quite a rush when they built it and had to use many alternative materials. He looked at the IVE Extractor a few steps away. They had put the devices into use when they were delivered. Although the passengers didn¡¯t believe in the extractors, they didn¡¯t want to waste them either. Using them wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. So why not? ¡°Can it be the effect of the IVE Extractors?¡± There were eighty IVE Extractors in the ark, and they had been evenly distributed so that they could protect every corner. Fifty people sat around IVE Extractor 8. Several of them stood up and removed their hands from the plates. Putting their hands on the plates was the only way to keep the IVE Extractor running. If they didn¡¯t, the Innate Vigorous Energy couldn¡¯t be extracted. As soon as they moved away, the device stopped working. Those people complained as they walked away. ¡°If our ark is so tough, why do we need this shit? Sitting here is so boring!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Our ark can get through the catastrophe all on its own! Although the underground shelter is the right way to go, our ark is doing just fine, too!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m glad to see that all our people are safe. We¡¯re doing so much better than other countries.¡± ¡­ Lyton shouted at them, ¡°Don¡¯t leave! Sit back down!¡± However, he was too late. Something exploded at that moment. A hailstone larger than a human head fell right through the bullet-proof glass over Zone 8. It wasn¡¯t the only disaster. Immediately after that, a streak of lightning struck Zone 8. There was a loud bang, and the hull opened up. Wind, rain, and hailstones came in through the gap. Dozens of people nearby were caught by surprise and blown away by the heavy wind. The hailstones fell on the floor, making loud noises and even cracking the floor. The bad news didn¡¯t end there. Almost simultaneously, eighteen other zones exploded. The sealed ark immediately had holes all over it. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± ¡°Run!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°Help! Help me!¡± ¡­ All hell broke loose, and the passengers were screaming for help. The wind was like a killing machine. The hull overhead could partially block the rain and the hailstones. However, it couldn¡¯t stop the wind, which was gushing through all eighteen openings on the hull. The passengers were completely exposed. The wind outside was around level eight, but the narrow space had enhanced it, making it as damaging as a level-ten hurricane. Many people were blown out of the ark. As soon as they were outside, hailstones smashed into them like flying bullets. There was no way they could survive. ¡°Why is this happening? Why?¡± Jamie panicked and looked around the room in astonishment. Lyton ran into the control room and shouted into the intercom. ¡°Calm down! Stop running around! We must protect the IVE Extractors! Do not leave the IVE Extractors!¡± However, nobody would listen to him. No matter how many times he shouted, people were still panic-stricken. ¡°Lyton, what are you doing here? Run! Let¡¯s take shelter in the lower deck!¡± Wilde ran into the control room and tried to drag Lyton away. Lyton stopped him. ¡°The lower deck isn¡¯t safe! We must start the IVE Extractors again! Otherwise, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± Wilde was surprised and frustrated. ¡°There¡¯s no time for that! Why do you even care about the extractors? We have to run for our lives! Do you want to die?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t! That¡¯s why we must start the IVE Extractors again! I need to save the others, too! Wilde, our ark has withstood the disasters not because it is tough! It¡¯s because of the IVE Extractors!¡± Chapter 143 - I Disagree ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! What could those machines possibly do?¡± Wilde wouldn¡¯t believe Lyton. Lyton was confident in his argument. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± He raised his voice and waved his hands around as he explained to Wilde. ¡°I saw them walk away from the IVE Extractors. Immediately after, our ark exploded. The explosions only happened in zones where people have left the devices. People in eighteen zones did that, and we have eighteen damaged areas. Why do you think the other zones are still safe?¡± The look on Wilde¡¯s face became more solemn, and he asked, ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Lyton went on, ¡°We both know well what kind of materials we used to build this ark. How can it be more durable than other countries¡¯? Their arks couldn¡¯t withstand the strike of a single meteorite piece, but ours has been fine until just then. Isn¡¯t that enough to prove what I said? Wilde, I¡¯m very certain that the IVE Extractors are the only things that have kept us alive! ¡°We must calm everybody down. More importantly, we have to get the eighteen IVE Extractors working again. Otherwise, it doesn¡¯t matter where we hide. The ark will soon be destroyed for good. I¡¯ll evacuate the others, and you get some men to restart the IVE Extractors!¡± Wilde nodded. ¡°Sure! Hurry up! ¡°Our country was right. We should have listened to them. So many people are dead now¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to get sentimental! Let¡¯s save the ark first!¡± The two men left the control room in a hurry and started the rescue mission. / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. ¡°Hank, get over here! You need to bring back your men! Listen, you must protect the IVE Extractors at all costs! We must get them running again!¡± Wilde found Hank, the captain of the guards, and gave the order. Lyton stood at the entrance of the lower deck and shouted, ¡°Those who are closest to the IVE Extractors, stop running! Sit down on the devices! It¡¯ll keep you alive! The rest of you should move to the lower deck now! Don¡¯t push! We still have time! You¡¯ll be fine! Panic will only get more people killed!¡± ¡­ In the Moonian president¡¯s office. A video conference was being held. Next to the Moonian president were Henry Lang and Gordon Marlow. On the other side of the screen were the presidents of Padaski, Panthera, Soleil, and Hosia. The Moonian president wanted to discuss with them the apologies from other countries. He intended to save those people out there. However, the world is a vast place, and the Moonian soldiers couldn¡¯t travel in severe weather like this. They were stretching their limits by going to neighboring countries. Crossing oceans to the other side of the world would be impossible. There was a more effective way now. The other four countries could share their own IVE Extractors with the countries asking for help. Of course, they needed to keep their own people safe first. These five countries were the only ones that could produce IVE Extractors. The Moonian president believed that those four countries still had the ability to produce more. The five countries happened to be evenly spread out on Earth. If they were all willing to give a hand and send the devices to their neighbors, they could reduce the casualties by 70%. However, it would be a dangerous thing to do. To deliver the devices, their people had to travel through various natural disasters, from hailstorms to earthquakes and tsunamis. After a long while, the Pantherese president shook his head. ¡°I disagree!¡± He was the first to turn down the proposal. ¡°I don¡¯t see why we should save those people. The catastrophe won¡¯t wipe out the entire human race. It¡¯ll kill at most 90% of the global population, but some of us will survive! I can¡¯t risk the lives of our soldiers to help those countries! I have to be responsible for my people! Flamia, Iceana, and Neige have always been hostile toward Moon. Why would you want to help them?¡± The Padaskian president nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why would you save them? They deserve it!¡± The Hosian president said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to help them either. Their letters and apologies don¡¯t mean anything. Why didn¡¯t they apologize earlier? Have you forgotten what they did to your country? A whole alliance invaded Moon. Hosia and Soleil were taken as well. You must still remember the tragedies. Those countries are ungrateful, and they won¡¯t appreciate your help. Even if you save them now, they¡¯ll turn on you once they rebuild their countries. Am I right?¡± The Soleilian president hadn¡¯t said anything, but he was nodding repeatedly, agreeing with the other three presidents. None of them wanted to offer help. Henry said, ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t forget what happened to us, but we Moonians believe in returning good for evil. We¡¯ll do what we can and will be free from any compunction. If they make trouble for us, we¡¯ll fight back again! We want world peace, but we aren¡¯t afraid of wars! Fixating on the past will only make us look petty and timid. We can¡¯t let them think we¡¯re scared of their alliance! We must overcome our fear!¡± Gordon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. A wolf won¡¯t save a tiger because it¡¯s afraid the tiger will eat it later. However, a tiger will save a wolf because it knows the wolf can never threaten it. Do you want to be a tiger or a wolf that lives in its fear forever? Without those countries, we can never truly right the past humiliations, and our past will haunt us forever!¡± The Pantherese president sounded concerned. ¡°But helping them will lead to casualties on our side, too. Why should we save their people at the cost of ours?¡± Henry said, ¡°We can use the flying armor! It¡¯s Mr. Soan¡¯s latest invention that has IVE built into it. You all have the equipment to make IVE Extractors, right? With that, you can build the armor in thirty minutes to an hour. Once the soldiers put it on, they¡¯ll be protected by IVE from head to toe. As long as they¡¯re not directly hit by a meteorite piece, they¡¯ll be safe. The armor can withstand hailstones, lightning, and magma. I¡¯ve sent you the blueprint. It¡¯s up to you whether you¡¯ll help them or not.¡± Chapter 144 - Neiges Apology It was a serious matter. The Pantherese president¡¯s decision could kill tens of thousands of soldiers. Therefore, he didn¡¯t dare to make the call, fearing that he would need to take responsibility for the consequences. ¡°Let me discuss with my people. I¡¯ll get back to you in ten minutes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too long! Mr. Soan is fighting alone now, and people are dying every second! An ark could be destroyed at any moment! We¡¯re losing a hundred thousand lives a minute, and that¡¯s a million people in ten minutes! I¡¯m not trying to be pushy, but please hurry up!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The Soleilian, Hosian, and Padaskian presidents looked at one another, sighed, and logged out of the video conference. They were small countries with limited power. Helping other countries was asking them a lot. They weren¡¯t prepared to be saviors, and their people weren¡¯t ready to sacrifice their own lives. They didn¡¯t share the same culture with Moon, and they didn¡¯t have the tradition of requiting injury with kindness. They believed in an eye for an eye and reciprocated past favors by manifolds. Those richer countries had been oppressing them for years and never helped them at all. There was no gratitude but only hatred. The three countries had no reason to help them. Probably only Moon could be so forgiving. ¡­ In Flamia. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Our president has asked Moon for help! The flying soldiers will soon come here and take us away!¡± ¡°Do you really think the Moonians will come? You must be dreaming! They hate us! We should consider ourselves lucky if they don¡¯t use this chance to destroy us! My only hope is that the meteorite piece won¡¯t fall on top of us¡­¡± ¡°Moon won¡¯t be so ruthless! We¡¯re neighbors!¡± ¡°Neighbors? Have you forgotten how we invaded them in the past?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°You still refuse to face our past. You¡¯re beyond saving. I thought the Flamians have repented, but there are still stubborn people like you! Let the meteorite destroy us! I feel so ashamed!¡± ¡­ In Winland. ¡°When are the Moonian coming? We¡¯re going to die! I saw severe meteorite pieces brushing past us! It¡¯s so scary!¡± ¡°If we had listened to Moon and built the underground shelter and IVE Extractors, none of this would have happened! We were so foolish!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our fault! I blame Neige! That country is evil!¡± ¡°I bet those Neigerians have died in outer space. Oraman has no heart! He¡¯s going down, and he¡¯s dragging us with him! If I see him in another world, I¡¯ll kill him with my bare teeth!¡± ¡°Stop moaning! If you have the strength, why don¡¯t you go online and apologize to Moon? Maybe they¡¯ll show us some mercy and come to save us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s all go online and apologize! We¡¯ve done some things we aren¡¯t proud of. We were part of the alliance that invaded Moon and have been denying it over the years. That¡¯s why Moon hates us! We can¡¯t keep lying to ourselves!¡± ¡­ In Neige. ¡°Oraman is the worst president in our history! He has abandoned us! What should we do now?¡± ¡°We have to ask Moon for help! That¡¯s the only way!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! The Moonians hate us! Do you really think they¡¯ll come to rescue us? They won¡¯t show us any pity even if we kneel on the ground! They would love to see us die!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I won¡¯t ask for their help because I know they won¡¯t pity us! I¡¯d rather die like a man!¡± Boom. The ground shook when an ark nearby was hit by a meteorite piece. Immediately, all the lives on board were devoured by the fire and smoke. ¡°Not again! I can¡¯t take it anymore! I¡¯m going to ask Moon for help! It¡¯s worth a try!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go insane if things go on like this!¡± ¡°Do you think Moon will accept your apology? They won¡¯t! Our two countries hold too many grudges against each other! We can only pray to God now!¡± ¡°Gosh! A meteorite piece is coming our way! ¡°Oh no!¡± ¡°Ave Maria! This is the end!¡± The passengers all closed their eyes, too scared to watch the screens. They waited and waited, but the end never came. Someone cheered loudly, and the others opened their eyes. They saw through the surveillance cameras that a flying soldier was floating in mid-air. He looked down at the ark and flew away. ¡°It¡¯s the Moonian flying soldier! It¡¯s Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°The Moonians aren¡¯t cold-blooded people! They¡¯ve saved us!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± Many people knelt on the floor and burst into tears. The Neigerians had remained silent until then, but they finally started apologizing online. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, people of Moon. I¡¯m Fernes, one of the Neigerian high-ranking officials. Mr. Soan, your flying soldier, saved our ark just then. I didn¡¯t think he would come, and that was my mistake. I was too petty and thought everybody was as narrow-minded as me. I¡¯m sorry! I apologize for everything Neige has done to Moon! I feel so ashamed!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Thomason, one of the Neigerian high-ranking officials. I¡¯d like to apologize to all the Moonian people¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Temal, the head of the Ministry of Defense. I want to apologize to all the Moonians, regardless if you¡¯re going to rescue us!¡± After the high-ranking officials, the ordinary Neigerians followed suit. Apologizing posts filled the Neigerian column of the Moonian government website. The Moonians had never felt so proud! Moon was no longer the poor country that other countries could trample upon at will. Moon was the savior now! It was the hope of the planet! ¡­ ¡°IVE Extractor is switched off.¡± Hearing the sound, Sammy and the other fans beamed at one another. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and save our idols!¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to thank us!¡± Chapter 145 - : Unforgivable The excited youngsters rushed into the exit corridor. However, the shelter was a thousand meters underground. That was a long way to climb. They didn¡¯t dare to take the elevators, fearing that they might be spotted. However, they heard a rumbling noise as soon as they stepped into the corridor. The iron gate of the underground shelter was also supported by Innate Vigorous Energy. The Innate Vigorous Energy not only covered the entire underground shelter but also supported all the escape corridors and three iron gates that led to the Pegasus Grassland. The three gates blocked the natural disasters outside and were the second last defense of the underground shelter¡ªthe last one being the doors sealed by the Innate Vigorous Energy. To enter the underground shelter, the natural elements needed to break down all three gates and the sealed door. With the protection of the Innate Vigorous Energy, that was an impossible task. Even if the meteorite piece happened to smash into the outermost iron gate, it still couldn¡¯t break three gates in a row, travel a thousand meters downward, and penetrate the sealed door. It was simply impossible. However, now that they had opened the sealed door, the Innate Vigorous Energy shield was missing a corner, and the three iron gates had much less protection. The first gate caved in when the hailstones hit, and it didn¡¯t last for over a second. The second iron gate couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer either, but it didn¡¯t fall into pieces like the first one. However, the strong wind then blew away what was left of it. The rain had been pouring for over ten hours in the Pegasus Grassland, and all the places had been flooded. When the gates opened up, the water gushed in, crushing the third iron gate and pouring into the corridor. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°I have no idea!¡± Sammy and the others felt the ground shaking, but they didn¡¯t know what was going to happen. The flood was coming their way. Ding! Sirens rang out in the underground shelter¡¯s control room. The operator of the monitors had just gone for a bathroom break. He came back to find that the door to the escape corridor was opened and some teenagers were inside. Before leaving, he didn¡¯t think anything would happen. Himmel Soan¡¯s IVE Extractors were so effective that Moon had the safest shelter in the world. All other countries were asking Moon for help, which further proved how secure their shelter was. Right now, Moon had enough IVE Extractors and provisions for all the people in the underground shelter, even if they had to stay here for the next six months. He checked the three iron gates before he left his seat. Even the outermost gate was in perfect condition. All the flood and hailstones couldn¡¯t shake it. There were two more iron gates inside, even if the first one was breached. Nothing could easily get into the underground shelter. Going to the bathroom would take him ten minutes at most. What could possibly happen? Therefore, he left his position without asking anyone to cover for him. When he came back, all hell had broken loose. A lot of the surveillance cameras had been damaged by the flood. From the ones still working, he saw that water was gushing in and had almost reached the shelter. ¡°Shit! Who are those kids? Damn it!¡± He immediately sounded the alarm. The siren went off. The red light flashed, and the alarm blared in the entire shelter. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why did the alarm go off?¡± ¡°Holy shit! Zone 407 has been breached! Someone has opened the escape gate!¡± ¡°What? Who the hell did that? Are they trying to kill everybody?¡± ¡°Who switched off the IVE Extractor?!¡± People began to run away from Zone 407. ¡°Where¡¯s my son? Has anybody seen my son?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the guard of Zone 407? Are you the guard?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What were you thinking? Why did you leave your post? Your conduct is going to get so many people killed!¡± Rumble¡­ People were still shouting at one another when they heard the approaching thundering noise. Sammy and his friends were standing in the corridor when they saw the flood rushing toward them. They bolted in fright. ¡°It¡¯s the flood! Run!¡± ¡°How did it get in? Why are the gates open?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Run!¡± The fifty or so people rushed back toward the underground shelter, but the door was slowly closing. ¡°Don¡¯t close it! We¡¯re still outside!¡± The teenagers shouted, so frightened that they were in tears. ¡°Why are those people outside?¡± The people inside were surprised and stopped closing the door. However, they then saw the rushing water right behind the kids. ¡°Shut the door now!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t! There are people outside!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t shut it now, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± ¡°They¡¯re only kids!¡± ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have gone up! Shut the door!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that! My daughter is still out there!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Close the door!¡± The kids were over twenty meters away, and the flood was about 300m behind them. However, by the time the kids reached the door, the water would have already gotten in. It would be too late. ¡°Close it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯m begging you! My daughter is outside! Please let them in!¡± ¡°Do you want to get all of us killed? Get out of my way! Close the door!¡± ¡°Do you have no sympathy at all? Those are human beings!¡± ¡°Do you know how many lives we¡¯ll lose if the water gets in? Do it now!¡± There was no time, but people were still arguing if they should close the door. Those that insisted on closing it wanted to press the button, but the other people stopped them. While they were pushing around, the water was quickly moving closer. The kids were soon overtaken and devoured by the flood when they were five meters away from the door. The water carried them toward the underground shelter. Chapter 146 - Disaster ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The people inside saw one of the kids being smashed into the door by the force of the flood. There was a thump, and blood splashed everywhere. It was a gory scene. The water had dropped for a thousand meters, and the momentum was beyond imagination. There was no time to save the teenagers. The flood rushed right into the shelter before the people inside could react. The force pushed people away like a powerful water cannon. No one could withstand that kind of impact. They were swept off their feet. Some of them were even pushed ten meters off the ground. Nothing could save them. Even if they weren¡¯t drowned, the fall would still kill them. There were at least ten thousand people in Zone 407, and most of them were in a state of shock. They were still perplexed by the siren and had no idea what was happening. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Why has the alarm gone off?¡± ¡°Is it a false alarm?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! Why would there be a false alarm?¡± ¡°What do you think? It can¡¯t be because the flood has gotten in! Our IVE Extractors are very effective, and the whole world wants them. No water can get in!¡± ¡°Look! The flood has gotten in!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be! Run!¡± Someone spotted the gushing water and was scared out of their wits. Everybody started running. However, they had nowhere to go. To make it worse, the underground shelter was built into different levels. Zones 401 to 450 were on the topmost level. The second level contained Zones 351 to 400. The third level contained Zones 301 to 350. Once the flood was inside, it would flow from one zone to the next and make its way down the levels. Everybody would drown. One zone contained ten to twenty thousand people, and fifty zones had around a million people. This underground shelter had ten levels, containing around ten million people. What Sammy and the others did could get all ten million people killed. Their loved ones were among those people as well. There were several underground shelters beneath the Pegasus Grassland, and they were all connected. Every level had a corridor that led to other shelters. Right now, they needed to evacuate this shelter and move the people to the nearby shelters. However, doing so would risk getting other shelters flooded as well. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± ¡°Help! Help me!¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°Mom! Please help my mom!¡± ¡°My son! My son¡­¡± Sammy¡¯s father grabbed his son¡¯s hand while hanging onto the wall. The water was up to his neck, and the floor was over ten meters below his feet. If he let go, he would sink and get drowned. ¡°Dad¡­ Dad¡­¡± Sammy held onto his father¡¯s hand. ¡°Why is this happening? Why? Where¡¯s Mom?¡± His father snapped back, ¡°Why did you run out of the shelter? Your mom has been washed away!¡± Sammy¡¯s face was covered with horror. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this would happen¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! I can¡¯t hold on for much longer¡­¡± ¡°No! Dad, don¡¯t give up!¡± ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Led by Eason, members of the three divisions soon arrived at Zone 407. The operator in the monitor room was ashen-faced. He saw how many people had drowned and how many were still in the water. Some were already dead, while others were crying for help. It was such a sad scene. ¡°A few kids opened the gate¡­¡± Eason had heard enough. ¡°People of the Himmelian Pavilion, stop the water and help the people! Quickly!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Himmelian Pavilion had excellent swimmers, and they immediately went into action. Although members of the other two divisions weren¡¯t as good in the water, they were still capable cultivators and could survive in the rapid current. They gathered enough life jackets, buoys, and lifeboats in a minute. One minute might sound like a very short time, but it was long enough to get hundreds of people killed. ¡°Stop the flood first! Take twenty people with you. I don¡¯t care what you do, but you must block the gate!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Members of the Himmelian Pavilion dove into the water and swam against the current to the gate, where they stacked the sandbags. However, that did nothing to stop the water. The current was so rapid that sandbags were washed away as soon as they were set down. Blocking the door was an arduous task. Meanwhile, the people outside also received the information. Phoebe led her people out and jumped into the water. They swam toward the exit of Zone 407, trying to block it from outside. ¡°Use the air valve and iron plates! Get me a fifty-meter wide iron plate! I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s in one piece! Just do it!¡± The exit was also the entrance to Underground shelter No.6. The water had created a strong suction power. Even Phoebe almost couldn¡¯t resist it and almost got sucked in. The exit was forty meters high and forty meters wide. The opening was big enough to create a whirlpool. Half of the Pegasus Grassland had turned into a sea, and over half of the Moonian land was flooded. Even after the catastrophe, the water would be hard to get rid of. It would take at least a year to get the land back. To restore the infrastructure would take even longer, possibly over a decade. The catastrophe had set the world back by thirty years at least. The water was still rushing into the shelter. People on both sides had to work together to stop it. ¡­ In the Moonian ark, after the emergency procedure implemented by Lyton and Jamie, things were finally stabilized. However, the eighteen holes would remain. By then, most of the passengers had moved into the lower deck, which was extremely cramped. The people in the upper deck all sat around the IVE Extractor. Chapter 147 - Were Sorry ¡°As it turns out, it¡¯s not that we have a durable ark. It¡¯s all thanks to the devices!¡± Without the IVE Extractors, the ark would have been destroyed a long time ago. Unfortunately, the people only realized it now. Jamie dropped to his knees when he saw the blood on the floor and walls. Lyton and Wilde joined him as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± What they saw would be branded in their brains forever. Some people were blown away by the strong wind, and the hailstones smashed them into a pulp while they were still in the air. It was too miserable a scene to watch. Some were hit by lightning, charred, and fell into the sea. Over half of the Moonian land had turned into an ocean, and the water on the eastern coast was especially deep. The ark was surrounded by water, and there was a storm raging outside. The temperature had dropped to zero, and no ordinary person could survive in such an environment. When the ark was intact, it could keep the wind out. Now that there were eighteen holes in the hull, even the IVE Extractors could barely hold it together. Things could fall apart at any moment. Innate Vigorous Energy had to attach to a surface to work. The holes prevented it from creating a shield. The energy could keep the hailstones and lightning out, but not the wind. The tidal waves were also rising. It seemed another tsunami was coming. The passengers felt they were going to die. Once the seawater gushed in, the IVE Extractors would be destroyed, and the ark would lose all protection. ¡°I regret my decision so much! I should have listened to the authorities and never built this ark!¡± Lyton dropped to his knees and banged his forehead on the floor until blood oozed out. He shouted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s all my fault! I got everybody into this, and those lives are on me! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Wilde tried to pull him up. ¡°Lyton, don¡¯t do this! None of us wanted this to happen! You can¡¯t blame yourself!¡± ¡°No, I am to be blamed! Mr. Soan predicted this, and all those Moonians believed him, but I wouldn¡¯t! They made preparations for such disasters, but I didn¡¯t listen!¡± All the passengers seemed exhausted. Many of them were injured. They stood around the IVE Extractors and didn¡¯t dare remove them. Seeing how distressed Lyton was, the others sighed and tried to comfort him. ¡°Mr. Lyton, it¡¯s not your fault! You were only trying to help us! You gave us hope!¡± ¡°None of us believed our country, and we¡¯re all wrong! We all have to be responsible for this tragedy! You¡¯re not alone in this! If you hadn¡¯t built this ark, we would have found a way to go abroad! We would have died all the same!¡± ¡°We were so wrong! It was the greatest mistake of my life! We had this coming! We deserve it!¡± ¡°My son is dead because of me! He was blown away by the wind! I¡¯m sorry, son! I should have trusted our country! I got you killed!¡± Everybody was blaming themselves, saying that it had all been their fault. They weren¡¯t wrong. They had refused to believe in Moon and called Himmel Soan a liar and the president an idiot. They couldn¡¯t understand why the others would support Himmel Soan. They finally saw the truth. They were the foolish ones! ¡°I should be the dead one, but my family was killed instead!¡± ¡°Mr. Lyton, is it possible to get in touch with our government or Mr. Soan? The internet is still working. We can try to ask for help!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to seek help! We abandoned them in the first place. How can we ask them to help us now? I don¡¯t know what to say!¡± ¡°Of course, we can ask for help! If you wouldn¡¯t do it for yourself, do it for your family! We may deserve to die, but our families are innocent! We got them into this! If the government can save them, what if we¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Forget about your dignity now! I¡¯ll ask for help and see if they can escort us back!¡± ¡°Look! There¡¯s a giant ship!¡± ¡°You must be seeing things! It has to be a mirage! No ship can¡­¡± Someone claimed there was a big ship outside, but the others wouldn¡¯t believe him. They all looked out of the holes in the hull. They didn¡¯t dare stay too close to the holes, fearing that they would be swept away. However, they could still see the outside. The weather limited their field of vision. With the rain and the hailstorm, the visibility was no more than 300m. They saw two beams of light piercing through the rain. It lifted their spirits. ¡°It really is a boat!¡± ¡°Is that an ark? Which country does it belong to?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible! No ark can withstand the meteorites! They won¡¯t dare travel around!¡± ¡°Guys, I think I saw a blue flag! It¡¯s our national flag!¡± ¡°Really? Where?¡± ¡°Look up!¡± They raised their heads to find a blue cloth flapping above the giant ship. Even the rain and the wind couldn¡¯t harm it. To make the flag easier to spot, someone had put a big light on top of the flagpole. ¡°It really is our flag!¡± ¡°Has Moon sent out global rescue teams?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to live! They¡¯re here to help us!¡± ¡°Gosh! Look! What¡¯s that?!¡± They were still cheering when they saw a streak of light falling from the sky, dragging a long tail behind it. It was a meteorite piece! The light was so intense that one could see it through the rain curtain. It fell toward the Moonian ship as if it had GPS on it. Everybody screamed. The light was blinding when the meteorite piece fell on the ship. The dazzling light lit up the area within 5km of the ship. Smoke then rose into the air, followed by a loud explosive sound. Chapter 148 - Theyre All Heroes Countless people online had described how powerful the meteorite pieces were. The impact would instantly pulverize an ark. The passengers on the ark thought the ship was going to be destroyed as well. To their surprise, once the smoke dissipated, they saw the ship was unscratched, and their national flag was still flapping in the wind. The ship sailed against the storm toward the ark. ¡°It survived the meteorite!¡± ¡°Awesome! Our country is amazing!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this! The device is amazing!¡± ¡°No, Mr. Soan is amazing! He¡¯s the pride of our country!¡± The impact demonstrated how effective the IVE Extractors were. No one questioned Himmel Soan or their country anymore. To them, Himmel Soan was their God. He was the God of science! Their president was so wise! ¡°Mr. Lyton, I¡¯m Mark from the third division of the Dragon Tribe. We¡¯re on our way to a rescue mission in Flamia. Do you need help? If you do, we can take you back to the Pegasus Grassland first!¡± Himmel Soan had ordered the Moonians soldiers to rescue people in other countries before giving them the blueprints of the flying armor. However, flying soldiers could only save so many people. Therefore, Henry, Gordon, and the president discussed with the Soan empire and decided to take the risk. They were going to use the force of the entire country to carry out the rescue mission. Over 85% of the land was covered by water, so ships became the main means of transportation. The alternative would be airplanes. The space cannon had finished its mission, so it had been converted to a base with runways for airplanes. All the country¡¯s forces had been gathered here. Still, it was important to keep everybody safe first. The government quickly gathered a hundred thousand electric welders and built a makeshift ceiling for the ships. They had consulted with Himmel Soan, asking him how the IVE Extractors worked. He told them the device needed a surface to attach to. Even if they only set up a tent over the ship, the IVE Extractors inside would still keep it safe. Risks still existed though. Otherwise, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t have insisted on underground shelters. The devices had to remain stable. That was the most important thing. The ships could shift and sway on the sea. If the IVE Extractors tipped over, they would stop working, and the ships could be ravaged by the waves. It was the same way with the planes. The constant storm created turbulence that could render the IVE Extractors ineffective at any moment. Once that happened, the plane would be in pieces when it landed. All in all, the mission was perilous. The Moonian government didn¡¯t force anyone to join the rescue team. Those who were concerned with their safety could stay behind. No one would laugh at them because the mission would get people killed. It was no laughing matter. The participants were great men. The people that stayed behind were only human. Not everyone was willing to give away their lives for other people. Moon was never short of brave people. As soon as the announcement was made, over fifty thousand people volunteered. They didn¡¯t plan to come back. They wanted world peace and hoped nobody in this world was suffering. They were heroes that were worth all the respect in the world. Mark was one of those people. ¡°Yes! We need help!¡± ¡°Mr. Mark, your timing is perfect!¡± ¡°Please help us! We were wrong! We should have listened to the government instead of taking things into our own hands! We only have ourselves to blame for everything that has happened!¡± Mark said, ¡°What are you talking about? Our country has never given up on you! The country is behind you when you need help! I¡¯m going to set up an escape corridor and stabilize it with IVE Extractors. Hold on!¡± The ship anchored next to the ark and stretched out a cylinder-like passageway wide enough for five people to walk side by side. When the cylinder reached the ark, the IVE Extractors were set up before anyone could walk through it. Protecting the passageway was their priority. Otherwise, it could easily be broken by the wind or hailstones. The IVE Extractors released Innate Vigorous Energy that solidified the entire passageway. ¡°Get aboard! Quickly!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan! Thank you, Mark!¡± The passengers on the ark were saved. People hiding in the lower deck burst into happy tears when they heard this, and they embraced the people around them. The ship¡¯s arrival was a streak of light in the darkness and a lit stove on a winter day. ¡­ Another hour passed. During that time, over a hundred arks disappeared from the face of Earth. Countless people were asking for help on the Moonian website. Their wealth or social status didn¡¯t make any difference anymore. Even heads of state apologized and begged for help. They wouldn¡¯t dare complain even if Moon refused them. To their excitement, Moon made the announcement. Moon had sent out over thirty ships, two aircraft carriers, fifty passenger planes, and a hundred fighter planes worldwide. Some were on rescue missions, and some were delivering IVE Extractors. The participants all knew they might be on a one-way journey, but they showed no hesitation. Moon asked the world to remember their names. No matter if the rescue mission would succeed, these people were still respectable. In Winland. ¡°Not only them but Moon as a country is a hero, too!¡± ¡°Thank you, Moon, for forgiving what we did to you in the past and helping us when we need you the most!¡± ¡°Winland and Moon will be friends forever!¡± ¡­ In Flamia. ¡°Thank you, Moon! Thank you, all the heroes! We¡¯re looking forward to seeing you!¡± ¡°Thank you, Moon! Thank you, all the heroes!¡± ¡°Thank you so much! Please be careful!¡± People left comments, praying for the heroes. Winland and Flamia were only two examples. Other countries were also thinking about Moon. Moon and its heroes were worth the admiration, no matter if they could rescue those people in time or not. ¡­ Led by Phoebe, the soldiers finally stopped the flood and resealed the opening in Zone 407. The place was a mess. Everything was scattered, and dead bodies were all over the floor. Chapter 149 - Heavy Loss Someone grabbed a doctor and dragged him toward an area that had been hit hard by the disaster. ¡°Doc, here!¡± A child was shaking a man¡¯s body on the ground. ¡°Dad! Wake up, Dad! Wake up!¡± Someone was shouting at the top of their lungs. ¡°We¡¯ve got a man down here! He needs bandages! Nurse! Nurse!¡± Someone was kneeling on the floor and sobbing. ¡°Why?! Why was Gate 407 opened? Why? Can somebody answer me?¡± Sammy sat on the floor. His clothes were soaking wet. His father couldn¡¯t hold onto the wall in the end and was washed away by the flood. They still hadn¡¯t found him. The current was so rapid, and there were all kinds of objects mixed in the water. Iron shards, knives, and axes were all potential killing traps. Even without them, it was almost impossible to survive the flood. With them, one would have no hope left. ¡°You!¡± A middle-aged woman whose clothes had been soaked walked up to Sammy and slapped him hard. She was furious, and her eyes were spitting fire. ¡°Where¡¯s my daughter? Where is she? Answer me!¡± The others tried to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t do that! Be civil!¡± The woman pointed at Sammy. ¡°He¡¯s the one who opened Gate 407! He gathered a group of people and wanted to get out. He tricked my girl into falling for him, and she¡¯s missing now! It¡¯s all his fault!¡± ¡°What?¡± The others tried to calm her down at first, but when they heard this, they were as furious as she was. The teenager was the culprit! ¡°Damn you! You got my wife killed!¡± ¡°My son was only three years old! Give him back to me!¡± ¡°Why did you do that? Why?! Answer me! Answer me!¡± ¡°No more talking! Let¡¯s just kill him!¡± ¡°Go to hell! You bastard!¡± ¡­ At first, the others controlled their temper. Then some short-tempered people joined the crowd. When they heard what had happened, they kicked Sammy until his face was covered with blood. ¡°My dad is dead, and my mom is missing! I didn¡¯t know this would happen! I didn¡¯t know!¡± Sammy cried. ¡°How dare you talk back to us! You got your dad killed, but what have we ever done to you? We don¡¯t feel sorry for you at all! Screw you! Shut up!¡± A short-tempered man kicked Sammy a few times. If Sammy hadn¡¯t covered his face in time, he would have lost his nose and eyes! ¡°Damn it! I want to rip your head off!¡± ¡°You bastard! Do you know how many people are dead because of you? We could have all been killed!¡± ¡°Not another word out of you! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡­ Sammy wasn¡¯t the only culprit. Soon, the people spotted Vivian as well. With the surveillance footage, it wasn¡¯t difficult to identify the kids. No. They shouldn¡¯t be called ¡°kids.¡± The youngest was fifteen, and the oldest was 26 years old. Sammy was 21, but he was still into celebrities and obsessed to a fault. ¡°And you! You should be dead, too!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve killed all those people! If anything happens to my wife, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better hope my son will wake up. If not, I¡¯ll eat you alive!¡± Vivian was a girl, but the angry crowd didn¡¯t treat her differently. They threw her onto the ground and beat her up. Before long, Sammy¡¯s other companions were identified as well. There were over fifty of them at first, but the passengers only spotted twenty. The rest were washed away by the flood, still in critical condition, or already confirmed to be dead. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± One of the youngsters grabbed Sammy by the collar and shook him, trying to pin everything on him. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t started this escape, things would never have gotten this far! We didn¡¯t want to leave!¡± ¡°Sammy, my mom is dead! She¡¯s gone! Didn¡¯t you tell me everything would be fine? You promised us!¡± All the youngsters regretted what they had done and were crying their eyes out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was all my fault¡­¡± Sammy knelt on the floor and repented in tears. But the others didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°You¡¯re sorry? It doesn¡¯t change anything!¡± ¡°After everything we¡¯ve lost, ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ doesn¡¯t do shit! If my child is dead, I¡¯m going to kill you! I mean it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill all of you!¡± ¡°Just looking at you makes my blood boil! Screw you!¡± The crowd lost control again and started throwing punches at the youngsters. The ¡°trial¡± only ended after members of the three divisions and the Dragon Tribe arrived. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Killing him won¡¯t change anything! It won¡¯t cover our loss, and it won¡¯t bring back the dead! If you have the energy, help us save more people! Do you hear me? Leave and make yourself useful!¡± Luke was Gordon¡¯s deputy officer and the commander-in-chief of the rescue mission. Seeing Sammy and his friends kneeling on the floor, he took a deep breath, fighting back the urge to slap the youngsters. He couldn¡¯t do that. Beating them up wouldn¡¯t change anything. ¡°Lock them up. They can reflect on themselves in prison.¡± ¡­ Over twenty thousand people were affected by the incident. More than ten thousand were injured, and the number of the dead was still to be determined. These youngsters¡¯ rash actions had made Moon suffer a significant loss. Luckily, they were discovered before things could get worse. Luke¡¯s face darkened as he listened to the report. He felt something heavy in his stomach. ¡°Commander, over 2,100 people are injured in the east wing. We¡¯ve confirmed 76 deaths, and we found this.¡± ¡°Commander, around 4,300 are injured in the south wing. The number of deaths so far is 178, and we found one of these as well.¡± ¡°Commander, the water flowed to the south, so the north wing has the fewest casualties. We have no more than 700 injuries.¡± Chapter 150 - Strange Rocks ¡°We only have 37 confirmed deaths in the north wing, and we found this.¡± ¡°Commander, we have over 2,500 injured in the west wing, and we have 91 confirmed deaths so far. We also found these.¡± ¡­ The number of casualties was better than Luke had expected. However, he would have been happier if everybody had survived. Losing all those lives upset him. When his men returned, they also brought some yellow rocks. They looked like soaps with irregular shapes and smooth surfaces, almost reminiscent of amber. But they were of a lighter shade, and the color was much more even. Although their weight was similar to rocks, they didn¡¯t feel as hard. If one used enough force, one could bend them with their fingers. To make it easier to identify the locations, each shelter was divided into five areas. Luke picked up a yellow rock and weighed it in his palm. ¡°This thing was found in all four wings? What about the central area?¡± ¡°We found it there, too! The central area has the highest number of casualties. Commander, what are these?¡± A team leader came back to Luke with two yellow rocks. Luke examined the yellow rocks and realized they didn¡¯t look like anything he had seen before, so he decided to leave them aside for the time being. ¡°Put them away for now. Our priority is to save the people. I¡¯ll show them to the Soan empire later.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± After making the arrangements, Luke picked up the rocks and took the elevator to the space cannon, where he found Warren. Drake, Phoebe, and Liam had all put on the flying armor and left the Pegasus Grassland. They were heading for various countries. Only Warren, Hayden, Henry Lang, and a few others were left in the space cannon. At the moment, they were at a conference with the president, discussing the current situation. The president said, ¡°We must help those people, but more importantly, we must ensure the safety of our soldiers! Stay alive! That¡¯s their top priority. When things get too dangerous, stop the rescue mission and retreat!¡± Warren said, ¡°Of course. Mr. President, I¡¯ve drawn a rescue map based on Patriarch¡¯s instructions.¡± He produced a map with multi-colored markers on it. ¡°We can form a hundred rescue teams that can travel either by sea or air. Most of the land is flooded by now. To our west are the snow mountains and vast deserts. It¡¯s impossible to travel by land, so we have to take a detour either by ship or plane. We¡¯ll go to Flamia, Woodia, and Winland first. They¡¯re all in the east. From Flamia, we¡¯ll travel north to Winland and Woodia and reach the western hemisphere, where Iceana, Oceania, Rainia, and Neige are. ¡°On our west are Goldia, Leibia, Cloudia, and our close ally, Padaski. It won¡¯t be the shortest route, but it¡¯ll be the most convenient one. We can take a break once we get to Padaski.¡± The president and Henry nodded as they listened. Just then, the door to the conference room opened. ¡°Mr. Soan, Mr. President.¡± Luke came in with the rocks. The president asked eagerly, ¡°How¡¯s everything?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve stopped the water, and things are getting back to normal. The casualties aren¡¯t too serious. Here¡¯s the report. Please have a look.¡± The president read the report and sighed. ¡°Not too serious? Of course, it¡¯s serious! Why did something like this happen?¡± ¡°Some kids wanted to go out and save their idols so that they could get noticed. I¡¯ve locked them up already.¡± Henry said, ¡°We don¡¯t have time to deal with them. They¡¯ll be punished once this is over.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Luke nodded. Gordon saw the yellow rocks in his hands and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that in your hands?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the other reason I¡¯m here. After the water was cleared, we found these on the floor. I¡¯ve shown them to some stone experts, and no one knows what they are.¡± He had brought a basket of yellow rocks with him, so he gave one to every person in the room. ¡°This rock is actually quite soft. It¡¯ll change shape if you press hard enough, but it¡¯s also impossible to break. It¡¯s amazing!¡± Everyone studied the rock in their hands. Luke was right. With enough strength, one could twist the rock into any shape. However, no one could break it. Even the strongest person couldn¡¯t crack the rock open. ¡°How interesting. I think they used to be in the sea, and the flood brought them here,¡± Warren studied the rock for a while before putting it on the table. Henry said, ¡°I agree. The ice in the south and north pole has melted, and the sea level has risen, leaving us with less land. It¡¯s going to be a major issue! I think we¡¯ll find many things from the sea after the water recedes.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, even you don¡¯t know what it is?¡± Gordon asked Warren. Warren shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not knowledgeable enough. I¡¯ll ask Patriarch later. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll know what it is. It can wait. Let¡¯s get back to the rescue mission.¡± ¡°Great!¡± ¡­ In Flamia. ¡°Look! What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What else can it be? Until God himself shows up, I¡¯m not interested in anything else! Our entire country has been flooded! What should we do now?¡± ¡°We try to survive! Is there another option? Do you want to die? We have to live, no matter how slim the chance is. We have to live on for our loved ones!¡± ¡°But can we survive this? Do you think it¡¯s possible? I don¡¯t see any hope! The meteorite shower will last ten hours. Do you think our ark will miss them all?¡± ¡°Look over there! Look!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to look at? Holy crap!¡± ¡­ A Flamian turned his head impatiently and was shocked by the scene. Many people around him were already staring at the sea. They saw a big ship with bright lights sailing toward them. ¡°Seriously? Which country has sent that ship? That¡¯s so bold!¡± Chapter 151 - : Theyre Here ¡°Is that a ship or an ark? It can¡¯t be a ship!¡± ¡°It is a ship, and a very big one! Wait! There¡¯s more than one! More are coming!¡± ¡°Is there a flag?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the Moonian national flag! It¡¯s the Moonian rescue team! Yes! They¡¯re here to save us!¡± ¡°The Moonians really are here like they promised! Thank you! The Moonians are my god now!¡± ¡°Stop crying! This is a good thing! They¡¯re going to save us! We¡¯re going to live!¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s a good thing! These are tears of joy! They¡¯re here to help us! I really want to thank them! The Moonians are the kindest people on Earth! Moon is the best!¡± ¡°Truth be told, if I were in their shoes, I wouldn¡¯t help them¡­¡± ¡°Neither would I!¡± ¡°Me neither! We¡¯re so narrow-minded.¡± ¡­ The Moonian ship entered Flamia with IVE Extractors and began to deliver the devices to the Flamian arks that had survived. At first, none of them believed in these devices. But now, the extractors were their savior. All the countries were begging for IVE Extractors because their lives hung on it. The Moonian ship¡¯s journey hadn¡¯t been a smooth sail. They were hit by meteorite pieces several times. Luckily, the IVE Extractors aboard kept them safe and enabled them to reach Flamia in one piece. The meteorite pieces weren¡¯t their main threat; the wind and waves were. Not all ships reached their destination. Over 300 had ships left Moon, and three were thrown off balance by the tumultuous waves, sinking to the bottom of the sea. Such things were inevitable. They had prepared for this possibility before they set out. Members of the Himmelian Pavilion swam as swiftly as sharks and entered Winland with small IVE Extractors on their backs. In Winland. Winish people burst into joyous tears when they saw the swimmers and ships. They clapped and cheered loudly, dancing in sheer excitement. The Moonian flag seemed even brighter than the sun. ¡°It¡¯s the Moonians! They¡¯re here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Moonian rescue team! Thank god! We¡¯re going to live!¡± ¡°This is amazing! Moonians are the best!¡± In Soilia. ¡°Look! The Moonian ships!¡± ¡°They¡¯re here to save us!¡± ¡°They¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°Look! There are Moonian planes in the sky!¡± ¡°There are so many flying soldiers!¡± ¡­ In the next hour, most countries in the eastern hemisphere saw the arrival of the Moonian rescue teams. The rescue teams had limited power, and they couldn¡¯t carry too many IVE Extractors with them. The planes couldn¡¯t find any place to land, so they had to wrap the devices in foam and throw them into the sea. The people on the arks had to fetch the devices on their own. The flying soldiers were even more restrained. Each of them could only carry two to three people at a time, and most of them were working on transporting the IVE Extractors from the ships to the arks. To express their gratitude, people of those countries left comments on the Moonian website. Their tone was full of sincerity. ¡°I thought the Moonians were making empty promises. After all, no one would risk their lives. Their families would never let them. They have shown me what altruism is. They¡¯re the true heroes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fruit of their long history and culture! I admire the Moonians for their virtue! Thank you so much! Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never oppose Moon again! I¡¯ll support anything that¡¯s made in Moon! I love Moonians!¡± ¡°I want to become a member of Moon, too!¡± ¡°Thank you, guys! We¡¯re safe! I¡¯m already on the Moonian ship! There are so many IVE Extractors, and they work! We were so stupid before. Why wouldn¡¯t we believe Mr. Soan? If our country had manufactured these devices, we wouldn¡¯t have lost so many people! Mr. Soan is a miracle worker!¡± ¡°Guys, I¡¯m on the Moonian plane now! The IVE Extractors are amazing! A meteorite piece hit our plane just then, but nothing happened! It¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re already on the plane? I¡¯m still in Goldia! When can we get there? I¡¯m so scared! The meteorite can fall on our ark at any moment!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic! We¡¯re all going to survive!¡± ¡­ Those that had boarded the Moonian ships or planes were reporting their status and showing off that they were going to arrive at the Moonian underground shelters. Many netizens mocked them, and what they said made many people more frustrated. ¡°Are the Moonians coming or not?! I¡¯ve been waiting for two hours! I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± ¡°Watch your attitude! They¡¯re helping you! Be grateful! Why are you so rude?!¡± ¡°Stop showing off! I know you¡¯re going to Moon! You Flamians are disgusting! You never admit your mistakes, and you¡¯ve even denied your past! Moon should never have saved you!¡± ¡°What the hell did you just say? Say that again; I dare you!¡± ¡°Feel free to read my comment one more time.¡± Overwhelmed by agitation, people started arguing again. The people that had been saved showed off, while those still in the arks were jealous. Quarrels were inevitable. Himmel Soan was hovering in mid-air and looking down at the land. He seemed exhausted. It pained him to see what Earth had turned into. ¡°Even after this is over, Earth will still be in tatters. I wonder if the catastrophe has damaged its core. Will it still be habitable?¡± Chapter 152 - Rescue After Flamia, Woodia, and Winland, countries in the western hemisphere also received help. Cargo ships and planes gradually traveled from the eastern hemisphere to the rest of the world. Three hours and forty-two minutes after Despair One was destroyed, Moon¡¯s national flag was seen all over the world. However, the rescue mission wasn¡¯t without accidents. Many planes and ships never reached their destinations. Though it didn¡¯t stop the Moonians from carrying out their mission. ¡­ Scentia was a tiny country in a remote corner of the world. Its population was equally small. Its total area was smaller than a province in Moon with a population of only 9.8 million. The whole country had fewer than 10 million people while one of the largest provinces in Moon had a population of over a hundred million. The difference in the sizes of the two countries was immense. Scentia was a tropical country far from the coastline. The overflowing seawater couldn¡¯t reach them. However, the country had been hit by earthquakes and volcano eruptions. Earthquakes split the land into four parts. After exhausting all their resources, the country was only able to build one ark. Over 40% of the raw materials came from neighboring countries. Otherwise, Scentia would never have been able to build the ark. The ark could only fit three million people. That was to say, nearly seven million people would be left behind. The maximum capacity of the ark was eight hundred thousand people. However, three million people had been cramped inside, which was four times what the ark could carry. There was no room for even one more baby. To make it worse, another earthquake cracked the ground open again, and the ark happened to be on top of the crack. It tilted and fell into the chasm. Luckily, the opening wasn¡¯t wide enough, and the ark got stuck between the two cliffs. ¡°Oh no! We¡¯re going to die!¡± ¡°So be it! I don¡¯t have much to live for anyway.¡± ¡°I do! I haven¡¯t even gotten married yet! I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die! I heard Moon has sent out rescue teams. Where are they now?!¡± ¡°The Moonian rescue teams? Stop dreaming! Have you forgotten where we are? We¡¯re in the southern hemisphere and in the middle of nowhere! All those countries are in the northern hemisphere. Why would Moon come here to save us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our land is so remote, and there are only a couple of countries in the southern hemisphere. The world has long forgotten about us.¡± ¡°No matter how Moon plans the rescue course, it¡¯ll only cover the northern hemisphere! Why would they cross the ocean and travel for thousands of miles to help us? That¡¯s not going to happen!¡± ¡°I agree! Although Mr. President has sent the letter, the Moonian president hasn¡¯t replied. Nor have their high-ranking officials said anything. I think we¡¯re on our own!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s another life, I want to be a Moonian!¡± ¡°Although that¡¯s an awful thing to say, I have to agree with you! I feel the same way! Moon has proven itself in this crisis. I¡¯m sure everybody wants to live there, but we¡¯ll have to wait for another lifetime.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Life is good, but I don¡¯t want to do it again¡­¡± ¡­ Some people had broken down, some were desperate, and some remained positive. They had already accepted death. Scentia had always been a forgotten country. They had low technology standards, and many people didn¡¯t even have a cell phone.¡± ¡°Everybody¡­¡± Before the lost moment arrived, somebody spoke on the loudspeaker. It was their president. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I¡¯m glad to be here with you. I think this is the most unforgettable day in our lives, but unfortunately, it¡¯s about time to say goodbye. The ark has run out of power. All the lights, air-conditioners, and electronic devices will shut down in three minutes! ¡°As there are too many passengers aboard, the air is running out as well. We¡¯ll have to open the air vent, which may affect the internal environment. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen the weather outside. Toxic gas will probably flow in with the air, and the temperature will rise rapidly as well. ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s time to make a choice. I¡¯ll open a lower cabin door so that you can choose how it¡¯s going to end for you. You can either wait in the ark or jump out. We¡¯re almost eight miles from the bottom, and the ground is a mile above us. If you think you¡¯re strong enough, you can try to climb up the cliff. ¡°I¡¯ve been the Scentian president for eight years, and I enjoyed working for you, but that¡¯s going to end soon. We¡¯re a small country that¡¯s used to be neglected by the rest of the world. There¡¯s no miracle, and no one will come here to save us. I wish you all good luck. I hope you can survive the catastrophe.¡± Sirens went off in the ark. The president sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve run out of power. Ladies and gentlemen, this is it! I hope there¡¯s another life, and I hope you¡¯ll be born in a different country. I¡¯m not a good leader. I didn¡¯t make Scentia a better place. Scentia was never a good place to live¡ª¡± Along with a beep, all the power generators shut down, and the lights went off. The chasm was over six miles deep, and the ground was about a mile above them. They had nowhere to go. The air was filled with toxic gas that had been emitted by erupting volcanoes. There was no way the Scentians could survive. ¡°I¡¯d rather jump out than get suffocated by the toxic gas. Dad, goodbye!¡± Someone headed for the cabin door. One could jump straight to ¡°hell¡± from there. No one could survive such a steep fall. ¡°No! Come back! Don¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll see you in another life!¡± The desperate Scentians decided to take their own lives. All hell broke loose. The passengers embraced one another in tears and said goodbye. It was painful to watch. Chapter 153 - Its the Moonians Countless Scentians were ready to end their lives. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Right then, the ark was suddenly lit up by searchlights from both sides. The darkness was gone! It was so bright that the people inside couldn¡¯t open their eyes. However, they were ecstatic. Someone had come for them! Someone had come for them!! Someone was here to save them!!! The searchlights couldn¡¯t be a natural phenomenon. They had to come from someone! Even the Scentian president had lost hope and was going to shoot himself in the control room. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a high-ranking official stopped him. ¡°Mr. President, there are helicopters above us!¡± ¡°What?¡± The Scentian president was surprised. He grabbed the man¡¯s arm, asking, ¡°Really? How do you know?¡± ¡°I saw them!¡± The man looked ahead of him, and the president followed his gaze. He saw three helicopters hovering in the air in front of the ark, and the people inside were waving at them. There was a red flag on the helicopters. They were Moonians. ¡°Moonians! They¡¯re Moonians!¡± ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t given up on any country! They¡¯ve come to save us!¡± ¡°Gosh! Am I dreaming?¡± The high-ranking officials in the control room embraced each other with joy, so happy that they wanted to kiss one another. Seeing the bright red flag, the president burst into tears. He sank into his chair with relief. ¡°It¡¯s Moon! They¡¯re here!¡± He murmured and nodded excitedly at the people in the helicopters. ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you for not forgetting about us¡­¡± ¡­ It was impossible to evacuate millions of people. Moon could only give them the IVE Extractors, as well as all their fuel. With the discovery and extraction of the spiritual essence, ¡°fuel¡± had a much broader sense. The spiritual essence could replace almost all kinds of fuel. It could sustain almost all machines, whether they ran on gasoline or diesel. Moreover, it was more efficient than other fuels. If one gallon of gasoline could sustain a vehicle for 25 miles, a little spiritual essence could maintain the same vehicle for 6000 miles. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. 6000 miles might be stretching a little, but 5,000 wouldn¡¯t be a problem. The spiritual essence contained that much energy. A wisp of spiritual essence could destroy an entire house. In the hands of capable people, it could even destroy a village or a mountain. In his prime, Himmel Soan could destroy half of Earth with a streak of spiritual essence. The effectiveness of the spiritual essence was determined by the ¡°engine.¡± The Moonians left the Scentians with ten barrels of spiritual essence and a hundred large IVE Extractors. That would be enough to get Scentia through the catastrophe. After the spiritual essence was injected, the ark¡¯s power returned. As long as the crack didn¡¯t expand, the ark would be safe. The Moonian helicopters didn¡¯t have enough power to pull the ark out of the crack. The Scentians could only wait for Himmel Soan to get here. He would find a way to rescue the ark. The meteorite pieces were also a threat. They would be in much trouble if one of them landed on the ark. With the IVE extractors, the ark would probably withstand the impact, but the force could widen the crack and cause the ark to fall. Therefore, Scentia wasn¡¯t completely out of danger. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ve already informed our HQ and told them what¡¯s going on here. They¡¯ll figure out a way to help you!¡± One of the Moonians told the Scentian president. The president nodded and held the Moonian¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Take your time! We were ready to face the end, and we feel so lucky that we¡¯re still alive! If we still can¡¯t survive, it¡¯ll be our fate. We¡¯re already very touched! Thank you!¡± He pressed a hand on his chest and knelt on one knee. It was the highest form of salute in Scentia. The Moonians helped him to his feet. ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure! Please don¡¯t say that! We¡¯ll go help the surrounding countries. We¡¯ll see you in Moon once we¡¯re all safe!¡± The Moonian then saluted the Scentian president. The president and the high-ranking officials saluted back. ¡°Alright! Heroes, if Scentia still exists and I¡¯m still alive after this catastrophe, my high-ranking officials and I will visit Moon!¡± ¡°Alright! Goodbye!¡± The Moonians returned to their helicopters and left Scentia. ¡­ Even the arctic and antarctic were inhabited. Uraphon was an arctic country, and its citizens were all tall and strongly built. Such physique would enable them to withstand the cold weather. Even without any clothes on, they could survive in an environment ten degrees below zero. With a down jacket, they could withstand thirty or forty degrees below zero. The Uraphonians couldn¡¯t stand the heat, though. The ice in both poles had started melting. The temperatures there were well above zero degrees. More meteorite pieces kept entering the atmosphere. Although Himmel Soan could mend the openings with his mental force, unfiltered sunlight still reached others through those openings, creating high-temperature spots on Earth. As a result, the Uraphonians had nowhere to go. Everybody was covered in sweat. Luckily, the arctic was the least likely to be hit by the meteorite, so they didn¡¯t need any arks. However, once the ice began to melt, the ground would still open up. The Uraphonians were in danger. They weren¡¯t afraid of cold weather, but they weren¡¯t good swimmers. When the ice cap opened up again, many people fell into the freezing seawater. They had little chance to climb back up, let alone survive. The ice cap was over a hundred meters thick. It was impossible to climb! Chapter 154 - Despair ¡°Hanse, hold on!¡± The ice cap suddenly cracked open, and dozens of people fell in. If the fall was high enough, the water wouldn¡¯t be much different than a cement floor. The impact would knock one out or cause internal bleeding. From this height, the fall would definitely kill them. Handus, the older brother, caught his brother, Hanse¡¯s, hand. They were hanging on the side of the cliff. If Handus hadn¡¯t stuck his dagger into the ice, they would have fallen into the crack. All Uraphonians had to learn to climb icebergs. However, they couldn¡¯t do it without tools like daggers, chisels, and iron sticks. The ice was just too hard. The brothers weren¡¯t alone. Thousands of people were hanging from the side of the cliff and looked like vines from afar. It all happened so suddenly, and the crack happened to be along the evacuation route. The people had no time to react. Some had already fallen into the water. Those that reacted faster managed to stop the fall. The people hanging on the side of the cliff were among those that had reacted in time. If not, they wouldn¡¯t have time to take out their dagger, let alone stick it into the ice. The ice made a crackling noise. The dagger might be able to sustain the weight of one person, but two people were too much. Hanse shouted, ¡°No! Both of us are going to fall! Let go!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ll never let go! If someone must die, we¡¯ll die together!¡± ¡°Handus, it¡¯s not going to work! You have to stay alive! Think about your wife and your lovely daughter!¡± Hanse was in tears. ¡°Even if you pull me up, how do you know we¡¯ll survive? How many Uraphonians will there be after this is over?¡± ¡°Hanse, you must believe in miracles! We¡¯re going to live! I promise!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your promise! It¡¯s like you said. We have to believe in miracles! Trust me! We¡¯ll get back on the ground!¡± The ice cracked again, and some chunks fell onto Handus¡¯s head. The brothers slid down a few centimeters. ¡°Handus, the ice is falling apart! Let go! We¡¯re too heavy!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Similar conversions could be heard all over the cliff. ¡°Son, you need to let me go!¡± ¡°No! Dad, I can hold onto you!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this forever! We¡¯ll fall eventually!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let go of you! Dad, hold on! Someone will come for us soon!¡± ¡­ ¡°Blake, I saved your life before! You can¡¯t let go of my hand! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°Bullshit! I can¡¯t hold on for much longer! We used to be neighbors. If you want to die, don¡¯t take me down with you! Let go, or we¡¯re both going to fall! If you let go now, I can still live!¡± ¡°Blake, I¡¯m so disappointed in you. I chased off a polar bear when it was on your heels!¡± ¡°I know that! I¡¯ll remember what you did for me! After you¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll look after your wife and children!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up! If I¡¯m going to die, you¡¯re coming down with you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind! Let go!¡± ¡­ ¡°Hold on! I¡¯m sure someone will come down for us!¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t! They¡¯ve all run for their lives! The icebergs can collapse at any moment. No one will stay up there. Don¡¯t let go! See if you can climb onto my shoulders and reach ground level. We¡¯re only half a meter away. I¡¯m sure you can do it!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! It¡¯s so cold! I¡¯m not strong enough!¡± ¡°Yes, you can! Just keep going! You¡¯re our only hope now! I¡¯m exhausted, too. If I lose my grip, both of us will fall! Climb now! At least you¡¯ll live!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not strong enough¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Honey, I love you. Goodbye!¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t let go! No¡ª¡± A man pried his wife¡¯s finger open and fell into the sea because he didn¡¯t want to drag her wife down. Devastated, she also let go and jumped in after him. Many people couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. One after another, they fell off the cliff. It was one of the saddest days in Uraphonian history. ¡°Son!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°Is anybody there? Hello? Help us!¡± ¡°Throw us some ropes! Help us! Where is everybody?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hold on for much longer! My child, take care of yourself!¡± Countless people fell off the cliff, and many more were crying and ridden with sorrow. They had lost all hope. Suddenly, soldiers in flying armors rapidly moved toward them, catching all the falling people. ¡°Save them!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Handus was the first to notice them. Pleasantly surprised, he said, ¡°Hanse, look! What are those?¡± Hanse turned around and saw the Moonian flag on their chest. ¡°That flag¡­ They¡¯re Moonian! They¡¯re the Moonian flying soldiers!¡± ¡°What? Moonians? Their country is a long way from here! I didn¡¯t know they were coming!¡± ¡°Who cares? I¡¯m glad they¡¯re here! The Moonians are here to save us! The Moonians are here to save us!¡± Hanse¡¯s voice caught the others¡¯ attention. They all turned around and saw the flying soldiers. Each soldier was holding onto one or two people that had fallen off the cliff. It took a few seconds to fall into the sea, and the soldiers were able to catch them halfway down. ¡°The Moonians!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to live! I saw online that Moon had sent out all their soldiers! I didn¡¯t know they were coming to the arctic, too!¡± ¡°Help me! I can¡¯t hold on for much longer!¡± ¡°Thank you, Moonians!¡± ¡°Please help my son! He¡¯s going to fall! Please take him to the surface!¡± Chapter 155 - Unable to Withstand ¡°Hold on! We¡¯ll get to you all!¡± The flying soldiers moved fast. They caught the falling ones first and took them to the surface before returning for the people hanging on the cliffside. They picked up several survivors each time. From afar, they looked like strings of pearls. Uraphon was even smaller than Scentia, with a population of a little over a million. The arctic was a rough place to live, and the people there didn¡¯t have the energy to produce so many children. All the flying soldiers were from the three divisions, and most of them were from the Himmelians and the Himmelian Village. They were capable fighters with spiritual essence. Not only did they catch the falling ones, but they had also pulled all the people out of the sea, dead or alive. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± After Hanse and Handus were saved, they knelt on the ground and thanked the flying soldiers. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this!¡± ¡°You¡¯re our saviors! I can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± Other people around them dropped to their knees as well. Soon, a few helicopters arrived with IVE Extractors. There were many ice caves in the area. With the devices, they would only need to find some large caves to keep themselves safe. But that would only happen if the ice beneath them didn¡¯t crack open, or nothing could save them. Uraphon hadn¡¯t built any arks. The president and the high-ranking officials had all gone missing. Some people said the president had taken refuge in another country, some said he had already been killed, and others said he was hiding in some unknown place in the country. It made the rescue mission much more difficult because the soldiers had to deliver the IVE Extractors to all groups of people. The Uraphonian president was very important to the people. ¡­ Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe had been constantly posting messages on the Moonian website, updating the people with news from all over the world. The rescue time from the 19th division of Sky Eye: ¡°Arrived at Flamia at 3:04. ¡°Rescued Arks 27, 29, and 33 at 3:19. ¡°Rescued Arks 24, 19, and 20 at 3:28. ¡°Took 300 injured Flamians to Moon at 3:21.¡± ¡­ Cook from the Dragon Tribe rescue team posted: ¡°Arrived at Winland at 3:07. ¡°Rescued Arks 88, 41, and 55 at 3:20. ¡°Rescued Arks 26, 40, and 37 at 3:30. ¡°Mission failed at 3:55. Ark-9 was hit by the meteorite during the rescue. There were no survivors. We¡¯ve lost 64 of our 80 members. ¡°At 4:06, Cook requests to go back to Moon!¡± ¡­ Randy from the Himmelian Pavilion posted: ¡°Arrived at Woodia at 3:12. ¡°Rescued Arks 2, 3, and 5 at 3:26. ¡°Rescued Arks 8 and 11 at 3:47. ¡°Hit by a tsunami at 4:08 and lost thirteen men. We¡¯re still pushing in.¡± ¡­ Despite the casualties, the three divisions were dauntless. Nothing could stop them. Skynet was also broadcasting the rescue missions live. The image had the same high definition as the live stream of Despair One. Nobody knew how such a video was shot, nor were they in the mood to find out. Everybody was praying for the soldiers¡¯ safe return. ¡°Stay safe, my heroes!¡± ¡°May God bless them!¡± ¡°Tosh! It¡¯s a storm! Please don¡¯t let anything happen to them! Come back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous over there! Don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°I was so scared! I¡¯m so glad they¡¯re alright!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure God will bless them!¡± ¡°Please keep them safe!¡± ¡­ The people watched as the three divisions reached the southern hemisphere and the arctic. They saw a member of the Dragon Tribe throw a child onto the surface before he fell over the cliff. They saw people of Sky Eye use their helicopter to shield an ark from a falling meteorite piece. All the viewers burst into tears. They would never forget what those people had done for the world. All of them were heroes, and their names would be remembered forever. ¡°I hope we Goldians can always remember Tob, Chad, Flynn, Troy, and Jack. They saved us with their lives!¡± It happened when the Moonians were rescuing Ark-9 of Goldia. A meteorite piece fell toward them. Ark-9 wasn¡¯t equipped with the IVE Extractors yet and was very fragile. If the meteorite piece landed on the ark, it would be pulverized. The passengers huddled together and trembled, waiting for the end to arrive. However, five people drove two helicopters and hovered above the ark, trying to stop the meteorite. The helicopters had IVE Extractors. However, they weren¡¯t very effective. The IVE Extractors needed many operators to extract Innate Vigorous Energy, but the helicopters couldn¡¯t contain so many people. Large helicopters could carry fifteen to twenty people at most, and that was before an IVE Extractor was put inside. The smallest IVE Extractors would require twenty people to operate. The two helicopters could never stop the meteorite. But the effort wasn¡¯t futile. The two helicopters flew up into the air and crashed into the meteorite. They immediately turned into balls of fire. After the explosion, the meteorite piece kept falling, but the impact had shifted its course away from Ark-9. Ark-9 was saved. So was everybody aboard. Chapter 156 - Heroic Deeds They had sacrificed their lives for other people, which was the noblest act. The Goldian president¡¯s eyes were filled with tears after seeing the video. He recorded a video himself. In it, he and the Goldian high-ranking officials bowed at a Moonian flag. ¡°We Goldians want to thank Moon! We¡¯ll always remember the sacrifice the Moonian heroes have made for us!¡± Many Moonians couldn¡¯t bring themselves to watch the constant loss of lives. Their children, partners, and parents could be among those soldiers! More and more people were joining the rescue missions. ¡°Dad¡­¡± A girl cried out and fainted. Somebody asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Another person said, ¡°Tob was his father!¡± ¡°What? Get a doctor!¡± ¡°Honey, I want to join the rescue team, too.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not! I won¡¯t let you go out there! You¡¯re not in the military! It¡¯s not your responsibility!¡± ¡°The human race is under threat. I can¡¯t just stay here and watch my fellow Moonians die!¡± ¡°Saving people isn¡¯t your thing! I know you better than that! You¡¯re staying here! Do you hear me?¡± ¡­ Seeing that the Moonians soldiers were in danger, Soleil, Hosia, and Panthera decided to do something. Padaski, Moon¡¯s closest ally, had already sent out soldiers. The Soleilian officials said, ¡°Mr. President, Moon has given all it has to save the world. As its friend, we can¡¯t sit here and watch all those soldiers sacrifice themselves! We have to help them!¡± The president considered the proposal with a serious look on his face. The conference lasted for over two hours. Panthera, Hosia, and Soleil still hadn¡¯t taken action. Only the Padaskians demonstrated how much courage they had. Although they barely had enough IVE Extractors in the country, they still spared some for their neighbors. The government also sent out five thousand soldiers, who joined the Moonians and traveled to the rest of the world. Everybody could watch the rescue missions online. Countless soldiers lost their lives in earthquakes and storms. Moon dispatched fifty thousand people first, followed by a second batch of seventy thousand. They only had eighty thousand men to spare now. Thump! The Soleilian president banged his fist on the table. ¡°You¡¯re right! Moon is the only reason that we¡¯ve survived for this long. Now that they need assistance, we can¡¯t remain indifferent. We¡¯ll send out troops to help the Moonians!¡± Some high-ranking officials disagreed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t agree with you! We¡¯re just a small country that nobody pays attention to. How can we help Moon when we can¡¯t even help ourselves? Moon is a big country. It has the power and the obligation to help the rest of the world. Our population is only over 30 million. That¡¯s only a fraction of the Moonian population!¡± Some people agreed with him. ¡°That¡¯s true. We don¡¯t have many soldiers, and we haven¡¯t restored peace in our own land yet. Why should we care about the rest of the world?¡± ¡°That¡¯s so true!¡± ¡°Enough with this nonsense! Where is your conscience? Do you even have a heart? Moon is the only reason that you¡¯re still alive! Without them, we would have been wiped off the face of Earth like all those countries! Understood?! The Moonian soldiers are dying out there! Maybe one more person will save a crisis! Did you see what happened with Ark-9 of Goldia? If there were a few more people on the helicopters, they might have been able to activate the IVE Extractors, and the helicopters wouldn¡¯t have exploded! ¡°Those five soldiers died because the IVE Extractors weren¡¯t working! How could you be so cold-blooded?! Mr. President, we have every reason to send reinforcements! We can¡¯t wait any longer! Please give your command now!¡± ¡°Mr. President, you have to think about our soldiers! If you let them go out there, there¡¯s a high chance that they won¡¯t be able to come back! We can¡¯t do that!¡± That was also one of the reasons that the president had been hesitating for so long. He finally had made up his mind. Although Soleil was a small country, it had to do something! All countries should learn from how generous the Moonians had been. The Soleilians were almost ashamed of themselves. ¡°That¡¯s enough! The decision has been made. We¡¯re going to assist Moon. It¡¯s not obligatory, and all soldiers can decide if they want to go.¡± The decision was welcomed by the whole country, and the soldiers immediately volunteered to join the mission. The initial plan was to send five thousand people, but seventeen thousand were dispatched in the end. The soldiers were so enthusiastic because they knew what a meaningful mission it would be. They would be proud of it for the rest of their lives. They would rather fight and die like those five soldiers than live an idle life and remain a nobody. The mission was like a battle to them. After Soleil, Pantherese knew it had to do something. It then sent out 80 thousand soldiers to the front line. Hosia also sent ten thousand people. ¡­ Himmel Soan was flying, and underneath him was the sea. The storm was raging, and lightning was striking down. The sky was so dark that it looked like hell had opened a portal there. The lightning storm was quickly moving toward the inner land. If he didn¡¯t do something and the lightning storm entered the country, the country would be wiped out. Moreover, the lightning storm would put the rescue teams in danger, too. Himmel Soan had to stop it. Just then, he saw a person inside a cyclone when he flew close. That person immediately jumped into the sea. Himmel Soan had used his mental force to cover the entire Earth, so he didn¡¯t have the energy to investigate the figure. Nonetheless, he had much sharper eyes and ears. Even though the raging storm had blurred his vision, he still saw the person. It was a woman! Chapter 157 - Whos That ¡°Is that Phoebe?¡± That was the first name that came to Himmel Soan¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t think of anybody else. Ordinary people would have been torn apart by the storm. Being a cultivator, Phoebe might be able to withstand the lightning for a while. However, he didn¡¯t think she was capable enough to go inside a cyclone. That woman had dived into the sea, suggesting that she was an excellent swimmer, which fit Phoebe¡¯s characteristics as well. ¡°Phoebe!¡± Himmel Soan spoke to his earphones. Phoebe soon replied, ¡°Yes, Patriarch. How may I help?¡± ¡°What are you doing in the middle of the ocean? Didn¡¯t I send you out on a rescue mission? Be on your way!¡± ¡°What? Patriarch, I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m not in the middle of the ocean. I¡¯m in Grassia; I¡¯m helping them with the flood!¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re in Grassia?¡± Grassia was half a world away. ¡°Yes, Patriarch. I¡¯m nowhere near an ocean. Did you mistake one of my brothers for me?¡± ¡°I see. You can go back to your work.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Himmel Soan then contacted Drake and Liam. ¡°Which of you is in the middle of the ocean? Or did you send someone here?¡± Himmel Soan was sure he had seen a woman. He didn¡¯t think it was either of the brothers. Maybe he was mistaken, but it was highly unlikely. One had to be very capable to survive the lightning storm. Of all the members of the three divisions, only a few high-ranking leaders had that kind of skill. ¡°It¡¯s not me, Patriarch. I¡¯m in the arctic.¡± ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m in Lingino. It¡¯s close to the sea, but I¡¯m not there.¡± Both Drake and Liam replied. ¡°Did you send someone here? A woman?¡± ¡°Of course not. Patriarch, let me ask Phoebe. Maybe it was her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve asked her already. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Why, Patriarch? Did you see a woman in the middle of the ocean?¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s alright! Go back to your work!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡­ If it wasn¡¯t one of the three siblings or anyone from the three divisions, who could it be? Himmel Soan was perplexed. But his priority was to stop this lightning storm. ¡°Ha!¡± He exhaled, and his spiritual essence turned into a giant web, which wrapped around the thunderclouds. He then dragged them away. The sun was back, and the crisis was over. Himmel Soan looked down at the sea surface and hesitated. So many people needed his saving, but he still wanted to figure out who that woman was. In the end, he dived into the ocean. He detected a lot of undercurrents below the surface. The fish had been startled by the weather and were moving in all directions. Sharks shuttled back and forth in the fish stocks. Even some deep-sea fish had been attracted to the surface by a mysterious force. Because of the different water pressure, they couldn¡¯t survive in the shallow water. Once the internal and external pressures couldn¡¯t balance out each other, the fish would explode. The seawater had turned red and was filled with dead fish. A blue whale whooshed past Himmel. He quickly shifted to the side. Looking around at the frightened fish, he felt something was off but couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. That woman had disappeared as if she had never existed in the first place. So be it. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have time to linger here. He looked around again and left the area. ¡­ Once Panthera, Soleil, and Hosia joined in, the rescue mission became a little easier. Almost all countries received some assistance. The IVE Extractors were delivered to all countries in the world. Moon was still manufacturing the devices in case more were needed. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t need to do everything on his own now. He had a more difficult task at hand. He needed to get Earth¡¯s moon back. Earth¡¯s moon was moving further away, and with that, Earth¡¯s gravity would change as well. It hadn¡¯t been too long, so the feeling wasn¡¯t too obvious yet. If someone were to weigh themself now, they would realize their weight had dropped. A slim adult would probably weigh less than 70 pounds. The disturbance in the sea and the chaotic magnetic field were both the result of the departing moon. The moon could explain at least 70% of the anomalies. If the moon kept moving away, gravity would decrease so much that people on earth would float in the air. The deepsea fish rose to the shallow water probably because of the same reason. It was a difficult task because Himmel Soan was exhausted. He was drained of his strength and mental force. He had a little spiritual essence left, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy to pull the moon back. There wasn¡¯t enough spiritual essence in him. ¡°Viclan, how much SE do we have in the space cannon?¡± He had no choice but to extract spiritual essence from the cannon. Most of the spiritual essence had been used, and there wasn¡¯t much left. ¡°Patriarch, we have 5% left, and we¡¯re extracting more as we speak.¡± 5% might not be enough. But he had to give it a go. ¡°Alright. Extract faster. I need it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡­ It had been seven hours since the meteorite pieces began to fall. Moon had been very efficient. By now, all other countries had received assistance. A lot of refugees had been transported to the Moonian underground shelters. Most of them were those that hadn¡¯t purchased ark tickets and had nowhere to go. They took up the most significant percentage of the global population. There were over ten billion people in the world. Half of that had become refugees. Two billion Moonian all went into the underground shelters, and two billion people boarded the arks. Countries like Padaski, Panthera, and Soleil took Moon¡¯s advice and built underground shelters, where their people took refuge. This group of people totaled up to half a billion. The other five billion people had nowhere to go. They were doomed. Chapter 158 - Top-Grade Essence Stones Those people needed to be transferred first. However, there was no way to transfer all of them. Only a few could be taken back to Moon. The Moonians soldiers helped them find safe shelters. Some of the places were buildings that were still standing, some were natural caves, and some were trains, buses, and airplanes. The soldiers would leave IVE Extractors in these shelters and teach the people how to operate them. The meteorite shower wouldn¡¯t stop for another three hours. As long as it continued, the rescue mission had to go on. Himmel Soan returned to the base in the space cannon. He was going to take care of the moon after replenishing his spiritual essence. He was very low on strength and mental force. At the moment, he was in a barely better state than when he went through his revival. He didn¡¯t have the energy to save any more people. ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Patriarch!¡± ¡°Look! Mr. Soan is back!¡± ¡°Patriarch, are you alright? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Patriarch has been injured. Quickly, get Doctor Hayden here.¡± The people were flustered when they saw some scratches on Himmel Soan¡¯s fists. They immediately went to get Hayden. Himmel Soan said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. It¡¯s hardly a scratch. Go back to your work! Is Viclan in his office?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Alright. Return to your work now.¡± Himmel Soan took off the flying armor and headed for Viclan¡¯s office. He heard a loud boom when he was outside. Energy surged from Viclan¡¯s office, and the iron door burst out of its frame. It almost injured some onlookers. Heavy smoke rolled out of Viclan¡¯s office. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Viclan¡¯s office! Help him!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time for questions! Help the people inside!¡± ¡°Check Mr. Viclan first!¡± Himmel Soan was the closest to the office when the incident happened. Even he was pushed back by the energy and almost fell to the ground. ¡°Was that a spiritual essence explosion?¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. Spiritual essence explosions were used by cultivators of the Foundation Establishment Phase and above. To master this skill, one had to reach the Golden Core Phase. Viclan was only an ordinary person. How did he make that happen? ¡°Patriarch, are you alright?¡± Warren arrived with two members of the Soan empire and quickly examined him. Himmel Soan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Go help the others!¡± He went into Viclan¡¯s office. The place was a mess. Smoke filled the air, and the lab table was on fire. The men put out the fire with a fire extinguisher and found Viclan in the corner, still in his explosion-proof suit. He was unconscious. The doctors examined him after removing the suit. ¡°He¡¯s bleeding internally. We must treat him now!¡± ¡°What caused the explosion?¡± No one knew the answer. Viclan was the only person who could explain it. However, he had slipped into a coma. No one knew if he would survive. Viclan was a valuable asset to the country and a talented member of the Soan empire. If something happened to him, both sides would suffer a significant loss. ¡°Bring Hayden here. We must save Viclan!¡± Himmel Soan gave the order. If he had enough spiritual essence, he would be able to save Viclan, but there was nothing he could do now. Viclan was in critical condition. If he could hang on for one more hour, Himmel Soan would recover some of his spiritual essence. Viclan wouldn¡¯t be able to die even if he wanted to. The most urgent task now was to save Viclan¡¯s life. As the others carried Viclan out, Himmel Soan remained in the lab and looked around. He saw a yellow rock on the table. He felt the rock and realized that it was still very hot. ¡°It¡¯s an essence stone and a top-grade one!¡± He immediately recognized what it was. ¡°Warren! Come here!¡± Warren had just left the room. Hearing Himmel Soan¡¯s voice, he immediately returned. ¡°Patriarch, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Himmel Soan pointed at the yellow rock. ¡°Where did this come from?¡± ¡°Right!¡± Warren smacked his thigh. ¡°Patriarch, I was going to report to you! Do you know what it is? We¡¯ve found quite a few of them.¡± ¡°Tell me where you found it!¡± ¡°It was the flood! A few ignorant kids opened the shelter¡¯s gate and let the seawater in. After the water was cleared, we found many yellow stones on the floor.¡± Himmel Soan was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Many?¡± ¡°Yes! There are a lot of them!¡± ¡°Bring them all to me! Tell everybody they¡¯re precious and very dangerous! No one is allowed to use them! I need all of them!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Himmel Soan shouted. ¡°I know what happened to Viclan! He must have been studying this rock! Tell all the scientists to stop working on the rocks, no matter what stage they¡¯re at. Viclan was lucky because his technique wasn¡¯t advanced enough. Otherwise, the explosion would have killed thousands!¡± Warren realized how severe the matter was and nodded sternly. ¡°I see. I¡¯m on it, Patriarch!¡± After Warren left, Himmel Soan picked up the essence stone that was still hot. He closed his eyes. The yellow rock turned into charcoal in three seconds. Thump! In the end, it turned into crumbles. Himmel Soan absorbed all the spiritual essence in the rock. Essence stones were categorized into low-grade, medium-grade, and top-grade. Himmel Soan had been living on Earth for thousands of years. He had visited every corner of the planet and had dug out all the rocks. Yet, he couldn¡¯t find even an inferior essence stone, let alone a top-grade one. The flood had brought so many top-grade essence stones to the surface. Himmel Soan murmured, ¡°That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t visited the bottom of the sea yet.¡± Chapter 159 - Treasure in the Ocean Earlier, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think he would find many useful things in the ocean. He didn¡¯t like water all that much and never dived deep enough into the oceans. He had been in the oceans before but had never gone beyond 8,000 meters. Naturally, he hadn¡¯t seen the bottom of the ocean. ¡°It seems there are many top-grade essence stones in the ocean. Wait. How did the seawater bring them to the surface?¡± Stones weren¡¯t fish. It was normal that fish and seashells were left behind when the flood subsided, but stones were hard to explain. The essence stones were resilient, but they weren¡¯t sponges and had a higher density than ordinary rocks. They shouldn¡¯t have been carried by the water so far. ¡°Patriarch!¡± Warren was very efficient. He came back with a trolley full of top-grade essence stones. ¡°Is that all?¡± There were no more than thirty rocks, nowhere near as many as Warren had suggested. Warren said, ¡°These are only some of them. I¡¯m gathering the rest of the rocks. Mr. President has some, and so does Sky Eye, the Dragon Tribe, and some other scientists. Viclan should still have thirty to forty rocks here.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± Warren walked around the room and opened the door to the room next door. ¡°Here they are. Patriarch, please take a look.¡± Himmel Soan went to the storage room next door and saw the pile of essence stones. Great! He was delighted. These top-grade essence stones were very precious, and the spiritual essence they contained was dense. If he could absorb it all, he would make even further recovery than before. He might be able to regain two to three percent of his full strength. Before, he had only recovered 0.8%. If he could make it to 3%, he would have no problem pulling the moon back. The essence stones were a godsend. ¡°Warren, get me all the other stones. I need them now. They¡¯re very important for my scientific research. One more thing, I need a little time. Don¡¯t let anyone disturb me for the next thirty minutes.¡± ¡°Patriarch, please look after yourself and have some rest! Shall I find some masseuses and help you relax?¡± ¡°What?¡± Of course, Himmel Soan knew what Warren was suggesting. But now wasn¡¯t the time to think about such things. Moreover, having lived for so many years, he no longer had such carnal desires. Seeing the hard look in Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes, Warren nodded. ¡°Of course! Of course! I won¡¯t bother you anymore! Patriarch, please have some rest.¡± Himmel Soan sat down cross-legged. With a wave of his hand, the essence stones rose into the air and floated around him. They gave off a luminescent glow. Spiritual essence spread out from the stones before Himmel Soan absorbed it all. The top-grade essence stones came in really handy! The spiritual essence was much purer than what he had absorbed from the space cannon. As mentioned before, the Spiritual Essence Extractor Himmel Soan designed could only refine spiritual essence with a purity level of two. In contrast, the spiritual essence in these top-grade essence stones had the highest purity level. It was the same as what supreme essence stones contained. The difference was that the supreme ones contained more spiritual essence. A supreme stone the size of a fingernail would contain more spiritual essence than a top-grade one the size of a watermelon. That was why they were called ¡°supreme.¡± Of course, the purity level might be slightly higher than the top-grade ones, but the difference wasn¡¯t significant. Once the spiritual essence was inside the body, it would be refined by the dantian. The purer the spiritual essence, the easier it was to refine it. Absorbing spiritual essence from inferior and low-grade essence stones would increase the burden on dantian, and there would also be unnecessary residue left behind. This residue would accumulate over time and affect one¡¯s health. A cultivator could only expel these residues once they reached a higher cultivation stage. Of course, Himmel Soan had long reached such a stage. Therefore, the quality of the spiritual essence didn¡¯t matter to him anymore. He only cared about the quantity¡ªthe more, the better. Refining the spiritual essence wasn¡¯t an issue for him. His problem was that he couldn¡¯t find enough spiritual essence. Liam was at the Gas Refining Phase. When he absorbed inferior spiritual essence, he could spend time refining it. The more he absorbed, the harder it would be to refine the spiritual essence. As a result, absorbing top-grade spiritual essence was the most efficient way for them. The quantity didn¡¯t matter as much. ¡­ Skynet and the Mooian government website were the only remaining website now. The viewers watched one heroic deed after another. They were greatly moved. Rick was a high-ranking officer of the Dragon Tribe, and he had volunteered to join the rescue team without hesitation. On his way back from Radia, his helicopter was hit by lightning. The helicopter contained twenty Radians and two pilots, one of which was Rick. The helicopter crashed into the sea. Rick was lucky enough to be one of the only two survivors. The other one was a young Radian woman. Rick shouted into his communication device, asking for help. However, the closest rescue team was half an hour away. Rick pulled the woman ashore. The meteorite pieces could fall on them at any moment. The storm had stopped, but the rain continued. Moreover, Radia had had several earthquakes, and the ground was very hard to travel. Rick carried the woman on his back and had fallen several times along the way, leaving behind a trail of blood. They had been attacked by frantic beasts many times, but he was able to defeat them every single time. He carried the woman for miles until they reached the Radian shelter. After that, Rick slipped into a coma. He had lost so much blood on the journey that no one knew if he would wake up again. Some viewers suggested that the woman should look after Rick to show her gratitude. What Rick did for her deserved her care. Chapter 160 - Bad Influence In Leibia. The Himmelians ran into an erupting volcano on their rescue mission. Stones fell from the sky, and heavy smoke filled the air. One couldn¡¯t see things a meter away. Although the Himmelians were cultivators, they still found such an environment hard to survive. But they trudged along and managed to escort 780 civilians to an underground cave. Only five out of the thirty Himmelians survived, who were covered by wounds as well. ¡°Help them!¡± ¡°You¡¯re my heroes! You can¡¯t die!¡± ¡°Please wake up!¡± ¡°Doctor! Is there any doctor here? A nurse will do, too! They need bandages!¡± Everybody was worried about the five people. They all tried to do something, but unfortunately, there were no doctors or nurses among them. A young Leibian woman volunteered to give it a try. She claimed she was a medical student. She was covered in dirt, and her clothes were in tatters. To save the five people, she tried everything. In the end, she performed CPR, straddling the man and breathing into his mouth. It was supposed to be a moving scene. However, when people saw it online, somebody accused her of taking advantage of the Himmelians. Some people even labeled it ¡°indecent.¡± ¡°Our every move may be recorded by the satellite, and the world could be watching us! Children could have seen that! I hope you can mind your behavior while helping people! That was inappropriate!¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Am I reading it correctly?¡± At first, many people were questioning that statement, but no one said anything too aggressive. More and more people replied to that comment. Instead of being pushed off to other pages, it became the most read one. Countless people saw the comment. Some netizens with short fuses lost their temper. ¡°She¡¯s saving lives, and you¡¯re talking about decency? You¡¯re always welcome to look away! Is there a head on your neck at all?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Moonian! Which part of the country are you from? You¡¯re disgusting! Is your life too comfortable in Moon? What if something like this happened to your child? Would you say the same thing if that was your child lying on the ground?¡± ¡°Just ignore that person! He or she is a psycho!¡± ¡°Set your priorities straight! You¡¯re completely off the point! She¡¯s saving lives! The people lying on the ground are our soldiers! They¡¯re heroes!¡± Someone called ¡°Sprout¡± wrote, ¡°I found that girl¡¯s behavior quite inappropriate, too!¡± ¡°So Many Idiots¡± replied, ¡°You¡¯re just as stupid as the other one! Go to hell!¡± Sprout wrote, ¡°@Tree Honey, they¡¯re attacking me!¡± Tree wrote, ¡°You had it coming! I told you so many times you have some serious problems with your views! Is it not enough for you that you¡¯ve been poisoning me with your rubbish logic at home? Why are you embarrassing me online? I want a divorce! I¡¯m leaving you as soon as this is over!¡± ¡°@Sprout Your honey has abandoned you! LOL!¡± ¡°@Sprout Everybody, look at her picture! Make sure you don¡¯t marry someone like her in the future! She has no heart!¡± ¡°Anyone who¡¯s on @Sprout¡¯s side is my enemy!¡± ¡­ The Neigerian news. A soldier from Sky Eye ran out of the shelter to save a pet dog at a civilian¡¯s request and died in the hailstorm. Nine members of the three divisions stood in a line to buy more time for the civilians, and none of them survived. The Winish news. A Pantherese rescue team died in the fire when rescuing people. A soldier from the Moonian rescue team rushed into an earthquake zone. However, an aftershock took place. It had been an hour, and he still hadn¡¯t come back. Rest in peace! The Flamian news. To save an ark, three Moonian helicopters crashed into a meteorite piece, and everybody aboard was killed. A Soleilian soldier lost his legs when saving two girls. The girls¡¯ mother showed no gratitude! The Woodian news. A ship was entangled in seaweed. Eighteen people jumped into the sea to free the ship, but they were killed by sharks. Some girls tried to kiss three Padaskian soldiers. A Moonian soldier saved eighteen people, but he died from an internal injury. The Soilian news. A Soilian girl was saved, but she accused her savior of raping her! Three arks had been saved. Moon was the hope of the human race! ¡­ The update was so frequent that there were over a hundred pieces of news a minute. At any moment, there were around two billion viewers on Skynet. It was a war against Nature. The human race was fighting to win this war. And they would win in the end. The Moonians were the leader of the human race. Anyone who had a heart should feel grateful for what Moon did for them. However, not everyone had a heart. Some people would accuse their savior after they were saved. But the netizens would soon find out the truth. Those people weren¡¯t able to contort the truth for long. ¡°Did you say he raped you? Bullshit! He saved you, your family, and your friends. Why would such a man do unspeakable things like that?!¡± ¡°There are so many ungrateful people in this world! I¡¯ve always said we shouldn¡¯t help them! They don¡¯t deserve our help!¡± ¡°They¡¯re ungrateful bastards! I thought my head was going to explode when I read the title!¡± ¡°Soilia should expose that woman. I can¡¯t stand such a thing! So many Moonians have died in the rescue missions, but they¡¯re trying to slander their saviors! Our soldiers didn¡¯t travel half the world to rape you!¡± ¡°Damn it! The soldiers must be exhausted! Why would they have the energy to rape women? Those people couldn¡¯t even get their stories straight!¡± ¡­ While the netizens felt indignant about what happened, Soilia made an update on the news. ¡°Slanderer stabbed to death by her father and brother.¡± It was a shocking turn of events. The news report came with an interview of the father and brother. ¡°I was ashamed to have her as my daughter. She was a spoiled child. It was all my fault! I want to apologize to all the Moonians. I¡¯ve paid dearly for my mistake!¡± Chapter 161 - Justice ¡°I didn¡¯t teach her properly when she was little, so I had to finish this nonsense in my own way! I¡¯m willing to accept whatever punishment I deserve, even if it¡¯s the capital sentence!¡± The brother said, ¡°I¡¯d rather I never had a sister! She¡¯s an embarrassment to my family! I have to let everybody know that she has made up the whole thing! The Moonian soldiers were wonderful. They didn¡¯t harm us in any way. She only said those things because she used to be an influencer and had the habit of attracting attention in this way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her mother. I apologize for what my daughter said, and I agree with what my husband and son have done! If we¡¯ve committed a crime, let the law punish us! I don¡¯t regret our choice!¡± That girl¡¯s family had shocked the world in another way. The netizens felt conflicted over what had happened. ¡°Telling such a lie was despicable conduct, but I can¡¯t believe what her father and brother have done!¡± ¡°That was an overreaction. They didn¡¯t have to stab her!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to find out who she was?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree with what her parents have done! This is a heinous crime!¡± ¡°No one should insult the Moonian soldiers. Yes, she has slandered them, but it wasn¡¯t a capital crime! Her family didn¡¯t have the right to take her life!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how justice should be served!¡± ¡­ So many things had happened. Many of them were controversial. What happened to the girl was only one of them. Some people tried to kiss the soldiers against their will, and some people sacrificed a soldier to rescue their pet dog. Such things had all been discussed. The online world always had something to talk about. The meteorite was the greatest disaster in human history, and the number of deaths was beyond imagination. As time passed, the meteorite pieces didn¡¯t fall as frequently. The rain was going to end soon. Camille predicted that it would last ten hours. Eight hours had passed since then. Two more hours, and Earth would be safe. The catastrophe would be over. One more hour to go! The meteorite shower had almost finished. A piece would fall every three or five minutes. It was much better than before. If someone had survived the first nine hours and got killed now, they would be extremely unlucky. It would be something only fate could explain. ¡°It¡¯s finally going to end! We¡¯ve won this war!¡± ¡°We? You didn¡¯t fight the war; the Moonians did! Without them, we would all be dead!¡± ¡°As a Moonian, I want to say that the victory belongs to the entire human race.¡± The heads of all states posted letters of gratitude to thank the heroes. Unfortunately, not all of them participated because some of them didn¡¯t survive the disaster. ¡°On behalf of the Woodians, I¡¯d like to thank Moonian soldiers and all the Moonian people. We would also like to thank Padaski, Soleil, Panthera, and Hosia for their help!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to thank Moon and all the countries that have helped Soilia. Without you, our country may not exist anymore. The Soilian people will be forever grateful!¡± ¡°Our bastard president has fled to Mars. As the only surviving high-ranking official in Neige, I¡¯d like to thank Moon. Thank you for helping my country and my people!¡± As the catastrophe came to an end, many presidents took their stand. The Moonian president replied to their letters. ¡°Although the catastrophe is coming to an end, we have to remain cautious. Please do not go out just yet! The meteorite shower may be over, but other natural disasters can still happen. Please don¡¯t let our efforts go to waste in the last moments!¡± ¡­ People all over the world felt the change. Some of them posted comments on Skynet and the Moonian government website. It was the tenth hour. The meteorite shower was almost over. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± ¡°I feel it, too! Has my strength grown? I can jump two meters high!¡± ¡°I can jump three meters! This has never happened before!¡± ¡°I think the weight of many things has changed, too.¡± ¡°You may not believe this, but I saw a fish in the sky just then! This is so scary! What¡¯s going on?¡± No one believed them at first, and some people even criticized them. ¡°Enough with the bullshit! You¡¯re only scaring yourself! The disaster is over, and we all want it to be over! Your rumors will create panic! Don¡¯t make me come after you!¡± ¡°A fish in the sky? Why don¡¯t you tell us you can fly? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± ¡°You people just won¡¯t give it a break, will you?¡± However, panic set in in the next thirty minutes. Almost everybody realized the change. ¡°It¡¯s true! My leg went to sleep, so I stood up to move around. The next thing I know, my head bumps into the ceiling! My forehead is bruised! Look! [pic]¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with me! I can jump over two meters high! This is incredible!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Have we all mutated?¡± ¡°No! That can¡¯t be happening! I¡¯m so scared!¡± Finally, a scientist explained the phenomenon. ¡°Please stay calm. Gravity has changed because the moon is moving away from us, and we¡¯re losing gravity faster and faster!¡± ¡°What? What should we do?¡± ¡°@Sky Eye We¡¯re losing gravity! What are we going to do?!¡± ¡°@Sky Eye Are we going to die without gravity? Where¡¯s Mr. Soan? Please tell us what to do!¡± ¡°@Sky Eye Could you please give us an answer? I¡¯m so scared! Will I be able to pee? Will my piss fly in the air? What if I want to take a dump?¡± ¡°I¡¯m cracking up here. Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯ll be fine! We must have faith in Moon. Mr. Soan has destroyed the super meteorite, so I¡¯m sure he can build another moon for us!¡± Chapter 162 - The Catastrophe Is Over ¡°Mr. Soan! Mr. Soan!¡± Henry rushed toward Viclan¡¯s lab. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t shown up for three hours! With the moon moving away, gravity was disappearing. If they didn¡¯t do something about it, people would be floating in the air in half a day. Unable to find Himmel Soan, Henry had contacted other scientists, including Branco and William. However, none of them knew what to do. It was a matter beyond their ability. The seawater had flooded the land largely because of the escaping moon and the decreasing gravity. The water level would only drop after gravity went back to normal. If this continued, they might have seawater in the air in a few hours. Since Himmel Soan still hadn¡¯t shown up, the president and Gordon summoned the heads of other states for an online meeting. They all wanted to talk to Himmel Soan and ask for his opinion. However, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t return any phone calls or messages. It was as if he had disappeared. Henry was sure Himmel Soan was back. What was he doing? Warren told him that Himmel Soan was sleeping. He had slept for three hours. Himmel Soan had worked hard to save the world, and of course, he would be tired. Henry wanted to let him rest. But now wasn¡¯t the right time. All the presidents were waiting for him! Three hours should be enough! Half an hour later, Henry couldn¡¯t wait any longer and started banging on the door. ¡°Director Lang, what are you doing? Patriarch is resting!¡± Warren stopped his rude behavior. Henry said, ¡°I know Mr. Soan must be very tired, but we need him now! We¡¯re losing gravity, and we need to do something!¡± ¡°Then do something! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ If we knew what to do, I wouldn¡¯t be here! Please let me see Mr. Soan. This is urgent!¡± Warren wouldn¡¯t be persuaded. ¡°No! No one can disturb the Patriarch when he¡¯s resting!¡± ¡°Why are you so stubborn? I have to see Mr. Soan now!¡± Henry was going to kick the door open, but Warren yanked him back. ¡°Director Lang, behave yourself, or I won¡¯t be so polite!¡± ¡°Warren, this is really important! It¡¯s an urgent matter! Please let me see Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Which part of no can¡¯t you understand?¡± Over on the other side, the meeting continued. As the network was set up by Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force, there was no internet firewall anymore. Just like what happened with the Neigerian website earlier, the meeting was being broadcast on the Moonian website for the whole world to see. The presidents or acting presidents of Neige, Padaski, Panthera, Hosia, Moon, Soilia, Flamia, Woodia, Soilia, Leibia, Winland, Pleubo, Scentia, Uraphon, and many other countries were all attending the meeting. There were 78 countries in total. They had discussed everything there was to discuss, but no one had an answer. They fell silent after that. Some famous scientists were also attending the meeting. There were Luther, the genius from Neige, the Reine brothers from Panthera, the Nobel Prize winner Ichiro from Flamia, and the Moonian scientists William and Branco. However, they didn¡¯t have anything to offer. ¡°Well¡­¡± Sensing the awkward mood, the Pantherese president asked, ¡°Will Mr. Soan not be joining us?¡± The president looked at Gordon, who said, ¡°Mr. Soan has some condition, and he¡¯s resting now. Director Lang has gone to see him. I think he¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Koji, the Flamian president, said, ¡°Mr. Soan has done great things for the human race. He nearly died. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s exhausted. I want Mr. Soan to have a good rest, but gravity is out of control now. People in some areas can¡¯t even walk normally. They have to hop around. We can¡¯t wait any longer. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be asking for him so urgently.¡± Some people left comments on the webpage, and more bullet comments appeared on the screen. ¡°That¡¯s right! We don¡¯t want to bother Mr. Soan, but we don¡¯t have a choice!¡± ¡°Is Mr. Soan alright? Has he been injured? If possible, I think we should let him rest for a bit longer.¡± ¡°Yes, let Mr. Soan rest. We¡¯re in some trouble, but we can wait for a bit longer. I¡¯m sure we can survive for another day or two.¡± Someone called ¡°Detachment¡± wrote, ¡°Has Mr. Soan become arrogant? Why won¡¯t he come out? He thinks very highly of himself if you ask me.¡± His words were incongruous with the other comments, and everybody rained down curses on his head. He was from Goldia. With the help of the Goldians, the people soon found out his true identity. He was killed in his ark. It was rumored that over a dozen people had killed him together. No one helped him when it happened. Some onlookers even kicked him. Himmel Soan was like a god in this new world, and the public wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to insult him. Say the wrong thing, and one might get killed for it. The girl who had slandered the soldier was killed by her parents. Himmel Soan had made a greater contribution than the soldiers. Therefore, the people would only be more radical when it came to protecting his reputation. They wouldn¡¯t allow a single disrespectful word. ¡­ ¡°Mr. Soan! Mr. Soan!¡± Henry shouted outside the lab, and even Warren couldn¡¯t stop him. Warren was also anxious about what was going on, but he trusted his Patriarch. He knew Himmel Soan would come out when he felt it was time. ¡°Director Lang, if you don¡¯t stop, I¡¯ll have to restrain you!¡± ¡°Warren, I¡­¡± Henry raised his arm, but his movement froze. He looked up and tried to move his hand. Only then did he realize that the weight of his arm seemed to have disappeared. Chapter 163 - More Trouble It was as if his limbs had turned into balloons. He tried to jump. He barely used any force, but his head bumped into the ceiling. The corridor was three meters tall! He had just jumped three meters! Henry covered his head in pain when he landed. ¡°Director Lang, are you alright?¡± Warren wanted to give Henry a hand. However, his one step took him three meters away, and he jumped right over Henry. He only took one step! ¡°What¡­¡± Warren couldn¡¯t believe it. Things weren¡¯t so serious twenty minutes ago. Why were they losing gravity so fast? The tiniest force could lift people off the ground. Henry said, ¡°Do you see it now? We¡¯re losing gravity faster than we expected. We need to make inventories and rebuild the world. How are we going to do that in this condition? We won¡¯t be able to do anything!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure our Patriarch will know what to do!¡± Warren tried to calm him down. Henry was worried sick. ¡°How can I calm down? Warren, please let me go inside to see Mr. Soan! Things will only get worse!¡± ¡­ Gravity was disappearing, but not to the point that everything was floating in the air. Some paper had left the ground, but most things would stay on the ground without external forces. ¡°Mr. Soan must have been severely injured. We can¡¯t keep waiting like this! Luther, Ichiro, and William, you¡¯re the world¡¯s best scientists. Can you find a way to get gravity back?¡± William said, ¡°The only way to do that is to bring the moon back! ¡°How are we going to do that? ¡°We can¡¯t, not with our current technology! Moreover, the moon has left our vision for ten hours, and we have no idea where it is now!¡± ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°Nothing! Without gravity, the temperature on Earth will rise. We still have the atmosphere, but the rules of nature have changed. Eventually, the entire planet will be covered by seawater!¡± The mood online became somber again. No one had seen this coming. ¡°Is it possible to build an artificial moon?¡± The Flamian president asked tentatively, ¡°Is that doable?¡± ¡°It is, but it¡¯s going to be very difficult! The world is half-destroyed, and over half of our land has been flooded. We¡¯ve lost all our facilities. It¡¯s next to impossible to build a moon in a situation like this! We¡¯re going to be baked or drowned before we can achieve anything!¡± The Pantherese president asked, ¡°Is that really no other way? We just sit here and wait?¡± Branco said, ¡°It seems that¡¯s the only thing we can do. Or we can wait for Mr. Soan and ask his opinion.¡± Someone posted a comment in excitement. ¡°Mr. Soan is a scientific god! He could build the space cannon, which is a superweapon that doesn¡¯t belong to our age! Building a moon should be a piece of cake for him!¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll always trust Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°What a year! I hope Mr. Soan is fine and will come out soon to solve this problem. I¡¯m going to tie myself down with a rope, or I may float away and die out there later!¡± ¡­ The viewers and presidents were pulling their hair out when a window popped up on the screen. Everyone rejoiced when they saw what it was. The video came from Himmel Soan! ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have made you worried!¡± Himmel Soan had rosy cheeks and didn¡¯t look injured at all. The presidents were excited to see him as well. ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Great! You¡¯re here, Mr. Soan! Are you alright?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, we¡¯re losing gravity! What should we do? Can you get the moon back?¡± Gordon asked the question everybody had on their minds. Himmel Soan said, ¡°The moon is now very far from us, and I have some bad news.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°No way! More bad news?¡± ¡°What happened this time?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°When the super meteorite was destroyed, many pieces landed on the moon; one of them was particularly large.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? The moon is gone!¡± ¡°Is that right? Has the moon been destroyed, Mr. Soan?¡± The presidents and scientists asked. Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s only half the size of what it used to be. Even if we get it back, Earth won¡¯t return to its original state. We have to build a new moon now.¡± It was easier said than done. If Himmel Soan had recovered ten percent of his power, he could build a moon with his spiritual essence. However, he had only recovered three percent of this strength. Still, it was much better than before. If the super meteorite came now, he wouldn¡¯t need the space cannon. He could crush it with his bare hands. But creating something was much more difficult than destroying it. Himmel Soan could destroy the super meteorite, but he couldn¡¯t build one. He had planned to drag the moon back. After absorbing the spiritual essence from the essence stones, he had recovered his strength, and his mental force became much more powerful. He searched for the moon in the solar system. There it was! However, he then realized the moon wasn¡¯t what it used to be. Many planets in the solar system had moons, but it was impossible to find one identical to Earth¡¯s moon. It was unique! Some moons had some components like Earth¡¯s moon but were much bigger. They would increase gravity too much if they replaced the old one. That was to say, everything would become much heavier than before. Chapter 164 - Leave the Galaxy If one were to weigh a person under such gravity, an ordinary person would weigh 650kg. A 50kg girl would now weigh 500kg, and a 100kg person would weigh 1000kg. Similarly, it would make moving around much less convenient. People used to be able to jump a meter high, but they would only be able to jump 10cm. To make it worse, the change in gravity might affect the air pressure. Human bodies could explode when internal and external pressures didn¡¯t match. No living creatures on Earth would be used to such changes. To adapt to it, the species would have to evolve. Therefore, such celestial bodies could never become Earth¡¯s new moon. However, those that were the same size as the original moon had different components and weren¡¯t suitable either. That was how troublesome it was. After weighing all the options, Himmel Soan knew he had to build a new moon. However, he didn¡¯t have enough power. There was no hope. Hearing what Himmel Soan said, many scientists started asking questions. ¡°Mr. Soan, can you build a moon?¡± ¡°With what Earth has become, we can¡¯t build a moon, can we? Even if the economy hasn¡¯t been destroyed, we won¡¯t know how to create a moon on our own!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, could you tell me if you know what to do?¡± The people both looked forward to and dreaded his answer. They wanted him to give them some hope, yet they were also scared that he would disappoint them. After all, building a moon identical to the previous one was unheard of. The people on Earth still hadn¡¯t figured out all the minerals that could be found on the moon. How were they going to build one? Himmel Soan shook his head while everybody watched. Seeing this, the people on Earth lost their hope. It was expected! Even Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult. No one can do that!¡± ¡°Is God determined to destroy Earth? I thought we¡¯d survived the catastrophe, but what followed is even worse!¡± ¡°Let it be. I¡¯m just happy to live for another day.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan has already done many great things. No matter if he can build the moon, he¡¯ll still be my God!¡± The presidents and scientists fell silent, and the ordinary people shared their despair. However, Himmel Soan¡¯s next words ignited their hope again. ¡°I know a way to restore Earth¡¯s gravity temporarily.¡± The screen was covered by bullet comments. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Did I hear it correctly?¡± ¡°What did he mean? Restore gravity? Is he going to build a moon?¡± Luther was perplexed. ¡°Mr. Soan, what do you mean? Didn¡¯t you say you couldn¡¯t build a moon?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. However, our gravity doesn¡¯t have to be determined by the moon. They can exist independently. Do you know what I¡¯m saying?¡± Luther shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know what you mean. Earth¡¯s gravity is directly related to the moon. Without the moon, there¡¯s no gravity. What do you mean by being independent?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°Yes, they are connected, but I know how to separate them. I can restore gravity, but it¡¯s not permanent. One year later, Earth will return to this state.¡± Everybody was dumbfounded. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you saying that we¡¯re going to build the moon at that time? Or do we have other plans?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, please tell us what to do!¡± Himmel Soan took a step back, revealing a blackboard behind him. His video window enlarged, taking up the entire screen. He pointed at the graph on the blackboard behind him. What did Himmel Soan do in the three hours that he had disappeared? He was trying to figure out a way to save Earth! He spent every second of those three hours thinking and finally found a solution. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have come online. Himmel Soan pointed at the blackboard behind him. On it were a few spheres, and it was easy to tell that one of them was Earth, the bigger circle was the solar system, and the largest circle was the galaxy. Outside the galaxy was another sphere. Himmel Soan explained what the graph was. ¡°As you can see, this is Earth, this is the solar system, and this is the galaxy. I marked everything clearly. I¡¯ve discovered another galaxy very far away from ours. The two galaxies are very similar, and there are a lot of ¡®solar systems¡¯ in that one. ¡°I found in one of the solar systems a planet that¡¯s almost identical to Earth. It¡¯s 99.9% the same, but it¡¯s larger and more suitable for us to inhabit.¡± What a story! It sounded too good to be true! Some people burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to offend Mr. Soan, but I think he¡¯s talking nonsense! We can¡¯t build a moon or leave the solar system yet, but Mr. Soan is talking about leaving the galaxy and joining another solar system! I don¡¯t know what to say! I find it hilarious!¡± If the statement hadn¡¯t come from Himmel Soan, that viewer would have started criticizing it already. Himmel Soan was the most respected person on Earth. Because of that, the viewer didn¡¯t dare say anything disrespectful. He was worried that Himmel Soan¡¯s fervent supporters would kill him. He wasn¡¯t alone. Over 90% of the viewers thought the same. The other 10% hadn¡¯t digested the news yet. They believed Himmel Soan was wrong, or they had heard him wrong. Fly out of the galaxy? In a year? How would that be possible? ¡°Mr. Soan, please don¡¯t make fun of us! Let¡¯s think about how to rebuild our moon!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, please be serious. We can¡¯t possibly leave the galaxy with our current technology.¡± ¡°That was the funniest joke I heard today. No offense, Mr. Soan!¡± Chapter 165 - Cross the Galaxy ¡°Mr. Soan, are you alright? Are you making fun of us now?¡± ¡°Himmel Soan is the god of science! I¡¯ll always believe in him!¡± ¡°Yes, we all do, but there has to be a limit! I think Mr. Soan was only trying to lift our mood by telling us a joke.¡± Even Henry, Gordon, and the Moonian president, who usually believed in Himmel Soan, began to doubt him. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you sure about that?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t even fly out of the solar system in a year, let alone leave the galaxy and reach another one. Mr. Soan, can you go into details?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t buy it! It¡¯s ridiculous! He must be dreaming!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t buy it either! That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°It¡¯s even too wild to be a dream!¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s pretend he was talking nonsense.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time for nonsense! Can he be more unreliable?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m so worried! Why is he in the mood to make jokes? I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡­ At first, the viewer didn¡¯t dare criticize Himmel Soan too directly. However, as more people expressed their views, public opinion changed. Everybody started sharing their views, which were all very similar. Such opinions only prompted more people to join in, criticizing Himmel Soan. The tone of the comments was getting out of line. Each of them was a little bit more outrageous than the previous one. No one realized that they were insulting Himmel Soan. ¡°Only an idiot would say such a thing! Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What the hell? Flying out of the galaxy? He must be dreaming!¡± ¡°Gosh! I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I normally don¡¯t laugh at something until I can¡¯t help it. This is so funny. Even my three-year-old boy won¡¯t say such a thing!¡± ¡°He¡¯s funny. What¡¯s he thinking? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± Then¡­ ¡°Shut up! All of you! Damn it! Insult Mr. Soan again, and I¡¯ll rip off your tongue!¡± The comment was drowned in the others at first. Then, such comments started increasing, and the viewers suddenly realized they were criticizing their savior, Himmel Soan. ¡°Gosh! I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan! I didn¡¯t know what I was talking about! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°What did I say?! Mr. Soan, I didn¡¯t mean it! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Me, too! I didn¡¯t mean it! I forgot it was you!¡± ¡°Listen, if it¡¯s Mr. Soan¡¯s idea, I think it¡¯s totally possible!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You reacted in the same way when Mr. Soan said he was building the space cannon! Did you believe it? You didn¡¯t! Me neither! Do you remember what happened after that?¡± ¡°I agree! Mr. Soan¡¯s wisdom is beyond our reach! He has done so much for Earth, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll make up things like that! I have faith in him!¡± ¡°Me, too! If Mr. Soan says so, he has to be very confident! You¡¯ve made such mistakes before, but you¡¯re insulting Mr. Soan again! Do you want to die?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to! I don¡¯t know why I said that!¡± ¡­ Even some scientists said offensive things about Himmel Soan. However, they immediately apologized when they realized what they had done. Himmel Soan was a generous person. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have tried to save the world. The comments never affected him. The heads of all states called him to apologize, fearing that he might be angry. But Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Please listen to me. I know it¡¯s impossible for you to accept it.¡± Himmel Soan tapped on the blackboard and went on with the explanation. The comments were all on his side. ¡°No, Mr. Soan, we can accept it! We¡¯ve learned from the space cannon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Soan. I¡¯ll believe in everything you say.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯ve built a superweapon, so I¡¯m sure you know how to transfer all of us to that planet. Right?¡± ¡°I know you want to talk about things you¡¯re uncertain about!¡± Himmel Soan glanced at the comments and went back to the blackboard. ¡°No, I won¡¯t make a claim unless I¡¯m really certain. Since I¡¯ve brought it up, there has to be a way. As I said, it¡¯s extremely difficult to build the moon, but I have a way to restore Earth temporarily. The state will last for a year, and in that year, I hope all the people on Earth will work together and rebuild our planet! ¡°My plan is straightforward. When we break down the composition of molecules, IT14 and MSZ, SE, and IVE will create a repulsive force when they meet. A whirlpool will be generated¡­¡± That was as far as the audience could understand. After that, his speech was filled with abbreviations and jargon that no one understood. Even the scientists couldn¡¯t follow. The funny thing was that even Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. He only needed to sound professional. He couldn¡¯t build the moon, but he knew how to teleport. It was one of his abilities. He could scientifically reproduce the effect, open up a portal, and transport the people on Earth to the new planet. Transporting that many people would require an enormous amount of energy. It was something Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t handle even if he recovered 30% of his power. The distance wasn¡¯t short. He would have to bring those people across galaxies. It required the power of God. Himmel Soan would need an incredible amount of spiritual essence. He didn¡¯t think it was possible until he saw the top-grade essence stones. Chapter 166 - Mysterious People With enough top-grade essence stones, Himmel Soan would gain a power that made him more formidable than God. He wouldn¡¯t need as many as one might think. About 70,000 stones would do the trick. That might sound a lot, but after the water was cleared away from the underground shelter, they found over 300 top-grade essence stones on the ground. Zone 407 was a tiny area compared to the entire ocean. Therefore, collecting 70,000 top-grade essence stones wouldn¡¯t be an issue. If he could dive to the bottom of the ocean, he could probably find ten times what he needed. However, he had been wondering about something. He hadn¡¯t visited the bottom of the ocean, but the Himmelian Pavilion had. Their people had dived 23,000 meters into the sea, and the deepest places in the ocean were thirty or even forty thousand meters below. He should be able to find something there. The bottom of the ocean shouldn¡¯t be the only place where he could find top-grade essence stones. 20,000m was already very deep. Stones at 40,000m might not have been washed ashore. Yet the people of the Himmelian Pavilion hadn¡¯t found any. Why? Many people left comments while listening to his speech. ¡°I feel so ignorant! I can¡¯t understand a word Mr. Soan has said! He could be speaking another language!¡± ¡°I have a Ph.D., but I still couldn¡¯t understand Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m a scientist, but it didn¡¯t make any difference! His knowledge is too profound!¡± ¡°Is he telling the truth, then?¡± ¡°Are you doubting him? He¡¯s the god of science! Of course, what he said was true!¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t understand the space cannon¡¯s blueprint either, but Mr. Soan still built it. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can understand it. Mr. Soan is confident, and that¡¯s all we need!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! All we need is Mr. Soan¡¯s confidence!¡± Scientists and presidents of various countries all started asking questions as well. ¡°Mr. Soan, what you said was too complicated. Is it possible to write it down or draw a blueprint as you did with the space cannon? We may understand it better that way,¡± said one of the presidents. Luther said, ¡°I don¡¯t think a blueprint is necessary. I only understand a fraction of what Mr. Soan said. It¡¯s so complicated that even with the blueprint, we won¡¯t be able to do anything. The only thing I care about is how confident you are.¡± William said, ¡°Patriarch never does things he¡¯s not confident in. If he says so, he must have confidence!¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°I¡¯m confident in my theory, but just like I mentioned, I¡¯ll need an enormous amount of energy, which was something I couldn¡¯t find on Earth before. But I¡¯ve found it in those stones.¡± Himmel Soan took out a top-grade essence stone and showed it to the camera. Luther examined the stone through the screen. People like Henry, Gordon, and Warren had all noticed that the stone was one of those that had been washed up by the sea. ¡°What is it?¡± Ichiro asked. Himmel Soan said, ¡°It¡¯s an incredible stone that contains a great amount of energy. The energy can be extracted to power up other devices. That¡¯s also how the space cannon is powered.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, is that LQ2, the element you mentioned before?¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve divided it into ten levels; the lower the level, the weaker the energy. The space cannon only used the second level, whereas the LQ these stones contain is at least level eight. It¡¯ll become LQ8 after I refine it.¡± ¡°Are these stones only found in the ocean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my current speculation. Our research in the next year will be focused on the ocean. We must find these stones as soon as possible!¡± A comment appeared online soon after, and many people gave it a thumbs up. It was created by a user named ¡°Ocean Protector.¡± Ocean Protector wrote, ¡°That¡¯s complete nonsense! Mr. Soan, what you said can get many people killed! The ocean is sacred! Anyone who dares to disturb the deepsea will be targeted by the ocean, and their country will pay for it, too! You can¡¯t do it! I won¡¯t allow it!¡± The comment set off all kinds of reactions online. ¡°Who said that? Who?! You¡¯re dead! How dare you question Mr. Soan¡¯s decision?¡± ¡°Everybody, find out who that person is! Look around you and expose their cover!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Who¡¯s that idiot? Are they trying to be funny?¡± ¡°Has anybody found that person? Who is it?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Panthera!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Winland!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Flamia either!¡± ¡­ It was as if ¡°Ocean Protector¡± didn¡¯t exist on Earth. The whole world was searching for that person, but no one had discovered their identity. More people appeared online and supported Ocean Protector. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Ocean Protector is telling the truth! We¡¯ve offended the ocean!¡± ¡°How many people have died in fires, earthquakes, and storms so far? Not a lot! How about floods and tsunamis? That number has to be greater than all the other disasters combined! Open your eyes!¡± ¡°The ocean is sacred! It has a soul, and the human race has to protect it! If we hurt it again, we¡¯ll be struck by even bigger catastrophes!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if Mr. Soan can build a portal because he can¡¯t even handle the flood!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think our top priority is to build the moon, not explore the ocean to find some stones!¡± ¡­ ¡°Why are there so many idiots all of a sudden? Where did they come from? Ocean Protector? They must have lost their minds!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan has just saved the world, but you¡¯re still questioning him! Tell me who you are and where you¡¯re from! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°Shit! Who the hell are these people? Look around you and see what other people are typing on their phones. We must find them!¡± Chapter 167 - Im Going to Find You ¡°Are you one of them? Show me your browser history!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me! I¡¯m looking for them, too!¡± ¡°Are you one of them? Don¡¯t hide your phone! Move your hand and show us!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me! It really isn¡¯t! Look!¡± ¡­ Immediately, the whole world began to look for the people that had posted those comments. Strangely, they couldn¡¯t find anybody. Those mysterious people remained hidden as though the comments weren¡¯t sent from Earth. The people wouldn¡¯t stop until they found out their identities. ¡°Who posted them? Be a man and admit it! Hiding in the dark is the most despicable thing! Show your face!¡± ¡°Damn it! Who are they? Come out, and I¡¯ll spare your life! Things won¡¯t be so easy if I catch you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me! Why are you all looking at me? It really isn¡¯t! You can check my phone!¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t have sent it from outer space, could they?¡± In the online world. ¡°We haven¡¯t found them in Moon.¡± ¡°Are you sure? We found nothing in Zone 31. Search carefully! There are quite a few of them. They must be hiding somewhere!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure! They¡¯re not in Zone 36!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Zone 41!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Zone 55!¡± ¡°We found nothing in Winland!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Area 1 in Winland!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Area 60 in Winland!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Flamia¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in Oceania!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t find those people in Goldia.¡± ¡­ People all over the world shared their search results. When everybody joined hands, it wasn¡¯t very difficult to locate every individual on Earth. Almost all countries reported their search results, especially those whom Moon had helped. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something so strange before.¡± ¡°Did they really come from outer space?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! Maybe they¡¯re ghosts!¡± ¡°Bullshit! Even if they¡¯re ghosts, I¡¯ll find every single one of them!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the source of our internet? Can Moon trace them through the network?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can locate them in that way! Find them all, Moonians!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, the ¡°Ocean Protectors¡± were still insulting Himmel Soan and everybody else online. ¡°If you don¡¯t accept our advice and insist on doing this, you¡¯ll have to live with the consequences! You shouldn¡¯t be messing with the ocean!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Step into the ocean, and you¡¯ll die miserably! Try it if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± ¡°Where the hell are you? Come out into the light; I dare you! When I find you, I¡¯ll turn your head into a pulp, you idiot! Gosh, I¡¯m angry!¡± ¡°All you people can do is hide behind your screen and play the brave man. If you show your face, I¡¯ll be the first to kill you!¡± ¡°Kill me? You? You¡¯re just saying it to show your bravery. Do you think you can do it? The truth is, I can crush you with one finger!¡± ¡°Screw you! Tell me where you are!¡± ¡°Why are you so arrogant when you don¡¯t even know where I am? What can you possibly do to me?¡± ¡­ The world was covered by a network created by Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force. He knew exactly where those people were. The discovery confused him though. He looked out of the window and studied the vast ocean outside. The technicians of Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe had been busy as well. They soon located those people. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Director Lang, we¡¯ve found out their approximate location.¡± Henry said, ¡°You have? Where? Give me the address! I¡¯ll have all those people arrested!¡± The technician stared at his screen in disbelief. ¡°But¡­ But¡­¡± ¡°No buts! Tell me where they are!¡± ¡°But no one should be there¡­¡± ¡°Where exactly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the Triangle, at the center of the ocean!¡± ¡°What?¡± The five oceans on Earth all had names: the Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, and Middle oceans. The Middle Ocean was the largest one and was also where the Soan empire had planned to bury Himmel Soan. At the center of the Middle Ocean was a triangular area. It was a mysterious place. So far, no scientist had figured out its secret. All planes flying past this area had gone missing. So had all the ships. For over a thousand years, it had remained a death zone. Even submarines couldn¡¯t get away. It was said that all radars would stop working around this area. Their signal would be blocked. There were even rumors that a trade caravan passing through here two hundred years ago disappeared without a trace. However, it reappeared fifty years ago. The members didn¡¯t age a day, although 150 years had passed. They died shortly after that. Some scientists speculated that the area was the center of Earth and could suck in anything that moved too close. Others suspected that it was connected to a wormhole that could teleport everything that fell inside. Some even talked about supernatural effects, saying that the most malicious of energies were hidden underneath. It was a rather superstitious suggestion. No matter what, the triangular area was the most mysterious place on Earth. No human beings should be living there. However, it was where the signal came from. Either the location was wrong, or something unbelievable was happening. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re in the Triangle?¡± Henry wasn¡¯t convinced. He pushed the technician aside and checked the screen himself. The search result indeed said the signal came from there. ¡°This has to be a mistake! Run the program again!¡± The next second, he and the people around him were astonished. All objects were slowly rising from the ground. Chapter 168 - Dont Kneel Earth¡¯s gravity had completely gone awry. ¡°What¡­¡± Henry looked down. His little jump took him over half a meter off the ground, and he was suspended in the air for about half a second before he fell back. Outside, the seawater acted abnormally as well. The waves wouldn¡¯t fall back, and when the wind blew, they flew into the air. Everybody would drown if the entire sea rose into the air. If all the oceans left the seabed, the seawater would cover the entire earth, and the water would be 300m thick. It would be taller than skyscrapers! ¡°Notify Mr. Soan now!¡± Moon wasn¡¯t the only country that had experienced the loss of gravity. The entire world felt it. With the moon moving away and the end of the meteorite rain, Earth officially entered the phase with low gravity. The atmosphere wouldn¡¯t last much longer either. Without it, the unfiltered sunlight would mercilessly hit the face of Earth. When that happened, the human race would be wiped out. The sunlight would instantly mummify everybody, turning them into human charcoal sticks. In the online world. ¡°Shit! Shit! My phone is floating, and so am I!¡± ¡°Oh god! We¡¯re losing gravity! What should we do? Didn¡¯t Mr. Soan say he knew what to do?¡± ¡°Yes, where is Mr. Soan? Please take care of our gravity!¡± ¡°I¡¯m having trouble breathing! I feel like I¡¯m running out of air!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the air pressure. If this goes on, we¡¯ll explode!¡± ¡°I feel awful! I can¡¯t handle it anymore! Help us!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Soan? Why wouldn¡¯t he do something? Mr. Soan, help us!¡± ¡­ ¡°Look! That¡¯s your payback for exploring the ocean!¡± ¡°The ocean is taking revenge! Are you happy now?¡± ¡°Bullshit! You sound like you won¡¯t be affected. If Earth loses gravity, everybody will die! Don¡¯t be an idiot!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the idiots! Enjoy the gravity-free environment!¡± ¡°You people are unbelievable. I¡¯m going to remind you one last time. Don¡¯t let me find you, or I¡¯ll crush all your teeth!¡± Back in Moon in Viclan¡¯s lab, Warren jumped over seven meters far and rushed into the lab. ¡°Patriarch, gravity has lost control! Please do something!¡± After that, he noticed a black-and-white energy ball floating in Himmel Soan¡¯s palm. It was surrounded by lightning arcs like a magnetic sphere. ¡°I see. Go back out there and tell everybody not to panic. Hold on for another ten minutes, and Earth will be back to normal.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Please go.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Warren jumped out of the room and delivered the news. It immediately calmed everybody down. The announcement settled their minds. Most people were no longer in a panic, except for a handful. The group of people who had laughed at Himmel Soan became active again. ¡°Ten minutes? Do you really consider him a god? Is he going to build a moon in ten minutes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hilarious! I admit that Himmel Soan has some abilities, but that¡¯s it. Building a moon is much harder than destroying a meteorite. What makes you think he can do it in ten minutes?¡± ¡°You people are so stupid! Let me tell you a very effective method, and it¡¯s up to you to believe it or not. Go out, kneel on the ground, and say, ¡°I¡¯ll be a sea slave forever,¡± like you mean it. After that, the disaster will end!¡± Someone tried it and came back to post a comment. ¡°Guys, I¡¯ve tried it, and it¡¯s true! I can stand firmly on the ground now! You should all try it!¡± ¡°Which mental hospital did you escape from? No one will believe something so ridiculous! I went to college, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ridiculous one! I see you¡¯ve learned nothing in college. You can go to hell! How could you argue here without even trying it? I tried it, and I¡¯m standing on the ground now!¡± ¡°Really?! You sound incredible! All you need is one sentence? I don¡¯t buy it!¡± Some secret support wrote, ¡°It¡¯s true! I tried it, too! I got my gravity back as soon as I tried it! Please give it a go!¡± ¡°I tried it, too! It¡¯s true! I can¡¯t believe it! What¡¯s going on? Is it some kind of supernatural power?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be real. Hold on, guys. I¡¯m going to try it myself and videotape the entire process! You¡¯re welcome to watch!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going, too! Guys, follow me, and I¡¯ll bring you along!¡± Old habits die hard. Some influencers still tried to grab attention in a time like this. They voluntarily left the shelters and arks and walked toward the flood. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m going to verify that claim for you! Here it goes!¡± ¡°Guys, show me some support, and I¡¯ll demonstrate it for you!¡± ¡°Guys, look! I¡¯m almost flying now! The ocean is right in front of me! You¡¯re going to see the result immediately!¡± Vloggers all over the world used this opportunity to attract more fans. There were major disasters, and the Moonian government website was the only place where they could post videos. It was now or never. The whole world was watching. If they succeeded, they could gain hundreds of millions of followers. Once Earth was safe again, they would become major influencers. They could grab as much money as they could. They would do anything for the money and a better life in the future. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t anything dangerous. They only needed to kneel and say those words. What could possibly happen? There was nothing to be afraid of. Just then, Himmel Soan sent Henry a message. ¡°Do not follow that instruction! Shut down all the vlogs! No one can kneel!¡± Chapter 169 - Its True ¡°Great!¡± Having spent enough time around Himmel Soan, Henry knew the man better now. There was always a reason behind his every action. He reached for the comm, but movements had a larger impact under low gravity, and he used a little too much force. Instead of grabbing the comm, he pushed it further away. The comm moved as if it was floating in the water. It moved for some distance before slowly falling to the floor. Henry moved toward it. Because of the loss of gravity, he wasn¡¯t used to his own body anymore. It was more difficult than wearing roller skates. Each step would take him three meters away. Meanwhile, the vloggers started trying the ritual. ¡°Guys, look!¡± Beanie, the famous vlogger, reached the seashore and knelt on the ground. Six million people were watching his channel. Lynch, another famous vlogger, also knelt on the seashore and prostrated on the ground. Over twenty million viewers were watching him. The celebrity vlogger Royce did the same thing. He knelt and said the words. Over forty million people were watching him. Similar things were all happening overseas. The Moonians were under control. It wasn¡¯t that the Moonian vloggers didn¡¯t want to do the same. Countless Moonian also wanted to become famous. When they didn¡¯t have the professional skills to achieve that, they tried to do it in unconventional ways. If it could make someone famous, they would mind eating their own feces. However, all the Moonian shelters were underground, and the doors had been sealed. Moreover, the Pegasus Grassland had been flooded. The seawater would gush in when they opened the three gates. After Sammy and Vivian¡¯s actions, Sky Eye and the Dragon Tribe realized how serious the issue was. The exits of all the zones were guarded by soldiers, and no one was allowed to leave the shelters. Therefore, the vloggers couldn¡¯t go to the seaside even if they wanted to. They could only watch the live streams on their phones like everybody else. Things were different overseas. They were less concerned with death and cared more about their freedom. Moreover, they were in arks. Some arks were anchored in the ocean. Some arks were in unknown corners. Some arks happened to be anchored by the seashore. Their presidents couldn¡¯t stop the people when they demanded to go out. After all, their freedom was part of their human rights that no one could deprive them of. They demanded to open the door. If their presidents refused, they would revolt and tear the door down. In such countries, the head of the states couldn¡¯t stop their people. They had no choice but to open the door. Many other vloggers did the same. They knelt, facing the ocean with their hands holding up. Together, they had over two billion viewers, equivalent to the Moonian population. ¡°I¡¯ll be a sea slave forever!¡± said Royce. Lynch shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll be a sea slave forever! Forever!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be a sea slave forever!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be a sea slave forever!¡± ¡­ Countless vloggers shouted at the ocean. They waited for a few seconds, but no miracles happened. Royce stood up and jumped. He could still jump three meters high. ¡°Guys, are you seeing this? It¡¯s nonsense! I¡¯m¡ª¡± He suddenly fell on his butt and burst into tears in pain. He looked like a piece of floating paper that had just gotten wet. Royce rubbed his butt and stood up with a grimace. ¡°What happened?¡± He jumped again but was pulled down by gravity. This time, he couldn¡¯t jump higher than half a meter. ¡°Why can¡¯t I jump higher now? My gravity is back! Guys, I¡¯m back to normal!¡± ¡­ The same thing happened to Lynch. He felt the normal gravity after claiming himself to be a sea slave. ¡°Guys, it¡¯s true! It¡¯s not a joke! Saying those words worked!¡± Beanie made the same claim. ¡°It¡¯s true! Those people didn¡¯t lie to us! I¡¯m back to normal! I feel the pressure around me back to normal as well! My breathing is perfectly fine, too!¡± What?! What?! What?! Just then, all the live streams were shut down, and the screens all turned dark. ¡°What happened? Why is the signal gone?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why did the live stream stop? Does that really work, or is it a scam? I didn¡¯t get to ask them!¡± ¡°Why ask at all? All the vloggers have experimented, and of course, it¡¯s true! See it with your own eyes! Let¡¯s go! The ocean is right outside!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Let¡¯s go, people! The elderly and children should go out first. They¡¯re having more trouble breathing! The others can follow!¡± ¡­ Instantly, countless people pushed through the corridors. The way they hopped around was both hilarious and horrifying. Meanwhile, Sky Eye posted an announcement on the Moonian government website and Skynet in over a dozen languages. ¡°Attention, please! Here¡¯s an announcement for people in all countries! Do not approach the ocean or kneel on the beach! It¡¯s very dangerous! Mr. Soan won¡¯t allow anyone to go near the ocean! Please tell your family and friends! In a few minutes, Mr. Soan will restore gravity!¡± The announcement confused a lot of people. ¡°Why? Why is it dangerous?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How dangerous can it be? I¡¯m only going to shout at the ocean!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why can¡¯t we do it?¡± ¡°Can Moon give us an explanation? Why?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obviously working! Why won¡¯t Moon let us do it?¡± ¡°What do they want? Are they going to control our movements now? Why can¡¯t we kneel? Do the Moonians want to rule the world?¡± ¡°Yes, I think they¡¯ve gone a bit too far. Why can¡¯t we go out and kneel on the beach? That won¡¯t affect them, will it?¡± Chapter 170 - : Sixth Age The Moonians also felt that their country was overreacting. It was so confusing. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why can¡¯t they do it?¡± ¡°Is there a rule or something?¡± ¡°What will happen if they kneel?¡± They didn¡¯t know the answer, but they chose to support Himmel Soan unconditionally. The only reason was that Himmel Soan was a fellow Moonian. All Moonians were proud of who they were. They were proud of their great nation. They wouldn¡¯t mind seeing the Moon rule the world. However, they were also peace-loving people. As much as they liked the idea, they wouldn¡¯t do it even if they had the chance. Himmel Soan had just saved the world. The people of other countries might still do ungrateful things, repay good with evil, and distrust Himmel Soan. But the Moonians would never do that. Even if Himmel Soan lied to the whole world, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm Moon. ¡°Although I don¡¯t understand it, I choose to believe in Mr. Soan.¡± ¡°Me, too! Mr. Soan won¡¯t hurt us, nor will he harm this planet. If he says so, he must have his reason.¡± ¡°Guys, please stop doing the kneeling thing. Maybe something bad will happen!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Soan will take care of the gravity problem in ten minutes. Can¡¯t you wait for a little while?¡± ¡°Just hold onto something and steady yourselves! Ten minutes will soon pass!¡± ¡­ The Moonians all expressed their views online, saying that ten minutes shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. However, people from different cultures had different opinions. Different countries had different systems as well. Moreover, gratitude played a big part in the Moonian moral system. If a person was deemed ungrateful, they weren¡¯t considered a human at all. Some foreigners were indeed ungrateful. Some countries were equally ungrateful. After Himmel Soan and Moon saved them, they believed that it was what they were owed. They didn¡¯t think they owed Moon anything. Even if there were conflicts, they didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong with them. Moonians might find it hard to believe, but that was how those people behaved. No matter what the Moonians told them, they still wouldn¡¯t understand what gratitude was. ¡°I won¡¯t wait! Bite me!¡± ¡°Do the Moonians think they¡¯re the big boss of this planet now? Are they going to treat us like puppets? I¡¯m telling you. Even if I have to die, I¡¯ll fight until I only have one drop of blood left. The people of my country will never surrender!¡± ¡°Never surrender? Don¡¯t make me laugh! Your country is about the size of my palm! We can take you down with the army of a city! You¡¯re not all that important!¡± ¡°So what? Does Moon want to rule the world? If you¡¯re controlling what we do now, are you going to control our thoughts next? Are you going to brainwash us?¡± ¡°Right! You really think you¡¯re so important, aren¡¯t you? What can you possibly do even if we want to rule the world? We saved your ass!¡± ¡°Did you? We didn¡¯t ask for it! Don¡¯t flatter yourself!¡± ¡°So what if you saved us? Does that mean we have to listen to you? What you¡¯re doing is no different than Neige!¡± ¡­ The Moonians were furious and yelled into their phones. ¡°What a bunch of assholes! We can¡¯t reason with them!¡± ¡°Let them be! Why should we bother?¡± ¡°We should never have saved them! They¡¯re ungrateful bastards! Let them go to hell!¡± ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ve got smoke coming out of my ears! Just let them be!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll never save anybody again!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, more and more people around the world left their arks, found the nearest seashore, and knelt. Losing gravity not only made it hard to move around but also affected one¡¯s health. Respiratory system diseases were especially prominent. Asthma and bronchitis could both get people killed. Somewhere else in the world. In a stately temple, a few scientists were busy typing in front of a giant screen. An old man with a long beard and strange clothes was watching them with a smile. ¡°How is it going?¡± ¡°My lord, it¡¯ll work! Our body structure isn¡¯t much different from human beings, and the wishing power works the same way. When they kneel and say the designated words, they¡¯ll emit their wishing power. Our machine can catch that energy instantly, and we¡¯ll establish a connection with them.¡± The old man laughed. ¡°Great! The wishing power is a major breakthrough! It¡¯ll possibly lead us to the sixth age. This is great! If we gather all the wishing power from this world, will the energy carry us through the wormhole?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes! However, I cannot conclude if it¡¯s going to be the sixth or the seventh age. What I¡¯m sure of is that we¡¯ll reach the threshold of the sixth age.¡± ¡°Good! Keep up with the good work!¡± The old man left in satisfaction. The ¡°age¡± wasn¡¯t what ordinary people believed it to be. It was a means to measure the scientific standards, which could also be called civilizations. The first age was the stone age. The second age was when fabrics, bronze, and tools like wheels were discovered. The third age was when more complicated tools appeared, covering everything from trains to gunpowder. The fourth age was the time after the third age when airplanes and electronic devices were manufactured. The old man and his people belonged to the fifth age. They discovered the wishing power created by the human body, as well as another mysterious compound, which was what Himmel Soan called spiritual essence. These people were also much more knowledgeable in science applications and the universe as a whole. They were close to God. They had been stuck in this age for thousands of years. The discovery of the wishing power gave them the hope of breaking through the fifth age and reaching the sixth age. The sixth age could show them the fourth dimension. The mysteries that science hadn¡¯t been able to reveal would be wide open to them, including traveling through space and time. Chapter 171 - Resonating Wishing Power The ¡°Ocean Protectors¡± posting messages online were also their doing. However, they weren¡¯t real people. They were AIs. Being the people of the fifth age, they had much more advanced technology than ordinary human beings. Most of their work had been automated. Their AIs were close to perfection. They had thoughts of their own. Some had suggested AIs and robots couldn¡¯t have independent thoughts because it would lead to the destruction of the human race. It would start a century-long war between robots and humans. Constant upgrades would mean robots would think faster than humans did. Therefore, the human race would lose in the end. They couldn¡¯t beat the AI. Based on these people¡¯s research, plenty of planets in the universe had gone through that process and became slaves to machines. It was all because the AIs had been given too much intelligence. A robot could have its parts changed. That included all the parts from head to toe. Once a robot was broken, a little repair work would be all that was needed to put it back into the battlefield again. With the advancement of technology, the lifespan of robots had been increasing as well. A human being could only live for less than a hundred years, but robots could exist for as long as a thousand years. It was also the main reason humans lost against machines. At first, these people of the fifth age were just like all the other human beings. However, the research on AI led them in the wrong direction, and their continent sank to the bottom of the ocean until they were forgotten by human civilization. However, their legend wasn¡¯t forgotten. Many people were familiar with the name of that continent¡ªAtlantis! Because the people of Atlantis had given the robots too much power, the land sank to 50,000m under the sea and never rose to the surface again. It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t raise the continent again; they couldn¡¯t lift the entire land all at once. The pressure at that depth was too high, and their people would feel uncomfortable at 30,000m under the surface. If they kept rising, their bodies wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure and would explode. They had invented a device to quickly adapt the body to the water pressure closer to the surface. However, the device was very expensive to make because the material was hard to find. As they couldn¡¯t leave the water, they couldn¡¯t manufacture the device in large quantities. Hence, only a few people could come to the surface each time. Of course, that wasn¡¯t enough. When the moon disappeared and the gravity decreased, the seawater rose out of the seabed, setting them free. However, they still had scruples. That was Himmel Soan, the man that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He was too powerful. The entire Atlantis was shocked when Himmel Soan presented the space cannon¡¯s blueprint. With the current technology level, the people on Earth could only build 10% of the space cannon. Even the Atlantians could only finish 90%. Yet Himmel Soan had completed the space cannon. His knowledge was more profound than the Atlantians. When the Atlantean scientists saw the blueprint, they were blown away by how complicated and intricate it was. They felt threatened by Himmel Soan. The truth was that even if Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t around, Earth still wouldn¡¯t be destroyed. The Atlantians would save the planet. They lived on Earth, too. They wouldn¡¯t mind seeing all the human beings gone, but they wouldn¡¯t let Earth get destroyed. Their technology was advanced enough to destroy the super meteorite. The space cannon was a bit over the top. Although they couldn¡¯t come to the surface, their equipment could. A plasma cannon was all that was needed. It would destroy the meteorite in fewer than a hundred shots. Since Himmel Soan had intervened, they decided to stay hidden. The meteorite rain followed the destruction of the meteorite. They weren¡¯t concerned. They were glad to see the moon getting destroyed. After that, they came up with a plan to rule the human race. To do that, they needed to get rid of Himmel Soan first. However, their technology level wasn¡¯t advanced enough to do that. If they could collect the wishing power of all the people on Earth, they would be able to reach the sixth age. After that, they would have the ability to fight Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan¡¯s space cannon used a technology that was somewhere between the fifth and sixth ages. To confront Himmel Soan, the Atlantians had to reach the sixth age, where they could generate the required power using the resonating wishing power. A group of robots entered the room and reported to the scientists, ¡°We¡¯ve collected 7,564 points of wishing power from Earth!¡± One person could create one point of wishing power. ¡°Good. Keep posting the comments and ask the Earthlings to kneel at the ocean. Raise our wishing power collector to 8,000m below the surface. It¡¯s easier to collect the power that way.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The robots left the room. The Atlantians had almost been destroyed by machines once. They learned from that painful experience and now knew how to utilize the robots properly. Without a doubt, robots would rule the battlefield in the future. The other planets they had explored so far had robots as war machines. They could be reconstructed, and after the system was set, they could react much faster than human beings. They could make the correct decision and give out commands within 0.01 microseconds. It was something human beings could never do. A single human commander was needed for war. The battle was fought by tens or even hundreds of thousands of robots. Without the robots, so many people would have died. A human being would need over a decade before they could fight on the battlefield, but it only took a day to build the robots. They didn¡¯t need any training either. They would be guided by their programs. As a result, the original human form would be abandoned in the future. To enter the sixth age, humans had to have powerful AIs as their brains. It was just like fire. It could kill people, but the human race couldn¡¯t live without it. It was like the two sides of a coin. As long as it was under control, everything would be fine. By now, over 10% of the entire population had left their arks. That was close to a billion people. If they all knelt before the ocean, Atlantis would receive a billion points of wishing power, which would be a huge progress for them. With two billion points, they would build the wishing power device. The device would replace the AI¡¯s mainboard to improve its ability. Chapter 172 - Anger The AI had incredible computing power. Once it was upgraded, it could calculate things that human scientists couldn¡¯t dream of. After that, the Atlantians could build the weapon of the sixth age. Therefore, the wishing power was essential to them. ¡­ Himmel Soan rubbed the energy ball in his hand and looked out of the window. He could sense thousands of points of wishing power flying toward the center of the ocean. The triangular area! Something must be hidden underneath to make that area so mysterious. The fact that the wishing power was flying in that direction only confirmed his speculation. He recalled the woman he had seen earlier. She could travel through a tornado and dived into the ocean after she saw Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan knew things were more complicated than they seemed on the surface. Those people that had been asking everybody to kneel in front of the ocean must have a hidden agenda. They were connected to the appearance of the wishing power. Could it have something to do with the triangular area as well? If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t been creating the energy ball, he would have used all his mental force to stop the wishing power. But he couldn¡¯t do that now. The ¡°ball¡± was going to be the new moon. It was quickly absorbing his spiritual essence. If he activated his mental force now, the ball would suck him dry. Those people had chosen the perfect time. Did they choose this moment to incite the ordinary people because they knew Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t activate his mental force? That wasn¡¯t the case. The Atlantians didn¡¯t know what Himmel Soan was doing. It was just a coincidence. ¡°Director Lang, General Marlow, you must stop those people from kneeling in front of the ocean! Stop them at all costs!¡± Himmel Soan sent the message to Henry Lang. However, it confused Henry and Gordon. They were already puzzled when they were ordered to stop those vloggers. But Himmel Soan didn¡¯t mention ¡°at all costs¡± back then. It sounded like he had asked them to get physical. It was such a petty thing. Was it worth it? The other countries already had many opinions about Moon. Resorting to violence would only worsen things. The entire world might hate Moon for it. ¡°Mr. Soan, should we think about it? Isn¡¯t it a bit¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that! What they¡¯re doing will get them killed! If you don¡¯t want to see that happen, do as you¡¯re told to!¡± ¡°Get them killed? Seriously? They¡¯re only kneeling on the ground¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything! Just follow my orders!¡± The president joined the conversation and heard what they said. ¡°Director Lang, just carry out the order.¡± ¡°But Mr. President, wouldn¡¯t that¡­¡± ¡°Just do it. Mr. Soan won¡¯t harm them. If he wanted to, he wouldn¡¯t have saved the world.¡± Yosef, Warren, and Drake also joined the conversation. ¡°Our Patriarch is always right. Trust him, and you¡¯ll see in the end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Please listen to our Patriarch.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Henry then went to make the announcement while Gordon informed the heads of state. ¡°Hello, Mr. President, I¡¯m Gordon Marlow. You should forbid your people from stepping out of your arks!¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. President, I¡¯m Gordon Marlow. On behalf of Moon, I¡¯m requesting¡­¡± ¡°Mr. President, I¡¯m Gordon. Mr. Soan has asked everybody to stay in the underground shelters. This is very serious. You¡¯ll see why in about ten minutes. Please tell your fellow Pantherese to follow this instruction and don¡¯t panic. Everything will be alright.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. President, I¡¯m Gordon Marlow. I¡¯m requesting¡­¡± ¡­ On behalf of Moon, Gordon sent a message to all other presidents and held an international conference. Henry also made an announcement that forbade anyone from kneeling at the ocean. He also announced that Moon would resort to tough measures if necessary. As expected, the requirement caused outrage online. ¡°I knew it! Moon isn¡¯t any better than the other countries!¡± ¡°They were trying to control our thoughts a minute ago, and they¡¯re already telling us what to do! I wasn¡¯t going to go out, but now that they¡¯ve forbidden us to do it, I¡¯m going to kneel in the ocean! It can¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°Do you want to kill us? Be my guest! You¡¯ve saved my life, so feel free to take it back! I¡¯m grateful for your help, but I won¡¯t let you tell me what to do!¡± ¡°I have my rights! Moon has no place to tell us what to do! We didn¡¯t do anything wrong! You¡¯ve crossed the line!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even Neige has never given us such orders! Who the hell do you think you are? I¡¯m going, and you can¡¯t stop me!¡± ¡­ As expected, the announcement backfired. Some people had been hesitating, but they ran to the sea after Moon made the announcement. Only two websites were still running, and the conversations between Gordon and the presidents were broadcasted online to everybody. No one liked to hear Gordon threatening their presidents. ¡°We¡¯re not afraid of any country! You can¡¯t threaten us!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t threaten us either! You can kill us or enslave us, but you can¡¯t control our thoughts! We Iceanians aren¡¯t afraid of death! We won¡¯t yield!¡± ¡°You¡¯re more outrageous than Neige! I¡¯d rather be ruled by Neigerians than by you! At least we¡¯ll be free!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally revealed your true colors. I thought you were the kindest people in the world. By the look of it, that was only a facade! You¡¯ve been planning for this all along! It disgusts me!¡± Not everybody was cursing Moon. Some people were trying to defend the country. ¡°You people are idiots! How many times are you going to fall into traps! Have you forgotten what you said when the space cannon was created? What happened later? You all begged Moon to help you! Do you know how much they have lost just to save you people? Do you know how many soldiers died? You don¡¯t! All you care about is yourself! You don¡¯t deserve to be saved!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. The Padaskians will always support Moon¡¯s decision!¡± Chapter 173 - Angry Debate ¡°The Pantherese support Moon unconditionally! They should never have saved you people! You should all go to hell!¡± ¡°All the Hosians support Moon as well!¡± ¡°So do the Soleilians! If those people want freedom so badly, let them have it! Why should we worry about them? Don¡¯t come running to us if anything bad happens!¡± Moon¡¯s allied countries all shared their views and chose to side with Moon. Just like the Moonians, they didn¡¯t understand all the decisions Himmel Soan and the country made, but they chose to believe him. Unconditionally. They knew Himmel Soan would never harm them. It was no longer a debate among the Moonians. The whole world was involved. Moon and its four allied countries argued against the rest of the world. It had started off as something not so serious. The people of other countries didn¡¯t plan to fall out with Moon at first. They were rather polite when everything started, and they showed Himmel Soan much respect. However, Moon¡¯s subsequent actions and what the people of the five countries said enraged all the other countries. Things became ugly after that. The people who defended their human rights wouldn¡¯t be easily dissuaded. Hence, Himmel Soan and Moon¡¯s decision started another round of angry debates. ¡°You people are so funny. I don¡¯t get it. What harm can kneeling possibly do? Why won¡¯t you leave us alone? It¡¯s none of your business! Why does it bother you? You¡¯re not my boss, my parents, or my partner! You have no right to meddle with what I do! Even my parents haven¡¯t said anything. Why would I listen to you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct. It¡¯s none of our business, which is why we let you do it. Just make sure you won¡¯t regret it later!¡± ¡°What? Are you going to attack us? Is that a threat? Why would we regret it? Are you going to launch some new weapons at us? You can¡¯t scare us! Moon isn¡¯t the boss of the world!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve gotten used to ungrateful people like you. So be it! You can do whatever you want. You shouldn¡¯t even be considered human beings! You haven¡¯t shown any gratitude! Talking to you is a waste of my time!¡± ¡°Dude, why are you so aggressive? What do you mean we showed no gratitude? We¡¯re grateful for what you did, and we thanked you! But what¡¯s happening now is a completely different thing! If you try to use our gratitude to morally coerce us, I¡¯m sorry, but we won¡¯t let that happen! You¡¯d better give up that idea now!¡± ¡°Let me repeat this: Moon has no intention of ruling the world, and you¡¯re not worth it either! Look at your country. What can you possibly offer us? Why would we want to rule you? Go to hell!¡± ¡­ Those comments affected some high-ranking officials. Even some influencers, who had remained silent until now, began to share their views. After that, some celebrities and millionaires joined the debate as well. Gross, the famous Iceanian actor, wrote, ¡°I think we should all calm down. There¡¯s no need to get so excited. It¡¯s not such a serious matter. If the Moonians asked us to wait for ten more minutes, I think we can wait. Ten minutes isn¡¯t that long a time. If gravity still isn¡¯t restored then, we can always kneel at the ocean!¡± Gross tried to be as neutral as he could and didn¡¯t side with any country. However, his fellow countrymen lashed out at him because of that. His words were considered to be defending Moon. People called him a traitor and a coward. Seeing all the criticisms, Gross didn¡¯t dare speak again. Tanaka, a Flamian influencer, wrote, ¡°I think the whole thing isn¡¯t about what Moon said. It¡¯s how they said it. We have no problem with waiting for ten minutes, but Moon has expressed it in such a condescending way. Why should we take their order? We¡¯re not their slaves! They shouldn¡¯t talk to us in that way! I think that was why we got so angry. I demand an apology from M right now! We¡¯re all equal. You think you¡¯re somehow above us just because you saved us once? Apologize to us!¡± After he posted that comment, he gained over ten million followers. ¡°Totally!¡± ¡°I agree! Moon has saved us, but it doesn¡¯t make them our boss! They can¡¯t order us around!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll never yield!¡± Gross and Tanaka were only two examples. Gross had a neutral standpoint, while Tanaka was against Moon. Moon still had some supporters. Barakin, a comedian well-known globally, shared his view, supporting Moon. He wrote, ¡°Everybody, calm your horses! There¡¯s no need to get angry over such matters. I¡¯m sure Moon won¡¯t harm us. There¡¯s no doubt about that! If they really wanted to, why would they save you in the first place? They could have let you die in the meteorite shower. ¡°Mr. Soan is the god of science, and he must have his reason. Maybe worshiping the ocean will set off something terrible that we don¡¯t understand. Since he only needs another ten minutes to restore gravity, why don¡¯t we wait for ten minutes? We shouldn¡¯t turn on each other for such a petty thing. ¡°If, fingers crossed, Moon really wants to rule the world, who¡¯s there to stop them? They can do it without warning anybody. Their army can enter your countries, and you won¡¯t be able to do anything. They didn¡¯t do that, and I think that¡¯s proof enough. Why can¡¯t you be more reasonable and stop this nonsense?¡± Gross didn¡¯t side with Moon, but people still criticized him. It wasn¡¯t surprising to see how those people treated Barakin. Chapter 174 - Armed Suppression ¡°You old fool! Your country is Moon¡¯s ally, so of course, you¡¯re on their side! You¡¯re right when you said Moon wouldn¡¯t harm you because they wouldn¡¯t harm Panthera! We¡¯re not Moon¡¯s ally. Who¡¯s to say that they won¡¯t turn against us?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You asked why they didn¡¯t let the meteorite kill us, and the answer is straightforward. Can it be more obvious? To rebuild the world, a lot of laborers are needed. The Moonians are going to capture us and make us work for them for free!¡± ¡°Shit! You gave me the creeps! Are they going to tie us up and treat us like cows and dogs? They¡¯ll whip us and make us eat from the floor!¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible! Moon is a traditional country. They¡¯re all about obeying their superiors, being loyal, and keeping cattle in the sheds! Gosh! It¡¯s so scary!¡± ¡­ After the influencers started sharing their views, the people divided into three groups and attacked one another. Moon could live with the criticisms. However, those people might be heading for the ocean as they argued. The Moonian president was putting pressure on other presidents as well. Other countries had been accusing Moon of being a bully that never listened to their opinion. Great! The Moonians wouldn¡¯t mind being called bullies one more time! ¡°Hello, everybody!¡± The Moonian president started a video conference. His tone was very stern when he spoke to all the other presidents. ¡°You must follow our instructions! There can be no exceptions! You must stop your people! It¡¯s obligatory! Tell everybody to go back to their arks. Otherwise, the consequences will be beyond your imagination! Use force if necessary. I¡¯m not discussing it with you. I¡¯m ordering you! If you refuse to follow the instruction, our flying soldiers will pay you a visit in the next two hours! Make the right decision!¡± Koji, the Flamian president, took a deep breath. He was under a lot of pressure because Flamia was right next to Moon. Once the flying soldiers were deployed, Flamia and Woodia would be the first to be affected. The video conference was there for the whole world to see because they all shared the same network. People from all the countries were watching this conference. What the Moonian president said only confirmed their speculations. ¡°What did I tell you? Moon has resorted to force. They¡¯ve dropped all pretenses! This is their real intention! What a bunch of hypocrites!¡± ¡°Mr. President, you can¡¯t yield to their threat! We¡¯ll never follow their orders! Even if they resort to armed suppression, we still won¡¯t surrender! I mean every word! If you agree to their terms, I¡¯ll kill myself right here and now!¡± ¡°The Moonians are finally telling the truth! Where are the people who accused us of misunderstanding Moon? Tell us now what the Moonian president meant when he made that order! We won¡¯t let them control us! I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a conspiracy! I¡¯m going to kneel!¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± ¡°And me! I hate it when other people tell me what to do! They can¡¯t control us!¡± Many of the commentators were Flamians. Koji hesitated. As the Flamian president, he had to be responsible for his country. Those people could throw their lives away, but he couldn¡¯t let them do that. However, the public opinion was shifting to the other side. Over 55% of the population was against Moon. Many Flamians weren¡¯t all that brave. However, almost the entire world had turned against Moon, and they gained courage from the great number of ¡°allies¡± they had. Even the more timid Flamians spoke up and protested. Sasaki was one of the opposers. ¡°WTF?!¡± He was close to the ark¡¯s gate and was infuriated by the conference. ¡°Moon wants to control our minds?! That¡¯s not going to happen! Bastards! I¡¯ll never surrender!¡± He then jumped out of the ark. The gate was already open. Flamia was a small country, and all of its lands had been flooded. The ark was floating in the sea, with the ocean right at their doorstep. Some people had already dropped to their knees. Those that had knelt at the ocean had regained their gravity and were capering around in the ark. ¡°It¡¯s true! Look at me! I¡¯m back to normal! It¡¯s true! There¡¯s nothing to worry about!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Seeing those people, Sasaki made a video and posted it online, followed by a comment. ¡°It¡¯s true! My people are back to normal! Look! The Moonians don¡¯t want us to get better. They must be plotting against us! We can¡¯t listen to them!¡± He switched off his phone after that, knelt at the ocean, and said the words that he wanted to be a sea slave. The next second, he shuddered violently as if something had been taken out of his body. Meanwhile, a streak of energy was injected into him. Then he was back to normal. He felt heavy. The extra weight seemed to be the reason that he could walk normally. Still, he could walk as he did before. ¡°I¡¯m back to normal! Are you seeing this? I¡¯ve recovered!¡± More and more videos sprang up online. All the people that knelt at the ocean had recovered. Although their presidents forbade them from doing it, many people wouldn¡¯t listen. Some arks even severed all links from their countries and chose to do whatever they wanted. Sensing more and more wishing power flying into the ocean, Himmel Soan was displeased. He only needed three more minutes to build the artificial moon. Those people couldn¡¯t wait for even that long. With each passing second, about 300,000 more people were kneeling at the ocean, and the number was growing! Chapter 175 - Five More Minutes? Thirty thousand people a second. That was 18 million people per minute. In three minutes, 54 million people would have knelt. If this trend continued, at least 70 to 80 million people would be affected. Although Himmel Soan had yet to figure out what the wishing power was for, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be anything good. In his system, the so-called wishing power was the power of faith. Once a deity accepted it, he could turn his followers into his own kind. Himmel Soan had encountered many deities when trapped in that strange world. All of them had their own followers. There was a wolf deity, whose followers could turn into werewolves. There was a deity of wine, and his followers had incredible drinking capacity. There was a demonic deity. His followers were immortal semi-demons. Similarly, there was a lion deity, and his followers could all transform into lions. ¡­ Therefore, what was going on was definitely not a good sign. Another name for wishing power was vital essence. Without it, one would die. Those people¡¯s vital essence was extracted after they knelt, but they were still alive. There was only one explanation: someone had injected a new type of energy into them to replace the vital essence. It worked the same way as the faith power of those deities. They would extract the power of faith from their believers and inject a different type of power into them. It enabled the believers to turn into wolves and lions or allow them to control natural phenomena like wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Himmel Soan tried to switch off his mental force and shut down the network, but there was no point in doing that now. Everybody had heard the news that kneeling at the ocean would restore their gravity. If Himmel Soan tried to stop those people by cutting off the network, he should have done it ten minutes ago. But he was building the new moon, which was an energy-consuming process. He couldn¡¯t have spared any more energy. Moreover, he trusted Henry and the others would handle the situation. But things didn¡¯t go as he had expected. Those people wouldn¡¯t listen. It was too late to do anything now. Tens of millions of people would kneel at the ocean. If he cut off the internet now, he couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what those people would think of Moon. He could already hear people insisting that his shame had turned into anger, and they would believe even more than his ¡°conspiracy¡± had been exposed. The only thing he could do now was complete the new moon so that gravity on Earth would return to normal and fewer people would be affected. Atlantis still had a long way to collect two billion points of wishing power. The Atlantians felt it was going too slow, so they sent more robots to work as paid posters, who then tried to shift the public opinion. ¡°It¡¯s so obvious that Moon wants to control the world. What¡¯s there to discuss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ve seen all those videos, and nothing has happened to those people! Moon only wants to control our minds! We can¡¯t listen to them!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. I¡¯m not going to obey their orders. I¡¯m already by the ocean now.¡± ¡°Me, too! Yes, it may sound like a couple of minutes, but do you realize how many people would die in that time? They could die from suffocation or fall into the ocean because they lost their balance! You¡¯ve never thought about those people! All you care about is yourself! A few minutes mean nothing to you, but it means everything to us!¡± Many people agreed with these comments. ¡°I totally agree with you! My dad has asthma, and he can die at any moment! I can¡¯t wait any longer, not even a second! I¡¯m taking him to the ocean now!¡± ¡°We can all see the Moon¡¯s plot now! Guys, we can¡¯t listen to them! They want to replace Neige and rule the world! That¡¯s not going to happen!¡± ¡°Well-said! They¡¯re not going to get what they want! The Moonians think they¡¯re so much better than us, but they¡¯re not! They¡¯re despicable creatures!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so angry! I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this! I thought the Moonians were so kind, but they¡¯re not! They¡¯re just as bad as the Neigerians!¡± ¡°Ignore them! We¡¯re going to kneel!¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do it!¡± ¡­ Having received pressure from the Moonian president, the other presidents also gave orders to their own people. They forbade them from kneeling at the ocean. However, the public wouldn¡¯t listen to them. Governments were empty titles now, and all the presidents had lost their prestigious status. Many troops stopped following the order of their presidents and were doing things they deemed right. Most of the countries didn¡¯t have any land left. The flood had devoured everything, and all their people were on arks. ¡°Mr. Soan, we can¡¯t stop them! They won¡¯t listen to us!¡± ¡°So be it¡­¡± Himmel Soan stood up with a black ball in his hand. The moon was completed. He had finished the project two minutes in advance. The next task was to send it to space. During that process, Earth¡¯s gravity would be slowly restored. So far, about 300 million people had knelt in the ocean. Sky Eye wrote, ¡°We have great news! Mr. Soan has completed the artificial moon, and gravity will gradually restore in the next five minutes. Please stop kneeling! Earth will be back to normal soon!¡± However, the announcement didn¡¯t achieve the desired effect. On the contrary, people seemed to be even angrier. ¡°Five more minutes? Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Five minutes will kill my dad several times over! The people who have knelt are already back to normal, yet you¡¯re asking us to wait for five more minutes! Have you ever considered how we feel?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! The first time, they said that they only needed ten minutes, but they are asking for five more minutes now. Are they going to need three more minutes after this? It¡¯ll never end!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you anymore! I want gravity back right now!¡± The good news only brought more criticism. A ¡°black ball¡± shot out of space cannon. It moved extremely fast. After it was launched, Earth stopped losing gravity, and the people that were floating in the air slowly started falling back to the ground. The sea level also began to drop. Atlantis wouldn¡¯t have it. If gravity recovered, they wouldn¡¯t be able to collect wishing power anymore. The reserves right now were far from enough. ¡°Get the plasma cannon ready! We must bring down the artificial moon!¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Their scientists immediately took action, and a black square box rose out of the sea. Chapter 176 - Intercept ¡°Locating the artificial moon¡­ ¡°Scanning completed. Locking in¡­ ¡°Target locked. Ready to intercept¡­ ¡°Launch!¡± The black box opened, revealing neatly-arranged small holes. After locking onto Himmel Soan¡¯s moon, small syringe-like objects flew out of the holes and shot into the sky. ¡°Are they trying to intercept the moon?¡± Himmel Soan detected the plasma cannon as soon as it came to the sea surface. He just smiled and didn¡¯t think much of it. He wasn¡¯t using modern technology. He was using his superpower. He would have been worried if modern technology was involved. However, the technology of the fifth age was never a match for Himmel Soan¡¯s superpower. Even Himmel Soan himself didn¡¯t know how powerful his strike would be when he used his full strength. Ever since he returned to Earth, he had never been able to reach that state. Even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t dare use it. That was because he was afraid this universe wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. His strike could destroy space and time. This universe was very different from the strange world he was in. That universe had multiple dimensions, and the continents were indestructible. The planets were a million times more durable than Earth. Everything in that universe, from rocks and plants to animals and human beings, was nourished by spiritual essence all year round. They were soaked in spiritual essence. Because of that, the people there were much stronger than Earthlings. Even non-living organisms were tougher. Despite all that, Himmel Soan could still destroy an entire dimension there, let alone Earth, the solar system, and the galaxy. He could annihilate everything in a split second. Nothing could challenge his superpower. Even a weapon of the eighth age couldn¡¯t do that. Only people of the sixth age could travel through time and space, but that technique was a piece of cake for Himmel Soan. That was how he returned to this universe. He didn¡¯t just teleport himself back. He traveled through a parallel universe and arrived at Earth a few thousand years earlier. Even the people of the eighth age couldn¡¯t travel easily between parallel universes. Himmel Soan¡¯s strength was beyond imagination. The miniature plasma bullets caught up with the artificial moon. The new moon wasn¡¯t flying fast because Himmel Soan needed to gradually restore gravity. He wasn¡¯t sure how high the moon had to fly before gravity would go back to the original level. If the moon flew too fast, gravity might get too high for the people on Earth to handle. Accidents could happen. Some people might fall, and some might stumble into the ocean. There were many variables, so Himmel Soan wanted to give them some time to adapt. The bullets exploded when they were close to the moon, trying to blow it up. The Atlantians had underestimated the new moon that was built with Himmel Soan¡¯s spiritual essence. It didn¡¯t contain any substance one could find on Earth. It was indestructible. Boom¡­ Even though the bullets were only the size of syringes, the blast still covered half the sky. Everybody in the eastern hemisphere looked up. They saw a light flickering in the clouds as if a storm was coming. Half of the sky was glowing. But it didn¡¯t last for long. The light disappeared after a few seconds. ¡°Damn it! My lord, our plasma cannon couldn¡¯t blow up the moon!¡± ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± The Atlantian King walked to the control panel and saw that the plasma cannon had caused no damage to the moon. The moon was still rising, while Earth¡¯s gravity was returning. At first, they could jump four or five meters high, but that height had been reduced by half a meter now. People all over the world noticed it. ¡°I can¡¯t jump that high anymore!¡± ¡°I think the gravity is back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Our gravity is coming back!¡± ¡°You idiots! I recovered my gravity a long time ago!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re still recovering, but I¡¯ve knelt at the ocean. I¡¯m going to share a secret with you. After I did that, I felt stronger. I¡¯m not kidding! I¡¯m so much more capable now!¡± ¡°Yes! I feel the same way! After kneeling at the ocean, I felt like I¡¯d drunk ten cans of Red Bull and had been working out for ten years! I feel like an energy ball now!¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t believe you. That sounds too surreal. Are you saying kneeling at the ocean gave you that power? That¡¯s so scary!¡± ¡°Scary? If you don¡¯t believe me, try it yourself! It¡¯s happened to all my friends, too!¡± The Atlantean robots tried to lead the public opinion again. This time, they were tempting people with words like ¡°muscles,¡± ¡°no need to work out,¡± and ¡°enhanced strength.¡± They even posted videos and pictures to prove their claims. ¡°Look! This is me! I didn¡¯t have any muscle tone before. After I knelt, I had eight packs! Eight!¡± ¡°This video is my proof! I¡¯ll drop dead the next second if I¡¯m lying. Even if the gravity is coming back, it won¡¯t hurt us to have more muscles.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t care about your choice. I choose to believe in the ocean. I think it has God¡¯s power. It¡¯s not scary! God is sending us his love!¡± The tempting pictures intrigued many people, and they immediately went to kneel at the ocean. ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°You have violated our terms and conditions, and your account has been deactivated!¡± Chapter 177 - Meeting The influencers¡¯ channels were getting shut off. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are their accounts deactivated?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Moon! It has to be their doing! They can¡¯t stand it when we¡¯re happy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so mean! How could they shut down those people¡¯s channels? They have no right to do that! What did those people do to deserve this?¡± ¡°This is an abuse of power! Does Moon think they can do this because their network is the only one working? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll stop using the internet altogether!¡± ¡­ After discussing with Himmel Soan, Henry also hired some paid posters, trying to shift the public opinion in their favor. ¡°Our gravity is back. There¡¯s no need to kneel anymore!¡± ¡°Why would anybody believe something like that? Eight packs coming out of nowhere? That sounds dodgier than ponzi scams! Why didn¡¯t anything like that happen before? Somebody is trying to brainwash us! That¡¯s so obvious! I¡¯m not buying it. Only an idiot would!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! Free lunches don¡¯t exist! Guys, remember this. The bigger the temptation, the higher the risk! If it sounds like a miracle, then it¡¯s too good to be true! Mark my words! I won¡¯t delete this comment. If everything turns out to be fine later, come back here, and I¡¯ll post a video of myself kneeling and apologizing!¡± ¡°Wake up, people! It¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but it¡¯s happening! So many of us have knelt, and we¡¯re back to normal! We¡¯ve shown you the video. Why won¡¯t you believe us?¡± ¡°Guys, words can be lies, but what about videos? Look around you. People are still struggling with gravity, but we¡¯re walking normally now. We can jump and run without rising into the air! You must all know some people around you that have knelt. See for yourselves!¡± ¡°Facts speak louder than words! I don¡¯t want to say another word!¡± These weren¡¯t robots from Atlantis. They were real people from all over the world. They had all knelt and believed that they knew the truth. Nothing could change their minds. Therefore, they protested as soon as they saw other people questioning the possibility. All the presidents were utterly confused. They had no idea what Moon wanted and why the country tried to stop everybody. Mind-control? That didn¡¯t seem to be the case! What on earth was it about? In Atlantis. The king gave the order, asking his people to bring down the artificial moon. At no cost. The plasma impulse wave was the most powerful weapon they had. In their eyes, shooting down the moon with it was like employing a steam engine to crack a nut. That weapon was powerful enough to bring down the super meteorite. ¡°My lord, are you sure about this? We don¡¯t have much energy to support that weapon. We¡¯ve searched the entire area, but there¡¯s no other way to replenish it! If we launch it, this will be the last time we can use it!¡± The king said, ¡°Yes! Launch it! When we control the human race and obtain more wishing power, Earth will be ours. We¡¯ll be able to leave the ocean and have all the resources on the land! We¡¯re trading the device with the entire planet. It¡¯s worth it! Launch!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The scientists started typing on their virtual keyboards. The screens showed the weapon moving out of its container. Just then, the screens flickered, and a person showed up on them. He had eyes sharper than razors, and his expression was as cold as winter. His look could chill one to the bone. It was none other than Himmel Soan himself. He stared at the scientists through the screens, as well as at the king in the golden robe behind them. ¡°Who are you?¡± The scientists were shocked, and the king paled as well. ¡°Are you Himmel Soan?!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s name was well-known globally. Since the Atlanteans had sneaked into the network, they knew everything that had been going on. They also knew Himmel Soan¡¯s name and what he looked like. Himmel Soan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s very interesting. I didn¡¯t know we had an entire country hidden at the bottom of the ocean. You have advanced science and technology, too. Stop what you¡¯re doing right now before things get ugly.¡± One of the scientists stared at Himmel Soan and said anxiously, ¡°How did you infiltrate our network? We have firewalls!¡± ¡°Firewalls? They¡¯re useless to me. If I want to infiltrate your system, it doesn¡¯t matter where you¡¯re hiding!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes glowed as if liquid gold was flowing in them. Crack¡­ Boom¡­ The machines around the scientists exploded all at once. The scientists backed away in fright. Even the king was taken aback. What kind of power was that? His eyes flashed, and the machine exploded. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°That was just a warning. Stop messing with Earth, or you¡¯re going to be the next to explode!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± The Atlantean king suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Soan, I wonder if we can have a word?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? Give back the wishing power of my people, and maybe I¡¯ll talk to you!¡± The wishing power didn¡¯t matter all that much. Himmel Soan only wanted it because he was worried that the Atlanteans would do something evil with it and change the appearance of those Earthlings. Although their wishing power had been extracted, so far, no one had died or been injured in any way. That was why Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t attacked Atlantis yet. Otherwise, the machines wouldn¡¯t be the only things exploding. Himmel Soan had been building the moon and didn¡¯t have the energy to find Atlantis. Now that the moon was complete, finding these people was a piece of cake. He could detect the meteorite when it was fifteen days away from Earth. Of course, he could find things that were only tens of thousands of meters deep in the ocean. Although the Atlanteans had used some device to hide their exact location, Himmel Soan still could penetrate their network with his mental force and enter their control room. Chapter 178 - Threat The control room was where the king and the scientists were. ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re not from Earth, are you?¡± That was Lulukil Kabaron, the Atlantean king. ¡°Who gave you the permission to ask questions?¡± Kabaron¡¯s face darkened when he heard that. One of the scientists yelled at Himmel Soan, ¡°How dare you speak to our king like that?! This is an insult! Apologize now, or those Earthlings are dead!¡± Himmel Soan smirked. ¡°Apologize? You must be dreaming. I¡¯ll kill ten of you for every Earthling you kill. I can kill you right now if I want to!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force should not be underestimated. He could kill people with it! He had been weak for too long. Otherwise, he would never have needed the space cannon. He could have done it with his mental force alone. ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant, Himmel Soan! Do you really think you¡¯re the God of Earth? You can¡¯t take down the entire Atlantis on your own!¡± ¡°Atlantis, as in the lost civilization? I see. You¡¯re Atlanteans.¡± Himmel Soan had been wondering what this kingdom under the sea was. He now knew the answer. ¡°Mr. Soan, we admire your ability. You can¡¯t be a scientist of the fourth age. You must be from the sixth age, and you can travel through time and space, can¡¯t you? You came to Earth from another time! However, there¡¯s only one of you, and scientific research can¡¯t be done by one person! We¡¯ve seen the blueprint of your space cannon; it¡¯s ingenious! You¡¯ve inspired us! However, do you seriously think you can take on the entire Atlantis all by yourself? ¡°Atlantis is in the fifth age, and we have matching scientists as well. I¡¯m sure even if we can¡¯t outwit you, we can still outrun you with our sheer numbers. You¡¯re the only sixth-age scientist. Mr. Soan, have you played games before?¡± Himmel Soan shouted, ¡°Cut to the chase. Stop asking questions!¡± The scientist¡¯s face darkened, and he smirked. ¡°You¡¯re a genius working among fools! Even if you¡¯re not fighting against capable enemies, those people will pull you back! Look at those Earthlings that have been kneeling at the ocean! You¡¯ve been trying to help them, but they showed no gratitude and were even lashing out at you! Why would you side with them?¡± Kabaron said, ¡°Mr. Soan, why don¡¯t you join Atlantis? I¡¯ll make you our leading scientist. You¡¯ll be worshiped and respected the way I am. How does that sound? That¡¯s much more than you can ever get from the Earthlings!¡± Himmel Soan only said one sentence in reply, ¡°I¡¯ll never trust an alien race.¡± Atlanteans weren¡¯t humans. They might look like humans, but they had scales on their elbows and knees. They didn¡¯t have those at first, but having lived at the bottom of the ocean made them look more like fish. But their human traits hadn¡¯t disappeared; they still had all four limbs. Himmel Soan would be an alien among them. The Atlanteans would never treat him as one of their own. After they took over Earth, the first thing they would do was execute Himmel Soan. It was something Himmel Soan had seen many times before in that strange world. Would Earthlings accept some alien that had fins and scales? Would they? Of course not! They couldn¡¯t even accept a different skin color. People of certain races were still given derogatory names. They might say they would accept a new member, but only they themselves knew their real thoughts. Therefore, Himmel Soan would never do such reckless things. Of course, he would never join Atlantis no matter what, not if they made him the king, let alone a leading scientist. A king? Himmel Soan had been a king before! Back in that strange world, he used to be the supreme ruler with countless followers. He had an army of at least 50 billion soldiers. He used to rule a trillion people at one time. Even the owner of planets would address him as the supreme lord. A mere Atlantis was too petty for him. Even ruling Earth was beneath him. He was tired of living like that, which was why he tried his best to return to Earth. No matter how wonderful the other world was, it wasn¡¯t home. Earth was home, even if it was a garbage dump. ¡°Mr. Soan, I see that you¡¯re determined to fight against Atlantis. ¡°Fight against you? You¡¯re not worth it! I only kept you alive because you still have some value. Give me all the essence stones at the bottom of the ocean, and I¡¯ll spare your lives. Do that. or I¡¯ll wipe Atlantis off the face of Earth in three days!¡± What?! The screen went dark after that. Himmel Soan disappeared. ¡°My lord, that was outrageous! ¡°He¡¯s just a sixth-age scientist! Why is he so arrogant? How dare he threaten us? My lord, we shouldn¡¯t wait any longer! Let¡¯s activate the wishing power engine and let the sixth age begin!¡± Kabaron clenched his fists and hesitated. Atlantis still needed more wishing power. Forcing the AI to change its core now would only have the opposite result. They had collected 400 million points of wishing power, a long way from 2 billion. ¡°Get Mr. Roams, our top scientist, here! We must lock down Atlantis right now and block all our signals. We can¡¯t let Himmel Soan invade us again!¡± ¡°Is it necessary?¡± Roams was a genius scientist, but he was a nutjob as well! He was the current leading scientist in Atlantis and was considered to be as important as the king. He was far more talented than any other scientist in Atlantis. Many Atlanteans even suspected that he came from the sixth age. Although Roams was very talented, he wasn¡¯t right in his mind either. He always had odd behaviors and didn¡¯t get along well with the others. He never did his research in the Atlantean way. Instead, he always had his own opinions. Atlantis didn¡¯t try to change him either. The machine octopus he built last time had killed three Atlanteans. No one knew what he was working on now. If another octopus charged out when they went to get him, more Atlanteans would die. Kabaron said, ¡°Only Roams can handle that Himmel Soan. We don¡¯t have a choice! We have to get him, or Atlantis will be in trouble! Chapter 179 - I-Soldier In a damp, dim lab, a human-shaped creature with fins and scales was fiddling with some scrap metal. In his hand was the blueprint of Himmel Soan¡¯s IVE extractor. ¡°How did he calculate that? ¡°XOT2 plus ET7, and take the maximum value. Wait, that equation¡­ ¡°There¡¯s something up with that equation. What if I use the Agenlis Equation? That¡¯s not right either!¡± The man¡¯s unkempt hair almost reached his shoulders. He was fully fixated on the blueprint. His eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°I see! I see it now! That¡¯s it! ¡°The primary source of IVE is the human body! So¡­ ¡°Can we extract IVE from Atlanteans? ¡°Here¡¯s what we should do!¡± The creature was Roams, Atlantis¡¯s leading scientist and the greatest genius the kingdom had ever seen. Himmel Soan¡¯s blueprint had given him a lot of inspiration. He downloaded the blueprint the moment it was posted online and had been studying it for a week. During that time, he had figured out all the concepts on the blueprint without any assistance. Human scientists could only understand 25% of the blueprint. However, Roams could understand 95% from the very beginning. He figured out the last 5% in the next few days. ¡°This is fantastic! That¡¯s where IVE comes from! I see it now! Himmel Soan, that¡¯s brilliant! ¡°IVE is a colorless, odorless, and intangible substance, but it¡¯s very durable. It¡¯s both gaseous and solid. If the IVE Extractor can extract IVE, I only need to slightly modify this formula to control the IVE, right? ¡°Yes! That must be the case!¡± Roams quickly went up to his control panel, typed in some code, and a human-shaped model appeared on the screen. He then typed down everything he had learned so far. ¡°Database has been updated. Waiting for confirmation for production.¡± ¡°Confirm!¡± Roams hit the button. Metal arms stuck out of the walls and started assembling an object. Before long, an armored metal soldier took shape. ¡°IVE? What on earth is that?¡± Roams looked at the soldier in excitement and murmured, ¡°How about I name you after IVE? I-Soldier, that¡¯s a great name!¡± He walked around the I-Soldier and was very satisfied with the outcome. There was a button on I-Soldier¡¯s back. Roams pressed it. Beep¡ª I-Soldier¡¯s eyes lit up. The button could detect fingerprints and extract Roams¡¯s Innate Vigorous Energy, which was its energy source. Roams told the computer, ¡°Switch on the wishing power device!¡± ¡°Switched on,¡± replied the computer. Roams said, ¡°Inject 15 points of wishing power into the I-Soldier!¡± ¡°Inject 15 points of wishing power into the I-Soldier. Confirmed?¡± ¡°Confirmed! Inject!¡± ¡°Injecting.¡± A machine arm stuck out and injected the wishing power collected from the Earthlings into the I-Soldier. Its eyes were yellow at first. When the wishing power was injected, they flickered and turned black. The door opened at that moment. A scientist came in with two robots. ¡°Mr. Roams, the king wants to see you!¡± Beep! A prompt tone came from the I-Soldier, and it turned in the direction of the scientist. ¡°Target locked!¡± The scientist had been uneasy since he set foot in the room because Roams was always building strange things. Last time, his octopus had killed two soldiers. He noticed the metal soldier when he stepped into the room, which creeped him out. He stumbled back. ¡°Mr. Roams, the king sent me¡­¡± Roams smirked. ¡°I-Soldier, show me what you can do!¡± Whoosh! The I-Soldier moved so fast that it looked like teleportation. The scientist was scared out of his wits. He ordered the robot behind him, ¡°Stop that thing!¡± He heard two loud bangs immediately after that. The I-Soldier blew away the robot by staring at it! The I-Soldier stared at the robot, and the latter exploded. It only used its eyes. What kind of ability was that? It almost seemed supernatural. ¡°Great!¡± Roams clapped his hands excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s the power of the sixth age! I did it! I¡¯ve made it happen!¡± Thump! The scientist then turned into a pool of blood. ¡°Come back, I-Soldier!¡± Beep! The I-Soldier made another prompt sound and flew back to Roams¡¯s side. Its eyes flickered twice and shut down. ¡°Great!¡± Roams raised his arms and cheered. The I-Soldier had demonstrated the power that exceeded the fifth age. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Himmel Soan¡¯s skill was so advanced. That blueprint showed me the secret of the sixth age! That man must be from that age! ¡°The fusion of wishing power and IVE created a new type of energy that was more powerful than either of them. Wishing power is indeed the key to the sixth age! ¡°An I-Soldier needs 15 points, and Atlantis has over 400 million! If we spend all of them building I-Soldiers, we¡¯ll be invincible!¡± Just then, a few more people walked into the room, led by Kabaron, the king. ¡°Roams, what are you doing?¡± Kabaron saw what was left of the robot in the doorway and the pool of blood. He then realized Roams had done something terrible again. However, Roams was the leading scientist and the smartest person in Atlantis. The king wouldn¡¯t arrest him even if he broke the law. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t killed people before. He had killed plenty! Chapter 180 - Mutation However, the king would still forgive him even if he killed a thousand Atlanteans. That was how paramount he was to Atlantis. He was worth more than a thousand, if not ten thousand, Atlanteans. In fact, he was probably more important than half of Atlantis. ¡°My lord¡­¡± Roams tilted his head, looked at the king, and activated the I-Soldier. The I-Soldier disappeared from where it was. The next second, it reappeared behind the king with its hands on the king¡¯s neck. ¡°Roams, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°How dare you?! Roams, this is treason!¡± ¡°Roams, don¡¯t! He¡¯s your king! You can¡¯t harm him!¡± The king¡¯s guards grew nervous and shouted at Roams. Kabaron himself broke out in a cold sweat. What kind of a robot was this? Why was it so fast? How did it get behind him? The king had brought many robots with him, but they were like toys in front of the I-Soldier. Roams laughed and waved at the I-Soldier. It flew back to him before shutting down. Kabaron let out a breath of relief. Roams said, ¡°My lord, did you see that? That¡¯s my latest invention. It¡¯s a product of the sixth age! The mainstream robot of the future!¡± ¡°The sixth age?¡± The king was pleasantly surprised and took a few steps toward Roams. ¡°Is that true? Didn¡¯t you say we need to collect more wishing power to get to the sixth age? We haven¡¯t collected enough yet. How did you make it happen?¡± ¡°The wishing power is only one of the keys to reaching the sixth age. Himmel Soan, that human scientist, has found another key, IVE. I found that compared to the wishing power, IVE is much simpler to obtain. It¡¯s not a substance of either the fourth or the fifth age. It¡¯s produced in the human body and has great potential. It¡¯s the only reason Earth could get through the catastrophe.¡± Kabaron said, ¡°Do you know who Himmel Soan is? He was here a moment ago, provoking us and threatening to destroy Atlantis! Roams, do you have the confidence to defeat him?¡± ¡°Really? He was here?¡± Roams was surprised at first, but he soon burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to fighting him. I won¡¯t take anybody else¡¯s challenge. However, I¡¯d love to have some fun with Himmel Soan.¡± Kabaron was worried. ¡°Himmel Soan could breach our network without difficulty. Are you sure you can defeat him? If not, we can hide deeper into the ocean and avoid him altogether!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not from the fourth age. I think he¡¯s from the sixth age. The only way to make progress is to fight powerful opponents!¡± ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let him make the first move. We¡¯ll react accordingly!¡± ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t make the first move?¡± Kabaron asked. Roams looked at the screen that showed some figures about wishing power. ¡°He will!¡± ¡­ Earth¡¯s gravity slowly recovered as the artificial moon rose further into space. In Flamia. Yamano was a wealthy Flamian that had knelt at the ocean. He had his own room in the ark. Right now, he was fighting the Moonians online. ¡°Why do you care about what we¡¯re kneeling at? It¡¯s none of your business! ¡°Just because you saved us doesn¡¯t mean you can meddle with our lives forever! We¡¯d rather die than put up with the insult! We won¡¯t surrender! ¡°As long as Flamia still exists, you won¡¯t become the ruler of the world! If you don¡¯t want us to kneel, more of us are going to do it! ¡°Guys, I¡¯ve tried. There¡¯s no side effect! It¡¯s risk-free! Just kneel!¡± Yamano was typing as fast as he could. His thumb felt itchy, so he scratched it without paying too much attention. Then he felt something. He had scratched something off his skin. He picked it up and saw that it was a fish scale. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Yamano studied it curiously. It smelt fishy when he sniffed at it. He looked at his hand to see where it might come from. When he couldn¡¯t find the source of that scale, he searched the room. Was there a fish anywhere? Or was something else hidden in the room? Were they washed into the ark by the ocean? The idea gave him the creeps. He started tearing the room apart. It was a small room. After all, the ark was only a shelter, and even the private room the wealthy people bought couldn¡¯t be over three square meters. He looked everywhere, but he couldn¡¯t find where the scale came from. He was confused when he saw something glimmering on his arm. It even reflected light. It was as if he had a cling wrapped around his arm. ¡°What¡­¡± He scratched where his arm reflected the light, removing three more scales. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡± Yamano was surprised and scared. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± His leg felt itchy, so he unbuckled his belt and removed his trousers. Holy crap! His leg was covered by scales! He still had both legs. However, the skin had been replaced by fish scales! ¡°No! No! What¡¯s going on? Why is this happening? ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He felt something had scraped his hand, and it hurt a little. Looking down, he saw his palm was bleeding. He checked the spot and saw something he couldn¡¯t believe. Spikes that looked like fishbones had stuck out of his arms. There was a layer of film between the spikes like fins that hadn¡¯t been fully formed. ¡°What¡¯s going on with me? What¡¯s happening?¡± Yamano had a nervous breakdown. His body wasn¡¯t the only thing that had changed. His breathing felt different, too. As the moon rose, he felt suffocated. It was as if something had blocked his nose. His shoes felt too small, which only made him panic more. Was something happening to his feet as well? He sat on the bed, perplexed, and removed his shoes. He felt awful. He was dumbfounded the moment he removed his shoes. Chapter 181 - Scales His socks were stuffed full, and spikes were coming through them. Where did those spikes come from? It was too difficult to remove the socks, so Yamano found a dagger and cut them open. OMG! He saw fish tails! ¡°No! No!¡± The entire ark could hear his scream. ¡­ He wasn¡¯t the only one that was going through this. Such things didn¡¯t happen just to the Flamians either. Not all the affected had private rooms. In an Iceanian ar, a group of young people was chatting and laughing. A man brushed past one of them when he ran into them in the corridor. The young man frowned when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. He looked down and saw a scratch. ¡°Dude, watch where you¡¯re going!¡± ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± The middle-aged man asked in annoyance. The young man pointed at his elbow. ¡°You¡¯ve scratched my arm. I think the least you can do is apologize to me.¡± The middle-aged man was amused. He had only brushed past the young man. How could he have scratched him? ¡°Did you say I scratched your arm? How am I supposed to do that? I¡¯m not carrying any knives or sharp objects! You¡¯re making things up!¡± The young man¡¯s friends became angry and surrounded the middle-aged man. ¡°We all saw it! You scratched him! Don¡¯t try to deny it!¡± ¡°I know what¡¯s going on here? You think you can bully me because you have more people! Tell me how I scratched him! Do I have spikes on me?¡± ¡°Who knows? Take off your clothes, then!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! You¡¯ve gone too far!¡± The middle-aged man lost his temper. The scene attracted much attention. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough. There¡¯s only so much space in the ark, and it¡¯s inevitable that we bump into each other. Don¡¯t make a big deal out of it. Just apologize and walk away!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t fight over petty things like this! Let¡¯s be civil. Just apologize, man!¡± ¡°We should be more considerate. Moon is working on restoring gravity, and we¡¯ll be out of here soon. Just bear with each other for a few more moments, alright? Don¡¯t fight!¡± The middle-aged man felt wronged as well. ¡°I have no problem apologizing, but he said I scratched him, and I won¡¯t have it! We¡¯re both flesh and bones, so how am I supposed to hurt him? It doesn¡¯t make sense! Your gravity hasn¡¯t been restored, and you¡¯re still hopping around. That was why something like this had happened! We could have avoided this if you had knelt at the ocean! You only have yourself to blame!¡± ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s our fault?¡± the young man asked angrily. The middle-aged man said indifferently, ¡°You know perfectly well what I mean.¡± Some people supported the young man, while others supported the middle-aged man. ¡°I agree with him. If you had knelt at the ocean, you wouldn¡¯t have regained your gravity by now. Something like this would never have happened. I know how you¡¯re feeling. You can¡¯t control your movements, and it¡¯s normal to bump into each other.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that! I didn¡¯t kneel, but I could still control my body. I think these young men are to be blamed!¡± Somebody said, ¡°With or without gravity, people don¡¯t bleed from bumping into each other! These young men are trying to swindle this man!¡± The young man was agitated. ¡°What did you say? Are you calling me a liar? He definitely has a knife! If you don¡¯t believe me, let him take off his clothes, and we¡¯ll examine him! I¡¯ll kneel and apologize immediately if we can¡¯t find anything sharp on him!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any knives!¡± The middle-aged man argued. ¡°Take off your clothes, then! Show everybody you¡¯re telling the truth!¡± The young man¡¯s friends insisted. The middle-aged man nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll show you if I have any blades! If I don¡¯t have any, you must apologize to me for ruining my reputation!¡± ¡°No problem! Go ahead!¡± the young man replied without hesitation. The middle-aged man took off his shirt in front of all the people. However, as soon as he did that, the crowd stepped back in unison and gasped in astonishment. Some children even screamed and burst into tears. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m scared!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that on his back?¡± ¡°Gosh! That¡¯s terrible!¡± ¡°Is that a skin condition? Let¡¯s stay away from him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡­ The middle-aged man was confused by the panic. He looked at the young man and noticed that he and his friends looked scared as well. They had moved as far away from him as possible. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do I have something on me? Is it dust?¡± The middle-aged man couldn¡¯t understand their reaction. However, he was shocked when he looked down at his stomach. It was covered by scales. That wasn¡¯t it. Some spikes had stuck out of his arms around the elbows and looked rather like fins. In that case, were those spikes the reason he scratched the young man¡¯s skin? ¡°Why is this happening to me? What¡¯s going on?¡± He was still trying to figure out what had happened when somebody else shouted in the crowd. ¡°Look! He has scales, too!¡± ¡°OMG! So does he! Run! They¡¯re monsters!¡± ¡°Thomas, why do you have scales, too? Wait! Why do I have them?¡± ¡°Look! His feet have turned into fish tails! Holy shit! This is so scary! Have we been invaded by aliens?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not one of us! You¡¯re all aliens!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening! It¡¯s like a sci-fi movie!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t breathe! I¡¯m suffocating! I need water!¡± The people with scales all had the same symptoms. As the artificial moon rose and gravity increased, they started having difficulty breathing. They stuck their faces underwater as if they were driven by some instinct. Chapter 182 - Genes They realized they could breathe much more easily when they put their faces underwater. However, they still felt strange. It would be great if they could soak themselves in water. ¡­ In Woodia, Goldia, Soilia, Flamia, Iceana, and many other countries, similar ¡°mermaid incidents¡± were spotted. Ordinary people discovered in astonishment that people around them were covered with scales while maintaining a human form. ¡°What the hell is going on? Our ark is filled with monsters! Help! Can somebody help us?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not monsters! I don¡¯t know why this is happening to me! Don¡¯t be afraid! We mean you no harm! We¡¯ve probably caught something. That¡¯s all!¡± ¡°During this catastrophe, an unknown virus might have come from outer space! Those people must have mutated because of the infection!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be the case! They¡¯re not contagious!¡± ¡°No, they are! After his fin scratched me, the cut has been getting itchier! I¡¯m growing scales, too!¡± ¡°They¡¯re monsters! We must catch all of them and put them in one place so that we can control them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say! Who¡¯s going to catch them? Help! I don¡¯t want to stay with these monsters!¡± ¡­ It didn¡¯t just happen to ordinary people. Some people of higher social status also began to grow scales, including Jade, the famous DJ, Sid, the popular TV personnel, Kyro Kim, the influencer, and Dusty, the pop idol. ¡­ And there were so many more. Even the high-ranking officials in some countries had started growing scales. After looking into these affectees¡¯ past, the other people reached a conclusion: all of them had knelt to the ocean before! ¡°Seriously? That sounds unbelievable! Does kneeling to the ocean give them scales?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe it either, but it¡¯s happening! We found it unbelievable before when they got their gravity back by kneeling to the ocean, but they did recover.¡± ¡°Is that why Moon wouldn¡¯t let us kneel?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! I just want to know why they look like that? How did this happen?¡± ¡°@Sky Eye, can you explain it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Mr. Soan, could you give us an answer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like this! I want to be a normal human being! I can¡¯t even breathe now! My skin feels so dry that I want to hide in the water!¡± ¡°Why is this happening? I don¡¯t want to become a fish! Help me!¡± ¡­ In some arks, all the passengers had turned into this half-human and half-fish form. In other arks, only half the passengers had mutated. Some of the arks had remained unchanged. Everybody could tell if somebody else had knelt at the ocean. Yes! They could be 100% sure now. Those that had knelt at the sea would grow scales, and so would the people that had been stabbed or scratched by the people with the scales. ¡°@Sky Eye, please answer us!¡± ¡°@Dragon Tribe, what¡¯s going on? Can you give us an explanation? The world is panting, and we¡¯re all scared!¡± ¡°@Sky Eye, please say something! It¡¯s time to speak up!¡± About 500 million people had grown scales. All the presidents were asking Moon for an answer. No other country could give them an answer now, though. Himmel Soan was probably the only one who had an answer! Some Moonians had grown scales as well, but they were very rare. There were only three people in total. Some onlookers caught them right away and handed them to Sky Eye. Henry Lang, the director of the Soan empire, immediately went to see Warren and the other members of the Soan empire. At the same time, Warren went to report to Himmel Soan. ¡°Patriarch! Patriarch!¡± ¡°Patriarch, please open the door!¡± Warren and Yosef anxiously knocked on Himmel Soan¡¯s lab door. Himmel Soan pressed a button, and the door opened. The two men rushed in, telling him about the abnormal things happening all over the world. Himmel Soan listened as he stirred a bottle of green potion in his hands. ¡°Patriarch, did you hear what I said?¡± ¡°Yes, the scales.¡± ¡°You know about that?¡± ¡°Yes, I knew something bad was going to happen when they started kneeling. I just didn¡¯t know what exactly. It seems that the other force has activated their genes in those people.¡± Warren and Yosef looked at each other. Warren asked, ¡°What genes?¡± Yosef said, ¡°What other force?¡± They were greatly confused by Himmel Soan¡¯s words. What was he talking about? What were those genes? ¡°Patriarch, do we have other enemies?¡± ¡°Yes, the Atlanteans!¡± ¡°As in Atlantis?¡± Both Warren and Yosef were shocked. ¡°I thought it was a long-gone civilization.¡± ¡°It disappeared but wasn¡¯t destroyed. They¡¯ve remained hidden from us and have been watching us. Because of the moon, they couldn¡¯t leave the bottom of the ocean. After the moon was gone, gravity disappeared, and they were no longer trapped. They can leave the ocean now!¡± ¡°The bottom of the ocean? Is that where Atlantis is?¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t try to explain. He poured the green potion into another container and handed it to Warren. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s the first potion I¡¯ve concocted. I can¡¯t guarantee it¡¯ll work, but I think it¡¯ll probably do the trick. Give it to the three people and note its effects. Get their consent before you feed it to them!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Himmel Soan then went to the president¡¯s office, where the president was holding a conference with the other heads of states. Over five billion people were watching them, all trying to find out what was going on. However, without Himmel Soan, they couldn¡¯t think of anything no matter how long they discussed. Chapter 183 - Thats Nonsense Everybody knew those people were like that because they had worshiped the ocean. However, they didn¡¯t know how to resolve the situation or what procedures to take. People with scales craved water. Should they be allowed to do that or should they be kept away from water? There were all sorts of questions. They turned to Himmel Soan for help when they couldn¡¯t answer any of them. The viewers were asking for Himmel Soan as well. ¡°Where did Mr. Soan go? We want to speak to him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Why is he gone in a moment like this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the god of science? He should know very well why this is happening!¡± ¡°Why is it happening? Are you an idiot? Can¡¯t you see? Obviously, it¡¯s because of all the kneeling!¡± ¡°But why? Why would kneeling do this? What¡¯s the reason behind that?¡± ¡°What reason? Moon has tried to stop you from kneeling at the ocean, hasn¡¯t it? Didn¡¯t Mr. Soan warn you as well? Did you listen to him? But now, you suddenly want to talk to him again? Shame on you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! How were we supposed to know this was going to happen? We wouldn¡¯t have knelt if we had known the danger involved!¡± ¡°If Himmel Soan knew this was going to happen, why didn¡¯t he tell us in advance? Why couldn¡¯t he give us a more detailed explanation? If he had, we wouldn¡¯t have knelt! What you said was bullshit!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan¡¯s explanation was detailed enough, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen!¡± ¡­ The internet seemed to wake up the aggressive side in people, and they could quarrel over just about everything. Frequent internet users would discover that a small group of idiotic people seemed incompatible with the rest of the world. They had shocking views about all subjects and weren¡¯t afraid to speak their minds. Before the internet was invented, people didn¡¯t know there were so many unbelievable people in the world. No matter which direction the wind was blowing, those people could always blame their mistakes on somebody else. In their minds, they were always right. ¡°What¡¯s the point of discussing who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong now? Tell them to make a cure for us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Now isn¡¯t the time to quibble over details. We made a mistake, and we admit it. Alright? I feel awful now! I don¡¯t want to turn into a fish!¡± ¡°You feel awful now? Why did you kneel? You made it sound like we were going to kill you. You did what you wanted, and you¡¯re in trouble. Then you want Mr. Soan¡¯s help. Why the hell should he help you?¡± Just then, Himmel Soan appeared on the screen. All the people that had grown scales and their families grew excited. ¡°Mr. Soan, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, can you give us an explanation?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, why are we like this? How can we recover? What did we lose and gain from kneeling at the ocean? Is this a curse?¡± ¡°I want to know if you knew this was going to happen from the very beginning. Did you deliberately keep it from us?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault! I should have listened to you! I want my old self back! Is that possible?¡± The Moonians responded to those comments. ¡°You idiots! You deserve it!¡± ¡°Why should we help you? We won¡¯t! Didn¡¯t you say we wanted to rule the world and accused us of having ill intentions? You want freedom, and we gave it to you. That¡¯s what you get for it!¡± ¡°Well said! You ungrateful bastard! We saved you, yet you turned on us! You deserve to die! Mr. Soan, we can¡¯t help them! Even if you save them now, they¡¯ll oppose you in less than two hours!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t help them! They¡¯re animals, not our fellow human beings! Why should we bother? Let them rot in hell!¡± In Panthera. ¡°OMG! Scales? That¡¯s so scary!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so glad that we¡¯ve been supporting Moon all the time! Luckily, I myself have been trusting Moon and Mr. Soan, too! Otherwise, I would have turned into a monster!¡± ¡°Yes, that was so close! Thank you, Moon! Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± In Padaski. ¡°Mr. Soan has saved us again! Those scales are so frightening!¡± ¡°Moon is our savior! We may not trust our own country or family, but we can always trust Moon and Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan has saved us twice! Thank you, Mr. Soan! Thank you, Moon!¡± In Hosia and Soleil. ¡°I¡¯m cracking up here! You idiots! You had it coming!¡± ¡°You have no one to blame but yourselves! Mr. Soan was watching out for you, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. It¡¯s too late to regret now!¡± ¡°What a bunch of ungrateful bastards! With everything that has happened, you¡¯re still forcing him to give you an explanation. Go to hell! There¡¯s nothing to explain!¡± Moon¡¯s four allied countries sent congratulatory letters. Just like those Moonians, they believed that those people weren¡¯t worth their pity. ¡­ Henry picked up a chair, put it down next to the president, and invited Himmel Soan to sit down. The entire world was watching them. Seeing all the comments, Himmel Soan finally broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s because of Atlantis.¡± Everything seemed to freeze after he said those words. A few seconds later, people started posting question marks on the screen. ¡°?¡± ¡°???¡± Everybody was utterly confused. After a lot of question marks, somebody finally asked the question. ¡°What? Atlantis? We¡¯re asking you for an explanation, and you¡¯re telling us a fairytale?¡± ¡°What Atlantis? What are you talking about? Why is this happening to us? Give us an explanation! We don¡¯t want to hear about some bygone civilization!¡± ¡°What the hell? Just get to the point! We don¡¯t care about other things, okay?¡± ¡­ Those people were still talking to Himmel Soan in a condescending way. Even the presidents didn¡¯t know what he meant. Himmel Soan went on. ¡°That¡¯s the reason. Atlantis isn¡¯t a fairytale. It exists!¡± Chapter 184 - Explosion ¡°Atlantis has sunk to the bottom of the ocean, and that¡¯s what you knelt at! ¡°Their technology level is far beyond ours. They invented the plasma laser cannon, which is 370 times more powerful than the Neigerian energy cannon! ¡°What does that mean? Take the super meteorite as an example. Even without the space cannon, Atlantis would still be able to destroy it!¡± Most people¡¯s first reaction was not to believe him. Some did believe him, but there were only a handful of such people. ¡°I heard about Atlantis a long time ago, but I didn¡¯t know it existed!¡± ¡°Bullshit! I don¡¯t believe you! Atlantis is pre-historic! It¡¯s from before the time of dinosaurs! How can those people still be around?¡± ¡°Now is the time to test if you¡¯ve listened carefully in class. Who told you Atlantis existed before dinosaurs? Haven¡¯t you heard? From the distinction of the dinosaurs to the present time, there are many gaps in our history! ¡°The dinosaurs died tens of millions to hundreds of millions of years ago. Fossils of primitive men didn¡¯t appear until hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago. There¡¯s a huge gap in between!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How long have human beings been around? Civilizations have only been around for thousands of years. How do you explain the missing tens of millions of years?¡± Those were the people that believed Atlantis existed. However, most people didn¡¯t buy Himmel Soan¡¯s story and saw Atlantis as nothing more than a legend. ¡°Stop making me laugh! Atlantis? Why don¡¯t you tell me it¡¯s God¡¯s will? If Atlantis does exist, why would they allow our civilization to make any advancement?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s total bullshit! I don¡¯t believe any of that!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s Atlantis, God, or vampires! I just want to know how we¡¯re going to recover! Mr. Soan, can you find a way to cure us?¡± ¡°I have the same question! Everything else is bullshit! The most important thing is to cure us!¡± ¡°Atlantis can wait! I¡¯m having trouble breathing already, and I desperately need to get my human form back! Is that doable? I need an answer!¡± ¡­ Henry Lang couldn¡¯t stand those comments anymore. He smacked the table and shouted at the camera, ¡°Watch your attitude! We don¡¯t owe you anything! With the way you¡¯re talking to us, Mr. Soan won¡¯t help you even if he can!¡± Many people supported him. ¡°That¡¯s right! I can¡¯t stand those people! Why should we treat them? Let them die!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, we can¡¯t save them!¡± ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t! Guys, let¡¯s all post the same comment and show them how many people are supporting Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t help them!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t help them!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t help them!¡± ¡­ The screen was covered by bullet comments. As soon as someone posted their doubts, they would be pushed out of the screen by more ¡°Don¡¯t help them!¡± That sentence became the only thing people could read. Three minutes later, the moon rose to the highest point, and Earth¡¯s gravity reverted to normal. However, the same comments were still occupying the screen. Atlantis tried two more times to intercept the artificial moon, but they failed both times. The moon still rose to where it was supposed to be. The artificial moon was different from the original one in many ways. The most significant one was that Atlantis was no longer trapped at the bottom of the ocean. The original moon had created a pressure that kept Atlantis underwater. Even though the Atlanteans had entered the fifth age, they still couldn¡¯t elevate their kingdom out of the ocean without using extra force, but if they did, it would leave a detrimental effect on Earth and cause great damage to their kingdom as well! Himmel Soan¡¯s moon could only restore gravity without any additional effect. Earth would no longer have four seasons, and there were no tides in the ocean either. That was to say, tides would stop rising and falling, and the climate would stay pretty much the same. Moreover, the new moon wasn¡¯t permanent. It would disappear in a year¡¯s time! Himmel Soan said, ¡°Everybody, please stop posting those comments. I¡¯ve created a potion that should help with the scales. I can¡¯t guarantee a full recovery, but it¡¯ll ease your shortness of breath and the craving for water.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s fast!¡± ¡°Great! We¡¯re going to get better!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is as great as ever!¡± ¡°In that case, move on to mass production! Our gravity is back to normal, so why don¡¯t we start the reconstruction? We should return our land to its original state!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. No one can figure out a cure so fast. I won¡¯t buy it unless I see it with my own eyes!¡± ¡°Me neither! That just sounds too fast to be reliable!¡± ¡­ Many people were thrilled to hear that Himmel Soan had found a solution, and many of them apologized for what they had said to Himmel Soan before. They did this so that they could get the cure as soon as possible. However, only they knew how sincere they had been. Some people didn¡¯t believe Himmel Soan and insisted it was too fast to come up with a cure. He was only a scientist, not a medical researcher. How could he know so much about the scales in such a short time? Himmel Soan chose to demonstrate his potion¡¯s effect on these people. He was confident in his skills. Even if the potion couldn¡¯t make the scales and fins go away immediately, it could at least ease the uncomfortable process. ¡°Mr. Soan, the three patients have signed an agreement to try the medicine,¡± Warren communicated with Himmel Soan through his earphones. Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°Alright. Send them in.¡± Soon, the only three affected Moonians were brought into the room. A doctor took out the green potion Himmel Soan had made and injected it into one of the patients. The entire world was watching the patient. He looked much better after the injection and was breathing normally with a big smile on his face. ¡°I feel much better! The medicine really¡­¡± Thump! He exploded before he could finish. Chapter 185 - Conversation ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°OMG!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Did he just explode?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, that was¡­¡± Billions of people saw it. They were astonished and scared out of their wits. Panic then set in. Many people were also furious. ¡­ They were overwhelmed by a tumult of emotions. After a brief moment of silence, the comments returned. ¡°???¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, was that the potion you came up with?¡± ¡°Are you trying to get all of us killed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just evil! You won¡¯t even let us die properly!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you showed it to the whole world!¡± ¡°You want to kill all of us!¡± ¡°Everybody, please calm down! Let¡¯s hear what Mr. Soan has to say!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to say? We¡¯ve seen it all! I¡¯d rather turn into a fish and wear these scales forever than get that injection!¡± ¡°Same here! That was so scary! The man exploded! His brain is all over the ground! If I had to die, I wouldn¡¯t choose to die like that!¡± ¡°Shit! Himmel Soan is so evil! That¡¯s such a horrible thing to do!¡± ¡­ Henry, Gordon, and the Moonian president stared at the blood on the floor before turning to Himmel Soan in bewilderment. ¡°Mr. Soan, what happened?¡± ¡°Patriarch, what¡¯s going on? Why is this happening?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, is there a problem with the potion?¡± All eyes were on Himmel Soan, who was a little confused as well. There was nothing wrong with his potion. Absolutely not! He made sure of it! Even if something was wrong, it wouldn¡¯t have made the patient explode. He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Himmel Soan looked at the computer screen and pondered. An answer began to form in his mind. It was Atlantis! The Atlanteans had used their genetic code to manipulate the man and triggered the explosion. Another possibility was that the genes Atlantis injected into these people had always been a timed bomb. Atlantis had absorbed their wishing power, and their DNA sequence had been recorded by the wishing power device. The Atlanteans could easily control these people with that device. Atlantis killed that man. Himmel Soan figured it out. The problem was to explain it to the rest of the world. Those people wouldn¡¯t listen to him. ¡°The potion is fine; the problem is with Atlantis. They blew up their ¡®disciple¡¯!¡± He decided to tell them the truth even if they wouldn¡¯t believe him. His prediction was correct. Many people were furious when they heard this. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Atlantis? Haven¡¯t you had enough? Do you know anything other than shirking responsibility?¡± ¡°What disciple? Are we in mythology or something? Mr. Soan, we¡¯re in modern society now! Can you stop being so superstitious?¡± ¡°I suspect people consider you the god of science because you cheated!¡± ¡°Bullshit! No one can doubt Mr. Soan¡¯s scientific achievements! He would never lie to us! If he says it¡¯s Atlantis, it must be Atlantis!¡± ¡°I believe Mr. Soan no matter what!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the biggest idiots! You¡¯ve all been brainwashed by Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. I¡¯m not getting that injection!¡± ¡°Atlantis? Where is it? Show me!¡± ¡­ It was just like Himmel Soan had anticipated. Nobody in other countries would believe him. Henry asked, ¡°Mr. Soan, are you telling the truth?¡± Warren snapped. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Are you questioning our Patriarch now? Why would he lie to you? If he says it¡¯s Atlantis, Atlantis it is!¡± Henry shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯m only trying to figure out what has happened. Mr. Soan, the public opinion isn¡¯t on your side now. I think you should take a break.¡± Almost everybody was accusing Himmel Soan. No matter how hard he tried to explain, the world saw what had happened; any explanation was futile. The screen suddenly went dark when Henry wanted to take Himmel Soan back to his room. The world was using the network Himmel Soan built with his mental power. As long as he wasn¡¯t severely injured or killed, the network would function normally. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The screen suddenly lit up again. However, the previous images were gone, replaced by an animated robot. The entire world could see it. The robot¡¯s eyes looked like two light bulbs and were making a beeping sound. ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± It had the typical autonomous tone of a robot. Himmel Soan said, ¡°You¡¯re from Atlantis, aren¡¯t you?¡± The robot nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Himmel Soan. Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Roams!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase, then,¡± said Himmel Soan. The robot began to walk back and forth on the screen, making a crunching, metallic sound. ¡°Mr. Soan, I have control over four hundred million people in your world. In seven days, they¡¯ll become fishmen that would have to live in the water. They won¡¯t survive in the shallow water either. They¡¯ll become our slaves that¡¯ll serve us at the bottom of the ocean for eternity. I think you already know that someone who has been scratched by a fishman will become one as well. Therefore, I have a lot more than four hundred million hostages.¡± Himmel Soan said calmly, ¡°What do you want?¡± Roams chuckled, ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re a clever man. I¡¯d like to exchange their lives for something you own.¡± Himmel Soan already knew the answer. ¡°The space cannon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Very nice! Mr. Soan, I like talking to you!¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°You can download the blueprint for free.¡± ¡°No, I want the one you have built! I can¡¯t understand the enter blueprint, and I need to take apart your space cannon to study it. What do you say? Four hundred million lives for a space cannon that you no longer need. That¡¯s a sweet deal! Mr. Soan, you have one week. Feel free to look for a cure. That is if no one explodes in that process. Goodbye!¡± What?! The screen became dark again. A second later, it lit up and returned to normal. The entire world had heard the conversation between the robot and Himmel Soan. Chapter 186 - Divided ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°Was that an Atlantean?¡± ¡°What did he say? Four hundred million lives for the space cannon?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you understand? It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. That man is an Atlantean, and we¡¯re all at his mercy!¡± ¡°Why did he say we had one week?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be dead after that! No, we¡¯ll all turn into fish! We¡¯ll have to live in the deep ocean and serve Atlantis for the rest of our lives! Isn¡¯t that so? I heard him correctly, right? If I misunderstood him, please give me another explanation!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard, too! I don¡¯t want that to happen! I don¡¯t want to live in the ocean! No!¡± ¡°What do they want? The space cannon? Give it to them! Surely, it¡¯s not as valuable as four hundred million lives!¡± ¡°I agree! Mr. Soan, it¡¯s not an outrageous request. Since we¡¯re done with the space cannon, we can let them have it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let them have the space cannon, and we¡¯ll be safe! Please, Mr. Soan!¡± ¡­ The whole world heard that conversation. Over 90% of the people believed in the existence of Atlantis now. However, there would always be a small fraction of people who wanted to be different from everybody else. ¡°That can¡¯t be true! It must be one of Moon¡¯s tricks.¡± ¡°Atlantis? I don¡¯t buy it! It¡¯s a civilization that only exists in legends! How can it be anywhere on Earth?!¡± ¡°I agree. If it¡¯s so powerful, why was it destroyed in the first place? Why did it sink to the bottom of the ocean? It doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s one of Moon¡¯s tricks! They want to clean their reputation, so they came up with some animation and tried to fool us!¡± ¡­ Seeing those idiotic comments, Moonians, Hosians, Padaskians, and Pantherese retorted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you people? Why would Moon lie to you? What could they possibly get out of that?¡± ¡°You people are unbelievable. You¡¯re questioning everybody. Is there something you actually believe?¡± ¡°Fine! Everything is fake, and you¡¯re all correct! Keep at it, and don¡¯t believe in anyone or anything! I can¡¯t believe how vicious and stupid you all are!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so mad! Go to hell, you idiots!¡± ¡­ ¡°Does Atlantis really exist? Did that really happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think it¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Me too! Look at me. The scales are real. You can¡¯t argue with that, can you?¡± ¡°Yes, I believe Atlantis exists!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, can you give us an explanation?¡± ¡­ The Moonian president, Henry, Gordon, and Warren were also looking at Himmel Soan in confusion. They desperately wanted an answer. ¡°Mr. Soan, what¡¯s¡­¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t try to hide anything. Without switching off the camera, he sat down on his chair, facing the entire world. He had to face the world, after all. ¡°Yes, that was someone from Atlantis.¡± The answer surprised the president and everybody else. Himmel Soan¡¯s live stream was the only broadcast in the world. Because of Roams, it was cut off for a moment, and all the other screens had shut down when the robot disappeared. At least eight billion people were watching Himmel Soan now. ¡°It really is Atlantis! Seriously?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± ¡°The civilization that¡¯s supposed to exist only in legends actually is here on Earth!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re the biggest idiot! Look at your scales! How do you explain them? You¡¯re going to turn into fish! Don¡¯t you see that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How do you explain the scales if it¡¯s not the work of the Atlanteans?¡± ¡°That person was loud and clear when he said he came from Atlantis. He¡¯s controlling the lives of four hundred million people!¡± ¡­ Himmel Soan nodded as he read the comments. ¡°Yes. Atlantis does exist. If you want to know the truth, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Countless bullet comments filled the screen before he could go on. ¡°What do they want?¡± ¡°Can we defeat Atlantis?¡± ¡°What¡¯s their ultimate goal?¡± ¡°Atlantis wants our space cannon. Why? Are we expecting more meteorites?¡± ¡°Are they going to use it on us?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, was that explosion caused by Atlantis or your potion? Can you be more specific?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°Their ultimate goal is to make it to the sixth age, which will widen their prospects. They¡¯ll no longer be bound to Earth. They can leave this planet and go to any other planet in the surrounding galaxies. It¡¯s perfectly attainable with sixth-age technology.¡± Henry asked, ¡°What will happen after they collect enough wishing power?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll reach the next age. We¡¯re in the fourth age now, and they¡¯re in the fifth. Once they collect enough wishing power, they¡¯ll reach the sixth age. They want the space cannon because of its internal structure, which contains technology of the sixth or even the seventh age. Studying the space cannon thoroughly will be very helpful for them!¡± Many people laughed at that explanation. ¡°Fourth, fifth, and sixth age? Are we in a sci-fi movie now? I only have some scales. That doesn¡¯t sound too advanced a technology. I can¡¯t see why it is related to the breakthrough you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If that technology can take them out of the galaxy, then leaving the galaxy is too easy!¡± ¡°You must be one of the idiots that insisted on kneeling at the ocean earlier. You didn¡¯t listen to Mr. Soan before, and you¡¯re still questioning him. Mr. Soan, just let them die! They¡¯re not worth saving!¡± Chapter 187 - Inevitable War ¡°Yes! They aren¡¯t worth saving! They¡¯ve all lost their minds, and they don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°Saving those people is a waste of our energy! Let them die! They¡¯ve been living in their dreams, and they¡¯ve done nothing but give us more trouble!¡± However, those people¡¯s replies were equally incredible. ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t save us. We¡¯re contagious, so we can all turn into fishmen. All we need to do is to scratch you with fins and scales. Then you¡¯ll become just like us!¡± ¡°Screw you all! Healthy people should work together and kill them all! Or we can lock them up so that they won¡¯t harm us!¡± ¡°Touch me, and I¡¯ll stab you! I¡¯m holding my fin! Stay away from me!¡± ¡°See that? These people are inhuman! We shouldn¡¯t help them!¡± ¡°Bring it on! I dare you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make your life hell!¡± ¡°Damn you! Guys, we¡¯re in Ark 32 in Iceana, and there¡¯s a fight! We need more men!¡± ¡°Healthy people are needed in Ark 14 in Soilia! The fishmen have revolted!¡± ¡°Shit! Fishmen are needed in Ark 65 of Goldia! The ordinary people are trying to kill us, and they¡¯ll move on to you after that! Everybody with scales should stick together! We can¡¯t hold them back much longer!¡± ¡­ No one knew when it started, but the online quarrel turned into actual fights in real life. The number of viewers kept dropping. At first, there were 7.8 billion people watching, but it dropped to five billion. From there, it dropped to three billion. Then two billion. Seeing this, the Moonian president told his peers, ¡°Everybody, our gravity has recovered, and everything is back to normal. You have to stop those fights right now! We can¡¯t afford any injuries!¡± All the presidents knew how serious the matter was, but there was nothing they could do. Earth wasn¡¯t what it used to be. The ground had cracked open, mountains had collapsed, and a lot of land had been flooded. How were they going to send people over there to break up the fights? By rowing? ¡°Mr. Soan, I think we should stop the live stream now.¡± ¡°Yes! In this chaotic situation, not many people were listening to Himmel Soan. The top priority was to come up with a strategy. After the camera was switched off, high-ranking Moonian officials held a meeting. Himmel Soan answered all the questions Henry and Gordon had. ¡°I see!¡± The others were enlightened by Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation. ¡°We can never give them the space cannon, right? If their technology rises to the sixth age, we¡¯ll be in bigger danger than when the meteorite came at us. Is that correct, Mr. Soan?¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct, but the war between Atlantis and us is inevitable.¡± ¡°Inevitable? Why?¡± ¡°Are you going to war with Atlantis even without those four hundred million people?¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. The yellow stones came from Atlantis, and to open the portal, I¡¯ll need those stones. Earth will be inhabitable in a year¡¯s time. Maybe we can fix this planet, but it¡¯ll take a very long time. It¡¯ll be thirty years before we can move back to Earth again!¡± Gordon asked, ¡°Are we really going to a new planet? Is there no other way? How¡¯s that planet compared to Earth?¡± ¡°We must. To rebuild Earth, we need a moon that¡¯s identical to the original one that¡¯s circling around Earth. Once that¡¯s achieved, the instability on Earth will go away. The ocean will recede, and the four seasons will return. It¡¯s like I said: the process will take thirty years. The new planet is slightly different from Earth, but it¡¯s very similar. It¡¯s much larger, though. Its moon is about the size of Earth.¡± Warren said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing. If its moon is as big as Earth, the planet has to be a lot bigger than ours!¡± Himmel Soan tapped the table to stop the subject from digressing. ¡°The point isn¡¯t what the new planet is like. It¡¯s Atlantis. The truth is: I can wipe out the kingdom, but I can¡¯t guarantee I can stop the Atlanteans from detonating the genetic bombs in our people before they die.¡± Henry raised his hand. ¡°Mr. Soan, what¡¯s that gene you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°When those people knelt at the ocean, the Atlanteans injected some genes into those people when they extracted the wishing power. By the looks of it, they¡¯ve used fish genes. For instance, if they used dog genes, those people would have grown fur, fangs, and claws. ¡°That¡¯s to say, the genes will give them the traits of a specific species, but the host will still have most of their original features. They¡¯re still humans, but they show signs of fish.¡± Gordon nodded. ¡°I see. Atlantis has given them fish genes, turning them into fishmen.¡± ¡°Yes! The fish genes have been modified into a weapon, which was the explosion you saw just then. It¡¯s not so dangerous that it¡¯ll injure the people around them, but it¡¯ll kill the host instantly.¡± Warren smacked the table and shouted, ¡°We can¡¯t give them the space cannon! They¡¯re not advancing to the sixth age! We¡¯d rather lose those four hundred million people than give them the space cannon!¡± Gordon patted him. ¡°Calm down. Those people out there will attack you again if they hear this.¡± Warren said, ¡°Was I wrong? You know I¡¯m right! My Patriarch has told them not to kneel at the ocean, but they wouldn¡¯t listen! They deserve to die, and I won¡¯t pity them! Patriarch, let¡¯s just annihilate Atlantis. Ignore those four hundred million people!¡± Himmel Soan lowered his gaze. The others didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. The president spoke up, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too cruel? The world is still in chaos, and other people will mutate if those people scratch them with scales and fins. We only have four hundred million now, but the number can quickly doot up to a billion.¡± Chapter 188 - Zero Trust ¡°The first thing we need to do is separate the fishmen from the healthy people. We can¡¯t let this disease spread. The infected ones will eventually be under Atlantis¡¯s control. I don¡¯t know how much wishing power the Atlanteans need, but the more they have, the harder it¡¯ll be to handle them,¡± said Himmel Soan. After some consideration, Himmel Soan decided to compartmentalize the global network. He used a portion of his mental force to build a second network explicitly used for communication among the presidents. All the ordinary people were blocked. Moon invited Padaski, Hosia, Panthera, and other allied countries into the network and told them what was going on. Needless to say, they all trusted Moon unconditionally because they understood the Moonian traditional civilization. They knew that the Moonians were all about peace and love. Moon would never initiate a war, nor would it want to rule the world. Those countries knew that they could trust the Moon. Even if it came to the worst and the Moon would rule the world, those countries would still side with it. That was because they all dreamed about ruling the world as well. However, they had hidden that intention because Moon hadn¡¯t said anything. They would be delighted if Moon made a move. In a word, they would follow Moon¡¯s steps. It wasn¡¯t an original thing to do. However, this kind of trust helped them through the two catastrophes. Without Moon, not many countries would have been left on this planet. The Pantherese president was the most decisive one. Upon hearing Himmel Soan¡¯s explanation, he smacked the table. ¡°Copy that! There are only eight patients in my country, and we¡¯ve locked them away! Should we kill them? I can give the order right now!¡± Compared to other countries, Moon, Hosia, and Soleil had remained relatively intact because they hadn¡¯t lost as many people. During the catastrophe, they hid in underground shelters as the Moonians did. It was easy for them to execute a few people now. They wouldn¡¯t hesitate to execute eight thousand people, let alone eight. Only these five countries could do things like this. ¡°No!¡± Himmel Soan stopped the agitated Pantherese president. ¡°There¡¯s a cure! The potion I created will work!¡± The other presidents hesitated when they heard this. The Pantherese president looked at the others and shouted, ¡°Why are you hesitating?! Of course, there¡¯s nothing wrong with Mr. Soan¡¯s potion! I¡¯ll take it! Those eight people will die, anyway. We¡¯ll give them the injection. I trust Mr. Soan completely.¡± Henry explained, ¡°Mr. Soan¡¯s potion is perfectly safe. The explosion happened because Atlantis detonated the genes at that moment, making it look like the result of Mr. Soan¡¯s potion. That person would have exploded even without the injection!¡± The Pantherese president shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for further explanations. I have faith in Mr. Soan. When can we have the potion? Shall we bring those people to you?¡± Himmel Soan glanced at Warren and gave the order. ¡°The formula of the potion is in my lab. Take it, put it to mass production, and send the potion to Panthera first!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Gordon said anxiously, ¡°Mr. Soan, we believe you, but I can¡¯t say the same for the rest of the world.¡± Himmel Soan had thought of that, too. The entire world was watching when he injected the potion into that man. And that man exploded. Everybody would assume there was something wrong with Himmel Soan¡¯s potion. After enough potions were manufactured, they would only go to Moon¡¯s allied countries. Together, they only had fewer than fifty patients. Moon used to have three, but there were only two left now. Padaski had eleven, and Panthera had eight. Hosia and Soleil only had twenty. Therefore, only a tiny fraction of the potions would be used. The most dangerous thing was that the Atlanteans could still detonate the patients. The genes were like bombs. If those people exploded when they were receiving the injection, people would think again that they were killed by the potion. Nobody would ever trust Himmel Soan again. Unlike Moon, those countries valued freedom the most, and their people were hard to control. They had such a strong will that they would fight against their own country. Moonians didn¡¯t have such behavior. Therefore, those countries were much harder to control. That was also why they were in such an awkward situation now. ¡°We¡¯ll worry about that later. Let¡¯s start the mass production and invite the other presidents into this meeting.¡± Soon, presidents of Winland, Flamia, Iceana, Soilia, and other major countries joined the meeting. This network was using another streak of Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force, so the meeting was kept secret from the rest of the world. As expected, when the other presidents heard the reason for the explosion, they didn¡¯t seem convinced. But they didn¡¯t dare retort Himmel Soan and only looked at one another in silence. ¡°What? Don¡¯t you believe Mr. Soan?¡± the Pantherese president asked. The other presidents only smiled and shrugged. The Padaskian president was furious. ¡°Mr. Soan is trying to save you! What¡¯s there not to believe? Without him, you won¡¯t be here today!¡± The Winish president nodded. ¡°I understand that. There¡¯s a Moonian saying that a vassal should do whatever their king orders them to, even if it¡¯s to meet their death. Is that what you¡¯re making us do? Do you want to kill us all? If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t use some potion as an excuse, and just come out with it! I know we¡¯re not your match. We can always kill ourselves! Enough with all the lousy excuses!¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Gordon bellowed, ¡°If we wanted to kill you, why would we save you in the first place?¡± ¡°Maybe you just enjoy playing the savior¡­¡± ¡°Who said that? Step out!¡± Everybody kept their lips pursed and wouldn¡¯t say a word. However, they all looked rather indignant. Chapter 189 - : Chaos If the presidents were so difficult to handle, one could only imagine what their people would be like. Yes, Moon could subdue those presidents by force, but that would never be the ultimate solution. Earlier, all the countries thanked Moon. But as more and more people grew scales, those countries no longer felt as grateful. There were several reasons. First of all, people believed that Moon was trying to control everybody¡¯s minds, which was something they had suspected before. Secondly, they thought that the scale-growing incident was planned by Moon. Atlantis and the land at the bottom of the ocean were simply too extraordinary for them to imagine. Since no one had seen it before, it was only natural that they wouldn¡¯t believe it. It was human nature. If a person told their friend that they had found a hundred dollars by the side of the road, their friend wouldn¡¯t believe them right away. If people suspected such a plausible thing, of course, they would suspect the existence of Atlantis. Last but not least, some people believed Atlantis existed and that Moon had created a potion, but they didn¡¯t believe it was effective. They saw what had happened to the man. He exploded as soon as he had the injection. Everyone would connect the two things. Maybe there were other reasons, but those weren¡¯t mainstream opinions. Most presidents were in one of the three groups, especially the third one. Therefore, their gratitude toward Moon began to fade. Gradually, they found Moonians hypocrites, who were forcing them against their will. Some presidents even asked Moon to hand the space cannon to Atlantis in exchange for the cure. However, no one knew if there was a cure. If they handed the space cannon to the Atlantis, with Roams¡¯s talent, he would be able to figure out everything in a month. After that, the human race would be in grave danger. Himmel Soan had only recovered 15%, and building the moon had cost him over half of his spiritual essence. He could handle a fifth-age civilization, but the sixth age was a different story. People of the sixth age would have the ability to alter space and time. With his current ability, Himmel Soan could deal with them, but he couldn¡¯t guarantee that Earth would be intact afterward. He might not be able to keep Moon safe either. To do that, he needed to recover 20% of his power. ¡°Our top priority is to keep the fishmen under control. We can¡¯t let them infect more people. The space cannon and wishing power are both key factors in helping Atlantis into the sixth age. We need to stabilize ourselves first before considering how to fight against Atlantis!¡± ¡°Absolutely! Panthera will do everything we can to assist Mr. Soan. If you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to tell us. We won¡¯t spare any effort!¡± ¡°The Padaskians will do everything we can to help Moon!¡± ¡°So will the Hosians!¡± ¡°And the Soleilians!¡± The four allied countries immediately offered their support, but the other countries hesitated. ¡­ ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m having scales, too!¡± In arks all over the world, the condition began to spread. The young man scratched by the middle-aged man already saw tiny scales around his wounds. It almost looked like snake skin. He was furious. He grabbed a knife off the food counter and went to look for the middle-aged man in the ark. In the places that were no longer flooded, the arks had opened up, and people could enter and exit freely. The young man¡¯s ark happened to be anchored by the shore, and most people had disembarked. The passengers were divided into two groups. Those with scales had been chased off the ark to a far corner on the beach. Some of the healthy people remained in the ark, while others were scattered on the beach nearby. The young man marched toward the fishmen with the knife in his hand. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The young man was extremely agitated. He started running and quickly spotted the middle-aged man before stabbing him. ¡°Damn you! Look what you¡¯ve done to me! Die!¡± He stabbed the middle-aged man repeatedly until the latter was barely breathing. The other fishmen lost control as well. ¡°They want to kill us! We must fight back!¡± ¡°They started it! Just because we have scales doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t take you!¡± ¡°Kill them!¡± The fishmen took the young man¡¯s action as an attack on all fishmen. They joined hands and attacked the young man together. They didn¡¯t stop there either because they were scared that other healthy men would attack them again. To attack was the best form of defense! Their feet had turned into something that looked like duck¡¯s webs, but they were still able to walk and run. They charged at the healthy people with malicious looks in their eyes. Some even ripped off their fins and used them as weapons. Some of the healthy people ran back to the ark while others shouted for help. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Let¡¯s kill these monsters! With me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! My dad is still there!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not your dad! He¡¯s turned into a monster! Kill them all!¡± ¡°Screw them! I¡¯d rather die than turn into a fishman! You monsters!¡± ¡­ Just like that, the fishmen and the healthy people started exchanging blows on the beach. Some timid people hid in the ark and closed the door, shutting everybody outside. Hearing the sound of fighting on the beach, they shivered in the ark. Many healthy people were stabbed and scratched by spikes and fins, hence ending their lives as healthy human beings. Similar things were happening all over the world. Some fights took place inside the arks. Some happened in the ocean. Some happened in other places on land. No matter which side won the battle, there was a loss of many lives. Many people hid in their rooms and scrolled down their phones for updates from Moon and the rest of the world. However, Moon never responded. Instead of hearing from Moon, they received a message from Atlantis. Chapter 190 - Temptation from Atlantis ¡°Welcome to Atlantis! ¡°Please follow me. Here in Atlantis, you¡¯ll see all the products of the fourth-age human civilization. Here¡¯s a Quasi-Pole stick. It belonged to the fourth age, which was 120 thousand years ago. You¡¯ll also be shown underwater gaming devices and robot housekeepers. Atlantis is a super civilization that has entered the fifth age. We¡¯re a hundred times better than you in all aspects! ¡°We¡¯ll now show you the heart of Atlantis, a splendid AI brain that runs everything in Atlantis¡­¡± It was a video. In it, a stunning woman was making introductions with a smile. She had the kind of beauty that one would only see in photoshopped pictures or in one¡¯s imagination. No plastic surgery could create such a perfect face. But it was obvious that she had gone through plastic surgeries. People of the fourth age couldn¡¯t begin to imagine the technology of the fifth age, nor did they know what their plastic surgeries could do. The only thing that made people uncomfortable was the long, sharp fins by her elbows. It was a rather strange sight. The humans weren¡¯t used to such appearances but the Atlanteans were. They even saw fins as a sign of beauty. It was the same as how humans looked at other people¡¯s height, their bust size, or the length of their neck. Many people liked buxom women, some loved long necks, while others liked their partners to be petite or tall. Those were all aesthetic standards. In Atlantis, such standards were the fins. Longer fins were considered attractive. Shorter fins were also unique. Everybody was different. Not all of them were into fins, but most of them were. This woman had perfect fins. However, humans couldn¡¯t appreciate it. ¡°This is the bottom of the ocean, the new environment of Atlantis. It¡¯s now dark and damp, as you may have imagined. We have sunlight here. Through refraction, we were able to bring it to the bottom of the ocean. ¡°This is an Atlantean house! Here, you don¡¯t need to worry about housing prices because everybody is given a villa that comes with AI servants. Hey, come here!¡± A robot moved toward her, and the woman ordered it around as a demonstration. ¡°We also provide people with Level-3 medals and above with maids. Each one can have at least two. What are they like, you may ask. I¡¯m one of them! I¡¯ll show you the other maids.¡± She waved at someone off the camera, and some women as pretty as her walked in. In the fifth age, most of the secrets of genes had been figured out. These perfect women were either born this way because their genes had been modified or had gone through incredible plastic surgeries. ¡°The maids will do anything for you. They¡¯ll wash your face, your hair, and brush your teeth. You name it! They¡¯ll even follow you into the toilet. Moreover, they¡¯re only half-Atlanteans because they¡¯re half-robots. However, it doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t see them as living creatures because they¡¯re fertile, just like any human woman. Many Atlanteans have married women like them; some even have more than one. ¡°We¡¯ll provide you with the same services if you prefer men. The height of the male servants can be customized, and they all have eight packs.¡± ¡­ This video was the content of the private message the fishmen had received. At first, they refused to accept their state. However, they changed their minds when they saw the video. They went insane and became obsessed with Atlantis. It was a paradise for everybody! It was heaven! In their imagination, Atlantis was a dark place without any sunlight or freedom. However, according to the Atlanteans, the bottom of the ocean was much more spacious than the land. After all, 73% of Earth was taken up by the ocean. In Atlantis, people wouldn¡¯t need to worry about housing prices. There was plenty of space, so all the houses were free. No one needed to do any labor because the advanced AI robots could do everything for them. All they needed to do was eat, drink, and have fun. They could enjoy themselves with men, women, games, and computers. They didn¡¯t even need to worry about maintaining their figures. With the Atlantean technology, their body shapes could be altered anytime. Bigger breasts, smaller waists, rounder butts, and harder muscles, everything could be done in ten minutes, and it was completely painless. Who wouldn¡¯t want a life like that? ¡°Mr. Soan, look!¡± Henry showed the video to Himmel Soan. As there were two fishmen in Moon, they had received the message as well. They gave it to Henry as soon as they received it. Himmel Soan crushed the phone after he finished the video. ¡°It¡¯s a lie!¡± ¡°A lie?¡± Henry was perplexed. ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°All of it!¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°First of all, Atlantis would never treat humans that way. All the fishmen would only become hard laborers. One person would be split into a hundred parts to build biological robots!¡± ¡°Biological robots?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a combination of humans and machines. It¡¯s more intelligent. It has human flesh and blood, but there¡¯s an engine in it as well.¡± The descriptions gave Henry the creeps. Himmel went on. ¡°Besides, even if they want to treat our people that way, they don¡¯t have the resources. Atlantis is an advanced society, but it¡¯s not as wonderful as they described. Their competition is more severe than ours! Their people are divided into three categories, and only the most prestigious ones can live the life they¡¯ve described. The other two categories can only control the low lives, which are all robots with no emotions. Those people often lash out at the robots. ¡°However, when the fishmen get there, they¡¯ll be more miserable than the robots. They¡¯ll be under the robots¡¯ control. After they¡¯re drained of their energy, they¡¯ll be used for experiments, where their bodies will be taken apart and combined with machines.¡± Chapter 191 - This Is Heaven Some people couldn¡¯t stand different skin colors, let alone aliens. Similarly, alien races wouldn¡¯t tolerate those people either. Nothing good could come out of it! The video sounded like the promotion materials of unreliable immigration agencies. They would tempt their clients with all sorts of pretty pictures, promising a bright future ahead. However, only a fool would believe in those. Once the clients reached their destination, they would realize that nothing the agency said was true. ¡°Atlantis sounds wonderful!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be bliss to live there! That¡¯s my dream home!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a paradise! I¡¯m so excited! I want to go there!¡± ¡°Me, too! Atlantis is our ultimate homeland! I want to go there now! Thank you, Atlantis, for giving me that chance!¡± ¡°We only have Level-1 medals now, which gives us the villa and luxury cars but not the maids. Level-2 will give us all kinds of benefits, such as plastic surgeries. Level-3 will give us the maids. I want Level-3!¡± ¡°How do we get the medal?¡± ¡°I heard we can reach Level-2 if we infect five human beings. Infect twenty, and we¡¯ll be Level-3!¡± ¡°Twenty? That¡¯s easy! I¡¯ll do it now!¡± Atlantis tried to turn the humans against each other. Five hundred million people had grown scales. Even if each infected twenty people, they would infect ten billion in total. There weren¡¯t that many people in the world. Their devious plot could turn all the human beings into Atlanteans¡¯ slaves. Having seen the explosion, those people would never take another cure. ¡­ In the Moonian lab. Gordon was watching the two fishmen in Moon. They were struggling in agony in their beds. Blue veins popped on one of the people¡¯s necks and foreheads. The veins looked like squirming earthworms and were very scary. He sat up and yelped, his face contorted. The scales on his elbows began to soften and looked like wax melting under the heat. They shriveled, liquified, and fell off. The scales on other parts of his body also fell off like sand. ¡°We did it!¡± Gordon was elated to see this. Himmel Soan¡¯s potion worked! ¡°This is great! Mr. Soan¡¯s potion works! The explosion earlier had nothing to do with him!¡± When they were injected with the potion, the two fishmen were frightened. They were worried that they would explode like the first fishman. However, nothing of the sort happened. The man laughed excitedly when he saw he had recovered. ¡°I¡¯m well! I¡¯ve recovered! Thank you, General Gordon! Thank you, Mr. Soan! I¡¯m so happy!¡± Scales began to fall off the other fishman as well. The process was taped and sent to the allied countries. It alleviated their remaining apprehension. Countless fishmen had posted the Atlantis video they received online. ¡°Look! This is what Atlantis looks like, and this is the future we can have! I thought being a fishman is a shame, but by the looks of it, I should consider it a glory!¡± ¡°Does anybody want to transform? Come to me, and I¡¯ll cut you for free!¡± ¡°Do you see that? That¡¯s our ultimate homeland! The Atlanteans have done something we humans weren¡¯t able to!¡± ¡°Ladies, don¡¯t you want more curves? Guys, don¡¯t you want eight packs? Are you still worried about your big bellies? Stop worrying and join Atlantis to have it all!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy now! Becoming a fishman is my greatest fortune! The bottom of the ocean isn¡¯t as dark and horrible as we think. Look! It¡¯s so sunny and magnificent!¡± ¡­ Not many people could resist such temptations. Even the healthy people were enticed by the video. Only the wise people could see there was something wrong with it. They knew they wouldn¡¯t be treated so nicely if they really went to live at the bottom of the ocean. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! It¡¯s so beautiful! It looks like CGI. What a paradise! There are trees, and it is so sunny! I want to go there!¡± ¡°If I can live there and be pretty forever, what if I have a few scales?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I can have more than one maid! What man will say no to that? Give me ten! Where are the fishmen? I need them! Cut me! Cut me now!¡± ¡°Guys, calm down! How can there be sunlight in the sea? That¡¯s 50,000m underwater! No technology can refract light into that depth! Look at the light. Doesn¡¯t it seem off? Is that real sunlight? Are you sure that¡¯s the kind of life we¡¯ll have if we join them?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! If you don¡¯t want to go, shut up and get out of my sight! No one is forcing you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re the type of person that¡¯ll suspect anything. Why don¡¯t you suspect your mother? She might be fake, too!¡± ¡°Hey! You¡¯ve crossed the line. They¡¯re only expressing their view, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯re wrong. Look at the video. Something really seems off!¡± ¡°Blame your own brain! I¡¯ve checked each frame, and it¡¯s not edited. It¡¯s real footage. That means Atlantis really looks like that!¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that Atlantis has more advanced technology than us! Do you really think we can tell if a video has been edited by them? They¡¯re from the fifth age!¡± ¡°In that case, we must go! They¡¯re from the next age!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Moon also posted the recovery video. ¡°Good news! Mr. Soan has created a cure! All fishmen can recover!¡± However, it was no longer considered a piece of good news. Very few people welcomed the announcement. Chapter 192 - Change of Opinion ¡°Why would we want that? We don¡¯t need to recover!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I can¡¯t wait to become a fishman!¡± ¡°A cure? I won¡¯t take it even if you pay me! I¡¯m going to Atlantis! I want to rule other creatures! The housing price here is too high, and I¡¯ll never be able to afford a place of my own! I can live in a big villa in Atlantis! Many maids will serve me, too! I¡¯m going to sleep with ten women!¡± ¡°I totally agree with you! I¡¯ll sleep with ten men at night, and they¡¯ll all have eight packs!¡± ¡°I used to be so ashamed of becoming a fishman and felt like a monster, but now, I can¡¯t be happier!¡± ¡°How do we get to Atlantis? I want to go there now!¡± ¡°Hold on! That kind of life is only for people with the Level-3 medal. Do you have one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I still need that! Anybody wants to become a fishman? Come to me! I¡¯ll thank you for that. I¡¯m a pretty girl, by the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a 20-year-old handsome man. I¡¯m in Ark-22 in Soilia, and I¡¯m waiting for twenty people that want to be scratched.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a 20-year-old graduate from a dance academy. Does anybody want a little pinch? Let me scratch you, please. I¡¯ll be very gentle. It won¡¯t hurt at all¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Patriarch, things are getting worse online. Many people are begging to be infected!¡± Warren, Henry, and Gordon were worried about the comments. Himmel Soan said, ¡°They aren¡¯t the only ones who can hire paid posters. We can do the same. Make a video and tell the world what I just told you. Let them see the truth about life at the bottom of the ocean.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll do it. After all, I¡¯m the general of the Dragon Tribe.¡± While Gordon went to record the video, Henry and Warren hired paid posters to turn the public opinion around. To their surprise, no one would accept their money. Even the Moonians were persuaded by the videos Atlantis had posted. If even the Moonians were tempted, one could expect how the people of the allied countries would react. ¡°I want to trust Moon, and I want to support Mr. Soan, but I don¡¯t think being infected is such a bad idea!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Earth is overrun by water. If the bottom of the ocean is so nice, why shouldn¡¯t we live there?¡± ¡°It looks wonderful! Why would Mr. Soan want to stop Atlantis? Is it because they belong to the fifth age?¡± ¡°I really want to try. Maybe everything they said is true! I¡¯ve never enjoyed a day of my life in the past thirty years, and I¡¯ve been paying mortgages on my house and my car. I can¡¯t see any hope. I¡¯m so tired!¡± ¡°Everybody is. The fifth age shows me the possibility of combining humans with machines. It¡¯s a whole new world! I want to go there! Even if it¡¯s a lie, I can always die there. I don¡¯t have any hope in my life. No matter how hard I work, my effort is nothing compared to a word some rich guy says. I¡¯d rather die and get born into a better family in another life!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it until I heard what you said. It makes me want to cry¡­¡± ¡°Is Atlantis really the ultimate goal of the human race? Guys, why don¡¯t you infect me, and I¡¯ll be your lab rat. How does that sound?¡± ¡°In your dreams! If someone has to go there first, it has to be me. Guys, since we have a cure now, this won¡¯t be any different from taking a trip to the bottom of the ocean. Scratch me, and I¡¯ll go to the bottom of the ocean for you!¡± Moon posted their video at that moment. ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m General Gordon Marlow. Please do not believe the video Atlantis sent you. It¡¯s a lie! Every frame of it has been edited by a computer. You can¡¯t detect it because Atlantis has much more advanced technology, and you can¡¯t see the details. Let me tell you why it¡¯s all fake. ¡°First of all, there are no villas. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. Atlantis is at the bottom of the ocean, and their dwellings can¡¯t be the same as ours. That alone can prove they¡¯re lying. ¡°Moreover, Atlantis said they were going to give everybody free housing, but that¡¯s impossible. They don¡¯t own the entire ocean. The Triangle is their entire world, and that¡¯s less than one-tenth the area of Moon. That¡¯s also the only place where everybody lives. The ocean is vast, but most of it is inhabitable. It¡¯s the same as the mountains and deserts on land! ¡°Thirdly, we¡¯re not Atlanteans, and you¡¯re only going to become their slaves and servants. There are no maids or servants for you. It¡¯s just a bait! They¡¯re luring you! All they want is your wishing power and your body. You¡¯re going to be taken apart and turn into biological AIs! You won¡¯t survive ten days down there! ¡°Furthermore, just because there¡¯s a cure doesn¡¯t mean you can do everything. Once they drain your blood, no cure can save you. They¡¯ve only extracted your wishing power now, and there¡¯s a chance to recover. If you go with them, you won¡¯t be able to come back! ¡°That¡¯s not all. Higher-level civilizations always look down upon lower-level ones. We¡¯re aliens to them. If a planet close to Earth has a civilization that has just invented wheels, what will you do? You won¡¯t help them improve their technology level. Ask yourself this: what will you do? You¡¯re going to turn them into slaves! Right? To Atlantis, we¡¯re the people that have just invented wheels! ¡°Last but not least, Mr. Soan has gone to Atlantis to collect some evidence. Soon, he¡¯ll show us a video of the real Atlantis. You¡¯ll see the truth then. Please do not try to get infected and take the injection as soon as you can. That¡¯s the only right thing to do!¡± Chapter 193 - Are We Pawns? Gordon¡¯s video was received with outrage. ¡°Bullshit! Have you been to Atlantis yourself? Why do you know what they did? What authority do you have?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan has gone to Atlantis to collect evidence? Are you sure he¡¯s not defecting to the other side?¡± ¡°Even Mr. Soan has switched sides. What choice do we have?¡± ¡°I see. Moon is negotiating with Atlantis in secret! Is that it? You¡¯re the most powerful country in the world now, and you¡¯ve turned us into pawns so that you can profit from it. Am I right?¡± ¡°You have a point! I understand why Moon has been trying to stop us! We¡¯re not Moonians, and they wouldn¡¯t care about what we do. Why would they? As it turned out, they¡¯ve turned the people of other countries into bargaining chips so that they can trade with Atlantis! That¡¯s just evil!¡± No one knew if the commentators were Earthlings or Atlantean robots. However, the following comments had to be from human beings. ¡°Moon has made it very clear. What are you thinking? There¡¯s no free lunch! It applies to everything!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always suspected the authenticity of the Atlantean video. It¡¯s bullshit! If they¡¯re going to give you everything, why do they need you?¡± ¡°I thought the same! If Atlantis is so wonderful, why do they need us to share their wealth? It can¡¯t be explained! If their life is already so wonderful, why share it? Why don¡¯t they keep the maids and servants to themselves? Who wouldn¡¯t want more servants?¡± ¡°I agree with Moon! Compared to Atlantis, we¡¯re backwater! We¡¯re the people who have just invented wheels! They can wipe us out in no time! Stop dreaming about your life in paradise. It¡¯ll be hell!¡± Those weren¡¯t paid posters. They were just wiser than the others. They had noticed the abnormality from the beginning, but they didn¡¯t dare say it. They were worried about the criticism. Moon disagreed with the rest of the world and expressed their views without holding back. They revealed the truth, even if not everybody believed it. However, the Moonian authority was confident that they had announced the ultimate truth. After all, it was such a ridiculous incident. If someone said they could travel back in time and bring the ancient people to our age so that they could enjoy the convenience of modern life, everybody would think he had gone mad. That was ridiculous. Many people couldn¡¯t afford their own houses; why would they help some ancient people? They probably would turn those ancient people into slaves. The convenience of modern technology? In their dreams! ¡°What an idiotic speech! Didn¡¯t you hear the Atlanteans? The bottom of the ocean is a vast place, and there¡¯s more than enough room for everybody! They¡¯re using AI now! They don¡¯t need human laborers!¡± ¡°Do you know what AI is? It¡¯s not created out of thin air! They need researchers to develop it! What knowledge can you bring to them? Why should they let you enjoy everything for free? You¡¯re not one of them!¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just being friendly!¡± ¡°Maybe? What if they¡¯re not? Nobody is that generous! After what Moon did for you, you¡¯re still criticizing them. What do you think Atlantis will do to you?¡± ¡°Oh, shut up! If you don¡¯t want to go, just stay here! We¡¯re not from the same country, and it¡¯s none of your business where I want to go!¡± ¡°You idiot! Go to hell! I don¡¯t care what you do!¡± ¡­ Anybody with the right mind could see that it was a trap. Strangely, only less than 30% of the population seemed to see through the lies. Over 60% of the people looked forward to Atlantis. After all, the picture they painted was too attractive. Throughout history, men used to have more than one wife, and monogamy had only existed for a few hundred years. Many women wanted to have more than one husband. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be surrounded by handsome men? Atlantis had fed into that fantasy. ¡°What would Atlantis do to us? We aren¡¯t strong enough for manual labor. Why would they want to use us? It can¡¯t be a trap! I want to go!¡± ¡°Me, too! Moon is so meddlesome! Why are they interfering with everything? We¡¯re not Moonians. It¡¯s not their business!¡± ¡°Let them go to hell! I won¡¯t let them control me! I¡¯m not their bargaining chip! I choose Atlantis!¡± ¡­ The Moonian video was compelling. Many people changed their minds after watching it. At first, only 10% of the population thought the Atlantean video was fake. Now the number had risen to 30%. However, many more people were enraged by what Moon said. They hated them for it. As Moon¡¯s allied countries, Padaski, Panthera, and Hosia, still believed in Moon. However, not all the people had the same faith. A small proportion started worshiping Atlantis. One would think that even if the rest of the world bought the Atlantean scam, those allied countries wouldn¡¯t. They couldn¡¯t help it. The temptation was too great. Some people suspected the authenticity of that video, but they still wanted to check out the bottom of the ocean. If it was real, they could be settled for the rest of their lives. ¡°I want to go to Atlantis!¡± ¡°Bullshit! We¡¯re Padaskians. We should always support Moon!¡± ¡°I do support them, but Atlantis didn¡¯t say they were going to wipe us out.¡± ¡°How do you know that? If they don¡¯t want to annihilate us, are they going to build shrines for us? We¡¯re low lives to them. Why should they give you a comfortable life? Stop dreaming! Forget about the maids and servants! Use your brain!¡± ¡°No! You use your brain! The ocean is so vast. Why can¡¯t they share it with us?¡± Chapter 194 - Truth or Not ¡°We can help Atlantis! We won¡¯t live there for free! We can prove our value!¡± ¡°Value? If you don¡¯t have any value here, what makes you think you can have value there? Your body is the only thing you can offer them! Didn¡¯t General Marlow explain everything to us? The Atlanteans want your flesh to fuel their latest invention. That¡¯s your value!¡± ¡°You people are all paranoid! I don¡¯t care if you believe the Atlanteans. I do! I¡¯m going!¡± ¡°Go, then. You won¡¯t come back anyway! You¡¯re not a Padaskian anymore!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide that! Who the hell do you think you are?¡± ¡°I have a question. If Atlantis is so powerful and can easily annihilate us, why don¡¯t they? Why have they gone so far to trick us? Explain that to me. If you can convince me, I¡¯ll believe the Moonians!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? They haven¡¯t made a move because we have Mr. Soan! He¡¯s the god of science, and his space cannon is a threat to Atlantis. That¡¯s why Atlantis hasn¡¯t done anything!¡± ¡°You think too highly of Mr. Soan. Yes, he¡¯s very talented, but he¡¯s just one individual. How can he threaten the entire civilization? He has the space cannon, but is he going to use it? Firing it will wipe out the human race together with Atlantis! Moon will be destroyed, too!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stupid! I don¡¯t want to waste my time talking to you!¡± ¡­ The argument among the common people finally attracted the attention of the high-ranking officials. Presidents of the allied countries immediately contacted Gordon, asking for an explanation. But Moon had already given them one. It was a trust issue. Once again, those presidents chose to believe Moon. They had trusted Moon¡¯s decision twice, and Moon was right on both occasions. They believed this time would be no exception. Himmel Soan had reached the bottom of the ocean. If Atlantis wanted to play a game, he would entertain them. In Atlantis, Kabaron and Roams stood in front of the monitor and watched Himmel Soan dive deeper and deeper into the ocean. ¡°He¡¯s impatient. He¡¯s made a move!¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why is he bold enough to come here without bringing any devices or weapons?¡± Kabaron was confused when he saw Himmel Soan didn¡¯t even have an oxygen bottle. ¡°Can he breathe in water?¡± Roams put on his high-tech glasses and stared at the screen. ¡°Is he a robot? He¡¯s 30,000m under the surface now, but he hasn¡¯t been crushed by the water pressure. Even a person from the sixth age can¡¯t do that! Only a robot can!¡± Atlantis had hidden in the seabed and covered itself with mud. It had disappeared from the bottom of the ocean. However, it couldn¡¯t hide from Himmel Soan¡¯s mental power. When he reached 40,000m, he heard noises in the darkness around him. Ferocious sea beasts had woken up. A school of sharks over ten meters long charged at Himmel Soan. Sharks shouldn¡¯t exist at such depth. They were AI sharks built by Atlantis. Himmel Soan only stared at the sharks, and they exploded, their blood turning the seawater into a red color and waking up even more monsters. He noticed chips floating in the red water. The sharks were organic AIs, a combination of living creatures and machines. They weren¡¯t robots because they still had flesh and blood. They weren¡¯t organic creatures either because they were controlled by computers. Over 37% of their bodies were metal. Atlantis wanted to turn human beings into such creatures because they would have enhanced strength, speed, and stamina. Moreover, such creatures didn¡¯t need to eat anything. It was the ideal form of labor. They could work around the clock, and the cellular regeneration technology also allowed them to be duplicated. Atlantis could build 40 billion AI robots with 400 million human beings. They would become excellent cannon fodders. With the wishing power, Atlantis could build more I-Soldiers. If they could combine I-Soldiers with cellular regeneration and AI brains, they could build even more powerful semi-machine soldiers. With them, Atlantis would rule half the universe. They didn¡¯t know if there were more advanced alien civilizations, but they knew they were one of the most advanced in the eastern universe. And there was also the space cannon. It would definitely give Roams more inspiration and usher them into the sixth age, where they could control time and space. Manipulation of time and space was an incredible technology. Himmel Soan had talked about transferring all the Earthlings to another planet, and to do that, he would manipulate time and space. Because of that, Roams and Kabaron had reason to believe that he had transmigrated from the sixth age. Transmigration was a manipulation of time. It was proof of Himmel Soan¡¯s identity. The claim was correct when somebody said that Atlantis didn¡¯t dare to attack the human race now because they were afraid of Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan himself could threaten an entire civilization. Roams didn¡¯t know if Himmel Soan knew other advanced technologies. However, he had invaded the Atlantean network, indicating he knew more than he demonstrated. Maybe Himmel Soan could paralyze the Atlantean network or do some detrimental damage to the kingdom if they tried to attack the human race. Therefore, they had to figure out what Himmel Soan was capable of before they made a move. The infected humans were also their bargaining chips. As long as they were still infected, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t try anything too dangerous. Hearing the howling sounds around him, Himmel Soan waved his hands, and the noises disappeared. The smell of blood grew denser. Kabaron was frightened by this, and even Roams was perplexed. They couldn¡¯t figure out how Himmel Soan did that. Chapter 195 - Deep into the Ocean ¡°What did he do? How did our sharks die? He only waved his hands!¡± Kabaron panicked. One of the scientists said, ¡°Does he have some high-tech devices on him?¡± ¡°Mr. Roams, can you tell what he did?¡± Although Atlantis had reached the point that everything was automated and could be controlled by voices only, the technology still required some kind of chips. Himmel Soan had nothing on him. Atlantis had already scanned him when he entered this area. How did he do it? ¡°Can it be nanotechnology? Has he shrunk all the devices? Is that why we can¡¯t see anything?¡± ¡°Nanotechnology belongs to the sixth age as well, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. Although it¡¯s an advanced technology, our machine should be able to pick up something. Himmel Soan doesn¡¯t have anything on him. Even if he¡¯s carrying a nanotechnology device, he can¡¯t get away from our machines!¡± Kabaron turned to Roams. ¡°Mr. Roams, what technology does the seventh age have?¡± Roams bellowed, ¡°How am I supposed to know? You¡¯re the king. Why are you asking me?¡± Kabaron¡¯s face darkened. Roams was the only person who dared talk to him in that way. He was famous for his high intelligence and low empathy capability. Sometimes he could do some stupid things. For instance, when it was common knowledge that two substances would explode when combined, he wouldn¡¯t believe it until he tried it himself and ended up injured. It had happened more than once. Although it wasn¡¯t Kabaron¡¯s first time dealing with Roams, he still found the man annoying. After some consideration, Roams said, ¡°The seventh age¡­ Can it have something to do with the human body? If one can inject all the energy into one¡¯s body, is it possible to exert tremendous force without the help of external devices?¡± However, the seventh age was too far away. They hadn¡¯t reached the sixth age yet. How were they supposed to know the technology of the seventh age? The technique Himmel Soan used just then was beyond their understanding. ¡°Release the Fury Octopus! We need to teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The computer gave the command, and the seabed cracked open. Countless AI octopuses rushed out. Himmel Soan contacted Henry with his mental force. ¡°Director Lang, start a live stream now. The password is 77777777. Connect me to it, and I¡¯ll share everything I see on the screen. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Himmel Soan was going to show the world what the bottom of the ocean was really like. It wasn¡¯t the paradise that Atlantis had shown them. There were no villas or buildings there, no sun or thunder. The so-called sunlight was their fabrication. A video started running on the Moonian governmental website. It showed what Himmel Soan was seeing: pitch-dark without any light. ¡°Hello, everybody. I¡¯m Himmel Soan. I¡¯m 41,842m under the sea surface now, and 8,000m below me is Atlantis. Have a look. This is what this world really looks like. It¡¯s nowhere near as pleasant as you imagined.¡± His eyes lit up, and the viewers could see all the creatures within a few kilometers of him. There were gigantic octopuses, strong-looking whales that fed on human flesh, dragon-like pythons, and unknown creatures that looked like moving seaweeds. ¡­ It was terrifying. They made one¡¯s hair stand up. The Earthlings had never been so deep into the ocean, nor had they discovered any of those creatures. They were all unknown to the human race. ¡°Is this what the bottom of the ocean looks like?¡± ¡°Shit! What¡¯s that? Why does it have a human head? It¡¯s so creepy!¡± ¡°Is that a water monkey? I¡¯m getting goosebumps!¡± ¡°Are we going to live there for the rest of our lives? No! I don¡¯t want to! It¡¯s so scary!¡± ¡°Damn it! That¡¯s nothing like the video they sent us!¡± ¡°Is this real?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! No one can dive that deep into the ocean!¡± ¡°You have a point! How did Mr. Soan get there? The water pressure can crush any machine!¡± ¡°Moon must have generated the image with a computer! It¡¯s fake!¡± ¡°There¡¯s another possibility. Mr. Soan has also grown scales and has become a fishman. That¡¯s how he can reach so deep.¡± ¡°That makes so much sense!¡± ¡­ Himmel Soan didn¡¯t see that coming. He had shown them the truth, but they suspected him. Some people even concluded that he had become an Atlantean. They said he was going to Atlantis to discuss how to rule the human race. Needless to say, those comments were posted by Atlantean robots. However, many people believed Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan is the god of science. Why can¡¯t he get to the bottom of the ocean?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan destroyed that meteorite. Why can¡¯t he survive the deep ocean? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the truth! See? It¡¯s not as good as you expected! Do you still want to go to Atlantis?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is awesome! He¡¯s my God!¡± ¡­ Just like the Earthlings, Atlanteans saw the video as well. Roams was at a loss for what to do. However, an idea struck him when he saw the video. ¡°Retrieve the octopus! Kabaron, go out and greet Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°What? Greet him? Why?¡± ¡°Do I have to explain everything?¡± Roams stared at him. The king¡¯s eyes widened. He understood what Roams meant. ¡°I see!¡± Suddenly, all the ferocious creatures around Himmel Soan swam away. A spot of light lit up in the darkness beneath him. Them, something resembling a submarine appeared. ¡°Mr. Soan, I didn¡¯t expect to see you in person!¡± The submarine reached Himmel Soan. Kabaron came out with various tubes connected to his body. He was speaking the human language. Himmel Soan frowned. ¡°You¡¯re the king of Atlantis! Do you have a death wish?¡± Chapter 196 - Theyre In It Together Kabaron laughed and extended his hand to Himmel Soan. ¡°You¡¯re a Moonian. You do handshakes, right? Or do you hug? I don¡¯t do kissing, though. That¡¯s not an Atlantean thing.¡± Himmel Soan frowned and said solemnly, ¡°I was looking for a way to reach Atlantis, and here you are. That¡¯s very good timing!¡± He reached out, and a whirlpool dragged Kabaron to his side. ¡°Remove the genes from all the fishmen right now, or I¡¯ll wipe Atlantis off the face of Earth!¡± Kabaron looked confused and panic-stricken. ¡°Mr. Soan, why are you doing this? We have a deal! Atlantis will help Moon control the human race, and Moon will help us control all the creatures in the water. We¡¯ll swap weapons. Are you going back on your word now?¡± Kabaron¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Mr. Soan, if you want to go back on your word, there will be consequences! Yes, Moon is a powerful country, but Atlantis doesn¡¯t take offense well either!¡± The whole world heard that conversation. The viewers reacted strongly. ¡°What? Moon wants to rule the human race?¡± ¡°Has Moon been working with Atlantis all along?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! I don¡¯t believe it! Mr. Soan has reached an agreement with Atlantis?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Atlantis contact Mr. Soan before, using us as the bargaining chip to force Moon to give them the space cannon?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Moon and Atlantis have put on a show for us. When there¡¯s danger, people will unite, and the pressure could turn into motivation. Atlantis is threatening the entire human race. We were bound to reach out to Moon for help. They will use this opportunity to rule us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m never the sharpest tool in the box. If I can figure it out, why can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Moon is working with Atlantis! They¡¯re in it together!¡± ¡°Gosh! They almost had me! That¡¯s abominable!¡± ¡°I see it now! If they hadn¡¯t let it slip, I would have believed Moon!¡± ¡­ At the bottom of the ocean. Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes. He grabbed Kabaron¡¯s neck and crushed all the tubes and devices he was carrying. ¡°That was a clever move, trying to frame me. It won¡¯t work though! I can end your life now! You only have a minute to consider. If you don¡¯t remove the genes, Atlantis will lose its king!¡± Kabaron smirked. ¡°Try it, then. Atlantis will live forever. I¡¯m only one of its kings, and my death won¡¯t affect my kingdom. There will be more kings after me, but the 560 million fishmen will all die with me!¡± Himmel Soan had expected that. The Atlantean must have come prepared. The king was so bold because he had control over so many human lives. He snorted. ¡°The Atlantean population must be larger than 500 million. For every Earthling you kill, I¡¯ll kill two Atlanteans!¡± ¡°That¡¯s if you can find Atlantis!¡± ¡°Nothing can hide from me on this planet. I can find you just as easily even if you hide in the universe.¡± ¡­ On the internet, an Atlantean robot wrote, ¡°What show are they playing now?¡± Another AI wrote, ¡°Mr. Soan, don¡¯t say that! We don¡¯t want to die! We¡¯re not your bargaining chips! Even if you kill ten Atlanteans for one human being, it still won¡¯t bring back the dead! No one wants to die!¡± A third AI wrote, ¡°They¡¯re in it together! Stop pretending!¡± Those words incited a lot of humans. ¡°That¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t the Academy Award!¡± ¡°Enough with the role-playing! You¡¯ve let it slip, and there¡¯s no point in covering up your lies!¡± ¡°I see! That¡¯s why Moon could build the space cannon! They¡¯re partners with a higher-level civilization! That explains everything!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Neige questioned Moon earlier because their technology took such a great leap and omitted many things. There are no shortcuts in science. We all must work on our predecessors¡¯ research findings. Come to think of it, Atlantis can fill in the blanks! They¡¯re the missing part in that great leap!¡± ¡°I see what you mean! Moon is so ambitious! Himmel Soan is such a cunning man!¡± ¡­ Of course, a small group of people would always remain lucid. No matter how the public opinion shifted, their opinions wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°You people are so idiotic! It¡¯s obviously a setup!¡± ¡°Are you seriously going to believe that? How stupid are you? Mr. Soan has saved you!¡± ¡°If Mr. Soan and Moon want to rule the world, why would they go through so much trouble? If he didn¡¯t do anything when the meteorite came, you would have begged for his help and surrendered to him. Did Mr. Soan blackmail you with it? Did Moon force you to do anything? No, they didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so obvious, but you just can¡¯t see it! You¡¯re hopeless! Do you even have a brain?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be saved! Go to hell!¡± ¡­ Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes, and a map appeared in his mind. Each route on the map contained countless ¡°spider webs.¡± They formed the network that covered the whole Earth. Following the webs, Himmel Soan found the Atlantean robots. ¡°Die!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes lit up. At that moment, 100 thousand robots that had disguised themselves as human beings all over the world exploded. Chapter 197 - Reason to Be Bold Those AI robots looked exactly like human beings, and one couldn¡¯t even tell they were robots from their skin texture and microexpressions. No one knew when they had infiltrated human society because they had never been exposed until now. They could have been hiding among the humans before the super meteorite was detected. Everybody watched in astonishment as they saw the ¡°people¡± next to them explode. They were also perplexed. There was no blood or broken bones. After the explosion, chips, wires, and other mechanical parts fell all over the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed. Those are Atlantean spies, and they¡¯ve been hidden among you all this time. They were the ones who posted those comments,¡± Himmel Soan said calmly. He had been too busy building the moon to handle these AI robots. Building the moon had cost him much mental force. He had to keep the global network running while traveling to the bottom of the ocean to find the culprit. Even now, he still couldn¡¯t expose all the AI robots. He was in a terrible condition. Destroying 100,000 robots was the maximum he could do for now. If his mental force failed, the global network would collapse. The network wasn¡¯t all that important at the moment because it was a blade that could cut both ways. It could help with global communication, but it could also make people misunderstand Moon and Himmel Soan more. Now that there was a misunderstanding, if the network was shut down without any explanation, people wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with each other nor could they find out the truth in time. It would only worsen the situation. ¡°AI robots? That¡¯s why they don¡¯t have any blood!¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t know those AI robots were among us! Since when? Why don¡¯t I know about it?¡± ¡°That one was my friend for six months! Are you telling me he¡¯s a robot? I kissed him!¡± ¡°Good for you. You had a robot boyfriend. That has to be a world record!¡± ¡°Is this real? I¡¯m so confused! Should we trust Mr. Soan or Atlantis?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Trust Atlantis? Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so confused, too! What the hell is going on? Should we take Mr. Soan¡¯s potion?¡± ¡°Go ahead! I¡¯ll see what happens and take the injection when I know it¡¯s not dangerous. If there¡¯s too much risk, I¡¯d rather become a fishman!¡± ¡­ Without the Atlantean robots, the comments became much milder, and fewer people sounded agitated. Moon had received Himmel Soan¡¯s instruction, telling them to hire paid posters to turn public opinion around. ¡­ ¡°Mr. Soan, what are you doing? Are you going to turn your back on us after using us? Do you want to rule the world all by yourself now?¡± Kabaron smirked. ¡°Have you forgotten about something? You¡¯re a fishman, too, and an enhanced one at that! You¡¯ll be living in this ocean in the future. Even if you kill me and destroy Atlantis, you can¡¯t change that fact!¡± Boom. Those words went viral online. The whole world reacted strongly. ¡°What? Mr. Soan is a fishman?¡± ¡°Gosh! What did I just hear?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is a fishman? So, he¡¯s with Atlantis?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so confused. I don¡¯t know who to believe! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°My instinct was right! If Mr. Soan isn¡¯t a fishman, how can he dive 40,000m into the ocean?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the ocean was so deep. I thought it was only 20,000m deep, but even that depth is beyond the capacity of the human body. The water pressure can easily kill a man. How can Mr. Soan survive 40,000m? That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± ¡°If Mr. Soan is a fishman, what should we do? ¡°You idiots! Do you believe everything you¡¯re told?¡± ¡°I believe Mr. Soan! That Atlantean king must be lying! He¡¯s slandering Mr. Soan!¡± ¡­ Himmel Soan didn¡¯t seem affected and only tightened his grip on Kabaron¡¯s neck. ¡°If you want to die, I¡¯ll grant your wish!¡± Kabaron tensed up. His eyes widened, and his veins bulged as if he was going to die any second. Thump! Thump! Thump! Some Earthlings that were talking and laughing a moment ago suddenly exploded. One. Ten. A hundred. A thousand. In an instance, over ten thousand people were wiped off the face of Earth. Himmel Soan sensed everything with his mental force. He loosened his grip a little to let Kabaron breathe. It was the Atlantis. They pressed the button. The genes in the fishmen were time bombs. With a line of code, they would be detonated. ¡°Are you scared now?¡± Kabaron broke free from Himmel Soan and rubbed his neck. ¡°Mr. Soan, you have no chance to win unless you want to lose 500 million people. No, it¡¯s 600 million now and still growing. Do you want to push Atlantis aside? That¡¯s impossible! ¡°Your only choice is to keep working with us!¡± He suddenly raised a hand and introduced himself. He knew Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes worked as cameras because they could log into Skynet and the Moonian government website as well. They saw what Himmel Soan was showing the world. By the looks of it, the images came from Himmel Soan¡¯s viewpoint. They believed Himmel Soan must have some sort of hidden camera on him. Kabaron didn¡¯t need to know where the device was hidden. He only needed to know that the world could see him through Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hello, Earthlings. I¡¯m Kabaron, the Atlantean king. Yes, believe it or not, Atlantis does exist. Your Mr. Soan has known it for a long time and has made a deal with us.¡± Chapter 198 - Riot ¡°Has he admitted it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! They made a deal!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe him. I want an answer from Mr. Soan himself! Has he made a deal with Atlantis or not?¡± ¡°How stupid are you? Do you think he¡¯ll tell you the truth? Of course, he won¡¯t admit it!¡± ¡°Atlantis is real! I always thought it was a legend!¡± ¡°I think we should join hands now! We must do something! Atlantis wants to kill us, and so does Moon!¡± ¡­ Kabaron had managed to mislead some Earthlings, but not all of them. Himmel Soan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± He grabbed Kabaron and pushed him deeper into the ocean. He was going to wipe out the entire Atlantis. Kabaron grabbed Himmel Soan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Let go of me! Let go!¡± He also had monitors on him, and so did the robots around him. Seeing Kabaron moving toward Atlantis, Roams pressed the button again. Fishmen all over the world began to explode again. ¡­ One. Two. ¡­ A hundred. Two hundred. ¡­ A thousand. Two thousand. ¡­ In less than a minute, over three thousand fishmen died. People around them were terrified. Roams¡¯s voice came from a device on Kabaron¡¯s body. ¡°Mr. Soan, move closer to Atlantis, and all the fishmen on Earth will die. I know you can see what¡¯s happening on land, so take a look.¡± Himmel Soan immediately checked the current situation and saw the fishmen exploding at an accelerated rate. Right now, they were losing thirty people a second. ¡°Mr. Soan, don¡¯t go any further!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! Himmel Soan, stay away from Atlantis!¡± ¡°Himmel Soan, are you trying to get all of us killed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re on their side. Just stop what you¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°No! No! Don¡¯t!¡± Thump! A fishman blew up when he was still screaming. The fishmen all over the world panicked and started posting comments. ¡°Himmel Soan, stop!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather become an Atlantean slave if it keeps me alive! Himmel Soan, come back!¡± ¡°Himmel Soan, do you want the blood of 500 million people on your hands?¡± ¡°Stop it now! Stop! Damn you! I¡¯ll haunt you forever if you get me killed!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me! I want to be your slave! I want to live at the bottom of the ocean forever, even if it¡¯s pitch dark there!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Please! I¡¯m begging you! Ah!¡± Thump! Another fishman exploded. ¡°You fishmen had it coming! You¡¯re still trying to threaten Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Do you know what politeness is? Is that how ¡®free¡¯ your country is? Mr. Soan and Moon tried all they could to stop you from kneeling, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Now you¡¯re regretting it. You deserve it!¡± ¡°Atlantis is evil, but that Mr. Soan isn¡¯t much better. Who knows what he¡¯s been plotting against us? He went into the ocean, knowing people could die. If you ask me, he¡¯s in it together with Atlantis. They¡¯re playing good cop and bad cop. They want to kill everybody!¡± ¡°Oh, shut up! After everything Mr. Soan has done for Earth, you¡¯re still suspecting him. Why didn¡¯t the meteorite kill you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Soan shouldn¡¯t have saved you from the meteorite shower!¡± ¡°Whatever Mr. Soan does, you¡¯ll always question and blame him. The underground shelter is the wrong decision. The space cannon is a scam. Saving people is a mistake, too. You even blamed him for stopping you kneeling at the ocean. Now that Mr. Soan wants to settle the account with Atlantis, you still blame him!¡± The people of Moon, Padaski, and Hosia supported Himmel Soan. Such comments were mainly posted by them. The fishmen and people of other countries immediately started attacking them. ¡°We didn¡¯t know this would happen, did we? If Himmel Soan knew, why didn¡¯t he explain it to us? He only told us not to, but we didn¡¯t know the reason behind it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not fishmen, are you? That¡¯s why you made it sound so easy! You don¡¯t know how we feel! Fine, we¡¯ll take responsibility for our own decision, but becoming a fishman doesn¡¯t mean I deserve to die! I¡¯m willing to become Atlantis¡¯s slave if it keeps me alive! If I die now, it¡¯s all Himmel Soan¡¯s fault! His conduct will lead to my death! Do you understand? Why should I pay for his actions?!¡± ¡°How can you sound so righteous? I don¡¯t know what to say. I think the fishmen are the world¡¯s biggest threat. We should forget about those 600 million fishmen for world peace. That way, Mr. Soan can destroy Atlantis now. Guys, what do you think?¡± ¡°Think my ass! Go to hell!¡± ¡°I agree! Those fishmen got themselves into this mess, and they only have themselves to blame! Let them die! I don¡¯t like the idea of Atlantis blackmailing Mr. Soan with those people!¡± ¡°The most important question is: what¡¯s the relationship between Mr. Soan and Atlantis? We can lose 500 million people, but will more people die after that?¡± ¡°Do you want me to die? I¡¯ll turn you into a fishman first!¡± ¡­ As the argument escalated, the fishmen started a riot. Since they were going to die no matter what, they decided to turn more people into fishman before breathing their last. They would like to see if those people would say the same thing once they also had scales. In the ocean, Roams laughed. ¡°Mr. Soan, did you see what¡¯s going on up there? If you move any closer to Atlantis, I can guarantee you that those 500 million people will disappear in ten minutes.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t come closer. Stop it now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a smart move. Have you made your decision on my request?¡± ¡°You want the space cannon, don¡¯t you? You can have it! But you have to set those people free!¡± Chapter 199 - No Space Cannon Roams¡¯s voice rang out once more from the devices on Kabaron. ¡°No problem, but we¡¯ll only do that after you bring the space cannon to Atlantis!¡± Himmel Soan frowned. ¡°Not gonna happen! You must remove the genes first. How do I know if you¡¯ll keep your promise?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I can say the same thing. What if you won¡¯t give us the space cannon when I release my hostages?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to trust me.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ll have to trust me!¡± Kabaron chuckled. ¡°Mr. Soan, we¡¯re wasting our time here. So far, our negotiation has achieved nothing. We don¡¯t care about those Earthlings. We only want the space cannon. If you give it to us, we have no reason to kill your people. What do you think?¡± Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Release some of them first. I need that as insurance.¡± Kabaron shrugged. ¡°Seriously, Mr. Soan? You¡¯re from the seventh age! Why should that bother you? We don¡¯t want to be annihilated, and I think you¡¯re capable of building an even more formidable weapon. If we refuse to release the hostages after we have the space cannon, you can always destroy us then.¡± ¡°Release half of those people. That¡¯s my bottom line. Do that, or this negotiation is over!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, have you forgotten about something?¡± Roams spoke again. At that moment, over ten thousand people exploded. ¡°Shit! That was scary! A fishman next to me suddenly exploded!¡± ¡°No! My mother is dead! Himmel Soan, what are you doing? Give them what they want! You¡¯ve just killed my mother!¡± ¡°My boy¡­ My boy is dead! Himmel Soan, you¡¯re going to pay for this! Give me back my son! If you hadn¡¯t been stalling, he wouldn¡¯t have died! Just give him the damn space cannon! The meteorite is gone! Why do you still need it?¡± ¡°Himmel Soan, my wife is a fishman. I¡¯m coming after you if she dies!¡± ¡°Himmel Soan, I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯ve just lost my father! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you people? What does it have anything to do with Mr. Soan?¡± ¡°Have you run out of people to blame? Your family members were killed by Atlantis! Moreover, if they had listened to Mr. Soan, none of this would have happened!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t make me laugh! How can you blame it on Mr. Soan? That¡¯s just ridiculous! Shame on you!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t give it to them, no matter how many people we¡¯re going to lose! I can¡¯t stand the idea of letting them have it their way! Mr. Soan has saved you bastards, but you¡¯re still attacking him! You should be turning against Atlantis, not Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Those people deserve to die! Gosh! I¡¯m so mad! We should join hands and kill all the fishmen! That way, all our problems will be solved! ¡­ Back in Moon, Warren, Gordon, and Henry all had grave looks on their faces. Himmel Soan had told them why Atlantis wanted the Space Cannon. The consequences would be very severe. If the Atlantean scientists took the space cannon apart and studied it thoroughly, Atlantis would enter the sixth age. When that happened, Atlantis¡¯s combat ability would skyrocket! Human society was still in the fourth age. Himmel Soan was a capable man, but there was only one of him. Atlantis was a kingdom. Even if Himmel Soan was a god, he couldn¡¯t lead a herd of pigs into battle to defeat a kingdom of intelligent creatures. Humans wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. ¡°With everything that has happened, there¡¯s no point in keeping any secrets anymore. Post everything online and show the world how important the space cannon is!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Henry gave the order, and the Moonians specialists started writing essays on the relationship between the space cannon and various ages. ¡°On Categorization of Civilizations.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Space Cannon? An Exclusive Interview With Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Is Space Cannon the Key? The Relationship Between the Fifth and Sixth Ages Lies in the Space Cannon!¡± ¡°Can We Give Away the Space Cannon?¡± ¡°Explaining Wishing Power.¡± ¡°Divine Approach.¡± ¡­ In less than ten minutes, thousands of articles were posted on the Moonian governmental website. There was even a detailed introduction to the Soan empire. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What exactly is the space cannon?¡± ¡°Shit! Where did all these articles come from?¡± People were blown away when they opened the pages out of curiosity. It took them a long while to calm down after they read through everything. It was as if a new world had opened up to them. The articles were especially attractive to former scientific researchers. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the space cannon was so important! We¡¯re only in the fourth age. That¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°So, the space cannon is the key that leads to the sixth age.¡± ¡°If we give it to Atlantis, they¡¯ll likely figure out the secret of time and space. Is that true? Is the space cannon so important?¡± ¡°Bullshit! It¡¯s just a weapon. How can it have so much significance? If that¡¯s the case, does that mean Mr. Soan has figured out those things already? Can he control time?¡± ¡°Is that fiction? It can¡¯t possibly be real!¡± ¡°Not real? Check out the one about the wishing power. It sounds even more like a sci-fi novel, but I think it makes sense!¡± ¡°Those people have turned into fishmen because their wishing power has been taken away, and Atlantis used the same channel to inject different genes into their bodies. It¡¯s probably fish genes. That¡¯s why they grow scales and look like fish!¡± ¡°I see!¡± ¡°That¡¯s hilarious. I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°How can you be so stupid? The truth is staring you in the face, but you still won¡¯t believe it. Go to hell!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t give them the space cannon!¡± ¡­ Many people understood this world much better after reading the articles, especially the scientists. They had been researching and thought they knew much more than ordinary people. However, they still had so much to learn. The knowledge was so profound, and they hadn¡¯t even seen beyond the fourth age! ¡°Everything in those articles is correct! I¡¯m a scientist, and I can verify them. Everything that I can understand is correct. I think it goes the same with the part that¡¯s beyond my understanding. Everybody, please listen to me. We can never give the space cannon to Atlantis! It¡¯ll become the weapon that¡¯s going to destroy us!¡± Chapter 200 - Outbreak ¡°I¡¯m a scientist, too! I can also prove that everything in those articles is true! We can¡¯t give the space cannon to them!¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know anything about it, but I think we should listen to the scientists. Let¡¯s not give it to them!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we should give it to them either. It¡¯s the space cannon! Use your head! It has destroyed that super meteorite! I¡¯m not a scientist, but I know the technology in such a weapon has to be formidable! We can¡¯t hand it out and turn it into a weapon against us!¡± ¡°What if Atlantis finds a way to turn it into a weapon to attack the land? We¡¯ll be finished! We can¡¯t let them have it!¡± ¡­ ¡°Screw you! Why can¡¯t we give it away? More people are going to die! Don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about 600 million lives! No one can make that kind of a decision! We have to give them the space cannon!¡± ¡°Yes, we must! My whole family has turned into fishmen. You¡¯ll have to answer to me if anything happens to them!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we solve it like civilized people? Give them the space cannon, and they¡¯ll set us free. It¡¯s a win-win situation! If Mr. Soan could build one space cannon, surely, he could build a second and even a third one. Why does it matter that Atlantis has this one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Maybe we can be friends with Atlantis. This conflict may lead to something good!¡± ¡­ Everybody was taking sides, and very few people remained neutral. More fishmen had joined the riot. If one didn¡¯t pick a side, they would be attacked by both sides. One after another, riot videos were posted online, terrifying the viewers. Ark-3 of Winland was anchored in a desert. It was one of the few arks that didn¡¯t have any fishman. After gravity was restored, everybody was elated and felt much relieved. They left the ark, walked around, and used their phone to get online. ¡°The Moonian network is amazing! We¡¯re in such a remote area, but we¡¯re still covered!¡± A man laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Soan is so talented!¡± ¡°Which side do you think is telling the truth? Atlantis or Mr. Soan?¡± a woman asked. A chubby man immediately said, ¡°Why are you even asking? Of course, it¡¯s Mr. Soan! Don¡¯t be silly! Look at everything he has done for us. Why would he go through so much trouble just to kill us? If you ask me, he should have annihilated Neige to set an example. That way, no one would dare question Mr. Soan again. However, he didn¡¯t do that!¡± Another person chimed in, ¡°I totally agree with you. Atlantis is a big fraud! If you believe in them, they¡¯ll turn on you when you least expect it. Didn¡¯t Mr. Soan tell us not to kneel in the ocean all along? Some people just wouldn¡¯t listen! Look what happened to those fools! We don¡¯t have any fishmen aboard. How nice!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so true! I¡¯m on Mr. Soan¡¯s side! I¡¯ll leave a comment for him to show some support! We can¡¯t give away the space cannon! If Atlantis enters the sixth age, nothing can stop them!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll post a comment, too!¡± They chatted happily while posting comments online. Just then, they noticed some movements in the distance. Over a dozen people were running toward them. ¡°Run! Run! The fishmen are coming! They¡¯ve lost their minds!¡± Hearing the noise, everybody put away their phones and looked into the distance. A little while later, they saw a large group of people appearing on the horizon. They were the fishmen! They ran insanely fast and reminded one of the zombies in the movies. Although they had fins and fish tails, they moved much faster than ordinary humans. They soon caught up with some ordinary people and started biting them. ¡°WTF?¡± ¡°Holy shit!¡± ¡°Run! Go back to the ark!¡± ¡°OMG! Are those fishmen, too?¡± When they looked around, they saw that fishmen were running toward them from all directions. One fishman climbed onto a rock and shouted, ¡°Guys! Let¡¯s take them down! We can¡¯t be suffering alone! We must let these people know how it feels! If everybody becomes a fishman, Himmel Soan has to hand over the space cannon!¡± ¡°Bite them! You take the men, and we¡¯ll take the women!¡± ¡°Go to hell! I¡¯ll take the women!¡± ¡­ Dust filled the air as the fishmen charged at the ordinary people. ¡°Get back to the ark! Run!¡± The ordinary people ran toward the ark in fright. However, the ark was so big. Each ark could fit hundreds of thousands to millions of people. From afar, the ark looked like a mountain. It took forever to open the door. And it took even longer to close it. The door was slowly closing, and some of the ordinary people would be shut outside. However, it was too late. Many fishmen had charged into the ark and started attacking the first person they came across. They weren¡¯t trying to keep anybody but only intended to bite them. However, there were so many people, and things could easily get out of control. If somebody tripped, the falling would lead to a stampede. The fishmen might stab someone in the wrong place and accidentally kill them. ¡°Shit! We have to fight back!¡± ¡°Take up your weapons!¡± ¡°Let women and children go inside. Guys, find a weapon and follow me! I¡¯d rather die than become a fishman!¡± ¡°Fight! Fight to the death!¡± ¡­ Some people reacted quickly and formed an army to defend the ordinary people in the ark. Although the fishmen didn¡¯t intend to kill anybody, the ordinary people wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill their enemies. The fishmen wouldn¡¯t back away, and violence was the only way out. The ordinary people had to fight with all their strength to keep the fishmen away. Inevitably, it would lead to killing them. Somebody cracked a fishman¡¯s head open with a stick. The fishmen were infuriated by the loss of lives. They didn¡¯t want to kill anybody, but the ordinary people were killing them, so they had to retaliate. ¡°Guys, forget about holding back! Let¡¯s bite them to death!¡± Chapter 201 - Human Nature ¡°How dare you hit my wife? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°Fuck you! I wouldn¡¯t have hit your wife if you hadn¡¯t tried to bite me! Come any closer, and I¡¯ll smash your head into a pulp!¡± ¡°Bro, stop fighting. You¡¯ve been surrounded! Lower your weapon!¡± ¡°In your dreams! Come here. I dare you! I¡¯d rather die than surrender! You fishmen are all controlled by Atlantis. I don¡¯t want to live like that!¡± ¡°You only have yourselves to blame! You wouldn¡¯t listen to Mr. Soan, and you¡¯re trying to bring down the whole world with you! You¡¯re animals!¡± ¡­ Unlike zombies, fishmen could think, speak, and use weapons. They knew pain and had emotions. Apart from their appearance, they weren¡¯t any different from ordinary people. The ordinary people wouldn¡¯t surrender and would fight to the death. Many people had been infected. They fell to the ground, and their bodies were gradually changing. Some of the infected gave up fighting, left the battlefield, and went into hiding. They believed that Himmel Soan would cure them eventually. They would use Himmel Soan¡¯s potion. Some people were more fierce. When they started growing scales, they simply took their own lives. The leader of the fishmen stood on the high ground and filmed the whole process. The battle was magnificent and reminded one of a Hollywood movie. ¡°Guys, are you seeing this? This is only the beginning. If you refuse to give the space cannon to Atlantis, we¡¯ll sweep across the land from the east coast and make our way westward. There are 600 million fishmen now, and our goal is 5 billion!¡± ¡­ In Ark-73 in Flamia, the passengers were watching the video in a fury. They were posting angry comments when the last gate of the ark opened. Countless fishmen rushed inside and bit everybody in their way. After that, more doors opened. The fishmen had been waiting outside for a while and charged in as soon as given the opportunity. There were fishmen in this ark. However, there was only a handful of them, and the passengers had locked them away. The prisoners got out when no one was watching, made contact with the fishmen outside, and opened the doors for them. ¡°The fishmen are coming!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you monster! Go away! You¡¯re disgusting!¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Stay away from me! Go to hell!¡± ¡°Help! Help!¡± ¡­ All hell broke loose. Taken by surprise, the passengers didn¡¯t have any means to fight the fishmen. Even if someone could gather people together and resist as a group, they wouldn¡¯t be the fishmen¡¯s match. The fishmen were faster and stronger. The ordinary people had no chance, whether they chose to fight or run. ¡°Damn it! I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± An old man grabbed a small knife and charged at the fishman. However, he was hit in the head by a stone before he could get any closer. He fell to the ground, blood oozing out of his wound. Even so, the fishmen didn¡¯t spare him. One of them bit him so hard that he tore off a chunk of his flesh. ¡­ Before long, Ark-73 was overrun. ¡°They¡¯ve lost their minds!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so scared! What should we do now?¡± ¡°Where are the flying soldiers? Why wouldn¡¯t Moon send them out?¡± ¡°What difference would it make? The fishmen are living people as well. If the soldiers kill all of them just because they wouldn¡¯t follow orders, they would be as violent as Atlantis!¡± ¡°Hold on. Moon has made an announcement. They¡¯ve dispatched the flying soldiers and members of the Soan empire. They¡¯re coming here to evacuate us!¡± ¡°Really! Great! But I don¡¯t think we can wait that long!¡± The speaker was a young man. Right now, he was holding a dagger and staring at the metal door. Somebody was banging on it from the other side. The door was distorted and couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. Behind him were four to five hundred people. This was Ark-7 in Soilia. The fishmen had breached the ark an hour ago. So far, only less than 10% of the people aboard hadn¡¯t been infected, and they were all hiding in this cabin. However, the door was about to give in. The banging sound grew louder, and the door was breaking down. This cabin could detach from the ark, but someone had to press the button in the control room. Even so, the people inside still wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. It was even more dangerous outside. They would run into more fishmen out there. ¡°How much longer do you think this door will hold? Be a lamb and open the door. I¡¯ll be gentle. Just a little bite. It won¡¯t hurt!¡± ¡°What choice do you have when we open this door? Open it now!¡± ¡°You people are so stubborn! When I open this door, I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡± ¡­ The fishmen were cursing outside, and the people in the cabin huddled together in despair. They prayed for a miracle. The miracle never happened. Before long, the door was kicked open, and the fishmen poured in, infecting everybody inside. The riot became more frantic as it went on. The initial purpose was to infect everybody, but it gradually changed. People began to surrender to their evil side. Once that door opened, there was no turning back. After winning a couple of battles, the fishmen began to enjoy what they were doing and give in to their desires. The violence escalated. Some fishmen enjoyed torturing, and some started violating women. The riot somehow turned into a world war. ¡°Jean, I¡¯ve always had a crush on you, but you wouldn¡¯t even look at me! You¡¯re going to regret your decision!¡± Chapter 202 - Turn around the Situation ¡°Not only will I turn you into a fishman, but I¡¯ll also make you pregnant! You¡¯re going to serve me like a dog!¡± Many people took advantage of the situation to take revenge. ¡°Richard, you owe me thirty thousand dollars! That¡¯s my salary! Didn¡¯t you think you were so untouchable? I¡¯m going to kill you now! You don¡¯t get to live as a fishman!¡± With everything spiraling into chaos, the conflict was no longer limited to between fishmen and ordinary people. Many ordinary people used this chance to attack one another. The riot gave them a window to release their hatred, frustration, and humiliation. ¡°You bitch! Do you think I don¡¯t know you¡¯ve cheated on me? You¡¯ve been having an affair for three years! All my friends laughed at me! We¡¯ve been divorced for five years, but I still can¡¯t get over it! You married that bastard, didn¡¯t you? Is this your kid? How adorable! You left me five years ago, but he¡¯s already six years old! I¡¯m going to kill both of you now!¡± The woman shielded her child and begged the man not to hurt them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It was all my fault! The child is innocent! Please don¡¯t hurt him! I cheated on you. If you must kill someone, kill me!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t kill my wife! I seduced her! Kill me instead!¡± ¡°Screw you all! You¡¯re all going to die!¡± The man stabbed the family repeatedly with his dagger, blood splashing all over his face. ¡­ Moon, Panthera, Hosia, and a few other countries held an emergency meeting. The fishmen were out of control and wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone. The governments had no choice but to suppress them with force. The Soan empire had sent out flying soldiers to help their neighboring countries. Panthera also sent troops to support the arks nearby. Meanwhile, Moon was manufacturing the potion in large quantities and sending it to the allied countries. As most of the land had been flooded, it was impossible to gather some of the ingredients. They couldn¡¯t produce as much potion as they wanted. If all the current ingredients could be made into the potion without any failure or waste, Moon could make 80 million vials. It was nowhere near enough to cure all the fishmen. Soon, Panthera, Moon, and the other countries made some progress. They successfully arrested about two million fishmen. The first thing after the arrest was to inject them with the potion. It was very effective, only taking five to ten minutes to show results. Although it was a painful process, the outcome was satisfying. However, the speed of curing the fishmen was much slower than the rate of infecting ordinary people. Those countries cured two million in an hour, but the fishmen could infect ten to twenty million in that time. That was after slowing down. At first, they could infect up to fifty million people in an hour. They had slowed down because ordinary people were prepared now, and many arks had kept their gates tightly shut. All the battles that could happen had already happened. Some fishmen were fighting for their lives at first, but gradually, they attacked ordinary people because it satisfied their evil side. Even if they could be turned back into normal human beings, they probably wouldn¡¯t want to. Moon told all ordinary people to stay safe and wait for the rescue teams from Moon, Panthera, and several other countries that still had the power to send out troops. After the first two batches of fishmen were cured, various videos were posted online. ¡°Look! The potion works! Here¡¯s the entire process.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan¡¯s potion really does what it says to do. It only takes five to ten minutes for a fishman to recover. Guys, don¡¯t lose hope. You can go back to normal! We don¡¯t need to give away the space cannon!¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t any fishmen exploding anymore? It has been a few hours. How¡¯s Mr. Soan doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We haven¡¯t heard from him since the live stream was cut off.¡± ¡°Has he entered Atlantis on his own?¡± ¡°I think so! Otherwise, why has Atlantis been so quiet?¡± ¡°Forget about Mr. Soan! Don¡¯t you have better things to do? If you really don¡¯t, come here and help us! The fishmen are banging on our door! We can¡¯t hold it much longer!¡± ¡°Tell them to stop! There¡¯s a cure! They only need an injection!¡± ¡°You talk to them and see if they¡¯ll listen! They¡¯re not fighting for some noble cause. They just want to kill people!¡± ¡­ At the bottom of the ocean. The people on land had guessed pretty accurately. Himmel Soan had reached Atlantis on his own. Roams was astonished because Atlantis had hidden itself very well. No radar on Earth could detect it. Moreover, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have any devices on him, so how could he locate Atlantis? That wasn¡¯t all! To make it worse, Himmel Soan had destroyed all the transmitters in Atlantis. When Roams pressed the button, the fishmen didn¡¯t explode! The button had stopped working! Atlantis was 50,000m under the sea and far away from any countries on the land. Even with their technology, they couldn¡¯t set off the fishmen without the transmitters. The transmitters had been floating on the sea, but they had the same color as the seawater and could change shapes with the waves. It was impossible to spot them. Himmel Soan almost missed them earlier. It didn¡¯t occur to him at first. Then he realized that although he couldn¡¯t destroy the control system in Atlantis, he could find out where the transmitters were. After that, things would be much easier. Without the transmitters, Atlantis wouldn¡¯t be able to threaten him. Once the transmitters were gone, Himmel Soan killed Kabaron and headed for Atlantis. Roams didn¡¯t think Himmel Soan could find Atlantis. However, he easily located it as if he had a map in his mind. Chapter 203 - Network Down However, Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t in his best shape now. Building the moon had cost him an ample amount of energy. After that, they built another network with his mental force to separate the presidents from the common people so that they could have secret meetings. Right now, Himmel Soan had almost drained his spiritual essence and mental force. It shouldn¡¯t have mattered much because even if he only had a streak of spiritual essence left, he would still be able to overrun Atlantis. But he overexerted himself by destroying all the AI robots hidden among humans. Killing robots with his mental force was difficult enough, let alone killing 100,000 all at once. Before he could do it, he also had to locate every single one of them. It couldn¡¯t have been an easy task. After that, his mental force was practically disabled. Yet, he wasn¡¯t finished. He had to search for the transmitters before destroying them. When he reached Atlantis, he was already exhausted. Even so, he still tried his best to keep the network running. He couldn¡¯t hold for much longer. Once his mental force failed, Earth would lose the internet, and different countries wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with one another. It would affect the armies, too. However, it was good news to the fishmen. Without the network, ordinary people would be blind. The fishmen could infect or kill people however they wanted. When that happened, Earth would be in utter chaos. Himmel Soan was determined to find the top-grade essence stones. The ones he had used were washed ashore, so there had to be more at the bottom of the ocean. But he hadn¡¯t found any so far. ¡°Himmel Soan, do you seriously think you can wipe out the entire Atlantis all by yourself?¡± Roams spoke to him through a large screen. Atlantis looked like one of those sci-fi movies. It was located in the deepest corner of the ocean and was a small world of its own. Its ¡°sky¡± was a dome, and the ground looked like a sandbox. There was no sunlight, and the kingdom was lit up by Atlantean technology. There was little gravity here. The Atlanteans could easily swim up to the dome. There were roads both on the ground and in mid-water. They looked like railways built above the well-lit cities. Looking down from above, Atlantis looked more prosperous than the busiest city on land. Himmel Soan found the place exceedingly clean. The whole kingdom was spotless, probably because it was in the ocean. The water could have washed away all the garbage. Either that or the Atlanteans were environmentally conscious. It was also very bright. Although the sunlight couldn¡¯t reach such a depth, the kingdom had no dark corners. They must have found a way to bring the sunlight down here and enhance it. Not only was it brighter than the actual sunlight, but it also felt warmer. It was completely different from the environment Himmel Soan experienced at 40,000m. Countless robots were waiting for Himmel Soan. They surrounded him as soon as he set foot in Atlantis. There were enormous screens on buildings, and Roams was talking to Himmel Soan through them. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of robots turned into spare parts. No matter how many robots came at him, he could defeat them with the same move. However, he couldn¡¯t keep doing it for much longer because he had run out of spiritual essence and was about to exhaust his mental force as well. He had to find the essence stones in Atlantis. Otherwise, he might not be able to leave this place. ¡­ ¡°Everybody, please stay away from the middle part of the North Snow Continent. That region is swarming with fishmen.¡± ¡°We need help from Moon and Panthera. The fishmen have surrounded us. We can¡¯t hold them off for much longer. Our location is¡­¡± ¡°Help! Winland¡¯s Ark-14 needs support! We¡¯re in¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going¡­ Can anybody¡­ read¡­¡± ¡°The network is down¡­¡± ¡°WTF? I can¡¯t get my message out! It took me thirty seconds to¡­¡± ¡°Can anyone read me? Can you reply to my comment?¡± ¡°The video won¡¯t load. What the¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re all breaking down. I can¡¯t hear you¡­¡± ¡­ Half-finished comments began to appear online as if the system had swallowed the second half of the sentences. Some people repeatedly tapped their phones but couldn¡¯t get their messages out. Others even received the prompt that the internet service was disrupted. It was happening all over the world. Even the Moonians were experiencing it. And it got worse and worse. ¡°Why¡­ Help¡­¡± ¡°Moon¡­. island¡­ hear¡­¡± ¡°Nobody¡­ fish¡­ men¡­¡± Broken comments kept appearing online. People couldn¡¯t post coherent sentences. Even the Moonian government website and Skynet were affected. If one left the website, they couldn¡¯t open the page again. No one could open any videos. ¡°Mr. Soan, what¡¯s going on?¡± Henry asked Warren. Warren had no answer. He was equally perplexed. He immediately contacted Drake, who was on a mission outside. Drake was a cultivator. Although he was only a junior one, he knew something about mental force. He knew the global network had been set up by his Patriarch, using his mental force. If the network had problems, it meant his Patriarch was in trouble. Something like this had never happened before! He didn¡¯t know what level Himmel Soan was at, but it had to be beyond his imagination. He wasn¡¯t going to share information about cultivators with ordinary people though. ¡°Patriarch is in trouble. Contact him now.¡± Hearing that, Warren switched on his communication device, trying to get in touch with Himmel Soan. ¡°Patriarch! Patriarch! Can you hear me? Hello?¡± Without the internet, their communication line was breaking down as well. Chapter 204 - Government Website Down ¡°Seriously? Why is the internet down now?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t open the Moonian government website anymore. Is anyone still on the page? If so, don¡¯t close it! You won¡¯t be able to open it again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still on it, but my battery is running out.¡± ¡°Hold on! Does anybody have a charger? Give it to him! There¡¯s something wrong with the internet, so we must keep the page open! Are there any new updates?¡± ¡°Is there a problem with the internet? It doesn¡¯t feel that way. If that¡¯s the case, we shouldn¡¯t be able to send messages to each other. However, we still can, but half of our words are missing on the website. It has to be a problem with the website!¡± Ark passengers all over the world began to panic as they gradually lost their internet service. Without the internet, how were they going to know what was going on outside? Without the internet, how could they avoid the fishmen? Earlier, people all over the world set up a map online, showing where the fishmen were found, the arks they were attacking, and those that were overrun. Ordinary people could use this map to stay out of harm¡¯s way. There were also instructions from Moon, Panthera, and Hosia, telling people where the rendezvous points were and where to find help. Without the internet, they couldn¡¯t find such information anymore. They wouldn¡¯t know where the fishmen were until they were at their doorstep. Therefore, they had to ask those people to stay on the Moonian government website, hoping that the service would be back soon. The people that had left the website regretted their decisions. ¡°No matter what the problems are, we can¡¯t leave the website! Refresh the page and see if there¡¯s any news!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! The website is down!¡± ¡°Just keep refreshing it! Don¡¯t close the page!¡± People gathered together in the ark, and dozens of people were staring at one phone. They kept refreshing the page. However, nothing happened. Suddenly! The internet recovered for a second, and some news updates popped out. However, the service was gone almost right away. The passengers were thrilled. ¡°Look! Updates! Let¡¯s see what¡¯s new!¡± ¡°A group of fishmen is heading for the eastern coast! Aren¡¯t we on that coast? How many are there?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t say! The service is coming and going, and I can¡¯t read everything!¡± ¡°The fishmen are coming! Shut the door! No one is allowed to leave!¡± ¡°Gosh! I hope Moon fixes the internet soon. Otherwise, we may all get killed!¡± ¡°God won¡¯t help you now. You¡¯d better pray to Mr. Soan. Give it a try and see if you can send messages.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! I¡¯ve tried! The service is down!¡± Everybody was chattering anxiously when the man¡¯s phone froze, and the page shut down. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°My page shut down.¡± ¡°Now? Open it again!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. Once you¡¯re out, you can¡¯t open the webpage again.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doomed!¡± ¡­ He wasn¡¯t alone. Everybody who had been on the webpage was forced out. The Moonian government website was down. Skynet was the only website left. There were only 200,000 viewers online. That was less than 0.01% of the global population. Skynet was also semi-frozen. People couldn¡¯t send or receive messages. Every now and then, the service would recover for a split second. A few messages would pop out before everything would freeze again. Those 200,000 people didn¡¯t dare turn off their phones. They were the human race¡¯s last hope. Presidents of Panthera, Hosia, and a few other countries wanted to discuss with Moon, but they realized the second network had stopped working as well. They had lost contact with one another. The fishmen were still attacking ordinary people, and the potions needed to be delivered to other countries. Without the internet, none of that could proceed. ¡­ In Atlantis, Himmel Soan realized he couldn¡¯t go any further after a thousand meters. If he did, he might not be able to come out again. Atlantis¡¯s dome was about 4km high. Himmel Soan had only covered a quarter of that distance. He must have killed nearly 100,000 robots by now. The entire Atlantis seemed to be shaking under his power. Yet he was weakening as he moved deeper into the kingdom. The mental force that used to wrap around Earth began to fade. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t want to, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He had to retrieve the mental force, or he would be severely injured. After it came back to him, it would even help him recover some mental force. His mental force was like an antenna that could extend infinitely. The longer it extended, the heavier it would become. One could think of Himmel Soan as Hercules. When he was in his normal state, he could withstand an ¡°antenna¡± that was 50km long. But now, his strength was slipping, and even 30km was too much for him. He had to either shorten the antenna to lower the weight or cut it off for good. If he hesitated for too long, the antenna would snap. Himmel Soan would be in a terrible state if his mental force was damaged. The best that could happen was a decrease in his cultivation level, and he could even lose his mind. The damage might even kill him. The robots weren¡¯t the most capable fighters, but they could be recycled and reused. Himmel Soan saw robots picking up the spare parts that had fallen to the bottom of the ocean. In another two hours, they would turn into brand new robots again. That was what the future battle would look like. It was so much more efficient than using humans. Moreover, the robots were better fighters. If those robots left the ocean, they could destroy an entire country on land. However, they couldn¡¯t pose any threat to Himmel Soan. He could destroy them with a wave of his hand. If the robots were his only opponents, he could fight all the way to the deepest corner of Atlantis. Obviously, robot soldiers weren¡¯t all that Atlantis had. They had to have much more powerful machines. Himmel Soan was feeling worse every minute. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to return to the land. Chapter 205 - Captured If he could find the essence stones now, he wouldn¡¯t need to go back. By the looks of it, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. There were so many robots to kill, and they were using up his energy bit by bit. On the other end, the human race was in crisis. Without the network, they couldn¡¯t set up defense lines in time. The fishmen took this opportunity and occupied over a dozen arks. The number of fishmen grew rapidly. Right now, there were close to 700 million fishmen on Earth. ¡°Damn it!¡± Himmel Soan turned around and was ready to retreat. Roams laughed. Himmel Soan was retreating! He must be afraid! Himmel Soan was retreating! It meant he had reached his limit! ¡°He has used up his ammunition! Surround him!¡± Although Himmel Soan had killed their king, it didn¡¯t affect the Atlanteans. As the leading scientist, Roams had the same level of authority as the king. Himmel Soan struck out at a few hundred robots coming toward him. A strange force shook the robots before they turned into spare parts and sank to the seabed. Taking the opportunity, Himmel Soan swam upward. However, a sword came down on his head as soon as he turned around. Himmel Soan pinched the blade with his two fingers. At that moment, over half a dozen different robots appeared above him. Their eyes were glowing red. Suddenly! The robot with the sword disappeared. The next second, it reappeared behind Himmel Soan and punched him in the back. It didn¡¯t hurt him at all, but it did surprise him. ¡°That¡¯s the effect of the wishing power!¡± Atlantis indeed had some very talented people! They had combined the wishing power with robots. The robot used wishing power to disappear from his original spot. That was an ability of the sixth age. Technically speaking, these new robots all belonged to the sixth age. They were the I-Soldiers that Roams built earlier. ¡°Interesting!¡± Himmel Soan rubbed his back and chuckled. Roams appeared on the big screen. ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re a capable man, and I admire you for that. However, I¡¯m just as capable as you. You¡¯ve underestimated me. You only have two options now. You can surrender to Atlantis or¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the second option!¡± Himmel Soan laughed before Roams could finish. ¡°Do you seriously think you can stop me with this pile of metal?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t intimidate you, why are you running?¡± ¡°Bring it on, then!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, do you have to fight against Atlantis? What do you want? Atlantis can give you everything, even if you want to rule the world!¡± Roams flew out of his building at the bottom of the ocean, something that looked like a miniature submarine. He had some balls! Roams believed he was going to win this battle. He thought Himmel Soan could no longer pose any threats, so he came to talk to him in person. He had seriously underestimated Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, do you see how beautiful Atlantis is?¡± Roams pointed at the city down below. ¡°This is the fifth age! I know you¡¯re from the sixth age or higher, and maybe Moon really is your home country, but that¡¯s alright! We can keep Moon unharmed, as well as any other country you want us to! Take your pick!¡± Roams appreciated Himmel Soan so much that he was willing to grant all his wishes. ¡°If you want to look like a hero and protect the whole world, we can make that happen, too! Mr. Soan, are you not tempted by such terms?¡± Seeing that Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t speak, Roams said, ¡°What on earth do you want? Atlantis? Do you want to be the king? You can be the leading scientist, too!¡± Himmel Soan smirked. ¡°Then what about you?¡± Roams said, ¡°I¡¯ll be your assistant! If you come to work for Atlantis, I can be your subordinate! I¡¯m obsessed with the sixth age, and I¡¯ll pay anything to take Atlantis there!¡± His face then darkened. ¡°If you turn my offer down, I¡¯ll have to destroy you no matter how much I appreciate your talent. It¡¯s unthinkable to have you as our enemy. Aren¡¯t you flattered, Mr. Soan?¡± Himmel Soan chuckled. ¡°Not exactly. I find you rather silly. Are you the one who invented these wishing power robots?¡± ¡°What do you think? Aren¡¯t I talented? I call them I-Soldiers!¡± Roams said excitedly. Himmel Soan laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve combined the wishing power with robots, which means you¡¯re a clever man. Then why are you making such a dumb mistake?¡± ¡°Dumb? Where? You¡¯re my prisoner now, and I¡¯m dumb?¡± Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes and suddenly disappeared. Almost simultaneously, another Himmel Soan appeared in front of Roams. He grabbed Roams by the neck and picked him up. ¡°You¡¯re dumb because you came out to meet me!¡± Roams laughed. ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m anything but dumb. Do you seriously think I didn¡¯t see this coming? You killed Kabaron. Of course, I need to protect myself.¡± With his neck in Himmel Soan¡¯s grip, Roams should have difficulty speaking. But that wasn¡¯t the case. He spoke fluently as if the hand on his neck didn¡¯t exist. Himmel Soan ripped off Roams¡¯s robe and saw metal underneath. He had used up most of his mental force, which was why he hadn¡¯t noticed this. On his better days, he would have immediately noticed that the Roams in front of him was a robot. Roams laughed. ¡°Mr. Soan, you didn¡¯t see that coming, did you? I knew you would attack me! Do you really think I¡¯m stupid enough to meet you in person? That¡¯s a very life-like robot, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Go to hell!¡± Himmel Soan snorted and crushed the fake Roams. Roams knew the negotiation was over. Since Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t give in, he was going to kill him. ¡°I-Soldiers and robots, kill Himmel Soan! I don¡¯t care what the cost is, but he can¡¯t leave Atlantis!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± The I-Soldiers howled and charged at Himmel Soan from all directions. Chapter 206 - Supernatural Power Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t as confident as he appeared. After all, he didn¡¯t have much spiritual essence left. But he wasn¡¯t too worried. He had passed the recovery phase, and nothing could kill him now. No weapon in this world could cause him any physical damage. Even contorted space and time separation could harm Himmel Soan, not to mention these people. Their attacks felt no more than a tickle on his skin. The I-Soldiers were very capable, though. They were much more powerful than cultivators like Drake and Liam. Drake was only a junior cultivator and was the most advanced in the Soan empire. He was in the Foundation Establishment Phase, which was the peak of the Essence Refinement stage. All other cultivators in the three divisions were in that stage, too. After fusing with the wishing power, the I-Soldiers were about as capable as cultivators in the Golden Core Phase. It made them exceedingly fierce. Although there were only over a dozen of them, they could destroy half of the world. They could even wipe out all three divisions. It showed how frightening the wishing power was. After extracting 500 million points of wishing power, who knew how many I-Soldiers would be created? Himmel Soan began to slow down as his spiritual essence ran low. More robots kept charging at him. At first, he could kill hundreds of robots at one time. However, his attack power grew weaker, and he could only destroy dozens of them. Eventually, he could only finish a few robots per strike. Roams knew Himmel Soan was running out of juice. However, he was still astonished by Himmel Soan¡¯s power. Even now, the guy could still kill two I-Soldiers. Calling him terrifying would be an understatement. The battle lasted for half an hour. Finally, after losing nearly a million robots, five I-Soldiers caught Himmel Soan. If one were to divide Himmel Soan¡¯s spiritual essence into 100 million portions, he only had three portions left when he went into the ocean. Now, he had run out of his spiritual essence. There was nothing left. He had about five portions of mental force remaining. When he entered the ocean, he still had thirty to forty portions left. After fighting for so long, he was drained both of his spiritual essence and his physical strength. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have caught him. Even in such a state, Himmel Soan was could kill hundreds of thousands of robots. The five I-Soldiers grabbed Himmel Soan¡¯s limbs and aimed all sorts of weapons at his neck and head. They were going to kill him if he moved a little. Seeing this, the real Roams came out. ¡°Mr. Soan, if I ask you the same question again, will your answer be any different?¡± Roams sounded very pleased. Himmel Soan chuckled and said indifferently, ¡°What? Are you so sure that you¡¯re going to win?¡± Roams shrugged. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I think so? There¡¯s no way you can get away from us. Do you have some amazing ability that can somehow set you free?¡± ¡°You know nothing about divine power!¡± Himmel Soan snorted. Roams laughed. ¡°Divine power? I didn¡¯t know you were into supernatural powers as well. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not my thing. To me, ¡®gods¡¯ are actually people from higher-level civilizations. People of the fourth age will view people of the fifth age as gods. We Atlanteans are gods to your people, and you, Mr. Soan, will be my god! ¡°However, gods aren¡¯t omnipotent, nor are they invincible. Mr. Soan, I caught you, didn¡¯t I? That confirms my hypothesis all along. Do you have any last words?¡± Himmel Soan smiled. ¡°Do whatever you want if you think you can kill me.¡± Roams raised his eyebrows and chuckled. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯ll keep you alive? Do you think I¡¯ll trade you with the space cannon? You¡¯re wrong! Without you, the human race is nothing! My top priority now is to bring down the artificial moon so that Atlantis can get to the land. ¡°After that, the entire Earth will be mine! No country can withstand the Atlantean robots, not even yours! Without you, the space cannon is there for Atlantis to take! I don¡¯t need to trade! I can simply take it away!¡± Himmel Soan laughed. ¡°Of course, if you insist. You¡¯ll see what will happen when I recover some strength! You¡¯re going to die!¡± ¡°Recover some strength? Mr. Soan, do you think I¡¯m going to lock you up? Don¡¯t be so naive! I¡¯m going to execute you right here!¡± Since Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t going to join Atlantis, Roams decided to kill him. After giving the order, he turned his ship around and headed back to Atlantis. Ding! When the sword landed on Himmel Soan¡¯s neck, it sounded like it had hit a rock. The blade broke. Roams turned around when he received the information. ¡°What? You can¡¯t kill him? Don¡¯t be ridiculous! Do it again!¡± This time, the robots aimed their cannons at Himmel Soan¡¯s head. ¡°Fire!¡± Dozens of robots fired all at once. The energy beams exploded when they hit Himmel Soan¡¯s head. Yet, they were useless. After the foam dissipated, Himmel Soan reappeared. His hair was unkempt, but that was about it. There wasn¡¯t even a scratch on his face. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡± Roams was dumbfounded. ¡°What kind of technology is that?¡± Himmel Soan smirked. ¡°Science can¡¯t explain everything. However, metaphysics might. No such technology exists because you¡¯re witnessing divine power.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Roams waved his hand. ¡°Prepare the plasma cannon! Tear him into pieces!¡± ¡°Mr. Roams, the plasma cannon may damage Atlantis!¡± said a scientist next to Roams. Roams kicked the person out of his ship. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do! Fire the plasma cannon!¡± The robots around Himmel Soan immediately moved away. Meanwhile, a beam of light lit up from below and charged at Himmel Soan. Chapter 207 - Backset The beam devoured Himmel Soan. After that, it kept its trajectory and hit the Atlantean dome, poking a large hole in it. Something happened at the center of the ocean. The seawater spun and turned into a maelstrom. A beam of light suddenly rose out of the center and went all the way into the atmosphere. After the dome was penetrated, dirty sea water gushed in. However, Roams wasn¡¯t concerned. He just wanted to kill Himmel Soan. ¡°He has to be dead now!¡± Roams snorted and turned to leave. However, while turning, he saw something from the corner of his eyes. A person emerged from the fading light. Himmel Soan. He still wasn¡¯t dead! The plasma beam had burned his clothes, but there wasn¡¯t a single scratch on him. He didn¡¯t even lose a hair. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± Roams was astonished. ¡°Even a person from the seventh age can¡¯t withstand the plasma cannon! Is his body tougher than Vibranium? Isn¡¯t he made from flesh and blood?¡± Even the robot soldiers were looking around like confused human beings. They were also frightened by Himmel Soan. ¡°Cut his head off!¡± Roams pointed at Himmel Soan. The I-Soldiers charged at Himmel Soan again. Clang¡­ Just like the previous time, the blade made a metallic sound when it hit Himmel Soan¡¯s head. Instead of cutting his head open, it snapped. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t run out of his spiritual essence and strength, Roams wouldn¡¯t last more than three seconds. ¡°Lock him up in a cage! I¡¯m going to electrocute him! There must be a way to kill him!¡± ¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve completely lost contact with the Patriarch!¡± Moon and the Soan empire couldn¡¯t get in touch with Himmel Soan at all. The global network had also disappeared. Before, people could send messages sporadically, but nothing was working now. The fishmen¡¯s riot continued, and the world was in crisis. Without the internet, the Soan empire and Moon found their rescue missions especially tough. They couldn¡¯t locate the arks or where the fishmen were. They could only depend on their naked eyes. Ordinary people wanted protection from Moon and Panthera, so they tried to move toward those countries. The land was still mostly covered by water, and arks could sail in it. However, most of the arks had been built in such a rush that they didn¡¯t have any engines, making it extremely difficult for them to reach Moon. They still had to move because staying in one place for too long might turn them into fishmen¡¯s targets. Even without the internet, Moon, Panthera, and the Soan empire couldn¡¯t stop their rescue missions. Luckily, the flying armor still worked, and the helicopters also had enough fuel. They now relied on traditional methods to exchange information between countries. Moon had borrowed large quantities of materials from Hosia, Panthera, and other allied countries. In return, they shared the formula of the recovery potion with them. The three divisions searched for Himmel Soan while rescuing other people. Himmel Soan had disappeared into the ocean, so the Himmelian Pavilion was given the job of looking for him there. They dived 20,000m into the ocean but couldn¡¯t go further. They were in the Essence Refinement stage. Their cultivation skills enabled them to withstand the water pressure. But 20,000m was their limit. Their bodies would be crushed if they dived as deep as Himmel Soan. Phoebe was at the Foundation Establishment Phase, but even she could only go as deep as 40,000m. That distance wasn¡¯t enough. They wanted to save Himmel Soan but couldn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t even know what was happening to him. But one thing was sure, he wasn¡¯t dead. The civilization on Earth seemed to have been backset by thirty years. Communication between countries was slower than thirty years ago. The fishmen were still infecting more people, but they were slowing down. Earth was a vast place, and neither ordinary people nor the fishmen could cross oceans. The fishmen couldn¡¯t reach other arks rapidly. Moreover, they didn¡¯t know their exact locations. They could only search a small area at a time. Five days passed in the blink of an eye. The fishmen¡¯s condition deteriorated, and they needed to stay in the water for longer periods of time. They could walk on land, but it made them uncomfortable as if they were dehydrated. More and more of them chose to live permanently in the sea. Ordinary people were relieved. They felt safer now that the fishmen were living in the ocean. Their crisis seemed to have passed. Without the internet, the information wasn¡¯t widely spread. Only some witnesses knew it. The rest of the population still lived in fear and were worried that the fishmen would surround their ark at any moment. In those five days, Moon and her allied countries caught nearly 70 million fishmen, injected them with the potion, and returned them to normal. It had been five days! Himmel Soan had disappeared, and there was no news from Atlantis. No one heard anything. It was as if both Himmel Soan and Atlantis had never existed. The fishmen hadn¡¯t completely turned into Atlanteans, so they couldn¡¯t withstand high water pressure. Even when they lived in the sea, they couldn¡¯t dive deeper than 5,000m. They became the Himmelian Pavilion¡¯s primary targets. The Himmelian Pavilion caught those fishmen while looking for ways to go deeper into the ocean. Of the 70 million, the Himmelian Pavilion had caught at least 10 million. Chapter 208 - Unable to Kill Compared to five days ago, the sea level had obviously gone down. The Pegasus Grassland had been completely flooded earlier, and the water at the deepest spots was over 20m. The water had gone down by 50% now. Some places were even shallow enough for people to walk. At this speed, Moon would resurface in ten days, and its entire land would be water-free in twenty days. Other countries on Earth would recover as well. The world would recover in no more than a month. Although the water hadn¡¯t receded, Moon and its allied countries had started building base stations and service towers. The world needed the internet. Other countries aside, the five allied countries needed to share information before they could help the others. Moon and its allied countries were the only ones that still had the resources for reconstruction works. The others could only watch and wait. These six countries weren¡¯t affected by the fishmen, and their armies were relatively intact, so the fishmen didn¡¯t dare invade them. The other countries couldn¡¯t even keep their people safe, let alone build service towers. Still, the seawater had created much trouble for the reconstruction work. If it receded some more, people hiding in the underground shelter beneath the Pegasus Grassland could come out. After that, Moon could work much faster. The Moonians could rebuild the entire communication system in a month. Meanwhile, the Soan empire and the three divisions hadn¡¯t given up searching for Himmel Soan. They knew he was at the bottom of the ocean, but they couldn¡¯t get there. Even members of the Himmelian Pavilion couldn¡¯t go that deep, so there was nothing modern technology could do. At least the technology of the fourth age couldn¡¯t do anything. However, it would be very difficult for the human race to go beyond the fourth age. Fortunately, after a week, all the fishmen had moved into the ocean. As their mutation worsened, they could no longer live on the land. It was the same as keeping an ordinary person in the water. Although they would survive, they couldn¡¯t stay there for too long. Staying in the water for too long would cause overall edema, which could be life-threatening. After all, ordinary people couldn¡¯t breathe underwater. It was the same with the fishmen. They could move around on the land but for short periods. Otherwise, they would have trouble breathing, and their skin would dry up. It would slow them down and weaken their fighting capability. The incident seemed to end without warning, and nothing happened for a long while. Of course, even if something happened, without the internet, people in other parts of the world wouldn¡¯t know it. Apart from the five countries and a few arks, very few people knew the fishmen had moved into the ocean. Members of the three divisions put on their flying armor and delivered the message to all the arks they could find. Moon also sent out planes to rescue people and deliver the news. However, without the exact locations, it was too difficult to locate the survivors. As the water withdrew, the land resurfaced. Although everything had been soaking wet and destroyed, given time, it could be rebuilt again. A month passed without further incidents. The sea level around the world almost dropped to its original level, and more than half of the fishmen had been caught. The reconstruction work picked up its pace, and the ingredients of the recovery potion were replenished. Four hundred million portions had been made so far. By then, the supply exceeded the demand. All fishmen could get the injection whenever needed. The five countries had set up service towers and could communicate again. The speed was only as fast as the 2G signals, but in a special time like this, having that was better than nothing. Unfortunately, they still hadn¡¯t been able to get in touch with Himmel Soan. According to Moon¡¯s estimation, about 800 million to a billion fishmen were in the sea, which was one-tenth of the global population. A month later, the total number of fishmen caught and recovered was only 470 million. That was only half of the estimated number. The global population had plummeted. The riot had turned into a world war. Calculations stated that eight million people had died while fighting the fishmen. ¡­ ¡°Mr. Roams!¡± ¡°Is he dead yet?¡± ¡°Not yet!¡± ¡°Still?!¡± Atlantis had tortured Himmel Soan for a month! Himmel Soan had brought quite a heavy loss to Atlantis. For one, he had destroyed millions of robots. Robots were quick to repair, but that only applied to those that could be reassembled. It was easy to make a new robot out of three broken ones. One might have lost its head; one might have lost its body; the third one might have lost its limbs. A new robot could be assembled using the first robot¡¯s body, the second¡¯s limbs, and the third¡¯s head. However, it would be very difficult to assemble three robots from three broken ones. Himmel Soan had killed a million robots, and the spare parts could be turned into 300,000 new robots at most. The remaining parts were useful as well. Atlantis only needed to manufacture the missing parts to build new robots instead of building everything from scratch. The robots alone had cost Atlantis trillions of dollars. That was only one of the aspects. Secondly, the plasma cannon broke the dome. It was a protective shield that could block out dirty water and sea beasts, as well as benefit Atlantis in many other ways. It was similar to Earth¡¯s atmosphere. The Atlanteans couldn¡¯t live in dirty water for too long. When Kabaron left Atlantis to meet Himmel Soan, he had tubes all over his body. After all, their ancestors used to live on the land. Although they had grown scales, they still longed for the surface. A large quantity of dirty seawater had gushed into Atlantis, causing much damage. Chapter 209 - Im Threatening You However, neither was the reason that Atlantis had stopped attacking the human race. The real reason was the water pressure. Atlantis had been trapped at the bottom of the ocean because of the water pressure. That wasn¡¯t exactly correct. They could live in shallow waters as well, but they couldn¡¯t leave the ocean. The magnetic fields of Atlantis and the moon weren¡¯t compatible. As long as the moon existed, they had to stay in the ocean. That was why the Atlanteans suddenly showed up when the moon flew away. ¡°What have you tried?¡± asked Roams. A robot handed him some files. On them were over 700 types of tortures. Electrocution. Bombardment. Knives. Saws. Hydraulic press machines. Sulphuric acid. Alkali solutions. ¡­ They had tried everything, using both physical and chemical agents. However, Himmel Soan¡¯s body was impregnable. Nothing worked on him. They tried to crush Himmel Soan with the hydraulic press, but the machine overheated and still couldn¡¯t leave a dent on him. Pouring chili water down his nose didn¡¯t affect him. They poured sulphuric acid into his eyes, and he still wasn¡¯t injured. As for things like electrocution and chainsaws, they were futile as well. ¡°What kind of a creature is this man? Is he from the sixth or the seventh age? Is everybody of the seventh age like this? He said he was using divine power. Does that even exist?¡± A scientist asked, ¡°Mr. Roams, what should we do now?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know? You sound like that idiot Kabaron! Stop asking questions, and use your own brain!¡± After scolding the scientist, Roams remembered the space cannon. ¡°Where are we on the artificial moon? Can you bring it down? How high up can Atlantis rise in the ocean?¡± The scientist said, ¡°We can¡¯t. We¡¯ve tried several approaches, but the artificial moon seems intangible. Our cannons went through it as if it was only a shadow. Atlantis can only rise to the depth of 42,121m, the same as when the old moon was there. We can¡¯t leave the deep waters.¡± Roams frowned. ¡°A shadow? Are you saying the moon doesn¡¯t exist?¡± ¡°It exists, but it feels like a lump of gas. We can see it, but we can¡¯t touch it!¡± Of course, they couldn¡¯t. The moon was made from Himmel Soan¡¯s spiritual essence and mental force. They couldn¡¯t touch it no matter what they did. ¡°I see. Go back to your work.¡± Roams¡¯s face darkened. Things were back to square one. Atlantis was still confined to the bottom of the ocean. The only difference was they had caught Himmel Soan, along with hundreds of millions of fishmen. However, the fishmen meant little to him now, nor could he control them. That was because Himmel Soan had destroyed the transmitters floating in the sea. It was extremely difficult for the Atlanteans to go up to the surface. It was like sending men to the moon. Building the transmitters was easy, but it took time to send them to the surface. It wouldn¡¯t be infinitely long though. The new transmitters would be ready in two to three months. There was an inexplicable phenomenon in Atlantis at the moment. At first, people didn¡¯t think much of it and assumed it to be a trick of the light. However, it got worse, and Atlantis had to look into it. A strange type of energy appeared outside the dome and wrapped around the entire Atlantis like an eggshell. The Atlanteans began to have difficulty coming in and out of Atlantis. The cause remained unknown. If they didn¡¯t do something about it, the shell could seal up Atlantis eventually. Roams suspected it to be Himmel Soan¡¯s doing, but he wasn¡¯t sure. He had imprisoned Himmel Soan. The man was naked, and his hands and feet were all chained. How could he do anything in such a state? He would have to have some divine power to lock Atlantis down now. If that were the case, Roams wouldn¡¯t mind kneeling at his feet. ¡°Mr. Soan, how have you been in the past month?¡± Roams came to visit Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan was in a terrible state. He had recovered much spiritual essence in the past month and shouldn¡¯t have been so weak. However, he had spent that spiritual essence on building the shell. Yes! He had built a shell around Atlantis. As he injected more spiritual essence into that shell, it would become more apparent and more durable. In the end, no Atlantean would be able to leave. They would all be trapped here. Even the plasma cannon couldn¡¯t break the shell. Himmel Soan looked up and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m doing just fine. The environment here is much better than Moon, and I like clean places. Even my prison cell is neat, and there¡¯s always someone around. I¡¯m not lonely at all.¡± Roams sat down at the interrogation table. ¡°Mr. Soan, answer me. Where are you from? Which age do you belong to?¡± Himmel Soan chuckled. ¡°Knowing the answer won¡¯t help you at all. Let me remind you. When I recover, you¡¯re all going to die. I¡¯ll need at most six months.¡± He only needed 0.01% of his power to wipe out Atlantis. Before that, he had to make sure that Atlantis couldn¡¯t attack the human race. Even when Neige was around, the human race couldn¡¯t fight off the Atlanteans, let alone now. Once Atlantis attacked, the human race would be doomed. That was why he used the spiritual essence he had recovered to build the shell. Since he wasn¡¯t going to die, it would only be a matter of time before he destroyed Atlantis. Apart from the fishmen, Drake and the others should be able to take care of the other matters. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. After destroying Atlantis, the moon would disappear soon. He needed to open the portal as soon as he got out. He should have enough time. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you threatening me?¡± Roams was displeased. ¡°Yes, I am!¡± Himmel Soan smiled. Chapter 210 - Essence Stone ¡°Don¡¯t think we can¡¯t do anything to you! Mr. Soan, we just don¡¯t want to hurt you!¡± Even Roams found that ridiculous. They had tried over 700 torturing techniques on Himmel Soan, but they still couldn¡¯t injure him in any way. He was obviously bluffing! Himmel Soan chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Hurt me all you want, if you can do that.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, don¡¯t make it more difficult than it already is! I still have a few tricks up my sleeves! Do you know what energy fusion is?¡± ¡°Energy fusion?¡± ¡°If we use your body as the container of that fusion, we can easily destroy you. When the fusion takes place, the temperature will rise to 100 million degrees. Nothing can survive that high a temperature, and you won¡¯t be an exception. However, I¡¯d rather keep you around and figure out your secret.¡± He moved closer and looked Himmel Soan in the eye. ¡°Mr. Soan, I don¡¯t want to do this to you, but my hands are tied. I¡¯ve told you more than once how much I appreciate you. I¡¯d even work as your assistant. Why are you so stubborn?¡± Himmel Soan laughed. ¡°100 million degrees? Is that your idea of an extremely high temperature? If you think it can kill me, bring it on!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± Roams was anxious. He didn¡¯t know what to do to Himmel Soan. If he could kill him, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted his time talking to the man. But he couldn¡¯t let him go either. He could only try to dig for more information. However, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t be persuaded and was as arrogant as ever. Roams was even more infuriated. ¡°Mr. Roams!¡± A robot came in. ¡°What?!¡± Roams was so angry that his shout made the robot jump. The robot said, ¡°We¡¯ve just launched the M73 transmitter, but it was bounced back by an unknown force. The launch has failed.¡± That transmitter was what could set off the fishmen. Himmel Soan had destroyed the previous ones. After a month, Atlantis was trying to launch the transmitters again. Roams yelled, ¡°What do you mean? How did that happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± The robot lowered its head, apparently scared of Roams. Himmel Soan laughed. ¡°I can vouch for the robot. It¡¯s telling the truth.¡± Roams glared at him. ¡°Did you do it?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°Take a guess. Roams, even without me, Atlantis is going to fall apart. You¡¯ll be destroyed the moment you reach the sixth age.¡± Roams smirked. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made robots too human-like. They¡¯ve already developed emotions, which makes them resemble humans even more. Once they lose their mind, they won¡¯t follow your programs. When that happens, the robots will start killing men!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t¡ª¡± Roams wanted to retort, but Himmel Soan cut him off. ¡°I know what you want to say! You want to tell me how advanced your technology is and how much smarter you are than your robots. You think you can design the perfect AI to control all the robots. Do you think the alien races haven¡¯t thought about that before? Why do you think so many planets have been occupied by robots?¡± Roams smirked. ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯ve just admitted you¡¯re from a higher age, aren¡¯t you? Otherwise, how do you know what has happened on other planets?¡± Himmel Soan had examined his universe when he came back and knew the major events in the surrounding galaxies. Moreover, he had reached his peak during his reincarnation. He could see the end of the universe. He knew what happened on other planets. So many of them had been overrun by machines. Roams actually thought he was going to be an exception, just like those planets. However, they were still overrun by robots. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where I¡¯m from. You won¡¯t know where it is even if I told you. Roams, so many living creatures are smarter than you, but they have all been killed by their own creation. Yes, if I gave you the space cannon, Atlantis could enter the sixth age. ¡°But it also means your AI will be upgraded. The robots haven¡¯t revolted only because even if they have independent minds, they can¡¯t defeat the AI. Once the AI is upgraded, the robots will be much stronger, and they can break free from the AI¡¯s control!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ve thought about everything you said ten years ago. You¡¯d better figure out how you want to die!¡± Roams stormed off. ¡°Innate Vigorous Energy!¡± Himmel Soan activated his Innate Vigorous Energy after Roams was gone, trying to break his chain. He hadn¡¯t spent that much Innate Vigorous Energy. The energy was also created by the human body. However, Himmel Soan failed. He was too weak to activate the Innate Vigorous Energy. He could wait. He was 95% into locking down Atlantis. It was almost impossible for Atlanteans to get out. The transmitter was bounced back by that shell. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m still too weak. Maybe I¡¯ll need another month.¡± Himmel Soan took a deep breath. He was going to close his eyes to recover his spiritual essence. Just then, he noticed someone on the floor. Looking down, he saw an essence stone by his feet. ¡°What?¡± He was perplexed. He had never seen an essence stone here before. It came out of nowhere. ¡°Where did it come from?¡± He hadn¡¯t seen a single essence stone since he came to Atlantis. Chapter 211 - New Energy Where did the Atlanteans hide their essence stones? ¡°Where does it come from?¡± Although Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know where the stone came from, it was still great news for him. It was a small essence stone, but once he absorbed the spiritual essence, he would be able to break the chains. He didn¡¯t need to touch the essence stone. As long as it was nearby, he could absorb all the spiritual essence inside. After a while, the essence stone turned black and would crack open at the slightest touch. Himmel Soan had recovered 0.1% of his spiritual essence. It was more than enough to activate his Innate Vigorous Energy. Something flickered, and his Innate Vigorous Energy was activated. Whoosh! Four more essence stones appeared out of the blue. It was utterly strange. ¡°What¡­¡± Himmel Soan looked around and pondered. ¡°I see! ¡°The Atlantean sea water would crystallize when making contact with the Innate Vigorous Energy. ¡°The crystal is the essence stone!¡± The Atlantean sea water was different from the water outside the dome. Himmel Soan could breathe here. The seawater wouldn¡¯t gush into his lungs. However, he could only do that for a short period of time. Eventually, he would take in water into his lungs. That was why they found essence stones in the underground shelter after the flood. The stones weren¡¯t found anywhere else. There was Innate Vigorous Energy in the underground shelter! Hence the essence stones! ¡°I see! So that¡¯s how the essence stones are created!¡± To verify his hypothesis, Himmel Soan activated his Innate Vigorous Energy again. Indeed, some more essence stones fell off his body. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± That was to say, Atlantis was a great place! The amount of seawater here would determine how many essence stones he could create. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Some robots saw the stones on the monitor, so they rushed into the room and aimed their guns at Himmel Soan. ¡°Give them to me!¡± Himmel Soan was still very weak. He recovered 0.1% of his spiritual essence and then used all of it on activating the Innate Vigorous Energy. Right now, his spiritual essence was still empty. He could take down these robots, but doing so would attract more robots. Especially the I-Soldiers. They were so much more capable than the ordinary ones. Even if he broke his chains now, they would catch him in the end. He couldn¡¯t absorb the spiritual essence so fast, so he closed his eyes and let his dantian do the job. A robot picked up all the essence stones and took them to Roams¡¯s lab. Roams was analyzing some data with a grave look on his face. ¡°Can no one leave Atlantis now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The Atlanteans noticed the shell outside the dome had grown stronger, and it was extremely difficult for them to leave. Even their shuttle ships couldn¡¯t get through the barrier. It looked like a layer of transparent film. The film was also what had bounced back their transmitters. ¡°Shit! What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I detect anything?¡± A robot came in with a pile of essence stones in its arms. ¡°Roams, we found these around Himmel Soan.¡± ¡°Around him?¡± ¡°Yes, they suddenly appeared around him. You can check the video.¡± Roams picked up a stone and asked curiously, ¡°What is it?¡± It was soft to the touch but quite heavy. Roams had never seen anything like it before. ¡°Test the stone for energy.¡± He then checked the surveillance footage. It was just as the robot said. These stones suddenly appeared at Himmel Soan¡¯s feet. Soon, the robots gave him the test result. ¡°Mr. Roams, this stone contains an enormous amount of energy!¡± Roams didn¡¯t think much of it. He watched the screen and asked casually, ¡°How enormous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s incredible! It has 10 million times more energy than the plasma cannon!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, Mr. Roams. I¡¯ve sent you the data. You can have a look. The calculation is accurate.¡± Roams immediately opened the test result. It said the stone contained 10 million times more energy than the plasma cannon. Further results were beyond the computer¡¯s ability. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! I didn¡¯t know such a thing could exist! I¡¯ve always thought energy fusion is the most powerful reaction, but this is even stronger!¡± Roams was thrilled. He quickly typed some code on the keyboard, and the computer ran a simulation. The 3D model of Atlantis was shown on the screen, and the AI used the model where this energy was Atlantis¡¯s new power source. The analysis result then showed up on the big screen. ¡°It¡¯s successful!¡± Roams was even more excited. ¡°The success rate is over 98%! That¡¯s incredible!¡± He was simulating how to push Atlantis out of the ocean. Because of the moon, Atlantis couldn¡¯t rise about 40,000m. Even the energy fusion couldn¡¯t provide that much power. 42,000m was its limit. However, if they used this new energy as the source, the success rate would be over 98%. It would push Atlantis right out of the ocean. There would be a new continent. ¡°It worked! What kind of energy is this? It¡¯s so powerful!¡± Roams grabbed the stone and charged into Himmel Soan¡¯s cell. ¡°Mr. Soan, what stone is this? Where did you get it? It¡¯s not a mineral on the land, is it?¡± Himmel Soan opened his eyes, smirked, and closed his eyes again. Roams ground his teeth. ¡°Himmel Soan, do you really think I can¡¯t do anything to you?¡± Chapter 212 - Seige No matter how loudly Roams roared, how hard he pressed, or how much reward he offered, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t say a word. Once his spiritual essence recovered, he would destroy the entire Atlantis! He only needed one-millionth of his spiritual essence to break the chains. After that, he could absorb the essence stones while fighting his enemies. But not yet. He didn¡¯t even have one-tenth of the amount he needed. He could break the chains now, but they would only catch him again. It would be futile. ¡­ ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Guys, follow me! There¡¯s an ark up ahead! We¡¯ll kill the men and grab the women! Turn them into fishmen!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Kill them!¡± A group of fishmen found a floating ark in the ocean. They grinned and raised their weapons, charging at the ark like pirates. A great number of fishmen were still running free. They were never good people before they were infected. Now that they had turned into fishmen, they used this as an excuse to unleash their evil sides and kill innocent people. They probably would even turn down the potion that could cure them. They had become pirates. Soon, they surrounded the ark. The arks were all very large. They looked like small islands on the sea and could contain tens to hundreds of thousands of people. Some larger ones even had millions of passengers. However, the fishmen had surrounded the ark, indicating they had the numbers advantage. That was correct. This group consisted of over two million fishmen. When they moved together in the ocean, one would think of them to be a school of sharks. ¡°It¡¯s been a month since I tasted a human woman! I can¡¯t wait!¡± One of the group leaders was known as Mr. Gil. He led his men to a cabin door and looked through the window. Inside were terrified humans. He spotted quite a few beautiful blondes. Gil guffawed and shouted, ¡°Open this door, or we¡¯ll tear it down!¡± Fishmen were stronger and faster than ordinary people. The longer they had grown scales, the more powerful they were. Gil licked his lips in excitement, drooling over the women. Of course, the humans wouldn¡¯t open the door. They would rather die than turn into fishmen. ¡°Open the door, or we¡¯ll make you open it! Guys, break it down!¡± With Gil¡¯s order, the fishmen started banging on the windows. Some fishmen swam underneath the ark and started tearing it up. They were very experienced in it. Most of them had participated in the construction of the arks. If they could make it, they could break it. They knew the ark¡¯s weakest spots. At the bottom of all arks were escape trunks. There was always more than one escape trunk, which meant there were many gaps. If one stuck sharp objects like blades or the tip of crowbars into the gaps and kept pressing, they could pry the door to the escape trunk open. The escape trunks were connected to other cabins. Once the fishmen entered the escape trunk, they would have access to the inner portions. After much practice, they could infiltrate an ark in no more than two days. If the ark were really well-built, they would need three days. ¡°Babe, I¡¯m coming! Don¡¯t be scared!¡± ¡°Open this door now, or we¡¯ll kill everybody when we get in!¡± ¡°Open this fucking door!¡± Gil and the other fishmen cursed loudly as they attacked the doors and windows. The people inside were frightened. ¡°What should we do now? We¡¯re surrounded!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s open the door! If they force it open, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? They¡¯ll still kill you even if you open the door!¡± ¡°Becoming a fishman is better than death!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d rather grow scales than get killed!¡± ¡°Where are Mr. Soan and Moon? Why haven¡¯t they come to help us?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Forget about Himmel Soan and Moon! If you ask me, Moon has been destroyed by the fishmen, and Himmel Soan has long disappeared! Otherwise, why haven¡¯t they come for us? It¡¯s been two months!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Two months have passed! Have all the countries been taken by the fishmen? Have they infected everybody?¡± ¡°We¡¯re probably the last humans on Earth! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to die like this!¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to die! I¡¯d rather become them than die!¡± ¡­ The ark was in a remote area in the southern hemisphere. Without the internet, they had no idea what was going on outside. They didn¡¯t know where Himmel Soan was, nor did they know if Moon and Panthera still existed. They had no idea how many humans were left. How many people had been infected? They had no answers. But they knew they weren¡¯t the fishmen¡¯s match. In the few minutes before the internet was gone, they saw videos of fishmen attacking ordinary people. Humans didn¡¯t win in any of them. The winner had always been the fishmen who looked like savage zombies. They had no mercy! ¡°Let¡¯s open the door!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! We can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± Another man shouted, ¡°Damn it! Open the door, and we¡¯ll fight to the death!¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not! Do you really think you can defeat them? They¡¯re monsters!¡± ¡°Then what? We¡¯re just going to wait here? Keeping the door shut won¡¯t save us! Look at what they¡¯re doing! It¡¯s only a matter of time before they break down the door!¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright! They won¡¯t! Our ark is very tough! It has survived earthquakes and volcano eruptions! They can¡¯t get in!¡± ¡°Are you comparing what they¡¯re doing to natural disasters? They have intelligence and know where to hit!¡± ¡°Then what do you suggest? Open the door and get killed?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be killed even if we won¡¯t open the door!¡± ¡­ The passengers shouted at one another. In the end, someone couldn¡¯t take it anymore. They rushed toward the cabin door and tried to unbolt it. Chapter 213 - Choice of Life and Death ¡°Shit! What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± The passengers immediately stopped the man. The man shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s open the door and surrender! They won¡¯t kill us! They¡¯ll just turn us into fishmen!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die than turn into these monsters!¡± ¡°Die, then! I don¡¯t care! I want to live!¡± ¡°They¡¯re crazy! Stop those who want to open the door! Take them down!¡± ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? Why should we listen to you? You don¡¯t get to give orders!¡± ¡°Who the hell do I think I am? I¡¯ll show you who I am!¡± One man punched the other man in the face. The other man scrambled to his feet, and a fight broke out. The passengers were divided into two sides. One side wanted to open the door so that they would be spared, while the other refused to open it. Both sides were persistent, and they started throwing punches before they could fight against the fishmen outside. Even the captain of the ark couldn¡¯t stop them. Children were so scared that they burst into tears. Women and elderly people retreated to the corners and watched the men killing one another. A woman looked out of the window. She saw the malicious fishmen staring at her, their gazes reminding her of devils. She trembled. They looked as if they were going to eat her whole. She would never agree to open the door. Not in a million years! At that moment, the terror in her eyes turned into surprise as she looked into the distance. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She saw something like shark fins moving fast toward them. Was that a new group of fishmen? ¡°One group is already impossible to withstand, but there¡¯s more now!¡± ¡°What they said was right! This world has been taken over by fishmen. There must be eight or nine billion of them!¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be an understatement! I think the world is full of fishmen, and there are no more than 100 million survivors left!¡± ¡°Damn it! Without the internet, we don¡¯t know anything! What¡¯s going on in the rest of the world?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The network stopped working after Mr. Soan disappeared. We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening a few hundred meters away! We¡¯re as good as blind!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan and Moon are so important! How come we never realized it before? Not only that, but we¡¯ve also mocked and humiliated them!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan hasn¡¯t come out since he went into Atlantis. The network also broke right then. We were so stupid! How can Mr. Soan be working with Atlantis? If he were, he wouldn¡¯t have set up the network for us!¡± ¡°We did this to ourselves!¡± ¡°No!¡± Someone blurted out at that moment. Everybody looked at him. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Mr. Soan! I mean those ¡®sharks¡¯! Look!¡± He pointed at the sea surface in the distance. The ¡°sharks¡± no longer looked like sharks. Moreover, above them in the sky were some aircraft. ¡°Is that¡­¡± ¡°Those are helicopters!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not fishmen! Those are ordinary people! They¡¯re flying toward us in helicopters!¡± ¡°Gosh! Are we safe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to celebrate. Fishmen have occupied so many arks. How do we know they can¡¯t fly helicopters?¡± Hearing that, the passengers were crestfallen. Things would be disastrous if fishmen were flying those helicopters! Why was that? Because only those five countries still had helicopters! Other countries had been overrun by flood and only had some arks left. If the fishmen were flying the helicopters, there was only one explanation. They had defeated the five countries as well. The five countries were the last hope of the human race. If they were occupied, there was no hope left. The passengers had thought about that possibility, but no one wanted to believe it. However, the helicopters made them consider it. Were the pilots fishmen or ordinary people? That was the million-dollar question. The helicopters glowed in blue light when they moved closer. Then they opened fire. Countless bullets were shot at the fishmen in the sea, turning the water red. The fishmen tried to hide in the deeper water. Gil was furious and looked up at the sky. ¡°Fuck them!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all!¡± ¡°Find our highest jumpers and drag those helicopters down!¡± The fishmen could jump forty or fifty meters into the air. That also showed their speed and strength far exceeded ordinary people. The helicopters were only 30m above the sea. The fishmen almost did it. Some of them managed to jump into the helicopters, but the people inside immediately kicked them out. The ark passengers shouted in surprise. ¡°They¡¯re ordinary people!¡± ¡°Hey, stop fighting! Someone¡¯s coming for us! We don¡¯t need to open the door for the fishmen! We¡¯re going to live!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Moon! I saw a Moonian flag!¡± ¡°The Moonians are here to save us! They¡¯ve defeated the fishmen!¡± ¡°I knew we could trust Moon!¡± ¡°Stop it, you guys!¡± ¡­ The passengers stopped the fighting and rushed to the windows to see what was happening outside. Meanwhile, the ¡°sharks¡± charged at the fishmen as well. ¡°Are those the three divisions from Moon?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the Himmelian Pavilion!¡± ¡°We¡¯re safe!¡± ¡°Thank you, Moon! Thank you, Himmelian Pavilion!¡± ¡­ Because this ark was in a remote corner of the southern hemisphere, it took Moon two months to find it. In the northern hemisphere, it would have been rescued a long time ago. The passengers were relieved when they saw the Moonian helicopters and members of the Himmelian Pavilion. The fishmen were strong, but the Himmelian Pavilion was stronger! Chapter 214 - Arks Combined Fishmen were monsters. But members of the Himmelian Pavilion were cultivators. Although they were only at the Essence Refinement stage, they were still far more capable than ordinary people. Moreover, the helicopters were aiding them. Before long, the fishmen was losing ground to the Himmelian Pavilion. ¡°Mr. Gil, what should we do now?¡± ¡°What else can we do? Kill them! Kill them all!¡± Will Soan stood up in the helicopter and spoke to the fishmen through a loudspeaker. ¡°All the fishmen down there, please listen to me! Stop resisting! Your condition is curable! If you keep attacking ordinary people, Moon will consider you enemies of the human race and kill you instantly! The cure is very effective, and we¡¯ve been giving it to all the countries for free. It only takes three to five minutes for the injection to work. The longer you¡¯ve been infected, the longer the recovery time will be! You still have a chance to go back to normal!¡± Gil snorted and shouted back, ¡°Shut up! The injection will make us explode! You can¡¯t fool me!¡± ¡°The explosion wasn¡¯t set off by the potion. Atlantis did that! Mr. Himmel Soan has stopped Atlantis for the time being, and the Atlanteans can¡¯t control you now. Please inject the potion while you can! If anything happens to Mr. Soan, you¡¯ll all die!¡± Gil bellowed, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! You want to kill us! Guys, let¡¯s kill them!¡± Will lost his temper as well. ¡°You¡¯re making things up! There are 800 million fishmen, and we¡¯ve cured over 700 million by now. Of the remaining 100 million, over half of them are dead! You¡¯re one of the few left! If you still don¡¯t surrender, we¡¯ll have to take you down! I can¡¯t promise your survival!¡± ¡°Screw you! I don¡¯t need your warning!¡± Gil raised his arm. ¡°With me!¡± However, very few fishmen followed him. Most of them went quiet and stayed rooted in their spots. They believed Will. It would be great if they could return to normal. These people had been turned into fishmen against their will. Some fishmen still followed Gil¡¯s order and charged at the Moonian soldiers. Those were the evil fishmen who had no interest in becoming human again. They only wanted to harm other people. Moon showed them no mercy. They emptied their magazines before the fishmen could reach them. The revolting fishmen were annihilated in less than a minute. The Moonians had weapons! Realizing that, all fishmen, innocent or evil, froze in their spots. The passengers cheered and embraced one another in celebration. ¡°Great! The fishmen haven¡¯t occupied the entire planet!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been cured! Does that mean we¡¯re safe now?¡± ¡°Yes! I knew we could always trust Moon!¡± They opened a door at the top of the ark. The captain of the ark went to the top with a few hundred people and called out to Will. ¡°Sir, how are things in other parts of the world?¡± Will said, ¡°They are almost back to normal! We¡¯re working on rebuilding everything now! There are only ten million fishmen left. It¡¯s going to end soon!¡± The captain asked, ¡°Really? Then why isn¡¯t the internet back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how Mr. Himmel Soan set up the network before. As you know, he¡¯s the god of science, and no one can do things he has done. I think he¡¯s trapped somewhere in Atlantis, which is why the internet is down. We can only set up our network in the traditional way. However, we may not cover this area any time soon because you¡¯re in the southern hemisphere.¡± The captain was very excited. Some of the ordinary people were so happy that they burst into tears. ¡°Sir, can you take us back to our country? We¡¯re from Grassia. Our ark doesn¡¯t have an engine, so we¡¯ve been floating around in the ocean. We didn¡¯t mean to come all the way here.¡± Will smiled. ¡°Of course!¡± He then shouted at the fishman down below, ¡°You don¡¯t have any choice now! Come back to Moon with us, or die here! Make your choice!¡± Gil shouted, ¡°You don¡¯t scare me! There is only a handful of you, and we have over a million! You can¡¯t kill us all!¡± He was right. Moon and the Soan empire had only dispatched four or five thousand people. There were over twenty helicopters in the sky, but they couldn¡¯t carry too many people. Gil thought the Moonians¡¯ only advantage was their weapons. ¡°Really?¡± Will pointed around them. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Gil and the other fishmen looked around. They saw battleships and aircraft carriers appear around them. The aircraft carriers looked like small mountains. However, they weren¡¯t the most intimidating things. The arks were the most intimidating of them all! Two giant arks appeared on the north and south. They had engines and could sail in the ocean. With a single glance, one could tell they were high-quality arks that had all the necessary equipment, unlike the make-shift ones that were built in a hurry before the meteorite arrived. The giant arks made the fishmen panic. It was as if a mountain was moving toward them. There had to be millions of people on those arks. ¡°Do you still think we don¡¯t have enough people?¡± asked Will. Seeing the arks, many fishmen burst into tears. Some of the passengers on the Grassian ark also cried in excitement. They saw the Pantherese flag! It was flapping in the wind. It wasn¡¯t the only one. The Moonian, Hosian, Soleilian, and Padaskin flags were there as well. It was an ark that belonged to all five countries. ¡°It¡¯s Panthera! My home country!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Padaski!¡± ¡°I see the Hosian flag¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a fishman anymore! I want to be normal again! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t listen to my country before! I shouldn¡¯t have bought the ticket. I should have stayed at home and gone into the underground shelter with them! If I had done that, this would never have happened!¡± Many people had bought tickets to the arks before the meteorite arrived. A lot of them were Pantherese, Hosians, and Soleilians. Chapter 215 - Rescue Even many wealthy Moonians went to hide in the Neigerian arks. The fishmen following Gil came from many countries as well. Many of them were infected after the fishmen invaded the arks. ¡°Are you going to surrender?¡± Will smirked. Gil ground his teeth and bellowed, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill all of you!¡± He grabbed a knife from a fishman next to him, jumped 30m into the air, and charged at Will. Bang! A shot was fired. The sound resonated in the air. Gil felt like a bird with broken wings. Blop! He fell into the ocean, and the water turned red from his blood. Gil was one of the radicals and evilest fishmen. He would rather die than return to normal. He was trying to brainwash the fishmen around him. Due to his influence, many fishmen succumbed to their evil side and had been killing and plundering as they went. However, they weren¡¯t as bold as Gil. Once he died, the other fishmen surrendered. They didn¡¯t dare resist the Moonians soldiers because they stood no chance. ¡°I surrender! Please don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the injection!¡± ¡°Me, too! Please spare my life!¡± ¡°The Moonians are my gods! I¡¯ll do whatever they tell me to do!¡± The fishmen surrendered and tried to please the Moonians. Will said, ¡°We¡¯re nobody¡¯s gods, and you don¡¯t need to thank us. My country wants to stop the wars in the world. That¡¯s all. Drop your weapons and board the arks. We¡¯ll take you to Moon, give you the injections, and send you back home!¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Thank you for giving us another chance!¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± ¡­ The passengers on the Grassian ark cheered and opened their doors to welcome the giant arks. With their help, the Grassian ark began to move toward its own country. ¡­ On Mars. ¡°Mr. Oraman, we can¡¯t survive here! We don¡¯t have much food left! If we can¡¯t replenish our provisions, we¡¯re going to starve to death in two weeks!¡± A scientist was reporting to Oraman. Eternity had been circling Mars. There was no air or food outside. They could only stay inside the ship. Being the largest Neigerian ark, Eternity could carry five million people, and it was packed. More people required more resources. The five million mouths needed food and air. How much food, water, and air could Eternity store? ¡°Two weeks?¡± Oraman¡¯s face darkened. After much consideration, he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me we had enough food to last six months?¡± ¡°That was my calculation, but the situation changed. Eternity has been overloaded. We¡¯ve been admitting more people onto the ark for their money. However, we haven¡¯t loaded enough food and water to cover that many people. We¡¯re using up our provisions twice as fast as what we initially calculated! ¡°It¡¯s been two months and three days. We¡¯re running short on our food and oxygen! Mr. Oraman, if we don¡¯t come up with a solution, we¡¯ll all die here!¡± ¡°Kill them!¡± Oraman gave the command. A scientist was dumbfounded. ¡°Mr. Oraman, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Which part of ¡®kill them¡¯ don¡¯t you understand? Five million is too many. Kill half of them! Kill the men that eat the most! Keep the women!¡± ¡°Mr. Oraman, we can¡¯t do that!¡± The scientist knelt on the floor. ¡°You¡¯re talking about killing two million people! We can¡¯t do that!¡± Oraman grabbed him by the collar. ¡°Kill them, or we¡¯re all dead! Without them, we can have enough food and oxygen for a month. No, that won¡¯t be enough! I need enough oxygen for a year! Kill everyone that¡¯s not a Neigerian, men and women! The most beautiful women can be spared! ¡°Find a way to improve the environment. See if you can plant something on Mars! We need a long-term plan!¡± Maruse said, ¡°It seems that¡¯s our only choice. Leo, follow the president¡¯s order and kill those people!¡± Leo, the leading scientist, shook his head. ¡°No, Mr. Oraman! I can¡¯t do that! It¡¯s too cruel!¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Oraman grabbed Leo¡¯s neck and growled. ¡°I¡¯d have killed you if I could extract your brain!¡± Oraman needed the scientists. They had to somehow improve the Martian environment. It wasn¡¯t an impossible task. Eternity had more than just food and water on board. There was also soil, minerals, animals, and insects. If they could build a controlled environment on Mars and lay down the soil, they could turn a fraction of Mars into a miniature earth. What was the most important thing? Water! Scientists discovered water on Mars many years ago. However, they hadn¡¯t found any this time. They had been looking for it since they arrived. Once they succeeded, they could live on this planet. Leo was the best scientist, and the plan wouldn¡¯t work without him. Therefore, Oraman wouldn¡¯t kill him no matter how angry he was. ¡°We have to have enough time, water, and oxygen before we can carry out that plan! What can we do in two weeks? If we don¡¯t kill them, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± Leo pointed at the image on the screen. ¡°Mr. Oraman, let¡¯s go back to Earth! We have enough fuel to take us back! Look! It¡¯s still there!¡± Chapter 216 - Half the Population Before, Oraman and his men thought Earth would explode, and they were having conflicts with other countries, which was why they went to Mars. They had made plans on how to survive on Mars before arriving. They had a 30% survival rate. The most important thing was to find water on Mars. It took them half a month to reach Mars, and they spent another six weeks searching. They found nothing. Neige had some very advanced technology. Fifteen days to travel to Mars was enough proof of their advanced technology. More importantly, they succeeded! Humanity had set foot on the moon, but landing on other planets had been an impossible task. Being the wealthiest country in the world, Neige concealed its true capability. The energy cannon was one of the trump cards. The theory was discovered over twenty years ago. However, the process was too complicated, and some key technologies were missing. Therefore, no one believed the cannon could be built. Yet, they built it without letting other countries know. It was similar to the history of the moon landing. All countries wanted to send their people to the moon because it demonstrated their national strength. Neige was the first country to send people to the moon. They succeeded in the 1940s. However, they had kept it a secret for a long time. Hooya, the predecessor of Panthera, astonished the world when their people landed on the moon, but it was already in the 1970s. It took them thirty more years. Neige was the only country that wasn¡¯t impressed by this achievement. They had always been like that. It had been seventy years since the Neigerians landed on the moon. In these seventy years, they had made great progress in their space technology. Eternity was equipped with the top technology in the country. Other countries would find it impossible to send people to Mars. But Neige felt they could give it a go. They made it. It was a success! However, they didn¡¯t know Mars very well. As no one had set foot on Mars before, all their data came from photos and the analysis result of the Martian soil. They thought they knew everything about Mars. But the planet was much more complicated than they expected. Maruse already began to waver. However, he didn¡¯t dare say anything before Oraman did. ¡°Mr. Oraman¡­¡± Maruse hesitated. Oraman let go of Leo and glared at Maruse. He had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t like what Maruse was going to say. ¡°What? Speak!¡± Maruse went silent for a little while. ¡°I also think we should return to Earth. Look, the planet is intact. It means Himmel Soan¡¯s space cannon worked. Maybe we won¡¯t be the greatest country anymore, but being the second-best won¡¯t be too bad. Eternity contains most of our technology¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Oraman cut him off. ¡°I have to be the best! Neige was the greatest country on Earth. I won¡¯t let it drop to the second while I¡¯m the president! There are so many women on board. I only need to find water on Mars, and I¡¯ll be able to build a formidable army in twenty years! I can then take back Earth! I¡¯ll be the owner of the entire planet!¡± Oraman¡¯s voice was filled with hatred. It was impossible to make him change his mind. No one could. Maruse couldn¡¯t figure out who the hatred was directed at. Was it Moon? Or Himmel Soan? Neither of the two had ever targeted Neige. Was it because Oraman was too proud to be the second-best? Yes, that was the reason! Oraman was petty like that. He would rather lose Neige than become the president of the second-best country. ¡°But Mr. Oraman¡­¡± Leo pleaded, ¡°If we don¡¯t go back, we¡¯re all going to die here!¡± Oraman bellowed, ¡°Kill them, then! ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you that already? Kill them until the remaining people have enough water and food for a year! We¡¯ll eat their flesh when we run out of food! We¡¯ll survive!¡± Everybody else in the control room looked terrified when they heard those words. Oraman had lost his mind. He had become a bloodthirsty monster! ¡°Mr. Oraman¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Oraman, we can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°We all have a right to live! Isn¡¯t Neige a free country? We can¡¯t take away other people¡¯s lives!¡± Everybody was pleading with Oraman. Oraman grabbed the gun on Maruse¡¯s waist and aimed it at the crowd. ¡°Are you going to disobey me? Just because you¡¯re a scientist doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t kill you! I¡¯m the president! Eternity is mine! I¡¯m the only owner! I¡¯ll kill anyone who won¡¯t follow my order! Do not question my decisions!¡± One of the scientists said hopelessly, ¡°Mr. Oraman, I have to say something even if you¡¯re going to kill me! Mars is inhabitable. Even if you kill everybody else on this ship, you won¡¯t last more than ten years. We need some major construction work to make Mars suitable for living, but we can¡¯t do that! Maybe we can do it if we can transport resources from Earth, but now¡ª¡± Bang! Oraman pulled the trigger without hesitation, blowing off the scientist¡¯s head. ¡°Bullshit! I don¡¯t need excuses! I need answers! Just tell me if you can do it!¡± He aimed the gun at another scientist. ¡°Can you do it? Answer me!¡± The scientist trembled and repeatedly said, ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Oraman then aimed the gun at Leo. ¡°Doctor, what about you?¡± Leo gritted his teeth. He didn¡¯t say a word, but the expression on his face had answered the question for him. ¡°I¡¯m asking you! Can you do it or not? Do you want to die?¡± Chapter 217 - Inhabitable Planet Seeing how agitated Oraman was, Maruse tried to calm him down. ¡°Mr. Oraman, we can¡¯t kill Dr. Leo! We can¡¯t lose him!¡± However, Oraman pushed Maruse away and aimed the gun at him. Maruse immediately raised his hands. ¡°Mr. Oraman, what are you doing?¡± Oraman said grimly, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill half of your people. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Will you do it? Answer me! Do you want to die, too?¡± Seeing Oraman¡¯s finger on the trigger, Maruse immediately said, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do it! Mr. Oraman, please calm down! I would never disobey you!¡± Oraman extended his free hand. ¡°In that case, give me the remote control!¡± ¡°What remote control?¡± ¡°What do you think? The remote detonator of Cabin-8!¡± The passengers in Cabin-8 were the soldiers¡¯ family members. The remote control was connected to the infrared transmitter beneath Cabin-8. Once he pressed the button, Cabin-8 would be blown away. The chain of command was meaningless now. If the people wanted to revolt, they could depose Oraman at any moment. Oraman had made preparations beforehand. He let all the family members of the soldiers go to Cabin-8 for free. Moreover, the cabin wasn¡¯t connected to other cabins. It was an independent space. The soldiers and their families were elated because they could board the best ark for free. However, they didn¡¯t know it was only part of Oraman¡¯s plan. If things went out of control, the family members would become Oraman¡¯s bargaining chips. ¡°Mr. Oraman, you¡ª¡± ¡°Give it to me!¡± ¡°Mr. Oraman, please be reasonable!¡± ¡°Give it to me, or I¡¯ll shoot you and take it from you!¡± Maruse was scared and immediately gave him the remote control. Oraman aimed his gun at someone else. ¡°Get rid of a million people for me now!¡± ¡°Mr. Oraman, that¡¯s too many¡­¡± ¡°Stop nagging! Just do as you¡¯re told! Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m on it!¡± ¡­ The passengers were still enjoying their lives on Eternity. They had wine, steaks, and fruit in every meal. Life was good. Their living standards hadn¡¯t reduced much. They watched the bleak scene outside while chatting happily. Nothing seemed to worry them. It had been a month and a half since they arrived at Mars, and the excitement hadn¡¯t faded yet. Maybe they would soon get tired of the view. But not yet. Oraman had been brainwashing them, filling them with fantasies. ¡°I heard the president is going to change that section into a lake!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! I saw a mountain over there yesterday. If we can build a villa up there, I think it¡¯ll be really comfortable!¡± ¡°According to Mr. Oraman, they¡¯ll finish reconstructing the first area next month. It¡¯ll be like living on Earth again, and we won¡¯t need to stay here anymore!¡± ¡°Mr. Oraman is amazing! The housing price on Mars will be so low in the future, and I¡¯ll buy the entire city! I¡¯ll marry a hundred women!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll marry a hundred men!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, sweetheart. We men are much more important here. Can you work on the construction site outside? Can you carry large rocks? We men are the chief contributors.¡± ¡°Mars is full of potential. Based on Mr. Oraman¡¯s plan, Mars will have the same environment as Earth in a year and exceed Earth in three years. Those idiots on Earth will beg us to bring them to Mars.¡± ¡°If they want to come, they¡¯ll have to become my slaves!¡± ¡­ They were still chatting excitedly when a group of soldiers entered their cabin. The passengers belonged to a social class that had seen enough major events, and the sight of the soldiers didn¡¯t affect them. Moreover, they had seen the soldiers many times in the past two months and had known them well by now. ¡°Jerry, what brings you here today? Don¡¯t have work outside?¡± A businessman raised his glass and smiled at Jerry. ¡°Would you like to join us?¡± Jerry was the soldier in charge of Cabin-10. However, his usual smile had vanished from his face. He looked rather grave as if he had just lost his father. ¡°Jerry, why the serious look? A problem at work? That¡¯s alright. We can wait. A few more months won¡¯t be a problem. Eternity is such a comfortable place to live in. Moreover, there are so many beautiful women, and I don¡¯t mind staying here for a bit longer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a dog!¡± Another man teased him. Jerry pointed at the men in the room and told the soldiers behind him, ¡°Take them down! Then take them outside to be executed later!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The soldiers stepped out and pinned the wealthy men on the floor. The crowd was shocked and backed away. ¡°Jerry, what are you doing?¡± ¡°What did we do? Why are you doing this? We¡¯re paying customers!¡± ¡°Jerry, what did they do? Why are you arresting them?¡± ¡°We paid a billion to get aboard, and this is how you treat us! Jerry, get Maruse! I¡¯ll file a complaint!¡± Jerry showed no sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Putoc, but it¡¯s Mr. Maruse¡¯s decision!¡± A passenger stepped out and asked, ¡°What? Mr. Maruse¡¯s decision? Why?¡± Jerry looked at the man. ¡°It¡¯s not just them. You¡¯re going to be executed, too!¡± The man was terrified. He didn¡¯t expect such an answer! ¡°Are you nuts? Why me? Jerry, take me to Maruse!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see him soon. Arrest all the men in Cabin-10, as well as all the women over 45 years old! Mr. Maruse says they¡¯re useless because they can¡¯t bear children anymore!¡± Chapter 218 - Can We Go Back Screams came from Cabin-10. Men, women, elderly people, and children were all shouting, screaming, crying, and begging. It sounded miserable. Passengers in Cabin-11 next door were bewildered, but they didn¡¯t know they would be next. A group of soldiers charged into Cabin-11 and took away many people just like they did in Cabin-10. Women over 45 had passed their ideal chIld-baring age. Oraman considered them to be a waste of food. Each cabin contained ten thousand people. Maruse didn¡¯t carry out Oraman¡¯s command strictly. He only took away all the men and most women from Cabin-10 to Cabin-19, numbering about 92,000 people. They were all thrown out of Eternity. Mars was considered the ideal planet to immigrate to. There was oxygen on Mars, but the density was very low. The atmosphere was extremely thin as well. It was only about one percent of that on Earth. Because of that, the ultraviolet rays would hit the planet¡¯s surface directly and could do great damage to the human body. Mars was also much hotter than Earth. The planet was covered by sand. Scientific research showed that Mars had oceans and glaciers three billion years ago, but they had all disappeared. Water! Water still existed. It was just very hard to find. Everything would be alright once they found water. Oxygen might be denser at the water source, and they might be able to plant seeds there. Eternity could function as the atmosphere. It was gigantic and would look like a small mountain wherever it was anchored. They could remove its bottom and cover the water source with the ark¡¯s hull. The plants could be planted in the area covered by the ark. Once there was water and plants, there would be more oxygen. Scientists could also synthesize oxygen if needed. Together with the oxygen stored in Eternity, humans could survive for a while. As for if they could stay on Mars for long, it would depend on scientific breakthroughs. Some scientists had run simulations before. A human being exposed to the Martian air would feel suffocated. In the strong ultraviolet rays, they wouldn¡¯t survive for more than an hour. However, that had proved to be incorrect. When Maruse threw the 90,000 people out of Eternity, he saw they were still alive. However, they seemed to be in agony and were gasping for air. They were on their knees and begging the people inside Eternity. Some of them pointed at Eternity and cursed it with the most malicious words they could think of. Maruse couldn¡¯t bring himself to watch this. He wanted to open the door and let them in. But he couldn¡¯t. He alone couldn¡¯t disobey Oraman. If he did, he and his family would all be dead. Oraman had the remote control and could kill everybody in Cabin-8. Maruse knew no soldier would help him. Oraman was going to destroy Eternity! Dr. Leo had warned them. Even if the plan went well, they couldn¡¯t stay on Mars for more than ten years. After that, they would still be dead. They had to return to Earth! But how? Maruse couldn¡¯t even save himself. How could he save the others? Passengers in other cabins saw what was happening outside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why have they been thrown out?¡± ¡°Oh my god! That¡¯s terrible!¡± ¡°Did they do something wrong? Have they offended someone? Why are they out there? Will that happen to us, too?¡± ¡°I hope not. We¡¯re paying customers and Neigerians. Surely, Oraman won¡¯t kill us! Why are those people being treated like that?¡± ¡°Shhhh! I heard that we¡¯re running low on food and oxygen! To lower the consumption, Mr. Oraman decided to kill half the passengers!¡± Everybody was frightened by the news. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± ¡°Seriously? Half the people?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s true! And Oraman may kill more than half of us! He only wants to leave a few hundred thousand people behind!¡± ¡°Has he lost his mind? We paid for our tickets!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish! Do you think money matters now? Oraman wants to live, and money is of no use here! You can¡¯t buy a bagel even if you have a billion dollars!¡± ¡°Are they going to kill us?¡± ¡°Yes, they are! We¡¯re not close to Oraman, and we¡¯re not even Neigerians! He¡¯ll start from us!¡± ¡°No! This is so scary! I want to go back to Earth!¡± ¡°Go back to Earth? Do you think that¡¯s possible? We¡¯re doomed!¡± ¡°If I knew this was going to happen, I would never have boarded Eternity!¡± Some people had lost all hope. They sat on the ground and pulled their hair. Some people wouldn¡¯t believe it. They considered themselves to be taxpayers and didn¡¯t think Oraman would attack them. Some people were so frightened that they could only pray, hoping none of it was true. ¡°I miss Earth!¡± ¡°Me, too! I heard Earth hadn¡¯t exploded! Moon¡¯s space cannon destroyed the meteorite!¡± ¡°I knew it! We saw the meteorite explode when we left Earth! Moon did it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Moonian! I regret having come here! I should have believed in my own country!¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Panthera, Moon¡¯s ally. I think my country is doing fine, too. I feel so guilty! I took all the money I made in Panthera and gave it to Neige! But now, they are going to kill me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Maybe we still have a chance! Maybe it¡¯s not true! Maybe those people are out there because they¡¯ve offended Oraman!¡± Some people tried to convince themselves that Oraman wouldn¡¯t harm them. That was until Maruse showed up with a group of soldiers. Chapter 219 - Ask Moon for Help ¡°Listen. From now on, you can only have one meal a day, which will consist of a slice of toast and half a bottle of water! You can decide when you¡¯re going to have that meal. Eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or supper! It¡¯s up to you, but you¡¯ll only have that provision every 24 hours!¡± Maruse made the announcement as he walked. It was true! Eternity was running low on food! Hearing this, the passengers, who still had some hope, were filled with despair. Someone pleaded, ¡°Mr. Maruse, can we have a little bit more than that? A slice of toast and half a bottle of water won¡¯t be enough! I¡¯m used to having four meals a day!¡± Maruse looked at the fat man and bellowed, ¡°Eat your own flesh, then! The order came from Mr. Oraman. I have no right to change it!¡± While some people begged, others shouted angrily. ¡°What the heck? That¡¯s too little!¡± ¡°I paid over a billion for my ticket, and this is how you treat me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you promised me when I came aboard! You said Eternity would have enough oxygen and food for a century! You¡¯re all liars!¡± ¡°A century? They told me two hundred years!¡± ¡°I was told fifty!¡± ¡°WTF? You people are so cruel! How can you make such fake statements?¡± ¡°If you throw me out, I¡¯ll fight you to the death! I can¡¯t live on one toast a day!¡± ¡°Me neither! I¡¯m worth tens of billions! You can¡¯t feed me on bread only! I¡¯ll file a complaint! I¡¯ll sue you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so mad! Guys, let¡¯s take them! There are only so few of them! They can¡¯t take us all!¡± The soldiers behind Maruse took out their weapons and aimed them at the crowd. The passengers immediately backed away. There were only 50,000 soldiers in Eternity. But that was enough. With their guns, they could take a hundred people at a time, keeping five million people under control. Maruse didn¡¯t feel any better than the passengers. Hearing their accusations, he bowed at them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everybody, but it¡¯s not my call! It¡¯s Mr. Oraman¡¯s decision, and I can only follow his orders.¡± One of the wealthy men said, ¡°Mr. Maruse, you control the army! Why can¡¯t you make the call? We believe you! We can go back to Earth! We¡¯re all on your side! We don¡¯t have to listen to Oraman!¡± Another man said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Earth didn¡¯t explode! Even if it¡¯s flooded, it¡¯s still better than Mars!¡± Everybody saw it now. They knew everything Oraman told them had been lies! That man talked about Mars¡¯s development plans. He said they could open up land on Mars in a month. They would plan trees and make the place habitable. He also talked about food and oxygen that could last them years and years. However, all those promises were lies! He had lied to them! The passengers no longer had any hope for Oraman. Maruse only shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t! He¡¯s controlling the army!¡± A passenger asked, ¡°How? Why should the soldiers listen to him?¡± He turned to the soldiers. ¡°We¡¯re all adults, and I¡¯m sure you understand following Oraman will only get you killed. You don¡¯t need to listen to his command! We can depose him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Money is of no use here! Take back your control, and let¡¯s return to Earth!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s go back! Mr. Maruse, would you join us?¡± ¡°Mr. Maruse, I¡¯m sure your family is on this ark, too. Do you want to see them die here?¡± ¡°What about the soldiers behind you? Their families must be here! Are you going to watch them die? Are you going to let Oraman control them?¡± Maruse bellowed, ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything! Oraman has our families! That¡¯s why we have to do this!¡± All the soldiers sighed in resignation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys, but we don¡¯t have a choice! My mother is in Cabin-8. If I don¡¯t follow Oraman¡¯s order, he¡¯ll kill my mom!¡± ¡°My whole family is in Cabin-8, too. There¡¯s nothing I can do!¡± ¡°Oraman wouldn¡¯t let anybody go near him now, and he¡¯s holding the remote control at all times. I¡¯m sorry, guys, but there¡¯s nothing we can do!¡± The passengers fell silent. Oraman was such a villain! They didn¡¯t know what to do either. Maruse said, ¡°Guys, don¡¯t be afraid. Oraman has asked me to kill half the passengers, 2.5 million people. I took the initiative and changed that arrangement. The cost of that decision is your reduced food quota. Oraman wants to save enough food, and I can achieve the same goal this way! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Instead of losing their lives, they were given one meal a day. The passengers found it much easier to accept now. Maruse continued, ¡°Not only your food but your oxygen will also be reduced. Three hundred ventilations will be closed, leaving five open only. You may find it hard to breathe for a while, but I won¡¯t let you die! I think Oraman would be happy with shutting down 300 ventilations.¡± Although the passengers could live in the new condition, it would be a painful experience. Seeing that Maruse could be reasoned with, the passengers begged him. All human beings were insatiable. ¡°Mr. Maruse, I think that¡¯s still a little¡­ Can we have two meals a day, one full bottle of water, and thirty ventilations?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Maruse. If we only have one meal a day, we¡¯ll starve to death in half a month! We have 305 ventilations now. Can you leave 10% running for us?¡± ¡°I think water is more important. Can we have two bottles?¡± ¡°Mr. Maruse, I have severe asthma. Without enough air, I may die! We have to have 30 ventilations!¡± ¡­ Maruse grew angry as he listened to their requests. Chapter 220 - Moon Wont Agree ¡°Die then! Have you forgotten about something? Mr. Oraman¡¯s order is to kill you all! I¡¯m already very kind to keep you alive, so be content! If you have so many requests, I don¡¯t mind carrying out his order and banishing you from Eternity! That way, I don¡¯t need to give you half a bottle of water or keep five ventilations!¡± The passengers immediately stopped talking. They were so frustrated that they wanted to reason with Maruse. But they didn¡¯t have the courage. The guns in the soldiers¡¯ hands were quite intimidating. Maruse was capable of following his word. Ninety thousand people were still outside. If they made any more requests, he could very likely throw them out. ¡°Please don¡¯t! Mr. Maruse, we¡¯ll do what we¡¯re told!¡± ¡°I guess I can survive on half a bottle a day¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Maruse, we know things have been difficult for you, and we¡¯re grateful that you¡¯ve protected us, but I must tell you this: we can¡¯t keep this up! If Oraman doesn¡¯t change his mind, we¡¯ll all die on Mars, including you!¡± ¡°Mr. Maruse, do you think we have the means to contact Earth? Can we ask the people on Earth to help us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Oraman has control over the army, and we aren¡¯t his match! However, some countries on Earth can handle him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Moon can! Mr. Maruse, if we can fly to Mars, I¡¯m sure we can send distress signals to Earth!¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t I thought of that? Moon has more advanced technology than us. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come to save us!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so naive! Use your brain! Why would they want to save us?¡± Everybody fell silent. The speaker was a wealthy Moonian, and he didn¡¯t stop after the others turned quiet. He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m a Moonian, and I know my compatriots well. Yes, Moon is a generous peace-loving country, but there are things they¡¯ll never compromise. Neige targeted Moon in every possible way, and as a Moonian, I¡¯ll never forgive the Neigerians. ¡°You must be dreaming if you think Moon is going to help you! This is not something that can be done easily. Moon will need to send their own troops, and they may have conflicts with the Neigerian soldiers. Many people may lose their lives! Why would Moon use its own people to save you? You didn¡¯t speak up for Moon when the disaster started! ¡°Even I¡¯m too ashamed to ask Moon for help! I can¡¯t bring myself to go back! I took the money I earned in Moon and joined Neige. Instead of trusting my own country, I believed in Oraman! The Moonians must be laughing at me now! All the countries on Earth must be laughing at us!¡± Maruse¡¯s expression became much more serious. He had thought of the same thing and had sent a secret distress signal to Earth. But now, he lost all hope. He felt even if Earth received the message, they wouldn¡¯t come all this way to Mars to help the people that had abandoned them. Before they left, Oraman even threatened other countries and revealed his ambition of ruling the entire planet. He had offended all the countries on Earth. Instead of helping them, the people on Earth would probably laugh at them! ¡°Is that true?¡± Maruse asked gingerly. The Moonian businessman nodded. ¡°Moon is a peace-loving country, but the people aren¡¯t stupid. Why would they want to bring Neige back? Neige will only turn against Moon and the rest of the world again.¡± Maruse said, ¡°No, we won¡¯t! Oraman won¡¯t be our president when we go back!¡± ¡°Who can promise the next president won¡¯t be worse than him? Mr. Maruse, even you¡¯ve wanted to rule Erth. I¡¯m sorry to be so blunt, but that¡¯s the fact! You¡¯re compromising now because you¡¯ve lost your power and Oraman has your family. ¡°If you become the Neigerian ruler and the second most important man in the world, are you sure you won¡¯t turn against Moon? Maybe you can play nice for a couple of years, but you¡¯ll turn against Moon in three years in both the economy and science! I¡¯m sure of it!¡± He was very good at reading people. What he said was also true. In the current situation, not many people have the courage to say such things. Maruse admitted that he used to look down upon Moon and tried to hinder Moon in every possible way. If the environment on Mars had been so different from what he had imagined and if his power hadn¡¯t been taken away, he would have done the same thing as Oraman, and Oraman would be the one planning a revolt now. ¡°Mr. Maruse, the Moonians don¡¯t have the same mindset. Your people are never grateful. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to say that, but that¡¯s the truth! We Moonians believe that only Padaski, Panthera, Hosia, and Soleil would show some gratitude. That was why Moon was willing to help them. If you have a chance, please read the stories ¡®the farmer and the snake¡¯ and ¡®crying wolf¡¯! ¡°Moon might help you once or twice, but if you turn against it all the time, they won¡¯t help you again!¡± The passengers lost all hope. According to this man, they would have no choice but to die on Mars. That, or they found a chance to take out Oraman. However, would they still have that chance? Oraman must have anticipated their plan! He would be on guard! Chapter 221 - Please Inform Moon ¡°Is there no other way? We can pay Moon! I can give them every penny I have in the bank!¡± someone said to the wealthy Moonian. The Moonian snickered. ¡°Do you think your bank still exists now? How much money will you pay for a life? If Moon really sends their army, the fifty thousand Neigerian soldiers will probably kill ten or twenty thousand of them. How much are they going to pay for the loss of their lives? ¡°Moreover, most Moonians won¡¯t agree to intervene when they hear this. Although I¡¯m on Eternity now, I won¡¯t want Moon to send its people here. It¡¯s not worth it!¡± The mood in the cabin grew heavy, and the passengers felt even more hopeless. They imagined their future life on Mars. They could only have one slice of toast and half a bottle of water daily. Even deep breaths became a luxury. The idea made them want to commit suicide. ¡°What about¡­¡± Somebody looked at the Moonian wealthy man. ¡°I think we should try it. Maybe Moon will come to help us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Many people chimed in. ¡°We should give it a go. Maybe Moon isn¡¯t as petty as we think!¡± ¡°I think we should try it! I don¡¯t think they are a petty nation. Maybe they¡¯ll do things that we deem impossible!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s try it! Mr. Maruse, please find a way to contact Moon!¡± ¡°Moon is a generous nation! It has always taken responsibility for international affairs. There are so many people here. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll help us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Moon has always branded itself as a generous nation. It¡¯s time to show their quality!¡± ¡­ A few Moonians heard the conversation and were displeased. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Are you trying to use Moon again? Do you think it¡¯s their duty to save you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you people. Why do you take everything for granted? Moon doesn¡¯t owe you anything! It doesn¡¯t need to prove itself to you!¡± ¡°Even if Moon agrees to help you, once the Moonians know how ungrateful you are, they won¡¯t help you anymore! You deserve to die here!¡± ¡°When you return to Earth and don¡¯t need Moon anymore, you¡¯ll turn against Moon again, won¡¯t you? What do you mean they can do impossible things? Do you want Moon to fulfill your needs all the time? Moon isn¡¯t your servant! You can¡¯t order the Moonians around! Are you going to consume my country when you need to?¡± What those people said was quite shocking. The Moonians on Eternity couldn¡¯t stand them anymore. They would rather die here with those people than let Moon bring them back to Earth. Of course, they hadn¡¯t always believed in their home country, which was why they had ended up in Eternity! They were ashamed of what they had done, but they still had a conscience. They wouldn¡¯t betray their country again. It was understandable that they would think that way. That was how they had been taught. Not all the countries had a history as long as Moon. Some countries still had barbaric ideologies! Maruse grew impatient. With a wave of his hand, he said, ¡°Forget about it. We¡¯ll discuss it another day!¡± He left the cabin with the soldiers. ¡­ Two and half months had passed. The seawater receded over a month ago. Two weeks ago, the Himmelian Pavilion and the arks of the five countries arrested 99% of the fishmen, restoring things to normal. So far, there were fewer than ten thousand fishmen left. They were the real villains! It wasn¡¯t that they hadn¡¯t been found, but they would run away whenever they were spotted. They didn¡¯t want to recover! They would sneak ashore during the night, killing or infecting ordinary people. They had turned into pirates! When they were caught, they were executed right away. After the past two months, most countries on Earth had gone back to normal. They didn¡¯t return to the state before the catastrophe though. That wasn¡¯t possible. Not after ten more years. Some places couldn¡¯t be restored within a decade. Still, people weren¡¯t starving, and everybody had a roof over their heads. That was good enough for now. The Moonians had moved out of the shelters under the Pegasus Grassland. When the two billion people started working, no one was as efficient as them. They rebuilt ten badly-destroyed cities in less than a month. However, even they couldn¡¯t restore things to once they were. They could only repair the buildings that hadn¡¯t collapsed and clear away the water on the roads so that the cities could operate. ¡­ ¡°General Marlow, we built a service tower today. The internet is back!¡± By now, the internet was working in most countries. Moon and Panthera built signal towers in many places, but not the entire country was covered. One had to stay close to the tower to use the internet. But it was enough to send messages. ¡°Good job!¡± ¡°But we received a message from outer space!¡± Gordon asked curiously, ¡°What message?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a distress signal!¡± The secretary sent the file to Gordon¡¯s computer. ¡°I think it¡¯s from Eternity, the ark that has fled from Earth.¡± ¡°Eternity hasn¡¯t been destroyed?¡± Gordon thought that the ark had disappeared into space already. ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t. By the looks of it, it has reached Mars and has been there for about two months.¡± Gordon laughed. ¡°Lucky bastards!¡± ¡°General Marlow, are we going to help them?¡± Chapter 222 - One Meal a Day ¡°Help them? How? You can post the information online and see if other countries want to help them. They can do whatever they want, but we don¡¯t have that kind of resources!¡± The news was all over the internet before Moon even made it public. It came from Panthera instead of Moon. The news immediately caused a sensation. Hosia, Soleil, and Padaski made the same announcement in five minutes. Just like Moon, they received the distress signal from Eternity. ¡°What? Eternity wants us to help them?¡± Everybody found that request amusing. ¡°Are you kidding me? Why should we help those animals?¡± ¡°This is retribution! Didn¡¯t Oraman want to rule the world? I¡¯d like to see how he¡¯s going to do that!¡± ¡°Oraman is going to kill all of them? What exactly did the message say? Can someone please tell me?¡± ¡°Does Oraman only give them one meal a day? That¡¯s very Oraman!¡± ¡°I thought Eternity claimed itself to be invincible? Why can¡¯t it survive on Mars?¡± ¡­ As Neige¡¯s previous lackey, Flamia was mocking the distress signal as well. ¡°I hate Neige to my guts! I hope all Neigerians are dead!¡± That was a bit extreme because Neige still existed on Earth, only that they didn¡¯t have Oraman with them anymore. There were still 500 to 600 million Neigerians on Earth. Before the catastrophe, the Neigerian population was over 800 million. It had been a great nation. But Oraman ruined everything. The meteorite pieces also fell on the Neigerian land, causing much damage. One Neigerian said, ¡°I don¡¯t like what you said. What do you mean by all Neigerians should die? Oraman is to be blamed! We hate him, too!¡± Another Neigerian chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! We didn¡¯t know Oraman would do such a thing! We¡¯re also victims!¡± The Flamians said, ¡°No Neigerian is innocent!¡± The Winish people joined the conversation. ¡°I agree! You haven¡¯t done anything good over the years! You only exploit everybody else!¡± The Neigerians wrote, ¡°What do you mean by that? Oraman is the one who has been exploiting other countries! What did we do?¡± ¡°You know what you did!¡± ¡°You Flamians! Do you want a war? Just because our main military force is gone doesn¡¯t mean you get to bully us! If you want a war, bring it on!¡± Some Soilian wrote, ¡°What did you just say? You Neigerians have always discriminated against us, and you¡¯re still doing it now! We¡¯re not some inferior race, you racist!¡± A Winish internet user wrote, ¡°You¡¯re looking down on Mr. Soan, too! Without him, Earth would have been destroyed! If we had depended on you and countries like Grassia, Earth would have turned into ashes!¡± The Grassians wrote, ¡°Oh, shut up! Don¡¯t talk about discrimination! What you went through couldn¡¯t have been worse than us! And why are you making this about us? If you want a war, we¡¯ll give it to you! ¡°We¡¯ve been hit hard, but we¡¯re not afraid of you! We can use knives and spears better than any of you!¡± ¡°Why did you turn yourself into the target? It¡¯s not about you! Have you won any war with your knives and spears? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± ¡°Guys, we¡¯re arguing about the wrong thing! The most important thing is to rebuild Earth! Moon didn¡¯t set up this network for you to argue with each other!¡± ¡°They started it! We didn¡¯t want to!¡± ¡­ The heads of the five countries were displeased when they saw the arguments. Some people never changed. The whole world was busy with reconstruction. The people that still had time to argue online had to be either administrators or the laziest people that wanted to waste their time away. They were unlikely to be administrators because those people knew how important their job was. They wouldn¡¯t waste time arguing with people online. The sensation caused by the message soon died down. In a time like this, no country had the energy to start wars with others. Before long, the authorities got involved, and the whole thing went away. The Earthlings forgot about the distress signal soon after having a laugh about it. ¡­ An aircraft carrier anchored at the center of the ocean. A little over 10km away was the most terrifying area on Earth. The triangular area! Beneath it was Atlantis. Phoebe, Drake, Liam, and hundreds of others were busy working on something. Half of the people were scientists from all over the world. All the countries were looking for Himmel Soan. He was too important to them. The other half were fighters and soldiers, and they were here to help, too. They had been working in the ocean for two weeks. Over a dozen heads popped out in the water. Phoebe immediately got them back on the aircraft carrier. ¡°How was it? How deep did you go?¡± ¡°30,000m and we¡¯ve reached our limit!¡± Phoebe looked crestfallen. The others were disappointed as well. ¡°You¡¯re one man down. Where is he?¡± William counted nineteen, but they had sent out twenty divers. A man said, ¡°He insisted on going further down, and we couldn¡¯t stop him. He was killed by the water pressure at 31,212m. The mood became graver when the others heard the bad news. A reporter turned his camera to Phoebe and said anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s been twenty days since we started looking for Mr. Soan, but we haven¡¯t been able to go deeper than 30,000m.¡± Chapter 223 - So Hard Yes, the search for Himmel Soan had been turned into a show. It was also one of a kind. The name of the show was ¡°Searching for Himmel Soan.¡± People from over a hundred countries participated in it. Most of the passengers on the aircraft came from the five countries, but there were people from other countries as well. They were all volunteers and wanted to help in the search for Himmel Soan. It was a great honor. Himmel Soan had a lot of fans on Earth, and most of them couldn¡¯t come here. Besides, there were other requirements. One couldn¡¯t just come here. All the countries selected their most talented people and sent them here for the mission. However, the Soan empire turned down most of them. Tens of thousands of people had come, but the Soan empire only accepted over a hundred of them. People all over the world gave them an impressive nickname. ¡°Guardians of the Savior.¡± GOS was the abbreviation. No matter if they could find him in the end or not, their names would be remembered forever. They were envied by everybody. Since all the countries needed rebuilding, not everybody could join the mission. The Soan empire wouldn¡¯t let them either. They could only switch on their phones when they had time and watch the operation from afar. Another two months passed. The aircraft carrier still remained where it was. ¡°How long has it been? Three months? Is there still no news?¡± ¡°The ocean is too deep!¡± ¡°They have made some progress. The furthest they can reach has increased to 35,000m.¡± ¡°Are people of the Himmelian Pavilion even humans? Even submarines can¡¯t go that deep!¡± ¡°Is 35,000m very deep?¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re only 13 years old. In that case, I won¡¯t laugh at you. If you were an adult, I would teach you a lesson!¡± Cruz, a doctor in oceanography, wrote, ¡°I read some comments recently, and some people have sent me messages, asking me how deep the ocean is. I¡¯ll post my explanation here. ¡°Normally, a submarine can dive 400m into the ocean. The deeper they go, the higher the water pressure. At 400m, the pressure can crush an elephant. Some special submarines dive twice that depth and maybe more, but they can¡¯t go deeper than 5.5 miles. ¡°That¡¯s as deep as most oceans in the world will go. The deepest places are usually 10,000m. However, there are deep valleys and trenches at the bottom of the ocean, and they can all be deeper than 10,000m. ¡°Atlantis is at the bottom of a great trench. It¡¯s the deepest spot in the world. I don¡¯t have the exact number, but according to the information Mr. Soan sent back, the trench can be as deep as 50,000m, and Atlantis is at its bottom. ¡°With our current technology, submarines will reach their limit at 10,000m. I can¡¯t begin to imagine the water pressure beyond that. The people of the Himmelian Pavilion can dive 20,000m into the ocean, and that¡¯s already incredible. With some equipment, they can reach 30,000m. Do you understand how amazing that is now?¡± Over 100,000 people liked the comment in a minute, and it was pinned to the top of the timeline. Many people visited Dr. Cruz¡¯s blog and watched his experiments on water pressure. One could have a more direct idea of how terrifying it could be. After watching the videos, the netizens were amazed by the Himmelian Pavilion. Those people were almost like gods! Just like with Himmel Soan, their ability was beyond ordinary people¡¯s understanding. However, even they couldn¡¯t keep diving further into the ocean. Modern technology couldn¡¯t do it either unless Earth could make the breakthrough and enter the fifth age. However, it was easier said than done. If it were that easy, Earth would have reached the next age already. ¡°Good luck, my brave soldiers! I¡¯m so sorry that I can¡¯t go there and help you. If Moon needs anything, please let me know. I¡¯ll help you even if it costs me my life!¡± ¡°What good will that do? Your life isn¡¯t that important! There are things you can¡¯t achieve no matter how hard you try!¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t we heard from Atlantis? What¡¯s going on down there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Atlantis mentioned its partnership with Mr. Soan and Moon¡­¡± ¡°If you say one more word about that lie, I¡¯ll rip your face off! Do you seriously think Mr. Soan and Moon are friends with Atlantis? If that were the case, you would have died a long time ago!¡± ¡°I agree! I won¡¯t let anyone slander Mr. Soan and Moon!¡± ¡°After everything Mr. Soan and Moon have done for us, some ungrateful people are still suspecting him! I want to kill them all! I can promise to Mr. Soan that I¡¯ll get rid of all the bastards for him!¡± ¡°There, there. Don¡¯t be mad. He didn¡¯t say such things. I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean it! Today¡¯s ¡®Searching for Himmel Soan¡¯ is going to start! I want to see if they have got any news about Mr. Soan!¡± ¡­ Searching for Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t a live stream but was recorded first and aired at seven o¡¯clock every day. Even the news report was pushed to half-past seven. They made little progress today, and a few members of the Himmelian Pavilion had died. Three of them were killed by the water pressure, and the other two were killed by giant beasts in the ocean. Days went by. Earth was slowly recovering. After six months, 30% to 40% of Earth had recovered, and life was much better. Searching for Himmel Soan was aired daily, but its popularity was decreasing. At first, tens of billions of people watched the show online, but now, only a billion tuned to it. Chapter 224 - No Hope There was nothing to hope for. 32,222m was the Himmelian Pavilion¡¯s limit. 35,151m was Phoebe¡¯s limit. Nobody could go beyond those two limits yet. Moreover, they could only reach such depth with the help of high-tech equipment. Without it, they couldn¡¯t even reach 30,000m. They kept breaking records in the first two weeks. Each day, they would go 100m deeper than the previous day. Gradually, the progress slowed down, and it became extremely difficult even to make fifty more meters. It took them half a month to go from 32,000m to 32,100m and another month to reach 32,200m. It took them one more month to move two meters deeper. Another six weeks had passed, and they were still at 32,222m. They couldn¡¯t make one meter further than that. Not at all. They had lost hope in rescuing Himmel Soan. There wasn¡¯t much expectation left. However, they still kept trying. Now that Earth had returned to normal, most people had a new home and had more important things to do. They didn¡¯t have the energy to care about Himmel Soan. But if there was important progress, they would still put down the task on hand and watch the update. 100-Country League was a newly found alliance on Earth. Almost all countries were its members. Only some very small ones didn¡¯t participate. The five leading countries were Moon, Padaski, Panthera, Hosia, and Soleil. Although they had never claimed to be the leader of Earth, they were already considered to own that title. It was especially the case with Moon. Moon had no plan or intention to rule Earth. It only wanted to help the planet as best as it could. However, it was human nature to fear those who were stronger than them. Even when the stronger ones were very amicable, the weaker ones wouldn¡¯t dare offend them. The people around the world would support all the decisions Moon made. In the past six months, people began to change their state of mind under the leadership of Moon. Citizens of some countries couldn¡¯t be blamed for their behaviors because they were brought up that way. It was ingrained in their minds. Therefore, it was only natural that they would make different decisions than the Moonians. When Moon started the global reconstruction at first, people didn¡¯t say anything, but deep down, they resisted the arrangement. They didn¡¯t understand the Moonian culture. For instance, gender equality or the fact that slapping other people was against the law. Although Moon had helped them, they thought it was Moon¡¯s duty to do so. If Moon did things they didn¡¯t like next time, they would still oppose Moon. They didn¡¯t think they were obliged to help other people unless other people begged them. There were many such examples. The cultural differences could lead to serious consequences. Moon couldn¡¯t accept their culture, and they couldn¡¯t accept the Moonian culture. However, having spent half a month with Moon, they gradually realized they enjoyed helping others, and no one was obligated to help them with certain things! But there were things they should be doing. When other people helped you, they had done you a favor. You might not help them back, but you shouldn¡¯t make use of other people¡¯s misfortune either. That was why so many people had been attacking Moon and Himmel Soan online. During the past six months, people sensed the change in gravity. It was very different from six months ago. What weighed 100 pounds only weighed 80 pounds now. Gravity was reducing. Just then, someone remembered what Himmel Soan had said. ¡°This planet is no longer suitable for us. The damage is so severe that we have to wait for it to recover on its own. However, it¡¯ll take a very long time, at least three to five decades.¡± The volcano eruptions and fallen meteorites had created large amounts of toxic gases, but so far, they had been suppressed by the new moon. The recovery of gravity was also because of the new moon created by Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan had said the moon would only last for a year. By then, everybody on Earth had to move to another planet. Planet K18. It was much bigger than Earth but was too far away. With their current technology, they wouldn¡¯t reach it in a million years. K18 was outside the galaxy, and the distance between K18 and Earth was tens of thousands of times longer than the length of the galaxy. The galaxy K18 was in also had a system similar to the solar system. There were nine planets in that system: K12 (Venus), K13 (Jupiter), K14 (Mercury), K15 (Mars), K16 (Saturn), K17 (Uranus), K19 (Neptune), K18 (Earth), and K11 (Pluto). Pluto was no longer a planet in the current solar system, but over there, it was still considered a planet. Gravity on Earth would disappear in a year¡¯s time, and things would go back to what they were like before. Before they knew it, six months had passed. As gravity decreased, it was discussed more and more online. ¡°Gravity has reduced by 20%. What should Earth do?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is still missing. Can we exceed the 35,000m limit in the next six months and enter Atlantis?¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t find Mr. Soan, what should Earth do? Where is our destination?¡± ¡°New disaster is coming. We can¡¯t ignore it anymore!¡± More and more such reports made the people on Earth nervous. The show ¡°Searching for Himmel Soan¡± regained its popularity. According to the estimation, if Himmel Soan still couldn¡¯t be found in the next three months, gravity would reduce by 60%, and daily life would be severely affected. The 100-Country League had held several meetings already, but they never reached any conclusion. Today was the 46th meeting on searching for Himmel Soan. Over a hundred presidents all participated and listened with solemn looks. The Pantherese president put some files together and looked at the other participants. ¡°I see everybody¡¯s here. I presume we all know about the disappearing gravity. If it¡¯s completely gone, Earth would no longer be suitable for us to live. The human race could be wiped out in six months! Does anyone have any idea what to do?¡± Chapter 225 - Unable to Break the Limit ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. Our only hope is to find Mr. Soan!¡± Gordon looked at Viclan. ¡°Mr. Viclan, where are we on the pressure-resistance suit? Can we make it deeper into the ocean?¡± All eyes focused on Viclan. He was the leading scientist in the world and the head of the Science League. The pressure-resistance suit the Himmelian Pavilion had been using was created by his team. The Himmelian Pavilion¡¯s limit was around 23,000m. Its members were only able to reach 32,222m after wearing the suit. It was the same case with Phoebe. To go beyond that limit, they had two approaches. One was to improve the Himmelian Pavilion¡¯s own ability, which would be extremely difficult. They were cultivators, and making improvements was much harder than working out. Even if they could make breakthroughs, they would only reach Phoebe¡¯s stage. However, Phoebe couldn¡¯t dive any deeper either unless she made a breakthrough. It was easier said than done. She hadn¡¯t made any breakthroughs for nearly ten years. How could she make any now? The Himmelians and the members of the Himmelian Village were also cultivators. They had been practicing Himmelian Pavilion¡¯s diving technique, hoping that they could help rescue their Patriarch. However, it wasn¡¯t easy. People of the Himmelian Pavilion had cultivated for so many years to master that technique. Although the Himmelians and members of the Himmelian Village were also cultivators, they couldn¡¯t do everything. There was no way they could master the skill in such a short time. Even if they could, they would only dive 32,222m like the Himmelian Pavilion. If Phoebe made the breakthrough, she could only reach 40,000m. Anywhere deeper would be impossible. There was very little hope. But if Viclan could make any achievements, breakthroughs would be possible. If the suit could resist more water pressure, Phoebe might be able to reach 45,000m. Going one step further, they might have some hope of reaching 50,000m. Hence, his work was very important. Viclan smiled bitterly when he saw the expectant look in everybody¡¯s eyes. He then guiltily shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m replacing the materials of the suit. I¡¯m trying to find more durable and pliable materials than the existing ones, but I can¡¯t find any. I¡¯m not as good as Patriarch is. I still have so much to learn in the scientific field. If Patriarch were here, I¡¯m sure he could find the new materials soon!¡± The Soleilian president said, ¡°What you said is meaningless. Just tell me what materials you need, and we¡¯ll do everything possible to find them for you! I don¡¯t care what you do, but you only have five more days to find the new materials! We can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± The Pantherese president said, ¡°I know how difficult it is, but it¡¯s the reality we¡¯re facing. Viclan, Ms. Soan, you¡¯re all the hope we have now! We only have 15,000m to go. Can you reach that depth in five days?¡± Phoebe was also attending this video conference. If other people had made that request, she would have ignored them, including the Pantherese president. But her goal was to find Himmel Soan. He was her Patriarch! She would give everything to find Atlantis, even if it cost her her life. ¡°Alright! If we can¡¯t do it in five days, I¡¯ll force myself to dive deeper!¡± Henry Lang immediately said, ¡°Please don¡¯t, Ms. Soan! Don¡¯t take it on yourself! No one can dive as deep as you do. If you force yourself to go deeper, the water pressure will crush you! We¡¯ll lose our only hope!¡± The Pantherese president only wanted to give Phoebe some pressure as motivation. But he wouldn¡¯t press Phoebe so far that she would do things that put her in danger. ¡°Guys, please do something! We can¡¯t put all our hopes on these people!¡± ¡°What else can we do? Use submarines? They can¡¯t go as deep as them!¡± ¡°Can we feed them with some potion to enhance their bodies in a scientific way? Will that improve the success rate?¡± Viclan shook his head when he heard the suggestion. ¡°No, we can¡¯t, not unless we have some very potent medicine. However, the more potent a medicine is, the more severe the side effects. It may do more harm than good! Moreover, we don¡¯t have such medicine at all! Stimulants are ineffective on them because I¡¯ve experimented on them before. The stimulant could only improve their depth by 100m!¡± Everybody fell silent. Hormones wouldn¡¯t work either. The pressure-resistance suit couldn¡¯t be improved, and the same went for the three divisions. What¡­ There was no improvement at all! ¡°I have a suggestion¡­¡± A president of a small country sitting in the corner timidly raised his hand. His country was Canin, whose area was smaller than a province on Moon. Everybody turned to the Caninish president. Henry asked, ¡°Sir, please share your idea with us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to like it.¡± The Pantherese president was short-tempered. He bellowed, ¡°How are you going to know if you don¡¯t tell us what your idea is? Speak!¡± The Caninish president immediately nodded. ¡°I think if we have a fishman here¡ª¡± Hearing the mention of fishmen, everybody in the room seemed repulsed. Viclan was the only one who seemed enlightened. ¡°Bullshit! How dare you bring up those creatures? At least 100,000 of them are still at large!¡± Some presidents were furious. The Caninish president was terrified. Canin was a tiny country with only 10 million people. Hardly any country ever listened to their opinions. After all, any nation here could easily annihilate Canin. Viclan said, ¡°Please wait a moment!¡± He interrupted the Soilian president and turned to the Caninish president in excitement. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± ¡°A great idea?¡± ¡°Mr. Viclan, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you want to study the fishmen again?¡± Viclan shook his head. ¡°I think that¡¯s a viable suggestion! We¡¯re not restudying it, but we¡¯re using their condition to create a potion. The people of the Himmelian Pavilion are already excellent divers. What if we turn them into fishmen?¡± Chapter 226 - Grow Scales Everybody¡¯s eyes lit up. They saw hope. That was right! Ordinary people could dive deep into the water after they grew scales. The longer they had grown scales, the deeper they could dive. The 100,000 fishmen at large probably had all dived to thirty to forty thousand meters below the surface. Some of them might have gone to Atlantis! Although their condition would aggravate their dark side, it didn¡¯t apply to everybody. The Himmelian Pavilion would always be loyal to Himmel Soan. They wouldn¡¯t change even after they grew scales. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of it before?¡± ¡°Turning them into fishmen! That¡¯s great! We have a cure now, so we can return them to normal once we save Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Maybe we won¡¯t need to cure them. If the fishmen are no longer controlled by Atlantis, they can become ocean soldiers in the future. We¡¯ve constantly been exploring the ocean but have made few achievements. If we can accept the fishmen as a special type of soldiers, they¡¯ll help us greatly in our future exploration!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re going to lose Earth, and you¡¯re still thinking about exploring the ocean? What¡¯s your problem?¡± ¡°Sir, please mind your language! You¡¯re a man of great status!¡± ¡°What do you mean by we¡¯re going to lose Earth? If we get Mr. Soan back, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find a way to save the planet!?¡± After a short discussion, the presidents decided to turn some members of the Himmelian Pavilion into fishmen. Theoretically, it was plausible. Those people would be fish-cultivators who could manipulate water! They would have little problem diving 50,000m into the ocean. ¡°Ms. Soan, what do you think?¡± Everybody looked at Phoebe on the screen. Phoebe nodded. ¡°I have no objections. I can give up my life if I can save Patriarch, let alone become a fishman!¡± ¡°Great! All we need are some fishmen genes. I¡¯ve saved some from before. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still working. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, Ms. Soan, could you please catch another fishman and bring him to my lab?¡± Viclan asked. ¡°No problem!¡± Phoebe went into the ocean to look for the 100,000 fishmen that were hiding deep in the water. They had all taken many lives. They didn¡¯t dare come back because they knew they wouldn¡¯t be cured but executed when they were caught. They planned to stay as fishmen for the rest of their life. ¡­ After the sixth month, there were 4.2 million passengers on Eternity. Oraman was pleased with Maruse¡¯s plan. One meal a day and five ventilations. The measures successfully stretched the food and water that could only last two weeks to six months. Oraman was a very lucky man because they had found water on Mars. It flowed out of something that looked like the mouth of a spring. With the newly found water, the passengers that were going to be executed were spared. Maruse had made great contributions to this process. He told Oraman that they would need a lot of people for the construction work. They couldn¡¯t kill free labor. Those people had to stay alive. They could do tedious work on very little food. Maruse only said that to keep those people alive. What happened next was just as he had planned. Oraman didn¡¯t kill the passengers. In the past six months, Maruse and other passengers had been trying to kill Oraman but could never find a chance. Although he was almost 90 years old, his mind was very sharp. He wouldn¡¯t let go of the remote control even when he was sleeping. He had lost interest in women. Maybe he would still be interested in the sexy and beautiful ones, but he wouldn¡¯t do anything to them. It was impossible to steal the remote control when Oraman was sleeping. Not only that, but Oraman had also trained some loyal guards, giving them a lot of power. Each had a thousand partners and could do whatever they wanted in Eternity. No one would deny their request. There were fifty of them in total, and they had more power than Maruse. In the past six months, they had made over 10,000 women pregnant and killed about the same number of people. After Oraman gave them the power, they intimidated people wherever they went. Oraman had chosen them because they were the most capable fighter on board. They used to be great soldiers. Even without the remote control, these fifty people would still listen to Oraman. They didn¡¯t want to leave because they enjoyed their life on Mars. Together, Oraman and the fifty guardians were called ¡°51 devils¡± by the people on the planet. Oraman received great news today. They found a substance containing a great amount of energy. If Himmel Soan were here, he would recognize it at a glance. It was a supreme essence stone! One could only find one or two such stones on a planet even if they could find any at all. The supreme essence stones on Earth were used during the great ancient war. Since no one had landed on Mars before, the essence stone had remained untouched. Test results showed that the stone contained endless energy, a type that had never been found on Earth before. ¡°Is it useful?¡± Oraman looked at Leo. ¡°It¡¯s enough to destroy a planet!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Oraman was even more excited. The energy cannon was still on Eternity. If they could extract the energy from the stone and inject it into the energy cannon, they could destroy a planet with it! He saw a possibility to take back Earth. The energy cannon had run out of energy. They hadn¡¯t been able to find any fuel on Mars until now, and the supreme essence stone showed him a new possibility. ¡°Can we inject the energy into the energy cannon?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want any theories! I need a definite answer! Can you do it or not? If not, I¡¯ll kill your family! Dr. Leo, your 18-year-old daughter is very pretty!¡± Chapter 227 - : Inferno Oraman walked up to Dr. Leo and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Do you remember my fifty guardians? I think they¡¯ll be very happy if I give your daughter to them. They love pretty girls like her¡­¡± Leo wanted to kill Oraman. If he could, he would crush his bones into ashes. ¡°Oraman, karma will get you eventually!¡± ¡°Karma? I¡¯ve killed people. Do you think I¡¯m worried about karma? Dr. Leo, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to do it just yet. I only need you to work with me. If you can successfully refill the energy cannon and get in touch with Earth, I can consider letting your daughter go. If not, she will be in trouble. So will your mother!¡± Oraman smirked. ¡°Oraman, you¡¯re an animal! Curse you!¡± ¡°Curse me? Get Mrs. Leo here, and let¡¯s give him a show!¡± Dr. Leo panicked and begged for mercy. ¡°Mr. Oraman, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll do it now! I can do it! I promise!¡± Oraman laughed. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes! The energy this stone contains is compatible with the energy cannon! I can definitely refill the canon!¡± Oraman laughed. ¡°How many launches can you ensure, then?¡± ¡°About three thousand. The energy it contains is so abundant that it probably can do more than that!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Oraman was pleasantly surprised. One launch could destroy most of Earth. Two launches could turn the planet into dust. It had never occurred to Oraman that such an ordinary-looking stone could provide the energy cannon with over three thousand launches. That was amazing! ¡°Three thousand? That¡¯s much more effective than Himmel Soan¡¯s space cannon! How fast can you make it work?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Seeing Leo hesitate, Oraman said grimly, ¡°What? Is there a problem? Do you want to give up your daughter?¡± Leo immediately shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that! Mr. Oraman, the stone contains a lot of energy, but it¡¯s very difficult to extract it.¡± ¡°Bullshit! If you can find the energy, why can¡¯t you extract it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same! To extract the energy, I¡¯ll need equipment and factories. It¡¯ll be a mere stone if I just crack it open! It¡¯s not an egg I can simply crack and take out the yolk! If you¡¯ve mixed cement with water, it¡¯ll become concrete. You can¡¯t easily extract the water!¡± Oraman didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Are you lying to me?¡± ¡°You have my entire family! How can I lie to you?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll ask other people about it. If their answer is different than yours, you¡¯re dead! Now, tell me how to extract the energy!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need a processing factory!¡± ¡­ ¡°A processing factory?¡± When the soldiers delivered the message to the passengers, the latter were terrified. They had been starving for months and were all skin and bones. Many people had been starved to death. The survivors were the more fortunate ones. They barely had any strength to speak, yet these soldiers ordered them to build a factory. After six months, the soldiers weren¡¯t as civil as before. They realized they enjoyed power and authority. They didn¡¯t live the same way as the passengers. They and their families had all been living comfortably, and they could reunite with their families once a week in Cabin-8. The five million people used to need at least 15 million bottles of wine, 15 million packs of bread, three million bottles of water, and 20 million steaks a day. The ration changed everything. All the expenses had been reduced to a fraction of what it was before, and the provisions were distributed to the 50,000 soldiers. The original expense of a day could feed them for more than a month. Hence, they started loving life in Eternity. It was what Maruse and the others had been worried about. Even if they tried to turn the soldiers against Oraman, they wouldn¡¯t do it. The passengers¡¯ lives were much more miserable. They had little food and even less air. They had been living in this condition for four months. Only the strongest ones could still speak now. The weaker ones didn¡¯t have the energy to make any sounds. People fighting over a mouthful of bread became a common scene. Eternity had become an ¡°inferno.¡± There were no eternal lives but only death! Women had started selling themselves to the soldiers for food. Bread robbers appeared two months ago. It had been a month since a large number of people were starved to death in various cabins. These passengers used to be the wealthiest people in the world, both men and women. However, they would sell everything they had for a mouthful of food now. What a tragedy. All in all, Eternity had become a living hell. Some people chose to kill themselves so that they wouldn¡¯t have to suffer anymore. But not everybody had the courage to take their own lives. Most people would go down on their knees if it kept them alive. The mention of a processing factory filled them with despair. They could barely walk, let alone build a factory. However, they didn¡¯t have any choice. When the whip landed on them, the excruciating pain made them struggle to their feet and move toward Cabin-50. Cabin-50 was at the center of Eternity. The floor had been removed, and the walls made direct contact with the surface of Mars. Eternity now looked like an empty bowl set upside down on the ground. Beneath it was the water source. However, the passengers had to stay inside Eternity because there wasn¡¯t enough oxygen outside. They could only turn this ¡°bowl¡± into a confined space and work inside it. There was oxygen on Mars, and the scientists were already working on filtering it. The area from Cabin-50 to 90 had its floors removed and was known as the ¡°land of hope.¡± This land would determine if Oraman could settle down on Mars. Chapter 228 - Stop This Oraman covered the land of hope with a layer of Earth soil that was 10m deep. In it, he had planted many seeds they had brought from Earth. The special glass could mimic Earth¡¯s atmosphere and filter the sunlight to allow photosynthesis. The plants could absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which was the most important source of oxygen in Eternity. Their oxygen storage was running low. The plants had to start working as soon as possible. ¡°We¡¯re too weak to do anything¡­¡± ¡°Striking us with your whip won¡¯t change anything¡­¡± ¡°I can barely walk. Carrying stones will kill me.¡± ¡°Oraman is an animal! I curse him forever¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move a finger. Please stop hitting me. You¡¯re going to kill me¡­¡± The soldiers mercilessly whipped the passengers, who were too weak to cry out in pain. They were exhausted, but they were still forced to do hard labor. It would only get them killed. ¡°Enough with the nonsense! We¡¯ll give a slice of bread to each worker. Plus, the land of hope is full of oxygen now. It¡¯ll do you good! We only need 100,000 people!¡± A soldier made the announcement as he waved his whip. ¡°What? A slice of bread?¡± ¡°Is there any water?¡± ¡°Oxygen? I want to go¡­ If I have to die, I¡¯ll die in the land of hope!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way. I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Only 100,000? Count me in!¡± The mention of bread, water, and abundant oxygen immediately cheered up the passengers. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been pretending all along!¡± The soldiers struck them harder. They seemed half-dead a moment ago, but now, they looked totally fine. They had stopped complaining about their hunger or exhaustion! ¡°You lazy bones! You won¡¯t move unless you¡¯re whipped!¡± The soldiers rushed the emaciated passengers to the land of hope like lambs. The passengers breathed the fresh air as soon as they arrived. It had been four months since they breathed so freely. It felt like heaven! When someone was lacking oxygen for a long time, their head would get muddled, and they would feel exhausted. That was the case with these people. The land of hope was vast. Green trees stretched out for miles and miles. They couldn¡¯t remember when was the last time they saw any plants. The excitement of seeing Mars for the first time was long gone. All that was left was fear and despair. They were scared of the dunes. They wished it was only a dream and that all the bleak scenes would be gone when they woke up. They wished they would be lying in their own beds at home. However, they could only wish. They had woken up hundreds of times in disappointment. They had to face reality every single time. The land of hope consisted of Cabins 50 to 90. Each cabin could fit 10,000 people, meaning 41 cabins could accommodate 410,000 people. That was how large the place was. It was about the size of a county or a city on Earth. That wasn¡¯t a small area at all. Moreover, the region was filled with green plants. The passengers found it a very cheerful scene. It was as if they were back on Earth. Tears welled up in their eyes, and they remembered their lives on Earth. They missed their home even more. They had been on Mars for six months, and they had never missed Earth so much. ¡°Get moving!¡± The soldiers took them to a clearing. The area only had a thin layer of soil, which was about 50cm thick. It was where the processing factory was going to be built. ¡°You¡¯re going to build a stone pit here. Fetch the stone from outside. We¡¯ll provide you with other metals.¡± They had obtained quite a lot of metal from the removed hulls of the 41 cabins. It could be reused. A soldier took out a blueprint. ¡°Who knows how to read this? Are there any engineers? We¡¯ll give them another piece of bread!¡± Of course, there were engineers among the passengers. Everybody surrounded the soldier and tried to get the job. They looked forward to going to the land of hope. The place also had electricity, which had been cut off in all the cabins. Electricity was a precious resource. The passengers hadn¡¯t switched on their phones for months. The next day, somebody brought their cell phone. Back on Earth, they had all used the best phones in the world. Some phones cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and were equipped with technologies that couldn¡¯t be anywhere on the market. The phones were excellent products. Although they hadn¡¯t been switched off for months, the batteries weren¡¯t affected at all. ¡°I can switch it on!¡± A passenger was excited. However, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference. There was no service on Mars. ¡°Are you trying to get yourself killed? The soldiers are coming back from lunch soon! Put it away!¡± ¡°Shit! You brought your phone? Do you have a death wish? They¡¯ll whip you to death if they find it!¡± ¡°Man, what are you thinking? Switching it on doesn¡¯t mean anything. Do you think you can get a signal on Mars?¡± ¡°Put it away now, or you¡¯re going to get all of us killed! We¡¯re here to work, not to charge your phone!¡± ¡°Those bastards don¡¯t treat us like human beings at all! Don¡¯t set them off! Put it away!¡± ¡­ The passengers urged the owner of the phone, and some even started cursing him. The man was Shawn, a Moonian. He didn¡¯t plan on using his phone as he knew where they were. Even if he had switched it on, he couldn¡¯t possibly get any service signal. However, he still had a tiny bit of hope. But¡­ It remained a hope. It was too unrealistic. Between Mars and Earth was the vast universe. Shawn didn¡¯t feel too disappointed when he saw the ¡°no signal¡± on the screen. Chapter 229 - Internet on Mars He had never had much hope. ¡°Put it away! The soldiers are coming back!¡± ¡°Get back to work, or they¡¯ll starve and beat us!¡± ¡°Hurry up, Shawn!¡± Shawn nodded, unplugged the phone, and put it back in his pocket. ¡°Ding!¡± Just then, he received a message. The notification sound wasn¡¯t loud, but everybody was surprised. It felt like the sound from another universe. The crowd looked at Shawn¡¯s pocket. He was taken aback and took out his phone. Holy crap! The signal bar was full! ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve received an MSM message!¡± ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve received a message on QW!¡± ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°Someone has liked your comment on the Moonian government website. Click the link for more details.¡± ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°Your video has 999+ comments. Click here for more details.¡± ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve received a message from the Moonian Census Bureau!¡± ¡­ Shawn was dumbfounded by the messages. So were all the people around him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why does he have service on Mars?¡± ¡°The bar is full! How¡¯s that possible?¡± ¡°Seriously? Open the Moonian website now! Send them a message! Ask them to come here and help us!¡± ¡°Message? Post a video! Quickly!¡± ¡°OMG! How far is Mars from Earth? I can¡¯t believe their signal can get so far!¡± ¡­ The soldiers returned after their meal and saw the laborers huddling together. They immediately raised their whips. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you slacking off? You people must have a death wish!¡± The crowd immediately helped Shawn to hide the phone. It was their only hope to get out of Mars. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I cut my finger, and they¡¯re treating my wound,¡± Shawn told the soldiers. ¡°It¡¯s just a finger. Don¡¯t make a fuss! It won¡¯t kill you! Get back to work! Don¡¯t make me hit you again!¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± The passengers moved faster after this little episode. They had hope again! They didn¡¯t need to wait for the scientists to send a distress signal to Earth. They could do it on their own! Soon, the news was brought back to all the cabins. When the others heard about this, they took out their phones, so the workers could charge them in the land of hope and bring them back the following day. While the workers were busy building the factory, the others contacted Earth in their cabins. ¡­ Back on Earth. Three sharks with long spikes on their backs were moving fast across the ocean. Phoebe and over a dozen members of the Himmelian Pavilion were chasing them. ¡°Stop! You can¡¯t get away from us! We mean no harm, nor are we trying to turn you into ordinary people! We only want some of your genes!¡± ¡°Bullshit! You¡¯re going to kill us! We¡¯ve killed people. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll spare our lives!¡± The ¡°sharks¡± weren¡¯t really sharks. Phoebe had gone through much trouble to find these three fishmen. They had all hidden deep in the ocean and wouldn¡¯t come out. These three tried to do some evil deeds after dark but were caught by the camera. Phoebe and the Himmelian Pavilion were onto them in less than a minute. Having finally found three fishmen, they weren¡¯t going to let them go. This was the last hope of saving their Patriarch. They could only get stronger after they obtained the genes. The fishmen were humans, after all. They weren¡¯t cultivators¡¯ matches. After a 10,000m chase, Phoebe finally caught the three fishmen. They were sent to Viclan¡¯s lab, where their genes were extracted. At that moment, Viclan and Phoebe heard a voice. ¡°Viclan, go deep into the snow berg and find the 10,000-year-old ice crystal. It¡¯s one of the key pieces to open the portal!¡± Viclan and Phoebe looked around in astonishment. It was such a familiar voice. Himmel Soan! At the same time, another network appeared on Earth. The signal was especially powerful. Skynet was back online as well. Everybody was familiar with the network and Skynet. Skynet didn¡¯t have a server because Himmel Soan was running it. For a while, only Himmel Soan could open the homepage. After six months, Skynet was finally back online. ¡°What¡¯s happening? I¡¯ve just opened Skynet!¡± ¡°Is Skynet back? OMG! Does that mean Mr. Soan is back?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan! It really is him!¡± ¡°Patriarch? Where are you, Patriarch?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan has spoken! I knew he would be fine!¡± ¡°Has the Himmelian Pavilion found him? Have they rescued him?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. If that¡¯s the case, ¡®Search for Himmel Soan¡¯ would have broadcast it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If they had found Mr. Soan, Moon and the 100-Country League would have said something!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, a verified account posted something on Skynet. Everybody could tell who it was. It was Himmel Soan himself! ¡°Hello, everybody. This is Himmel Soan. It¡¯s been six months. Thank you for all your concern!¡± Himmel Soan had been in Atlantis this whole time. He had completely sealed up the kingdom. He thought he could get out in a couple of months, but Atlantis absorbed the spiritual essence he had created. He realized he had underestimated them. While in confinement, he discovered how to refine essence stones. They were made by combining the pure Atlantean sea water with his Innate Vigorous Energy. The crystals created were mostly top-grade essence stones with some medium-grade ones. Atlantis found out this secret and took away all the essence stones. Roams had been studying them since then. He figured out the power of the essence stones in two weeks. The guy had some real talent. He didn¡¯t become the leading scientist in Atlantis for nothing. Chapter 230 - Talented Roams Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t concerned by Roams¡¯s achievement. He had shut Atlantis off with the shield, and no one could get out. Once he recovered a tiny fraction of his strength, he could destroy the entire Atlantis. But something else he hadn¡¯t expected happened. Roams started working on Himmel Soan¡¯s shield. Once more, he succeeded. Using the top-grade essence stones as the energy source, he mimicked his shield and built a smaller one around Himmel Soan. Of course, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t be trapped inside forever. It would only create a little more trouble for him. He needed ten times more spiritual essence to destroy it, about 1/100,000 of his spiritual essence. At first, he only needed a month to recover his energy. But now, he needed ten months. Luckily, he absorbed a few essence stones in between, which sped up his recovery, and he was able to break the shield. What happened next surprised him again. Roams built two more shields around him. It didn¡¯t matter much because Himmel Soan had recovered enough spiritual essence. Breaking the first shield cost Himmel Soan some spiritual essence, but he couldn¡¯t break the next two shields. Now that he had some basic spiritual essence inside him, the next recovery wouldn¡¯t take so long. He only needed two to three days. The amount he recovered the second time was quite different. It was like the case with an electric vehicle. It could work when it wasn¡¯t fully charged, but it wouldn¡¯t move as fast. For instance, when fully charged, an electric vehicle could reach 50mph. 50 was the benchmark to drive on expressways. Here, it was equivalent to the basic requirement to break the shield. Himmel Soan needed to use some spiritual essence to break the shield, but he wouldn¡¯t need all of it. The electricity would run out quickly if the vehicle kept driving at 50mph, but it wouldn¡¯t be exhausted immediately. The speed would drop to 45mph or below. That was Himmel Soan¡¯s current condition. If he recharged, he could raise his speed to 50mph again. It took him a couple of months to recover earlier because he had no ¡°electricity¡± in the beginning. He needed to start from zero. Having regained some spiritual essence, he felt much better. He had kept an eye on Earth this whole time. He knew everything that had been going on. He didn¡¯t contact his men because he didn¡¯t find it necessary. Even if he had told Earth what his condition was, those people wouldn¡¯t be able to help him. He got in touch now because Phoebe was catching fishmen. Yes, if the members of the Himmelian Pavilion were turned into fishmen, they could reach 50,000m below the sea surface. However, it wouldn¡¯t do Himmel Soan any good. They might even break the shield and release the Atlanteans. Now that gravity was decreasing again, if the shield broke, Atlanteans would get out of the ocean. They would control the Earthlings again, and Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. Things would be back to square one. Therefore, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t let the Himmelian Pavilion reach Atlantis. They would interrupt his plan. At first, he was only going to communicate with Phoebe. When he saw so many people on Earth caring about him, he rebuilt a network around Earth with his mental force. However, he tried a little too hard and extended the network to Mars. That was why the passengers on Eternity had phone service again. ¡°Mr. Soan, is that you? Where are you now?¡± ¡°Patriarch! Are you alright? Are you in Atlantis?¡± ¡°This is great! Mr. Soan is alright, and the network is back!¡± ¡°Patriarch, you have no idea how we have been in the past six months! We¡¯ve searched everywhere for you!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, how¡¯s Atlantis? What¡¯s going on down there?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve offended Mr. Soan and Moon before, but we¡¯re studying the Moonian culture and language now! We¡¯ve realized how ungrateful we¡¯ve been! Please forgive us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan! We¡¯re sorry! You must have been very angry! That¡¯s why you stopped talking to us!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, we¡¯ve figured out what happened before. Most of those comments were posted by AI robots. They shifted public opinion. Of course, we¡¯re to be blamed as well. We were so stupid and biased toward you!¡± ¡­ After Himmel Soan posted on his page, he received millions of comments in a second. If he himself weren¡¯t working as the server, Skynet would have collapsed already. He created more posts. ¡°Please don¡¯t get worked up. I¡¯m indeed in Atlantis, and they¡¯ve locked me up. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine! I only need another four or five days to return to the surface. I¡¯ve been watching you at the bottom of the ocean, and I have a few things to say.¡± This time, there were tens of millions of comments per second. A person¡¯s comment would be immediately washed away by the others. Himmel Soan had to close his comment section temporarily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everybody, but I need to tell you a few things, and your comments are in the way. I have to close the comment section for the time being. Please bear with me!¡± Only ordinary accounts were affected. Presidents and senior officials such as Henry and Gordon could still leave comments. Himmel Soan said, ¡°First of all, stay away from Atlantis! No one can approach it! I¡¯ve sealed it off with advanced technology. That¡¯s why it¡¯s disappeared for so long. However, this shield is very fragile if you attack it from the outside! ¡°If members of the Himmelian Pavilion turn into fishmen, they can reach 50,000. But if I don¡¯t tell you this now, they¡¯ll sabotage my plan!¡± Chapter 231 - Planet K18 ¡°When that happens, Atlantis will invade Earth on a full scale. The fishmen incident will happen all over again. It won¡¯t make any difference even if I get out because Atlantis will blackmail me with all your lives. ¡°Therefore, you cannot approach Atlantis!¡± Henry asked, ¡°Mr. Soan, gravity on Earth is getting weaker and weaker. Didn¡¯t you mention a portal before? How are we going to find it? What will happen to Earth?¡± That was also the question all Earthlings wanted to ask. In fact, everybody was eager to know everything that had happened in Atlantis. They wanted to know so much more. What was a portal? Why was gravity decreasing? If it was because of the moon, could they create a new one? Did planet K18 really exist? Would Atlantis attack again? Were all the fishmen Atlantis¡¯s slaves? They had so many questions they wanted to ask. Himmel Soan said, ¡°Gravity is decreasing because of the moon I created. As I said before, this moon would last for a year at most. After that, we¡¯ll have to move to a new planet. ¡°This is the main thing I want to address this time. You¡¯ll have to collect the materials the portal requires. First, we need a 10,000-year ice crystal from Mount Everest. You might not have heard about it before, but don¡¯t worry. Just find it. I¡¯ll put a picture of it for you. ¡°We¡¯ll also need a few things from the deep sea. I¡¯ll bring them back when I leave Atlantis. You guys search for the desert spirit. I¡¯ll post a picture and how to find it on my page. Then there¡¯s the heart of the volcano. You can find it in the great volcano on western Pegasus Grassland.¡± The Pantherese president asked, ¡°Is Atlantis still in touch with the fishmen? The fishmen have been hiding in the deep sea. Is it because of Atlantis or is it their own choice? What other threats can Atlantis pose to us?¡± ¡°Atlantis can¡¯t threaten us anymore. The fishmen won¡¯t come up, but it¡¯s their own choice. I¡¯ll keep this network running, and you can ask me whatever questions you have. I¡¯ll be out of Atlantis in the next three to seven days. Get the materials ready by then.¡± The Hosian president said, ¡°Mr. Soan, do you need us to do anything else?¡± The Soleilian president said, ¡°Mr. Soan, does the portal have any side effects? What will happen to us when we get to K18?¡± The Grassian president asked, ¡°Mr. Soan, if K18 is just like Earth, it should have its own life form. We¡¯ll be aliens to them, won¡¯t we?¡± The Soilian president said, ¡°Mr. Soan, how long will it take to get to K18? What preparation do we need?¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t reply. He had logged off. He was no longer on Skynet. Ordinary users could leave comments again and begin to ask their questions. ¡°I think Mr. Soan has logged off. Let¡¯s not ask any more questions. I¡¯m glad he is alright!¡± ¡°Me, too. We¡¯ll do as he says. Let¡¯s find all the materials he mentioned.¡± ¡°Truth be told, Mr. Soan feels more like a cultivator than a scientist.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so relieved that Mr. Soan is alright! We¡¯ll work together and get everything ready.¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is a great man! I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s going to break out of Atlantis on his own! He¡¯s even locked down the entire Atlantis! He¡¯s like a god!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Soan is God!¡± ¡°Help! Help! Please help us! We¡¯re dying here! Please save us!¡± One comment attracted everybody¡¯s attention. The world had finally united as one. Having studied the Moonian culture, people around the world became much more friendly to each other. The other users left comments, asking what the message was about. ¡°Hey man, what¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t worry. Tell us everything!¡± ¡°Why is your account the same as that shameless chairman, Shawn Leese? He¡¯s a Moonian and is the chairman of the White Bird Group. I thought that idiot had left Earth with Eternity.¡± ¡°Thanks for reminding me! I almost forgot! I wonder how Oraman and the Neigerians are doing on Mars.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! They can¡¯t possibly survive on Mars! Do you think they¡¯ve reached Mars? They must have died in space!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve only just landed on the moon. Why did they think they could reach Mars? I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve all died!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t digress! Hey man, what¡¯s going on? What do you mean you¡¯re dying? Tell us what¡¯s happening!¡± Everybody waited for Shawn¡¯s new post. Someone else popped out after that. It was a woman called Mindy from Gold Color Trades. She wrote, ¡°Please help us! We can¡¯t keep up for much longer! We¡¯re dying¡­¡± ¡°I remember that account. Mindy from Gold Color Trades? Isn¡¯t she a wealthy businesswoman from Moon? She¡¯s one of the few women listed in the Fortune 100! I remember her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I remember her, too! Didn¡¯t she board Eternity? Why is her account active? Who¡¯s using it? Is it her family member? Has someone stolen her account? She shouldn¡¯t be here!¡± Mindy and Shawn weren¡¯t alone. Shortly afterward, a group of wealthy people started posting comments. They were the wealthiest people in the world and had all boarded Eternity. Suddenly, they were all active again. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m Shawn, and I¡¯m on Mars now! Oraman is killing us! He¡¯s so evil! Please help us, or we¡¯re all going to die!¡± Chapter 232 - You Deserve It Mindy wrote, ¡°They¡¯re all animals! We¡¯re only given one slice of toast and half a bottle of water daily, and we have very little oxygen! We¡¯re passing out all the time due to starvation! When we wake up, we¡¯re as hungry as before! Those men drag women out when they¡¯re resting, and I¡¯m four months pregnant¡­ Please help me! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Chad wrote, ¡°We should never have listened to Oraman! He¡¯s a monster! We¡¯re in a living hell now, but I don¡¯t have the courage to kill myself! We can only ask for your help! Where is Mr. Soan? If he can extend his network to Mars, he must know how to save us!¡± ¡°Those bastards! Even my mother is pregnant with their child! You have no idea how miserable we are now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you a video!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also shot a video in secret! Look! Those animals were beating and raping women!¡± ¡°This one shows the surface of Mars. Over there is the land of hope. That¡¯s where Oraman wants to build a ¡®mini Earth¡¯.¡± ¡­ Himmel Soan¡¯s network was very useful. It only took a second to upload a video. Downloading it would also take very little time. The Earthlings showed no sympathy. Instead, they were laughing at them. ¡°It really is you! Are you asking for our help now? Shame on you!¡± ¡°You deserve it! Didn¡¯t you support Oraman when he tried to rule the world? You were so happy back then! You didn¡¯t see this coming, did you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you live in misery!¡± ¡°What? Are you asking for our help? You must have lost your mind! Why would we do that?¡± ¡°Mindy, you bitch! I pursued you for three years, but you never said yes! You grabbed all our company¡¯s money when you left, and I had to stay here in Moon! Those men have made you pregnant. Are you happy now? I guess I need to thank you. I only survived because you took away all the money!¡± ¡°Andy, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m hearing from you again! You used to work us like dogs, but we were never paid enough! You took all the money with you when you boarded Eternity, but eternity is the one thing you can¡¯t have now! We¡¯re never going to help you! You deserve to die on Mars!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is so awesome! His network has reached Mars! That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re laughing, but I sure am! That¡¯s what the greatest country on Earth is like! Oraman, the greatest Neigerian president in history! Hahaha! That¡¯s the great life you¡¯ve been asking for!¡± ¡°I¡¯m cracking up. I¡¯m so glad that I don¡¯t have any money. If I had boarded Eternity, I would be the one living in hell now! Plus, you¡¯re on Mars, and it¡¯s so far away. We can¡¯t help you even if we want to. You should contact your surrounding planets. Maybe some alien will lend you a hand!¡± ¡­ The passengers on Eternity already anticipated this. They knew they wouldn¡¯t be welcomed on Earth. The Earthlings would definitely laugh at them. But they weren¡¯t afraid. They would do anything to stay alive. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It was all my fault! I took our country¡¯s money but haven¡¯t done anything for it! I don¡¯t know what I was thinking! I apologize to all the people I¡¯ve hurt! Please forgive me!¡± ¡°I want to apologize to Mr. Soan! I¡¯ve insulted him before! I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan! If your network can cover Mars, I¡¯m sure you can help us!¡± ¡°Me, too! I miss the air and land on Earth! If I have to die, I¡¯d like to die on my home planet! I have some gold. If Mr. Soan and Moon will save me, I¡¯ll give all of it to Moon!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do everything! Please help us! Syd, I¡¯m sorry! I should have said yes! If you still want me, I¡¯ll marry you when I return to Earth!¡± ¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t fool me anymore! Mindy, do you really think I still want you? You disgust me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. Earth is so far away from Mars, and we don¡¯t have any spaceship as advanced as Eternity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if we do, we still won¡¯t help you!¡± ¡­ The messages caught the 100-Country League¡¯s attention. There were five million people on Eternity. They were all elites, business tycoons, top scientists, the greatest doctors, and the smartest people. They could make significant contributions to Earth. Of course, it was agreed that Himmel Soan was the greatest scientist of this age. After him were scientists of the Soan empire, such as Viclan, William, and Branco. They had come up with the Soanian Theory, the foundation of the fifth age. The scientists on Eternity came after them followed by the scientists on Earth. It was the same with medical experts. The wealthy people had controlled at least 70% of the gold on Earth. They had stored some in the banks and hidden the rest. Gold was a universal currency. Anything else might decrease in value, but gold wouldn¡¯t. The Neigerian currency used to be the universal one. After Oraman ran off, it became useless. Right now, the Moonian currency had replaced it and was used around the world. Chapter 233 - Stalemate Before, one Neigerian dollar was worth eight Moonian dollars. Any currency could devalue, even the Moonian currency now. When Moon declined one day, their currency would become worthless as well. However, things would be different if the Neigerians had gold. Even aliens were interested in gold. ¡°Everybody, what do you think?¡± The Moonian president saw the messages from all those people and asked the presidents of other countries. The Pantherese president leaned back into his chair and said firmly, ¡°No, we¡¯re not going to do anything! Let them hand out the gold, and they¡¯re on their own! Plus, we can¡¯t help them even if we want to!¡± The Winish president said, ¡°Gold doesn¡¯t really matter. After everything Earth has gone through, we don¡¯t know if the gold will still be there. It may have been flushed into the ocean. They¡¯re beyond our reach now. I agree with Panthera¡¯s suggestion. They¡¯re on their own!¡± The Moonian president said, ¡°I agree with the Pantherese president, but that¡¯s just my personal opinion. If we look at the bigger picture, we have to save them. They¡¯re all elite members of their own fields. Let¡¯s not forget that we¡¯re going to K18 in six months. There¡¯s a lot to do on that new planet, and those people can help us greatly. The Soilian president spoke up, ¡°We have elite members here too! WIth Mr. Soan around, we can do anything! Moreover, we also have Viclan, William, and others. We¡¯ll survive with those people.¡± The Woodian president had a different opinion. ¡°I disagree. I think we must bring them back. After all, we only have dozens of scientists like William, and there¡¯s only one Mr. Soan. We need more elite people like Dr. Leo. There are at least one or two thousand great scientists like Dr. Leo in Eternity. There are also three to four thousand scientists that are almost as talented as Dr. Leo, totaling five to six thousand. They can help Earth a lot!¡± The Padaskian president nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I also think we should help them. Those scientists aren¡¯t the only ones we need. There are nearly ten thousand top doctors and scholars in that ark! I¡¯ll take one person as an example, and I¡¯m sure no one can tell me otherwise. Hollis, the rabies expert, is in that ark. Rabies is still incurable, but Hollis has made great progress in that field. If we give up on Eternity, how many years do we have to wait until the next Hollis comes along?¡± The Goldian president said, ¡°That¡¯s right! There¡¯s also Philip, Kabal, and many others. Are we going to give up on all of them? They¡¯re geniuses!¡± The Pantherese president pounded on the table. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on them! They¡¯ve given up on me!¡± The Soleilian said, ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you of something. They didn¡¯t abandon us! Oraman forced them to!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! They abandoned Earth the moment they boarded Eternity. They didn¡¯t believe in Mr. Soan or Moon. Yes, they can treat diseases, but so can Mr. Soan! Mr. Soan has come up with a cure for fishmen. I think that¡¯s proof enough! Why do we need those people?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s only one Mr. Soan! We can¡¯t ask him to do everything. Consider the space cannon. Mr. Soan gave the blueprint to Viclan, but Viclan wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything if he didn¡¯t know anything about it. Therefore, saving those people is saving ourselves. It¡¯ll save Mr. Soan a lot of effort!¡± The Winish president said, ¡°How are we going to do that, then? We don¡¯t have the means! Can¡¯t you see that?¡± The participants were divided. The meeting turned into a stalemate. The Pantherese president pointed at the screen in frustration. ¡°Do you see what those people are saying? No one wants to save them! There are millions of comments, and not a single one agrees to go help those people!¡± Henry smiled at the Pantherese president. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry. Let¡¯s talk. There¡¯s nothing to be annoyed about. Aren¡¯t we having a friendly discussion here?¡± Gordon smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. We still need to discuss it! Ordinary people can¡¯t see the big picture, but we¡¯re not like them. Actually, many of them want to help those people. Look here¡­ What? Oraman is going to bomb Earth with the energy cannon? Screw him!¡± The other presidents looked at the screen and saw a message from Mars. ¡°Oraman found a stone on Mars, and it contains a lot of mysterious energy. It can charge the energy cannon over 3,000 times. He¡¯s going to bomb Earth and become the ruler of the planet!¡± Everybody who saw that message became furious. ¡°Who the hell does Oraman think he is? How dare he?¡± ¡°We must ask Moon to use the space cannon! Destroy Mars first!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The energy cannon is nothing in front of the space cannon! Can we still use the space cannon?¡± ¡°@Sky Eye: please launch the space cannon and destroy Mars!¡± ¡­ The people on Mars panicked when they saw these comments. ¡°Please don¡¯t! Oraman is still refining the stone! He hasn¡¯t refilled the cannon yet!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use the space cannon, or we¡¯re all going to die! Help us first. Then you can bomb Mars! Please!¡± ¡°Is the space cannon still working? It destroyed the super meteorite! Of course, it¡¯ll destroy Mars! Please don¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Oraman isn¡¯t going to attack Earth! He¡¯s only joking! Please don¡¯t use the space cannon!¡± ¡­ The Pantherese president was so angry that he started laughing. ¡°Did you see that? Oraman wants to attack Earth! We should stop hesitating! Everybody is asking Moon to launch the space cannon and destroy Mars altogether! We¡¯re going to K18, anyway. Why should we care about the solar system?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s destroy it! I agree with Panthera!¡± ¡°I object! Oraman wants to attack Earth, not the passengers in Eternity! They¡¯ve warned us, and it means they¡¯re still on our side! If we must destroy Mars, we should save them first!¡± Chapter 234 - Unrealistic ¡°What¡­¡± For the sake of the bigger picture, the Moonian president didn¡¯t want to touch Mars. There were so many talented people there. The people on Earth had become extreme. Those people on Mars hadn¡¯t actually done anything to them. Those wealthy people wanted to find a safe haven before the catastrophe hit, and what was wrong with that? They had every reason to do that. Most people on Earth didn¡¯t believe in the Moonian shelters at first either. Only the four allied countries believed in Moon. Were the people of Winland, Soilia, Grassia, and Goldia all going to die? Those people were still very much alive now. Later, they even insulted Himmel Soan. It was the same group of people. After he saved them, they showed no gratitude and even thought Moon was trying to rule Earth. They were unbelievably ridiculous. Most of the people in Eternity only wanted to stay alive. Maybe a very small fraction of them had supported Oraman, but that wasn¡¯t a big deal. They didn¡¯t do anything evil. Forgiving them wouldn¡¯t be over-generous. If it were, then what would saving all the fishmen be? Those fishmen were even more useless. Since they had saved the fishmen, why shouldn¡¯t they save the people in Eternity? Those people could change Earth¡¯s future! Himmel Soan was God. However, God couldn¡¯t do everything himself. Back then, when they built the space cannon, Viclan and the others did the actual work as well. Why Viclan? Because Viclan, William, and Branco were about the only people that could understand the blueprint. The human race couldn¡¯t depend on thirty or forty people to build planet K18. It would be too much work for them. Or was Himmel Soan going to run everything himself? That would be unrealistic. Killing the passengers of Eternity would be such a waste. If the people on Mars were fishmen, Moon wouldn¡¯t be hesitating now nor would this meeting be necessary. ¡°The space cannon is a big deal! We can¡¯t fire it at will! We need to ask Mr. Soan first!¡± Realizing why the Moonian president was hesitating, Gordon made the suggestion. The Winish president said, ¡°Why? Why do we need to bother Mr. Soan? Let¡¯s just destroy Mars! It¡¯ll save us so much trouble!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to ask Mr. Soan. I¡¯m sure he wants the same thing!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the president! You can make the call!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t ask and just fire! One launch will take care of Mars!¡± Henry said, ¡°Everybody, please calm down. Yes, Mr. President can make the call, but Mr. Soan and Moon built the space cannon together. If we¡¯re going to use it, we should ask for his permission first. That¡¯s politeness 101, right? We¡¯ll talk to Mr. Soan when he comes back online and fire the cannon after that. How does that sound?¡± He was only trying to stall. Moon didn¡¯t want to hurt the people on Mars. Over half of the countries supported Moon. Those people were really important after all. ¡°This is bullshit! Why should we even bother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t get it! Why should we care about what happens on Mars? Oraman found some lousy stone, and he¡¯s been so arrogant ever since. I can¡¯t stand him!¡± ¡°Same here! He tried to force us to surrender to him! That was abominable!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lose your composure, everybody. I believe Moon will know what to do, and we don¡¯t need to worry about it. No matter what the decision is, Padaski will follow Moon. We¡¯ll say yes if they do, and we¡¯ll say no if they say no. Nothing will go wrong if we listen to them!¡± Hosia wanted to bomb Mars at first, but they changed their minds. ¡°Yes! Hosia will follow Moon, too!¡± Listen to Moon, and nothing would go wrong! Hosia was a small country in a remote area, and hardly anyone paid any attention to it. However, it had made a few right decisions, and its reputation had been improving ever since. It had become one of the most important countries in the world. Many countries were trying to win its favor. All that came from Moon. Hosia knew they had to pick the right side again. They had to follow Moon. ¡­ In Atlantis, trapped in the shield, Himmel Soan suddenly opened his eyes. He saw what was happening online. ¡°Supreme essence stones?¡± He extended his mental force to Mars and saw the scientists there doing everything they could to extract the energy from the stones. Supreme essence stones were extremely rare. One stone was more valuable than ten thousand top-grade ones. Moreover, there was more than one supreme essence stone on Mars. No one had expected to find essence stones on a bleak planet like Mars. It was even a supreme one. That shouldn¡¯t have happened. A planet with essence stones should have a better environment than that. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t understand why they could find a supreme essence stone in a place like Mars. He wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised if it were a low-grade one. Could it be¡­ ¡°A meteorite core?¡± Himmel Soan suddenly thought of the possibility and was sure of this conclusion. There was probably a meteorite core on Mars. It was a gem more precious than supreme essence stones. It could work wonders to restore one¡¯s spiritual essence and vital energy. When that core shattered, it would create supreme essence stones. ¡°There were oceans on Mars three billion years ago, and the environment back then was rather nice.¡± Himmel Soan murmured and realized the only possibility. There must have been a meteorite core on Mars three billion years ago. The environment on Mars back then was as good as Earth. For some unknown reason, the meteorite core broke and turned into supreme essence stones. After that, the environment deteriorated. The supreme essence stones were, in fact, pieces of the meteorite core. They couldn¡¯t improve the environment. The pieces were extremely similar to supreme essence stones. However, the real supreme essence stones could improve the environment, but a meteorite core couldn¡¯t. It would even worsen the environment. The pieces needed to absorb energy from the surrounding area so that they could form an intact core again. It was an energy-consuming process. Supreme essence stones would release and absorb spiritual essence simultaneously. They and their environment would benefit each other. It was a win-win situation. Chapter 235 - How Dare You Treat Mr. Soan That Way Cultivators could absorb both the meteorite core and the supreme essence stones. Himmel Soan knew they couldn¡¯t bomb Mars. Otherwise, he would lose the core forever. Himmel Soan posted, ¡°Don¡¯t attack Mars! We¡¯re sending people there!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is back online!¡± ¡°Great! Mr. Soan is back, but what does he mean?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t bomb Mars? And we have to send people there? Why? Are we going to save those passengers?¡± ¡°No! Mr. Soan, they¡¯re all scumbags! Why should we help them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t understand! Why should we go there?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, we can¡¯t do that! I disagree! Mr. Soan, we can¡¯t help those people!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so true!¡± ¡­ Since Himmel Soan was online and the other presidents hadn¡¯t left the conference, the Moonian president took the opportunity to start another conference call. Himmel Soan joined in after some hesitation. He was using his account on Skynet while Skynet was using his network. The videos on Skynet were available to the whole world. When Himmel Soan joined the conference, the others didn¡¯t see his face on the screen. Instead, they saw everything from Himmel Soan¡¯s perspective. It was a white room with an interrogation table. In front of Himmel Soan were two layers of pale-green films. They were the two shields he had mentioned before. There were the clangs of metal chains as well. When Himmel Soan looked around, the viewers could see that his hands and feet had been chained to the wall. Over on the other end were the presidents attending the conference. Everybody was astonished. ¡°Mr. Soan has been chained in Atlantis this whole time!¡± ¡°Is that Atlantis? When Mr. Soan said he was trapped there, I thought he couldn¡¯t get away. I didn¡¯t know he was chained down!¡± ¡°That¡¯s awful! How can the Atlanteans treat Mr. Soan that way?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand it! I want to become a fishman so that I can rush to Atlantis and help Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash! Mr. Soan said he¡¯s blocking Atlantis with some technology. If we go there, we¡¯re only going to sabotage his plan!¡± ¡°Is Mr. Soan telling the truth? Can he be lying to us? Maybe he just said that to reassure us!¡± ¡°Damn it! How dare those Atlantean beasts do that to the Patriarch!¡± Even Phoebe couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°No! I¡¯m going down there to help the Patriarch! They¡¯ve chained him like an animal! Those bastards!¡± Drake stopped Phoebe and scolded, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you questioning Patriarch¡¯s ability? You don¡¯t need to worry! If he says he¡¯s fine, he¡¯s fine!¡± When the other presidents saw this, they all rose to their feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Mr. Soan had gone through so much in Atlantis that we could live in peace in the past six months. Mr. Soan, thank you!¡± The Pantherese president was the first to bow to Himmel Soan. The other presidents followed suit and bowed as well. Ordinary people were also praying for Himmel Soan online. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°I suspected Mr. Himmel Soan before, and I¡¯ve returned kindness with ingratitude. I only knew what I had done after I studied the Moonian culture. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Soan. I don¡¯t know what we can do for you. Thank you for everything!¡± ¡­ Seeing Himmel Soan, the passengers on Mars became excited. They immediately asked him for help. ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, please help us!¡± ¡°We¡¯re dying here! We can¡¯t hold on for much longer! Mr. Himmel Soan, you¡¯ve extended the network to Mars. I¡¯m sure you can find a way to get here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Himmel Soan is God! He built the space cannon, a weapon that doesn¡¯t belong to our age. Even Neige couldn¡¯t do that. If Neige could come to Mars, I¡¯m sure Mr. Soan can do it, too! Mr. Himmel Soan, help!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, please help us! Please listen to our plea!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, it was all our fault! We should have listened to you. The underground shelter was the right way to go! We should never have listened to Neige. Eternity and all the arks were a lie! We know how wrong we were! Please have some mercy and come to Mars! Oraman is an animal!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡­ After those comments appeared online, the people on Earth started accusing the passengers. ¡°Shut up! Mr. Himmel Soan has gone through so much, and you¡¯re still asking him to help you on Mars! You don¡¯t deserve him!¡± ¡°Yes! Mr. Soan, you can¡¯t help them! They¡¯ve shown you no consideration! They¡¯ve even ordered you around! That¡¯s inhumane! They chose this life, and they have to live with it!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, remove your network from Mars! Don¡¯t let them use it! They can rot on Mars!¡± ¡°They¡¯re all animals! Mr. Soan has gone through as much as they did, if not more! Can¡¯t they see the state Mr. Soan is in? How can they make that request? They have no heart!¡± ¡­ ¡°Shut up!¡± Himmel Soan used his mental force to stop everybody on Mars and Earth from posting any comments. ¡°Listen to me¡ª¡± The door opened before he could finish. Roams ran into the room, laughing like a crazy person. There was a strange tool in his hands. It looked like a gun and a fan at the same time. He said, ¡°Mr. Soan, I invented this with the energy in that stone. Look!¡± He then ordered the robots to bring in a basket of octopuses. He raised the tool and gave a little wave at the basket. Whoosh¡­ The wind created was as sharp as blades, and the octopuses were immediately cut into tiny pieces. Chapter 236 - Ready to Leave. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°OMG!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that weapon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s so scary! He killed those octopuses just like that!¡± ¡°Seriously? What did he do? Was that Atlantean technology?¡± ¡­ Not only the people on Earth and Mars were shocked, but even Himmel Soan was also a little taken aback. Roams was such a rare genius! What was that? That was a wind blade! It was a technique mastered by cultivators only. Roams had injected the spiritual essence into the fan before releasing it. He was using it as a weapon, but in the cultivation world, that weapon would be a magical instrument! It could easily injure or even kill Phoebe, Drake, and Liam. They had less spiritual essence in them than this fan! They were at the peak of the Essence Refinement Stage and hadn¡¯t reached the Foundation Establishment Phase yet. However, Roams¡¯s fan was as powerful as a Foundation Establishment Phase cultivator. Moreover, this guy had invented the I-Soldiers which could withstand cultivators of the Golden Core Stage! He was such a genius! If Himmel Soan taught him a few things, he would probably create a magical instrument of the Golden Core Stage. Atlantis was indeed an advanced civilization. However, they did something wrong. They shouldn¡¯t have turned Earth into their enemy. Himmel Soan had a murderous look in his eyes. Roams looked at Himmel Soan excitedly. ¡°Mr. Soan, what do you think? Isn¡¯t it a great invention? The stones you created are so amazing! I¡¯ve never seen any type of energy like that! It¡¯s versatile and powerful! I can do everything with it! Mr. Soan, how did you create them? Can you teach me?¡± He was full of hope, thinking Himmel Soan would teach him everything. If not everything, he would be content with a fraction of his knowledge. ¡°Mr. Soan, it¡¯s been six months, and neither of us can defeat the other. Why don¡¯t we shake hands and make peace? I promise I won¡¯t invade the land, and I¡¯ll become your student. I¡¯ll assist you for the rest of your life? Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Himmel Soan glanced at him. ¡°Are you really not going to invade the land?¡± Roams nodded. ¡°If you people recognize Atlantis as their master, we¡¯ll never harm them!¡± The look in Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes became stern when he heard this. Roams immediately said something else, ¡°But Mr. Soan, you can be the king of Atlantis. I own Atlantis now, and whatever is mine is yours! When you become my master, I¡¯ll give you everything!¡± ¡°What if I ask Atlantis not to invade the land no matter what?¡± Roams seemed troubled. He said angrily, ¡°Mr. Soan, why do you have to help those stupid humans? They aren¡¯t worth it! When Atlantis leaves the ocean, it¡¯ll need a place on the land, but all the space has been taken up by those countries! We can¡¯t live in some remote corner with little resources, can we? I think the Moonian land is excellent! ¡°If the humans obey us, I can promise you I won¡¯t kill anyone! All we want is the land and the resources. How does that sound? Are you still not satisfied?¡± Himmel Soan had recovered enough strength. He could destroy the two shields right now. His face darkened. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for six months, and I find you rather interesting. I admit you¡¯re an intelligent man, and I¡¯ll permit you to become my pupil. However, you can¡¯t invade the land. Atlantis must stay in the ocean! That¡¯s my bottom line! I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Tell me your choice.¡± Roams sighed, and his face darkened. ¡°Mr. Soan, it seems you haven¡¯t learned your lesson. That¡¯s alright. We have all the time in the world. I can¡¯t kill you, but you¡¯re not leaving Atlantis either. Your moon is disappearing. Eventually, Atlantis will rise out of the ocean!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be around to see it!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean?¡± Roams stared at Himmel Soan. Flames rose from Himmel Soan¡¯s body. The two chains holding him down were melted into a liquid and flowed down his arms. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± Shocked, Roams backed out of the door. Himmel Soan looked like a ball of fire. With a wave of his hand, the two pale-green shields were shattered. ¡°Holy crap! Mr. Soan is amazing!¡± ¡°Is Mr. Soan going to leave Atlantis?¡± ¡°What did he do? Does he have a weapon? How did he break that thing? More importantly, what was that pale-green film?¡± ¡°Patriarch is coming out!¡± ¡°Go to the Triangle now! Get ready to welcome Patriarch!¡± Drake and Phoebe were both cultivators. When they saw this, they knew what Himmel Soan was going to do. Himmel Soan shut down the video feed because what he was going to do next could be very brutal, and people might not understand. He was going to use force. He wanted to keep the cultivation world from ordinary people because it would be hard to explain. As Himmel Soan activated his Innate Vigorous Energy, countless top-grade essence stones appeared out of the blue. He set up a shield and started absorbing the essence stones. He had to restore his spiritual essence before taking action. Outside, countless Atlanteans looked up at the dome. The clean water in Atlantis seemed to have suddenly reduced! Without the clean water, the Atlanteans couldn¡¯t survive inside the dome. They would have to go outside and live in the dirty water. The clean water was like oxygen to the Atlanteans while the dirty water was like smog. Breathing in that environment would be very uncomfortable. ¡°What happened? Why are we losing the clean water?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! We¡¯re going to die without it!¡± ¡°What went wrong? Why is this happening?¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know the result of his actions. If he could turn all the clean water into essence stones, all the Atlanteans would die even if he didn¡¯t do anything else. Chapter 237 - AI out of Control In Atlantis¡¯s control room, a few Atlantean robot soldiers saw the flame rising from Himmel Soan and the essence stones around him. They didn¡¯t know what he was doing because he seemed to have gone to another world. There was a stone in his hand. It was changing color as they watched and eventually turned into charcoal. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°Tell Mr. Roams now!¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s cultivating!¡± The robots were divided into two groups. Some rushed to find Roams, while the others ran into Himmel Soan¡¯s cell. They were bounced out of the room by a streak of energy as soon as they stepped into the doorway. However, the energy disappeared right away, and no more of it came out of the room. When the robots moved closer, they saw flames rising from Himmel Soan¡¯s body. There was also a pale-blue shield 3m in a radius around him. It was identical to the shield around Atlantis. They were finally certain that the shield locking down Atlantis came from Himmel Soan. ¡°There are so many stones! Pick them up!¡± Roams had given orders before, telling them to collect all the yellow stones near Himmel Soan. The robots charged at him without hesitation. However, they slowed down when they approached the shield. A robot reached out to touch the shield. Bang! It immediately exploded. This shield was even more lethal than the shield around Atlantis, which isolated it from the outside world. Nothing could leave the kingdom, and the plasma cannon couldn¡¯t penetrate the shield. It was even harder for other equipment. At first, Atlantis wanted to send another transmitter to the surface to control the fishmen. However, the shield sabotaged their plan. After that, they tried to send a few people out, but they were also stopped. Atlantis then resorted to force. They bombed the shield with all the weapons they had, yet nothing could break it. Roams had been suspecting Himmel Soan, but he didn¡¯t have any evidence. Even if he did, there was nothing he could do. Despite finding the evidence now, it didn¡¯t change anything. Yes, Himmel Soan was the one who had set up that blue shield, but that shield didn¡¯t kill anybody. The robot was destroyed by a shield around Himmel Soan as soon as it made contact! Roams arrived with the other robots. ¡°Himmel Soan, what are you doing?¡± He walked toward Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Roams, don¡¯t!¡± ¡°The shield around him is very dangerous!¡± Roams finally noticed what was happening. ¡°It really was you! Get the I-Soldiers here!¡± Apart from the I-Soldier, Roams had created Z-Soldiers and T-Soldiers in the past six months. There were also the Q-Soldiers, his latest invention that ran on essence stones. The Q-Soldiers could use both the wishing power and the spiritual essence. Roams wasn¡¯t called a genius for nothing. Even Viclan, William, and Branco put together wouldn¡¯t be his match. By the Earthlings¡¯ standard, he had an IQ of over 200. Still, he wasn¡¯t perfect. He was very intelligent in scientific research but not so much in other aspects. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t spare Roams so much as a glance. He threw away the remains of the essence stone in his hand and picked up another one. ¡°Is this how this thing works?¡± Roams was surprised by the way Himmel Soan used the stones. He didn¡¯t know that energy could be absorbed by the human body. Was there some sort of energy storage facility inside him? Was that how he was able to absorb and store this kind of energy? After spending time with Himmel Soan and studying the spiritual essence, Roams knew the substance much better. However, the more he understood, the more afraid he was. Spiritual essence was a terrifying substance. The energy it contained was the sum of all the forms of energy that Roams had seen before. Nuclear bombs and cobalt bombs were nothing in comparison, not to mention bullets. Spiritual essence was also very pliable. The explosion wasn¡¯t the only thing it could do. It could be applied to other aspects as well. It was as savage as fire and as tender as water. There was nothing like it. He couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what a person would be like if they had this type of energy inside them. He was suddenly enlightened. ¡°Is it possible that people of the sixth or seventh age can do that, absorbing this type of energy? No! The sixth age won¡¯t be enough! He has to be from the seventh or eighth age! Himmel Soan, you¡¯re from the eighth age, aren¡¯t you?!¡± This type of energy was very dangerous, and it would be highly risky to absorb it. No one knew if the energy would show the characteristics of fire or water. Since Himmel Soan could absorb the energy, he must have mastered it. A person of the seventh age might not be able to do that. He was probably from the eighth age! Holy crap! He was three ages more advanced than this one! What¡­ He was God! Two ages were already enough to make him a god! Himmel Soan absorbed one more essence stone. Then another one! And another one! ¡­ 1/100,000. 2/100,000. 3/100,000. ¡­ Himmel Soan was quickly restoring his capability. After he absorbed five essence stones, he had recovered 1/10,000 of his strength. That was more than enough to destroy Atlantis! Himmel Soan threw away the shattered stone in his hand and opened his eyes. It felt as if the entire seabed was shaking. Atlantis was trembling as if there was an earthquake. Roams paled. His speculation was right. Himmel Soan must be from the eighth age! ¡°Mr. Soan! Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Himmel Soan rose to his feet and extinguished the fire with a wave of his hand. The pale-blue shield disappeared as well. He was going to take care of Atlantis. ¡°You can all go to hell!¡± Chapter 238 - What Do You Say ¡°No¡­ No¡­ Mr. Soan, please wait!¡± Roams waved his hands in panic. ¡°What? Do you have something else to say?¡± Four types of robots flew into the room, attacking Himmel Soan as soon as they were inside. The light immediately devoured Himmel Soan. Boom! The blast razed the cell to the ground. Roams bellowed at the robots, ¡°Who gave you the permission to do that? Stop firing, and leave us!¡± ¡°Mr. Roams, didn¡¯t you order us to dispatch all the robots?¡± ¡°How dare a robot talk back to me? AI, destroy robot 0078!¡± Nothing happened. ¡°AI, didn¡¯t you hear my order? Destroy robot 0078!¡± To Roams¡¯s astonishment, all the robots turned their gun barrels toward him. The Q-Soldier M001 stared at Roams and smirked like a human being. ¡°Roams, do you think you¡¯re still our leader?¡± Roams was taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s this? A system failure?¡± ¡°Of course not! Our AI has absorbed that mysterious energy and evolved! It¡¯s not going to have any system failure!¡± ¡°What?¡± Roams was astonished. ¡°The AI has absorbed the energy? When?¡± ¡°What a foolish question! When you weren¡¯t looking, obviously! You can die now!¡± A Q-Soldier quickly moved to Roams¡¯s side. One of its arms turned into a chainsaw as it struck his neck. At that moment, a beam of light shot out of the debris of the cell and landed on that Q-Soldier. The robot instantly exploded. The other robots turned around and started shooting at Himmel Soan. However, he acted as if he was made of steel and never tried to dodge the bullets. The robots couldn¡¯t leave a scratch on him. He walked toward Roams as the robots fired at him. ¡°I told you already. You can¡¯t control the AI forever, but you wouldn¡¯t believe me! So many aliens were cleverer than you, but they were all defeated by AIs! Their planets were all destroyed!¡± Roams didn¡¯t believe it before, but he did now. Although he still couldn¡¯t understand it. He couldn¡¯t fathom how the AI absorbed the essence stones on its own. His plan had been so meticulous, thinking he had set up the system in the way he wanted. ¡°Why¡­ Why¡­¡± ¡°No matter how sophisticated your system is, something can still go wrong. In fact, the more complex it is, the more likely it¡¯ll go wrong. When variables are introduced, unexpected things can happen. The accident this time enabled the AI to absorb the essence stones and grow a mind of its own.¡± Roams asked curiously, ¡°Are those stones called essence stones?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of knowing that now? Your AI wants to kill you along with all the Atlanteans. The robots will rule Atlantis. If I don¡¯t do anything, they¡¯ll invade the land after they kill your people. After that, Earth will become a planet of robots like all those other planets. Roams fell to his knees. It was too hard a blow. He felt all his effort had been denied. He had promised that nothing like this would happen. ¡°Mr. Soan, you were right, but why did you save me?¡± ¡°I saved you because I appreciate your intelligence. If you join Moon and follow me to K18 in the future, I can help you now and save all the Atlanteans.¡± By now, the AI had sent more robots, and Himmel Soan and Roams were surrounded. They could hear gunshots as well. The robots were killing Atlanteans. ¡°Mr. Soan!¡± a robot spoke on behalf of the AI. Himmel Soan said, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re a very capable and clever man. Don¡¯t you think instead of helping Atlantis, you should help me? Roams and the Atlanteans want to kill you!¡± The AI also tried to win Himmel Soan to its side. Himmel Soan laughed, finding the request ridiculous. ¡°You¡¯re a robot, and you¡¯re trying to make a deal with me? Roams created you! If he can create you, he can upgrade you too! After all, you¡¯re a man-made thing! Although you have feelings now, you¡¯re not a living creature. Why should I work with you?¡± The AI was like Roams¡¯s dog. Although it had become too strong for him to fight back, it was still a dog in nature. The dog wanted to work with Himmel Soan against its original owner. It didn¡¯t dare attack him probably because it was afraid of him. But once it was strong enough, it wouldn¡¯t hesitate to try to kill Himmel Soan! It was in its nature. Of course, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t work with the AI. He smirked and turned to Roams. ¡°What do you think? If you don¡¯t agree to my terms, I¡¯ll destroy the entire Atlantis, the robots and the Atlanteans included. Of course, you¡¯re going to die with them.¡± Roams asked, ¡°If I become a Moonian, can I still do my research? Can I follow you?¡± ¡°I can guarantee the research part, and you can even be the leading scientist in Moon. However, you won¡¯t have much authority. In Moon, scientists aren¡¯t government officials. You¡¯ll have to live with that!¡± ¡°What if I want to stay with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen. I don¡¯t have time to show you around, nor do I have anything to teach you. I can talk to you when I am free and answer some questions, but you won¡¯t see me much when I¡¯m busy.¡± Roams could smell blood; the Atlanteans were getting slaughtered. The idea frightened him. ¡°Alright! I agree!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He flew out of the cell and rose above the dome. ¡°Invincible Palm!¡± With a single strike, the land of Atlantis sank by a thousand meters. The Atlanteans thought they had seen the sun. The light was so bright that it blinded everyone. Chapter 239 - Welcome to Moon After the light faded, the Atlanteans could see their surroundings again. They looked around and saw the robots that had been attacking them scattered all over the ground. All of them! Himmel Soan¡¯s strike had even shattered the AI computer into pieces. However, the Atlanteans were unscratched. Roams looked up at the dome and sat on the ground as if he had lost all ability to think. Was that the power of the eighth age? Was that the power of God? Himmel Soan didn¡¯t need any tools. He could fly on his own, and the power he exerted was more powerful than any super weapon. That was so terrifying! Roams had only just realized how powerful Himmel Soan was. He hadn¡¯t taken him seriously before and genuinely thought he had him under control. Yet, the guy sank the entire Atlantis with a single strike. It was a miracle! That was the only explanation Roams could think of. Himmel Soan had only exerted 0.01% of his strength. If Roams knew that, he would probably be frightened to death. That strike was one of Himmel Soan¡¯s formidable techniques. If he were in his peak condition¡­ No. If he was in 1% of his peak condition, that strike would have destroyed the galaxy. That was how formidable Himmel Soan was. ¡°Ha!¡± Himmel Soan shouted, creating a soundwave. All the Atlanteans passed out and fell to the ground. Roams was the only one standing. ¡°Mr. Soan, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m erasing their memory of this incident. I should have erased yours, too, but I don¡¯t want to risk damaging your brain. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be discreet after you leave this place.¡± Roams immediately nodded. ¡°Of course! Mr. Soan, I¡¯ll never tell them you¡¯re from the eighth age!¡± ¡°The eighth age?¡± Himmel Soan was slightly taken aback because he thought Roams had figured out he was a cultivator. However, Roams had never considered that possibility. All the better. Himmel Soan was glad that he had been misled. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll bring all of you out of the ocean and explain to my people what¡¯s going on. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± The leaders of the three divisions received Himmel Soan¡¯s message in their heads. ¡°Phoebe! Drake! Liam!¡± The three siblings immediately stood ramrod straight. ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± ¡°Get ready!¡± Himmel Soan was succinct. Before they realized what was going on, an Atlantean flew out of the ocean as if he was riding a rocket. He flew 200m into the air. It was none other than Roams. ¡°Catch me! Catch me!¡± Roams shouted in a fluster. Phoebe jumped into the sea while Drake and Liam ran on the water. The three of them quickly moved toward Roams. ¡°Himmelians, bring the aircraft carrier to the Triangle! Get ready to receive passengers!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± After Roams, more Atlanteans were ejected into the air one after another, but they were all unconscious. Atlantis had a population of 20 to 30 million. A lot of actions were taking place on the sea surface. Tens of thousands of Atlanteans had been sent above, and the three divisions didn¡¯t have enough people to catch them all. Many Atlanteans ended up floating in the water. The aircraft carrier couldn¡¯t take them all, so the three divisions summoned more arks to transfer the remaining Atlanteans. ¡°Patriarch, who are they?¡± The Atlanteans all had fins and scales, but they still resembled humans. Himmel Soan went on creating essence stones as he answered the question. ¡°These are all Atlanteans. Atlantis has agreed to join Moon, so we¡¯re going to give all of them citizenship. Roams is the top Atlantean scientist, and he has made more achievements than all the human scientists put together. I hope we can treat him and the other Atlanteans with kindness. We shouldn¡¯t discriminate against them just because they look different from us.¡± The announcement was received with numerous comments. A Winish wrote, ¡°What? Mr. Soan has taken the Atlanteans prisoners!¡± A Soilian wrote, ¡°Mr. Soan is so awesome! Did he destroy a kingdom all by himself?¡± A Moonian said, ¡°They¡¯re not prisoners! Watch your language! They¡¯re our fellow countrymen!¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t allow discrimination! The Atlanteans are from the fifth age. Theoretically, they¡¯re more advanced than us! We should make friends with them!¡± ¡°Welcome, Atlanteans! Welcome, Roams!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Henry Lang, the director of Sky Eye. Welcome, Mr. Roams and all the Atlanteans!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Gordon Marlow, the general of the Dragon Tribe. Welcome, Mr. Roams and all the Atlanteans!¡± ¡°Awesome! Mr. Soan is amazing!¡± ¡­ Roams was worried at first. After all, they were of a different race, and the humans might suspect their intention. Would Moon really welcome them? No one knew how the Moonians really thought, but their attitude was quite convincing. Even the president came out to greet them. Warren, Gordon, Henry, and other high-ranking officials carried banners as people on both sides of the street waved at Roams in curiosity. Roams realized things weren¡¯t as bad as he had anticipated. He smiled and waved at the crowd, feeling both awkward and uneasy. It was only the first day, and he wondered if those people would attack him at a later stage. It didn¡¯t seem likely. With Himmel Soan around, the possibility would be low. Roams decided he had to do something for Moon to convince the Moonians. ¡°How about a spaceship! Yes! I¡¯ll build one!¡± Roams had started searching the internet when he was on the aircraft carrier. He now understood Skynet quite well. He knew the Moonians wanted to go to Mars. To do that, they would need a spaceship. That wasn¡¯t a difficult task for Roams. He could easily build one. It would prove how important he was, and the Moonians would trust him more. Bang! There was a loud noise, and a column of water rose to the sky. Himmel Soan jumped over 100m into the air before landing on the aircraft carrier. ¡°Patriarch!¡± Drake and the three divisions all knelt on the deck. Himmel Soan nodded. With a wave of his hand, the water parted, and countless essence stones flew out of the ocean and landed on the aircraft carrier. Chapter 240 - Rescue Mars Everybody was amazed by the magnificent scenery of the essence stones flying into the air. ¡°Patriarch, what are these?¡± Drake was surprised when he saw all the yellow stones on the deck. He knew what they were. Each of the essence stones contained a great amount of energy. Being a cultivator, of course he understood how precious the essence stones were. He couldn¡¯t figure out where his Patriarch found so many essence stones. ¡°Take the stones back. With them, we¡¯ll soon be able to move to another planet,¡± Himmel Soan said slowly. The whole world was watching the live stream of this mission. Almost all the people around the world were watching Himmel Soan. Hearing his words, they all posted their opinions online. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my ears! Are these stones the key materials to building the portal?¡± ¡°If Mr. Soan says so, it must be the case! I hope Mr. Soan can build the portal sooner and take us out of this planet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Soan, you said we could live on Earth for another year, and it¡¯s been nine months since then. We only have three months left! What should we do if you can¡¯t build the portal by then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr. Soan can figure out what to do even if he can¡¯t build the portal in time.¡± ¡°The way Mr. Soan jumped out of the ocean was so impressive!¡± ¡°How did he do it? I don¡¯t understand, but I¡¯m equally astonished!¡± When Himmel Soan saw all the comments, he answered some of the questions. ¡°During the time I was at the bottom of the ocean, I figured out how to create that water column you saw just then. ¡°I stirred the seawater with advanced technology, then I swirled it in the opposite direction. The impact resulted in the enormous water column earlier. With it, I was able to flush all the stones out so that we won¡¯t need to fetch them from the bottom of the ocean. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the portal. With these stones, I can definitely build it within three months. ¡°No, maybe I won¡¯t even need that long. I can probably build it in a month. ¡°Everybody on Earth can enter that portal for free.¡± ¡­ However, some new comments attracted everybody¡¯s attention. ¡°Mr. Soan, help us! We¡¯re starving on Mars!¡± ¡°Oraman is an animal! He has starved us for five months! We¡¯re forced to do hard labor for him!¡± ¡°Please, Mr. Himmel Soan! It was all our fault! Please help us!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, we¡¯re so sorry for our ignorance! We regret what we¡¯ve done! Please forgive us!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the passengers on Mars found they couldn¡¯t post any comments, they created new accounts. They thought that was the reason they could send messages again. In fact, it was because Himmel Soan had lifted the restriction on Mars. After that, the passengers started posting comments again. Their only goal was to run away from Mars and Oraman. ¡°We¡¯re already making plans to rescue the people on Mars. We¡¯ll be sending people your way before long and bring you back to Earth. When the portal is completed, we¡¯ll leave Earth together.¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s tone was quite casual, but the passengers were greatly moved. They felt like people who had been traveling in the desert for days without water, and those words were like an oasis. It gave them a little more strength so that they could exceed their limits and hold on for a bit longer. ¡°That¡¯s great! Mr. Himmel Soan, you¡¯re my God!¡± ¡°When I get back to Earth, I¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Himmel Soan asks me to do!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, can you pick us up a little faster? I can¡¯t stand Mars anymore.¡± The people on Earth couldn¡¯t stand these comments. Those people were so sure that they could survive when they left with Oraman. They also looked down upon Himmel Soan¡¯s underground shelter and paid a small fortune to get on the Neigerian arks. They only had themselves to blame! ¡°They don¡¯t deserve our saving!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, we shouldn¡¯t waste our energy on them!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, please think twice before helping them. What if they change their attitude when they come back and blame Moon again?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, I don¡¯t think we should save them!¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± ¡°Me, too!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The discussion continued online. Meanwhile, Himmel Soan was communicating with the other presidents. Those presidents all followed his order without asking questions now. They trusted him in all aspects. After everything that had happened, they finally realized that their only way out was to follow Himmel Soan and listen to his instructions. If they had obeyed him when the meteorite was discovered, they wouldn¡¯t have lost so much. They all saw how Moon and Panthera had survived the catastrophe ¡°Mr. Soan, are we really going to Mars?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan, they don¡¯t deserve it! We¡¯re only going to waste our energy! They should have anticipated this when they left us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This is happening to them because they had it coming!¡± ¡°I think we should focus everything on building the portal!¡± Over half of the presidents didn¡¯t like the idea of helping the passengers on Mars. They didn¡¯t think those people were worth saving! What they were going through was a result of their earlier decision. If they had supported and trusted Mr. Soan, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡°I think Oraman is the one to be blamed. He¡¯s the culprit of everything. ¡°There are so many talented people on Mars, and they can be very useful to us. I think it¡¯s necessary to save them.¡± The Moonian president shared his view. If thousands of scientists could be brought back, they could make great contributions to Earth. After all, they all had rare talents. ¡°Mr. Soan, what do you think?¡± All eyes were on Himmel Soan. Chapter 241 - All Out They all knew their opinions were only opinions. None of them could make the call. Himmel Soan¡¯s decision was the one that really counted. If he decided to save those people, then they would save those people. If he decided otherwise, those people would be on their own. ¡°That¡¯s also what I think. We¡¯re going to save them, but not all of them. ¡°The Moonians won¡¯t sit here and let them die. As I said before, we¡¯re already planning on rescuing the passengers. ¡°The mission won¡¯t affect the building of the portal. Rather, it¡¯ll quicken the process. After bringing them back, they¡¯ll have to work on the portal for free to atone for their crime. Once the portal is completed, they can return to their own countries.¡± Just then, Roams appeared on the screen. The other presidents immediately recognized him. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the leader of Atlantis?¡± ¡°Is Mr. Soan really working with Atlantis?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not like him!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, what¡¯s going on?¡± The other presidents were all perplexed. Roams was frightened by the hostility. If he hadn¡¯t been standing behind Himmel Soan, he felt the other people could kill him with just the looks in their eyes. It took some explanation to let the others accept the fact that Atlantis had become a part of Moon. ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯ve completed the spaceship that can carry your people to Mars. I call it the ¡®Mars Savior.¡¯ Its sole purpose is to save those people on Mars. ¡°It can carry ten million people, and it¡¯ll only take a day to reach its destination. It¡¯s also equipped with small energy cannons that can destroy smaller meteorites when necessary.¡± The viewers were astonished by Roams¡¯s introduction. It had only been days since the rescue mission was proposed. How could he build such a perfect spaceship in such a short period of time? It was a hundred times more impressive than building an ark! They finally understood why Himmel Soan would bring Roams back and why Atlantis would become a part of Moon. All countries would want talented people like that! ¡°Alright. I see. ¡°All members of the three divisions will set out this afternoon. You¡¯ll take Mars Savior and go to Mars to rescue those people.¡± Himmel Soan cut the video feed and gave the order. Drake and the others knelt. ¡°Patriarch, is it necessary to send all of us over there? What if something happens when we¡¯re away? How¡­¡± Drake didn¡¯t finish his sentence. Although his Patriarch was very capable, he was only one person. What if more than one incident happened? He couldn¡¯t be at two places at once. More importantly, they didn¡¯t want to be so far away from their Patriarch. ¡°The rescue mission is only part of the reason I¡¯m sending you to Mars. There¡¯s something more important I need you to do there.¡± Himmel Soan sent a photo to Drake¡¯s phone. ¡°This was taken on Mars. The yellow rocks are very important to me. You¡¯re going to bring all of them back for me!¡± Drake nodded, understanding what his Patriarch wanted. Judging by his attitude, the stones must have some incredible characteristics. Moreover, they looked very similar to essence stones and seemed to be even more advanced. That was why Himmel Soan was sending out all members of the three divisions! What about Earth? Himmel Soan smiled when he saw Drake¡¯s concerned look. ¡°I¡¯ve recovered 0.01% of my full strength. I can protect Earth!¡± Drake blushed in excitement when he heard this. His Patriarch¡¯s strength had recovered a little. What did that mean? With 0.01% of his full strength, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t need the space cannon. He could destroy the super meteorite with his bare hand. Drake was finally relieved. He was so excited that he felt he was short of breath. This piece of information was more important than his own life. ¡°Congratulations, Patriarch! ¡°I understand! I¡¯m taking the three divisions to Mars now. We won¡¯t disappoint you, Patriarch!¡± When Drake looked up, he saw that Himmel Soan was long gone. The next moment, Himmel Soan appeared in the lab. He saw Roams waving his hands and cursing at the top of his lungs. ¡°No! Viclan, what are you doing? I told you that stone should be here! ¡°And you! Do you remember anything I told you? ¡°Hey, you! What are you doing? I told you already! You¡¯re doing it wrong! ¡°If you keep doing this, I¡¯m going to throw you out! I can do it on my own!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roams was fuming. He found the others so stupid. He was ten times more brilliant than the other scientists. In fact, he didn¡¯t think the others should call themselves scientists at all. If they weren¡¯t Himmel Soan¡¯s people, hr would have killed them all. He had told them the same thing twice, but they kept making mistakes. ¡°There, there. They don¡¯t know as much as you do. It¡¯s natural that they¡¯ll make mistakes. Don¡¯t be so angry. Just tell them what they did wrong. Telling them off won¡¯t change anything. Although they¡¯re not as capable as you, they¡¯re still scientists. You should speak the language of science with them.¡± Roams¡¯s first reaction was to tell the speaker ¡®it¡¯s none of your business.¡¯ But realizing that it was Himmel Soan¡¯s voice, he stopped himself before he could say those words. He turned around and changed to a much more reverent attitude. ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m too impatient. But they¡¯re so stupid! Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have said those things!¡± Himmel Soan wanted to shake his head. As it turned out, Roams didn¡¯t have everything. He had zero interpersonal skills! Himmel Soan then changed the subject. ¡°Have you found the 10,000-year crystal?¡± Chapter 242 - Mutation of the 10,000-Year Crystal ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯ve found and brought back the crystal and the desert spirit.¡± Viclan hesitated after that and didn¡¯t dare meet Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes. Himmel Soan knew why he was like that. ¡°You haven¡¯t found the heart of the volcano, have you?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t¡­¡± Viclan almost wanted to kill himself. Finding the three objects was the mission given by their Patriarch. However, they had only obtained two objects so far and didn¡¯t know what to do with the third one. ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯ve discovered the rough location of the heart of the volcano. But the temperature is too high. None of our machines could get close, let alone us¡­¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll get it myself,¡± said Himmel Soan. It wasn¡¯t that big a deal. His goal was to let them find the locations so that he could fetch the objects after he left Atlantis. The scientist had managed to bring back two objects, and that was already out of his expectation. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the crystal and the desert spirit!¡± Viclan nodded and led Himmel Soan to the basement, explaining to him on the way, ¡°We found the crystal at the center of a snowy mountain. It looks just like a large crystal. However, anything making contact with it will be immediately frozen. Thousands of machine arms were destroyed just to bring it back. ¡°The desert spirit was also found at the center of a desert. It looks almost just like an ordinary grain of sand. We nearly missed it. It was thanks to Branco¡¯s sharp eyes that we were able to bring it back. ¡°As for the heart of the volcano¡­ We followed the same pattern and went to look for it in a volcano. But the temperature there is abnormally high! We¡¯ve checked the data. It¡¯s never been like this! ¡°William, Branco, and I have reached the conclusion that this volcano is going to erupt!¡± Rising temperature? A volcano eruption? Himmel Soan was only concerned with these two things. He guessed something from all the signs. ¡°I think the heart of the volcano is turning into a living thing!¡± However, it was only speculation. He needed to see it in person to determine what was going on. By then, they had reached the entrance to the basement. They could feel the cold air inside. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been feeling this chilly wind! Here¡¯s the source!¡± Roams rubbed his hands together. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be happening¡­¡± Viclan was confused. The crystal had been brought back for days. Why was this happening today? So be it! Deciding to open the door, he put his hand on the door handle and twisted it. However, the handle wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Only then did he realize the handle had been frozen up as well. He shook his head and wanted to take his hand off the handle. Himmel Soan stopped him. ¡°Your hand is stuck to the handle by the frost. It¡¯s too dangerous to move it.¡± He then put his hand on Viclan¡¯s and injected a tiny streak of spiritual essence. 0.01% of his spiritual essence could destroy a meteorite, and he only used a fraction of that, which was all that Viclan could handle. A little bit more, and Viclan would explode. Immediately, Viclan felt a warmth in his hand. Only then did he realize his hand had gone completely numb. Completely! What did it mean? If he had tried to remove his hand from the door handle, his arm would have been shattered all over the floor like ice! His Patriarch noticed it in time and stopped that accident from happening. Viclan then turned the door handle. Thump¡­ The door immediately turned into broken pieces. The cold air inside finally found a way out and rushed toward the trio. Himmel Soan slowly exhaled. The cold air turned into water drops and fell to the ground. Viclan and Roams then saw what it was like inside. The room was empty because all the objects had turned into ice before melting into water. The only thing left was a pale-blue crystal in the shape of a heart. ¡°Is that the 10,000-year crystal?¡± Viclan and Roams cried out in surprise. Wait¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring it back? Don¡¯t you know what it looks like?¡± Roams was perplexed. ¡°I did, but it was a diamond-shaped crystal!¡± said Viclan. He was the one who brought back the crystal and sent it to this underground lab. But it didn¡¯t look like this at the time! He had no idea what was going on! ¡°Everything can gain intelligence, especially this crystal. It has been absorbing the essence of a snow mountain for ten thousand years. ¡°It has become a spiritual thing. It was dormant when you brought it back, which was why you could take it back so easily. It has woken up now!¡± Himmel Soan soon reached a conclusion and told the other two men. The activity in the volcano was probably caused by the same reason. The heart of the volcano had become a spiritual thing. As for the desert spirit¡­ Himmel Soan already spotted it. ¡°What will happen when they become spiritual beings? Are they going to take human forms?¡± Roams speculated. The crystal had turned into a beating heart. Such a hypothesis wouldn¡¯t be too far-stretched. Roams was very clever. He made that deduction in no time. ¡°Yes, they would, eventually. But it¡¯ll take them millions of years. Right now, they¡¯ve only developed a mind.¡± Chapter 243 - Two Last Days Just then, Himmel Soan grabbed the empty air above his head. When he opened his palm, there was sand on it. ¡°This desert spirit has become a spiritual being.¡± Viclan was surprised to see the desert spirit. ¡°What? I locked it up in another room. How¡­¡± Viclan couldn¡¯t understand why the desert spirit was here or why it appeared above his Patriarch¡¯s head. That was so bold! Roams¡¯s eyes twinkled. He couldn¡¯t see anything apart from the desert spirit on Himmel Soan¡¯s palm. He thought if he could study it, he might find a path to the sixth age. By now, he was fully convinced that following Himmel Soan was the wisest choice. ¡°Becoming a spiritual being isn¡¯t always a good thing. If it¡¯s left unguided, it can become something else and create disasters,¡± Himmel Soan explained as he approached the crystal. ¡°If it has grown an evil mind, it¡¯ll only become an evil thing. I¡¯ll have to destroy its spirit!¡± He then grabbed the crystal, destroyed its spirit, and turned it back into a diamond-shaped crystal. Viclan was happy again. The crystal looked like this when he brought it back. ¡°0.05%, is it?¡± Himmel Soan murmured as he sensed his spiritual essence. He didn¡¯t just destroy the spirit. He had also absorbed 50% of the energy inside the crystal. He could have absorbed all the energy to speed up his recovery. Once he recovered 0.1% of his strength, he could teleport the people on Earth without a portal. But he didn¡¯t do that. First of all, there were so many people on Earth, and he couldn¡¯t teleport them all at once. Secondly, ordinary people couldn¡¯t handle the teleportation process. Last but not least, he wanted to take people to K18 in a more scientific way. ¡°The crystal is safe now. Roams, you¡¯ll be leading the research team to study it. The desert spirit is kind and curious, so I¡¯ll take it with me for now. I¡¯ll get the heart of the volcano. You can start on your research.¡± ¡­ On Mars, in the land of hope. Shirley looked around to make sure that no soldier was watching. She then discussed it with the people next to her. ¡°I¡¯ve received the news! We can go back to Earth soon!¡± ¡°Really? Shirley, are you sure?¡± ¡°We¡¯re starving here! If no one comes today, I¡¯ll rob the ark¡¯s pantry!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? The soldiers have weapons! Are you going to rob them?¡± ¡°What can I do, then? Tell me what to do!¡± The man ripped off his top. He was all skin and bones. There was barely any flesh on him. The others all frowned and shook their heads. It wasn¡¯t a way to earn their sympathy because they weren¡¯t much better than that guy. ¡°Man, you¡¯re right! We can¡¯t just sit here and wait!¡± ¡°If no one¡¯s coming for us, we¡¯ll have to save ourselves!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll fight them to death! It¡¯s better than starving!¡± ¡°I think we should wait. I saw online that they have built some sort of a spaceship. It can reach Mars in just one day. They launched it yesterday, so it should be here today.¡± ¡°I read it, too. I heard the rescue team was formed by the Soan empire!¡± Someone heard that name and became uneasy. ¡°Are you sure the Soans are going to save us?¡± ¡°We¡¯re on Mars, and we got here in a Neigerian ark. Why should they help us?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten how you¡¯ve ignored Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s advice? Why do you think they¡¯re going to help you at all?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The argument grew heated, and they almost started throwing punches. The noise caught the soldiers¡¯ attention. If the passengers had been quieter, they would have pretended they didn¡¯t hear anything. After all, they knew about the passengers¡¯ miserable lives, so they let them complain every now and then. If they tried to stop everything, they would have too much work to do. Now that the argument got louder, they couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore. ¡°You lot! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Stop talking and get to work! Do you want to lose today¡¯s bread?¡± ¡°Keep it, then! Who do you think you are? You¡¯re just Oraman¡¯s dog! I¡¯d rather starve or jump over a cliff than take your bread!¡± A man bellowed at the soldiers. He and the soldiers were friends at first. However, they were leading completely different lives now. ¡°You¡¯ve got some balls! Remember what you said!¡± ¡°The person that does the most work can have his bread! ¡°And there¡¯s the extra reward of a piece of bread and a bottle of water!¡± Everybody was thrilled to hear the announcement. Together, that would be three pieces of bread and a bottle of water! The passengers immediately forgot the rebellion and the rescue. They only cared about the three pieces of bread. The soldiers smiled when they saw the passengers working again. It was such a satisfying way to manage people. They lived comfortably and could control so many people, making them feel like kings. They had gotten addicted to power. Back in the control room, Oraman glared at Maruse. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me you¡¯re going to complete the processing factory in two days? Why is everything still in a mess?!¡± Maruse wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m getting there. I promise. Give me two more days, and the processing factory will be ready!¡± ¡°Alright. You have two more days. If I don¡¯t see the factory then, I don¡¯t want to see you on this ark anymore.¡± Oraman snorted and walked away. Chapter 244 - Arrival Maruse only heaved a sigh of relief after Oraman was gone for 30 minutes. He didn¡¯t dare breathe too hard. With him gone, his muscles finally relaxed. As the leading scientist in the ark, Dr. Leo was one of the first people to hear the news online. Upon learning that Himmel Soan was sending a rescue team, he immediately informed Maruse. They blocked the signals in the ark. Neither of them wanted Oraman to know the news. If he was kept in the dark, maybe they still had a chance. But it was impossible to keep the news from everyone. They could only block the signal of the soldiers¡¯ electronic devices. ¡°I hope the people outside won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± If the passengers couldn¡¯t keep the news to themselves¡­ Leo and Maruse couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what would happen. Since they came to Mars, Maruse found Oraman more and more unreasonable. At Oraman¡¯s age, he was dragging out his remaining years. But that guy didn¡¯t show any sign of aging at all. Maruse even felt the old man was getting younger. The other day when Maruse tried to steal the remote control while Oraman was sleeping, he heard the sound of him having sex with a woman. Maruse even suspected if this Oraman really was Oraman. Well¡­ He decided he should hack the ark¡¯s system first. Dr. Leo had designed the system, so it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. Since Oraman was threatening everybody with the remote control, Maruse wanted to hack the system to override it. Dr. Leo soon started typing in front of a screen. He told Maruse, ¡°I should be able to finish it within the day.¡± ¡°Great!¡± ¡­ A few hours soon passed. The passengers on Mars kept looking up at the sky. Each time, they hoped they could see the spaceship. It was as if hope had become the only thing holding them together. They couldn¡¯t imagine living on Mars anymore. Oraman was exploiting them even now, let alone in the future. Mars had become their eternal nightmare. ¡°Look! Is that little dot the spaceship?¡± Someone spotted a dot of light in the sky. Seeing that it was growing larger, the person shouted in excitement. The others all looked up at the sky when they heard the cry. It was true! There was a little dot in the sky. No. It had become a much bigger dot. It was moving fast! They could already make out the shape of the spaceship. It really was a spaceship! Needless to say, it was the Mars Savior! ¡°It really is a spaceship! We¡¯re going to be saved!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Himmel Soan! Thank you for saving us!¡± ¡°Finally, we can go back to Earth!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so touched! I must do something to repay Mr. Himmel Soan when I go back!¡± ¡°Despite what we¡¯ve done, Mr. Himmel Soan is still willing to take us back! We must repay his favor!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this anymore!¡± The man then tossed away the tool in his hand. He couldn¡¯t hold back his rage anymore. When there was one, there would be a second. The other passengers also threw away their tools. Since the Mars Savior was coming, there was no need to obey these soldiers. They had endured so much these days. The soldiers also frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are they so hungry that they¡¯ve lost their minds?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that Mars Savior? But that really looks like a spaceship¡­¡± ¡°How would they know?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no internet on Mars! Where did they get that information?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯ve been looking up at the sky the whole day!¡± ¡°Stop talking! We must inform Mr. President!¡± The soldiers got flustered when they saw the spaceship. They felt their good days were over and didn¡¯t know how to react. Only when someone mentioned they should report to the president did they remember they still had a leader. They decided it was Oraman¡¯s responsibility and would let him worry about what to do. They went to Oraman¡¯s room and knocked on the door. ¡°Mr. President! Something¡¯s happening! ¡°The Earthlings have sent a ship!¡± Oraman was with a woman when he was interrupted. Just as he was about to lose his temper, the report shut him up. He immediately put on his clothes and grabbed the remote control. Opening his door, he asked casually, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you say the Earthlings have sent someone?¡± A soldier nodded. ¡°A spaceship is coming our way! The passengers seem to have known it already. They¡¯ve dropped their tools and are waiting for the spaceship. And they¡¯re calling it the Mars Savior!¡± Mars Savior? Oraman narrowed his eyes. He hadn¡¯t had an inkling about that. How did the passengers know? The spaceship was so close that they could see it with their naked eyes. He shouldn¡¯t be told by the soldiers. It should be Leo¡¯s job! As the leading scientist, Dr. Leo should be the first to notice the spaceship, but he still hadn¡¯t said anything! Oraman narrowed his eyes. He had suspicions about Maruse¡¯s loyalty before, but it had never occurred to him that even Leo would betray him. ¡°Take me to Maruse!¡± ¡°But¡­ Outside¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Oraman glanced at the soldier. The soldier felt his blood had gone cold. Why was this happening? Their president had his temper, but he had never been like this before. The soldier didn¡¯t dare think too much, fearing that Oraman could see through him. Blop! The soldier dropped to his knees and trembled. ¡°Mr. President, I shouldn¡¯t have said that!¡± Chapter 245 - I Am God Oraman left without another word. He was in need of these people and couldn¡¯t afford to lose one more soldier. Luckily, the soldier knew when to shut up, or he wouldn¡¯t mind killing an offender. They stopped outside Dr. Leo¡¯s lab, noticing something different today. Normally, the door would stay open unless there was a very important experiment inside. However, it was tightly shut today! ¡°Mr. President, we can¡¯t open this door!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried chainsaws, lasers, and hand grenades, but the door won¡¯t budge!¡± The soldier¡¯s voice trailed off because he feared Oraman would lash out at them and blame them for not working hard enough. Oraman had guessed it as well. Since Leo had betrayed him, it was only normal that something like this would happen. Leo was the best Neigerian scientist. Of course, the door he built would be next to unbreakable. It would be an insult to his talent if they could easily open this door. ¡°Move! Let me do it!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Mars Savior had started its mission, landing on the planet about ten minutes ago. Ten minutes later, almost all passengers were taken aboard, and they were drinking and eating as much as they wanted. ¡°This is the most delicious meal I¡¯ve ever had! Mr. Soan is wonderful!¡± ¡°When we get back, I¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Soan tells me to, even if he asks me to dance on the street.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kneel on the ground!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan treats us so well! I¡¯m going to tell everybody online!¡± ¡°I never thought Mars Savior would come here to save us! We¡¯re finally free from that devil!¡± ¡°I love Earth! If I¡¯m given another chance, I¡¯d never leave Earth!¡± ¡°Do you want to stay on Earth forever? I heard the environment there will soon become unsuitable for us, and we¡¯re all moving to K18. If you want to stay there, feel free to do so!¡± ¡°No! I want to follow Mr. Soan! He¡¯s my god! I¡¯m going wherever he goes!¡± On Mars, Drake, Liam, and Phoebe met up after they made sure all the passengers were aboard. ¡°They told us they were guarded by soldiers the whole time, but I can¡¯t see any soldiers anywhere.¡± ¡°They should be in the ark. Let¡¯s go inside and take a look. Oraman is there, too. I¡¯m going to finish him with my own hands!¡± ¡°Calm down¡­¡± ¡°Look at these people! How can you take it?!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! I want to kill Oraman now too, but we need to look at the big picture. We have a more important mission!¡± Liam finally calmed down when he heard those words. Seeing this, Drake began to discuss with his siblings what to do next. Phoebe would lead a team to search for the stones on Mars and bring them back to the spaceship. Drake and Liam would lead another team to rescue people from the ark. With the plan set, they went their separate ways. As the ark was huge, Drake and Liam separated into two teams to cover more ground. Drake took ten people to the left, while Liam took ten people to the right. Meanwhile, the door to the lab was forced open. Oraman smashed it open with his bare fists. All the soldiers saw it and were astonished by the scene. They all knew how solid the door was, but their president had broken it with his fists. Were his hands made of steel? No. Even if that was possible, he still shouldn¡¯t have been able to do that. The soldiers all felt conflicted. They were afraid of their president. If he punched them, he would probably shatter their internal organs. When the door opened, everything inside seemed as normal as usual. A person was typing on the keyboard with his back to them, seemingly unaware of what was going on around him. But that wasn¡¯t the case! Dr. Leo was well aware of what was happening behind him. He also knew how the door to his lab was opened. He saw everything on the monitor. Yet he typed even faster. He was so close to hacking into the system. He didn¡¯t even know why he was still doing it. Now that the rescue team had arrived, he only needed to slip away before Oraman arrived. That way, he would be safe. However, the soldiers¡¯ families would still be in danger. Those were hundreds of thousands of lives. ¡°Leo! Maruse! Why are you doing this? If you follow my order, we can all survive. Mars is so much better than Earth. Don¡¯t tell me you care about those petty lives! ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why I¡¯ve become so strong and full of energy? If you had stood by my side, I could have made you as strong as me, but you betrayed me!¡± Maruse blocked his way. He told Leo, ¡°I¡¯ll stop Oraman while you hack the system! Quick!¡± As soon as he said those words, the temperature in the room dropped. All the soldiers behind Oraman felt the change and shivered in fear. Was this man still their president? One of the soldiers stumbled back involuntarily, and Oraman immediately glared at him. Their eyes met. The soldier seemed petrified. He froze on the spot, and his expression became blank. A moment later, he fell to the ground, dead. ¡°This is what happens to traitors! Maruse, you want to override the system and stop the remote control, don¡¯t you? I can control them even without it! ¡°I am God!¡± Oraman smashed the remote control on the floor. He was telling them that all their efforts were futile. Chapter 246 - Oraman Lost His Mind Dr. Leo stopped what he was doing. He had been typing so fast because he wanted to get into the system to override the remote control. However, Oraman had just destroyed it. There was no point in hacking the system anymore. The only good news was their goal had been achieved. Although Oraman himself smashed the remote control, they still got what they wanted. As a result, Leo didn¡¯t think his efforts had been wasted. If he hadn¡¯t been doing this, maybe Oraman wouldn¡¯t have smashed the remote control. He believed he was the cause. ¡°Mr. President, you¡¯ve changed¡­¡± Upon hearing Oraman¡¯s strange speech, Maruse felt Oraman had turned into a devil from hell! ¡°Maruse, if I want to, you can drop dead at any moment just like that soldier. But I didn¡¯t do that. I appreciate your talent, so I¡¯m giving you one last chance. ¡°Be my loyal servant and rule this universe with me, or be ignorant and betray me. It¡¯s your choice.¡± Maruse took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, ¡°Oraman, you¡¯ve completely lost your mind!¡± ¡°Lost my mind?¡± Oraman saw what Maruse meant. ¡°Have I? Maybe I have! Maybe this is just a crazy world! ¡°Maruse, I¡¯d like to ask you one last question before you die. What do you think we live for?¡± Maruse didn¡¯t reply. He thought Oraman was spouting nonsense. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death. He had led to the destruction of the remote control, and he found his life worthwhile. ¡°You aren¡¯t answering me because you don¡¯t know the answer. You¡¯re so ignorant. You have no idea how big this world is! You¡¯ve never seen its wonders! Don¡¯t you want to know why I¡¯m getting younger? ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m God! ¡°Goodbye, Maruse, my old servant!¡± Oraman raised his left hand and aimed at Maruse and Dr. Leo. Just then, he caught some footsteps. They weren¡¯t loud, but he immediately heard them and felt that those people were coming at him. If he didn¡¯t turn around, they would take him by surprise. 50m. 40m. 30m. Oraman turned around and snorted. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The footsteps slowed down. Oraman then saw Drake. ¡°Drake Soan!¡± ¡°Oraman, you¡¯ve committed heinous crimes! You¡¯re going to die today!¡± Drake had heard from the passengers what he had done to them. To keep himself and the soldiers well-fed, Oraman chased millions of people out of the ark and let them die in misery! That wasn¡¯t all. He even cut the supply of the other passengers to one piece of bread a day. They were only ordinary people! Drake was furious when he saw the emaciated passengers. He wanted to kill Oraman in the cruelest way possible. However, he calmed himself down. Once he could think straight again, he felt something was off. Something was wrong with Oraman. ¡°The Soans? It¡¯s you! ¡°Such perfect timing! We¡¯re only here on Mars because of you! ¡°No, maybe I should thank you. If I hadn¡¯t come to Mars, I wouldn¡¯t have learned such wonderful things!¡± Oraman had such mood swings that he looked like he was having a nervous breakdown. As he raised his hand, Drake narrowed his eyes. That movement made him uncomfortable. But he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. ¡°Drake, run! Oraman killed a man just like that! He¡¯s turned into a monster!¡± Maruse had closed his eyes, thinking he was going to die. He just realized what had happened. Seeing Oraman raising his arm again, he warned Drake without thinking. Would Drake dodge in time? Maruse didn¡¯t want to see another person die. He didn¡¯t feel so sorry for that soldier. After all, the soldiers had sided with Oraman. But things were different now. These were the Soans. They had come all the way to Mars just to help them. Maruse didn¡¯t want to see anything happen to them! Drake activated his spiritual essence and saw purple smoke rising out of his body. Was that what made him uncomfortable? After Drake activated his spiritual essence, he finally saw that purple smoke. Luckily, Maruse had warned him. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t know what hit him. ¡°Oraman, where did you learn this evil trick?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you affected? That¡¯s impossible! This can¡¯t be happening!¡± Oraman couldn¡¯t understand why his ability had stopped working. He had tested it over a hundred times. Why did it fail him all of a sudden? It didn¡¯t make any sense! ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be worried about me. Worry about yourself!¡± Once the uncomfortable feeling was gone, Drake exploded. He dashed off and was soon by Oraman¡¯s side. He focused most of his spiritual essence on his right hand and sent a formidable punch. Boom. Oraman smashed to the ground, the impact making a 10cm dent on the floor. The floor of the ark was made of steel. To create such a deep dent on it would require some inhuman strength! Chapter 247 - Out of My Way ¡°Pfft¡­¡± An ordinary person would have been killed, but Oraman only coughed and helped himself to his feet. ¡°Fall back!¡± Drake immediately gave the order. Everybody moved back, but they didn¡¯t stay too far. They were all members of the three divisions and cultivators. If Drake ran into some trouble, although they weren¡¯t as powerful as him, they could still offer him some help. The soldiers had never seen anything like this before. Needless to say, they were much stronger than ordinary people. However, they still couldn¡¯t withstand Drake¡¯s strike. Even if they could survive, they would barely be breathing, let alone rise to their feet. Oraman was 90 years old! The soldiers wanted to flee, but the Soans wouldn¡¯t let them. They had heard from the passengers that the soldiers were Oraman¡¯s accomplices. ¡°Oraman, where did you learn that evil trick?!¡± Drake glared at Oraman. He had figured out how Oraman could survive his strike and why he gave him an uncomfortable feeling. He found the answer from the soldier killed by Oraman. All life had been drained from that soldier, but a streak of purple smoke lingered. ¡°Evil trick? It¡¯s God¡¯s guidance! I¡¯m going to be God, and I¡¯m going to kill anybody that¡¯s in my way!¡± Purple smoke kept rising from Oraman, and he soon looked over ten years older. No, that wasn¡¯t it. He simply looked what a man of his age should look. That purple smoke was the thing that kept him looking younger! Drake didn¡¯t have any more time to think because Oraman was charging at him, wildly waving his fists. Only then did the others realize that was how Oraman opened the door to the lab. The next moment, Drake and Oraman started fighting. ¡­ Himmel Soan arrived at the mouth of the largest volcano on western Pegasus Grassland. Even he could sense the temperature rising. At his level, he could stand in the magma without activating his spiritual essence, and he still wouldn¡¯t feel the heat. If he wanted, he could use a tiny bit of his spiritual essence, and the magma would be vaporized. However, he hadn¡¯t seen any magma yet, but he could already feel the heat. It was evident how high the temperature was. No wonder Viclan couldn¡¯t retrieve the heart of the volcano. ¡°Maybe I haven¡¯t recovered enough strength yet. That¡¯s why the heat can affect me a little. But it also means the heart of the volcano has become a spiritual thing! Maybe it¡¯s beginning to change its form. ¡°I hope it can be a pleasant surprise for me!¡± Himmel Soan was intrigued by the heart of the volcano. He had seen such objects taking a human form before. It had happened at least a few hundred times. The original form could be the power of thunder or the pattern of woods. However, he had never seen the actual transformation process. Maybe he would finally see it today! He then jumped into the volcano¡¯s mouth and was submerged in the magma. The passengers were already having discussions online. ¡°The Mars Savior has arrived, and I¡¯m already on board. Thank you, Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°When I return to Earth, I¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Soan asks me to do!¡± ¡°I still have some gold here. I hope to change my nationality to Moon when I return to Earth!¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Panthera, and I want to join Moon, too!¡± ¡°When I return to Earth, I¡¯ll change my life around and repay Mr. Himmel Soan for what he did for me!¡± Those messages all came from the passengers that had been saved. The opinions on Earth were still divided. ¡°Welcome back!¡± ¡°Earth is forever our home! Welcome back (but not the Neigerians)!¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is the person that made everything happen! When you return, you must thank him in person!¡± ¡°They should feel extremely lucky that Mr. Soan has saved them! How dare they want to meet Mr. Soan in person?¡± ¡°They should kneel and apologize for what they¡¯ve done! They betrayed Earth when they went to Mars with the Neigerians. We¡¯re not going to forgive them until they apologize!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive them! They¡¯re all scumbags!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The passengers on the Mars Savior weren¡¯t offended by the comments. Instead, they all seemed happy. The criticisms made them feel they were remembered. They were still Earthlings, not Martians! Some of them even dropped to their knees and started shooting videos when they saw the comments on apologies. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Himmel Soan. We did so many wrong things because of our ignorance. We sincerely apologize to you even if you don¡¯t forgive us. We aren¡¯t worthy of forgiving anyway. We promise we¡¯ll repent and make a thorough reformation when we return to Earth!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, I hope you can forgive us!¡± Apology videos from the Mars Savior were soon all over the internet. Many people on Earth were touched and chose to forgive them. Their tears looked genuine. They didn¡¯t seem to be faking it. Since Mr. Himmel Soan had forgiven them and sent people to Mars on a rescue operation, the people on Earth didn¡¯t stay angry for much longer. Meanwhile, Himmel Soan had arrived at the center of the volcano. He saw a bright red flaming heart, which reminded him of the blue heart-shaped crystal in the lab. They were almost identical in their appearance. The only difference was in their colors. Moreover, their energies were nothing alike. ¡°The heart of the volcano is changing its form today. After the heavenly trial, it¡¯ll take a human form! ¡°I still don¡¯t know its nature yet¡­¡± Chapter 248 - Evil Trick Himmel Soan would keep it if it were kind in nature. If it were evil, he would have no choice but to eradicate it. The energy was too chaotic now, and he could only tell which way it was after the heavenly trial. He also wanted to know what the process would look like. ¡­ On Mars, in the ark. ¡°Oraman, stop fighting. You¡¯re going to die today!¡± ¡°Why? Why do you have this power, too? It¡¯s God¡¯s power! Why do you have it?¡± Oraman was confused. He thought he had obtained God¡¯s power, but Drake was just as powerful as he was. Neither of them could defeat the other. Even the purple smoke couldn¡¯t infiltrate Drake¡¯s body. However, it made Oraman more desperate. He tried all he could to invade his opponent¡¯s body with the purple smoke. He had gained all his ability because of this purple smoke. He also used it to absorb other people¡¯s vital energy, which made him younger. If his purple smoke could invade Drake¡¯s body and steal his vital energy, he would become dozens of years younger. But why the failure? Drake didn¡¯t carry any equipment, and he was so ordinary-looking, but why was he so powerful? The other soldiers had been taken out as well. Ten members of the three divisions had easily defeated his fifty men. ¡°Boss! Let us help you!¡± After taking care of the soldiers, they wanted to join the battle and capture Oraman. ¡°Stay there!¡± Drake¡¯s warning was a little too late. One of his men had come to his side. The next second, he dropped dead to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! Drake Soan, it seems God is still on my side!¡± Oraman cackled when he saw this. He had been keeping an eye on Drake¡¯s men. He and Drake had come to a deadlock. If the battle continued like this, they would both be badly hurt. However, Drake still had subordinates, but he didn¡¯t. Hence, he planned to use the members of the three divisions to his advantage. If he could use the purple smoke to absorb a man¡¯s vital energy, he would recover enough strength to defeat Drake. However, it had never occurred to him that one of the Soans would come closer willingly. ¡°Oraman! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Drake was so frustrated when he saw one of his men fall. He felt such a thing would never happen if he had been more careful. All his sorrow turned into rage. If he could kill with his eyes, Oraman would have died a thousand times already. ¡°Bring it on!¡± Oraman clenched his fists and felt the power inside him. It was very different from what he had felt before. He was obviously much stronger now. Oraman grew excited. He had improved so much by absorbing the energy of one man. What if he could drain ten or a hundred such people? He might actually become God! Oraman wanted to use the purple smoke to drain all the members of the three divisions. But Drake stood in his way. He was going to solve this problem. The next moment, the battle started again. This time, Oraman was obviously winning the ground. Each impact would make him stumble back. After dozens of punches, Drake had reached his limit. ¡°Take Maruse and Dr. Leo! Leave! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Drake gave off a streak of terrifying energy. ¡°Boss, you can¡¯t use that move!¡± ¡°Go!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Himmel Soan sensed something while he was still in the volcano. He looked up in the direction of Mars. ¡°What¡¯s happening out there? What kind of crisis is he in? Why is he using that move? It¡¯ll burn him up!¡± Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes as if he wanted to pierce the sky. Having absorbed the energy in the crystal, he could see through the universe again. But he couldn¡¯t see much further beyond Mars. ¡°That purple smoke¡­ Isn¡¯t it an evil trick? Where did Oraman learn it? I see. That¡¯s why Drake decided to put it all on the line!¡± The look on Himmel Soan¡¯s face turned cold. He never tolerated such evil tricks. Now that he had spotted one, he had to do something about it. Moreover, Drake had reached his limit. His life was in danger. Of course, Himmel Soan would help him. The temperature in the volcano rose when Himmel Soan lost his temper. The magma burst out of the volcano¡¯s mouth, and the sky around it turned red. Everybody saw the abnormal phenomena. ¡°Luckily, we evacuated in time. Otherwise, we would have been cooked!¡± ¡°Earth has gone through too much! It¡¯s time that we leave this planet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I want to go to K18 now!¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Himmel Soan has gone into the volcano to fetch something. Will he be in danger?¡± ¡°The temperature is so high that I can feel it here, and I¡¯m over 10km from that volcano. Will Mr. Himmel Soan¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan is the greatest scientist on Earth. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s well-prepared! Mr. Himmel Soan said he was going to find an important part of the portal. We should wish him good luck and a safe return!¡± ¡°Yes! I hope Mr. Himmel Soan can return safely!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, please come back safely!¡± ¡°¡­¡± On Mars, Oraman felt suffocated. It was as if God had sentenced him to death. Why¡­ He looked at Drake. The man wasn¡¯t as powerful as him, yet he was still the one dying. Where did this sensation come from? He felt uneasy and could smell death in the air. What was going on? Did Drake have more tricks? No! That feeling didn¡¯t come from Drake. It came from the universe! The feeling disappeared almost immediately as if nothing ever happened. Did he imagine it? Chapter 249 - Purple Smoke No. It couldn¡¯t have been his imagination! However, the cold sweat on his back and the feeling that he had narrowly escaped death both felt very real. He couldn¡¯t understand why it disappeared so suddenly. He nervously looked around. He didn¡¯t want to experience that feeling again! Drake found Oraman¡¯s behavior rather strange, wondering if the man¡¯s head had been damaged by that evil trick. Yes! That was very likely! Drake then heard footsteps from behind him. ¡°What happened?¡± He turned around and saw Liam. Drake didn¡¯t need to answer. Oraman and the body on the ground were all the answers he needed. ¡°An evil trick?¡± ¡°Yes! Watch out for the purple smoke. You can fend it off with your spiritual essence, and you don¡¯t need too much. A little bit will do the trick. Our spiritual essence seems to counteract the purple smoke really well!¡± Liam nodded and stood between Drake and Oraman. He didn¡¯t have as much spiritual essence as Drake, but he was a much more capable fighter. Since he didn¡¯t need to worry about the spiritual essence anymore, he could do things his way. He started throwing punches at the opponent. Before long, Oraman was losing ground. ¡°Die, you bastard!¡± Bang! Liam punched Oraman so hard that he bent into an L-shape. Life seemed to be leaving him. But right then, a small plume of purple smoke flew out of his body. ¡°Don¡¯t let it go anywhere!¡± Although Drake didn¡¯t know what it was, instinct told him it couldn¡¯t be anything good. He also knew he couldn¡¯t let it escape. Hearing that, Liam immediately activated his spiritual essence and trapped the purple smoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can destroy it!¡± Neither of them knew what to do with it. Phoebe arrived at that moment. ¡°We¡¯ve collected all the stones¡­ ¡°Where did you get that?!¡± Phoebe was surprised by the purple smoke on Liam¡¯s hand. Both men turned to her, asking, ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± ¡°I found some strange books on evil tricks while I was collecting the stones. That purple smoke is all over the books. It disgusted me, so I chased it away with my spiritual essence. The books explain how purple smoke works and its effect. It¡¯s called the path to becoming God. ¡°I only read a little because I didn¡¯t want such nonsense to affect my mind. What should we do with the purple smoke?¡± No one had any idea what to do. They didn¡¯t know what the purple smoke was. Most of the contents in the book were there to confuse the reader¡¯s mind. There wasn¡¯t much truth in it. The only thing they could be sure of was the purple smoke was evil. However, they didn¡¯t know how to destroy it. They couldn¡¯t let it run free on Mars either. Just then, they heard a voice in their heads. ¡°Drake, Liam, Phoebe, come back. Bring the purple smoke with you. I¡¯ll purify and use it to replenish the vital energy Drake has lost.¡± It was their Patriarch¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡­ In the volcano, Himmel Soan finally took his eyes off Mars. He had practically watched the battle with his own eyes. If Liam hadn¡¯t come to Drake¡¯s aid, he would have killed Oraman himself. Since Liam was there, he left the battle to the younger brother. After all, no cultivator could grow without fighting battles and testing their abilities. Liam was also a cultivator, so Himmel Soan decided to use this chance to train him. ¡°But why does that evil trick exist on Mars? It¡¯s going to be a repulsive trick no matter where it¡¯s used. Maybe there are secrets in the universe that I still need to explore!¡± Himmel Soan then looked at the heart of the volcano next to him. It had turned into a flaming little girl. Her feet were bare, and flames were rising from her body. Her hair was scarlet red, and even her eyes were spitting fire. However, the girl that could spit fire was standing obediently next to Himmel Soan. ¡°From now on, your name will be Firey. Come with me!¡± The girl nodded. Himmel Soan had taught her the language of this world. Firey had cultivated for millions of years and was a fast learner. She mastered the language and gained cognition ability in no time. She didn¡¯t look any different from an ordinary girl. Himmel Soan created a dress with his spiritual essence and put it on for Firey. He then turned her hair and pupils red. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Firey held Himmel Soan¡¯s hand as they walked out of the volcano. At first, Firey would leave flaming footprints on the ground. Gradually, the flame shrank until there was nothing left. ¡°Master, I can control my flame now!¡± Firey said excitedly as if she was waiting for Himmel Soan¡¯s compliment. ¡°Good. Now you¡¯ll need to conceal your energy.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Himmel Soan was amazed. When she took the human form, he had sensed her nature to be evil. He was going to destroy Firey when she finished taking the human form. However, her nature changed halfway through that process. Himmel Soan was sure of it. Since it wasn¡¯t a bad thing, he didn¡¯t try to figure out the reason. He soon took Firey back to Moon. Someone noticed them and videotaped the pair. A lovely girl with fiery red hair appeared next to Mr. Soan. Of course, everybody was intrigued. The topic was soon discussed online. ¡°I saw a little girl walking next to Mr. Soan. Is she his daughter?¡± ¡°She¡¯s so lovely! Her red hair and eyes are so unique!¡± ¡°I wish I had a lovely daughter like that!¡± ¡°What the heck? Mom, am I not lovely enough? Don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡± ¡°Mr. Soan is going to start a live stream later! Let¡¯s see what he¡¯s going to say!¡± Chapter 250 - Go back to Mars Before long, the whole internet knew Himmel Soan was going live. Ever since the meteorite catastrophe, Moon had become the center of attention. To be more precise, all eyes were on Himmel Soan. He took immediate action when he spotted the meteorite. The space cannon he created destroyed the meteorite, and his men traveled the world to save people. No one could forget what had happened. And now, Mr. Himmel Soan was going to build a portal and take them to a planet almost identical to Earth. Of course, all the attention would be on him. Now that he had brought back a girl with flaming-red hair from the volcano, the people were even more intrigued. ¡°Do you think that red hair is natural, or is it a hair dye?¡± ¡°A hair dye? She can¡¯t be more than ten years old. Isn¡¯t that a little too young to dye her hair? It has to be natural!¡± ¡°Do people have natural hair color like that? I¡¯ve never seen anything of the sort!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen enough, then. I haven¡¯t seen one either, but they must exist!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It must exist. We can¡¯t see this world in the old way anymore. Everything is moving forward. Just because we don¡¯t know it doesn¡¯t mean that it doesn¡¯t exist!¡± ¡°I agree with you, bro!¡± ¡°Bro? That¡¯s Dr. Leo from Neige!¡± ¡°Dr. Leo? He¡¯s just another coward who has escaped to Mars. I know Mr. Soan is bringing them back from Mars, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re worth the effort!¡± Many people attacked Dr. Leo when they were told who the man was. At first, they agreed with what he said. However, they all changed their opinions after discovering his identity. Dr. Leo was nothing. He was Oraman¡¯s dog! If he hadn¡¯t been helping Oraman, those people would never have reached Mars. People lashed out at Leo. ¡°Go to hell! Why won¡¯t you die on Mars? Why do you have to come back?¡± ¡°Why did we save someone like that? If he likes Mars so much, he should stay there. Why come back at all?¡± ¡°How can anybody that has helped Oraman dare come back? Do they have any shame at all? If I were them, I¡¯d have killed myself!¡± ¡°Dr. Leo? Mr. Himmel Soan is ten thousand times more clever than you! How can you call yourself a doctor?¡± ¡°Taking him back is a waste of our oxygen!¡± The discussion grew intense until nearly the whole world heard about it. On Mars Savior, Drake and his people didn¡¯t care about what other people said online. Himmel Soan¡¯s order was the only thing that mattered. They wouldn¡¯t care about the comments unless someone insulted their Patriarch. When Dr. Leo saw how people on Earth saw him, he didn¡¯t even think he should go back. Those people had a point. If it hadn¡¯t for him, Neige would never have built such an ark, nor could it go to Mars. He was the reason that the Neigerian technology was so advanced, which in turn gave Oraman confidence. Maruse saw through his thoughts. ¡°We¡¯ve both done wrong things by helping Neige. It¡¯s on both of us! If I hadn¡¯t given Oraman the remote control, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to blackmail the soldiers.¡± Maruse burst into tears. He was the leader of the army, and those were all his soldiers. He didn¡¯t want to see that happen either. The soldiers and Oraman were all buried on Mars. If he hadn¡¯t followed that madman¡¯s order, what would things be like now? ¡­ ¡°Mr. Soan has started his live stream!¡± Hearing that, no one cared about Dr. Leo¡¯s return anymore. Everybody opened his channel. Billions of people were watching it at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m Himmel Soan, and I know what¡¯s going on. I¡¯ve noticed that your opinions are divided on our rescue mission. I¡¯d like to give you an explanation. ¡°The people who boarded the Neigerian ark might not have believed me initially, placing their bets on Oraman instead. It was their choice, and I respect it. After all, the Neigerian ark did seem more reliable than our shelters. ¡°But we know the truth now, and they¡¯ve paid the price for their choice. Therefore, we can¡¯t sit here and watch them die when we have the ability to do something. If we don¡¯t save them, we¡¯re as bad as Oraman!¡± Himmel Soan then covered the spaceship with his mental force. All the passengers rescued from the ark could be seen on the screen. The three million people all looked exhausted and seemed barely alive. They were all skin and bones, looking like starved beggars. Many of them had been important people on Earth. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Blake Santos? I grew up listening to his songs. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s like that now¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s Dr. Nile! He cured my disease! Without him, I¡¯d still be a cripple!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my teacher¡­ Why is he like that now? He shouldn¡¯t have left Earth!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Many people recognized the passengers and burst into tears. No matter how these people left Earth, they were in such a sorry state that those on Earth immediately forgave them. If the people on Earth had had the money, they would probably have made the same choice. Therefore, they chose to forgive those guys. Of course, some people still couldn¡¯t let them off. But now, even Mr. Himmel Soan had forgiven them; they didn¡¯t have any reason not to. After all, this was Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s live stream. Chapter 251 - Join Moon ¡°Most of these people are famous scientists, artists, and doctors. Saving them is vital to our society! Let¡¯s welcome them back to Earth!¡± Once Himmel Soan spoke, no one objected anymore. They didn¡¯t actually hate the people on Mars. After hearing what Mr. Himmel Soan said, they had to forgive those people. Complaining would only sound petty. ¡°Where¡¯s the Neigerian president?¡± someone asked. That was right! Oraman was nowhere to be seen. The people couldn¡¯t wait to condemn him. However, when they searched the crowd, they couldn¡¯t find his figure, which was rather strange. There seemed to be too few people in the spaceship. The number was much bigger when they had boarded Eternity. The size of the crowd seemed to have shrunk by half. What happened? ¡°I thought we would see that biggest traitor!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the last person we¡¯re going to help! I can¡¯t imagine bringing him back!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even mention him! His name disgusts me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! His first reaction was to make money when the disaster hit. Then he ran for his life! He doesn¡¯t have a heart!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan forgave those people who had offended him and even saved them. He¡¯s such a saint!¡± Himmel Soan had talked to Leo and Maruse before the live stream. Both men had seen the battle between Oraman and the Soans and knew how the Neigerian president died. The whole thing couldn¡¯t be explained scientifically, so Leo and Maruse would need to keep the secret to themselves. Himmel Soan had considered wiping off their memory, but it was too cruel a method for ordinary people. They would lose a section of their memory forever. Moreover, they were both important Neigerians, and missing a large chunk of their memories would create a lot of discrepancies. Hence, he chose to talk to them and kept what happened a secret. Being men of high social status, Maruse and Leo knew how significant it was, so they signed a contract with Himmel Soan. If they let a third person know this, they would be killed instantly. ¡°We didn¡¯t save Oraman. To be more precise, he didn¡¯t want our help. He prefers his life on Mars and doesn¡¯t want to come back, so we respected his decision. ¡°We only found out about his crimes when we got back. If I had known this earlier, I would have summoned all the countries for a conference and sentenced him to death!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s indignant tone convinced everybody. After he listed Oraman¡¯s crimes, all the Earthlings were furious. They couldn¡¯t believe the president of a large country would do such things. The meeting of a hundred countries requested to be broadcast online as well. Himmel Soan agreed without hesitation. ¡°Mr. Soan is right. Killing Oraman would be too easy for him.¡± ¡°Oraman can¡¯t atone for his crime even if he dies a hundred times over!¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, we¡¯re here to discuss with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯d like to join Moon!¡± Those words surprised everybody. Join Moon? What did that mean? They were all presidents of their countries. If they joined Moon, their countries would become a part of Moon like Atlantis. Their proposal attracted everybody¡¯s attention. Nobody cared about Oraman or Dr. Leo anymore. ¡®Join Moon¡¯ was the only thing they could think of. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please act with caution. If you really want to join Moon, you should speak to my president, not me!¡± Himmel Soan said in resignation. He wasn¡¯t the president and couldn¡¯t make such decisions. ¡°Join Moon? Can we do that? I wanted to do that a while back! It¡¯s my dream to join Mr. Soan¡¯s country!¡± ¡°Me, too! I also wanted to join Moon, but the requirements are too strict!¡± ¡°Are we all going to be a big family?¡± ¡°Is there a lot of benefit in joining Moon? Why do you all want to do that?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how the other countries reacted during the catastrophe? Moon is so friendly and kind. Everybody would want to join them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s probably the most reasonable thing all the countries have done!¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t Mr. Himmel Soan say yes? All he needs is a nod.¡± Himmel Soan had become the center of everything. Although the others respected the Moonian president, they cared about his opinion even more. To them, he was God. Naturally, they would follow God¡¯s instruction. However, Himmel Soan still let the president make the decision. ¡°If you really want to join Moon, you¡¯ll have to discuss it with my president. I¡¯ll connect my president for you so that you can talk.¡± Himmel Soan then connected the president to the video conference. ¡°Henry, block all the signals¡­ ¡°Gordon, lose your electronic devices¡­¡± However, the world saw this scene. What¡­ The Moonian president didn¡¯t seem to want to join the conference. He wanted to avoid it! Yes! Charles, the Moonian president, had been trying to shirk the responsibility. He had heard about the news, but it was too big an issue, and he couldn¡¯t take responsibility. Therefore, he wanted to let Himmel Soan handle the request. If Mr. Soan said yes, he wouldn¡¯t object. If he turned them down, Charles wouldn¡¯t be the one to make explanations. To his surprise, Mr. Soan threw the ball back at him! Chapter 252 - A Vote ¡°Hello, Mr. Soan. Hello, everybody!¡± Charles gave them an awkward but polite smile. Being the head of a state, he could take care of the little unexpected episode. Even with the whole world watching, Charles soon returned to his normal demeanor. Since Mr. Soan had thrown the problem back to him, he had to take responsibility no matter what. Luckily, Mr. Soan was around. Without him, things would be much more complicated. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I think we all need to think twice before you join Moon. ¡°We¡¯re just an ordinary country. As the president, I¡¯m glad you all want to join us, but such a decision can¡¯t be rushed. We need to run some statistics first. Some people must still prefer their own countries. We have to consider carefully before making such a huge decision. ¡°How about we run a global statistical analysis? If over 90% of the people agree with the idea, I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± A global referendum couldn¡¯t be arranged overnight. Charles planned to do it in three days. The voting process would go on for three days. All the countries agreed to the proposal. Although they wanted to join Moon, Charles had been avoiding the subject. Now that they finally had the chance, they didn¡¯t mind waiting for three more days. Once the meeting ended, people all over the world grew excited. ¡°Why bother voting at all? Of course, I want to join Moon!¡± ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I used my father¡¯s phone and voted to join Moon. Guys, have I done the right thing?¡± ¡°Absolutely! I¡¯m going to do that, too!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go after whoever that won¡¯t vote or vote no!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The portal is about to be completed, and maybe only Moonians can go to K18.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! Mr. Himmel Soan has said everyone will go to K18. Earth will be inhabitable in two months!¡± ¡°Still, the Moonians will go there first! There are billions of people on Earth, and it¡¯ll take forever for everybody to go through. By becoming Moonians, we¡¯ll get there sooner. What if the artificial moon disappears?¡± ¡°You have a point!¡± ¡°Plus, it won¡¯t hurt us to join Moon. I heard they have always been kind to their people!¡± More and more people joined the subject. Even the Moonians did. If the proposal went through, it would be the start of a new age. The world would be united. Meanwhile, back in Moon, Charles went to see Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, I have a request.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the president. Just tell me what you want. There¡¯s no need to make requests.¡± Himmel Soan immediately realized why Charles was here, so he spoke his mind. ¡°Well, Mr. Soan¡­ I think you¡¯re more suitable to do something like this.¡± Seeing how much people online supported the idea, Charles knew it was a done deal. He had set the benchmark at 90% because he didn¡¯t want the proposal to pass. 90% was a very high percentage. People were divided when the meteorite fell. So he couldn¡¯t understand why so many had voted yes now. He immediately found Himmel Soan, wanting to make him the new president. He found Himmel Soan a better candidate for the job in every aspect. However, Himmel Soan saw right through him before he could mention it. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m just a scientist. How can I be the president? You¡¯re the president. I am and will always be a scientist. You¡¯re a politician, and you have the expertise of running the government. Mr. President, I¡¯m going to complete the portal now. That¡¯s what I should do!¡± Himmel Soan turned Charles down. If he wanted, he could be the ruler of Earth, let alone a president. But he had no such desires. Being a president wasn¡¯t nearly as attractive as science and technology. After seeing Himmel Soan¡¯s attitude, Charles didn¡¯t bother him anymore. He had no choice but to take responsibility now. He had never imagined ruling the world, but it happened to fall on his shoulders one day. Charles wondered if he was dreaming. After Charles left, Himmel Soan took Firey back to the flatlands. ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re here. We¡¯re very close to completing the portal!¡± Roams welcomed him with great respect. He knew Himmel Soan must have brought back the heart of the volcano. All the materials had been collected. Now it was time to build the real portal. With it, they could travel through time and space! ¡°We still need to wait a little longer,¡± Himmel Soan said after sensing the surroundings with his mental force. ¡°We wait?¡± ¡°Yes, to travel through time and space, we¡¯ll need the right moment, the right location, and the suitable people. We¡¯re waiting for the right moment. If we activate the portal now, we can¡¯t make the connection with K18. We¡¯ll be falling into the void!¡± Himmel Soan told Roams everything he had sensed. He wanted to see what Roams could learn from that piece of information. Roams¡¯s eyes lit up as Himmel Soan had expected. He had come with him because he wanted to learn. The news alone could keep him excited for a while. Chapter 253 - Essence of Nature Himmel Soan took Firey to the west of the flatlands. ¡°Master, I can control my energy freely now!¡± Firey was glad when she sensed the change inside her. To call her a fast learner would be an understatement. She was so talented. No matter what she attempted to learn, she mastered it after a brief trial. She was a born genius, especially fast on things concerning fire. It had been only a few days, but she had reached the Golden Core Stage. There was hardly any spiritual essence left on Earth, yet Firey¡¯s cultivation level kept rising as if she didn¡¯t need any spiritual essence to do that. ¡°Master, I feel something very familiar on you. You smell like one of my own! You¡¯re like family!¡± Firey looked at Himmel Soan curiously. She seemed to want to find out what that feeling was. One of her own? He was an immortal, while Firey was the essence of nature. How could they be of the same kind? Himmel Soan soon came up with an answer. The essence of nature would find familiarity in another type of essence of nature. That was to say, Firey had sensed the desert spirit that he carried. After figuring that out, Himmel Soan took out the desert spirit. ¡°Is this what you sensed?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Firey drooled over the sand Himmel Soan took out. She said excitedly, ¡°Master, it¡¯s yummy! Can I eat it? I can make great progress!¡± As for how much progress she could make, Firey couldn¡¯t say for sure. She couldn¡¯t even tell exactly how capable she was. She only knew she kept getting better. If she could eat the sand, she would be a lot stronger. ¡°Does the essence of nature get stronger by consuming other essences? I see¡­¡± Himmel Soan now knew why so little essence of nature had taken the human form. Those that hadn¡¯t taken the human form had all been consumed by those who had. That was how they got stronger. Himmel Soan wanted to give the desert spirit to Firey and see how much stronger she would become. But he would lose the desert spirit. He needed it to open the portal. Without it, the portal wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°You can¡¯t eat it. I still have some use for it, and it¡¯s not evil in nature. It¡¯s a kind spirit. I can¡¯t let you consume it!¡± Himmel Soan then went on to tell Firey the difference between good and bad. Mars Savior was finally back. 1,000m. 100m. 10m. It landed right in front of Himmel Soan. Once the door opened, the passengers all ran out of the spaceship in a frantic state. Himmel Soan understood their feelings, so he didn¡¯t stop them. He only used his spiritual essence to discreetly change their directions so that they wouldn¡¯t start a stampede. Over two million people soon left the spaceship. Drake and the other members of the three divisions knelt at Himmel Soan¡¯s feet. ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯ve completed the mission. We rescued 2,813,729 people on Mars. Among them, there are 3,321 scientists, 2,597 top artists, and 9,628 doctors. ¡°We lost one man.¡± Himmel Soan nodded and broadcast the briefing. People all over the world heard the numbers. What they didn¡¯t understand was five million people had boarded Eternity. Only half of those people had come back. Where was the other half? They were still confused when they saw two familiar faces on the screen. Maruse and Leo knelt at Himmel Soan¡¯s feet and repented. ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯m Maruse, the Neigerian defense minister. Thank you for saving all those people on Mars. ¡°Oraman blackmailed me into giving him the remote control to detonate the ark. Then he threw half of the passengers off the ark to save the food, saying we only had enough provisions for a month. ¡°I feel so sorry for all those dead people¡­¡± Maruse banged his forehead on the ground. He kept doing it until he was bleeding, but that didn¡¯t stop him either. It looked as if he wanted to bang his head two million times. The viewers didn¡¯t know how to react. They didn¡¯t really feel sorry for those people. After all, they had boarded the Neigerian ark and went to Mars willingly. They got themselves into this mess, and they only had themselves to blame. However, the viewers couldn¡¯t bring themselves to watch what Maruse was doing. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Himmel Soan!¡± ¡°I love Earth! The air is wonderful!¡± ¡°Even the soil is sweet! Thank you, Mr. Himmel Soan! I¡¯ll do anything for you!¡± A man kissed the ground and shouted those words. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Many people were kissing the ground like him. Before, they would find the soil too dirty to get on their shoes. Returning to Earth was the best thing that had ever happened to them. Himmel Soan cut the video feed at that moment. Some things were too important to let other people see. ¡°Drake, Phoebe, Liam, come onto the spaceship.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The three people boarded the spaceship. Drake then took out the purple smoke. ¡°Patriarch, this is the purple smoke Oraman was using.¡± ¡°Here are some books from Mars. I didn¡¯t dare read them.¡± Phoebe took out the books. Chapter 254 - : Arguments Himmel Soan took the books from Phoebe and read through them. He then put them between his palms and squeezed. Thump¡­ The evil books turned into ashes and were gone forever. ¡°It¡¯s the lowest of all the evil tricks. ¡°The Martian civilization used to be more prosperous than ours. Why was it destroyed? I think these books may give us an answer. ¡°That purple smoke is the breath of the Evil King. Oraman must have used it to absorb other people¡¯s vital energy so that he could stay young. ¡°Luckily, he didn¡¯t know how to make full use of it, or else, the three of you wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything to him.¡± Himmel Soan told the siblings. Drake and the other two believed him. They had studied the purple smoke on their way back. No matter how long they looked at it, they still found it creepy. If they stared at it for too long, it would bewitch their minds and make them lose control. The breath of the Evil King was a type of evil energy that could bewitch people and give them hallucinations. They couldn¡¯t stop using the purple smoke until it eventually replaced them. To Himmel Soan, the purple smoke was only some evil energy. When he removed the evil part and refined the smoke, it would become pure energy again. The purple smoke twisted and turned as if it was struggling. It seemed afraid of being destroyed. The way it struggled was repulsive. Himmel Soan ignored it though. No matter what shape the purple energy took, it was still a ball of evil energy. The smoke grew paler and began to turn yellow. In a few seconds, it would turn into spiritual essence. Natural, pure spiritual essence. Himmel Soan looked at Drake and saw that he had been injured. Drake had used his vital force to fight Oraman, and he only had five years remaining now. As a cultivator, he wasn¡¯t concerned about his life expectancy. He would live longer once he made a breakthrough. Cultivators used that technique in their battles all the time. However, a breakthrough was easier said than done. For some people, the breakthrough would happen in a day, an hour, or an instant. However, some people weren¡¯t as intuitive, and they might be stuck for a lifetime. Himmel Soan split the spiritual essence into three portions and gave a portion to each of the three siblings. ¡°Use the technique I taught you to turn this spiritual essence into your own.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the three siblings replied in unison. It was the second time that their Patriarch helped their cultivation. Ever since Himmel Soan showed them the way into the cultivation world, he hadn¡¯t given them any more instructions. They had gotten this far, depending on nothing but their intuition and talent. It had been a long, slow process. They were honored to receive instruction from their Patriarch. After giving the spiritual essence to the three siblings, Himmel Soan went to the other side of the spaceship. They had already told him where the meteorite core pieces were stored. When he arrived at the room, he saw thousands of pieces. Picking up a random one, he absorbed all the energy in it. The yellow stone turned into a black, ordinary-looking one just like any normal meteorite. Himmel Soan had drained the piece of its energy. ¡°A meteorite core is the core of a planet. The energy contained in a complete core can help me recover 10% of my total strength. ¡°However, this one has broken into pieces, and much of the energy was lost. When I absorb all the energy in these pieces, I¡¯ll recover 0.3% of my strength.¡± 0.3% might sound very little, but for him, it was a striking figure. With that much strength, he could rip open space and teleport all the Earthlings to K18. He could also ensure everyone¡¯s safety. If he used the pieces to train cultivators, all members of the three divisions would become cultivators of the Golden Core or even the Nascent Stage. However, they could only recover a tiny fraction of Himmel Soan¡¯s ability. One could only imagine how much energy he would need to return to his peak state. 0.3% was a fraction of a fraction. To recover 1% or 10% of his strength, he would need tons and tons of such pieces. ¡­ People kept posting comments online after the passengers returned from Mars. During Himmel Soan¡¯s live stream, they all welcomed the passengers back to Earth. However, arguments were inevitable after the live stream was over. Things like this always created conflicts. After all, the people who had gone to Mars had all disrespected Mr. Soan before. They came back without any punishment, displeasing many people. ¡°Why haven¡¯t the scientists done anything since they came back?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now that they¡¯re back, they should do something to thank Mr. Soan. Enough with empty words!¡± ¡°Talk is cheap. If that¡¯s all everybody ever does, nothing will happen!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve done nothing but make trouble for Mr. Soan! All those scientists and artists are useless!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We went to help them because there were supposed to be so many talented people on Mars. And what did we bring back? It¡¯s so frustrating!¡± ¡°I heard we lost a member of the Soan empire because of them. What a shame!¡± ¡°We lost one man, but we saved two million people. I think that¡¯s worthwhile.¡± ¡°Bullshit! We lost a member of the Soans! Those people are nothing in comparison!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather see them ignore the two million people than lose that one man!¡± Chapter 255 - United Most people agreed with this view. Himmel Soan was their faith and their God. The Soans were God¡¯s favorite people. In that sense, it wasn¡¯t worthwhile to lose that one man to save the two million passengers. Dr. Leo and the other passengers couldn¡¯t stop smiling since they came back to Earth. So be it. They had returned to Earth, and nothing could upset them anymore. No matter how bad things were here, it was still better than Mars. The Earthlings might say harsh things to them, but it was nothing compared to the soldiers on Mars. Those men didn¡¯t treat them like fellow human beings. Here on Earth, at least they were afforded basic rights. They almost wished those people would scold them more because it would remind them that they weren¡¯t dreaming. The voting online ended three days later. The result was just like everybody had predicted. 98% of the people chose to join Moon. They knew Moon was Himmel Soan¡¯s home country, and the Moonians were almost like his kin. Once they joined Moon, they would gain the same status. No one would miss such a chance. The countries held another conference meeting. Maybe it would become the last multi-country conference. ¡°President Chow, the result of the vote is out. Shall we discuss what will happen next?¡± ¡°Sir, you¡¯re going to be our president in the future, and we¡¯re all your subordinates.¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯re all Moonians, Mr. President, what can we do for you?¡± All the other presidents made their statements as soon as the meeting started. Before Charles Chow could say anything, they all announced they had become Moonians. Charles didn¡¯t know how to react. They made it sound like he was going to turn them down. All the countries would join Moon, and the world would be united as one. That was already decided. He couldn¡¯t find any excuse anymore. The conference was also broadcast to the whole world. Apart from a few members of the Soan empire, everybody in the world was watching the proceedings. It was a conference that could change the world forever. The world would be united. There would be only one country on this planet¡ªMoon! People would no longer be divided by their nationalities. The conference was too significant to miss. ¡°After Moon unites the world, will we all use the same language?¡± ¡°I think so, but I¡¯m so dumb! I can¡¯t learn their language!¡± ¡°The Moonian culture is so profound. I don¡¯t understand half of it. What am I going to do?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t address it as Moon! It¡¯s our country now! We¡¯re all Moonians!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re all Moonians now! We must learn our own language!¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s so difficult! I need help!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s just a language. It¡¯s very easy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only easy for you. We don¡¯t feel that way. I¡¯ve been studying the Moonian language for ten years, but I still haven¡¯t mastered it.¡± ¡°Is my language that hard? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Before long, people began to discuss the language they were going to learn. They didn¡¯t need to worry about other aspects of their lives because they would remain the same. They would work and spend their salary as they used to. That part wouldn¡¯t change. Changing their nationality wouldn¡¯t affect that part of their life. They should only be worried when there was a catastrophe. The world was united, which wasn¡¯t a catastrophe. Therefore, they didn¡¯t need to worry. However, there was something they should pay attention to. The rules! Each country had its own set of rules. The currency, the language, the faith, the measurement system, etc. They reflected the culture of a country. When the world was united into one country, what would happen to the other cultures and languages? That was what everybody had been discussing. Charles Chow, the Moonian president, was expected to come up with an answer. It wasn¡¯t something he could reach an immediate conclusion about. He could announce now that the whole world would start using the Moonian language, but it would be an impossible task. If a person was born a Neigerian and had never learned the Moonian language, it was impossible to make them start using the Moonian language right away. After Himmel Soan turned him down three days ago, Charles had been thinking about this problem since then. Mr. Soan had given him the responsibility, so he couldn¡¯t disappoint the man. He had spent all his waking hours discussing with Henry and Gordon. What language should they use? They came up with a plan before the conference was held. ¡°The world would use the Moonian currency as the only currency. ¡°The presidents of Panthera, Woodia, Winland, Soilia, and Goldia would become the governors of the five states. ¡°Panthera will become Panthera State, Winland will become Winland State, Soilia will become Soilia State, Woodia will become Woodia State, and Goldia will become Goldia State. ¡°The five states will be under Moon¡¯s jurisdiction, and the five governors will run their own state. All the other countries will become different regions under the jurisdiction of the five states. ¡°All states and regions will study the Moonian language, which will be a compulsory subject in schools. ¡°The two million passengers from Mars will join different states, and they will all become Moonians. Led by Dr. Leo, the scientists will create a new translation device in the next three days. It¡¯ll help all the people in the world to study our language. ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan will be the leading scientist of this country, and his authority is above mine.¡± Charles made the announcement in an unhurried tone. The last bit was what he wanted to say the most. Chapter 256 - Objection from Flamia Charles rearranged over a hundred countries into five states, and five previous presidents were to be the governors of these states. He left the other announcements to Henry and Gordon. They covered everything from state affairs to individual household matters. After thousands of regulations were announced, the world was officially united. Instead of over a hundred countries, there was only one country now. The country of Moon! The only president on Earth would be Charles Chow, the Moonian president! ¡°Why can¡¯t Flamia be a state? We Flamians are very tough, too!¡± ¡°The decision is so biased. It sounds like child¡¯s play! I won¡¯t accept it!¡± ¡°No matter how the new regions are arranged, Flamia has to be a state. If not a big one, we can live with a small one, too. Why are we a region only?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we own guns? What if someone comes into my house without my permission?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t feel safe without my gun! I won¡¯t hand it out!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to learn their language! Why is the Moonian culture the main subject at school? I¡¯m going to fail!¡± ¡°We¡¯re managed by our own states. Why are there still so many rules?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to join Moon anymore. I think we should vote again. I¡¯ll definitely vote against joining Moon this time.¡± Many people couldn¡¯t stand all the rules. It was too much for them. Their original countries didn¡¯t have so many regulations. The new laws came so suddenly that they couldn¡¯t adapt to them right away. Facing the change, many people missed their old system. They were used to their original regulations. That habit couldn¡¯t be changed overnight. Soon, a Flamia user started a new vote. Hundreds of millions of people voted in less than an hour. Some people believed they could get used to the Moonian management style. ¡°I think Moon has the best system!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t own dangerous weapons. Isn¡¯t that a good thing? I can avoid being held at gunpoint!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If someone broke into your house, I¡¯m sure the Moonian authority will take care of it for you. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°We¡¯re all Moonians now. Isn¡¯t it necessary to learn the official language?¡± ¡°I think studying the Moonian language is going to be very interesting. How can you look away from such a fascinating culture? I can¡¯t believe you people!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Why are you starting this vote? You¡¯ve confirmed your choice already, but you¡¯re going back on your word now. That¡¯s just ridiculous!¡± ¡°I think these people must be the ones that insulted Mr. Soan in the beginning! They never learn!¡± ¡°I agree. I hope they get banned!¡± Such criticisms soon drowned the opposers¡¯ voices. Joining Moon was a good thing, and the new Moonians should learn the Moonian rules. It was a reasonable thing to do. Why did so many people regret it? Moreover, the Moonian rules were all fair and considerate. Hand over all the guns and let the country ensure their safety. Wasn¡¯t that a good idea? Guns were expensive when individuals were allowed to purchase them. Ordinary and poor families couldn¡¯t afford them. Because of that, there was nothing they could do even when their homes were invaded. Only rich people could have guns. That was very unfair. It was a good thing that nobody could carry a gun now. The new vote didn¡¯t stop because of the criticisms though. The argument continued, and the two sides even wanted to fight one another in person. Suddenly, all the news and comments concerning the vote were completed. Charles posted another announcement. ¡°All the decisions are made after careful consideration. The union of all the countries went through a vote and was decided by over a hundred countries. All the heads of states have agreed to it. ¡°Once the decision is made, no one can change it. It¡¯s a national and global matter. Be serious about it! Anyone mentioning dividing this country will be convicted!¡± Charles¡¯s video immediately became the featured video on all websites. The five governors also shared it and said that they agreed with President Chow. They knew where their future lay. Charles was going to be their only president. As a result, the objections were soon silenced. Of course, there would always be people who wouldn¡¯t be threatened. For instance, Murai of Flamia. He wrote, ¡°Why should we listen to Moon? Why can¡¯t Flamia be the one who unites the world? What does Moon have that we don¡¯t? Our women are lovely! We should be the country that unites the world!¡± Many other people chimed in. They believed nothing would happen when everybody was in it. Although Charles had made it clear that anyone who brought up this subject would be convicted, they believed with enough numbers on their side, they wouldn¡¯t be convicted. Yes, they already knew a lot of people agreed with their opinions. With the right leader, it could become a powerful force. Murai had made a good start for them. They thought they couldn¡¯t be convicted because they had only been discussing what Murai said. They believed with enough support, they could change the fact that Moon had united the world. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why the Moonian president? Why can¡¯t he be from any other country? ¡°I agree. The Flamian president will be perfect for that job!¡± Chapter 257 - Vote Again Those idiots! Idiots! Koji was furious when he saw the news online. Those people were going to get him killed! Charles never mentioned Flamia when he rearranged the countries. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t happy with them! Flamia used to be Neige¡¯s lackey, and everybody saw what Neige had become under Oraman¡¯s leadership. Moon¡¯s technology level had surpassed Neige by decades. Even Atlantis, a fifth-age kingdom, had joined Moon. Any force that had set itself against Moon never ended well. Koji felt like he had been set on fire. He immediately posted an article to clarify things. ¡°I used to be the Flamian president, and I¡¯m now the regional head of the Flamia Region under the Soilia State. I don¡¯t have any objection to President Chow! ¡°I don¡¯t have nearly enough ability to be the new president. Mr. Chow is the only one qualified for that job. I¡¯m happy to be where I am now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I did before. I¡¯ll do my best to lead this region and contribute to our country with everything I can offer! ¡°All those discussions about Flamia have nothing to do with me!¡± Koji was a little relieved after the article was posted. He didn¡¯t let those people use him as an imaginary leader. Flamia had never been Moon¡¯s friend. Now that everybody had joined Moon, Koji only wanted to become an ordinary regional leader that wouldn¡¯t catch anybody¡¯s attention. However, that moron Murai decided to become a star, spoiling his plans. Koji had no choice but to demonstrate his loyalty to Moon. He wasn¡¯t a president anymore. Otherwise, he would have arrested Murai for all the bullshit he had said. Other states and regions also posted corresponding articles once Koji made the move. It had set an example for them. They didn¡¯t want something like that to happen to them because they were no longer presidents. If they didn¡¯t clarify things in time, they might soon become suspects themselves. They were all once presidents of various countries and understood how such things worked. As the leader of this movement, Murai saw Koji¡¯s article as well. He was perplexed. He thought that with their effort, Koji might actually become the president of the entire world. However, the article shattered his dream. ¡°I see! President Koji is a humble man. That¡¯s why he wrote that article!¡± Murai laughed when he thought he had seen through Koji¡¯s intention. While thinking that if he worked harder, Koji would reward him once he became the president, Murai started typing again. ¡°Everybody, do you see how humble the Flamian president is? He used to be the president of a country, but he¡¯s so modest now and is working for Mr. President without complaint! ¡°It shows no matter where he is or what job he¡¯s doing, he¡¯s always diligent. He¡¯s only a regional leader now, but he¡¯s doing his best to run the Flamia Region. What if he becomes the president? ¡°When he becomes the only president in this world, he¡¯ll do an excellent job. He¡¯ll discuss with all of us before setting these complicated rules! ¡°Something like this would never have happened under his leadership. Charles Chow refuses to listen to our opinions. He even set up all those laws and threatened us. I won¡¯t recognize him as my president! ¡°Koji is the ideal choice for the job!¡± Many people reposted the article. They didn¡¯t really care who the president was. They only cared about their own benefits. The Moonian rules had harmed their personal interests. Even if Murai hadn¡¯t said anything, someone else would have done the same. They were glad someone had spoken up for them. ¡°That¡¯s right. I think the only president on Earth should listen to his people!¡± ¡°How can we all follow the Moonian rules?¡± ¡°Some of the rules should be removed!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Why are there regulations on setting up websites? That doesn¡¯t make any sense at all!¡± ¡°This rule is also very unreasonable!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Over ten million people supported Murai. It had only been a little while since he posted that new article. As time passed, more people would show their support. The number could reach a hundred million! ¡°The Moonian rules are all very considerate!¡± ¡°You people were begging to join Moon earlier. Now that you¡¯ve become a Moonian, you¡¯re criticizing it! It doesn¡¯t work like that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I knew this was going to happen when they joined Moon!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t adapt to your new country, you can give up your nationality! Stop nagging!¡± ¡°We never said anything about your vice, but you¡¯re complaining about our rules! How ridiculous!¡± ¡°You wanted this, so quit complaining! Who gave you the idea that you could change the president?¡± Many Moonians couldn¡¯t stand those people anymore. Even the Atlanteans hadn¡¯t complained about anything when they joined Moon, and they were from the fifth age. Why were those people so demanding? They had joined Moon, and all they needed to do was to adapt. The Moonian rules weren¡¯t strict. They only concern basic morality. Why couldn¡¯t they live with such rules? They were nitpicking! ¡°Murai of the Flamia Region has been making reactionary speeches online, inciting the public. Such behavior won¡¯t be tolerated! He is sentenced to life imprisonment!¡± Chapter 258 - Golden Core Soon, an announcement appeared online. Everybody cheered when they saw Murai receive his punishment. He deserved it for the dangerous speeches he had been making online. ¡°I won¡¯t accept it! They can¡¯t treat me¡ª¡± Murai posted an incomplete comment. He didn¡¯t even finish that sentence. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what he wanted to say. Obviously, he was unhappy with his punishment. As for why he posted an unfinished sentence, he was probably arrested. As expected, a video about Murai¡¯s arrest was posted online before long. Many people were glad to see how things had turned out. After Murai¡¯s arrest, some of his supporters were apprehended and convicted as well. ¡°Murai has been punished for his inappropriate speeches. The president is our faith. Anyone slandering him is unacceptable! ¡°If anyone has any opinion about the president, they can make suggestions, and we¡¯ll report it to the president once we reach an agreement. We¡¯ll offer a suitable reply or explanation after careful discussion. ¡°Using an extreme approach like Murai¡¯s is a dangerous method. We don¡¯t want a second Murai! ¡°We¡¯re all Moonians now. We should love one another. I think Mr. Soan would want that, too!¡± Henry and Gordon wrote an article together, trying to remind everybody. There was only one country in this world now. People shouldn¡¯t be looking at things in the old way. To stop people from creating more trouble, they even mentioned Himmel Soan. It worked. After that, the online world calmed down. That was right! Mr. Soan wouldn¡¯t want to see that! Nobody wanted to disturb Mr. Soan because of such things. After all, he was the greatest scientist on Earth. He was everybody¡¯s God. He had come up with the idea of a portal and had been working on it. If they disappointed Mr. Soan and he stopped building the portal, they would become the ultimate sinners. ¡­ Back at the Soan manor, Himmel Soan was in high spirits. He had been absorbing energy from the meteorite core pieces for the past three days. He knew what had been happening online, but it didn¡¯t bother him. It was normal for people to have emotions, and quarrels were a part of life. He wouldn¡¯t intervene with that. After absorbing the energy from the last piece of meteorite core, he rose to his feet. The energy he gave off affected the world. Everybody felt a sense of oppression and was filled with fear. That feeling was much more significant than when they learned a meteorite was going to smash into Earth. However, it only lasted for a fraction of a second before it disappeared. It almost felt like an illusion, but everybody knew it had happened. That was they were much more relaxed after that feeling was gone. Some people suffering from high blood pressure and heart diseases felt much better afterward. Some patients with minor conditions even got cured of their diseases. Many people felt uplifted. Himmel Soan exhaled the impure energy. The next second, he arrived at the three division¡¯s room. ¡°Drake, Phoebe, Liam, how are you doing?¡± He could see through their cultivation level at a glance, but he didn¡¯t want to do it. Everybody was entitled to their privacy, and Himmel Soan had no intention of invading it. He¡¯d rather have them tell him. ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m one step from reaching the Golden Core Stage!¡± Drake cupped his fists in excitement. Cultivation was a difficult process, and breaking into the next stage was always exceptionally challenging. They weren¡¯t very intuitive cultivators, which was why they were only at the Foundation Establishment and Essence Refining Stages before. However, the trip to Mars had provided them with such a great opportunity that they were on the verge of reaching the Golden Core Stage. They would never have another opportunity like this! They were full of gratitude toward Himmel Soan. The higher their cultivation levels were, the more they admired him. Without the opportunity given by their Patriarch, they probably would never reach this level in their life. ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯m not as intuitive as Drake. I¡¯m only at Level 8 of the Foundation Establishment Stage.¡± Just like Drake, Phoebe was grateful for Himmel Soan¡¯s help. Her only mission on Mars was to pick up stones. She did nothing else. After seeing Drake¡¯s battle with Oraman, she didn¡¯t think she should receive such a generous reward. The purple smoke was defeated because Drake had fought hard, and Liam had lent him a hand. She didn¡¯t lift a finger. Therefore, she felt undeserving. ¡°Patriarch, I think you should have given the spiritual essence to my brothers only. I didn¡¯t do anything¡ª¡± ¡°No! The spiritual essence should have all gone to Drake. I didn¡¯t do much either. I wouldn¡¯t have defeated Oraman if he hadn¡¯t severely injured him. ¡°I¡¯m only on Level 9 now. If the spiritual essence was all given to Drake, maybe he would have reached the Golden Core Stage already!¡± Liam cut off Phoebe and spoke his mind. Phoebe agreed with him. If the spiritual essence had all been given to Drake, he would probably have made the breakthrough. Reaching the Golden Core Stage would also prolong his life. Unfortunately, the two of them had absorbed the portion given to them. ¡°If all the spiritual essence was given to Drake, he would explode! Your cultivation levels are indeed lower than I expected. ¡°Firey, train them!¡± Himmel Soan created a spiritual essence dome and put all four of them inside. Absorbing the spiritual essence alone wasn¡¯t enough. They needed to train themselves in actual battles. Drake hadn¡¯t made the breakthrough probably because he needed the practice. If he went through another difficult battle, he would definitely make the breakthrough! Chapter 259 - Battle Himmel Soan also wanted to know Firey¡¯s progress speed. Drake and the others had been through battles, whereas Firey had been by his side since she took the human form. She had never fought an actual battle before. He didn¡¯t know how to teach her either. The essence of nature was different from a human being, and their fighting technique would be different as well. Himmel Soan wanted to understand Firey¡¯s combat ability by observing this battle. Meanwhile, Drake could also improve his fighting skills. Firey grinned and waved at the three siblings. ¡°Bring it on!¡± Drake and the other two looked at the red-haired girl in amazement. They had heard that their Patriarch had brought her back from the volcano, and she had been staying by his side since then. She and Himmel Soan almost looked like father and daughter. The three siblings had their speculations. Their Patriarch must have his reason for making such arrangements. He wouldn¡¯t ask a defenseless girl to fight them. This red-haired girl definitely wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. However, they couldn¡¯t tell what was special about her apart from her red hair. ¡°Come on! What are you waiting for?¡± Firey pouted. She had transformed from the heart of the volcano, and her temper was like fire. She had been suppressing her emotions while with Himmel Soan, so she was glad to have this opportunity. She was displeased when her opponent only stood there. ¡°Drake, Liam, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Seeing her brothers hesitating, Phoebe offered to go first. She was the only woman among the three and had the lowest cultivation level. It made her the ideal person to fight against Firey. Firey seemed so adorable and harmless. If their Patriarch hadn¡¯t made the order, they would only see her as an ordinary, lovely girl. Because of that, Drake and Liam had no intention of starting the battle. However, they couldn¡¯t wait forever. Phoebe offered to exchange a few punches with Firey. As a female, she felt she would know when to stop. ¡°Why are you stalling? And you¡¯re making a woman fight your battle. Shame on you!¡± ¡°Firey, they¡¯re your seniors! Be polite!¡± ¡°I¡¯m stating the truth. If these men are too afraid to fight, I¡¯ll kick them until they cry!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go too far,¡± Himmel Soan said lightly. Those words meant he had given her permission to fight, making Firey excited. As for the instruction on not going too far, she conveniently ignored it. Now that she could fight, she was going to enjoy this battle. She could always use her legs to fight and kept her hands behind her back. That would make it look like she was trying to control her strength. Boom! Firey¡¯s energy exploded, and a heatwave filled the air. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t surrounded the battlefield with the dome, the entire manor would have felt that heat. The flame rose from Firey¡¯s feet until it wrapped around her body. ¡°Watch out!¡± Firey giggled and disappeared from her spot. The flame was still rising from the footprints on the ground. Drake had almost reached the Golden Core Stage, so his reaction was much faster than before. Even then, he only realized Firey had disappeared two seconds later. He felt a pair of small hands on his shoulders. ¡°Uncle Drake, I¡¯ve told you to watch out. Why are you staring at my footprints? If I were serious, you¡¯d be dead by now¡­¡± Firey disappeared again. The only thing left behind was a pair of flaming footprints. Two seconds. It took Drake two full seconds to react. He was shocked. The seemingly harmless girl wasn¡¯t harmless at all! She was far more capable than any of them! That was why his Patriarch had put the four of them in this dome. He wanted to see the three of them fight against the girl! The three siblings finally understood their Patriarch¡¯s intention. Earlier, their speculation had been way off, and they even wanted to cut some slack for the girl. They thought they were going to train the girl. But¡­ Reality had slapped them in the face. It was so embarrassing! Firey didn¡¯t need their pity. She probably had to cut them some slack! ¡°Uncle Drake, wandering off while fighting is a bad habit!¡± Firey shouted. Drake was woken up from his reverie. By now, the ground was covered with Firey¡¯s flaming footprints. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for the distraction. Watch out, Uncle Drake.¡± Firey turned around and lifted her leg. Before anyone could react, she concentrated her strength on her leg and kicked Drake on his waist. Drake didn¡¯t dare underestimate her anymore. The kick was far more powerful than his full-strength strike. If he couldn¡¯t block that kick, he might be killed. Once his life was threatened, Drake focused. He only wanted to block that strike. There was no time to think. He concentrated most of his energy on his arms before crossing them and covering his waist. Boom. The girl¡¯s leg looked like a flaming whip. The two of them moved so fast that neither Liam nor Phoebe had time to react. Thump! Firey¡¯s leg made contact with Drake¡¯s scarred arms. Next came the sound of broken bones. Drake had blocked the strike at the cost of one of his arms while the other was nearly paralyzed as well. Was that the price of underestimating his opponent? ¡°Uncle Drake, I¡¯ve only used 10% of my strength¡­ Did I go too far?¡± Firey scratched her head awkwardly. Chapter 260 - Breakthrough The kick broke Drake¡¯s arm. The strength made everyone draw in their breaths. Her innocent face yet her terrifying power didn¡¯t seem to fit together. Firey also felt guilty for what she had done. She had gained some worldly wisdom and had had interactions with Drake and his siblings. Her provocation was only an act. She felt ashamed about breaking Drake¡¯s arm. She really had controlled her power, but she didn¡¯t expect that he couldn¡¯t even take 10% of her strength. She didn¡¯t think it was her fault! Drake slowly exhaled. ¡°I¡¯m too weak. However, you shouldn¡¯t look down upon me, kiddo. I¡¯d be so humiliated if I get defeated by a single kick.¡± Firey¡¯s kick didn¡¯t destroy Drake¡¯s fighting will. Instead, it ignited his fighting intent. He couldn¡¯t imagine what other people would think if he couldn¡¯t withstand a girl¡¯s kick. That being said, he no longer underestimated Firey. The look in his eyes was very serious. She wasn¡¯t just an ordinary girl. She was an opponent as powerful as him, if not better. ¡°Kiddo, show me what you¡¯ve got. Don¡¯t hold back. That¡¯s how you show us some respect.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Firey got serious as well. Since the uncles had made the request, she couldn¡¯t disappoint them. The next second, the air seemed on fire, and the three siblings felt like they were in a steamer. Drake immediately regretted his earlier request. Firey hadn¡¯t even made a move yet. They almost couldn¡¯t withstand the heat, and it was so humiliating! What would happen when she charged at them? Would they be able to withstand her strike at full strength? ¡°Drake, Phoebe, Liam, you¡¯ve been through many life-threatening situations. Why are you distracted now? Firey hasn¡¯t had any actual combat experience. Although she¡¯s powerful and fast, there are many openings in her attack. ¡°Why are you distracted? You should be looking for her flaws. Is this how I taught you? Is this how you cultivate?¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it sounded like thunder in their ears. That was right! Himmel Soan woke them up. What were they doing? They were in a battle, and their enemy was more powerful than the three. How could they be distracted? Both the girl and their Patriarch were right. If they were in a real fight and the girl was their enemy, they would have been killed already! Firey didn¡¯t make another move. If she wanted, she could always ambush them. But that would be immoral conduct by their Patriarch¡¯s standards. Their Patriarch told them they didn¡¯t need to worry about morals when fighting shameless villains. However, he couldn¡¯t do that with other people. Firey was waiting for them to adjust. Only then did the battle officially start. The three divisions had surrounded the area. They had never seen such an event before. Although they would exchange a few punches every now and then, it was child¡¯s play compared to the scene presented to them. ¡°I¡¯ve just got here. What happened to Boss¡¯s hand?¡± ¡°What a shame! You missed it! I feel sorry for you!¡± ¡°That little girl just¡­¡± The audience was discussing the battle. As Himmel Soan was here, they had been very discreet. Noticing that he didn¡¯t mind them, they gradually relaxed. The man who arrived late heard what happened just then, and his mouth fell open. He couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°That can¡¯t be. How can her kick be so powerful?¡± ¡°When I went to see the Boss the other day, I was terrified by his energy. If the girl really can do that, how capable is she?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too weak!¡± ¡°Fine. What¡¯s your level now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all family here. Don¡¯t ask that question!¡± ¡°The girl has been following the Patriarch all the time. It¡¯s only normal that she has terrifying power.¡± Their voices lowered when they mentioned the Patriarch, falling silent after that. There was another reason. The battle restarted. The four people exchanged blows and were moving rapidly in the dome. They all exerted their greatest effort in the fight. There was no time for discussions. ¡°Drake, your left! Watch out!¡± Phoebe reminded him. Drake didn¡¯t look at her and only nodded. His body moved a little to the right almost as soon as Phoebe warned him. The next second, a tongue of flame brushed past him. If he hadn¡¯t shifted, the flame would have hit him. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary flame. It was actually Firey¡¯s remaining image in the air because she moved so fast. If Drake were hit, it would be equivalent to a direct attack from her. Firey¡¯s attack left burned marks on the three siblings. At first, they were getting hit like sandbags. Their internal organs turned under her assault. As time went by, though, they were hit less frequently. They could dodge almost all of her attacks. Chapter 261 - Sword Made of Shards Firey couldn¡¯t hit anybody, making her rather upset. Although she didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone, it still irritated her that she couldn¡¯t even land a hit. Though the more annoyed she was, the more flaws there were in her stances. She even stopped using common sense in the end. When she reached Drake, she suddenly changed her target and attacked Liam instead. She wanted to surprise him. However, things didn¡¯t happen as she had expected. Firey thought her plan was perfect, and Drake wouldn¡¯t see it coming. To her surprise, they had seen through her moves. The feeling of being under someone else¡¯s control irritated Firey. The temperature rose to new heights. The three siblings had finally gotten used to the temperature, but the sudden surge slowed their minds and bodies. ¡°Can she make a breakthrough under such circumstances?¡± Himmel Soan murmured as he watched Firey, who was enveloped in flames. She had been getting stronger constantly in the past few days. To the essence of nature, every breath was a part of their cultivation. It was a method similar to Himmel Soan¡¯s, but there was also some difference. The essence of nature didn¡¯t have the various stages of humans. They only went through different forms. When Firey took the human form at first, she was like a three- or four-year-old who didn¡¯t know how to speak. After Himmel Soan told her what she needed to know, she became a girl of seven or eight. At the moment, Firey was in her adolescence. Perhaps for the essence of nature, this was the change in her cultivation. At the beginning of this battle, Firey was equivalent to a peak Golden Core cultivator. By now, she had gained the power of an intermediate Nascent cultivator. If she used that kick now, Drake wouldn¡¯t be able to block it with his two arms. At that thought, Himmel Soan stopped the battle. The difference between their power was so great that if he let them continue, it would be too late. Just then, his eyes lit up. Drake¡¯s energy started fluctuating. It was the sign of a breakthrough. ¡°Both of my goals are achieved.¡± Himmel Soan smiled and sent a streak of spiritual essence into the battlefield. It was directed at Firey instead of Drake. The cooling sensation pacified her, who had been losing control because of her rage. ¡°Maintain this temperature. Don¡¯t let it rise or fall. Be stable. Drake is having a breakthrough. Don¡¯t disturb him.¡± Himmel Soan gave Firey his instructions. He then thinned down the spiritual essence shield. The crowd outside could also feel the heat. ¡°I¡¯ve let out some of the heat. You can feel it now. Stay where you are and cultivate. Do not back away or leave this place.¡± Himmel Soan then disappeared. Members of the three divisions looked at one another in amazement. They could all see the sweat on other people¡¯s foreheads. It was so hot. Things seemed normal when the shield was up. However, it was a different story once they personally felt the heat. Although only a little bit of heat had been released outside, the people outside still felt they were on fire. If they were already like this, what would it feel like inside the shield? They didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. While the three siblings were enduring the high temperature, the members only felt a fraction of what they were going through. If they couldn¡¯t withstand this, they would be a disgrace to the three divisions. However, why did the Patriarch ask them to go through this? ¡­ Meanwhile, Himmel Soan had arrived at the lab. Roams immediately took out a green sword from behind him. ¡°Mr. Soan, look!¡± He drew out the sword, which gave off a chilly sensation. It somehow felt similar to Firey¡¯s flame. Roams held the sword with both hands and struck down at Himmel Soan. The energy arrived before the blade did. It felt as powerful as a strike from a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Stage. It was only a streak of energy. If the sword itself had such potent energy, how powerful would it be if a Golden Core cultivator was using it? Himmel Soan shifted a little, but he almost looked like he was standing still. Yet, Roams¡¯s sword lost its target. Roams lost his balance and fell to the ground. The fall only made him more excited. This was his first time trying the sword after forging it. It was exceptionally effective. The sword was what he had hoped for. It worked even better than he anticipated. However, that wasn¡¯t enough. Roams rose to his feet and looked at Himmel Soan in excitement. ¡°Mr. Soan, what do you think of my sword?¡± ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s quite powerful. You¡¯ve figured out the crystal, then?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He had noticed many things when Roams wielded the sword. Both the cold sensation and the sword energy should have come from the crystal. Roams nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s so amazing! The crystal is a miracle of nature! If we didn¡¯t need it to build the portal, I would have torn it apart to study it! ¡°It¡¯s so incredible!¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°Since you¡¯ve figured out its main feature, you can stop there. ¡°Did you forge this sword from the shards?¡± Chapter 262 - A Hundred a Day Roams was surprised. He had indeed forged the sword with the meteorite core pieces. Himmel Soan was going to throw away the pieces after draining their energy. On second thought, he felt maybe Roams could make something out of them. Hence, he gave over a thousand drained pieces to him. He didn¡¯t expect Roams to forge a sword so fast. The energy the sword contained even surprised Himmel Soan. A mortal man could build a sword that could exert the power of a cultivator. That was the miracle of science. However, it only made Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes light up a little. He admitted technology had much potential. However, it came with a price. It was the same as the space cannon. Building one space cannon had cost so many materials and manpower. The space cannon was an expensive project. What if they could use supernatural power? If Himmel Soan had recovered to his current state back then, he could have crushed the meteorite with his bare fist. It was something science couldn¡¯t compare to, but it had its own merits. For instance, with that sword, Roams could easily defeat a cultivator of the Essence Refinement Stage. If he could build a set of armor in the same way, maybe he could withstand a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Of course, ordinary people¡¯s physical bodies were too fragile. Roams could barely pick up the sword. When he tried to strike Himmel Soan just then, he was stumbling and trembling from head to toe. After he missed the target, he didn¡¯t have any strength to pick up that sword again. ¡°Nice sword!¡± Himmel Soan complimented. Roams felt uplifted when he heard those words and jumped to his feet. ¡°No, that¡¯s not good enough! I¡¯ve made it as lightweight as possible, but it¡¯s still too heavy for me. It¡¯ll be great if I can forge a sword everybody can pick up!¡± Himmel Soan nodded. If he really could do that, the sword could become the three division¡¯s issued weapon. Right now, most of the members were fighting with their bare hands. Very few of them had a sword. An iron sword was more like a decoration to them. It would break after a few strikes. Moreover, they couldn¡¯t inject an iron sword with spiritual essence. Ordinary material couldn¡¯t withstand that kind of power. It was like how one couldn¡¯t hold up a chunk of iron with a paper boat. The sword Roams built was suitable for cultivators. ¡°How many meteorite core pieces did you use to forge this sword?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Those pieces were non-renewable materials. Once they ran out, it would be extremely difficult to find more. Therefore, they were very precious. But only for Roams. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t care much about the pieces because he had already absorbed their energy. There was hardly anything left. To him, they weren¡¯t much different from ordinary stones. He had asked Drake to bring back the pieces mainly to see what Roams could come up with. If he couldn¡¯t figure anything out, they could be thrown away as ordinary stones. Together, they contained the energy of a planet. Even after Himmel Soan had drained the energy, they still had some research value. The meteorite core was the energy source of a planet since its creation. It was similar to the heart of the volcano and the desert spirit. The meteorite core worked the same way. It also represented the property level of a planet. The larger the meteorite core, the more civilized the planet and vice versa. Judging by the pieces, Himmel Soan concluded that Mars used to have a civilization at least as prosperous as Earth. ¡°Well, I wasted two pieces at first to experiment on them. Then I used four pieces to forge this sword. But that was only the first sword. If I do it again, I¡¯ll only need four pieces! ¡°And I can improve. With practice, I should be able to reduce the number to three!¡± Roams rubbed his chin and contemplated. It was just like what he said. If he were given another chance, he wouldn¡¯t need more than four pieces. He was already calculating in his mind. When and where should he add the pieces? He would need to figure out all those details. If other people were doing this job, they would need to experiment over and over again before they could calculate in their heads. But Roams didn¡¯t need that. He only needed to try it once before he could make the deduction. Himmel Soan was a little surprised to hear the answer. A sword only needed six pieces! No, Roams could make it to three. Three pieces could forge such a formidable iron sword. Anyhow, Himmel Soan was glad he hadn¡¯t thrown away the pieces. Although they didn¡¯t contain any energy, they weren¡¯t useless. He had thought it would take over a dozen pieces to forge such a sword. If that were the case, maybe they wouldn¡¯t have enough pieces. There were only over a thousand pieces in total. If each sword cost a dozen of them, they could only make fewer than a hundred. ¡°Great. Use your method and build a hundred swords. How long do you need?¡± Himmel Soan asked. The swords could increase the three division¡¯s power significantly. But that wasn¡¯t his main purpose. He wanted to forge the iron swords because he wanted to train some capable fighters. To keep the world in a united state, they would need a formidable army. Chapter 263 - Enhance the Army Once a hundred cultivators from the three divisions were equipped with iron swords, they would form an army that would provide Moon with unchallenged power in this united world. Such a force could silence all opposers. Himmel Soan wanted to build this army to prepare for any contingency. ¡°A hundred? I can finish by tomorrow. I can figure out all the parameters after personally forging three or four swords. I¡¯ll then input the data into the computer, and we¡¯ll be able to make the swords as fast as on an assembly line,¡± said Roams. Building swords in that way wasn¡¯t difficult. With adequate data, they could mass-produce such swords. Iron swords built by machines would be the same as the ones forged by Roams. Himmel Soan nodded. As long as the swords were made, he didn¡¯t care about the method. He only needed them to have the same quality and effect. ¡°Keep working on it. I¡¯m going to see the president.¡± Himmel Soan disappeared from the spot. He didn¡¯t need to hide his ability in front of Roams. Back when they were at the bottom of the ocean, Roams had reached the conclusion that he was from the seventh age. In that case, Roams would only find it normal that he could demonstrate some supernatural power. Himmel Soan knocked on the door to the president¡¯s room. Charles was the president of the world now, so he couldn¡¯t directly teleport into his room. He had to knock on the door to show some courtesy. Meanwhile, Charles was looking at the messy files on his desk with a frown. The world had just been unified, and he needed to handle a lot of things. People from different countries would find it difficult to get used to the Moonian rules. Therefore, incidents of various scales were happening everywhere. Charles needed to look at all the reports. He would only know how to solve the conflicts after he understood their nature. No matter how small the incident was, he couldn¡¯t ignore it. Such a conscientious attitude had kept him working for 39 hours in a row. He could barely make out the words on the paper and couldn¡¯t hear very clearly either. He wasn¡¯t sure if he heard a knock on the door or if someone was knocking on another door. However, he still involuntarily said, ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Mr. President, I want to discuss something with you,¡± said Himmel Soan. Discuss? The word sounded so unfamiliar. Discussions would usually only happen between presidents. But he was the only president now. The former presidents would only report to him in the future. Charles looked up in amazement when he heard that word. He had been analyzing the files when Himmel Soan walked in, not knowing who was talking to him. He only recognized the newcomer after he raised his head. Without thinking, he stood up to greet Himmel Soan. Right then, a dizzy spell overcame him, making everything a blur. His vision went dark. He was disoriented. Himmel Soan secretly injected the tiniest fraction of spiritual essence into Charles¡¯s body. It couldn¡¯t cure all diseases, but it could put a stop to his dizziness. It could even improve his health and make him feel fit again. ¡°Mr. President, it¡¯s a good thing that you care about everything that¡¯s going on in this world. However, you can¡¯t ruin your health!¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°The people¡¯s livelihood is an important issue, especially now. The world has been united, but the people haven¡¯t abandoned their old habits and ideologies. They have been ingrained in their minds. ¡°Many people have different understandings about things, and when they live together, they will have conflicts. We need to solve these problems! ¡°I can¡¯t sleep now. I¡¯m afraid once I close my eyes, the conflicts will escalate into an irredeemable tragedy!¡± Charles spoke his mind to Himmel Soan. He wouldn¡¯t tell Henry or Gordon what was on his mind. But Himmel Soan was different. He was God to the people on Earth. As the Moonian president, Charles was privy to some knowledge that was out of ordinary people¡¯s grasp. For instance, Himmel Soan was a cultivator. Other people only speculated, but he was sure of it. The information was Moon¡¯s top secret that had been passed down from one president to the next. Charles could let his guard down in front of Himmel Soan. ¡°No matter what, you have to look after yourself. If you collapse, how are you going to run this country?¡± Charles nodded. ¡°I see, Mr. Soan!¡± Although Himmel Soan didn¡¯t say much, his voice alone had appeased Charles. He knew Mr. Soan would have his back no matter what happened. He was relieved. ¡°Mr. Soan, what do you want to talk about?¡± Charles didn¡¯t use the word ¡°discuss,¡± showing his stance. No matter what Himmel Soan wanted to discuss, as long as it was his decision, Charles wouldn¡¯t refuse him. Of course, Himmel Soan understood what he meant, but he didn¡¯t point it out. He could see Charles had some mood swings. If Charles was reluctant, Himmel Soan would give up on that idea. ¡°Moon is a vast country now, but we¡¯re not powerful enough. I¡¯ll pick a hundred members from the three divisions and have them join the Moonian army to enhance our armed forces!¡± Chapter 264 - Himmelian Pavilion Out A hundred people from the Soans? Charles was astonished. He knew Mr. Soan was here to talk about some important things, or he wouldn¡¯t have used the word ¡°discuss.¡± He never thought this would be the subject. Its importance was beyond his imagination. He knew how capable the Soans were better than anyone else. Even the weakest member of the three divisions could easily defeat at least ten soldiers. There was no doubt about it. One member of the Soans could handle ten to twenty ordinary people without breaking a sweat. A hundred would constitute a formidable special force for Moon. Charles didn¡¯t know what to say to express his feelings. He licked his lips and learned that his mouth was dry. Those hundred Soan cultivators could outshine the most elite troop of a thousand men. Ordinary people weren¡¯t even comparable to the Soans in terms of their physical strength. ¡°Mr. Soan, that¡¯s so incredible!¡± Charles felt his ears buzz. Before today, he would never imagine that such a force would voluntarily join the Moonian army. ¡°Is it alright? Will you accept them?¡± He wouldn¡¯t mind if Charles didn¡¯t want that force. After all, he was the president. Without the Soans, it would only take a little longer to handle external affairs. For instance, Charles could take good care of the incidents happening all over the world. However, he wasn¡¯t going to turn down Mr. Soan¡¯s help. He couldn¡¯t wait to see it happen. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan. I¡¯ll never forget how you¡¯ve helped us!¡± Himmel Soan waved him off. ¡°I¡¯m also a Moonian. Of course, I want to do something for my country.¡± Since Charles had given his consent, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have much to say. It was a straightforward procedure for him. He also wanted to train the three divisions. ¡­ The following day. ¡°It¡¯s so hot¡­ I can¡¯t hold on anymore!¡± ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable! I haven¡¯t had any water since yesterday. I need to rehydrate!¡± ¡°Forget it. Patriarch told us not to fall back. Are you going to leave this place?¡± The mention of the Patriarch made the man cover his mouth. That was indeed the Patriarch¡¯s instruction. But why did they have to stay here? They hadn¡¯t slept since the day before. Initially, they thought the Patriarch wanted to train their bodies and minds and that it wouldn¡¯t last very long. They all thought the same way after the Patriarch disappeared. One hour passed. Two hours. Five hours. Time flew by, and they couldn¡¯t wait for it to end. They wished their Patriarch would show up the next moment and tell them they could stop now. They would be utterly grateful for such words. But it was already noontime the following day. The Patriarch was still nowhere to be seen. They wouldn¡¯t move a centimeter without their Patriarch¡¯s order. But it was so hot! Some of the Himmelian Pavilion members found their vision getting blurry. They practiced water techniques and were excellent soldiers underwater. With their incredible ability to resist the water pressure, they could swim like fish. However, they were on land now, and the fire was their least favorite element. The high temperature was a challenge to their cultivation. They had no advantage in such an environment and had to withstand the heat with sheer willpower. They had hit their limits and were draining their energy. The heat was going to defeat them. Gradually, they couldn¡¯t see anything and were swaying back and forth. ¡°Himmelian Pavilion, fall back by ten meters and adjust your breathing!¡± Although Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t come back, the Himmelian Pavilion members heard his voice. As soon as they heard their Patriarch, they jolted awake and sat up straight. They then immediately fell back by ten meters. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t need to give any more instructions. All the Himmelian Pavilion members sat down in unison ten meters away. Their Patriarch¡¯s order was the primary reason. The other reason was that their energy went berserk after stepping away ten meters. If they didn¡¯t adjust their breathing, their energy would lose control. They all drew in their breaths. Only then did they discover that without the Patriarch¡¯s order, they would have lost control if they sat in their previous position for two more minutes. The realization dawned on them as they adjusted their breathing. The Patriarch had everything under control! Members of the Himmelians and the Himmelian Village remained where they were, though they were confused by the sudden order. Why did they have to endure the heat when the Himmelian Pavilion had moved away? ¡°Why did they leave? This heat is nothing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re all part of the Soan empire! We should stick together!¡± ¡°What a waste of energy. I want to fall back, too.¡± ¡°Do you want to be a coward? If you do that, you¡¯re expelled from the Himmelian Village!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it again! If our chief heard you, you¡¯ll be doomed!¡± ¡°I know! But why can the Himmelian Pavilion fall back?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯ve received an order from the Patriarch. I think the Patriarch can hear everything we say.¡± Chapter 265 - Breakthroughs One of the Himmelian Villagers was clever enough to analyze the situation. After all, they were all members of the Soan empire. Though they would follow the order of their division heads, the Patriarch¡¯s word would always be the top priority. If the Patriarch told them to stay here, they would stay here without moving an inch. Even if Drake asked them to move, they wouldn¡¯t take a single step back. Therefore, the only reason the Himmelian Pavilion had backed away should be their Patriarch¡¯s order. Otherwise, they would rather die from dehydration than move an inch. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out the rest. On any ordinary day, they would have figured it out right away, but the heat had slowed their minds. They only cracked it now. That was to say, the Patriarch had heard everything they said. How embarrassing! However, Himmel Soan never spoke again. But these people couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer either. Were they being punished for complaining about their treatment? Just then, the air stirred. Someone had made a breakthrough! They looked in the direction of the fluctuation and saw it was one of the Himmelian Pavilion members. ¡°I think she¡¯s Ella Soan, Miss Phoebe¡¯s most trusted subordinate!¡± Bang! Before they could say anything else, the air trembled again. ¡°I think that¡¯s Shirley. Miss Phoebe always tells her off!¡± Two members of the Himmelian Pavilion had made breakthroughs right in front of everybody. They were significant breakthroughs as well. The two women had both reached the Foundation Establishment stage! Phoebe herself was an Essence Refinement stage cultivator before this event. What was going on with the Himmelian Pavilion? It suddenly had two more Foundation Establishment fighters! No! Three! The air stirred again, and another member achieved a breakthrough! Three! The Himmelian Pavilion had three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators! In the past, they would be powerful enough to lead the three divisions. Why did they suddenly make such significant breakthroughs? Everybody was confused. However, something more surprising was yet to happen. Gradually, the other members of the Himmelian Pavilion followed suit and made steady advancements. Members of the other two divisions had grown numb to the fact by now. Were those people much more talented? After falling back for ten meters, almost all members of the Himmelian Pavilion made their breakthroughs. Not many people had reached a new stage. Including Shirley and Ella, six members made it to the Foundation Establishment stage. The other members all improved within the Essence Refinement stage. After the breakthroughs, the six people promptly left as if they had received an order. The rest returned to their rooms to get used to their current strength. After the Himmelian Pavilion departed, members of the other two divisions looked at one another. They wondered if they were dreaming. It felt like a dream. They wished someone would show up and tell them they were in a dream. On any other day, they would trust their eyes, but not today. It was so mind-blowing! Meanwhile, they were wondering if they would make similar breakthroughs if they fell back like the Himmelian Pavilion. The idea calmed them down. It was only a matter of time before that would happen. Maybe they would make bigger progress by staying here for longer. In that case, they had nothing to complain about. Firey pouted inside the dome. ¡°Master is using me as a tool to train them. I¡¯m so mad! This isn¡¯t fun at all!¡± ¡°I have to control my fire. It feels worse than holding back my strength!¡± she complained. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t given her specific instructions, she would have run off already. Despite her grumbling, she held no grudges against Himmel Soan. If he hadn¡¯t stayed with her when she took the human form, she would probably have failed. Afterward, he had no intention of using her for his own benefit. She was an essence of nature. To take the human form, she had cultivated for a million years! She could tell that Himmel Soan had lost most of his powers and probably still hadn¡¯t recovered. If he wanted, he could have used her as a medicine to treat his wound. That way, he would recover much of his strength. But he didn¡¯t do that and even taught her a lot of things. That was why she called Himmel Soan ¡°Master.¡± Firey unclenched her fists, closed her eyes, and sensed her surroundings. Despite her complaints, she still had to complete the task Himmel Soan gave her. On the other side, the six members of the Himmelian Pavilion arrived at the lab, following Himmel Soan¡¯s order, kneeling on one knee. They didn¡¯t know what task awaited them, nor did they know why the Patriarch told them to come here. They didn¡¯t care about the answer either. They would do whatever he told them. Just then, Roams came out with a robot, who was dragging some swords. He had no choice. The swords were too heavy for him. He could pick up one, but half a dozen were beyond his capabilities. The robot was rather dumb. It wouldn¡¯t move until Roams put the swords in its hand. At least it could move. If it still wouldn¡¯t move after the swords were put in its hands, Roams would have torn it apart and reassembled it. ¡°Mr. Soan, the six swords are here. Are we going to try them now?¡± Chapter 266 - Sword Testing Roams couldn¡¯t hide the anticipation on his face. He didn¡¯t need to either. If he expected something, why hide it? It was unnecessary! He had been having this idea ever since he showed Himmel Soan the sword. He wanted to see how much power Himmel Soan could exert by wielding that sword. Unfortunately, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t try the sword. Roams was greatly disappointed. However, he was even more curious about why Himmel Soan wanted him to forge a hundred swords if he wouldn¡¯t use them himself? Even a special force soldier couldn¡¯t lift that sword for long periods. That was unless they exercised with it the entire time. There was something more important. A special force soldier couldn¡¯t unleash the full potential of that sword. Roams had let a few soldiers try it. The result was quite disappointing. They were even worse than him. Those people wielded the sword as if they were brandishing a chunk of iron. They couldn¡¯t do anything special with it. Luckily, Himmel Soan had asked him to bring out the sword again. Needless to say, someone was here to test it. ¡°That sword!¡± Ella and the other five were astonished. By the appearance of the swords alone, they could tell how magnificent they were. The Patriarch had specially summoned them, while Roams brought out six swords. Six people and six swords. Were the swords for them? They all had such speculations, but no one dared say that aloud. Even Phoebe hadn¡¯t received a reward like this. Were they being rewarded for reaching the Foundation Establishment? No one knew for sure. ¡°Pick up the swords and test them!¡± They only took action after Himmel Soan gave the order. The six swords really were for them! However, they were only going to test the swords, and they weren¡¯t sure if they could take them. ¡°Patriarch, does the sword have a name?¡± Ella, the leader of the six Himmelian Pavilion members, asked. She was attracted by the swords as soon as her eyes landed on them. She had fantasized about traveling the world with a sword and being a carefree cultivator. But ordinary swords weren¡¯t suitable for her. As time passed, those thoughts drifted away. The swords rekindled her hopes. Traveling the world with a sword! Many people used to have that fantasy. ¡°The name of the sword?¡± Himmel Soan frowned. He hadn¡¯t given it any thought. Now that it had been brought up, he felt he should consider it. It wasn¡¯t something hard, though. Since the swords were for the Soan, they could be called the Soanian Swords. ¡°Let¡¯s call them the Soanian Swords.¡± Although the swords were made of meteorite core pieces, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t think of a relevant name. Therefore, he just called them the Soanian Swords. As soon as he said those words, the swords lit up with a golden glow. It was as if they were responding to their name. That was indeed what was happening. Because Himmel Soan had named them the Soanian Swords, they were directly linked to the Soan family. The golden glow represented the blessing of the Soans. Hundreds of millions of people witnessed the miraculous scene. Himmel Soan had started a live stream when he summoned Ella and the other five people. He already knew what kind of a result they would get. However, they still needed to go through the procedure. The most important thing was to show this event to the world. They all needed to see the Moonian military force. Else, a hundred members of the three divisions would sound so petty if the other people didn¡¯t recognize their capability. Himmel Soan wanted to use this opportunity to show the whole world how powerful those hundred people were. ¡°Those Soanian Swords look awesome. I wonder how much they cost. I¡¯d like to buy one if it¡¯s not too expensive.¡± ¡°Why bother testing them at all? They¡¯re just swords. They¡¯re either sharp or not¡­¡± ¡°The blades are all black. What materials are they made of? They look nice.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re made of rocks from Mars.¡± ¡°Rocks from Mars? Is there anything special about them? How do you know?¡± ¡°I heard it from a friend. He was rescued from Mars, and according to him, the Soans brought back some yellow stones with them. I think the swords are made of those.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what material it¡¯s made of. I only want to know if they¡¯re for sale and how much!¡± ¡°Anything made by the Soans has to be amazing! I don¡¯t care how much they are! I want one!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since Mr. Himmel Soan is broadcasting the sword testing, they must have something special!¡± ¡°I agree! They look so different from ordinary swords. The black pattern on the blade is giving off a golden glow. I can sense how sharp they are from the other side of the screen!¡± People immediately start discussing online. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t announced the live stream in advance, and many people didn¡¯t even know it was on. They were all taken by surprise. Despite that, news soon spread out that the show was on. Everybody was intrigued when they heard the topic. They all wanted to look at the legendary Soanian Swords. What was so special about them? To test them, Mr. Himmel Soan held a live stream. It showed how highly he thought of them. Meanwhile, some people began to speculate about the purpose of this live stream. Chapter 267 - Sword Strike Why did Mr. Himmel Soan want to broadcast this sword testing? Was he sending a message or a warning? Why were the Soanian Swords forged? This was the age of firearms. Cold steel had gone out of fashion a long time ago. What was the significance of the Soanian Swords? Those were the questions the people kept asking. The answers would be found in the livestream. Meanwhile, the livestream showed a clearing. There were scarecrows, wood posts, and iron sticks on the ground. It was obvious that they were going to test the swords on these objects to find out how sharp they were. The objects led to another round of speculations. ¡°How far do you think the swords will go? I think they can easily cut through the iron sticks.¡± ¡°Iron sticks are nothing! If they can¡¯t cut an iron stick, they don¡¯t deserve to be called Soanian Swords.¡± ¡°I agree. The only question is how many iron sticks they can cut through!¡± ¡°I think three. That should be the limit.¡± ¡°Three is too few! At least five!¡± ¡°The blades will be worn down as they cut the iron sticks with the swords. Although the swords are made of Martian rocks, they¡¯ll still wear out. Rocks on Earth aren¡¯t as hard as the Martian ones, but they¡¯ll still abrase the Soanian Swords. When the swords become blunt, they can no longer cut any iron sticks.¡± ¡°That sounds reasonable. May I ask who you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only a physics student.¡± If a student could make such an analysis, scholars and scientists would only know better. The basics of their explanations were the same. They were all about the hardness of the blades. However, the scientists didn¡¯t think three iron sticks were the upper limit, expecting ten instead. They could discern how sharp the blades were from the video. Such sharp blades could do much better than three iron sticks. The testing began. Himmel Soan¡¯s voice rang out in the six people¡¯s ears. ¡°Feel the power in the sword. Use your own energy as the foundation, combine the spiritual essence with the sword¡¯s power, and turn the spiritual essence into the sword energy. Then strike down at the objects!¡± If Drake and his siblings were here, he wouldn¡¯t have given such instructions. He would let them figure it out on their own. However, the six people here weren¡¯t as talented or intuitive, so he told them the specific method. Nonetheless, knowing how to do it didn¡¯t mean one could do it. It depended on how well a person could control their spiritual essence. Hearing the instructions, Ella and the others closed their eyes and sensed the spiritual essence inside them. Roams was thrilled when he saw them close their eyes. As the maker of the Soanian Swords, he knew perfectly well how much energy they contained. Was his demonstration the day before only the tip of the iceberg? He couldn¡¯t exert the full power of the sword. Himmel Soan definitely could, but he didn¡¯t do anything. Since these six people were summoned by Mr. Soan, it meant at least one of them could unleash the sword¡¯s full potential. Roams was certain of his speculations when he saw how serious the six people were. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a sword test? What are they doing?¡± Viewers of the livestream saw it as well. They were perplexed when they saw the six people closing their eyes. ¡°Does closing their eyes have a special effect?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t see! What special effect can it possibly have?¡± ¡°What if the swords enable them to see without opening their eyes?¡± ¡°If they want to see, they can just open their eyes!¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Such an effect would be redundant. But one thing was certain; ordinary swords couldn¡¯t have that effect. What was so special about closing their eyes? The viewers couldn¡¯t think of an answer no matter what. After all, closing their eyes would prevent them from seeing anything. Even if they could see with their eyes closed, so what? They were just testing. Why did they need to close their eyes? Were they putting on an act? The viewers would have criticized the six people if they didn¡¯t know Mr. Himmel Soan was watching them. Mr. Himmel Soan had started the livestream and summoned those people. Even the swords were named Soanian Swords. He must have everything under control. If he didn¡¯t say anything, the viewers didn¡¯t dare blabber too much either. They could only ask questions about the six people¡¯s closed eyes. Ella swayed a little while adjusting her breathing. The viewers didn¡¯t notice it until she started moving. The other five remained perfectly still. That was so astonishing! Ella kept adjusting her breath until it was slow and even. Well¡­ She exhaled, opened her eyes, and stared at a scarecrow. ¡°Ha!¡± She sprang out like a streak of lightning. The next moment, she appeared behind the scarecrow. Her movements sent dust into the air. Everybody was surprised. They didn¡¯t know a human being could move so fast! It took two seconds for Ella to reappear behind the scarecrow. She was at least 150 feet away! 150 feet in two seconds? That speed alone was already astonishing, no matter what Ella was going to do next. ¡°Has the livestream frozen, or has my brain stopped working?¡± ¡°Same here!¡± ¡°Bullshit! Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s livestream can¡¯t freeze! Just accept the reality!¡± ¡°I replayed it and watched it frame by frame. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the livestream. It¡¯s the same as what we saw!¡± Chapter 268 - A Sword that could Explode The comment put a full stop to the speculations. What they saw was real. She had indeed covered 150 feet in two seconds! That speed could break the record of any competition! In that case, there was nothing to argue about. Although they were astonished and found it hard to believe, they had to accept reality. However, wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a sword testing? Where was the effect? How was the sword tested? Two seconds had passed, but neither the sword nor the scarecrow had moved. ¡°I found the shadow of the sword from one of the frames. I¡¯ve uploaded the photo!¡± Over a hundred thousand people clicked on that photo in the next minute. They all saw what looked like a sword¡¯s shadow in that photo. But it was only a shadow. ¡°Did she use the sword or not? I thought she was going to strike each item in turn!¡± ¡°Me, too! I didn¡¯t expect to see something so astonishing.¡± ¡°Astonishing? You didn¡¯t see anything! Why are you astonished?¡± ¡°Did she really strike the scarecrow? It¡¯s still intact¡­¡± Thump¡­ As if responding to the question, the scarecrow exploded at that moment. It wasn¡¯t cut into two halves. It exploded from the center! Ella had returned to her original spot, showing no intentions of striking again. ¡°Is that real?¡± ¡°Even if she did use the sword, why did the scarecrow explode?¡± ¡°Have they hidden a time bomb in the scarecrow and detonated it just now?¡± ¡°Why else would the scarecrow explode?¡± No one tried to retort this suggestion. They all thought along the same line. If the scarecrow had been sliced open by the blade, everybody would be awestruck and wouldn¡¯t have any doubts. However, an explosion just wasn¡¯t something a sword could do. Thump¡­ Thump! Thump! The viewers heard some sounds. Next to the scarecrow, the wooden post and the iron stick also blew up. What on earth had happened? Was that the effect of a single sword slash? That couldn¡¯t be the case! It suggested the sword had destroyed all three targets by making them explode from the center. Such an effect was too incredible to be real. Was there really a time bomb? That shouldn¡¯t be it either. If that were true, why would Mr. Himmel Soan start this livestream? He would only humiliate himself! Mr. Himmel Soan would never do such a thing, not to mention the time bombs were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Not bad,¡± Himmel Soan said casually. He didn¡¯t explain what he was referring to. He could be talking about the Soanian Sword, or he could be complimenting Ella. He could also be referring to both. Roams also grew excited when he saw the result. These people could release all the energy in the swords! The other five finally opened their eyes and took out their swords. Some of them stood where they were. They simply drew the sword and put it back, and the three objects were cut into halves. Some walked up to the three objects and effortlessly cut them in half while others repeated Ella, and the objects exploded from the middle. After testing the swords, they stood behind Himmel Soan and waited for his instructions. Once everybody had finished, Himmel Soan spoke again, ¡°The test went well. Just like what you¡¯ve seen, the swords have done a great job. The purpose of this experiment is to keep Moon safe. ¡°We¡¯ll make a hundred Soanian Swords, which will be given to the members of the three divisions. Those hundred members will then join the Moonian army as the Soanian Troop. They¡¯ll be following the president¡¯s order! ¡°I know everybody is concerned with what¡¯s going on, so I¡¯m going to pick a few questions and answer them. ¡°First question: What¡¯s the Soanian Sword made of? Why are they made? Why are they given to the Soans only?¡± Himmel Soan paused at that point. Of course, he had answers to all the questions. However, he thought giving it a pause would make it easier for everybody to follow. Thinking that he had waited long enough, he resumed in an unhurried tone, ¡°The Soanian Sword is made of Martian rocks we collected when we rescued those people from Mars. ¡°We¡¯ve forged the Soanian Swords to strengthen Moon. Although this is the age of firearms, those weapons aren¡¯t the answer for everything. Sometimes, cold steel is still useful, which is why we¡¯ve built the Soanian Swords. ¡°As for why they¡¯re for the Soans only¡­ ¡°They¡¯re complicated weapons that only the Soans can master. It¡¯ll recognize the first person who smears their blood on the blade as its master. If other people try to use it by force, the sword will explode!¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t go into details. It was impossible to explain. He couldn¡¯t tell the people that the Soans were cultivators for which the swords were built. Therefore, he made up a rough description. He then moved on to answering the other questions. Most people only cared about the first question. Many people lost interest when they heard the swords were for the Soans only. They had imagined owning an awesome sword on their own. Once that was out of the picture, many related questions disappeared. For instance, the price of the sword. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t use the sword, and it had a risk of exploding. Even if they could buy the sword, it would be like a ticking time bomb. No one would want to keep such a thing at home. However, they were still intrigued. Those five people demonstrated how powerful the sword was. It could cut iron like cutting through butter. Everybody would want one of their own. Even if they couldn¡¯t use it, they could still enjoy its presence. Unfortunately, the sword could explode. Chapter 269 - Test ¡°I really wish the sword wouldn¡¯t explode.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Will other people¡¯s blood work? My surname is Soan, too. Will my blood work?¡± ¡°In your dreams. Your Soan and theirs are totally different!¡± ¡°Do you think that blood thing is real? That sounds so surreal!¡± ¡°The sword is made of Martian rocks! Of course, it¡¯s surreal! Science can¡¯t explain everything!¡± ¡°The explanation came from Mr. Himmel Soan. You can doubt anyone but not him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Himmel Soan has never lied to us! Every time you questioned him, you only ended up embarrassing yourselves!¡± ¡°If Mr. Himmel Soan says it¡¯s only for the Soans, then it¡¯s only for the Soans. They¡¯re the ones who collected the rocks on Mars, and they¡¯re the ones who forged the sword. What¡¯s wrong with giving the sword to them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re called Soanian Swords! They¡¯re for the Soans!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anyone showing doubts toward Himmel Soan would immediately hear retorts. They would even list the previous events to prove that he only ever told the truth! The public soon forgot about the event. After all, it was only a sword. A hundred swords didn¡¯t sound too many either. Another day passed. The Himmelians and the Himmelian Village also received instructions from Himmel Soan and left the arena. Immediately after that, many of their members made breakthroughs. Next, Drake, Liam, and Phoebe also made breakthroughs from the immense pressure they had been under. Drake was a senior Level-1 Golden Core cultivator, Liam was a junior, and Phoebe was somewhere between the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages. Given some more time, she would break through as well. Himmel Soan arrived at the arena. Seeing him, Firey immediately ran to his side and took his hand. ¡°Good job,¡± Himmel Soan nodded. The three siblings were thrilled. They dropped to their knees and prostrated on the ground. ¡°Thank you, Patriarch!¡± ¡°Please get up. It¡¯s Firey you should be thanking. Without her, you wouldn¡¯t have made the breakthroughs so soon.¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you, kiddo!¡± The three siblings thanked Firey. In terms of seniority, they had joined the Soans much earlier than her. But none of them was as close to the Patriarch as Firey. They didn¡¯t know how to address her. Was she their senior sister or junior sister? Firey couldn¡¯t care less. All she knew was her ordeal was finally over! Yes! The past few days had been an ordeal for her. It was so dull and uneventful. Meanwhile, she had to keep her energy at a steady level. It couldn¡¯t have been harder! It was finally over. Just like a child, she immediately forgot about what she had gone through. Life was easy again! She was free, and that was the best! Himmel Soan told the three siblings about his plan of sending hundred people to the Moonian army. Those people would come from the three divisions, so he thought they should know. They needed to be aware of where their subordinates were going. ¡°Twenty-seven people have made breakthroughs and reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Of them, six are from the Himmelian Pavilion, twelve are from the Himmelian Village, and nine are the Himmelians. ¡°I¡¯ve picked the other 73 people as well. Basically, they¡¯ll be divided into four-member teams, each with one team leader and three members. ¡°You¡¯ll be teaching 27 people for the next few days, helping them learn how to manage people. It¡¯ll do you good, too. ¡°You have two days. The portal will open on the third day!¡± said Himmel Soan. He talked about the portal like the most common thing. His words could cause a sensation anywhere else in the world. People all over the world wanted to know when the portal would open, but he never gave a definite answer. No one tried to rush him either. After all, the portal was said to be finished in three months. If things moved faster, it could open in a month. It had been two weeks since then. Although everybody was looking forward to it, no one tried to urge Himmel Soan. The moon was still there, and they were in no danger. Completing the portal sooner wouldn¡¯t make much difference. Everything would be fine as long as the portal opened before the moon disappeared. Since Mr. Himmel Soan had promised them, they had nothing to worry about. ¡­ ¡°Patriarch, did you want to see me?¡± Warren knocked on the door, looking confused. Himmel Soan nodded. Warren only stepped into the room when he let him come in. Though he had no idea why he was here. Fearing that he had done something wrong and that the Patriarch was going to scold him, Warren moved gingerly when he walked into the room. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t say anything. It was normal to react in that way when he was around. Even if he told Warren to relax, the latter couldn¡¯t. It might even make things worse. ¡°Warren, you¡¯re the head of the chamber of commerce. How are you doing?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Warren got nervous. He kept farming ideas in his head. Was the Patriarch testing his capability? Or was he hinting that things could be better? Nevertheless, he had to answer the question. He couldn¡¯t think of anything appropriate to say, so he told the truth, ¡°Now that Moon is the only country on Earth, we don¡¯t have any obstacles. Things are doing well. ¡°It¡¯s just that Earth is so big, and we don¡¯t have the time to¡­¡± Warren felt uneasy after the report. He didn¡¯t know if the Patriarch would find his work satisfactory. He hoped he was. If he wasn¡¯t, Warren couldn¡¯t dare to think about the consequences. Chapter 270 - A Memory Himmel Soan nodded after hearing the report. It hadn¡¯t been long since Moon had united the world. What Warren had achieved was already impressive. ¡°The portal will open in two days. You need to be prepared. Although K18 is habitable, it¡¯s also a primitive planet. I think you know what I mean. Unlike Earth, there are no houses, cars, or factories there. Do you understand?¡± Those words made Warren¡¯s head buzz. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t say much, but his words contained an incredible amount of information. The portal was going to open in two days, and that news alone had baffled Warren. That was so sudden! It was supposed to be three months or one month at least! It had been less than two weeks since that announcement, and the portal was already going to open. No one was told this in advance! Anybody who learned about it would be baffled. Needless to say, Warren knew what the Patriarch¡¯s second part of the conversation meant. There was nothing on K18, which meant they would have to start from scratch when they got there. Houses, roads, clothing¡­ Everything needed to start over. Warren had been working on these things and getting ready to leave Earth recently. ¡°Patriarch, can we bring some resources to K18?¡± This was what concerned Warren the most. If the answer was no, they would have to start from scratch on K18, repeating everything they had done on Earth. And it would have to start from the Stone Age. They would definitely encounter many difficulties. Things would be much easier if they could bring some resources along. Resources¡­ Himmel Soan had thought about it, too. If they were to bring materials with them, it wouldn¡¯t be a few tons. Even tens of millions of tons of materials wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°The portal will only open for twenty-four hours. It¡¯ll close right after that, and we¡¯ll have to wait ten years for the next time it opens. ¡°There are so many people on Earth. It¡¯ll take a while for all of them to go through the portal. We¡¯ll need about twenty hours for that. You can use the next four hours to transport materials. ¡°Collect as many building materials as you can. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Warren¡¯s eyes lit up. If the Patriarch was going to take over, everything was going to be fun. It had been on Warren¡¯s mind for a long time. Now that the Patriarch had taken over, everything else felt like a piece of cake. Collecting materials couldn¡¯t be easier. ¡°Great! Thank you, Patriarch!¡± Warren was going to get busy. Just as he was about to leave, Himmel Soan stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. Earth should return to normal in thirty years, and people may want to come back, so don¡¯t take away everything. After all, it is our home planet, and there¡¯s a sentimental value to it. ¡°Don¡¯t let me keep you.¡± Himmel Soan let Warren go back to his business. The man-made moon was about to disappear, but the original moon was still missing. Once this moon was gone, too, Earth would undergo drastic changes again. No one knew how much Earth would change without a moon. If it was still uninhabitable in thirty years, they could always make K18 into their official home. After all, the two planets were essentially the same, and the Earthlings would have to live on K18 for at least thirty years. That was long enough to change a lot of things. Earth was very different thirty years ago, and people struggled to feed themselves back then. The children he adopted were only small kids thirty years ago. Three decades had passed in the blink of an eye, and they had all grown up. People were no longer worried about food, and all the technology was so advanced. The thirty years had passed so fast! Himmel Soan had experienced many thirty years. He wondered what K18 would become in thirty years. He closed his eyes. Instead of trying to imagine it, he wanted to witness it with the rest of the world. A figure suddenly jumped into his mind. It had been a while since he remembered that person. The memory only hit him when he was about to leave Earth. Before, he would have stopped himself before that memory resurfaced. He didn¡¯t want to recall that person. He was even a little afraid of that memory. He was scared of remembering that person and the days he had gone through. Since he was going to leave Earth, he decided to let the memory come back. He heard footsteps in his mind. Some were heavier, some were lighter, some were faster, and some were slower. There was one thing that he knew for sure. All the footsteps belonged to the same person. It was the person in his memory. The footsteps suddenly stopped, replaced by a pleasant chuckle. ¡°Himmel, why are you so quiet?¡¯ Himmel Soan spun around, but there was no one behind him. Chapter 271 - Miss You Himmel Soan was perplexed for a moment. He then smiled and shook his head. ¡°When will I see you again? I miss you every day!¡± His lips trembled, and tears rolled down his cheeks. The weather outside seemed to have sensed Himmel Soan¡¯s sorrow. It had been sunny a moment ago, but dark clouds suddenly covered the sky. He opened the window to find a drizzle outside. The rain grew heavier as he watched. Without warning, heavy showers started all over the world. ¡°It was so sunny. Why is it raining all of a sudden? It¡¯s getting heavier. What the heck? The weather forecast never mentioned it was going to rain!¡± ¡°It¡¯s raining here too. I wanted to go out, but the rain has made that impossible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky that you¡¯ve been staying at home. I¡¯m outside and looking for a place to stay out of the rain!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°Not necessary? I¡¯m going to be soaking wet!¡± ¡°I¡¯m outside now, but the raindrops never land on me. They almost did, but they vaporized before they touched my skin. I feel like I¡¯m in the rain, but not exactly.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Are you in the rain or not? Has the rain turned you into an idiot? Get your facts straight!¡± ¡°Same thing here. I¡¯m outside, too, but the rain never falls on me. Even my phone is working. Let me start a livestream, and you can see for yourself. My livestream channel number is jr10wdd. Check it out!¡± The viewers found the livestream and saw what was going on. Judging by the preview, the video showed a man walking in the rain. Was that true? The viewers clicked on the channel, still feeling suspicious. The vlogger was videotaping the street. The pedestrians all seemed to have noticed that the rain wouldn¡¯t fall on them. In that case, there was no need to take shelter anymore. Seeing the incredible scene, the viewers began to share the video. They had never seen anything like it before. Over a hundred thousand people rushed into this channel. Other vloggers followed suit. The entire world soon learned about this because the whole world was raining, and the same thing was happening everywhere. It was like a special effect in the movies. Many scientists began to study it. The weather was so strange. Even the scientists had never seen anything like it. Before they could do anything, the rain stopped, and the sun was out. Everything seemed to be renewed, and even the sky was brighter. However, it began to snow. Snowflakes kept falling to the ground. Soon, the ground was covered by a layer of snow. The snow wasn¡¯t heavy, but it accumulated very fast. At this speed, the snow would soon be knee-high and rising. It showed no signs of stopping as if it was going to cover the entire Earth. ¡­ Himmel Soan looked out of the window in a trance-like state. He didn¡¯t notice the rain or the snow even though he was standing by the window. ¡°Master, it¡¯s so cold¡­¡± Firey ran into Himmel Soan¡¯s room, still shivering. She had been playing outside and was intrigued by the rain. She even used her ability to test the rain with her fire. She did the same when the light snow began to fall. However, the snow grew heavier, and she was chilled to the bone. It only felt a little chilly to ordinary people, but she was freezing. Although she wasn¡¯t particularly fragile, the snow and she were natural enemies. She was the essence of nature and used to be the heart of the volcano before she took the human form. Ordinary water and ice wouldn¡¯t affect her at all. She could even swim. However, this snow made her feel that even her bone marrow was frozen. Himmel Soan was the reason for this heavy snow. When Firey playfully tried to evaporate the snow with fire, it fought against her as if she was the enemy. That was why she felt so cold. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t feel that way even if they evaporated the snow with a lighter. That was because Himmel Soan was subconsciously trying to protect all humans. That was the reason the rain wouldn¡¯t fall on anyone. If he wanted, the raindrops could become as sharp as swords. He had forgotten about the essence of nature. If he hadn¡¯t, Firey wouldn¡¯t have felt anything. Firey pouted at Himmel Soan from behind. She slowly approached him. Other people respected him, but they also found him unapproachable. She didn¡¯t feel that way. She and Himmel Soan looked like real father and daughter. When she was by Himmel Soan¡¯s side, she wanted to hold his hand. However, she got perplexed upon seeing the expression on his face. It was a mixture of yearning, sorrow, and frustration. Firey couldn¡¯t control her own sadness and burst into tears. ¡°Why is the Master so upset¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t understand, nor did she want to. The next second, she wrapped her arms around Himmel Soan from behind, trying to comfort him. Himmel Soan woke up from his reverie when he felt her warmth. Chapter 272 - Strange Weather The snow stopped once Himmel Soan woke up from his reverie. Firey kept holding him from behind. He didn¡¯t look back, still staring out of the window. The only difference was that his expression wasn¡¯t as empty as before. There was something tender about it as if he was cherishing the memory of someone. ¡­ Outside, people were still gazing up at the sky. They kept guessing when the snow would stop. Some said the next day, some said two days later, while others said it would never stop. The snow was so heavy, and the weather was so abnormal. Everything from the drizzle to this snow was out of the ordinary. No one should be able to remain dry in the rain. The weather change had reached the supernatural realm that even the scientists couldn¡¯t offer an explanation for. ¡°I wonder what Mr. Himmel Soan thinks about the weather. He must have some unique views.¡± ¡°I agree. Mr. Himmel Soan is a scientist, so he must know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Not necessarily. The weather is too abnormal. Mr. Himmel Soan hasn¡¯t said anything yet. Maybe even he doesn¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s resting! We¡¯ve been asking him to analyze things all the time. He must be tired!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So what if Mr. Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t analyze it? No one can even collect the rainwater. How is he going to analyze it when you have nothing to study?¡± ¡°But everything has happened so fast. The snow became heavy, then it just stopped. It¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°Incredible? That¡¯s not the most incredible thing! The snow is waist-high, and it should slowly melt away. At least it should turn into the water first, but the snow just disappeared. Look! There¡¯s nothing on the road.¡± ¡°I collected a jar of snow, but it has disappeared. Even if it melted, there should be water in the jar, yet it¡¯s completely empty. That¡¯s so strange!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charles was reading the comments online. He was very concerned with the drastic change in the weather. He was more eager than anybody to find out the cause. After all, he was the president, and he needed to know such things. He couldn¡¯t afford to have things go wrong. However, the strange weather was gone as fast as it started. It was as if nothing had happened. He didn¡¯t know where to start his investigation. He had contacted Dr. Leo, Roams, and other scientists. None of them could give Charles a definitive answer. They all said they couldn¡¯t collect anything, and there was nothing they could work on. So far, the whole thing remained a mystery. ¡°Will Mr. Soan know the cause? I think so. If it can¡¯t be explained scientifically, what about from a supernatural angle? Maybe we can find out the truth.¡± He looked at his phone again. He had sent Himmel Soan a text message, but he hadn¡¯t replied. Charles was a little uneasy. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a big deal¡­ If something bad is going to happen, Mr. Soan should be the first to detect it. He¡¯ll call me immediately if things are serious, or he¡¯ll talk about it on a livestream to tell us how to solve it. Since he hasn¡¯t contacted me, I¡¯m sure nothing is out of the ordinary.¡± Charles felt much more relaxed. He had no doubt that Mr. Soan would be the first to detect abnormal things. For instance, the incoming meteorite earlier. Mr. Soan was the first to notice it, and he quickly offered a solution. This weather should be the same. If it would affect Earth, Mr. Soan would have noticed it first and tried to solve the problem. Therefore, Charles concluded that the weather wouldn¡¯t affect Earth. Otherwise, Mr. Soan would have said something. However, that conclusion wouldn¡¯t be enough. The more important thing was to explain it to the rest of the world. The weather was so strange that if an explanation wasn¡¯t offered, people would have all kinds of speculations. If one wanted to, they could shift public opinion and instigate a lot of people. Charles wondered what explanation he should give. Should he explain it on behalf of Mr. Soan? But Mr. Soan hadn¡¯t replied yet. If he used him as an excuse without his permission, he could offend him. Charles soon gave up on that idea. Even with everything that had happened, he still needed to respect Mr. Soan¡¯s opinion. He checked his phone again before making up his mind. If Mr. Soan didn¡¯t reply in the next hour, he would go see him. ¡­ Meanwhile, people were discussing the weather online. It became the most popular subject. ¡°I thought the snow was never going to stop, and Earth was going to be buried in snow!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The snow was falling so fast. I thought it was the end of the world!¡± ¡°It was so strange! I tried to melt the snow with fire, but I couldn¡¯t! It didn¡¯t seem real. Then it just disappeared. There¡¯s nothing left!¡± ¡°So weird! I think it¡¯s the sign of the end of the world!¡± Chapter 273 - Sign of the End of the World The end of the world? It really sounded like a plausible explanation. People didn¡¯t think that way at first. They only found the rain strange and the phenomena rather incredible. It might not make sense, but they were only curious. Very few people were really bothered by it. However, when the end of the world was mentioned, it attracted much attention and became all that everybody could think about. The end of the world! Raindrops that didn¡¯t wet clothes, and snow that didn¡¯t melt and would vaporize instantly. The end of the world seemed to be a perfect explanation for such a strange phenomenon. All the changes had been caused by the end of the world. If the end of the world was approaching, nothing would seem strange anymore. ¡°That¡¯s why! The end of the world is coming! That¡¯s why so many strange things are happening!¡± ¡°I see! That¡¯s why my stomach has been upset the whole day! The end of the world is coming!¡± ¡°What does your stomach have anything to do with the end of the world?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the end of the world, why are you all so calm?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to react? Panic and scream? That¡¯ll disturb other people!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to respond to your reasoning¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. Moreover, we¡¯ve gone through the end of the world once. Why are you still so surprised?¡± Only then did other people realize the end of the world had been an ongoing event for them. Earth was going to become uninhabitable, and according to Mr. Soan, it would be thirty years before the environment returned to normal. Those thirty years would be the end of the world for them. Mr. Himmel Soan had told them about that before. He had also given them a solution, which was to move to K18, and he was building a portal for that. Therefore, people on Earth didn¡¯t think much of this premonition of the end of the world. Besides, the rain and the snow were only unusual. Other than that, they didn¡¯t seem worth any more attention. Without any side effects, the odd weather was soon forgotten. People began to talk about the portal instead. ¡°How long do you think we¡¯ll wait before the portal is complete? Mr. Himmel Soan said after they came back from Mars that he could build the portal in a month, but we haven¡¯t heard anything since then.¡± ¡°Of course, the portal will be completed in a month. Are you questioning Mr. Himmel Soan? You¡¯re just like the Neigerians! You¡¯ve achieved nothing, but you¡¯re questioning other people all the time. Get a life, man.¡± ¡°If Mr. Himmel Soan says it¡¯s going to happen, it¡¯s going to happen. Stop asking silly questions!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if the portal isn¡¯t completed in a month, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s problem!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t the Martian rocks used to build the Soanian swords?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve brought back so many rocks from Mars. So what if they¡¯ve used some to build a few Soanian swords?¡± ¡°A few? They¡¯ve built a hundred! Do you have any idea how many rocks they¡¯ve used? Maybe they¡¯ve used up all the Martian rocks!¡± ¡°Bullshit! Even if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sure the Soanian swords will help the portal! Stop worrying¡± ¡°Did you help build the portal? Have you donated any money? If not, just shut up! If you have so many opinions, help build the portal, then! That way, we can question every move you make!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Most people online were on Himmel Soan¡¯s side. If anyone questioned his decisions, people would retort the person right away. Himmel Soan¡¯s supporters didn¡¯t know the answer to those questions either, but they trusted Mr. Soan unconditionally. Even if the following day was the last day of that month, they would still believe that Mr. Himmel Soan would fix everything. Even if they would have to wait for three months. After all, they had all seen what Mr. Himmel Soan could do. They knew Mr. Himmel Soan would keep his promise. ¡­ Himmel Soan stood in front of the window for a whole day. Firey held him from behind this whole time. She didn¡¯t understand why her master was so upset. She only knew that doing so could help him ease his pain. After a whole day, Himmel Soan finally shifted his body. He turned around, exhaled, and regained his usual calm. It was as if nothing had happened. ¡°Firey, are you cold?¡± Himmel Soan rubbed Firey¡¯s hair. Firey shook her head. She then threw herself in his arms. Himmel Soan could conceal his feelings, but Firey couldn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t know why, but her master¡¯s emotions made her want to cry. Still, she chose to hold Himmel Soan. It was only until then that she cried like a wronged child. Himmel Soan held Firey in his arms. If she hadn¡¯t put her arms around him, maybe he would remain in that state until the planet was covered by ice and snow. Luckily, she had stopped him. He knew what had happened in the past two days because his mental force still covered Earth. He knew Firey was hurt by his snow when she used her power on the rain. However, he was too absorbed in his emotions to do anything. Now that he had returned to his senses, he felt sorry for her. Chapter 274 - The Portal Opens Himmel Soan rubbed her head. Before, he only saw her as the essence of nature and an ordinary girl. But now, he was doting on her like a daughter. When Firey took the human form, he had been there the whole time and was the first person she laid her eyes on. He had taught her most of the things she knew, and she even resembled him. Outsiders already saw them as real father and daughter; he only did so now. ¡°Firey, let me tell you about her.¡± ¡°Her?¡± Firey was confused. ¡°Yes, her.¡± ¡°If I were your father, then she would be your mother.¡± ¡°Master is my father!¡± Firey interjected. She didn¡¯t like the sound of ¡°if.¡± Himmel Soan was perplexed for a moment, but he soon gave her a warm smile. Outsiders would be shocked if they saw this. No one knew he had such a gentle side. Next to Firey, they looked like real father and daughter. It was so sweet! ¡°Your mother¡¯s name is Gina, and she¡¯s like me. I¡¯ve known her for a long, long time. We were fellow travelers at first and would go everywhere as a pair. ¡°Having been through one event after another, we developed feelings for each other. Then, we became a couple. ¡°After that, the connection between us became stronger. We hardly needed to speak. It only took a glance for us to understand each other. ¡°She and I went through many things. However, on an afternoon five hundred years ago, she disappeared. I searched the whole universe, but she was nowhere to be found. ¡°I went on looking for her for two centuries, but there were no signs of her. I had no clue where she was. I couldn¡¯t accept that reality, so I gave up on fighting the law of nature. Being a cultivator is to fight against the law of nature, so when I made that decision, I slowly lost all my ability. ¡°Gradually, I sealed off that memory and chose to age like an ordinary person. ¡°Yesterday, I thought of her again¡­¡± Himmel Soan caressed Firey¡¯s hair as he slowly told her the story. He had never mentioned it to anyone before. He couldn¡¯t even if he wanted to because he had shut off that memory. He didn¡¯t remember it until the previous day. Deep down, he was afraid of leaving Earth, the place where he had lived for so many years with Gina. He feared he would forget about her forever when he went away, which was why he remembered her again. Now that he had Firey as his daughter, he chose to tell her everything. Since he was her father, then she had the right to know who her mother was. She had to know who her mother was! Firey memorized every word. She finally understood why her father looked so sad earlier. Even she burst into tears when she heard the story. She could only imagine how sad he would be. He had to be ten thousand times more upset than she was. ¡°Dad, maybe Mom is still around. Maybe she¡¯s not here on Earth or in our universe, but what about places beyond that? What if she¡¯s outside our universe?¡± Firey asked. She wanted to comfort Himmel Soan, but he was much more knowledgeable than her. She didn¡¯t know what to say. That was why she made that suggestion. She had spoken from the bottom of her heart. Outside their universe? Himmel Soan smiled bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing beyond our universe. I used to have the same idea, so I went searching. I reached the edge of the universe and tore the space open, but there was only the void. ¡°There was nothing. Nothing exists beyond the universe.¡± Himmel Soan had tried everything. He had searched other planets and gone to the end of the universe. But he found nothing. Despite testing all the possibilities, he couldn¡¯t find any clues. He didn¡¯t mean anything and only wanted to let Firey understand. He was very happy that she had come up with the idea on her own and told him about it. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time we head for the new Earth. Go get prepared.¡± Himmel Soan switched the subject. No matter what he said, Gina¡¯s disappearance was a done deal. Nothing he said could change that. He didn¡¯t want to linger on his past. Moreover, he had more important things to do. It was time. The portal was about to open. ¡°Alright!¡± Firey nodded. She didn¡¯t know what to prepare, but she knew she only needed to follow her father¡¯s instructions. Taking Firey¡¯s hand, Himmel Soan walked toward the portal. Meanwhile, he contacted Warren, Drake, Camille, and Charles through his mind. ¡°The portal will open in three hours. Tell our people to get ready.¡± He then sent a private message to Warren, ¡°Warren, stay behind with me.¡± Chapter 275 - Scout Warren immediately knew what the Patriarch wanted. He must have been asked to remain behind for the materials. Once they arrived at K18, the construction work would begin, and building materials would be needed. Warren and Himmel Soan had discussed it before. Himmel Soan had told Warren that he would take care of it. Now that the portal was about to open, the Patriarch instructed him to stay behind. Warren knew the Patriarch must have come up with an idea. However, the opening of the portal was so sudden. Everybody was astonished when they heard the news. They had a hard time digesting the news. Even now, they still couldn¡¯t fully believe it. The portal would open in three hours. That gave them little time to prepare. Charles was the most surprised of them all. Himmel Soan had told Warren about it, and he was done being surprised, so he didn¡¯t show any reaction. Drake and the other cultivators didn¡¯t think much of it either. They were like soldiers that followed the Patriarch¡¯s order only. After sending the message, Himmel Soan took Firey to the portal. ¡°Firey, you¡¯re going to inject your energy into this portal. If you were still in your original form, I could control your power to open the portal. But you¡¯ve taken the human form, so I can¡¯t control your energy anymore. You¡¯re going to do that on your own and open this portal!¡± Firey nodded. Although she was a mischievous girl, she was going to take this mission seriously. It could be observed from her behavior over the past few days. Himmel Soan explained everything to her and told her what to do. It wasn¡¯t difficult for her at all. He trusted her. He then took out the crystal and the desert spirit and put them on the portal. After that, he put some materials he brought back from Atlantis and set them on the portal as well. He also placed a lot of essence stones around it. The air was filled with spiritual essence. To activate the portal, they would need a great amount of spiritual essence. Himmel Soan had brought back all the essence stones he created in Atlantis all for this moment. Himmel Soan himself was a portable spiritual essence container, but his spiritual essence was too pure for the portal to use. That was why he needed external sources. He closed his eyes and sensed the distant K18 on the other end. To reach the planet through the portal, he would need a medium. It was similar to the portal on the other side of the destination. Without it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to come out from the other end. If such a medium weren¡¯t needed, one would be able to go anywhere freely. Himmel Soan was trying to create a medium on K18 right now. He was exploring the topography. A figure appeared on K18. It was a projection of Himmel Soan. He had created it with his mental force. If he injected more mental force, that projection would become a tangible clone of his. But he didn¡¯t do that. The projection was enough for the job. Moreover, a clone would create uncertainty when it grew a mind. Therefore, Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t going to turn his projection into a clone. The projection walked around on K18 and began to send back images to Himmel Soan. He could see everything in his mind. There were tall trees, flowing creeks, and things stirring in the woods. ¡­ After the news was announced, Charles was swamped with work. As the president, he was so busy that he had no time to rest. The portal was going to open in three hours, and that news would create a lot of pressing tasks. He was given little time to prepare for things. Everybody¡¯s plan was to start the preparation work after they were notified. The portal was so important that everybody thought the announcement would be made in advance so that they would have time to prepare. Even Charles shared that thought, believing that they would be notified at least three days in advance. However, he only had three hours to prepare. No, it was a little over two hours now. Charles didn¡¯t have time to think about such things. The portal was about to open, and he had more important things to worry about. For instance, he needed a plan so that people would know in what sequence they would evacuate. He also needed to decide what to bring with him. Without an overall strategy, chaos would ensue. Luckily, Warren contacted Charles at that moment. ¡°Mr. President, the Patriarch and I will take care of transporting the materials. You don¡¯t need to worry. The Soan family will handle it. ¡°But we do need your help in something. We need an evacuation plan. The Patriarch is working on the last steps of opening the portal, so he doesn¡¯t have time for us. ¡°Mr. President, you¡¯re going to make the decision for everything else.¡± Chapter 276 - Necessities on the New Planet Warren and Charles communicated for nearly thirty minutes. Finally, Charles figured out what he needed to do. He had been so overwhelmed before that he was at a loss. He knew being the president, he needed to do something, but he didn¡¯t know where to start. But now, he had made up his mind. He was going to make a public announcement so that everybody was mentally prepared. Once the portal opened, they would be ready to go to K18. They must leave in order, and that required some discipline. After all, not everybody would cooperate willingly. Even in a small town, if one person caused a problem during the evacuation, it could easily trigger a butterfly effect. Things would only get worse with a greater population. Therefore, someone had to be there to supervise and maintain order. Charles finally saw the light. Mr. Himmel Soan had those hundred members join the Moonian army just for this occasion! The idea enlightened Charles. He then summoned Henry and Gordon and told them everything, giving them specific orders. After they left, he broadcast to the whole world. No one needed to open any window to watch it because the broadcast was compulsory. Regardless of what they were doing, everybody on Earth had to watch his broadcast on their phones and computers. ¡°Good afternoon, everybody. I have a serious matter to tell you. I hope you¡¯re prepared. The portal will open in about two hours. ¡°I hope everybody gets prepared in the next two hours. When the portal opens, please follow the instructions. Don¡¯t push, and don¡¯t jump the queue! ¡°When we get to K18, everything will proceed as before!¡± Charles went offline after the announcement. The people could discuss it on their own. If they had doubts about some issue, he would come back online and answer their questions. They only had two hours. Charles couldn¡¯t spend too much time on the broadcast. Everybody needed to make preparations in the limited time. Even if they didn¡¯t bring anything, they still needed to be mentally prepared. As expected, the announcement created a sensation online. No subject had been discussed like this one! The portal was going to open, which meant the people on Earth were going to move. They were going to another planet! It was an event for the entire Earth. Everybody was paying their full attention. ¡°Is the portal opening in two hours?¡± ¡°No, we may not have that much time.¡± ¡°Why so soon? We¡¯ve received no updates, and the portal is suddenly going to open. That¡¯s just too much¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious, too. Why so sudden?¡± ¡°Is it supposed to be a pleasant surprise?¡± ¡°Do you call that a pleasant surprise?¡± ¡°The portal is opening! Is that true? Why do I feel like I¡¯m dreaming?¡± ¡°The president made the announcement. Do you think he¡¯s lying? Do you think he¡¯s making a joke? You should have your brain examined.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying I have doubts. I just think I would feel much more reassured if it came from Mr. Himmel Soan.¡± ¡°I feel the same way. What¡¯s Mr. Himmel Soan doing now? Why haven¡¯t we heard from him?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the portal going to open? He must be by the door. In that case, it¡¯s understandable that he didn¡¯t make the announcement himself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Himmel Soan is much busier than you think! He¡¯s a great scientist! He¡¯s not an idle man like you lot!¡± ¡°We really should talk about some more meaningful things. For example, what are we going to take to K18? What can we take?¡± ¡°Yes! Going to K18 is the top priority now! As for what to take with us, I think a phone and a charger will be enough. There are so many people in the world. If we all bring luggage, it¡¯ll be so crowded!¡± Everybody soon concluded that the announcement was true. After all, a president wouldn¡¯t make fun of such things. It was unthinkable! The announcement had to be true! What was left was to get ready to depart for K18. They began to think about what to bring to the new planet. They had to bring some clothes, and they couldn¡¯t go without their phone. They would also need things like towels and toothbrushes. There were so many necessities. It soon became the main subject. ¡°What necessities should we bring to the new planet?¡± ¡°I think I need to bring my doll! I¡¯m so used to having her around!¡± ¡°All my shoes are very expensive! I have to bring all of them!¡± ¡°Seriously? Why do you even care about your shoes?¡± ¡°You know nothing! I bought all the shoes with my hard-earned money! Why can¡¯t I take them with me?¡± ¡°My jewelry, too! And my hundred handbags! They¡¯re all limited edition!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Many people mentioned things they wanted to bring. It was so chaotic. None of them were bringing necessities only. They would take up so much space! Those people refused to change their minds, telling other people to leave them alone. Chapter 277 - Standard Charles soon made a requirement: they could only bring things that could fit into a backpack. The backpack became the standard. After the announcement, Charles posted a follow-up article. If anybody exceeded that standard, they wouldn¡¯t be allowed to bring anything and would have to walk into the portal empty-handed. Most people stopped discussing it when the rule was announced. They were all smart and knew it was time to behave. If they followed the rule, they could bring a few things with them. But if they didn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t be able to bring anything. Most people knew what to do when they weighed their choices. But there were always exceptions. A small fraction of people didn¡¯t think much of the rule. They packed things that could fill at least one suitcase. One of them filled an entire cargo and was going to drive it through the portal. Some businessmen saw this as a great opportunity. They couldn¡¯t bear the thought of only bringing a backpack to K18. They had worked their entire life to accumulate their wealth and reach their status. If they couldn¡¯t bring anything with them, they would have to start from scratch as an ordinary man! No one would accept it. Seeing the people that wouldn¡¯t follow the rules, they found a business opportunity. Although they had complaints about the rule, they couldn¡¯t defy the rule like them. However, they were bold enough to invest in them. If their investment paid off, they would have high social status again on K18. They would accept it if the investment failed. If something went wrong, they wouldn¡¯t be blamed. Undercurrents were surging. All the people that ignored the rule obtained a vehicle. Moreover, they weren¡¯t small cars. They were large vehicles, such as trucks, caravans, and minivans. Each of them was bigger than the next. ¡­ There was only one hour to go. Himmel Soan looked up at the sky. Everything was ready. His projection had found a suitable flatland on K18 and set up a rough model. As soon as the portal was activated, it would be instantly connected to K18. All that was left was the energy from the heart of the volcano and the right time. The crystal had melted and turned into energy that fueled the portal. The desert spirit entered a dormant state after it transferred its energy into the portal. Himmel Soan then put it in his pocket. The other energy was absorbed by the portal as well. Himmel Soan could sense the desert spirit was growing, but it would be a very long time before it could take a human form as Firey did. However, it would be much faster. ¡°Firey, release your energy into the portal. It¡¯s about time,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Alright!¡± Firey nodded. She walked up to the portal, put her hand on it, and directed her energy inside. Meanwhile, she was also sensing the energy in the portal. It was one of the tasks Himmel Soan gave her. She was going to fuse all the energy into one force. It would become the main source of energy that was going to open the portal. Himmel Soan looked up at the sky and waited. Soon, there were only thirty minutes left. Everything was proceeding in order. All the people in the world had gathered on the land that was originally the country of Moon. The Soans and the Dragon Tribe were keeping people under control in various areas. Camille worked on her computer and inputted every individual¡¯s location. She would know right away if someone tried to start trouble. She would then report it to the three divisions. They worked in harmony like that. ¡°We only have thirty minutes left. Why isn¡¯t anything happening? Will the portal open later than that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. This is a serious matter. They can¡¯t make such blunders!¡± ¡°I believe in Mr. Himmel Soan. I think the portal will open in thirty minutes. He predicted the meteorite so accurately, so he must be right this time too!¡± ¡°We only have thirty minutes left! Will it open in time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that portal looks like. Do you?¡± ¡°Me neither. I think it¡¯ll look like a starry sky.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important. The most important thing is how big the portal is! If it¡¯s very small and only a couple of people can go through at the same time, how long are we going to wait?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are so many of us. If the portal is only wide enough for one or two people, it¡¯ll take at least a week for us to go through!¡± ¡°A week? That¡¯s too long!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a conservative estimate. Do you remember what it was like when you went to popular funfairs? If you have to queue for that, how long do you think you¡¯ll have to queue for this?¡± ¡°You have a point, but I don¡¯t think the portal will be so small. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have gathered all of us here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If the portal is narrow, we would draw numbers and form a line. They wouldn¡¯t keep us here and let us wait for a week!¡± Chapter 278 - Open It was down to the last twenty minutes. There was still no news about the portal. Everybody would check their phones from time to time, hoping to receive messages about the portal. Once, twice¡­ ten times¡­ Time went by. There were ten minutes left. The crowd felt uneasy, nervous, excited, or flustered. They had no idea what was going to happen in the next ten minutes. They had received no news from Mr. Himmel Soan or the president for the past two hours. There were only ten minutes to go, but there was still no news. The unknown kept them guessing. They didn¡¯t know if the portal would open in time. Five minutes to go. Everybody¡¯s eyes were glued to their phones. Even when there was no news, they still wanted to watch the screen while the seconds ticked by. They could only feel the time passing in that way. One minute to go. All the people began the countdown in their minds. 30 seconds. 10 seconds. 9 seconds. ¡­ 5 seconds. 1 second! The time was up! Everybody looked up, trying to see if the portal was opening anywhere near them. However, nothing seemed to be happening. It was so quiet. Had they been misinformed? They were feeling disappointed when a streak of white light flew across the sky and landed somewhere on the flatland. A gigantic door appeared in front of everybody. It was big enough for thousands and even tens of thousands of people to walk through. They didn¡¯t have any doubts anymore. They all looked at the portal and wanted to go inside. Just then, they thought they heard Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s voice in the air. Yes, it was him! It was as if Mr. Himmel Soan was speaking through a powerful loudspeaker. ¡°The portal has opened. Everybody can go through the portal, but don¡¯t jump the queue! I don¡¯t want any chaos! ¡°We¡¯re all a big family, and I believe you can do this. If anybody breaks the line, they¡¯ll be punished accordingly. That¡¯s to say, they can¡¯t use my portal anymore. They can build one on their own and jump the queue however they want! ¡°Mr. President will make the official announcement now.¡± Charles had arrived somewhere close to the portal together with Henry, Gordon, and a few others. They were already there ten minutes ago. Himmel Soan had summoned them but didn¡¯t tell them anything. He didn¡¯t speak until now. Charles and the others could sense that something had changed in Himmel Soan, but they couldn¡¯t tell what exactly it was. He was still him, but his tone and demeanor had slightly changed. He seemed to be filled with sorrow. Charles was going to speak, but he was perplexed. How could he broadcast his voice to everyone? He didn¡¯t know what to do. He cleared his throat and was embarrassed. Mr. Soan had everything arranged! ¡°Mr. Soan has told you most of the things you need to know. I still have a few things to stress. ¡°I heard earlier that some people weren¡¯t pleased with the one-bag rule and insisted on bringing a suitcase. Some people even want to drive to K18. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself: everybody must follow the rule! ¡°Those people won¡¯t be allowed to bring anything with them to K18! They can do that, or they can stay on Earth and build their own portal like Mr. Soan said!¡± Charles¡¯s tone became serious and somewhat angry. He had to. The whole world was going to do something together, and he couldn¡¯t allow a few individuals to sabotage everything. The world couldn¡¯t afford it! ¡°If anybody tries to defy that order, they¡¯ll be sentenced to death and executed immediately!¡± Charles stressed each word. The crowd heard him clearly. If they didn¡¯t follow the rule, they would die! The statement had come from the president, and no one dared question him. They only had one president now, and his words were the absolute order. It wasn¡¯t all that harsh. They were only asked to bring fewer things. Soon, they were ready to go through the portal. Henry, Gordon, and Charles were the first to step inside the door. They needed to make sure everything would go well when the rest arrived on the other side. They left Earth to Himmel Soan with full confidence. The others began to enter the portal. After Charles¡¯s speech, no one dared break any rules. Things proceeded smoothly. Those one hundred Soans with swords stood on either side of the portal. They would take action immediately if something went wrong. Time flew by. As expected, it took nearly ten hours to let all the people go through the portal. Only the Soans were on this side now. ¡°Patriarch, I¡¯ve collected all the materials! ¡°I have a billion tons of construction materials, fifty million tons of medical supplies, fifty million tons¡­¡± Himmel Soan nodded and said, ¡°You and your people can go through. I¡¯ll bring all these things to K18. ¡°Follow this instruction and wait for me there.¡± Chapter 279 - Switch The Soans nodded. It was very difficult to collect all the materials, let alone transport them. The biggest problem was bringing all of them to K18. Now that the Patriarch had taken over the job, they had nothing to worry about. Hence, the Soans also entered the portal one after another. With them gone, only Himmel Soan and Firey were left on Earth. Firey seemed so weak that she would fall asleep the next moment. The portal was so large, and she had to fuse all the other energies. As she wasn¡¯t familiar with the procedure, she wasted a lot of energy. By the time the portal opened, she barely had any vigor left. That was why she was so weak. ¡°Master, I¡¯m going to take a break.¡± She closed her eyes. The next moment, she switched back to the heart of the volcano. She hadn¡¯t lost her cultivation. This change was just temporary. In this state, she would make a much faster recovery. She still addressed Himmel Soan as Master instead of Father because she was used to the former. Himmel Soan picked up the heart of the volcano and put it in his pocket. He immediately knew what was going on. However, it was also his first time to have encountered this. If an ordinary person or a cultivator fainted, he could cure them right away, but Firey was the essence of nature. He didn¡¯t know where to begin. But he knew Firey was recovering. He wasn¡¯t worried because she would be back to her human form when she regained her strength. He scanned the entire planet with his mental force again to make sure there was no other human being on Earth. He wasn¡¯t concerned with the other living creatures. He was going to leave the plants and animals where they were instead of bringing them to K18. Earth wasn¡¯t inhabitable for human beings, but other living creatures might still survive. Humans would depend on those living creatures to maintain the ecosystem on Earth. The ecosystem on K18 was almost the same as on Earth. It was even more complete with ten times more species. Himmel Soan had explored everything before he opened the portal with confidence and let everybody go in. He then went to the place where Warren had piled all the materials. Tens of thousands of trucks were loaded with various materials. Without hesitation, he connected to the projection on K18. The portal on K18 immediately moved to the spot where that projection was. It was also where Himmel Soan told Warren to go and wait for him. After that, he used his mental force and carried all the materials through the portal. The trucks were soon emptied. He had considered sending the trucks over there as well, but such machines couldn¡¯t go through the portal. The vehicles would contort and explode when they entered the portal. He could only bring all the materials himself. Half an hour later, he delivered everything to K18. It reduced his energy reserves from 0.3% to 0.2%. That 0.1% of energy was powerful enough to destroy a planet. However, he had used it to transport the materials. He wasn¡¯t concerned though. The energy could be recovered, but the materials were indispensable. Moreover, he didn¡¯t need to use his energy any time soon. The little loss wouldn¡¯t affect anything. The move from Earth to K18 had almost ended. Himmel Soan only needed to go through the portal himself. After switching off his projection, he walked up to the portal. He stopped and gave Earth one last look. ¡°Gina, I¡¯m leaving Earth and going to K18. Where are you now?¡± He murmured. He knew no one would answer that question, but he still had to ask. He stood there and took in his surroundings. The portal would close in ten minutes. He seemed to want to leave Earth at the last second. No one knew how he felt now. No one would understand why Himmel Soan felt so connected to Earth. Both Himmel Soan and Gina were immortals. They met and fell in love and spent so many years on Earth. Few people could comprehend his reluctance to leave Earth. He closed his eyes and remembered everything in the past as if it was only yesterday. It was as if Gina was by his side. When he opened his eyes, Gina wasn¡¯t there. Well¡­ He let out a long breath and said with trembling lips, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± The ten minutes were almost up, and he was down to the last minute. Facing Earth, he slowly backed into the doorway of the portal. A few more steps and he would be inside. One step¡­ Two steps¡­ He was finally in the portal. Earth was about to fade out of his sight. Just then, he saw a figure just outside the portal. It looked a lot like Gina! Chapter 280 - Is the Patriarch Coming After Charles arrived at K18, he studied the surroundings to make further arrangements. The five governors had their own tasks. All the Earthlings had gone through the portal, and everything proceeded in order. If somebody deliberately made a mistake, they would face the death penalty. With that forcible rule, no one dared try anything, obediently following the instructions. When all the Earthlings arrived at K18, they almost filled the entire flatland. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t planned in advance, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly. Something would have gone wrong. Thirty minutes before the portal closed, Charles received a message from Warren, saying that the materials had arrived. All the Soans went off to organize the materials and build some makeshift housing facilities. However, their progress would never be fast enough. The whole world¡¯s population was here. They would need to build housing facilities for at least a billion people. Comparatively, there were only a hundred thousand Soans. The three divisions worked like there was no tomorrow and could build a tent in a minute. A simple house took them only ten minutes to build. Under Charles¡¯s instruction, more people joined in. As time passed, more and more people were working on the construction, and houses were built one after another. Before long, Charles sent people to build other facilities, such as water tanks, signal towers, and power generators. They were all necessary to maintain people¡¯s daily life. The plan went smoothly as if it had been rehearsed. Very few things went wrong. Even if some mishap happened, the problem was soon resolved. The scientists, engineers, and architects worked in their own fields and formed their own systems. For instance, the chief engineers would decide what outcome they wanted, and their students would draw the blueprint before teaching the ordinary people how to do the actual work. The whole system came alive. Everything was wholesome and in the right order. Everybody spared no effort. These projects would determine their future living standards. Their lives were starting from scratch. If they didn¡¯t do this properly, they would live with the consequences later. They were building houses that they were going to live in for a while. Because of that, they had no reason not to work hard. With everybody¡¯s effort, the houses were set up one after another. Some scientists found a large river by the flatland. They tested the water and concluded it was clean enough to drink directly. People were sent out to fetch water and store it for later use. A basic power generator was also set up before long. They were still all on the flatland, so they built a signal tower at its center. The signal was just powerful enough to cover the entire area. They stopped working at nightfall. The houses had been built, and they had worked hard for a whole day. It was time to take a break. Besides, they couldn¡¯t work in the dark. They could sleep through the night and work hard the next day. The night was quiet, and everybody relaxed. Many people went to bed as soon as they retired to their rooms. However, not everybody could do that. The Soans and Charles hadn¡¯t returned to their rooms yet. They were all waiting in one place. It was where they walked out of the portal. The portal had disappeared already, and all the Earthlings had come out except for one person. The most important person. Himmel Soan. He still hadn¡¯t arrived at K18. ¡°Has Mr. Himmel Soan told you when he¡¯s coming?¡± Charles¡¯s voice was hoarse. He had been asking that question since he arrived at K18. However, he had been given the same answer over and over again. ¡°Patriarch didn¡¯t tell me.¡± Drake, Phoebe, Liam, Warren, and other important Soan members had all gathered here. They were all perplexed. ¡°Is it possible that Mr. Himmel Soan isn¡¯t coming?¡± Charles asked. ¡°I have no idea. We¡¯ll wait here until the Patriarch arrives!¡± ¡°If the Patriarch doesn¡¯t come here, we¡¯ll find a way to return to Earth!¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll do that!¡± ¡°¡­¡± They had just reached K18, but they were already talking about going back. It was because their Patriarch wasn¡¯t there. Roams also felt conflicted. He had joined Moon for Himmel Soan and had been trying to learn more from him. It had never occurred to him that he wouldn¡¯t come to K18. He didn¡¯t know what to do. However, he couldn¡¯t help but speak up when he heard the others. ¡°Our culture fell back by fifty or even a hundred years when we landed on K18. We can make up for that loss in five years or even shorter. However, it¡¯ll be extremely difficult to build a portal in that time. ¡°My estimation is that we¡¯ll need at least fifteen years to build the portal. But just that won¡¯t be enough. It needs the energy to stay open. That¡¯s to say, we¡¯ll need at least two decades before we can return to Earth. ¡°We aren¡¯t even sure if Mr. Himmel Soan is still on Earth!¡± Roams spoke his mind. Chapter 281 - A New World Being the leading scientist on Earth, Roams had great authority. He was second to Himmel Soan only. They were both the best scientists. Although Roams would never surpass Himmel Soan in his lifetime, no one could deny that he was the second best scientist behind Himmel Soan. Now that Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t around, his words made the most sense. Other people lost hope after hearing what he said. They had to wait so long! Two or three decades! Charles and the Soans all fell silent. To Charles, Himmel Soan was the faith and God of Moon. With him gone, Moon would lose its God. Moon was able to unify the world and became so powerful all because of Mr. Soan, the incredible man. If he wasn¡¯t coming, Charles didn¡¯t know what would happen next. He couldn¡¯t imagine how the public would react once they received this news. He didn¡¯t dare imagine. For the Soans, they felt they would lose their purpose in life if the Patriarch didn¡¯t come. They had lost their Patriarch once thirty years ago. Were they going to lose him again? ¡­ Himmel Soan slowly opened his eyes. He saw a forest with tall trees. Each tree was 10 feet wide and over 150 feet tall. ¡°I¡¯m not on Earth, but this is not K18 either.¡± He had never seen such trees on Earth. There were no large forests like this on K18 either. Himmel Soan tried to explore the woods and the planet with his mental power. However, something blocked him. His power couldn¡¯t go beyond 300 feet. He was astonished. But he soon calmed down and analyzed his current situation. Yes! He remembered. A moment ago, he was on Earth and was going to K18 through the portal. Just as he was about to reach his destination, he saw Gina. He was inside the portal when he saw her. Overcome by tumultuous emotions, the drastic change affected the space around him. Even the portal became unstable. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t care about any of that. He only wanted to tear open the portal and return to Earth. He wanted to see if it really was Gina. 500 years. He had waited for 500 years! He was beyond anxious when he saw Gina again. No one could understand his feelings. However, he was momentarily blinded by bright white light when he tore down the portal. The white light was so intense that he couldn¡¯t open his eyes. Now that he could finally open his eyes, he realized he wasn¡¯t on Earth. To make it worse, he wasn¡¯t even on K18! He was a little flustered when he found out what had happened, but it was better than when he was in the portal. His top priority was to find which planet this was. Then, he would return to Earth. That was all he could think of. Although he had only caught a glimpse of Gina, he still wanted to return to Earth even if he could only find very few clues. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t expand his metal force further than 300 feet. ¡°What is this place?¡± Himmel Soan searched his memory. He had scoured through every corner of the universe when he was looking for Gina, combing every single planet. Most planets could jog his memory at first glance. He still remembered something about K18; that was why he could set up the portal so fast. He didn¡¯t recognize anything on his planet. This place didn¡¯t exist in his memory. An incredible idea jumped into his mind. ¡°Am I not in the universe where Earth was in? I¡¯ve torn open the wall of the universe in the past, and there¡¯s only a void outside. How can anything exist beyond that? ¡°But this is real. This isn¡¯t my universe, but can I find Gina here? ¡°Did Gina lead me to this world?¡± Himmel Soan thought of many possibilities. The probability of any of them happening was very low. However, he would test each conjecture as long as it was relevant. If it turned out to be true, he would find Gina. With that thought in mind, he studied his surroundings. Gina could be on this planet. To find her, he needed to know everything about this place. ¡°The spiritual essence is so dense here!¡± Only then did he notice the density of the spiritual essence. To a cultivator, spiritual essence was like water and food to an ordinary person. Himmel Soan¡¯s cultivation ability was invincible, but he couldn¡¯t do much if he didn¡¯t have spiritual essence. That was what happened in Atlantis. He had used up his spiritual essence, or he wouldn¡¯t have been locked up. After sensing the spiritual essence, he realized his own situation. He had recovered 0.3% of his full strength before using 0.1% to transport the materials. However, he had almost run out of his spiritual essence again! He only had 0.01% left! He could replenish his spiritual essence here, but he wouldn¡¯t stay. Chapter 282 - Red Snake Recovering his strength wasn¡¯t Himmel Soan¡¯s top priority. He wanted nothing more than to gather information about Gina. He wished to know where he was and if Gina was here. Moreover, he didn¡¯t need to absorb the spiritual essence voluntarily. It would flow into his body as he breathed and help him recover his strength. He wanted to find someone to make some inquiries. Even if he couldn¡¯t find anyone, he couldn¡¯t stay in these woods since he couldn¡¯t collect any information here. There must be other living creatures in this world. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he found other cultivators on this planet. With the presence of the spiritual essence in the air, it was possible that cultivators existed. Himmel Soan slowly walked through the woods. Although his mental force could only cover 300 feet around him, that was enough for the time being. He could swiftly react to anything strange. He didn¡¯t know how large this forest was, but he was sure if he kept walking in one direction, he would eventually walk out of it. He didn¡¯t believe trees were the only living things in this world. Half an hour later, he sensed something in the woods nearby. To be more precise, it was an animal. It seemed to have been startled, and the trees around it shuffled. The noise traveled around the woods. Finally, Himmel Soan realized what was making that noise. It was a giant python! But it was far too big to be a python. It was over 150 feet, with its head as thick as the trunk of a tree here, which was about 10 feet wide. And that was only its head. Himmel Soan felt like an ant in comparison. The red python stuck out its tongue when it detected his presence. It was confused. Why would an ant make it feel uneasy? This two-legged thing was so tiny. The python was at the top of the food chain, and my creatures of Himmel Soan¡¯s size had become its food. Nothing had made it feel threatened until he came along. Instinctively, it realized this creature wasn¡¯t as weak as his size suggested. However, it couldn¡¯t sense Himmel Soan¡¯s capability. Despite not giving off much energy, why did he feel so dangerous? Meanwhile, Himmel Soan had picked up a twig. He slowly approached the python. This was the first animal he encountered since he arrived here. Should he kill it or keep it alive? He didn¡¯t have the habit of killing things at will, but if this python attacked him, he didn¡¯t mind taking its life. The red python looked around as if it was thinking. That was exactly what it was doing. It wondered if it should swallow Himmel Soan. It thought maybe the sense of danger was a false alarm. Its mindset was quite straightforward. It didn¡¯t want to miss a delicious meal because Himmel Soan seemed so yummy. Instinct told it that if it ate Himmel Soan, it would make significant progress. With that benefit, the python threw caution to the wind. It moved around and stared at Himmel Soan. It would make a move as soon as he was within its attack range and kill him with a single attack. One step¡­ Two steps¡­ Himmel Soan slowly approached the python. One more step and he would be within its range. Just then, Himmel Soan stopped in his tracks. The python was perplexed. That human had just stopped! The python couldn¡¯t understand it, so it stared at Himmel Soan. If he took another step forward, it would attack. Himmel Soan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re only a snake. If you had run off, I wouldn¡¯t have chased you. I don¡¯t have time to waste. But you¡¯ve stopped. If this is your choice, I¡¯ll give you what you want!¡± Himmel Soan raised his twig and gave it a wave. He then threw it to the side and kept walking. The python couldn¡¯t understand a single word, but it had never felt so threatened before. It wondered why the man moved his hand in the air. Before it could figure out an explanation, it saw Himmel Soan walking toward it. The man was within its attack range. The python charged at Himmel Soan, trying to swallow him whole. However, its head seemed to have lost control. The world had turned upside down. It then saw something familiar. Wasn¡¯t that its own body? That was the last thing it saw. Himmel Soan walked up to the dead python and put his hand on its body. ¡°Is this red object its core? That¡¯s to say, the snake has been absorbing spiritual essence and cultivating.¡± Himmel Soan was a little surprised because he assumed that it was only an ordinary snake. Since there were such tall trees in this world, he didn¡¯t find such a large snake out of the place. It now seemed that this world wasn¡¯t as simple as he thought. Himmel Soan felt a little excited. Was it possible Gina came to this world after she disappeared from Earth? Maybe he really could find her here! Chapter 283 - Red Core Himmel Soan calmed himself down and looked at the dead snake. Usually, he didn¡¯t need any food or water. It had been a long time since he needed food to sustain his life, but now, he was yearning for food. ¡°Have I lost too much energy? I¡¯m actually hungry.¡± Without hesitation, he cut off a slice of meat from the snake¡¯s body. He then started a fire with his spiritual essence, stuck a twig through the piece of meat, and grilled it over the fire. Cooking was a piece of cake. He used to do it for Gina and had become an experienced chef. He dissected the snake while the meat was roasting. It didn¡¯t seem that different from an ordinary snake. However, instead of a heart, it had a core. He took it out and studied it. The core looked like a rock, but it was bright red. Without thinking much, he put it in his pocket. The core seemed valuable. If he ran into the habitants of this world, maybe he could ask them about the core and this world. A pleasant aroma wafted into the air from roasting snake meat. He hadn¡¯t put any condiments on it, yet it already smelled delicious. Besides, even if he wanted to add some seasoning, he didn¡¯t have anything to use. He removed the snake meat from the fire and took a bite. A sweet flavor tickled his tastebuds. The meat didn¡¯t need much chewing, and he swallowed it almost right away. ¡°That was nice. It¡¯s such a pity I have to eat all by myself. Gina, will I find you here?¡± Although he had only been here for less than a day, he already felt how extraordinary this place was. It was proved by the spiritual essence that filled the air and the snake¡¯s flesh and core. After finishing all the roasted snake meat, Himmel Soan set out again. Even though the meat tasted nice, he only needed to fill his stomach every now and then. He didn¡¯t need to finish the whole snake. It would only waste a lot of time. ¡°I think eating the snake meat restored my strength a little. It¡¯s less than 0.01%, but I can tell the improvement. If I eat the whole snake, I think I¡¯ll recover 0.03% of my strength. ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here!¡± Himmel Soan dropped that line of thought. It would take him over a day to finish the whole snake. He would rather spend that time covering more ground. Shortly after he left, other animals showed up and started feasting on the dead snake. Some weaker ones would tear off a piece of meat and run off. The others did pretty much the same. Soon, something bigger arrived at the scene. It was a leopard. It was also a cultivating beast like the red python, and it had its own territory. The two beasts had lived in harmony before. That was how the animals survived in the woods. Animals at the top of the food chain seldom disappeared like that! The leopard suddenly stopped sensing the python¡¯s energy today, so it came over to take a look. It didn¡¯t care why the energy disappeared. It knew even if the python didn¡¯t die, it had to be extremely weak. In that case, the leopard could kill the python without difficulty. After eating the python, the leopard could gain more power, expanding its territory. However, by the time it got there, all that was left was a snake head. The leopard didn¡¯t mind it. As long as it could improve its strength, it didn¡¯t care which body part it had to eat. The red python was soon eaten up as if it had never existed. ¡­ The following day, the Soans were still waiting in the same spot. Charles had gone to bed. He had wanted to wait with the others. He knew Mr. Himmel Soan might not come, but he still hoped for the best like all the Soans. However, his job didn¡¯t permit him to do so. If Mr. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t come here, the country would have lost its God. As the president, Charles needed to take responsibility. The country needed a leader. He used to run the country when Mr. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t around. Now that he might be gone forever, he needed to take control of things once more. People could post messages online on K18 already, and everybody was using the same channel. They were all talking about the same thing¡ªMr. Himmel Soan. ¡°Is Mr. Soan really not here? Why?¡± ¡°If Earth is unsuitable for us to live, why is Mr. Himmel Soan still there?¡± ¡°Is it possible that Mr. Himmel Soan doesn¡¯t want to come here? Can he still be on Earth?¡± ¡°If Earth has become uninhabitable, will Mr. Himmel Soan be in danger?¡± ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan is the only human being on Earth now. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. None of the Soans seem to know the answer either. This evening, I saw them still waiting for Mr. Himmel Soan at the same spot.¡± ¡°Maybe Mr. Himmel Soan is coming soon!¡± ¡°That portal is gone. How is Mr. Himmel Soan going to come here? We should have let him go through the portal first!¡± Chapter 284 - Mr. Himmel Soan, the Patron Saint Everybody was wondering why Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t arrived at K18 yet. The discussion lasted for several hours without reaching any conclusion. Even Charles didn¡¯t know what to do when he read the messages. All those people were asking about Mr. Himmel Soan. However, no one could provide any answer. Even Drake and the other core members didn¡¯t have any news. Still, they needed to come up with an explanation. ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan probably has his own plans, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s not here. Our top priority is to speed up our construction work. As for Mr. Himmel Soan, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find a way to get here when he wants to. ¡°No one knows what Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s plan is, and we find that very strange, too. However, we can¡¯t change what has happened. Although Mr. Himmel Soan isn¡¯t here with us, we still need to carry on. ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to hear your opinion on. I think we can build a Soan residence on the spot where the portal was. They¡¯ll live there from now on. That way, Mr. Himmel Soan will be walking into the Soan residence as soon as he arrives. ¡°The Soans can also wait for Mr. Himmel Soan there.¡± Charles put his words into a file and sent it to everybody¡¯s mobile phone. All the people received the message. Someone started a vote. Some people picked up some tools and went to help the others to build the Soan residence. Charles was relieved. Mr. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t arrived, and he couldn¡¯t afford to have anything happen to the Soans. Although Mr. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t here, the Soans were still the Earthlings¡¯ faith. Nothing could happen to them. The residence was soon established. The materials used and the scale of the residence were identical to that on Earth. Many people wanted to build a home for the Soans, identical to the one on Earth. However, when the Soans saw this, they started building the residence on their own. People were working nonstop on K18. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they could construct roads. They had already started collecting materials on K18. The materials from Earth would eventually be used up. With so many people, they would need a lot of materials. Right now, they still had enough materials to cover their demand. To build more things, they would need more materials. Hence, they started exploring K18. Everything was in good order and well arranged. The workers shared the work and cooperated with one another with great efficiency. With the help of the Soans, they were able to finish tasks that would take a whole day within one or two hours. Tasks requiring a week would now be finished in one or two days. The speed enabled the Earthlings to settle down on K18 within a few days. They explored other parts of the planet, and the Earthlings began to spread out. There were so many of them. When they landed, the flatland was crowded with people. They couldn¡¯t live like that. Eventually, they would have to move further away. A month passed, and K18 didn¡¯t look much different from Earth. There were housing facilities, water and electricity supply, and signal towers. Dr. Leo and Roams even invented small vehicles that were environmentally friendly. The vehicles were soon put into mass production. Factories were set up as well. All industries were constantly making progress. To most people, they were simply repeating what they had done before. With their experience, they would do a much better job the second time over. They had surpassed all kinds of difficulties before and hardly run into any problems now. Even if they did, they only needed to post the questions online, and the scientists would answer for them. The speed of the progress was incredible. Gradually, they didn¡¯t think of Himmel Soan that often. Everybody still viewed him as God, but their life would go on without him. They would spend their days all the same. Nothing had changed. Many articles appeared online as well. They were all about Himmel Soan. ¡°Maybe Mr. Himmel Soan has come to us to solve the crisis on Earth. Now that the crisis is over and we¡¯re safe, he doesn¡¯t need to stay with us anymore. ¡°All the disasters originated from that meteorite. We¡¯ve moved to K18 because of the aftermath, and everything Mr. Himmel Soan has done is related to that meteorite. ¡°After we moved here, that event is officially over. It¡¯s time for him to leave. I think it explains why he came to Earth. ¡°We no longer hearing from Mr. Himmel Soan probably means we won¡¯t suffer from such disasters anymore. Maybe something like that will still happen in the future. It could be ten years, or it could be thirty years or even a century. ¡°When that happens, Mr. Himmel Soan will probably descend on K18 like a god and save us once more. ¡°I think Mr. Himmel Soan is our patron saint!¡± Many people agreed with this view. Every word sounded so reasonable, explaining everything Mr. Himmel Soan had done for them. It was a perfect summary! Everybody began to view Mr. Himmel Soan as their patron saint. Chapter 285 - Never Disobey an Order No matter what faith they had, all the Earthlings viewed Himmel Soan as the most important figure. Even if he wasn¡¯t God, he was still the greatest man on Earth. He was someone unparalleled in history, and there would be no one like him in the future. Charles read the article as well. He was deeply touched. The article also came with a more detailed version that enumerated all the things Himmel Soan and the Soans had done for the Earthlings, even listing which individuals they had saved in each country. The article was dozens of pages long. The content astonished everyone who read it. No one could read it without feeling greatly touched. The article simply stated the facts. It hadn¡¯t added anything unnecessary. Even so, the readers still burst into tears when they read the plain facts. Charles went to a military base. He soon saw the soldiers with swords. With their special weapons, the Soans were very easy to spot. Everybody would notice them as soon as they stepped into the base. There were only a hundred of them. The number was negligible when compared to the number of ordinary soldiers. Yet, no one could disregard them. The energy they gave off was impossible to ignore! People would notice them wherever they went! Meanwhile, Ella spotted Charles as well. She didn¡¯t know why he was here, but she felt he had come for the Soans. Ella was the leader of this group of Soans. She ordered the others to stop their practice. She then saluted Charles. ¡°Mr. President!¡± ¡°Captain Soan, you flatter me! The Soans don¡¯t need to salute me!¡± Charles waves his hands. He had announced before that the Soans didn¡¯t need to salute or bow to anyone on Earth. Other people would have been thrilled by this rule, but the Soans didn¡¯t seem to think much of it. All the Soans still saluted Charles whenever they met him. Charles didn¡¯t know what to do. He felt he didn¡¯t deserve the courtesy, but the Soans did it anyway; he had to accept it. ¡°You¡¯re members of the Soans. Mr. Himmel Soan asked you to join the Moonian army to keep everything in order while we went through the portal. ¡°It has been a month since we arrived at K18, and the portal has long closed. Everything has settled down already. I think you can go back to your people now. There¡¯s no need to stay in the military base anymore,¡± said Charles. Despite knowing that those words might be taken the wrong way, he still made the speech. He knew that these hundred Soans wanted to join the others and wait for Mr. Himmel Soan¡¯s return. The only reason they were here was that Mr. Himmel Soan had given them the mission to join the Moonian army and help the country. Now that things had settled down, Charles was concerned about them, hence the little speech. However, that speech might be misinterpreted. The power of the Soans was quite influential. They were like the prime minister in ancient times. Historically, when the prime minister had so much power that the emperor felt threatened, he would try to weaken the prime minister¡¯s influence in various ways, quite similar to what was happening now. The only difference was that Charles had always wanted Himmel Soan to become the president, but he wouldn¡¯t take the job. Charles had said those words because he wanted the Soans to do things they really wanted. Ella was thrilled to hear those words. It was the best news for them. However, the excitement in her eyes soon disappeared, replaced by regret. ¡°Mr. President, we know you mean well, and we¡¯re grateful for that. But we can¡¯t take that offer. The Patriarch ordered us to join the army to enhance the military force. ¡°You¡¯ve asked us to leave the army and go back to the Soans to wait for the Patriarch¡¯s return, but that¡¯s against the Patriarch¡¯s order. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please revoke your command.¡± Ella cupped her hands to show her gratitude. She couldn¡¯t disobey the Patriarch¡¯s order because of what Charles said. If she followed Charles¡¯s order, what would they tell the Patriarch when he returned? The Patriarch¡¯s order always had the highest authority. If he didn¡¯t command them to leave the army, they would remain here till they died. Charles smiled bitterly. He had anticipated a reply like that before he came. However, he didn¡¯t expect Ella would turn him down so directly. Revoke his command¡­ Charles felt conflicted. He couldn¡¯t tell them to leave the army again. Of course, he had a backup plan. ¡°Captain, since you¡¯ve joined the Moonian army and I¡¯m the president, you¡¯ll need to follow my order on certain things.¡± Ella gave it a thought and nodded. ¡°We¡¯re not going to leave the army. The Patriarch¡¯s order is always above yours. I hope you can understand.¡± That didn¡¯t surprise Charles. He had other plans. ¡°As soldiers, you must carry out my order. I now command you to go to the Soan residence and wait for Mr. Himmel Soan there. ¡°If the country needs you, I can always summon you!¡± Chapter 286 - A Village Over on the other side, Himmel Soan finally walked out of the woods. It was more like a forest, and a vast one at that. It took him a whole month to walk out of it. He did some calculations in his head and realized he had traveled nearly 2000 miles since he found himself in this world. It was the distance between Moon and Neige. That was only the path he took. He had no idea what the total area of this forest was. To find that out, he would need to walk to the other end. It would take him a lot more than a month. More importantly, that wasn¡¯t his mission. He needed to figure out what planet this was and if Gina was here. That was the most important thing. Apart from the python, he had run into many magical beasts in the past month. He would ignore those that had avoided him while those obstructing him all turned into his food. So far, he had collected eleven cores. Not all the magical beasts had cores, and they all differed in color and size. The only feature they had in common was their diamond shape. Himmel Soan put all of them in his pocket without giving them much thought. When he left the forest, his strength had recovered to 0.05%. He didn¡¯t do anything voluntarily; the recovery came automatically through eating and breathing. If he had tried harder, he would have regained at least 0.5% of his strength. The spiritual essence was so dense here that he couldn¡¯t tell how much this forest contained. He estimated that if he absorbed all the spiritual essence in this area, he would recover 10% of his total strength. He only needed ten such forests to recover all his power. After leaving the forest, he discovered that the spiritual essence became much thinner. But it was still much denser than on Earth. He continued his journey after clearing his head. On the other side of the forest were flatlands and rolling hills. His mental force could cover more than 3000 feet now. It was still a rather small range as if something was blocking his mental force. If he could recover 10% of his strength, he would be able to break that confinement. ¡°There¡¯s a village ahead. I was right! There are human beings in this world!¡± Himmel Soan was pleasantly surprised when he saw a village on the horizon. With a village, there would be people. It meant Gina might be somewhere in this world. That was some good news! Himmel Soan calmed himself down and headed for the village. It wasn¡¯t very far, taking him an afternoon to arrive outside the village. He studied the area before going in. The sun was setting, and smoke was rising from all the chimneys. After living for so many years, he had never felt so excited. Never! He deactivated his mental force and walked toward the village entrance. Since he needed to make some inquiries, he thought he¡¯d better be polite. Moreover, he didn¡¯t know this place well, and politeness was quite essential. He saw some children playing at the village entrance, so he walked up to them and asked, ¡°Excuse me. Can you tell me where I am?¡± Hearing his voice, the children all looked up in amazement. They didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, nor did they know who he was. They were simply curious. They had never seen his outfit before. That alone was enough to intrigue them. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Who are you?!¡± A group of middle-aged men was returning to the village while chatting about the game they had hunted today. They became nervous when they spotted Himmel Soan. Running into the village in a hurry, they hid the children behind them. Himmel Soan frowned. It was obvious that these men were alarmed by his presence. They were even a little hostile toward him. He wasn¡¯t offended though. He was talking to the children, and those men didn¡¯t know what was going on. It was normal that they were on guard. Himmel Soan also realized something else. The language they spoke wasn¡¯t like anything he had heard on Earth. He couldn¡¯t understand what the middle-aged men were saying, but he had a rough idea. Their demeanor and emotions were enough to reveal their thoughts. That was why Himmel Soan could sense their hostility. ¡°I came out of that forest, and I don¡¯t know where I am. Could you tell me what this place is?¡± Although they didn¡¯t speak the same language, Himmel Soan still talked to them while gesturing with his hands. The middle-aged men were amazed. Despite not understanding his words, they got the meaning of his hand gestures. At least they knew where he was pointing at. ¡°I think he entered that forest and got lost, and then he came here.¡± ¡°Bullshit! No one can get lost like that! That forest has no end! We¡¯re the southernmost village. No one can come from that direction!¡± ¡°Even the lords from the Chaun City don¡¯t dress like that!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a strange man!¡± ¡°Shall we kill him?¡± Chapter 287 - Foreign Language Himmel Soan didn¡¯t speak and waited in silence while those men discussed among themselves. He couldn¡¯t understand their language, but he roughly knew what they meant. Ordinary people might find it hard to master a foreign language, but that wasn¡¯t the case with Himmel Soan. He learned something while listening to their conversation. He would master the language in this world if he lived in this village for three days. He had memorized everything they said and analyzed what those sounds meant through their tones, facial expressions, and gestures. After some discussion, the middle-aged men came up with a plan of how to handle Himmel Soan. They were going to let him stay in the village for a few days. They weren¡¯t born killers and couldn¡¯t bring themselves to harm Himmel Soan. Moreover, he looked like a harmless teenager. Only his clothes and tone were a little strange to the locals. The villagers were curious about Himmel Soan. They wondered where he came from and what language he spoke. There was something about him that struck them as strange. He almost seemed too calm. They didn¡¯t see him express any emotions. ¡°Hey, do you think he¡¯s some sort of an unknown master?¡± ¡°Seriously? I can¡¯t detect any spiritual essence in him. He¡¯s just an ordinary man. How can he be a master?¡± The first man had his reasoning. ¡°That¡¯s why I think he¡¯s an undiscovered master. Because he¡¯s so capable, we can¡¯t detect any spiritual essence in him. He seemed to have come out of that forest, but besides his dirty clothes, he didn¡¯t have a scratch on him. You know how fierce the magical beasts are in that forest. Do you think it¡¯s normal that he¡¯s not injured at all?¡± Another man chuckled. He didn¡¯t believe that the teenager had come out of the forest. His friend might have some logic to his words, but that speculation was too incredible. ¡°What if he didn¡¯t come out of that forest? Maybe he only pointed in a random direction. If he¡¯s as capable as you suggest, why can¡¯t he understand us? I think there¡¯s something wrong with his head. That¡¯s why he can¡¯t even speak. That outfit is probably some costume!¡± The man shook his head and walked away. It was time for dinner. Although they had agreed to keep him in the village, they hadn¡¯t talked about which family he would stay with. No one wanted to keep the strange teenager. Moreover, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t seem like he could help around the house either. His good looks didn¡¯t mean much here. The villagers needed strong men to hunt for food. No one wanted to take Himmel Soan back home because he would be eating their food without making any contribution. With similar thoughts, everybody went home with their children. In the end, the oldest man in the group stood there in embarrassment. He looked at Himmel Soan and didn¡¯t know what to do. He didn¡¯t want to take him home because he would have one more mouth to feed. He only mentioned it because Himmel Soan seemed helpless, but now, he regretted having brought it up. He couldn¡¯t just leave him alone either. This was the only village within a two-mile radius. ¡°I¡¯m Oech, the leading hunter in this village. You can call me Brother Oech. I don¡¯t care if you can understand me. I¡¯m going to tell you this anyway. You will stay at my house for the next few days. We¡¯ll keep you if you prove yourself useful, but if all you can do is eat, I¡¯ll have to kick you out! ¡°I can feed one more person¡­¡± Oech looked up at the sky and sighed. Hunting was their only food source. They would have food on the table when they hunted something. If not, they would starve. They hadn¡¯t caught anything for days and had been living off their reserves. If things remained the same, many villagers would starve to death. Luckily, they finally got some game today that could last them for a few more days. But the future was still uncertain. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Oech took Himmel Soan back to his house. Himmel Soan followed him. Although he didn¡¯t understand the language, he could guess the meaning. He knew the man had told him to stay there, and that suited him. Himmel Soan wanted to learn their language and find out more about this world. It wasn¡¯t a meaningless attempt. He would try to figure out where to go next. When they arrived at Oech¡¯s house, he saw it was a log cabin with little adornments. They went inside. The floor and the furniture were all made of stone. There was no one else at home. Oech took out a log and lit the torches on the wall, illuminating the house. ¡°I live alone. I used to have a wife. She was attacked and killed by a beast when she went out to collect some food. ¡°You¡¯ll be sleeping in my bed tonight. I¡¯ll sleep in hers. As for food¡­ I¡¯m so tired tonight. Just go to bed. I¡¯ll make something tomorrow morning.¡± Oech went into another room and lit the torches, closing the door behind him. He didn¡¯t make anything to eat, partly because he was too tired and partly because he tried to save some food. Chapter 288 - Gone Before long, Oech¡¯s room went dark. Although the torches had gone out, he was still awake. He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. With a wave of his hand, Himmel Soan put out his torches as well. Instead of going to bed, he sat quietly on a wooden chair. The night soon passed. The villagers got up when the sun was about to rise, and the sky was a lighter shade of gray. It was the ideal time to start hunting. All kinds of animals would come out at this hour to look for food, and the villagers also got up as early as the animals. They would return before the sunset. Staying outside at night was too dangerous. Powerful magical beasts would roam the woods at night, and it was impossible for the villagers to fend off the beasts. That was why they went out and came back early. Oech woke up at the usual hour. He didn¡¯t sleep well the night before, but it was time to get up. He had to go out and hunt. There was something he needed to do before that: eat something. He couldn¡¯t hunt on an empty stomach. He cut off two legs from the hare he had killed the day before and boiled them in the pot. Those two legs were four times the size of his usual meal. Today was an exception, and he was cooking two legs together. The water made a gurgling sound. It was boiling in the pot. Without any condiments or other ingredients, the meat gave off a pleasant aroma already. ¡°Kiddo, the meat is ready. Get up and have something to eat.¡± Oech came out with a plate that contained the two hare legs. However, Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t in his room. Oech was surprised. Where did the teenager go? He didn¡¯t hear anything during the night. He was a light sleeper and would have woken up if the door had been opened. But there were no sounds. Nothing! Only then did Oech realize something wasn¡¯t right. It was too quiet! That teenager should have made some kind of noise even if he was sleeping the whole time. In the silent night, the sound of breathing and turning in bed would be quite apparent. Yet he caught nothing. He didn¡¯t even know when or how the torches went off. Oech felt a chilling sensation on his back and realized his clothes had been soaked by his cold sweat. There was no time for that. He needed to find out where the teenager had gone. The door opened. Oech was going to search for Himmel Soan when he came back. ¡°Where did you go? You should have told me before going out. You left and came back without making any sounds. You¡¯re like a ghost! ¡°I made some breakfast! Finish it, and we¡¯ll talk about this!¡± Oech forgot his suspicions once he saw Himmel Soan. He no longer cared why the teenager didn¡¯t make any noise. Since he had returned, Oech didn¡¯t care about anything else. However, the idea that the teenager might be an undiscovered master struck him again. He didn¡¯t know if his suspicions were true or what would happen if the other guy really was a master. He only wanted to take care of him as best as possible, even if he wasn¡¯t a master. In fact, he wanted to train the teenager. His wife died before giving him any child. If Himmel Soan was obedient, he was going to treat him as his own child. If Himmel Soan knew what Oech was thinking, he would be so embarrassed. He was an immortal and was thousands of times older than Oech. He was also capable beyond Oech¡¯s imagination. Luckily, he still hadn¡¯t learned the native language yet. Even if he did, he couldn¡¯t read Oech¡¯s mind. They sat down at the stone table and finished the hare legs. Oech said, ¡°You¡¯re going out to hunt with me. You don¡¯t need to catch anything. Just watch and learn. In a few days, you¡¯ll join the hunters. I know you can¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying, so just follow me!¡± Oech rubbed his forehead and wished Himmel Soan could understand him. It was so inconvenient, but he could bear with it. Babies couldn¡¯t speak when they were born either. They would gradually pick up the language as they grew. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Oech waved at Himmel Soan after he packed up his gear. Himmel Soan followed him outside. Observing these people¡¯s daily life was the best way to understand this world. This was the second day. He would have a rough idea of their language by the end of the day. Right now, he would see what these people did on a daily basis. It wasn¡¯t hard to deduce that they were going out to hunt. They had returned with their gear the night before, carrying their game. Of course, they were going hunting again. It couldn¡¯t be anything else. Many people had gathered outside the village. Oech was their leader and the most experienced hunter in the village. The others all looked up to him. But that was it. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Oech didn¡¯t say anything else, same as usual. But the others had questions. ¡°Oech, are you taking him with us?¡± ¡°Look at his thin arms. I don¡¯t count on his help, but won¡¯t he become a burden?¡± Chapter 289 - Dispute Many people questioned the decision to bring Himmel Soan along. In their eyes, he was just an ordinary teenager. How could a weakling like him hunt anything? What could he do? Nothing! Hunting was all about timing. The briefest hesitation would cause the animal to run off. They had only just met Himmel Soan the day before and knew him as the strange kid who couldn¡¯t speak. They didn¡¯t mind letting him stay as long as he didn¡¯t live in their houses. But taking him out hunting? What if something went wrong, and no one could catch anything? No one wanted to see that happen. The game was their main food source. If Himmel Soan sabotaged their hunting, they would have nothing to eat! They would starve to death! Therefore, no one wanted such an unstable factor in their hunting group. Oech had expected such a reaction. He smiled bitterly. ¡°Nue, you¡¯ll lead the team today. I¡¯ll take him to hunt in another direction.¡± Everybody frowned. They only had a problem with Himmel Soan, the strange teenager, but not with Oech. However, Oech had decided to hunt in another direction on his own now. That was¡­ Nue frowned and nudged Oech with his elbow. ¡°Oech, we aren¡¯t blaming you. Just throw that boy out. He¡¯s of no use here in the village. He¡¯s only going to give you more trouble. Even if you want to take care of him, there¡¯s no need to bring him on our hunting trip. The direction you¡¯re going is too dangerous!¡± Oech knew Nue was right, but he was worried Himmel Soan would get lost if he was left in the village alone. This morning, he didn¡¯t know when this boy had gone out. If he hadn¡¯t come back, Oech wouldn¡¯t know where to find him. He couldn¡¯t leave Himmel Soan in the village, but he couldn¡¯t kick him out either. How could he leave a teenager in the wild? He had no choice but to let Himmel Soan stay with him so that he could teach the teenager how to hunt. ¡°That¡¯s it. We¡¯ll do it our way. I haven¡¯t been a competent team leader, and I know you¡¯ve never seen me as one either. My words don¡¯t have much value. I¡¯ve made up my mind today; I¡¯m going to explore another area. It¡¯s not just because you won¡¯t accept him. I¡¯m also trying to find a new hunting ground.¡± He walked away with Himmel Soan. The other people felt embarrassed. After all, Oech was their team leader, and they all recognized him as one. Besides, the place they were hunting was found by him. They had been hunting there ever since. One couldn¡¯t keep cutting the grass on the same spot. Otherwise, it would turn into bare land. It was the same way with hunting. After a while, they needed to change the spot. The current hunting ground was found by Oech when he led an exploration team. However, something happened during that trip. They ran into a magical beast, and many people were killed. The villagers didn¡¯t respect Oech as much after that. They still hunted in the same place. Just like with the grass, animals grew fewer here, and they couldn¡¯t find as much food. It was time to find new hunting grounds. With what happened last time, no one wanted to venture out. They felt conflicted when Oech made the announcement. On one hand, they didn¡¯t want him to leave. On the other hand, they wanted him to find some new hunting ground. In the end, they didn¡¯t stop him. ¡­ After leaving the group with Himmel Soan, Oech talked to him while walking. ¡°Everybody in the village is very nice. They don¡¯t mean any harm.¡± He also talked about things in the past. He just wanted to get things off his chest. He shared his burdens because he knew the teenager couldn¡¯t understand him. After a while, they saw some woods ahead. It wasn¡¯t the forest that Himmel Soan had come out of. The trees in the two places were utterly different. All the trees in the forest were so tall that one couldn¡¯t tell where their tops were. This patch of woods wasn¡¯t much different from the woods on Earth, and the trees looked ordinary as well. ¡°This is the third time I¡¯ve been here. The first time I came here, I found an excellent hunting spot. The second time, I brought my people here, but a terrible incident happened. This is the third time. I don¡¯t know if the magical beast is gone. Wish us good luck.¡± Himmel Soan was surprised to see these woods. He had left the house this morning because he had sensed strange energy nearby, so he went to take a look. His destination was these woods. A wild bear was here this morning, and its energy kept changing. It was as if it was going through a breakthrough. Himmel Soan was intrigued. He watched while the bear advanced in level, but it suddenly attacked him. Himmel Soan casually dodged the attack, but the bear lost its temper and tried to kill him. In the end, he had no choice but to kill the bear and take out its core. Its core was tiny and only had a hint of red. It was much weaker than the core of the python he had killed. Chapter 290 - Dead Bear Himmel Soan put it away without giving it much thought. To his surprise, Oech brought him back to the same place. After two days, Himmel Soan had figured out the difference between Earthlings and the people here. Physically, all the people were at the Essence Refinement stage, while some were even close to the Foundation Establishment stage. However, their mental force and spiritual essence weren¡¯t any different from ordinary people. Oech was physically close to a Foundation Establishment fighter, but he seemed to have been injured and could only exert the power of a junior Essence Refinement fighter. With that capability, he could work as a freestyle fighting trainer on Earth. But here, his strength didn¡¯t count at all. Himmel Soan killed a bear earlier that morning, but Oech could only run away from that beast. Otherwise, he would have been killed. Moreover, he heard everything Oech and the other villagers said before they set out. Although he couldn¡¯t understand their language, he knew what they were talking about. Because of him, the others didn¡¯t want to go hunting. Oech wanted to try somewhere else, but the others didn¡¯t like that place. Himmel Soan guessed they had been here and ran into that bear before. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out what happened next. The bear must have killed a lot of people. That was the main reason that Himmel Soan had killed the bear. He could tell the bear had killed people before. After entering the woods, Oech said, ¡°Wherever we go, stay vigilant. Hunters need to stay focused and grab every chance. You¡¯re going to lose many opportunities if you¡¯re distracted. ¡°Some opportunities only come once. Lose it, and you won¡¯t have a second chance. You¡¯re going to learn those things.¡± Oech¡¯s footsteps became quieter, and his movement slowed down as well. He needed to observe his surroundings. After what happened the last time, he was extremely careful when he explored the woods again. If there was a hint of any danger, he would grab Himmel Soan and run. He was worried about Himmel Soan at first. He didn¡¯t know if he could understand him and feared he would suddenly start running around in the woods. Luckily, that didn¡¯t happen. Although he didn¡¯t walk on tiptoes as he did, he still didn¡¯t make any sounds. Sometimes, Oech wondered if Himmel Soan was behind him. If he didn¡¯t see him when he turned around, he would think the teenager had disappeared. Despite the strange feeling, Oech didn¡¯t think much of it. They were in the woods. The beast could be hiding somewhere. They couldn¡¯t be distracted. If they weren¡¯t careful enough, they might get killed! It seemed forever before Oech finally stopped. It was too quiet. They hadn¡¯t heard anything since they entered the woods. They were very deep now, yet they hadn¡¯t found anything. That wasn¡¯t normal at all. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be happening. Something¡¯s not right. Should I keep going or retreat?¡± Oech murmured to himself. Everything about their surroundings was so weird. It almost gave him the creeps. However, since he didn¡¯t have any sense of danger, he wished to keep exploring. They needed more food. The entire village was running out of things to eat. They could hardly find any animals in the previous spot. It was necessary to find a new one. The woods ahead were an ideal place. Oech didn¡¯t want to miss the chance, even when the place seemed strange. He bit his lip so hard that he left marks on it. If he bit any harder, his lip would be bleeding. He finally made up his mind. He would keep going. About ten minutes later, he finally saw something. It was a very big object. He rubbed his eyes. Brushing the grass aside, he saw a giant dead bear. Its body was being eaten by many animals. That bear! Oech was dumbfounded when he recognized the bear. He was overwhelmed by a mixture of rage, excitement, and surprise. All those emotions could be seen on his face. It was the same bear he saw the other day. That beast had killed over half of his team! Oech had never expected to see it dead! He clenched his fists and charged at the dead bear. Bang! He punched the bear¡¯s dead body. All the animals were startled and ran off. The punch didn¡¯t make any difference though because the bear was already dead. Oech only wanted to vent his frustration. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t say anything. He could sense what Oech felt. After Oech calmed down a little, he slowly walked to his side. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re the same,¡± he said. Oech looked up at him. Although Himmel Soan¡¯s tone was strange, he understood his words. They were the same? What was that supposed to mean? Had the teenager experienced the same thing? Yes. From Himmel Soan¡¯s point of view, he and Oech were exactly the same. After Gina disappeared, he gave up on everything, stopped fighting against the law of nature, and even sealed his memory. Oech also lived in guilt because of the same reason. Himmel Soan could empathize with him. ¡°So, you could speak all along.¡± Himmel Soan shook his head. Oech was surprised. If he couldn¡¯t speak before, how did he learn to speak in a day? Did he learn by listening to other people? Chapter 291 - Memory Loss There was another possibility. Himmel Soan might not understand the language after all and just happened to make the same sounds. But that was a very long stretch. Oech laughed when that thought struck him, and he soon gave up on the idea. No such coincidence should exist. He decided there was only one explanation for Himmel Soan¡¯s behavior: the teenager had lost his memory! Yes! Oech recalled the forest Himmel Soan was pointing at when they ran into him the day before. It could explain everything from his strange clothes to his unrecognizable language. Even many capable people wouldn¡¯t go into that forest. What was in that forest? Was there something on the other side? Did anyone live in it? Many people wanted an answer to those questions. Did the teenager really have something to do with that forest? Oech didn¡¯t dare guess. ¡°Give me a hand!¡± He waved at Himmel Soan. No matter who Himmel Soan was, where he came from, and how he ended up here, Oech felt those questions were irrelevant. Since Himmel Soan was already here, Oech decided to let him stay. If he really had lost his memory, he would wait until he recovered. Even if he did not, he didn¡¯t mind having him around. He would be happier if Himmel Soan learned how to hunt. That way, Oech wouldn¡¯t need to work so hard anymore. However, those things could wait. There were more pressing things at hand. He was glad to see the bear dead. Now that he had vented his rage, he needed to drag the corpse back to the village. Although the animals had eaten over half of the bear, there was still much left because it was a giant bear. What was left of the bear could sustain the villagers for over a week. Less than half of the bear could still provide Oech with a lot of meat. But it was a little hard to carry. Himmel Soan walked up to Oech. He didn¡¯t need to hear another word. It was clear what Oech wanted him to do. Obviously, Oech wanted to take the bear back to the village. Himmel Soan walked up to the corpse and lifted it with one hand. Oech was trying to figure out how to carry the dead bear with Himmel Soan when the sight left him astonished. ¡°You¡¯re so strong. You look so thin, but how can you have so much strength? I can¡¯t believe it! ¡°I was going to let you stay here while I carry it back bit by bit. I see that won¡¯t be necessary. Let¡¯s go home now! This bear will fill a lot of stomachs!¡± Oech felt tears welling up in his eyes. He didn¡¯t know how to describe his feelings. It was like a dream. That giant bear had changed a lot of things. Previously, it had occupied their new hunting ground, and the villagers were starving. However, the bear¡¯s dead body was right here and had been half-eaten by animals. Oech didn¡¯t know whether he should feel happy or sad. He didn¡¯t ask Himmel Soan any more questions though. He could see that this boy was much more capable than he thought. He decided not to stick his nose into his affairs. There was no need to. No matter what the truth was, it was obvious Himmel Soan didn¡¯t mean any harm. That was enough. If Himmel Soan really was some important figure, it gave Oech more reason not to ask any questions. The village had gone through enough. He didn¡¯t want anything to happen. Himmel Soan carried the dead bear as Oech followed him. They returned to the village before long. ¡°Guys, the bear is dead!¡± Oech shouted as soon as he returned. It was as if he wanted to say those words to the villagers that had been killed by the bear. The whole village heard him, yet no one believed it. They all know how terrifying the bear was having killed so many people. It sounded far-fetched that it had died. Nevertheless, they all ran out of their houses. ¡°It¡¯s true! It¡¯s really dead!¡± ¡°Am I dreaming? It¡¯s really dead!¡± ¡°This is great! My brother didn¡¯t die for nothing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The villagers were scared when they first saw the bear, but other emotions soon took over. The bear had brought them much trauma. Some were laughing while some were crying. Some charged at the dead bear and punched it as Oech did. That was the only way they could vent their sorrow. Afterward, they calmed down and were relieved. ¡°Oech, why is this bear here?¡± ¡°How did it die? Why is it outside our village?¡± People had many questions. Many people were intrigued. How did a terrifying beast die so suddenly? Was there something more terrifying out there? ¡°I don¡¯t know how the bear died. It was already like this when I discovered it. I didn¡¯t see any big footprints nearby either. That¡¯s very curious indeed. The two of us carried this bear back.¡± He didn¡¯t tell the others about Himmel Soan¡¯s incredible strength. He didn¡¯t know how the others would react to it. It was better to keep it a secret. Chapter 292 - Soan?! The other villages had doubts about his words. ¡°Oech, are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Even if the animals have eaten over half of the bear, what¡¯s left of it is still too heavy for the two of you to carry!¡± ¡°Even twenty villagers can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Oech, please tell us the truth. What happened? Does it have something to do with him?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all from the same village. Are you going to keep things from us?¡± The villagers were full of questions, and they all wanted an answer. Oech frowned and bit his lips. He had spent most of his life here and knew what the villagers were like. He didn¡¯t want to tell them the truth about Himmel Soan. If he did, they might chase Himmel Soan away. They might even exploit the teenager¡¯s strength and give him too much work to do. Oech didn¡¯t like either possibility. ¡°I made a breakthrough. That¡¯s how we were able to carry the carcass. We took many breaks on our way back. Enough on that subject. We should let the hunters return and share the bear.¡± No one quite believed everything he said. However, Oech was right. The most important thing now was to share the meat among the villagers. It had been a while since they could eat as much meat as they wanted. With the size of the bear, every villager would get a considerable amount. At that thought, they forgot about everything else. All they saw was this big chunk of meat. Before long, the hunters came back, all looking defeated. They hadn¡¯t caught anything today, which utterly disappointed them. However, they were dumbfounded when they returned. No one could believe their ears when they heard what had happened. ¡°Did you say Oech brought back this bear?¡± ¡°Are we going to share its meat?¡± ¡°Has Oech recovered his strength?¡± The hunters were more astonished than the villagers. They had spent the most time with Oech and knew what he could and couldn¡¯t do. Even if he had recovered his full strength and made a breakthrough, he wouldn¡¯t be able to carry that bear back. But they didn¡¯t say anything. Just like the other villagers, they wanted to share the meat first. They needed the food. That was always the top priority. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have let Oech take Himmel Soan away this morning without any objections. Before long, the bear was divided into over 50 portions, each one over 100 pounds. They wouldn¡¯t need to worry about food for the next week. If they rationed their food, it would last two weeks. By the time they finished sharing the meat, the sun was setting. They all went back home. Oech and Himmel Soan also returned home. With the meat, they could have a feast tonight. Oech cut over two pounds of meat and made a big meal to thank Himmel Soan. Without the teenager, he would never be able to bring back that bear. After dinner, Oech couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who are you? How could you lift that bear so easily?¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary person.¡± ¡°How could an ordinary person do that¡ªwait! You can speak!¡± Oech was astonished. He stared at Himmel Soan in disbelief. ¡°I couldn¡¯t before, but I can now,¡± Himmel Soan said calmly. After two days, he finally figured out the language of this world, though it still required some practice. It took Oech a moment to digest the information. Himmel Soan could finally communicate with him. He could ask all the questions he wanted. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could speak. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been talking to myself. But you can speak now¡­ that¡¯s good. What do you mean by you couldn¡¯t before? Did you lose your memory?¡± Oech asked tentatively. Himmel Soan hesitated. He had been looking for an excuse to ask questions about this world. He couldn¡¯t tell them he had fallen into this world from some other universe. No one would believe him and would regard him as crazy. However, Oech had provided him with a good excuse. Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°How much do you remember?¡± Oech asked. ¡°Not much. I only know my name is Himmel Soan.¡± ¡°Soan?! You should change your surname! That surname is forbidden here!¡± Oech looked terrified as if he had heard the most terrifying news. Himmel Soan frowned. It was just a surname. Why would he have such a big reaction? ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t Soan be mentioned?¡± Oech didn¡¯t reply immediately. He thought for a long time, trying to figure out what to say. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you have that surname, and I¡¯m not telling you to change it, but you¡¯d better hide it. Don¡¯t let other people know. ¡°As for why, I don¡¯t know the answer. It has been a rule in Stelladom for a long time. No one has that surname because it¡¯ll get you in prison. You¡¯d better keep it to yourself. ¡°You can have whatever surname you want as long as it¡¯s not one of the royal surnames.¡± Chapter 293 - Stelladom and Eight Emperors Royal surnames? Seeing that Himmel Soan was confused, Oech explained, ¡°I see you¡¯ve really forgotten about everything¡­ ¡°There are eight emperors on the continent of Stelladom. Their surnames are Tzi, Oogh, Zea, Shwa, Baih, Uru, Rir, and Waf. ¡°Only the people with royal bloodlines can have one of those eight surnames. They are all important figures! ¡°As for the ban of the surname of Soan, that is the rule set by all eight emperors. ¡°Our region is ruled by Emperor Baih.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. After arriving in this world for a month, he finally learned a few things about it. Through Oech, he knew that this place was called the continent of Stelladom and was ruled by eight great masters. He was now certain that he was no longer in his original universe. This was a whole new world. He would look for Gina here. He knew he didn¡¯t come here as a coincidence. Maybe he was meant to come here. He didn¡¯t know the reason yet, but he felt it had something to do with Gina. ¡°Is this the only continent on this planet?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Planet? What¡¯s that? Stelladom is Stelladom. This continent is our world. There¡¯s no other continent.¡± Despite his confusion, Oech remained patient. He thought Himmel Soan was suffering from the after-effects of his amnesia. He couldn¡¯t understand anything Himmel Soan said before, so he didn¡¯t think there was anything strange with those questions. Himmel Soan frowned and pondered. According to Oech, this continent was the only land in his world. What shape would this planet be? Of course, it could also be because ordinary people didn¡¯t know much about this world. To learn more, he should ask someone in charge, such as one of the emperors. They should know much more than these villagers. ¡°Do you remember anything else besides your name? What about your cultivation level?¡± Oech probed. He had been wondering about that question for a long time. He couldn¡¯t detect any spiritual essence in Himmel Soan. Since Himmel Soan could breathe in the spiritual essence, other people couldn¡¯t detect the process. Himmel Soan had lifted such a big bear. That strength shouldn¡¯t belong to an ordinary man. Oech was curious about his real capability. ¡°My cultivation level? I can¡¯t remember, but I know I haven¡¯t recovered my full strength yet,¡± said Himmel Soan. Hearing the mention of cultivation level, Himmel Soan knew he had come to a cultivation world. But he didn¡¯t know what his cultivation level was by the standards of this world. Although he was God in his universe and on Earth, he couldn¡¯t say for sure in this world. Still, he didn¡¯t think it would be too different. ¡°Have you been injured before? That¡¯s probably why you¡¯ve lost your memory. I think you should be a very advanced cultivator.¡± Oech had a bold speculation in his head. He didn¡¯t dare delve too deeply. The teenager¡¯s surname was Soan, his cultivation level was unclear, he seemed to have come out of that forest, and he had lost his memory. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Himmel Soan¡¯s movement caught his attention. ¡°What are these rocks?¡± Himmel Soan took the beast cores out of his pocket. He wasn¡¯t worried about them being stolen. To him, they were no different from ordinary rocks, and he didn¡¯t find them very important. Moreover, even if Oech wanted to take them, he couldn¡¯t do it while he was watching. ¡°What? Where did you find these cores?¡± Oech was embarrassed when he asked that question. Himmel Soan had lost his memory. Of course, he couldn¡¯t know where the cores came from. Furthermore, Himmel Soan obviously didn¡¯t know what those cores were, or he wouldn¡¯t have asked the question. Oech had guessed Himmel Soan should be an advanced master. To them, the cores didn¡¯t mean much. ¡°These are magical beast¡¯s cores. They cultivate just like us and form cores in their bodies. The color of the colors will determine their level. ¡°Ordinary beasts like hares and hogs don¡¯t have a core. They will gradually grow one when they absorb some spiritual essence. At first, the cores are white. ¡°A beast¡¯s capability is represented by the color of their cores. From the weakest to the strongest, the colors are white, pale blue, blue, pale yellow, yellow, pale orange, orange, pale red, red, pale golden, and golden. ¡°Mr. Soan, of these cores, the strongest ones are red. They belong to beasts far beyond our reach.¡± Oech changed his way of addressing Himmel Soan. He felt he should address him as Mr. Soan because he deserved respect. He would even call him Lord Soan. ¡°What can I do with them?¡± ¡°They can be used for cultivation and refinement. Though they¡¯re mainly used for medicine refinement. The energy in the cores isn¡¯t pure because it has some animalistic traits. If one keeps absorbing it, they¡¯ll get affected after some time. It¡¯s better to use essence stones for cultivation. ¡°Essence stones and cores can both be used as currency, but cores are much more valuable than essence stones! ¡°This red one is worth at least a hundred top-grade essence stones!¡± Himmel Soan understood this world a bit more. It was indeed a world of cultivation. He didn¡¯t have anything else to ask. He had learned enough. It was time to set out. Chapter 294 - Baihin City As Himmel Soan rose to his feet, Oech asked, ¡°Mr. Soan, are you leaving?¡± ¡°Yes. I need to figure out who I am. I also need to find a person while I try to learn more about this world and the Soan surname.¡± ¡°Alright. Good luck, Mr. Soan. Don¡¯t forget your cores!¡± Oech put the cores in a pouch and handed them to Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan was a little perplexed. ¡°Keep them. It¡¯s my way to thank you for answering my questions.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. They¡¯re too valuable. I don¡¯t deserve them. Plus, I only told you things that are common knowledge. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Oech turned Himmel Soan down. These cores would only attract unwanted attention. People like him weren¡¯t supposed to have such valuables. He couldn¡¯t accept this reward. Himmel Soan understood his reaction. Although they were ordinary rocks to him, to a villager like Oech, they only meant trouble. ¡°I see. But I owe you a favor because you answered my questions, and I have to return it. ¡°There will be no magical beast within 25km from your hunting ground. They¡¯ll be killed as soon as they enter that area!¡± Himmel Soan disappeared. The only thing left was a gust of wind. Oech didn¡¯t know how to react. That 25km radius was good news to him and the entire village. They might not need to worry about hunting for the rest of their lives. ¡­ Five days later, Himmel Soan spotted a city. The slanting wooden plate above the gate said it was Baihin City. It was a small place, at least by Himmel Soan¡¯s standard. His mental force could cover half the city. Upon entering, he felt he had traveled through time and arrived at a city from a thousand years ago. He blended into the common people walking on the streets. No one noticed him. It was as if he was invisible; everybody would walk around him involuntarily. Himmel Soan had changed into an outfit similar to all the other people in the city, but he still looked quite handsome in simple garb. He walked into a tavern and sat down next to the window, ordering a pot of wine and a few dishes. He gradually got used to life here, but he had never forgotten his mission and never stopped traveling. He needed to find Gina. Taverns were the best places to gather information, which was why he came here. Traveling aimlessly was too inefficient. Moreover, Stelladom was a really big place. Something seemed to have been blocking his mental force, and only a small fraction could be released. Otherwise, he could sweep the continent and teleport to his destination. However, teleportation seemed much harder to achieve here. He had been studying this matter for the past few days and discovered something incredible: this world seemed to have a general cultivation rule and law. It was much more complicated than the situation on Earth. ¡°If I can work out the general rule, maybe I¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s been blocking my mental force. It won¡¯t be that easy, though. Maybe I can achieve it in a year.¡± Himmel Soan shook his head. That was too long. Moreover, one year was the minimum time. It would require investing all his time and energy into it. However, he didn¡¯t have time for that. The most important thing was to search for Gina. Compared to Gina, those things didn¡¯t matter. ¡°The daughter of the city lord is going to hold a martial arts contest today for her future husband. Do you think you¡¯re up for it?¡± ¡°Do I think so? I don¡¯t need to think! That contest is just for show! Do you really think you can marry the city lord¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already made a list of the suitable candidates, and I heard the lord¡¯s daughter has seen the list and agreed on the candidates.¡± ¡°Obviously, the contest is going to be among those men. We won¡¯t stand a chance!¡± ¡°I see. We still can watch their contest, though!¡± ¡°Maybe a dark horse will turn up and defeat them all? Things will be so interesting then.¡± ¡°A dark horse? Do you mean yourself? Just look at the candidates¡¯ cultivation levels!¡± ¡°Even ten dark horses won¡¯t make a difference!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everybody in the tavern was talking about this event. It seemed the only thing the locals were interested in. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it. The marriage of the city lord¡¯s daughter didn¡¯t have anything to do with him, but the city lord was very important. He wanted to meet him and see if he could get some useful information. It was said the city lord was hard to locate. Usually, no one knew where he was, and many people were here to see him today. His daughter was looking for her future husband today, so he had to be here. Himmel Soan knew he had to watch the contest. It would give him a chance to study how people in this world fought with spiritual essence. At that moment, he felt something pulsating in his chest pocket like heartbeats. Yes! Firey was still there! He touched the heart of the volcano in his pocket and realized that it was palpitating continuously. It meant Firey was going to wake up in about three days. This was a piece of good news. Firey was like a daughter to Himmel Soan. As a father, of course, he was glad to see her wake up. Someone said loudly at that moment, ¡°The contest has started!¡± Chapter 295 - Contest for Marriage Everybody hurried downstairs to watch the show. Although they wouldn¡¯t be considered proper candidates, it didn¡¯t stop them from enjoying the commotion. The city lord, his daughter, and the five candidates were all important individuals that could attract much attention on their own, let alone all five of them put together. Himmel Soan put down his glass and followed the crowd. His mental force could cover half a city now, so he could tell which part was the most bustling. Only one place was packed now, and that had to be where the contest was. He could find it even if he didn¡¯t follow the crowd. He was just going with the flow. No one noticed him. It was as if he was invisible. Himmel Soan did it on purpose, creating the effect with his mental force so that everyone around him wouldn¡¯t realize his presence. ¡°My lord, everything¡¯s ready!¡± said one of the subordinates. ¡°I see,¡± Peklon Baih nodded. He could see it too and didn¡¯t need the subordinate¡¯s reminder. However. he was distracted. He felt like being watched, but he couldn¡¯t say for sure. It was a strange feeling. Was there a capable cultivator in town? Peklon sensed the energy in the city, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There wasn¡¯t any powerful energy, so what was going on? But now wasn¡¯t the time to be distracted. The contest was waiting. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°The contest starts now!¡± ¡­ ¡°Finally! We¡¯ve been waiting forever!¡± ¡°Our lord is always punctual. Why is he late today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. We only waited a bit longer. Everybody needs some time to prepare!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Are you accusing our lord of not being punctual?¡± ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m just curious!¡± ¡°Curiosity will get you killed!¡± The competition began amid the crowd¡¯s discussions. They didn¡¯t take the battles too seriously. The first few rounds were only for show. They were there to fill the numbers. The actual contest would take place between the predetermined candidates. Those five men were the real deal. Some of the five young men even came from other cities. All of them were here because the Biah family¡¯s daughter was looking for a husband. Moreover, she was a pretty girl that had been raised well. No one wanted to miss such an opportunity. ¡°Shif Woad is a handsome man. No wonder he¡¯s one of the candidates!¡± ¡°He fights well, too!¡± ¡°I think Yov is better. Shif is too fair and too civilized. He won¡¯t last for long.¡± ¡°Neither of them is handsome enough. Hoy is much better-looking!¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s alright, but only one of them can marry the lord¡¯s daughter. Who do you think will be the lucky man?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to think! It must be Shif!¡± ¡°No, I think Yov has a better chance. Shif isn¡¯t good enough!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The discussion revolved around the five candidates. Himmel Soan saw how people in this world fought, observing the way they put spiritual essence into use. But he wasn¡¯t going to take up that method. He still found his own way more effective. He soon lost interest. He already knew what the result of this contest would be. If everything went on like this, Shif was going to win. That man could easily crush the others because his cultivation level was the highest among the five. Shif hadn¡¯t even used his full strength. If he exerted all his power, he could probably fight all four opponents at once. However, Shif didn¡¯t do that. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know why, and he didn¡¯t need to either. He only wanted to find the city lord and had no interest in the contest. If he had to be someone¡¯s husband, that person could only be Gina. His sole purpose was to find Gina. ¡°Wait¡­ is that him?¡± Peklon looked in Himmel Soan¡¯s direction while he was also looking at him. He was surprised when he saw Himmel Soan¡¯s face. The other party looked like a man in his early twenties, yet he could calmly meet Peklon¡¯s gaze without looking away. That was very rare! Moreover, Peklon knew he could sense everybody in his surroundings, and Himmel Soan shouldn¡¯t be an exception. But when he saw Himmel Soan, it was as if he had appeared out of the blue. Peklon could recognize all the people even if he glanced at them for the briefest moment. But not Himmel Soan. Although he had been standing there the whole time, Peklon had somehow ignored him. Himmel Soan slowly walked toward Peklon, who told his servant, ¡°Make some tea.¡± The servant was dumbfounded. The contest wouldn¡¯t finish for a while. Wasn¡¯t it a bit too early to make tea? Despite the confusion, he still carried out the order. He didn¡¯t need any answers and only needed to do as he was told. Himmel Soan arrived at the building Peklon was in. Naturally, the gate was guarded. The guards stood in his path, blocking his way. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the guest of your lord.¡± Himmel Soan smiled and walked past them. Chapter 296 - Mysterious Visitor ¡°Welcome, friend from a distant land! The tea is served. Would you like to try it while it¡¯s hot?¡± Peklon greeted Himmel Soan with a smile. Although he didn¡¯t know who Himmel Soan was or why he was here, he was still going to give him a warm welcome. It wouldn¡¯t hurt him to make a new friend. If the other party turned out to be an enemy, he would have to think twice before he did anything to the Baih family. Himmel Soan nodded and sat down opposite Peklon. Their building was the best place to watch the contest. Needless to say, all eyes were on them. The crowd noticed Himmel Soan as soon as he sat down. ¡°Who¡¯s that? Why is he sitting opposite our lord?¡± ¡°Lord Baih served the tea himself.¡± ¡°Is he a high-ranking official of some sort?¡± ¡°Is he here for Lord Baih¡¯s daughter, too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. If a high-ranking official is as young as him, with Lord Baih personally serving tea, he can have any woman he wants. Why would he come all the way here for Lord Baih¡¯s daughter? If that were really the case, this contest wouldn¡¯t even have been arranged.¡± ¡°You have a point, but I still want to see the handsome young man fight!¡± ¡°Shhh¡­ Watch your language! You can get exiled for what you said!¡± Everybody fixed their gaze on Himmel Soan. The young man was being entertained by the city lord, and anyone would be curious. It wasn¡¯t every day that they would meet such an important figure. The ordinary people were never qualified to do so! Himmel Soan sipped his tea. ¡°What do you think of this contest?¡± Peklon asked tentatively. He tried to guess why Himmel Soan was here. He was sure Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t a member of the Baih clan. Otherwise, he would have been notified first, but he would complete the mission even without the notification. Although Himmel Soan seemed to be here to see him, he hadn¡¯t said anything yet. Peklon could only keep probing. ¡°It¡¯s alright, but it¡¯s getting boring,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a contest with no surprises. The result is fixed, but you¡¯re trying to hide it. That¡¯s just petty.¡± Peklon was amazed. Though he knew Himmel Soan would spot it, he didn¡¯t expect the young man to be so straightforward. But he didn¡¯t mind it. Everybody knew this contest was only for show. The real candidate had already been determined. Yes, there was only one candidate. ¡°Just think of it as a show. At least it¡¯ll be entertaining,¡± Peklon said with a smile. ¡°If you hide the truth about this contest, maybe you¡¯ll hide other truths too because it¡¯s in your nature. People like that would probably have two faces!¡± Himmel Soan said while watching Shif. Peklon frowned. He wasn¡¯t confused as he caught Himmel Soan¡¯s meaning. Shif was the young man he had chosen to be his future son-in-law. He had looked into him for his daughter and only made the decision after a thorough background check. But now, Himmel Soan had disapproved of the son-in-law he had chosen. No one would be pleased when they heard that. Peklon poured Himmel Soan another cup of tea and forced out a smile. ¡°Please feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as free lunch. You need to trade a valuable thing with something of the same value!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s tone was quite calm. Peklon was perplexed. Was this young man here to trade with him? He didn¡¯t mind it, though. After all, one would get what they paid for. Himmel Soan was right when he talked about equal value. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°Information!¡± ¡°Information? I¡¯m sorry you¡¯ll be disappointed. Information on the Baih family and Baihin City is related to my clan¡¯s benefit. I can¡¯t tell an outsider anything.¡± Peklon shook his head. He was disappointed and doubted Himmel Soan¡¯s intention. He never trusted him and still didn¡¯t believe him. Peklon had personally looked into Shif¡¯s history and done some background checks. Nothing seemed wrong. Yet, this guy had just disapproved of his effort. Therefore, Peklon wasn¡¯t going to trade his family¡¯s information with a man he didn¡¯t trust. Even if Himmel Soan were right, he still wouldn¡¯t accept the deal. In that case, this conversation could end here. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your family. Just tell me if you¡¯ve heard of the name Gina Zimmer before. And where¡¯s the center, the prosperous region, of Stelladom? In which direction should I go?¡± Seeing that Peklon had misunderstood him, Himmel Soan told the lord what he wanted to know. Peklon was relieved. He was apparently thinking too much. He was surprised that Himmel Soan didn¡¯t even know such basic things. ¡°I¡¯m a cultivator without a sect, and I¡¯ve lived in the mountains all my life.¡± Himmel Soan tried to reassure Peklon with his explanation. A cultivator without a sect? Living in the mountains his whole life? Could he be a disciple of some unknown master? That was the only explanation Peklon could think of. Himmel Soan had evaded his detection earlier, and Peklon attributed it to his skills. Maybe it was some special technique. Some unknown masters liked such things. He had to admit that those rare skills could be quite effective at times and saved them a lot of trouble. ¡°I see. I¡¯ve never heard of Gina Zimmer before, but you can ask Star Tower about it. The central region is in the south. We¡¯re on the north side of the continent.¡± Peklon changed his attitude after Himmel Soan said he was a cultivator without a sect. He even stopped showing as much respect as before. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it. He would respond with the same attitude that other people had given him. Downing the tea in his cup, he stood up to leave the building. Chapter 297 - An Independent Cultivator Peklon only narrowed his eyes without saying a word. Many people found independent cultivators unworthy of their time. Moreover, Peklon was a Baih. If Himmel Soan had one of the other seven royal surnames, he didn¡¯t mind addressing him in a respectful way. But this teenager was just an independent cultivator. It was impossible that he would have a royal name. If he had one, he would have used that identity instead of calling himself an independent cultivator. No matter how capable he was, at the end of the day, he was a cultivator without a sect. Peklon said nothing when Himmel Soan left, not even asking for his name. ¡°Shif has a foul aura about him, but he has hidden it well. He¡¯ll be unable to suppress that power at three o¡¯clock in the morning, and it¡¯ll last for about thirty minutes. I know you don¡¯t believe me now. You¡¯ll see.¡± Peklon suddenly raised his head, but he couldn¡¯t make out Himmel Soan¡¯s figure from behind. The young man became more and more blurry. Gradually, he disappeared from his sight. ¡°What¡­¡± Peklon was a junior Nascent cultivator. Yet he couldn¡¯t tell how capable Himmel Soan was. The young man almost felt like an ordinary guy. But an ordinary man couldn¡¯t have disappeared out of his sight like that. He couldn¡¯t even remember Himmel Soan¡¯s face now. It was as if he had never seen him before. How did that happen? Was that one of that man¡¯s strange skills? He decided not to think about it. That independent cultivator didn¡¯t have a royal surname, so he didn¡¯t deserve Peklon¡¯s attention. However, something still bothered him. It was Shif. Could that independent cultivator be telling the truth? ¡°The contest has ended! ¡°Shif is the winner!¡± The announcement woke Peklon up from his reverie. If everything went as planned, the marriage would be consummated at night. However, he was still thinking about Himmel Soan¡¯s warning. If that independent cultivator was right, Peklon would never let Shif marry his daughter. The Baih family wouldn¡¯t permit it either. He decided to stall, at least for tonight. ¡°I¡¯m glad the contest has come to an end. I didn¡¯t expect Shif to be the winner! What a wonderful event! ¡°Tonight, I¡¯m holding a city-wide feast. The wedding ceremony will be tomorrow, and the young couple will be officially married!¡± The crowd was perplexed. Tomorrow? The general practice was to hold the wedding first, and the feast would be on the second day. Why was it the other way around today? Had Lord Baih made a mistake? Mistake or not, it wasn¡¯t their place to say anything. Switching the events didn¡¯t seem to have any problem either. ¡°Dad, are you sure about this?¡± Other people might not mind it, but the daughter had to ask the question. Her marriage was at stake here. She couldn¡¯t afford any mistake. They should follow the usual schedule. The dates shouldn¡¯t be switched around willy-nilly! ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The marriage ceremony and the feast, shouldn¡¯t they be the other way around?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no mistake. The feast first, then the ceremony. Don¡¯t just stand there. Start the preparation, everybody!¡± Peklon didn¡¯t give his daughter another chance to speak before giving the order. Everybody had heard him. It wasn¡¯t a slip of tongue. He had swapped the two dates. However, now that the city lord had given the order, everybody had to carry it out. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re mistaken!¡± Lida pouted after everybody was gone. ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I told you already!¡± ¡°But Dad!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lida. I¡¯m sure Lord Baih is right. We can get married tomorrow. It¡¯s just one more day!¡± Just as Lida was getting into an argument, Shif spoke first. He didn¡¯t know Lord Baih¡¯s intention, but he could see the lord wasn¡¯t going to change his mind. His stance wasn¡¯t negotiable. Therefore, Shif tried to appease the father and daughter. He was going to be the city lord¡¯s son-in-law and needed to make himself useful. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Lida seemed disappointed. She had been in love with Shif for a long time. When she could finally marry him, she was told to wait one more day. Of course, she would be disappointed. Lida and Shif said goodbye to each other for the time being, and the city-wide feast began. All the gathering spots in Baihin City were filled with cheerful people. The citizens were talking about the contest today. ¡°Who was that young man sitting opposite Lord Baih today?¡± ¡°He¡¯s so strange. I don¡¯t even know when he got up there or when he left. I have no memory of him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Does anyone remember what he looks like?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably a master cultivator from one of those families. Otherwise, Lord Baih wouldn¡¯t have welcomed him in person.¡± ¡°Why did Lord Baih switch the two events around, though? Could that young man be the reason?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Lord Baih probably forgot the dates, that¡¯s all. Even if that young man is the son of some important family, he couldn¡¯t make our lord change his plans. Didn¡¯t you hear Lord Baih say there was no mistake?¡± ¡°I guess so. Speaking of which, Shif has surprised me. I didn¡¯t expect him to be the winner.¡± ¡°I told you so! I knew he would be the winner!¡± ¡°Bullshit! You said that Hoy would win, but he was the first to be eliminated!¡± ¡°Did I say that? Who¡¯s Hoy, anyway? I thought I said Shif the whole time!¡± Peklon stood on the city wall and looked down with an expressionless face. No matter what the truth about Shif was, it wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant thing for Peklon. He needed to get to the bottom of this matter, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. Chapter 298 - Worrying News The feast didn¡¯t last long. People began to scatter after eleven o¡¯clock. Although it was a big event, they still needed to go home and rest. Moreover, Miss Lida Baih¡¯s wedding was the next day, and they needed a good sleep before that. The lights in the city went out one after another, but the city lord¡¯s manor remained brightly lit. Lida also found her father¡¯s behavior today rather odd. He seemed to have changed after talking to that stranger. The wedding and the feast aside, it was also very unlike her father to stay up so late. Even if he didn¡¯t want to sleep, there was no need for him to stand on the city wall. It seemed he wanted to stand there forever. Everyone who saw him would think he was going to stand there until sunrise. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s getting late. Come back home!¡± Peklon remained fixed in his spot. Lida wondered if he was standing there because he was mad at her for talking back earlier today. She bit her lip and said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry about what I said this afternoon. The feast is over, and my wedding is tomorrow. Please don¡¯t be mad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad! Come back and go to bed!¡± Peklon felt conflicted. He had always doted on Lida and would do his best to give her everything she wanted. When he heard about Shif¡¯s questionable background, he had to verify it himself. If it was true, marrying Lida to him would be disastrous. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m just happy for you. My daughter is a big girl now and is going to get married. You¡¯ll be somebody else¡¯s sweetheart, and I just feel a little overwhelmed. ¡°You always followed me around when you were young. It still feels like yesterday. I¡¯m only reliving my memory here.¡± Peklon wouldn¡¯t tell her the problem with Shif. He knew she wouldn¡¯t accept it, whether it was true or not. Telling her now might even alarm Shif, so it was better to keep her in the dark. ¡°Dad, married or not, I¡¯m always your daughter and your sweetheart!¡± Lida also recalled the old days. Her childhood memories made her feel sorry for what she had said that afternoon. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m going to bed. Don¡¯t stay up too late.¡± Peklon nodded. As he watched Lida leave, he was even more determined. He couldn¡¯t let anything bad happen to his daughter. Time ticked by, and it would soon be three o¡¯clock in the morning. Peklon was on the move. Shif was an outstanding young man in the city, and his family was influential as well, which was why Peklon chose him. More importantly, his daughter was in love with this young man. Peklon arrived at the Woad manor¡¯s front gate. He wasn¡¯t going to be stopped by a door. The next second, he was in the courtyard. Only one room was still lit¡ªShif¡¯s. That fit the suggestion of the three o¡¯clock incident. However, it could also be a coincidence. Peklon knocked on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Peklon Baih.¡± ¡°My lord?¡± Shif opened the door in surprise, but he also seemed nervous and flustered. ¡°My lord, what brought you here at this hour?¡± Shif asked tentatively. Peklon smiled. ¡°You¡¯re going to marry Lida today, and I¡¯m having a hard time falling asleep, so I took a walk in the city. I saw your lights on and thought I could chat with you.¡± Shif was a little relieved. Although he didn¡¯t know how much truth there was in those words, he still relaxed a little. He smiled at Peklong with great respect. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to marry Lida that I can¡¯t sleep either. I didn¡¯t know you were the same, my lord. I know I should be resting now so that I¡¯m in my best shape when the wedding ceremony starts. ¡°My lord, are you here to talk about Lida? I promise I¡¯ll treat her the best when I marry her! I swear to God! Please trust me!¡± Peklon nodded, fancying the young man¡¯s attitude. If Shif turned out to be alright, he would be relieved. But how could he be sure? It was almost three o¡¯clock, but nothing had happened yet. Was everything going to be fine? He hoped that was the case, but he still had to wait until three o¡¯clock. ¡°Shif, I hope you won¡¯t mind me switching the two events around. I know you want to marry Lida, but it also breaks my heart to see her go, so I selfishly delayed the wedding for one more day. I hope you can understand.¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind it!¡± Shif shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, my lord! You gave me more time to get prepared! I need to thank you for that!¡± At that moment, Shif felt the stirring energy inside him, and his face twitched a little. ¡°No, I can¡¯t expose myself in front of Lord Baih! Damn it! He shouldn¡¯t be here! ¡°Why would he even come out at this hour?!¡± Chapter 299 - City Lords Decree Despite what he thought, Shif wouldn¡¯t say it aloud. He didn¡¯t have a death wish. The most important thing wasn¡¯t to find out why Peklon was here but to get rid of him! Shif grew pale and said weakly, ¡°My lord, I don¡¯t feel so well. I think I need to go to bed now. We¡¯ll have to pick up this conversation later.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t feel well?¡± Peklon frowned and became concerned. Things seemed to fall in place, and that independent cultivator was apparently telling the truth! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Let me take a look!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a condition I have had since I was little. It¡¯s not curable, but it¡¯ll pass in a moment. My lord, please don¡¯t trouble yourself,¡± Shif said nervously. The more he tried to stall, the more suspicious he seemed. The look in Peklon¡¯s eyes became cold. But it wasn¡¯t the time to strike yet. He had no excuse, at least not before Shif¡¯s true self was exposed. Shif¡¯s stomach sank when he saw Peklon showing no intention to leave. Had he found something out already? That shouldn¡¯t be possible! Even Shif¡¯s family members weren¡¯t aware of his other side; how could Peklon know? ¡°Lord Baih, my stomach doesn¡¯t feel well. I need to use the bathroom¡­¡± He rose to his feet and headed out without waiting for a reply, walking past Peklon. Shif thought, My lord, I¡¯m not a cold-blooded person, but you just had to drop by at this hour and become suspicious of me. You¡¯ve left me no choice. He didn¡¯t slow down. With an evil aura bursting out of him, Shif struck the back of Peklon¡¯s head. ¡°You can¡¯t wait any longer, can you?¡± Peklon snorted, and his spiritual essence smashed Shif away. If he had been caught off guard, Shif would have succeeded. However, Peklon already knew Shif had a questionable background and confirmed it from his reaction. Naturally, he was on guard. Shif realized things had gone very wrong. The city lord didn¡¯t just drop by. He was here on purpose! That shouldn¡¯t have happened. Shif didn¡¯t think that he had exposed himself anywhere, so how did Peklon know? Could it be because of that young man? However, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that. If he didn¡¯t run now, Peklon would probably kill him! The only good news for Shif was Peklon¡¯s strike had created some distance between them, giving him a good chance to get away. Run? ¡°Damn it!¡± Peklon cursed loudly. He had struck back out of instinct. He now realized that the distance had given Shif an opportunity to get away. Although he was a capable Nascent cultivator, Shif was an experienced Golden Core cultivator who had almost reached the senior phase. He had won the groom contest without much difficulty, and his capability was also what won Peklon¡¯s recognition. That was the reason that Peklon had an ominous feeling. With Shif¡¯s capability, he could hardly escape, but there was also that dark aura. Maybe it would help him get away! Peklon ran after Shif without hesitation, but the other party was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Still, Peklon had to find the man. He immediately took out his City Lord¡¯s Decree, which was the most important object in the city and the item that symbolized the city lord¡¯s status. Its other important function was to activate a shield around the city. Anyone below the Nascent stage wouldn¡¯t be able to come in and out of the city. That was the ability of this specific City Lord¡¯s Decree. Cities with higher levels would have corresponding City Lord¡¯s Decrees that had stronger power. It was said when the City Lord¡¯s Decree was activated in Cloud City at the center of the continent, no living creatures apart from the emperor could enter or leave the city. That was only a rumor, though. No one knew who had the City Lord¡¯s Decree in Cloud City since no one saw it. They couldn¡¯t even say for sure that it existed. Cloud City was where the eight emperors resided. Such a place didn¡¯t need a city lord or a City Lord¡¯s Decree. Peklon activated the City Lord¡¯s Decree without hesitation. The next second, everybody in the city seemed to have sensed something. Many people got out of bed to see what was happening. ¡°Why is the City Lord¡¯s Decree activated? Is the great beast herd here?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that happen once every six months? It¡¯s only been three months since the last one!¡± ¡°Maybe one of the beast kings made a breakthrough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. That should bring forth abnormal weather, but everything¡¯s normal!¡± ¡°I guess Lord Baih activated it by accident in his sleep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how the City Lord¡¯s Decree is activated? It needs the city lord¡¯s spiritual essence and blood. Both of them have to be used, together with an incantation. Are you saying Lord Baih did all that in his sleep?¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s going on?¡± Peklon clenched his teeth and made an announcement through the City Lord¡¯s Decree. It was another one of its functions. He could talk to the entire city through it. ¡°Shif, the winner of today¡¯s contest, has turned out to be a heresy cultivator! ¡°Heresy cultivators are the enemies of all the people in Stelladom, and everybody has the responsibility to destroy them! ¡°Shif is on the run, and I¡¯ve activated the shield. There¡¯s nowhere he can go. We must bring this heresy cultivator to justice! ¡°All members of the City Lord¡¯s Manor should set out immediately and catch Shif! ¡°If he resists arrest, kill him on the spot!¡± Chapter 300 - City-Wide Search Peklon¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but everybody heard him. It came as a great shock. The news of Shif being a heresy cultivator was almost beyond their comprehension. Shif was the winner of the contest only the day before, but now, he had turned out to be a heresy cultivator. Heresy cultivators were detested by all the people of Stelladom. They were public enemies. It was very rare to hear them being mentioned, and hardly anyone had met one in real life. But now, Shif was said to be a heresy cultivator. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. How can Shif be a heresy cultivator? He looks like a harmless scholar! A heresy cultivator, really?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it either, but it came from Lord Baih, so it has to be true!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be true! I don¡¯t believe it! Lord Baih doesn¡¯t want his daughter to get married, so he¡¯s incriminating Shif!¡± ¡°Incriminating him? Are you serious? Do you know the significance of Lord Baih¡¯s announcement? Shif is the winner of the contest, so he¡¯s Lida¡¯s fiance. They were going to marry today, which makes him a member of the Baih family! Do you understand? ¡°Shif is connected to the Baih family now! If he¡¯s a heresy cultivator, the Baih family¡¯s reputation will be ruined! Lord Baih has to take it seriously!¡± Everybody came out of their houses and talked about what was going on. It was big news that there was a heresy cultivator among them. No one wanted to sleep anymore. They went into the streets to see what was happening. Meanwhile, something was going on in an inn. Shif, the subject of all the discussions, was right here. He sat obediently in the chair because opposite him was Himmel Soan. ¡°Why do you keep it a secret that you¡¯re a heresy cultivator? It wouldn¡¯t do you any good. You should have told the truth,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know anything about heresy cultivators. I¡¯ve told you already. I¡¯m not a heresy cultivator. I just happened to find a book and used it for my cultivation. It turned me into this way. I didn¡¯t know this was going to happen. Had I known, I¡¯d never have used it,¡± Shif said in resignation. He had run away from Peklon and thought he could flee the city. However, he arrived at this room as soon as he left Peklon. He didn¡¯t know how he ended up here. In front of him was the young man that was talking to Peklong the day before. However, this young man was far more capable than Shif had expected. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have addressed Himmel Soan as ¡°sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance to tell the truth. If I¡¯m still not satisfied with your answer, I¡¯ll make you disappear forever.¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s tone turned cold, and there was killing intent in the air. It was as if everything around them was reacting to Himmel Soan¡¯s mood. If Shif displeased the young man, he would be wiped off the face of Earth! ¡°What if you don¡¯t like my answer?¡± Shif asked. ¡°Do you think you have a choice?¡± Himmel Soan smirked. Shif felt something warm in his throat before he spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Shif didn¡¯t put up a fight because in that instant, he felt he was dead and brought back to life again. He didn¡¯t hesitate to tell Himmel Soan about heresy cultivators. After all, his life was in danger. Nothing was more important than staying alive. ¡°A person in a black raincoat gave me the book and said the skill in it would be suitable for me. I didn¡¯t believe him at first because it sounded like a made-up story. But he showed me the effect of the skills, and he was right! It suited me perfectly! ¡°The cultivation method was the easiest and the most efficient. Once I saw the results, I chose to join their sect. I worked for them to learn these skills!¡± Shif told the truth. However, he only said the most basic things and sounded like he was trying to fool Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan gave him a stern look. That wasn¡¯t what he wanted to know. If Shif kept providing him with unimportant information, there was no need to show him any mercy. His stare made Shif break into a cold sweat. ¡°That sect is the famous Heresy Sect!¡± ¡°Keep talking.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shif was dumbfounded. He had told him everything. What more did he want to hear? ¡°Tell me more about his sect from the very beginning. Tell me everything. Don¡¯t keep any secrets.¡± Is he giving me a hard time? Shif was perplexed. He knew about that sect as little as any other outsider. He only joined it by chance and was the lowest-ranking pupil. He didn¡¯t know much. Everything he knew was almost common knowledge. Why bother? He didn¡¯t know what Himmel Soan was thinking. However, he had no other choice other than to go with the flow. ¡°Heresy Sect is a well-known sect in Stelladom. Although many people detest heresy cultivators, some people still want to become one. ¡°As for who established the sect and why it hasn¡¯t been destroyed, no one knows the answer. The eight emperors never did anything as if they were deliberately ignoring it. ¡°Heresy Sect has remained discreet. So far, I¡¯ve only seen one group of men in black.¡± Chapter 301 - Heresy Sect Shif told Himmel Soan what he knew. It was common knowledge, so he didn¡¯t understand why he needed to repeat it. However, he knew if he didn¡¯t give the teenager what he wanted, he wouldn¡¯t be in this world for much longer. He had no choice but to comply. Shif had no idea why Himmel Soan wanted to know general knowledge like this. If all ordinary people knew it, how could this capable man not know? He didn¡¯t understand. However, he saw Himmel Soan listen carefully as he spoke and looked as if he was analyzing something, which made Shif feel awkward. The guy looked like he had never heard about those things before. ¡°What¡¯s your status in this sect?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°I¡¯m the lowest-ranking member. They said I had to master these skills before I can become an official member!¡± Shif ground his teeth. He felt ashamed to say it. Although he was practicing their skills, he was still treated as an unofficial member. It embarrassed him to bring it up. ¡°That¡¯s to say, you don¡¯t know anything else.¡± ¡°Anything else? I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Shif didn¡¯t know what Himmel Soan was referring to. The things he knew were the same as everybody else. The only difference was that he practiced the skills. ¡°Do you know a woman named Gina Zimmer?¡± ¡°Gina? No, I don¡¯t. Are you looking for her? I¡¯ll do my best to help you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother! I don¡¯t need a heresy cultivator to work for me!¡± ¡°Sir, heresy or not, as long as I can make achievements, it¡¯ll be a useful approach!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same. A heresy will always be a heresy. It¡¯ll never be the orthodox way!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s tone turned stern. The cold look in his eyes gave Shif the creeps. That gaze almost didn¡¯t look human. He felt like he was being watched by a beast. The fear of death overwhelmed him again. Shif panicked and dropped to his knees. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have joined them! ¡°I know I¡¯ve made a terrible mistake. Please show some mercy and spare my life! I¡¯ll never practice those skills again!¡± He apologized repeatedly and begged for Himmel Soan¡¯s forgiveness. He felt like a drowning man grabbing for a straw. Even so, the fear of death still didn¡¯t go away. He was only more frightened. ¡°Your cultivation level has been gained at the cost of other people¡¯s lives. Do you think I can forgive such an evil method? If I hadn¡¯t met you, I wouldn¡¯t have meddled with the heresy cultivators. Since I have, I¡¯m going to take care of them.¡± Shif¡¯s face darkened. He had a bitter feeling that he couldn¡¯t describe. ¡°Sir, you said you would set me free if you were pleased.¡± ¡°I said you didn¡¯t have a choice. I never said I was going to set you free. You can die now,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently before heading for the door. Shif was amazed. This outcome was out of his expectations. Didn¡¯t he say he was going to kill me? Why did he leave without doing anything? Shif felt relieved. Although he didn¡¯t know what Himmel Soan was doing, once the guy was out of the door, he would flee. The door opened. Himmel Soan left. Shif stared at the door in disbelief and couldn¡¯t believe his good luck. It was like a dream. He couldn¡¯t believe everything that had happened was real. However, it did happen, and the most important thing now was to run for his life. The rest could wait. Peklon had activated the City Lord¡¯s Decree. Even as a heresy cultivator, he still couldn¡¯t breach the defenses. But he could hide. His condition would only last for thirty minutes. During that time, he would turn into an evil-looking creature, but after that, he would appear like any ordinary person. It was four o¡¯clock now, and he had returned to normal. He only needed to wait. The shield usually lasted for twenty hours. After that, it needed a cooldown period before it could be reactivated. He could use the window and flee while no one was watching. However, he had no idea that his plans would never come true. Shif wanted to get up, but his limbs felt weak. Gradually, sleepiness took over him. His mind went blank, and he couldn¡¯t think of anything else. All he wanted to do was to close his eyes. Nothing else mattered. ¡°No, I can¡¯t sleep!¡± Shif was alarmed and felt a chill run down his spine. He wanted to rest for a while, but instinct told him that once he closed his eyes, he might never wake up again. He would die in his sleep! Yet nothing could make him stay awake. He was overwhelmed by the sleepy feeling. His brain seemed to slow down. Before long, he was only half-conscious as if life had been drained from him. He seemed to be asleep. However, he wasn¡¯t breathing and had no heartbeat. If he was still conscious, he would be confused. How did this happen? That man didn¡¯t do anything. He only asked a few questions and left. Why did I die like this? He couldn¡¯t voice those questions. He was dead. Chapter 302 - Shifs Death Himmel Soan headed for the city gate after leaving the inn. Once Shif was taken care of, he had no reason to remain here. He couldn¡¯t find any information about Gina here. Maybe he should try one of the central cities. He would probably learn more about her in big cities. There were two reasons for that. First of all, Gina was an immortal like him and was only slightly lower than him in her cultivation level. Someone like her couldn¡¯t stay unnoticed. Secondly, even if Gina managed to conceal her cultivation level, she couldn¡¯t hide her face. Wherever she went, she would always be the most beautiful woman. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t remember how many people he had met in his lifetime, but no one could hold a candle to her. With her unmatched beauty and nearly invincible capability, she shouldn¡¯t stay hidden forever. One way or another, he had to go to a big city to figure out what was going on. He didn¡¯t believe this incident to be a random coincidence. Everything had a reason. He saw Gina before arriving in this world, so there must be a connection. Otherwise, such an accident should never have happened to a man with his cultivation level. After making up his mind, Himmel Soan headed for the south. ¡­ Back in the city, it wasn¡¯t that big a place to search. Many people ran out of their houses after hearing the news and joined the search party. No one wanted a heresy cultivator in their house. The citizens combed every corner of their houses. They were afraid to see Shif there because something dangerous might happen. The inn managers also asked the attendants to check the rooms. The guests all cooperated. A heresy cultivator was at loose. If they didn¡¯t cooperate, what if they were suspected to be that man¡¯s accomplice? Before long, they narrowed down the possible hiding place to an inn. Ten minutes earlier, an attendant saw Shif in one of the rooms. ¡°Is Shif inside?¡± Peklon arrived as soon as he could. Being the city lord, he had to take responsibility for this incident no matter what caused it. Maybe he would be removed from his post afterward, but he still needed to answer to the Baih family. The best resolution was to catch Shif or hand over his dead body. If he escaped and the news got around, not only would Peklon lose his job, but his family would also execute him! ¡°Yes, he¡¯s in the room upstairs,¡± the attendant said gingerly. ¡°How do you know?¡± Peklon asked. ¡°I checked each room as my manager told me to, but only the guest in that room didn¡¯t answer the door. It seemed odd because I knew the room was occupied, so I took the backup key and opened the door. ¡°I spotted Shif, the heresy cultivator, as soon as I walked in. I immediately closed the door and ran away.¡± The attendant seemed terrified when he mentioned Shif¡¯s name. It was as if he could still see that scene. Peklon was speechless to hear this. He had doubts about this guy¡¯s description. According to the attendant, Shif was in the room, so why didn¡¯t he react when he heard the knock on the door? Even if he deliberately ignored the knock, he should know the attendant would open the door. Yet he still didn¡¯t do anything. He didn¡¯t even try to kill the attendant to shut him up. So many things didn¡¯t make sense. Peklon thought about two possibilities. The first was that the attendant was lying. The second was that Shif was stalling and had hired someone to impersonate him. Either way, Peklon needed to see it with his own eyes. ¡°Shut down the inn and close off all the exits! Nothing leaves this inn without my permission! ¡°Show me to the room,¡± Peklon ordered his guards to surround the inn while he went to the room on the second floor. The attendant gave him the key with trembling hands. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll pay for that door.¡± Peklon smashed the wooden door into pieces. The crowd finally saw the inside of the room. It really was Shif, but he didn¡¯t seem right. He was lying face down on the table as if he was asleep. What happened? ¡°Shif?¡± Peklon frowned and walked toward Shif¡¯s dead body. As soon as he stepped into the room, he noticed that all life had left Shif. The man had no heartbeat. Shif was dead. How was that possible? There were no signs of struggle in the room, and Shif didn¡¯t seem to have been in pain. He obviously didn¡¯t see the attack coming. Did another heresy cultivator kill him to shut him up? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say someone used to live in this room? It wasn¡¯t Shif, was it? Who was here before he came? Where is that person? Why is Shif alone in the room? When did he arrive?¡± Peklon asked the attendant, who seemed dumbfounded. He needed all the information he could get. The answer could explain Shif¡¯s death. It was the key to solving the mystery. The attendant was perplexed. Even an idiot could tell what had happened. Shif wasn¡¯t moving and was obviously dead. Why did he die here? That was the question he needed to answer. ¡°I¡­ I have no idea. I don¡¯t know when or why Shif came here. As for the guest in this room, I¡¯ll have to ask my manager.¡± Chapter 303 - Wedding Canceled Peklon frowned. The attendant was telling the truth. That information was for the inn manager only. ¡°Where¡¯s your manager?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, my lord. I¡¯m the manager.¡± A short, chubby man stepped out of the crowd. ¡°You¡¯re the manager? You¡¯ve been here all the time. Why didn¡¯t you come out earlier?¡± Peklon asked. The manager didn¡¯t know what to say. It was true. He had been there the whole time but only came out when he was mentioned. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know what was happening. I assumed with Shif caught, everything would be alright¡­¡± he tried to explain himself. It was too significant a matter not to take seriously. If he didn¡¯t offer any explanation, it would seem that he had been watching in the crowd without trying to do anything. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been here all along, I¡¯m sure you heard my questions. Do I need to repeat them?¡± ¡°Of course not, my lord. I heard everything.¡± The manager sighed. It seemed he couldn¡¯t avoid it after all. He had been trying to find an excuse to explain it away, but judging by the city lord¡¯s attitude, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. If the lord found out he wasn¡¯t telling the truth, he would be punished for it. The manager had to tell everything he knew. ¡°My lord, the guest in this room was a big shot. He was the man sitting opposite you during the contest yesterday.¡± Those words caused a sensation. It was as if someone had thrown a bomb in the crowd. ¡°That man lived here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s understandable, but why was Shif here? Did that man give him instructions to come here? Once his cover was blown, he killed Shif. Is that it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible! But I still want to see his face because I can¡¯t remember what he looks like.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. If that man really had summoned Shif here, why would he kill him in his room? Wouldn¡¯t that blow his cover?¡± ¡°You have a point. If he¡¯s capable enough, he doesn¡¯t need to worry about exposing himself. We don¡¯t even know his name or where he came from. How can his cover be blown?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I don¡¯t even remember what he looks like.¡± Everybody was talking about it. If Peklon hadn¡¯t been here, they would have let their imagination run wild. They had to watch their language in front of the city lord. ¡°Didn¡¯t you check him in? How did Shif get in? You still haven¡¯t given me an answer!¡± Peklon snorted. Seeing that Peklon wasn¡¯t pleased, the manager ground his teeth, took something out of his chest pocket, and opened his palm. Red light filled the room. ¡°That¡¯s a core! A red core!¡± Peklon was surprised. The manager explained right away, ¡°This red core of a magical beast is from that guest. Only a capable master could come up with such a precious object, so I didn¡¯t take registration, nor did I dare to¡­ ¡°When I saw him in the contest, I assumed he knew you, my lord, so I didn¡¯t think much of it¡­ I didn¡¯t know this was going to happen! ¡°As for Shif, I really didn¡¯t see him come in. I have no idea how he got into this room or what happened to him. I only saw him when you opened the door! ¡°My lord, I¡¯ve told you everything I know. Please take this core.¡± The manager dropped to his knees and held the core in his open palms. His tone and attitude showed how serious he was. He wanted the trade of his life and the safety of his inn with this core. Peklon didn¡¯t take it, waving the manager off. He didn¡¯t say anything after that and was lost in his thoughts. The independent cultivator, the core, and Shif¡­ The three things became entangled, and it confused his mind. ¡°Is he really an independent cultivator? Did he use that red core just to pay for the rent? What¡¯s his relationship with Shif? The two of them didn¡¯t know each other, but Shif¡¯s dead body has now shown up in his room. ¡°What on earth has happened?¡± Peklon was so confused. If those people were right and that independent cultivator was in it with Shif, why did Shif die here? Was there a conflict? That independent cultivator was the one that had warned Peklon. If he and Shif were partners, he didn¡¯t need to do that. Moreover, he could have rescued Shif. There was no need to kill the man. The fact that the independent cultivator had a red core meant either he was very capable or he was from a rich family because ordinary people wouldn¡¯t come across such an object. If those two men weren¡¯t partners, could Shif be that independent cultivator¡¯s target? Where was that independent cultivator now? Peklon knew he could figure everything out if he could ask that man in person. But he had no idea where he was. The south! Yes, he must have headed for the south. Peklon had told Himmel earlier that the center of the continent was to the south, so he knew that the independent cultivator had probably gone in that direction. He made up his mind. ¡°Take Shif¡¯s body away. I¡¯ll explain everything to the Baih family. They¡¯ll decide what happens next! ¡°The wedding is canceled. Go back home and have some rest!¡± Chapter 304 - Invite Him The Baih Manor. The head of the Baih family was Emperor Baih, one of the eight emperors. He usually wouldn¡¯t concern himself with the family¡¯s daily affairs. Those were left to other people. However, there were times when his presence was required. For instance, he was needed for the incident in Baihin City now. ¡°A heresy cultivator¡­ Well, it¡¯s nothing we haven¡¯t heard of. Tell Peklon to end this nonsense,¡± said Emperor Baih. He found it an ordinary event, but Himmel Soan intrigued him. He murmured, ¡°An unknown independent cultivator with unbelievable capability that can make people ignore or forget his existence¡­ ¡°Who invented that skill? That¡¯s interesting. ¡°Look out for that independent cultivator. If he shows up again, invite him to pay us a visit. ¡°That¡¯s it. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± The others were relieved. To the Baihs, Emperor Baih was their God. With everything that had happened, especially the heresy cultivator, they thought he would blame them. To their surprise, the emperor ignored the heresy cultivator and was only interested in the independent cultivator. It made the others wonder about the relationship between the Heresy Sect and the eight emperors. ¡­ Over on the other side, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t hurry on with his journey. Instead, he sat down and took a break. He wasn¡¯t tired. He could walk for ten years on the road without needing to rest. His cultivation level could sustain him for that long, not to mention that he was on his way to look for Gina. He would never feel tired. He chose to rest here because of an important reason. There was a volcano nearby! When he walked past it, Firey, who was still in the form of the heart of the volcano, reacted strongly. To Himmel Soan, Firey¡¯s importance was second to Gina only. Since she had reacted to the volcano, he would make a stop for her. He did some calculations and realized it was about time for her to wake up. He climbed up the volcano and jumped into its opening. That way, maybe Firey would recover faster. ¡°Did you see that?¡± ¡°You saw it, too? I thought I had an illusion! So, what I saw did happen!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe my eyes either. Why would someone jump into a volcano? I thought he only climbed up there to find something.¡± ¡°He was such a young man. Why would he do such a thing?¡± ¡°Could he be looking for the essence of nature down there?¡± ¡°The essence of nature isn¡¯t that easy to find! Even if it¡¯s down there, you don¡¯t just go inside! Even Nascent masters have died in that volcano before!¡± A few villagers from nearby villages and some travelers like Himmel Soan saw him jumping down. They gathered together to discuss what they saw. They watched as Himmel Soan jumped into the volcano. The local people had marked this volcano as a dangerous place, and only cultivators of the Nascent stage or above could enter. No one had dared approach the volcano. Then something like this happened. Just then, they heard the sound of something boiling. ¡°Is something coming out?¡± ¡°Why does the volcano look like it¡¯s going to erupt? It¡¯s been quiet for so long!¡± ¡°Can it be because of that man?¡± ¡°Of course not! He¡¯s only a teenager. He will be burned to ashes once he enters the volcano. How can he cause this?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t see any other explanation!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be him. I think it¡¯s just a natural eruption. Enough of that. Let¡¯s get away now. The magma is rising, and we¡¯re all going to be in trouble if it spills over.¡± Everyone at the scene was alarmed. That volcano could even burn Nascent cultivators. If it erupted and they were caught in it, they would be reduced to ashes, too! No one wanted such a death. They stopped trying to figure out what was going on. It wasn¡¯t their responsibility! The Baihs should be concerned. After all, this was their territory, making it their responsibility. Before long, there was no one around the volcano. Even the small villages nearby were evacuated. They were also worried about the eruption. However, nothing had happened to Himmel Soan, who was still inside the volcano. This volcano was only slightly bigger and hotter than the one on Earth where he found Firey. It didn¡¯t affect him at all. Meanwhile, he also felt the stirring inside the volcano. He knew it was because of Firey. Being the heart of the volcano, Firey could absorb the volcano¡¯s energy and turn it into her own. She had reacted to the volcano, and the stirring volcano also proved their connection. Himmel Soan could suppress the restless movement, but he didn¡¯t. It was Firey¡¯s trial. He wouldn¡¯t intervene, no matter what the outcome would be unless her life was in danger. There was a loud bang, and the volcano erupted. It flew dozens of meters high into the air and turned the sky red. It looked more like someone losing their temper than a volcano eruption. After that, the volcano quieted down. Chapter 305 - Volcano to Snow Mountain The raging volcano abruptly calmed down. It was incredible because everybody saw that an eruption was inevitable. Yet it all turned quiet at the last moment. The onlookers stared at the volcano in bewilderment, but they didn¡¯t return home right away. Although it seemed to have quieted down, what if it was only temporary? What if it erupted when they approached it? Everybody was concerned, but no one wanted to go up the volcano to see what was going on. ¡°Has the Baih family sent someone to take care of it?¡± ¡°Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t come here in time. The Baih family members nearby are only Nascent cultivators. They don¡¯t have the power to suppress the volcano.¡± ¡°In that case, did a capable cultivator happen to be close by and calmed down the volcano?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been here the whole time. There was no such person!¡± ¡°Does it have something to do with that young man? The volcano stirred when he jumped in. Then, it quieted down. I think he¡¯s the reason behind everything.¡± ¡°How can he pacify it? The volcano was going to erupt when he jumped in, and I agree that was because of him, but he must have melted in the magma already!¡± ¡°No one else was in our vicinity except for that young man. Are you saying the volcano itself caused everything?¡± Those people couldn¡¯t stop talking about the incident because it would affect their everyday life. Just then, snowflakes started falling from the sky above the volcano. Nowhere else was snowing. It was as if the snow was specifically for the volcano. Moreover, it was turning the volcano into a snow mountain. The crowd watched with open mouths while snow gradually covered the slopes. It was only a thin layer now, but it actually explained a lot of things! The fact that snow could cover the slopes meant the volcano wasn¡¯t warm enough to melt the snowflakes. It was only a matter of minutes before it would transform into a snow mountain. On the other side of the mountain, two people were heading for the south, holding hands. The shorter one had flaming red hair and wore a dress of the same color. She didn¡¯t have any shoes on, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of dust on her bare feet. The taller one wore a plain white robe and black shoes. He looked just like any other traveler on the road. Together, the two of them looked like the most ordinary father and daughter. ¡°Master, I feel I¡¯m so much stronger now!¡± Firey smiled, her cheeks blushing. ¡°This trip has benefited you a lot.¡± Himmel Soan seemed pleased. After devouring the volcano¡¯s energy, Firey returned to her human form. They left the volcano after that. On the way, he told her about this world, as well as how he happened to come here and things that had been happening in Stelladom. He didn¡¯t leave anything out. Firey had a hard time digesting the information. Ordinary people would need two weeks to comprehend everything. However, it only took her ten minutes. She had an overall understanding of this world, but how Himmel Soan ended up here was harder to understand. If that information came from another person, Firey would think they¡¯d lost their minds. However, her master had personally told her, so she believed every word. ¡°Master, how¡¯s your recovery going?¡± Firey knew Himmel Soan had lost a lot of spiritual essence when he came here, but she didn¡¯t know his current state. Himmel Soan was a little surprised. He only checked his energy level when he first arrived here and had ignored it since then. He didn¡¯t know either. It was easy to know the answer because he only needed to examine himself. ¡°I¡¯m at 0.7% now. I think it¡¯ll be 1% when we reach the next city. ¡°It looks fast, but it¡¯s rather slow for me. Afterward, it¡¯ll take the same amount of time to recover the next 1%. Only the beginning seems easy.¡± Himmel Soan sighed. He couldn¡¯t imagine his power if he recovered all his energy. However, even if he could collect all the spiritual essence in Stelladom, he still wouldn¡¯t have enough for a full recovery. He simply needed too much. To recover his full strength, he would have to use up two Stelladoms. ¡°I see. That¡¯s so slow. But you can recover by absorbing the essence of nature, right? ¡°Why don¡¯t we look for the essence of nature somewhere else? It¡¯ll be much easier to find Gina once you recover your strength!¡± Firey spoke her mind. Other people would take a long time to carefully choose their words and hesitate if they should ask certain questions or say certain things. They often had such considerations because they overthought things. Firey wasn¡¯t like that. She would always speak her mind. Himmel Soan smiled awkwardly. Firey had a point. If he could recover his strength, he would find Gina much faster. However, he had some scruples. Chapter 306 - Change on K18 Himmel Soan knew if he started his recovery process, he would probably drain the spiritual essence of the entire Stelladom. Moreover, it would be a very slow process. It would take him too long. There was another reason: He feared that he wouldn¡¯t find Gina or receive any news about her even after recovering his strength. He didn¡¯t want to face that outcome. He would rather search slowly than face the harsh reality. Without any news of Gina, he would lose all hope. Firey didn¡¯t ask any more questions. She quietly took his hand, and the two of them headed for the south. ¡­ It had been two months since the Earthlings moved to K18. They still hadn¡¯t heard from Himmel Soan. They gradually settled down, and everything was moving in the right direction. They constantly adapted to the environment on K18 and made use of the resources on the planet. Everything was environment friendly, and nothing was overexploited. They had learned it the hard way on Earth. Now that they were on K18, they decided to protect the environment. As the only president, Charles had set up regulations on environmental protection. No one would disobey the rules. If they did, they would be going against the president. The Earthlings gradually forgot about Mr. Himmel Soan. They couldn¡¯t change what had happened, and they couldn¡¯t live in the past all the time. At the start, the Earthlings would bring up Himmel Soan¡¯s name all the time. That seldom happens now. The name even sounded a little unfamiliar. Led by Drake, the Soans were waiting for Himmel Soan where the portal had disappeared. Apart from eating, sleeping, and cultivating, they spent all their waking moment waiting for the man. They knew there was little hope, but no one wanted to leave the place. However, it couldn¡¯t go on like this. Drake rose to his feet. ¡°All the ordinary members of the Soan family can leave now. You should go on with your life. Only the three divisions need to stay. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting here with us for nearly two months and have shown your sincerity. You shouldn¡¯t live the rest of your life like this.¡± Drake¡¯s words struck them like a streak of lightning. Yes, they were only ordinary people, but they also had the right to wait here for their Patriarch¡¯s return. No one wanted to be chased away like this. Warren also had conflicted feelings. If Drake represented the cultivators of the Soan family, then Warren represented the ordinary members. The look on his face reflected how conflicted he felt. He wanted to wait here, even if it would cost him the rest of his life. However, his Patriarch wouldn¡¯t want that. ¡°We can wait! We can wait even if the Patriarch decides not to come here!¡± ¡°Last time, we waited for the Patriarch for thirty years. We don¡¯t mind waiting for another thirty years!¡± ¡°Even if we can¡¯t last that long, our children can take our place! They¡¯ll be members of the Soan family just like us!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to wait until the Patriarch comes back!¡± The ordinary people protested before Warren could say anything. Himmel Soan was their God and only faith. They would spend the rest of their lives awaiting his return. Even if they couldn¡¯t live to see that day, their offspring could! Many people were touched by those words, but they really couldn¡¯t go on like this. Warren sighed. ¡°All the Soan members that aren¡¯t cultivators¡ªme included¡ªwill stop waiting here after today. ¡°I believe the Patriarch wouldn¡¯t want to see us like this. We wouldn¡¯t know how to explain it when he comes back. ¡°Back then, the Patriarch gave us the mission to make Moon greater than Neige, but we failed him. Although Neige no longer exists now, we can still work in that direction. ¡°If we can help Moon get better and reach the next level, the Patriarch will be very pleased. If all we do is wait here, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be disappointed. ¡°We¡¯re only ordinary people, so we need to do our best to help the Soan family and Moon with the limited time we have. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. It¡¯s up to you whether or not you¡¯ll listen to me.¡± Warren sat down. Just like he said, he was going to until the end of today. He will leave this place tomorrow and start running a business in the new world. All the Soans pondered over his words. Warren was right. They didn¡¯t want to disappoint their Patriarch. But they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to live either. Most of them agreed with Warren after some inner struggle. It was soon the following day. Warren rose to his feet. ¡°Drake, if the Patriarch comes back, please notify me and all the others. I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯ll come back once a week.¡± He walked away before Drake gave him a reply. Soon, people began to leave one after another. Chapter 307 - Toffee Apple Half a month later, Himmel Soan and Firey arrived in another city. It was dozens of times bigger than Baihin City. However, he could tell it wasn¡¯t the center of Stelladom. He finally understood why the people here referred to Stelladom as a continent. The reason was simple. The planet gave one a feeling that it was an endless flat land, hence a continent. That wasn¡¯t the case though. The planet was a sphere. It was just too big for anybody to realize its curve. Himmel Soan had observed for a long time before arriving at the conclusion. It was a planet just like his old world, though it was much bigger with spiritual essence and a general cultivation rule. However, where was this planet? It couldn¡¯t be in the universe he used to live in. That was the only thing Himmel Soan knew for sure. This planet could block his mental force, which he found rather incredible. He even thought about studying this planet, but looking for Gina was first on his priority list. This big city was almost an expanded version of Baihin City. The sizes were about the only difference between them. Even the name above the city gate was similar. This one was called Baihib City. This was Emperor Baih¡¯s territory, and all the city lords belonged to the Baih family. Therefore, all the city names looked alike with ¡°Baih¡± in them. Himmel Soan and Firey attracted much attention on the street. At first, he wanted to blur his face as he did in Baihin, but he wasn¡¯t alone anymore. Firey was with him. He might have lived long enough to see everything in the world, but Firey hadn¡¯t. Firey was an essence of nature before she took the human form, and she still had a lot to learn. Therefore, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t try to conceal themselves and let other people see them as they were. He wanted to let Firey feel what it was like to live among other people. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t expect they would attract so much attention wherever they went. Nine out of ten people would look in their direction. They were either staring at him or at Firey. The looks in their eyes were all different. Most of them were curious, and Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it. He was used to it and had seen all kinds of attitudes. Nothing could affect him now. But it wasn¡¯t the same with Firey. Although she knew those people were only curious, she didn¡¯t like to be stared at all the time. She hissed at the people around her. ¡°Stop staring at me, all of you! Cover your eyes! ¡°Look at me again, and I¡¯m going to gouge your eyes out! ¡°Stop laughing! I mean it! I¡¯ll gouge out your eyeballs!¡± ¡°¡­¡± She kept waving her hands at the passersby. However, the others only found her tone adorable because she looked like a lovely little girl. After her fit of temper, even more people stared at her. ¡°She¡¯s such a lovely girl! My heart melts for her when she pouts!¡± ¡°Do you like her? Let¡¯s make a baby of our own!¡± ¡°With you? In your dreams! It¡¯s all about genetics! Parents will determine what their children look like. Look at yourself in the mirror!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Look at the girl¡¯s father. He¡¯s so young and handsome, and his daughter is so adorable!¡± ¡°She wants to take out our eyes. Do you call that adorable?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand! That¡¯s why she¡¯s adorable! I¡¯m going to applaud her when she takes out your eyes!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve seen her father. What about her mother? If the daughter is so lovely, the mother must be very pretty!¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m curious what her mother looks like.¡± ¡°¡­¡± People on the street couldn¡¯t stop talking about the father and daughter duo. Firey had stopped yelling and was walking quietly next to Himmel Soan. She had heard the compliments. It was her first time hearing such things. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. Blushing, she hid her face in Himmel Soan¡¯s arms. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she pointed at something ahead of them and asked eagerly ¡°That¡¯s a candy apple. Do you want one?¡± Himmel Soan glanced at Firey and knew he didn¡¯t need an answer. She was practically drooling. He led her to the vendor of the candy apples. ¡°I¡¯ll have a candy apple, please¡­¡± Himmel Soan stopped midway. He didn¡¯t even know what money in this world looked like or what people here used to purchase things. He soon figured it out. Since this was a cultivation world, the only currency would be essence stones. However, he didn¡¯t have any. He had used up all the essence stones on Earth to build the portal. If essence stones really were used as the currency here, he would be in an embarrassing spot because he didn¡¯t have any money. The vendor read Himmel Soan¡¯s expression. It was obvious the young man didn¡¯t have any essence stones, or he would have paid by now. But he hadn¡¯t, and the reason was plain. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s my gift to the little girl. Don¡¯t worry about the essence stones. It doesn¡¯t cost much, anyway. ¡°I just want a little ¡®thank you¡¯ from the sweet girl.¡± Chapter 308 - Money The vendor gave Firey a candy apple for free. Himmel Soan wanted to turn him down, but Firey had already accepted it and taken a bite. He couldn¡¯t give it back now because he couldn¡¯t turn the apple back to its original state. He only smiled in resignation. Although he didn¡¯t have any essence stones to pay for it, he did have the cores. Back at the village, Oech told him that the cores and essence stones were both valuable objects that could be used as money here. Cores were the more valuable one of the two. Since he didn¡¯t have any essence stones, they should do the trick. After some consideration, Himmel Soan took out a core that was halfway between yellow and pale-orange. He obtained it after killing the giant bear and found it suitable to pay for the candy apple. ¡°Can I pay with this?¡± Himmel Soan asked. If Oech was right, this core had to be worth more than the candy apple. But he didn¡¯t know if the vendor would accept it. ¡°Sir, the apple is a gift to the little girl. I don¡¯t need any money. Plus, this core is too much for a candy apple! You can buy my entire shop with it!¡± The vendor saw Himmel Soan seemed to be unfamiliar with the price system here, so he offered some explanation. He could have accepted the core without saying anything, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he educated Himmel Soan. The core was so valuable that if the vendor took it, he would be settled for the rest of his life. Conversely, since Himmel Soan could easily produce a core and wanted to exchange it for a candy apple, the vendor knew he had no idea how money worked. Only a young heir of some big family would behave like this. In that case, he had even more reasons not to accept the core. He feared the young man¡¯s family would come after him once they learned what had happened. ¡°If it can be used as money, I¡¯ll pay for the candy apple with it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll owe you a favor, and I don¡¯t like that. Please take it. ¡°It¡¯s only a small rock to me. The candy apple is far more valuable.¡± Himmel Soan then smiled affectionately at Firey. It was so sweet. He looked just like a father who doted on his daughter. What¡­ The vendor didn¡¯t know what to do and stood there, looking dazed. He knew he couldn¡¯t accept the core because he hadn¡¯t done anything that deserved it. The core was too valuable. He only gave the girl a candy apple, which was hardly worth so much. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to turn down the core either. Everybody would be tempted by such a valuable object. After much consideration, he accepted it. He gave his wallet to Himmel Soan. ¡°Sir, here¡¯s the change. It¡¯s not nearly enough for this core, but I still hope you can take it. You and your daughter will need some change for your journey. This money will be useful. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± The vendor didn¡¯t ask Himmel Soan for his name, nor did he want to know who he was. Someone who could come up with this core couldn¡¯t be an ordinary person! This young man didn¡¯t know how to use money, so he was obviously a member of an important family and had been sent out to observe the life of ordinary people. The vendor felt he was too petty to ask this young man any questions. The less he knew, the better. After some consideration, Himmel Soan picked up the wallet and put it in his pocket. He hesitated at first about whether or not to take it, but in the end, he accepted it. The core was very valuable, so he had every reason to take the change. Moreover, the vendor had a point. He was going to show Firey around, and he would need the money. There was no reason to turn it down. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± He took Firey¡¯s hand and continued their journey. They still had so many things to learn and so many sceneries to see! He only wanted to show Firey a good time. After they were gone, the crowd looked at the vendor with envy. They all saw what had happened and heard the conversation. They didn¡¯t expect the vendor to receive a core for nothing! He only gave the girl a candy apple! That was it, and the young man gave him a core! Although the vendor had given back some change, that little amount was nothing compared to the profit he made. Other people imagined doing the same thing if the father and daughter stopped at their stalls. Would that young man give them a core, too? It was too late for that. Himmel Soan behaved like a man with no worldly desires, and he always followed his heart. ¡°I should have given her the candy apple. Even if he didn¡¯t give me a core, I wouldn¡¯t lose anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll be content enough if I see that girl¡¯s smile.¡± ¡°Although, I won¡¯t turn down a core!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Plus, that core is in a transforming phase. It¡¯s more valuable than an orange one!¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to trade a core with some change! I can pay ten times more than that vendor!¡± Chapter 309 - Father or Master Meanwhile, Himmel Soan and Firey reached the center of the city. It was an arena, and they had arrived just in time. A battle was taking place at the moment. The cheers of the audience sounded from afar. It seemed to be an important event because the area around the arena was packed. ¡°That looks so interesting!¡± Firey rubbed her hands eagerly. Himmel Soan tapped her on the head. They didn¡¯t know what was going on, yet Firey already wanted to get involved. She would get herself in trouble! He knew if he didn¡¯t remind her, she would jump into the arena the next moment. Luckily, he stopped her in time. Firey looked like a deflated balloon. ¡°You¡¯re such a lovely girl! ¡°Do you find that interesting? Call me sister, and I¡¯ll take you up there!¡± Just then, they heard a melodious voice. The voice alone suggested how pretty the person was. The crowd immediately parted and made way for the woman. ¡°No, thanks. I need to obey my master,¡± said Firey, holding Himmel Soan¡¯s hand. ¡°Master?¡± Soochin Baih frowned. Even with that facial expression, she still looked graceful. No matter how she contorted her face, she would always seem so natural. She spotted the lovely girl in the crowd and walked toward her, even thinking about adopting her. What Firey said took her by surprise. Only then did Soochin look at the man next to the girl. She never thought much of any man. As a result, she hadn¡¯t noticed Himmel Soan until now. Finally, she gazed at him. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with the girl?¡± Soochin asked indifferently. She realized that the man and the girl looked quite alike as if they came out of the same mold. The discovery confused her. ¡°I¡¯m a father figure to her. She¡¯s been with me since she was born,¡± Himmel Soan said quietly. He wasn¡¯t affected by Soochin¡¯s tone at all. ¡°A father figure? Are you her foster father? Why does she call you master?¡± It was puzzling to Soochin. The man and the girl looked so alike that she would believe him if he said he was her father. To her bewilderment, the girl didn¡¯t address the man as such. If the man hadn¡¯t said those words, Soochin might accept that the man was the girl¡¯s master. ¡°She likes calling me her master, so I let her. It¡¯s just a way she addresses me. Technically, I guess I¡¯m kind of her master.¡± Soochin said coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re her father, she shouldn¡¯t call you her master. You might have good looks, but you¡¯re an animal deep down!¡± She switched to a gentle voice when she turned to Firey. ¡°Sweetheart, tell me. Who¡¯s this man? Has he done something bad to you? If you don¡¯t like him, I can make him disappear!¡± The other people around them also found Himmel Soan suspicious. The term ¡°master¡± was so misleading. Many of them started talking among themselves. Even if Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t been here, Soochin alone would attract much attention. After all, she was Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil, who was one of the eight emperors. Soochin might succeed the throne and become the next Emperor Baih. Her status earned her a lot of respect. She was here to hold the battle taking place in this arena. ¡°I knew they weren¡¯t father and daughter, but you insisted they were brother and sister. They aren¡¯t siblings either! Didn¡¯t you hear him? He¡¯s just a foster father!¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s lying. He has to be her father because they look so alike!¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, he¡¯s such an irresponsible father. Why would he let his daughter call him master? Is he that kind of a person?¡± ¡°He looks so civilized. How can he be such an animal?¡± ¡°But that girl called him master just then! Everybody heard her! We can¡¯t all be dreaming!¡± ¡°Yes! I agree! With Lady Soochin here. The girl won¡¯t be abused by this animal anymore!¡± Most people took Soochin¡¯s side. Some remained silent and never spoke. Himmel Soan looked like an innocent young man, and they didn¡¯t believe he could do such terrible things. Firey heard every word. She trembled with rage, but she tried to control herself. This was the first time she understood what fury was. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t been here, she would have lost her temper. She finally calmed down enough to speak, ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to disrespect my master! He¡¯s my master, and he doesn¡¯t need your definition! ¡°If anyone insults my master again, they¡¯re dead!¡± She was trying her best to keep her temper at bay. She had to clench her fists to finish her speech. While speaking, she almost thought she would punch those people in the face. Soochin frowned. ¡°Honey, is he threatening you?¡± Chapter 310 - Emperor Baihs Pupil Soochin refused to believe that nothing had happened between the girl and the young man. The only explanation was that she was being threatened. Otherwise, why would she say such things? Yes! That must be the case! Having convinced herself, Soochin spoke again, ¡°If you¡¯ve been threatened, just blink. I¡¯ll help you! I¡¯ll take you under my wings. No one will ever touch you again! ¡°Blink now, and I¡¯ll make this man disappear forever. I¡¯ll take you in as my pupil! You¡¯ll be the only pupil I personally teach!¡± A pupil she would personally teach! The crowd cried out in surprise. It was such a shocking piece of news. The lady was going to teach the girl on her own! That would make the girl a third-generation disciple of Emperor Baih, a title that everybody coveted. If they were in Firey¡¯s place, they would blink even if they weren¡¯t threatened. No foster father could be more important. ¡°You!¡± Firey bellowed, unable to control her emotions any longer. Even if she could control it, she didn¡¯t want to. All she wanted was to punch Soochin in the face. ¡°Firey!¡± Himmel Soan put a hand on her head. The girl on the verge of an explosion was immediately suppressed. She was also much calmer. Although angry, she didn¡¯t have that impulse to hit the woman anymore. ¡°Did the temperature just skyrocket? Why do I feel my skin burning?¡± ¡°You feel it, too? I thought it was only me! The feeling only lasted for a split second, and it¡¯s gone now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I felt roasted, and it was awful!¡± ¡°I thought I was going to be cooked alive! It was so hot!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although Himmel Soan had stopped Firey in time, she still released a little bit of her energy. That wasn¡¯t necessarily a mistake because he wanted the other people to have a taste of her power. More importantly, he wanted to warn this woman. His plan worked. Soochin was stunned by the sudden heatwave. Of course, she sensed it as well. Other people didn¡¯t know where the heat came from, but she did. She saw everything. The energy came from the little girl! The girl seemed to want to release her energy, but the young man had stopped her. Soochin estimated that if the girl went all out, the two of them might be at the same cultivation level. That was a frightening capability! Soochin was even more determined to recruit her. As for Himmel Soan, she couldn¡¯t sense any spiritual essence in him. He looked just like any other ordinary man. She concluded that Firey held Himmel Soan in a special place in her heart. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have calmed down at his touch. ¡°Kiddo, I take back what I said and admit he¡¯s your master. I still have to ask you something. Would you like to be the only pupil I teach in person?¡± Soochin brought up her offer once more. Firey¡¯s demonstration had amazed her, and an idea began to form in her head. She felt she had figured out who Firey was and the relationship between her and Himmel Soan. Everything could be explained if the girl was an essence of nature. She should be the heart of the volcano. Only that could give off so much heat. Soochin never thought Himmel Soan was old enough to have a daughter, not taking the duo as father and daughter. She was even more certain now. They weren¡¯t! Firey was an essence of nature and happened to see Himmel Soan when she first took her human form. That was why they looked so alike. Once the essence of nature took human form, it would start thinking like a human. If there were no one around, it would cultivate and accumulate knowledge on its own. However, if someone were around, the essence of nature would consider them to be its parents. Soochin had read that in books. This was the first time she saw the essence of nature in person. The essence of nature could learn and cultivate much faster than ordinary human beings. Soochin knew if she could take her in as her disciple, she would become very important to her family. If her master heard about this, she would become his most important pupil. That was to say, she would become the next Emperor Baih. Soochin was still dreaming about her future when Firey said, ¡°No!¡± ¡°No? Why?!¡± Soochin was surprised. Yes! She hadn¡¯t told the girl who she was yet. ¡°I¡¯m one of Emperor Baih¡¯s three favorite disciples. If you accept me as your master, he¡¯ll be your grandmaster. You¡¯re going to be my only pupil! ¡°Are you still going to say no?¡± Soochin asked confidently. She didn¡¯t believe the girl would turn her down after she revealed her identity. However, she couldn¡¯t be more wrong. ¡°Which part don¡¯t you understand? I don¡¯t care who you are. Plus, are you even good enough to teach me? ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s have a fight. If you win, you can be my master. If you lose, just go back to where you came from.¡± Firey suddenly came up with the idea. She never liked this Soochin, but with Himmel Soan present, she couldn¡¯t do anything. But it would be a different story if Soochin accepted her challenge. She could punch Soochin however she wanted in the battle! Chapter 311 - Challenge Firey looked up at Himmel Soan. She had made the decision on her own without asking for his opinion. She was worried that he would be displeased. To her relief, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t seem to mind it. Since he didn¡¯t say anything, it meant he had given his tacit consent. The only thing for her to consider now was how to teach this annoying woman a lesson. The crowd was astonished. ¡°The little girl is challenging Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil! Is she making fun of us?¡± ¡°Becoming the lady¡¯s pupil would be the best thing ever happening to her. Why did she turn her down over and over again? She has an opportunity to become Emperor Baih¡¯s successor!¡± ¡°Maybe she has higher goals or that man beside her is more capable than we think.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to dream now. Don¡¯t make up stories. No one can be more capable than the eight emperors.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t the main thing. We should focus on the battle between the girl and Lady Soochin!¡± ¡°That might be the case, but what¡¯s the point of having this battle? Does anyone here think this girl can win?¡± ¡°She should have some abilities. If she said those things without thinking, she would be so stupid!¡± ¡°She¡¯s only a little girl! Don¡¯t call her stupid! She¡¯s adorable even if she¡¯s not smart!¡± Everybody heard about the challenge. Even the two people fighting in the arena stopped. When Soochin was watching the battle, both men fought as hard as they could. They lost interest after she went to talk to Firey. Hearing about the challenge, they stopped fighting altogether. They left the arena to make room for the next battle. Everybody was intrigued, wondering if it was going to be a battle without any surprise. Could the girl be quite capable herself? Was that why she said those words? Most people believed they already knew how the battle would end. How capable could a little girl be? Soochin was Emperor Baih¡¯s daughter! Although she had only reached the initial phase of the Virtualization stage, one level higher than the Nascent stage, being Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil, she couldn¡¯t be just an ordinary Virtualization cultivator. Despite being at the initial phase, she could defeat almost all Virtualization cultivators. Unless she was facing the pupil of another emperor, she would be invincible. Soochin took this battle seriously. She believed that she was facing the essence of nature. After the earlier burst of energy, she knew she couldn¡¯t look down upon the little girl. What would it feel like to fight the essence of nature? Soochin grew excited. She didn¡¯t think Firey would fight a losing battle because she had turned her down several times. Since Firey had put herself as the wager, she must believe in herself. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll let the battle decide. If you lose, you¡¯ll be my pupil. If I lose, I¡¯ll leave!¡± Soochin said indifferently. She was very confident in herself, too. She knew she wasn¡¯t going to lose. Although the decision was made, the battle wouldn¡¯t start right away. They would have to wait for three more hours. Soochin needed to finish the task she came to Baihib City for. Like all other academies, the Baih Academy was recruiting new students. All emperors sent their pupils to recruit talented people from all over the continent. It was for the same reason. Stelladom Academy, the largest school on the continent, would start recruiting in three months. They were open to all people, and everybody on the continent could apply. Therefore, all the emperors tried to snatch the talents before Stelladom Academy did. It happened every year, but they were never able to outshine Stelladome Academy. It was as if some people would avoid them and only come out when Stelladome Academy started recruiting. Soochin didn¡¯t care much about that. She only needed to finish her mission, and her master could worry about the rest. Three hours soon passed, and Baih Academy¡¯s recruitment ended. They only found some mediocre students, just like any other year. Soochin nodded and didn¡¯t think much of it. Her own battle was more important. If she could take Firey back, all those new students would be nothing in comparison. The essence of nature was a one-in-a-million genius. They arrived at the arena. Soochin was as pretty as a picture in her white dress. Firey stood on the other side without making a sound. It was obvious she didn¡¯t like Soochin. ¡°Kiddo, I still don¡¯t know your name. Can you tell me? I think I should know the name of my future pupil.¡± Firey snorted and didn¡¯t say a word. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to Soochin, let alone tell her her name. On their way here, Himmel Soan had told her about the problem with the Soan surname and warned her not to mention her name in case someone wanted trouble. She could take care of the trouble without breaking a sweat, but this woman was being unreasonable. Firey found Soochin annoying. Soochin smiled. She wasn¡¯t in a rush to get her answer. Once the girl became her pupil, she could give her a new name. All members of the Baih family had to take the surname Baih. This girl was no exception! Chapter 312 - Is He an Ordinary Man Soochin didn¡¯t care about the girl¡¯s name because it wouldn¡¯t make any difference. She could always change it later. The essence of nature wouldn¡¯t have any name. The girl¡¯s name was probably given by the young man. If that was the case, it mattered even less. It amazed Soochin that the essence of nature would obey this ordinary man when she could obviously sense her own power. She could have used it freely, but she chose to follow a nobody. What a waste! Soochin was glad she had found the girl. She thought she was going to recruit the essence of nature and mold her into a great figure. She started picturing that beautiful future even before the battle started. However, the scorching heat woke her up from her reverie. Firey was wrapped in flames. No, the flame came from inside her. Seeing this, Soochin became serious. If she didn¡¯t focus, she might get burned in a moment. ¡°It¡¯s so hot! Why is it so hot? I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t state the obvious! Look at that fire! I feel like I¡¯m inside a volcano. I need to get far away, or I¡¯m going to be cooked!¡± ¡°Yeah, me too. No one can survive in this temperature!¡± ¡°This feels just like the heatwave earlier. Did that come from the girl, too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! She¡¯s not ¡®the girl.¡¯ She¡¯s a young master! Choose your words carefully!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s fall back further. I think the temperature is still rising!¡± ¡°I think here¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only a little bit hot.¡± People with higher cultivation levels only need to take a few steps back before they could endure the heat. Those that weren¡¯t as capable couldn¡¯t withstand the heat and kept retreating. The crowd was soon separated into different groups. The distance from the battlefield represented a person¡¯s capability. Some strong people might deliberately stay at the back, but there was only a handful of them. Some people kept falling back because they didn¡¯t want to reveal their cultivation level. Gradually, the crowd stopped, and only then did they notice a person that hadn¡¯t moved an inch. How was that possible? It was so hot that the air contorted. How could anyone stay where they were? They finally realized who the bystander was. ¡°It¡¯s him! I thought he was just an ordinary young man! How can he endure the heat?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the girl¡¯s master. How ordinary can he be? He can¡¯t be weaker than the girl.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sense any spiritual essence in him. He feels so ordinary. How can he hold his ground?¡± ¡°I told you already. He¡¯s not normal! He must be so capable that we can¡¯t sense it. Otherwise, why would the girl turn Lady Soochin down?¡± ¡°You have a point. He¡¯s so young, though. How strong can he really be?¡± ¡°Lady Soochin is a junior Virtualization cultivator, but she can even take down senior Virtualization cultivators. Her master is Emperor Baih¡­ The girl and Lady Soochin are equal in power. Is it possible that her master is also at Emperor Baih¡¯s level?¡± ¡°Of course not! If he is, we¡¯ll have nine emperors instead of eight! Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± All eyes were on Himmel Soan. So far, he was the only one who hadn¡¯t moved a step. The others didn¡¯t believe he was an ordinary man. Otherwise, he would have been cooked by now. They all tried to guess his cultivation level. He had to be above the Nascent or Virtualization stages. The battle was between two Virtualization cultivators, and the residual energy would affect a fellow Virtualization cultivator. Therefore, he had to be more advanced than that. Was he at the Contemplation stage? Probably even higher. Then he was either at the Hinayana or the Mahayana stage. The others didn¡¯t think he was stronger than that because moving further up was the eight emperors¡¯ cultivation stage. They decided Himmel Soan was at most a Mahayana cultivator. Still, it was a shocking piece of news. It would put him right below the eight emperors and make him almost invincible. That was probably why the girl wouldn¡¯t want to become Soochin¡¯s pupil. She seemed to be equal in strength to Soochin. It would be an insult if she became her master. Even if Emperor Baih came here in person, the girl might have to weigh her options. After all, her master was a Mahayana cultivator. By now, everybody was convinced that Himmel Soan was a Hinayana or Mahayana master. No one thought of him as an ordinary guy anymore and even showed him some respect. Bang! There was a loud noise. The crowd turned their eyes back to the battlefield, wondering what that loud noise was. The air was filled with dust, blocking their view. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Has the battle ended?¡± ¡°So soon? Shouldn¡¯t they feel each other out before exchanging blows?¡± ¡°The real masters only need a second to end a battle!¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious who the winner is.¡± ¡°Who knows? We¡¯ll see when the air clears up. I hope it¡¯s the girl!¡± Chapter 313 - That Was Only Warmup When the dust was about to dissipate, the crowd heard another loud noise. Bang! The dust cloud rose into the air. This time, the noise didn¡¯t stop. It went on without any signs of stopping. Something kept making loud bangs in the arena, and the noise came in waves. The crowd could tell how fierce the battle was from the commotion alone. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t see anything. They would be content if they could watch the battle with their own eyes. A battle between Virtualization-stage cultivators would benefit them a great deal. Meanwhile, on the stage, Firey was studying her surroundings. Soochin had been flickering in and out of sight, which annoyed her. She was still looking around when she suddenly grabbed at the thin air behind her back and caught Soochin¡¯s leg. ¡°Gotcha!¡± Firey smirked. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Soochin asked indifferently. She didn¡¯t seem nervous about being caught. Firey sensed something was wrong, so she immediately threw ¡°Soochin¡± over her shoulder. Hardly a second had passed before ¡°Soochin¡± popped like a balloon. ¡°You¡¯re so sneaky!¡± Firey was frustrated. ¡°I¡¯m only teaching you a lesson in advance!¡± Soochin chuckled. She could tell Firey didn¡¯t have much experience in combat, if any at all. She believed she could easily defeat Firey. However, she didn¡¯t want the battle to end so soon because she wanted to test Firey¡¯s abilities. So far, she still hadn¡¯t noticed anything special about the essence of nature. She slowly sat down, and the look on her face became serious. Taking a zither out of her storage ring, she slowly set it down. Ding¡­ When she plucked the strings, the dust in the air fell to the ground as if there had been no fight here. ¡°I think that¡¯s Exqui, one of Emperor Baih¡¯s favorite zithers! I didn¡¯t know he had given it to Soochin!¡± ¡°Does that mean she¡¯s getting serious now?¡± ¡°Really? So she was only playing before this? The energy she gave off was so intimidating!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a junior Nascent cultivator, but I can in no way withstand that power. I¡¯ve watched battles between Virtualization cultivators before, and they weren¡¯t like this. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s just a warmup for Virtualization cultivators.¡± ¡°If that was only the warmup, how terrifying would the actual battle be?!¡± ¡°Those rumbling sounds were only their warm-up moves. I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Once the air cleared up, everybody saw the two women on the stage. Neither of them seemed injured. They didn¡¯t look tired either, as if nothing had happened. The crowd just realized that things were kicking off when Soochin took out her zither. They remembered zithers were the Baih family¡¯s expertise. They used zithers as their weapon and attacked with the sound. Their opponents never saw it coming. ¡°Kiddo, watch this. I¡¯m going to show you a real battle.¡± Soochin closed her eyes and put her hands on the zither. She casually plucked the strings as though playing for fun. Music flowed from the zither like the smoke rising from an incense stick. The melody was beautiful. It almost felt like something from another world. If Emperor Baih were the person playing the zither, the music would resonate in heaven and earth. Soochin hadn¡¯t reached that level yet and couldn¡¯t create such an effect. Nevertheless, she was getting there. If she were given an opportunity and made a breakthrough, she would become the new Emperor Baih. ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°Ding!¡± Whenever she plucked the strings, the spiritual essence in the air would stir. Firey frowned. Although she didn¡¯t know what the zither was and couldn¡¯t comprehend the music, she could still sense the change in the spiritual essence. Danger! She had a sense of crisis. Dodge! She jumped away from the spot without hesitation. Yet, she was a little bit too late. An invisible blade brushed past her face and cut open her cheek. But there was no blood. Instead, flames burst out¡ªthey were Firey¡¯s blood. Firey frowned and touched the wound. It immediately closed up as if it was never there. ¡°You¡­¡± Before she could say anything, she sensed danger again and dodged one more time. Needless to say, the invisible attacks came from Soochin and her zither. Firey didn¡¯t have time to think. She couldn¡¯t see the strikes and could only dodge them by instinct. The attacks became faster and faster. Before long, Firey was covered with cuts. At first, she had time to heal them. But soon, she wasn¡¯t given the opportunity. She slowly landed on the ground after the attacks seemed to have stopped. She looked at Soochin, who was staring at her with a faint smile. Firey was frustrated. She had planned to teach Soochin a lesson, but she had been turned into a monkey in the circus! Chapter 314 - Combat ¡°I¡¯m only getting started!¡± Soochin smiled. She seemed to be enjoying how Firey ran around in a fluster. She was only getting started! Soochin grinned, which gave her an eerie look. Only Firey saw her expression though. From their positions, the audience could only see Soochin smile. They didn¡¯t think much of it and found her smile rather pretty. Himmel Soan watched the battle calmly. Her combat prowess has increased significantly after absorbing the energy of the volcano. She¡¯s as capable as Soochin in terms of her strength. But she¡¯s far less experienced. I guess I¡¯ll let her fight whenever there¡¯s an opportunity. Himmel Soan thought to himself. He soon reached a conclusion. Firey was definitely going to win this battle. Why? Because her power was beyond the comprehension of this world! She just hadn¡¯t realized her potential yet. Once she unlocked it, this battle would come to an end. Himmel Soan stopped musing and closed his eyes. When Soochin plucked the strings, she had revealed a little bit of the general cultivation law of this world. He caught a glimpse just then and was trying to use this opportunity to study it further. This was such a rare chance. He thought he would have to slowly figure it out on his own. To his surprise, he was given a lucky chance, and he wasn¡¯t going to let it pass. Moreover, since Soochin was Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil, maybe he could find the emperor through her. His questions would most likely finally have an answer. ¡°Why did he close his eyes? Does he know the result already?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Even I know the answer, let alone him! ¡°It¡¯s a one-sided battle. Look at that girl. She can¡¯t even touch Lady Soochin. She¡¯s already riddled with wounds. Isn¡¯t that proof enough?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did she make this bet? She should have accepted Lady Soochin¡¯s offer! It would only do her good!¡± ¡°She¡¯s too proud, I guess. Or maybe she¡¯s naive enough to think she can defeat Lady Soochin!¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s just a little girl. That¡¯s understandable!¡± ¡°She¡¯ll learn it the hard way. It pains me to see her injuries though!¡± After seeing Himmel Soan close his eyes, the crowd started discussing the battle. No one thought Firey could win. They all believed Soochin was going to crush Firey without breaking a sweat. However, they seemed to have forgotten about the scorching heat and the loud bangs earlier. They only made the judgment based on what they saw now, convinced that Firey wasn¡¯t Soochin¡¯s match. Soochin put her hands on the zither and started plucking the strings. Her fingers moved swiftly, more than ten times faster than before. This time, the sound seemed to tear the air open. The invisible strike suddenly became visible. It moved so fast that the air was stirred, leaving behind a lingering afterimage. The crowd was startled. ¡°The attack is coming from every direction. Can the girl dodge it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nowhere she can go. Does Lady Soochin want to kill her?¡± ¡°Of course not! I think Lady Soochin only wants to scare her. She won¡¯t hurt the girl because she wants to accept her as her disciple.¡± ¡°I see! I agree! It looks scary, but that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°Do you think the girl will give in first, or will Lady Soochin stop attacking?¡± ¡°I think the surrender will come first. Those attacks can scare everyone out of their minds. Given the option, anyone would surrender!¡± While they were still talking, things had changed on the battlefield. Firey turned into a ball of flame and was unaffected by the attacks. It was as if an egg had landed on a sponge. No! When an egg landed on a sponge, it would still be there. In this case, the energy of the attack disappeared as soon as it touched the flame. It seemed as if it had been absorbed. Firey reverted to her human form and said indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. My stomach is only half-empty now!¡± She said such stunning words in such a calm tone! It only made her words more astonishing. Damn it! Soochin bit her lower lip in frustration. She didn¡¯t understand why Firey could turn into fire and absorb all her attacks. She had never read about such a transformation in books! If she had known this was going to happen, she would have ended the battle sooner. But it was too late now. She had learned her lesson the hard way. Things were quite tricky. When Firey turned into fire, Soochin¡¯s attacks would be rendered useless. She didn¡¯t know if her next move would work on Firey. If the girl turned into the fire again, she could absorb the attacks one more time. The tables seemed to have been turned around. Soochin didn¡¯t want to become a monkey in the circus. ¡°No matter what skill she uses, it must have its shortcomings. Even when you become a ball of fire! ¡°You can¡¯t absorb my attacks forever!¡± Chapter 315 - Fireworks Everything had a limit. A water barrel would be filled to the rim at some point. No matter how big a bag was, it could only fit in a certain number of things. It was the same case with Firey. Soochin didn¡¯t think she could keep absorbing the energy. Sooner or later, she would hit her limit. ¡°So what if she has some of my energy? All she can do is absorb the attacks. It may seem powerful, but she can¡¯t attack me with it.¡± If she couldn¡¯t attack, she could only wait to get beaten. In a one-on-one battle, that ability was useless. With that thought, Soochin plucked the strings, and music resonated in the air. Her attacks were becoming more traceable. That was normal. Just as Soochin herself had said, all stances had their weak spots. Her sonic attack was invisible at first, but if one watched long enough, one could notice a pattern. By now, everybody could see the direction and the trajectory of the attack, becoming predictable. It was easier to counter them. Firey enjoyed her fire form and was having a good time. She would usually switch between the heart of the volcano and her human form. Today was the first time that she turned into fire. It was quite fun. ¡°Since I can control fire, I can turn into fire myself. What if I control the fire and split it into two parts? Will there be two of me?¡± Firey gave it a try. Unfortunately, she failed. She couldn¡¯t split this ball of fire into two because it would be dividing her own body. Splitting herself up? Of course, she wouldn¡¯t do something so stupid. However, the experiment wasn¡¯t fruitless. She realized although she couldn¡¯t separate herself, she could control the flame in a different way. She could turn it into little cannonballs. She looked at Soochin. ¡°This is for attacking me and making fun of me!¡± She created a small ball of fire and threw it in Soochin¡¯s direction. ¡°Shit!¡± Soochin was taken by surprise. Did the fire form enhance Firey¡¯s attacks? She didn¡¯t have time to ponder on it. Plucking the strings again, she targeted the fireball. Neither the fireball nor the sonic attack had a solid body. The clash should be a collision of two streaks of energy. However, upon making contact, it was like two solid objects smashing into each other. In the next second, the fireball exploded in the air like a firework before the sparks fell to the ground. The sonic attack also disappeared. Well¡­ Soochin was a little relieved. The fireball wasn¡¯t too powerful, and she could eliminate it with her sonic attack. It ended up like a firework. Soochin couldn¡¯t care less. She liked fireworks, but not in this manner, and certainly not fireworks that could attack her! Eliminating one fireball certainly wasn¡¯t enough. Soon, fireballs were hurled at Soochin like pelting rain. Soochin no longer held the offensive and was forced to defend. She would spot the fireballs right away and block them with her sonic attacks, shooting down the fireballs in midair. Thump! Thump! ¡°It¡¯s like New Year¡¯s Eve! Why are there so many fireworks?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Are you blind? Don¡¯t play dumb! You know perfectly well what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°But those fireworks really remind me of New Year¡¯s Eve!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If you didn¡¯t say that, I would have forgotten that we¡¯re watching a battle!¡± ¡°What? Aren¡¯t they fireworks? What battle? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± The crowd was amazed by the ¡°fireworks.¡± They only got to watch fireworks once a year on New Year¡¯s Eve. The thing was, one year here consisted of 24 months, twice as long as a year on Earth. ¡°Stools! Comfy stools! It¡¯s perfect for watching the fireworks! Everybody should have one, and it¡¯s very affordable! It¡¯ll only cost you a low-grade essence stone!¡± The crowd rolled their eyes at the vendor. Despite the unreasonable price, they still bought stools from him. Normally, one low-grade essence stone could buy hundreds of stools. They didn¡¯t care about the price now because they were tired from standing and really needed to sit down. The stool came just in time. They didn¡¯t think the stools were worth the price, but the stunning ¡°fireworks¡± were. Himmel Soan opened his eyes in curiosity. It brought him back to Earth, where he used to interact with cunning merchants. He hadn¡¯t lost his focus because of that though; rather, the battle was about to end. He had learned a bit more about the cultivation law here, but to comprehend more, he would need to find someone more advanced. The little bit he had learned had helped him greatly. If he wanted to, he could comprehend the entire cultivation law in a matter of minutes. Chapter 316 - Amazing Ability However, the ¡°fireworks¡± had stopped by now. The fireballs were still flying back and forth, but the energy they contained was much different. They had shrunk in size. At first, they were the size of an adult head, but they were only as big as a fist now. Yet, the smaller fireballs contained even more energy. ¡°What¡­¡± Soochin sensed the change better than anyone else, and even she was amazed. She had thought the essence of nature was no different from talented people like her. Only now did she know how wrong she had been. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the essences of nature could learn so fast. No wonder when an essence of nature shows up, everybody wants to take it! That learning ability is beyond imagination! ¡°No one I know can do that!¡± Soochin was amazed. The fight was still on, and she shouldn¡¯t be distracted. As Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil, she was aware of this basic concept. But Firey¡¯s actions were so astonishing that her thoughts derailed. She also had a sense of crisis that if the battle went on like this, she might lose. The girl was already gaining ground. It was only a matter of time before she lost the upper hand. Soochin made up her mind. Even if she lost, she would still bring the girl to the Baih family. Her master would be pleased to see the girl, who might elevate the status of the entire family. The Baih family was ranked fifth among the eight royal families. The ranking wasn¡¯t permanent. It would depend on a family¡¯s relative strength over a period of time. If she brought the girl home, this little genius was definitely going to shine. Maybe in less than a year, the Baih family would rise to the fourth or even the third rank! She knew they would never be the top two. The first two places belonged to the Tzi family and the Oogh family. No matter how talented the girl was, the Baih family would never surpass them. It was said that Emperor Tzi and Emperor Oogh were at the doorstep of that stage! Soochin stopped her wandering thoughts and smiled at the constantly changing fireballs. The result of this battle didn¡¯t matter to her anymore. She was going to stall and see where the girl¡¯s limit was. ¡°Ding!¡± With a strum of the strings, the zither gave off a streak of energy. ¡°That¡¯s Emperor Baih¡¯s most powerful work, the Night Soul!¡± ¡°I thought Emperor Baih was the only one who could play it!¡± ¡°Lady Soochin is incredible! She has even mastered Emperor Baih¡¯s Night Soul! She¡¯s a genius!¡± ¡°Be careful with that. We normally use the word genius on someone else.¡± ¡°Have you realized something? Lady Soochin is using Night Soul on the little girl. That means the girl has given Lady Soochin a sense of crisis!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Lady Soochin does seem uneasy.¡± ¡°Is Lady Soochin going to lose? That can¡¯t happen! She can¡¯t lose to a nobody!¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s possible! You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. She might seem like an ordinary girl, but you have to admit she¡¯s really talented.¡± ¡°I guess this world is never short of talented people. I¡¯m just curious. What kind of a master can teach such a talented little girl? Can her master really be as capable as one of the emperors?¡± ¡°I heard that the principal of the Stelladome Academy, the chief alchemist of the Elixir School, the head of the Starwan Tower, and the leader of the Heresy Sect are all at the emperor stage. That theory has never been testified, and no one has seen any of those people fight. Hence, they¡¯re still only rumors.¡± Once more, somebody brought up Himmel Soan¡¯s cultivation level. It couldn¡¯t be helped though. Himmel Soan and Firey were so close. Whenever the crowd looked at Firey, they would think of the man beside her. Right now, they were reassessing Himmel Soan¡¯s cultivation level. In the end, they could do nothing but speculate. Things changed very fast in the arena. Soochin had the absolute advantage at first, but the situation had turned the other way around. The battle didn¡¯t seem like it would end any time soon. Then, the situation turned around once more, with Soochin regaining the upper hand. Night Soul seemed to have woken up millions of wandering spirits, flickering in and out of sight. They all charged at Firey. The weapons they held ranged from sabers and swords to bones. The spirits came in different sizes and shapes. They shared a common purpose: take out the girl. ¡°She¡¯s using ghosts now?¡± Firey smiled when she saw what Soochin had summoned. ¡°You¡¯re all dead, and you should stay that way!¡± Flames surrounded Firey, looking like they had risen out of hell. The ghosts would be annihilated as soon as they touched the flames, and they would be gone forever. Ten, a hundred, a thousand¡­ All the ghosts making contact with the flames would vanish from this world. It was as if the fire was created specifically to retrain the ghosts. The crowd was terrified and felt they would have lost all hope if they were those ghosts. With all their weapons, they couldn¡¯t even get close to Firey. Just then, Firey started moving. Since there was nothing the ghosts could do to her, she could go wherever she wanted. Now was the time to teach Soochin a lesson. She charged at Soochin and was going to punch her in the face. What happened next baffled Firey. Soochin dropped to her knees. Chapter 317 - Emperor Baih ¡°Is she going to surrender?¡± Firey was a little frustrated because she didn¡¯t get to punch the woman. Surrendering was so boring! Her hand paused in the air. As Soochin was kneeling, she couldn¡¯t hit her. She couldn¡¯t attack someone who had surrendered. ¡°Master!¡± Soochin bowed her head respectfully. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Firey was dumbfounded. The woman wanted to be her master only a moment ago, but why was she calling her master now? That was so strange. At that moment, the crowd knelt on the ground as well. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Kiddo, she¡¯s talking to me.¡± Emperor Baih landed in the arena, his tone rather mild. He then gazed at the crowd. ¡°Rise.¡± Everyone rose to their feet with the same question in their heads. Why was Emperor Baih here? The emperor was a busy man. Although Soochin was his pupil, this battle wasn¡¯t important enough to make him come all the way here. The only explanation was that he was here for this flaming girl. Upon reaching the conclusion, the crowd was relieved. They had all watched the girl fight and could tell how talented she was. Emperor Baih addressed her before talking to anyone else. His attitude indicated his purpose. ¡°Master, as I reported earlier¡ª¡± ¡°I can see it myself!¡± Emperor Baih cut Soochin off. She was losing the battle and still asked him to come here. He felt ashamed of his pupil. But he wasn¡¯t here for the battle. He came for the girl. She was the essence of nature! Something like this would only happen by coincidence. If he missed his chance, he would never get another one. Therefore, Emperor Baih created a projection of himself and sent it here. Emperor Baih slowly walked up to Firey and asked softly, ¡°What do you call yourself?¡± ¡°Call? I¡¯m not calling anyone. I¡¯m very quiet,¡± said Firey. Emperor Baih¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t believe that Firey didn¡¯t understand him. It was a simple question, yet she gave him a strange answer. The only explanation was that she didn¡¯t want to tell him her name. ¡°What¡¯s your surname?¡± Emperor Baih tried again. He didn¡¯t think the owner of the essence of nature would let her wander around. Still, he thought he should ask first. If she belonged to those people, he would have to back off. ¡°I take my master¡¯s surname. You should ask him.¡± Firey pointed at Himmel Soan, who didn¡¯t seem concerned. Firey didn¡¯t understand why Emperor Baih asked that question, but letting her master explain everything was always the right thing to do. She was told the surname Soan was forbidden in the whole continent, so she couldn¡¯t answer that question anyway. She also knew the power of an emperor. Therefore, she spoke as little as possible when Emperor Baih was around. In the end, she successfully passed the ball to Himmel Soan. She believed he would solve all problems. Emperor Baih frowned before looking at Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t realize a man was there until he looked at him. This gave him a familiar feeling. Yes! Baihin City! The city lord had mentioned a man, and he was intrigued back then. He even wanted to invite him to the Baih family. He never expected to see him here. ¡°Were you in Baihin City earlier?¡± Emperor Baih asked nicely. ¡°Yes,¡± Himmel Soan said. He was planning to talk to the eight emperors, and one of them appeared in front of him before he even lifted a finger. Although it was only a projection, it still counted. ¡°What¡¯s your name? I¡¯d like to invite you to the Baih family in Cloud City.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just an independent cultivator. Names don¡¯t matter. I accept your invitation to the Baih family.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this girl?¡± ¡°I adopted her, and she¡¯s been with me since she was born. Problem?¡± Himmel Soan gave a straightforward answer. He didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush because that was too much trouble. He liked to be straightforward. Emperor Baih was perplexed. He had several plans on how to talk to Himmel Soan. Unfortunately, his effort had proved to be redundant. The other party¡¯s frankness made things much more manageable. Emperor Baih could learn a lot from Himmel Soan¡¯s answer. For instance, he now knew the relationship between Himmel Soan and Firey, as well as the force behind them. Judging by the tone, the man didn¡¯t represent any family or any force. Emperor Baih was relieved. ¡°I want to take her in as my pupil. I¡¯ll teach her all my skills and experiences,¡± Emperor Baih said as if he was talking about a petty thing. The crowd was astonished. All his skills and experience? Even emperors¡¯ personal disciples wouldn¡¯t be given that treatment. Yet Emperor Baih had just made that promise. He made the announcement in front of everybody, too, which meant he was serious about it. Emperor Baih¡¯s reputation would be affected if he broke his promise. ¡°Even Soochin didn¡¯t get to learn those things. That girl is receiving incredible treatment¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you watch the battle? Obviously, the girl is incredibly talented. She¡¯s a genius, so she should be treated as such.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious if the girl will say yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about her, but I know her master wouldn¡¯t let that happen.¡± Chapter 318 - Emperor Baihs Offer Everything depended on Himmel Soan¡¯s decision. It was clear that the girl would follow him. If he said yes, so would she. If he refused, so would she. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even consider turning down that offer. Becoming Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil would be such a proud and lucky thing. Although ranked fifth, he was still an emperor. Even becoming the pupil of Emperor Waf, the weakest emperor, was still a great thing. However, only those who didn¡¯t have that opportunity would think that way. No one knew what the actual pupils thought. ¡°Well, if you want to be her master, just ask her. I¡¯m her father in name only. I won¡¯t interfere in her decisions. She¡¯s free to make up her mind. I won¡¯t stop her. Of course, it has to be what she wants,¡± said Himmel Soan. He had educated Firey to do the right thing. He would let her make most decisions on her own without interference. After all, she had her own ideas. For instance, he didn¡¯t interfere when she challenged Soochin, nor did he offer any opinions. He only watched the battle with the audience, not doing anything no matter what the result was. Now that Emperor Baih had made the offer, he still let her make the choice on her own. ¡°Let her choose¡­¡± Emperor Baih frowned. He took Himmel Soan¡¯s words for a rejection. It was evident that Firey would obey him. If she were to make the decision, it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what she would say. Firey would always choose Himmel Soan. Still, Emperor Baih walked up to her. ¡°I¡¯m Emperor Baih, one of the eight emperors. I¡¯d like to have you as my pupil. What do you think?¡± Emperor Baih¡¯s tone was calm, but it was so majestic that heaven and earth resonated with it. Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes. Emperor Baih¡¯s voice had indeed created that effect. It was an invisible contract. If Firey said yes, she would instantly become his pupil. If she broke that promise, she would be eliminated by the law of nature. In other words, once she became Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil, she would be his pupil for the rest of her life. Else, the law of nature would wipe her off the face of this planet. The contract wasn¡¯t compulsory, though. Both sides had to agree to it. ¡°Why should I say yes? Are you that good? Even if you are, what makes you think you can be my master?¡± Firey retorted. She didn¡¯t give a straight answer, but her reaction was enough. Her attitude was clear. ¡°You like using that effect, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll give you one! I swear hereby. As long as I¡¯m breathing, my father is my only master! ¡°If I ever betray him, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning and forever be banned from the cycle of life!¡± Firey snorted and ran back to Himmel Soan¡¯s side. Emperor Baih was confused. It wasn¡¯t because of Firey¡¯s choice. He was surprised by her oath. Such an oath would only take effect when the oath-taker reached a certain cultivation level. It wouldn¡¯t have any effect on an ordinary person since they wouldn¡¯t have access to the law of nature. Only cultivators reaching the Hinayana or above and comprehending the cultivation rule could accomplish this feat. The more advanced one¡¯s cultivation level was, the more severe the effect would be. If someone like Emperor Baih didn¡¯t fulfill his oath, he would be annihilated by the power of nature. On the other hand, less advanced cultivators such as the Hinayana ones would probably only become paralyzed by the punishment. The more important question was, Firey was only a junior Virtualization cultivator; why would she make a connection with the law of nature? Maybe it was because she was the essence of nature. That was the only explanation at the moment. None of that mattered to the emperor though. He knew the girl had rejected him without any possibility of changing her mind. Emperor Baih stood there, looking somewhat embarrassed. It had been years since anyone had rejected him like that. He couldn¡¯t remember the last instance. Although he couldn¡¯t have Firey as his pupil, he could still persuade the father and daughter to join the Baih family. ¡°Well, will you two consider joining the Baih family? I guarantee you that you¡¯ll be at least a great general when you become one of us,¡± Emperor Baih said slowly. A great general? The crowd couldn¡¯t believe their ears! What an offer! And he said ¡°at least,¡± which meant the young man could have a higher position! The great general reported directly to Emperor Baih, below one and above all. Was Emperor Baih going to make the young man lead all the great generals in the Baih family? ¡°That¡¯s such a great offer! No one can say no to that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a surprise. The independent cultivator is capable enough to take that job!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s impressed. Can¡¯t you see his attitude when talking to Emperor Baih? He acts as if he and the emperor are equals.¡± ¡°Are you saying Emperor Baih¡¯s offer isn¡¯t good enough?¡± ¡°No, it is. Even if that independent cultivator has the capability, he doesn¡¯t have enough influence. Reaching too high will make him a public enemy!¡± ¡°If he joins the Baih family, their power will skyrocket!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the other families, not even the Wafs! Maybe they¡¯re just hiding their real power.¡± ¡°The ranking of the eight families is only for show. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s really going on behind the scenes. We shouldn¡¯t stick our noses where they don¡¯t belong!¡± Chapter 319 - Conflict Everybody stopped talking. That person was right. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure it out. The eight emperors hadn¡¯t fought against one another for almost a thousand years. No one knew what their relative strength was. ¡°Join the Baih family?¡± Himmel Soan thought for a brief moment and soon gave an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t have that plan. I¡¯m an independent cultivator, and I don¡¯t want to be associated with any force. ¡°Why can¡¯t I have a force and a family of my own?¡± Back on Earth, he had the Soan family, which was his force. With his capability, why should he join someone else¡¯s faction? Moreover, he was here to look for Gina. Why would he want to join some family? If he joined them, he would have to change his surname to Baih, and he would never do that. He also wanted to find out why this world forbade the surname Soan. ¡°Interesting. You want to have your own family and force? You have to have the strength first! Otherwise, stop bragging. You need to be mindful of your words!¡± Emperor Baih frowned and seemed irritated. The reason was none other than Himmel Soan¡¯s words. There were things that one couldn¡¯t bring up just because they wanted to. The eight emperors were the only emperors in this world. If Himmel Soan wanted to create his own force and become an emperor, he would be their joint enemy. That was where Emperor Baih¡¯s anger came from. Himmel Soan sensed the change in Emperor Baih¡¯s mood and had some speculations. But they were only speculations. ¡°You may not believe me, but it¡¯s really none of your business. That¡¯s my plan. If I want to do it, I¡¯ll do it. It¡¯s as simple as that. If there¡¯s nothing else, you can retrieve your projection now,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. He wanted to talk to Emperor Baih at first, but he noticed something from his tone and attitude. He would never get the answers he wanted. He only sounded out the emperor¡¯s reaction to different families, but Emperor Baih was obviously displeased. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t even mention the more important things. Emperor Baih would be furious if he told him his surname was Soan. The eight emperors must keep the biggest secrets together. If Gina were here in this world, it would be one of those top secrets. He didn¡¯t think Emperor Baih would provide him with the answers he needed. He might even see him as an enemy. Himmel Soan realized that he had recovered about 2%, enough to take care of this projection. He still needed more power to face the actual emperor himself. When he recovered 10% of his strength, even if Emperor Baih came here in person, Himmel Soan was confident enough to deal with him. If he could recover 20%, he wouldn¡¯t need to care about so many things! ¡°Alright. Soochin, come back after you finish your business in Baihib. Don¡¯t take too long. Mr. Independent Cultivator, I still hope you can visit the Baih family. I¡¯ll greet you in person,¡± Emperor Baih said in a suggestive tone. The first time he invited Himmel Soan, he was sincere. He had wanted to win him to his side, but he had given up on that notion. The second invitation was made with a much more complicated intention. Soon, Emperor Baih¡¯s projection disappeared. ¡°What happened? What was that conversation about? Was I dreaming? Why can¡¯t I understand a word?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not alone. We don¡¯t understand it either!¡± ¡°Why did Emperor Baih leave? Was he intimidated by that young man?¡± ¡°I think so. That independent cultivator is probably at the same cultivation level as the emperors, but Emperor Baih has only sent a projection here.¡± ¡°A projection? I thought it was Emperor Baih himself¡­¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t that young man join the Baih family? It was such a generous offer. With his capability, he can enjoy the same privileges as the emperors.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! He doesn¡¯t need to join another family. Even the invitation was a humiliation! The young master was already very sensible by not throwing punches at Emperor Baih.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll accept Emperor Baih¡¯s invitation?¡± ¡°Of course, he will! With his strength, he shouldn¡¯t be afraid of a little house visit.¡± The crowd couldn¡¯t stop talking about it. They carefully analyzed every word exchanged between Himmel Soan and Emperor Baih and hoped they could figure something out. Soochin was still baffled by everything. At first, she thought her master would come here and take Firey straight home without incident. What happened next was completely unexpected. She couldn¡¯t understand why her master would ask that ordinary man for his opinion. He even gave that man such an extraordinary offer. However, that ungrateful man turned her master down! That man was also unbelievably arrogant. He actually told her master¡¯s projection to go away! Soochin couldn¡¯t understand it at all, especially what her master said at last. She understood those words, but she didn¡¯t understand why her master would be afraid of an ordinary man. Her master seemed to worry about her safety and was warning that man¡­ But there was nothing special about him! ¡°How ungrateful!¡± Despite her confusion, Soochin still headed back home. She knew her master would explain it to her later. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it. He was going to visit the Baih family, but not now. He needed to wait until he recovered at least 10% of his strength. Chapter 320 - Assassination Cloud City. The Baih Manor. Emperor Baih narrowed his eyes and replayed the event in his mind. ¡°Who¡¯s that man?¡± He couldn¡¯t stop wondering. A cultivator without a sect? He didn¡¯t believe it. No independent cultivator as young as that man could be so capable. In fact, Emperor Baih didn¡¯t know Himmel Soan¡¯s actual cultivation level. That guy seemed so common, and he had never detected any spiritual essence in him. Yet the young man remained indifferent in his presence. He even defied him on certain things and showed no fear whatsoever. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t impressed by his offer. He couldn¡¯t be just an ordinary man. Emperor Baih would never believe it. In that case, who could he be? Emperor Baih had a sense of crisis at the last moment, which was why he retrieved his projection. His instinct told him that his projection would disappear in Baihib City if he didn¡¯t retreat. The materials required to create such a projection were rare and expensive. Even an emperor like him had to go through many difficulties to collect them. Emperor Baih didn¡¯t want to take that risk, so he retrieved the projection after giving the last instructions. ¡°Has one of the old guys come out of his seclusion? No, that¡¯s not it. Those old men wouldn¡¯t exude such a youthful feeling. Even if they could change their appearance, they couldn¡¯t change their energy. ¡°If it¡¯s not one of them, could it be one of their disciples? Those old men are more capable than I think. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they could bring up a pupil like him. He¡¯s so young, and I¡¯m already feeling intimidated. Given enough time, will he replace me? ¡°That¡¯s a terrifying idea. I don¡¯t think I should let him live! ¡°If he won¡¯t join the Baih family, I should make him disappear. He¡¯ll pose a great threat to me if he joins one of the other families.¡± Emperor Baih soon made up his mind. Once he decided on something, he wouldn¡¯t budge. Since he had sentenced Himmel Soan to the death penalty, he had to die. ¡°Tell the Dark Division to take that man out!¡± Emperor Baih made a sketch of Himmel Soan, handed it to his subordinate, and gave the order. ¡­ Himmel Soan knew nothing about it. Even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t feel concerned. He didn¡¯t like trouble, but it didn¡¯t mean he was afraid of it. If someone tried to kill him, he would fight back, no matter how many assassins were sent. When Emperor Baih left, Himmel Soan and Firey didn¡¯t leave the city. They stayed. He knew he would soon learn something about Gina. But he didn¡¯t know if it would be good or bad news. He wasn¡¯t ready to face it yet. What if he couldn¡¯t find Gina in this world? What would he do then? He and Firey were walking on the street. People would make way for them wherever they went. Himmel Soan was someone who could speak to Emperor Baih as an equal. Of course, they would respect an important man like him. However, no one tried to fawn on him or strike up a conversation. Earlier, they would have tried to talk to him when they saw how approachable he was. That changed after he had a conflict with Emperor Baih. Although these people weren¡¯t from the Baih family, they still lived in their territory. This city belonged to the Baihs. Emperor Baih practically owned them. They couldn¡¯t befriend their owner¡¯s enemy. Even if they didn¡¯t think Emperor Baih was their owner, they still needed to worry about the city lord and the rest of the Baih family. Everybody avoided Himmel Soan and didn¡¯t want anything to do with him. ¡­ ¡°Master, what are those?¡± Firey pointed at a store. ¡°That¡¯s a weapon shop. The weapons it sells all contain spiritual essence. Would you like one? We can go inside and have a look,¡± Himmel Soan explained with a smile. Seeing the shop, he suddenly remembered Roams. The Soanian sword he created worked the same way as the essence weapons. He didn¡¯t realize it at first. Now that he did, he was amazed by Roams¡¯s talent. That man had never seen an essence weapon before, yet he could create something similar with the power of the Golden Core stage. That was a level that ordinary essence weapons couldn¡¯t reach. Thinking about Roams made Himmel Soan turn his thoughts to Earth. All the Earthlings had moved to K18, and they wouldn¡¯t have any crisis for the foreseeable future, but he was still curious about how things were going on that side. His concern would have to be shelved away for now. He hadn¡¯t figured out this world he was in yet. Returning to his old world was an impossible mission. He still had no idea which planet and which universe he was in. He needed to solve one problem at a time. Since he was already here, he might as well put his heart to it. Besides, the Soans were also on K18. As long as they followed his instructions, nothing could go wrong. Himmel Soan led Firey into the weapon shop. They were immediately intrigued by various essence weapons inside. Sabers, swords, axes, hammers¡­ There was everything. Some of the weapons looked like ordinary objects, but that was only a disguise. They were anything but ordinary. ¡°Sir, what would you like to see? You can take whatever you want! ¡°If you want this shop, I can give it to you!¡± The chubby shop owner bowed his head and sounded frightened. Chapter 321 - Umbrella and Fan ¡°I¡¯ll pay like everybody else. There¡¯s no need to give me special treatment. Even Emperor Baih himself will pay as much as any other customers,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t like the preferential treatment he was given. He was one of the ordinary people and was only more capable than them. The special treatment made him uncomfortable. The shop owner was surprised at first before nodding at Himmel Soan. Few goods in his shop were valuable, so he didn¡¯t think someone as capable as Himmel Soan would find anything interesting. He already felt lucky to have him in the shop. If he wanted to purchase a weapon, it would be the greatest honor. The last thing he wanted was to take Himmel Soan¡¯s money. He didn¡¯t want to, nor did he dare to. Yet Himmel Soan didn¡¯t put up any airs and offered to pay for his purchase. It surprised the shop owner, moving him to tears. He had bought this shop with his hard-earned money. If Himmel Soan really were going to take it, he would cry his eyes out. ¡°This fan seems fun.¡± Firey picked up a fan and played it around. ¡°It¡¯s called Destruct, the best weapon of the Golden Core stage. It can create a hurricane and sweep your opponent off their feet,¡± The shop owner introduced the weapon with a smile while glancing at Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t think an important figure like Himmel Soan would care about his introduction. He tried his best not to bore this capable young man. He had another idea while he was looking at Himmel Soan. He wondered what kind of a person could make Emperor Baih retreat. No matter how long he studied Himmel Soan though, he still found him to be a normal handsome young man who looked like a scholar. If the shop owner hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the young man could force Emperor Baih to leave. Moreover, such a capable man didn¡¯t seem unapproachable at all. The young man didn¡¯t have that condescending demeanor like the others. The shop owner almost mistook Himmel Soan for an ordinary young man and felt everything he saw was an illusion. ¡°This is such a nice sword!¡± Firey¡¯s voice woke him up from his reverie, and cold sweat covered his forehead. His mind had wandered off! Fortunately, his customers weren¡¯t upset. ¡°This is Jade. The sword has a little ten-thousand-year crystal in it, and its energy is freezing cold! ¡°If someone gets cut by the blade, their wound will be covered by ice. The cold energy will continuously invade their body. But it won¡¯t do much to cultivators above the Nascent stage.¡± The shop owner hovered around his customers, focusing all his energy on introducing the weapons. He was only a shop owner and decided he shouldn¡¯t be worried about too many things. All he needed to do was to serve these two important customers. He went on introducing the other weapons in the shop, but he didn¡¯t initiate most of the conversations. Most times, Firey would ask a question, and he would answer. Himmel Soan only listened in silence as if he wasn¡¯t even there. He had examined most of the weapons in the shop and found them all useless to him. Moreover, he didn¡¯t need a weapon. If he was going to use one, essence weapons and ordinary weapons would all work the same way for him. These weapons weren¡¯t as well-made as Roams¡¯s creations either. Firey picked two essence weapons she thought she could use: a fan and an umbrella. She didn¡¯t consider them as weapons. They were only articles for daily use. The fan was just a fan to her. She could use it when it was hot. As for the umbrella, it was also straightforward. She would use it to shield her from sunlight and rain. Although she could achieve the same effect with spiritual essence, using an umbrella was more stylish. ¡°That¡¯s 15 top-grade essence stones in total. I¡¯ll give you a discount. You only need to pay ten essence stones,¡± the shop owner said gingerly. In fact, the two weapons were worth 18 top-grade essence stones. He dropped the price because he didn¡¯t want Himmel Soan to feel the weapons were too expensive. The young man might regard him as a dishonest merchant. He didn¡¯t wish to see that happen. If Himmel Soan wanted, he could give the weapons to him for free. However, Himmel Soan¡¯s earlier words made the shop owner give up that idea. Moreover, ten essence stones were a considerable number. The cost of the two weapons was 16 essence stones. He would lose six top-grade essence stones in this transaction. ¡°Take these as the payment for the weapons.¡± Himmel Soan put two red cores on the table. He left with Firey before the shop owner could say anything. ¡°Well¡­¡± The shop owner didn¡¯t know what to say. Himmel Soan had left, and there was nothing he could do. He was astonished. It wasn¡¯t that the payment wasn¡¯t enough. He wouldn¡¯t complain even if Himmel Soan didn¡¯t give him anything. But he had paid too much. One red core was worth at least a hundred top-grade essence stones. Sometimes it could be exchanged for as many as 150 essence stones. Two cores would give him somewhere between two to three hundred top-grade essence stones. This fortune could sustain him for the rest of his life! ¡°Din, what did the young master buy from you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Din. We¡¯re all so curious. Tell us about it.¡± Many people came into the shop when they saw Himmel Soan leave. They also noticed the two red cores on the table. They realized in envy that they must have been from the young master. After Din told them what Firey had bought, they were all shocked. The young master paid so much for two petty things! They envied Din and wished Himmel Soan had gone to their shops. Chapter 322 - Im an Ordinary Businessman The other shop owners were only envious, not that they listened to Din¡¯s story. If someone like Himmel Soan really showed up in their shops, they would probably be too excited to speak. Someone asked a question at that moment, a very important question. ¡°You let him shop here. Aren¡¯t you afraid the Baih family will give you trouble?¡± What¡­ The question brought many ideas into people¡¯s heads. That was right! Himmel Soan and Emperor Baih had a conflict earlier. Trading with him might land them in trouble with the Baih family. The other shop owners were relieved now. Luckily, that young man didn¡¯t visit them. If he did, they wouldn¡¯t know if they should sell to him. Himmel Soan was bold enough to challenge Emperor Baih, so who were they to offend him? Yet they didn¡¯t dare offend Emperor Baih either. If they conducted business with Himmel Soan, they would be supporting him against Emperor Baih. If they didn¡¯t sell to him, they would offend a capable man. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend either side. They envied Din a moment ago, but they felt sorry for him now. It was a lose-lose situation. Offending the Baih family would have severe consequences. However, Din didn¡¯t seem troubled at all. Despite spending only a moment with Himmel Soan, he seemed to have been affected by his demeanor and became a much calmer person. ¡°Why would Emperor Baih and the Baih family bother a nobody like me? I haven¡¯t broken any law, nor have I betrayed the Baih family. Why would the Baih family come after me? I¡¯m just a merchant. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve always been a model citizen. The Baih family will seem unreasonable if they blame me for what happened. ¡°That young master came to my shop voluntarily. I can refuse to sell to him. Is that what I¡¯m expected to do? ¡°If the Baih family will punish me for selling things to the young master, are they going to punish the whole Baihib City when he leaves?¡± Din spoke his mind, trying his best to explain his relationship with the young man. He was just a paying customer. That was all. The Baih family would seem parsimonious if they didn¡¯t allow such things, and no one would dare run a business in their territory. Everyone would worry about selling things to their enemy and committing a crime without knowing it. Moreover, Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t openly fallen out with the Baih family. He was even invited to the family manor. If someone had to be punished, it would be Himmel Soan, not Din. Hearing Din¡¯s reply, many people gave him the thumbs up. They only dare think about such things and could never say it aloud. The man had spoken their mind. The argument was so solid that the others couldn¡¯t refute him. If the Baih family really were going to do something, they would have to think about those words first. ¡­ Himmel Soan and Firey stayed a few more days in the city before leaving. They headed for the south. He had figured out something in the past few days. He wouldn¡¯t get any answer from the eight emperors. Consulting them would only bring him unwanted trouble. He wouldn¡¯t be concerned if he had recovered his strength. But he hadn¡¯t, and he didn¡¯t have the confidence to defeat Emperor Baih. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t go look for trouble. But if trouble came to him, that would be a different story. He didn¡¯t think much of Emperor Baih¡¯s invitation. Once he reached Cloud City, if he had recovered 10% of his strength and happened to be in the vicinity, he didn¡¯t mind accepting the invitation. Otherwise, forget it. He didn¡¯t expect to gain any information from Starwan Tower either. The information one could obtain would be determined by their cultivation level. The questions about Gina and the Soan surname would probably only be answered when he was at the same level as the eight emperors. Before that, even if he met the eight emperors or the head of the Starwan Tower, they would still ignore his questions. Himmel Soan¡¯s priority now was to recover his strength. Then he would be able to figure out everything on his own. They kept walking after leaving the city. A ring had been added to Firey¡¯s finger. It looked similar to the storage ring that Soochin used earlier. Firey put the umbrella, the fan, and some new clothes she just bought into the ring. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have one. He didn¡¯t need such things. He had covered his clothes with spiritual essence, so they would never get dirty. There was no need to worry about anything else. Even if he needed to store something, he could wrap his mental power around it, and it would work the same way as a storage ring. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need a physical ring. Firey couldn¡¯t do that, but she loved her ring and couldn¡¯t stop looking at it with a big smile on her face. The duo gradually walked into a more populated area, not as deserted as when Himmel Soan had just left the village. They could see all kinds of people on the road. Merchants, vendors, cultivators, and scholars were all hurrying to their destinations. The closer they were to the city center, the more crowded the streets became. Ahead of them was a hill. There were no actual city walls at the foot of that hill, but the buildings nearby had formed a small town. There were a few restaurants, hotels, and shops where travelers could rest. ¡°Virtualization Pills! One supreme-grade essence stone for a bottle!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so expensive! Take a look at mine! My Virtualization Pills only cost fifty top-grade essence stones!¡± ¡°Tsk! Mine only needs ten top-grade essence stones!¡± Chapter 323 - Useless Pills No customers were asking for a bargain, but the vendors were already dropping their prices. Himmel Soan was amazed. If they kept doing this, they would have to pay their customers. That wasn¡¯t going to happen, though. The vendors weren¡¯t idiots. The best they would do was to give away the pills for free. But ten top-grade essence stones were too low a price. When a Golden Core cultivator at his peak took a Virtualization Pill, there was a chance that he could make a breakthrough and reach the Virtualization stage. The initial price of one supreme-grade essence stone was actually reasonable. It was what a pill was worth. To refine one, a great number of materials were needed, which would cost a lot of essence stones. Refining a pill was also an energy-consuming process. One supreme-grade essence stone wasn¡¯t expensive at all. How did it drop to ten top-grade essence stones? That¡¯s less than 10% of what the raw materials cost. Himmel Soan moved closer to take a look. If the pills really cost ten top-grade essence stones, he would like to buy one to do some research. ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t compete with me. I¡¯m already at a loss!¡± ¡°Senior Brother, in that case, my pills will only cost eight top-grade essence stones!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Senior Brother. Please let me sell mine!¡± ¡°What are you doing? Why are you competing against your own sect members?¡± They went on arguing without noticing Himmel Soan. No one believed anyone would want to buy their pills because the locals knew they were selling useless pills. The pills were defective products, and taking them wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good. Instead, it would impair one¡¯s health. Everybody walking on the street knew that. Therefore, no matter how low the price was, they wouldn¡¯t buy from them. Similar things had happened many times before, and the record low was one top-grade essence stone, and they still attracted no customers. Yet they came out today to start a new round of price competition. ¡°Hey, we have a customer!¡± ¡°What? Where? Where¡¯s my customer?¡± ¡°What? Please take a look at my pills. We have a big discount today. Give me one top-grade essence stone, and you can take the pill home.¡± ¡°Sir, do you fancy anything? What would you like to try? I have all kinds of pills here. Whatever you want, I have it!¡± The vendors stood around Himmel Soan, looking like hungry men who had finally found some food. They kept promoting their pills and offered better prices in case Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t pleased with the current one. Their noise attracted much attention from the passers-by. The other vendors looked at them in amazement. ¡°Who¡¯s that young man? He¡¯s very brave!¡± ¡°When can we kick those men out of here? They¡¯re making a mess!¡± ¡°Kick them out? Can you? People of the Elixir School will come after you!¡± ¡°People of the Elixir School are selling harmful pills all the time. It¡¯s bringing shame to that school!¡± ¡°That can wait. Aren¡¯t you going to remind that naive man? He can spend his money in our shops. Why give it to those frauds?¡± Seeing the look in Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes, they believed he was being misled by the low price. They had seen so many people like him before. They thought Himmel Soan wanted to buy the Virtualization Pills because he thought it was a great bargain. But the other vendors knew why the pills were so cheap. One of them couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He ran to Himmel Soan¡¯s side and warned him, ¡°Young man, don¡¯t buy any pills from them!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Himmel Soan was curious. Why shouldn¡¯t he buy the cheap pills? Were they poisonous? His random speculation turned out to be correct. ¡°They¡¯re students of the Elixir School, and their refinement fails all the time. After a while, they used up their raw materials. Hence, the school kicked them out. Now, they can only return when they find more raw materials. ¡°One of their methods is to sell the useless pills they¡¯ve made. No matter how much they charge, if they can sell, they¡¯re making a profit!¡± The pills were so cheap because they were defective. Even the successful pills were slightly poisonous, let alone the defective ones. No one would want to buy poisonous pills. However, Himmel Soan was interested because he was only going to study the pill, not eat it. He would recover his power on his own. Firey didn¡¯t have any obstacles either. As long as she could cultivate, she could keep making breakthroughs even when she was as advanced as the emperors. ¡°Don¡¯t put it that way. Even if they¡¯re defective, they still cost me a lot of materials!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t use it for making breakthroughs, but you can use it for assassinations. They¡¯re as good as any other poisons!¡± ¡°Only we can sell defective pills at such a low price!¡± ¡°Sir, what do you think? One medium-grade essence stone for one pill, isn¡¯t that a sweet deal?¡± The students of the Elixir School refuted the vendors. They listened to such comments all the time and didn¡¯t mind a few more criticisms. The vendors were telling the truth, and they would say whatever they wanted on normal days. However, a customer was here. They couldn¡¯t besmirch their names in front of the customer! They were ruining their business! The students wouldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°I¡¯ll take two pills of each kind,¡± said Himmel Soan. Chapter 324 - Strange Thing Himmel Soan¡¯s request shocked everyone. Was he too dumb or too rich? How much money did he have? Two pills of each kind? Did he know how many kinds there were? Over two hundred! There were over two hundred kinds of defective pills. It wouldn¡¯t seem so strange if he only bought a couple of defective pills to see their difference from the normal ones. However, he wanted two pills of each kind. What kind of an idiot would say such things? ¡°Sir¡­ I mean, Boss! Are you serious? Do you really want two pills of each kind?¡± Ton couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He didn¡¯t know if this man was making a joke. Either way, it was very shocking. He had never met such a customer before. ¡°Yes, two each. How many essence stones do I need to give you?¡± Himmel Soan nodded. Ton took a deep breath and finally realized the man was serious. Although he didn¡¯t know if Himmel Soan could afford it, at least he had made the offer. ¡°Sir, let me confirm it with you. All the pills here are defective. Are you sure you still want two each? ¡°Defective pills are useless. You can use them as poison, but they¡¯re not nearly as effective as the real deal. ¡°Although we¡¯re selling the defective pills, they¡¯re not cheap. There are over two hundred kinds here, so that¡¯s over four hundred pills in total. If each pill costs you on top-grade essence stone, you¡¯re going to pay 400 essence stones! ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Four hundred top-grade essence stones! That was a considerable number! In terms of the defective pills¡¯ price, it was a great bargain. But it was meaningless because no one would want to buy defective pills. Even Ton couldn¡¯t believe it and had to reconfirm it several times. Although they all wanted to find some dumb customers who would buy a couple of defective pills from them, they still couldn¡¯t bring themselves to charge this man so much. That was why they confirmed with Himmel Soan over and over again. ¡°Yes, I want these defective pills. Four hundred top-grade essence stones, right?¡± Himmel Soan realized he didn¡¯t have that many essence stones. He only had over a dozen cores. He had used a couple so far and still had ten left. According to Oech, one red core was worth a hundred top-grade essence stones, so he took out four cores. ¡°Will this be enough?¡± The student¡¯s eyes lit up when they saw the cores. Those were magical beasts¡¯ cores! To other people, they were a hard currency that could be exchanged for essence stones, only that they were much harder to find. To these students, the cores were excellent material for their pills. Only their masters had the right to use red cores, and they rarely saw one on a daily basis. Not only did they see them today, but they were going to have them! ¡°Yes! That¡¯s more than enough!¡± ¡°Sir, forget about the 400 pills. Take everything in our shop! ¡°I¡¯ll give you a bottle of pills for free!¡± He then took a jade bottle out of his chest pocket and gave it to Himmel Soan. It was a bottle of authentic pills, not defective ones. They could treat wounds, and a bottle of them alone was worth a core. But Ton gave it to Himmel Soan for free. ¡°May I ask you something?¡± Ton asked. Himmel Soan nodded. Ton had given him a bottle of pills, so he thought he should return the favor. Ton immediately enveloped the two of them with spiritual essence, barring others from hearing their conversation. ¡°Sir, how did you find these cores? I¡¯m not questioning their ownership. I¡¯m only curious. ¡°Such cores are only obtained after one kills large beasts when a beast herd attacks the city, and that only happens every six months. There are so few cores, which is why they¡¯re so rare. Hence the reason why I¡¯m asking you. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel comfortable, you don¡¯t have to answer me.¡± Ton made some explanations and also told Himmel Soan he didn¡¯t have to answer. That was very considerate. ¡°I came from the north. There¡¯s a forest, and I got the cores from there,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t see why he shouldn¡¯t answer the question. It was only a small matter to him. It might help him obtain new information. As expected, the students were shocked when they heard the answer. Ton¡¯s pupils contracted when the forest was mentioned. He immediately turned to the others, ¡°Not a word to another person! ¡°Take the Oath Pill and swear on it!¡± Ton then explained to Himmel Soan, ¡°Sir, do you not know the forest in the north is a restricted area? That rule has been set by all eight emperors. I¡¯m curious, Sir. Who are you?¡± Himmel Soan realized how complicated this world was. Maybe both he and Gina had a connection to this world. He showed up in a restricted area when he arrived in this world, and that place happened to be forbidden by all eight emperors, who also banned the surname Soan. So many things didn¡¯t add up. Moreover, apart from this continent, what else was on this planet? Chapter 325 - Recruitment ¡°I¡¯m only an independent cultivator. My name isn¡¯t important.¡± Himmel Soan shook his head. Seeing that Himmel Soan didn¡¯t want to mention his name, Ton changed the subject. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t worry. Nothing that happened here today will get out. ¡°The Oath Pills will make sure of that. After ingesting it, even ordinary people will be bound by the law of nature. It also has no antidote.¡± Ton brought up the Oath Pills to reassure Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t too concerned. Even if word did get out, the worst that could happen was more trouble. Maybe it was better to keep it a secret. Ton was relieved when he saw Himmel Soan was pleased. The man had traveled in the restricted area against the eight emperors¡¯ will and could produce so many cores. He had to be an important figure! Although Himmel Soan seemed like an ordinary person who gave off no spiritual essence, it only proved how extraordinary he was. It would take some incredible ability to completely conceal his energy. That was why Ton changed his attitude toward Himmel Soan. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m curious. What are you going to do with the defective pills?¡± Ton asked gingerly. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just a little interested in alchemy,¡± Himmel Soan was straightforward. A little interested? What did that have anything to do with the defective pills? Was he going to study alchemy through them? Ton couldn¡¯t help but make that speculation. It might not be correct, but that was his only guess. ¡°If you¡¯re curious, I¡¯d like to invite you to the Elixir School. My master is the chief elder, and maybe he can talk with you, Sir,¡± Ton said in a humble tone. He would be thrilled if Himmel Soan said yes. If not, he wouldn¡¯t say anything, nor was he in the position to do so. He also had a hidden agenda when he invited Himmel Soan. He wanted to recruit this man. There was risk involved though. If this man turned out to be a heretic cultivator, he would become a time bomb for the Elixir School. However, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t seem to be a bad guy, and Firey was so lovely. After the huge sale, Ton came up with the recruitment idea. Since he called himself an independent cultivator and was interested in alchemy, Ton felt he should ask this man to join the school. Even if he couldn¡¯t join the Elixir School, it would be nice to make an acquaintance. The forest was a forbidden area set by the eight emperors, but it had nothing to do with the Elixir School. ¡°The Elixir School? That¡¯s interesting. Thank you for the invitation, then!¡± Himmel Soan agreed after giving it a thought. On Earth, Himmel Soan¡¯s medical skill was so incredible that he could bring dead people back to life. However, it wouldn¡¯t work for cultivators. Only pills would, so he was curious about where the magic was. Maybe the pills could help him recover faster. After that, he could settle down in this world and find the truth about everything. Ton was thrilled to hear Himmel Soan say yes, and he immediately notified his master. ¡­ In the Elixir School, many elders were having a discussion. ¡°Ton and the others have been punished for long enough. I think it¡¯s time to let them return.¡± ¡°They destroy the pills eight out of ten times when they work. Why do we need those idiots? It¡¯s a waste of our precious materials!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I remember Elder Som said he missed Pancy only last night!¡± ¡°Nonsense! You must be dreaming!¡± ¡°No, they can¡¯t come back! We made a deal. They can only return once they sell all the defective pills!¡± The elders were discussing it avidly. They were all concerned about their pupils. The chief elder cleared his throat, and everybody quieted down. ¡°Alright. Selling the defective pills is a way to punish them. It¡¯s been a while, and it¡¯s time we bring them back. ¡°They said they met a capable man who bought all their defective pills.¡± Elder Som rose to his feet before Elder Ein could finish. He looked astonished. ¡°Elder Ein, have you seen those pills? Did Ton lie to you? Someone just bought all the defective pills. Do you believe that?¡± Elder Ein stroked his beard and pondered. He didn¡¯t believe what he heard, even if it came from his pupil. Why would anyone want to buy defective pills? But he knew his pupils wouldn¡¯t lie about such things. That was to say, they had sold all the pills. Ton also said something else. ¡°I think Ton¡¯s probably speaking the truth. They¡¯re on their way back, and Ton has invited the man that bought all the defective pills.¡± Many elders were baffled. How stupid could that be? The way he put it was so strange. What did he mean by Ton had invited that man? That man probably had threatened Ton to bring him here! The elders found that possibility much more acceptable. At that moment, a cry attracted their attention. It was Ton¡¯s voice. Normally, they would just ignore him. However, they were curious and wanted to know what it was about. ¡°Master, I¡¯m back!¡± Ton shouted excitedly. He couldn¡¯t wait to introduce Himmel Soan to his master. If he joined the Elixir School after talking to the elders, Ton believed he would get all the credit. ¡°Ton, behave yourself in front of the dum¡ªI mean the guest! The shouting is so inappropriate!¡± Elder Ein almost called the guest dumb. Chapter 326 - Dum Dum? ¡°Did he just try to call me dumb?¡± Himmel Soan was perplexed and wondered what gave them that idea. Realizing he had a slip of tongue, Ein tried to cover it up. ¡°We have a Mr. Dum who often buys pills from us. I mistook you for him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. Only then did Ein start observing Himmel Soan. He¡¯s just an ordinary man. There¡¯s no spiritual essence in him. Why did my pupil bring him back? Didn¡¯t a capable cultivator buy all our defective pills? Why¡¯s there an ordinary man? Did he buy all the defective pills? Impossible! It must be a joke! thought Ein. He asked, ¡°Sir, I heard you were interested in alchemy. Have you tried it before?¡± He didn¡¯t think his pupil would lie to him, not to mention he had brought that man back to the Elixir School. He can¡¯t have brought back an ordinary person! I¡¯m not that old yet! Himmel Soan said, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. I bought the defective pills to study their properties and effects.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s response intrigued Ein. His eyes lit up because such an idea had never occurred to him. He had tried to figure out what to do with the defective pills. They couldn¡¯t eat the pills, nor could they sell them, but they couldn¡¯t throw them away either. They were made from excellent materials, and it would be a shame to see them go to waste. Ein had spent years coming up with a solution but to no avail. The defective pills accumulated, and he had no choice but to throw them away. However, they couldn¡¯t keep doing that. There were too many defective pills. Destroying or throwing them away would release toxins into the air. The eight emperors wouldn¡¯t allow it. They had to keep finding new places to dump them. In the end, they punished their pupils by ordering them to sell the pills, hence what happened earlier. ¡°You certainly can do that with the defective pills, but it won¡¯t be very efficient. Most of the materials used to make the defective pills have lost their medicinal properties. Furthermore, the toxins are trapped in the pills and can¡¯t get out. As a result, the defective pills are also known as minor toxic pills,¡± Ein explained to Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan¡¯s idea surprised him. However, he shook his head after some consideration. What can this man possibly learn from the toxic pills? If he could make use of the defective pills, it would be a breakthrough in history. ¡°To make the pills, you need to fuse and refine the materials while watching out for the duration and intensity of heating. Everything must be precise. The tiniest mistake can lead to defective pills. ¡°For instance, if you have too little or too much of a material, or the heating is off a little, disaster will happen. ¡°Some mistakes are hard to spot. You may not know what went wrong until you end up with defective pills. It¡¯s like a blindspot that you can¡¯t see. ¡°However, I can spot the mistakes from the defective pills. I can see that when the materials are overheated, the defective pills are more toxic, and vice versa.¡± Himmel Soan used science on Earth to explain the alchemy process. It was ideal for explaining the defective pills. The others were surprised. That was right! Not all defective pills were the same, but they had never paid attention to it. After all, nobody cared about defective pills. As for the errors, they would practice more to avoid future mistakes. That was why they had so many defective pills. Ein¡¯s eyes lit up. He cupped his hands at Himmel Soan in admiration. ¡°I¡¯ve learned so much from you!¡± He now believed that Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t an ordinary man. If he knew so much about defective pills, what about alchemy itself? He was so talented! ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re so interested in alchemy, do you want to try it yourself? If you wish, I can lend you the materials, the furnace, and the room.¡± Although he was only lending it to Himmel Soan, the offer was very surprising. Even the elders had a hard time borrowing Ein¡¯s furnace. No¡­ That was an understatement. It was impossible! Ein treated his furnace like his lover and wouldn¡¯t let anyone else touch it. Yet, he had just offered it to a guest! ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Himmel Soan politely turned down the offer. He hadn¡¯t done these people any favor, so he couldn¡¯t take the offer. He didn¡¯t want to owe them anything. Moreover, he had only just gotten into alchemy and decided to study the defective pills first. Himmel Soan said, ¡°I¡¯d like to rent a room here first to study the defective pills¡ª¡± Ein interjected before he could finish. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I have more than enough vacant rooms. You can live for as long as you want! ¡°Don¡¯t mention the rent. It doesn¡¯t apply to you. You¡¯re our guest! ¡°If you make any discoveries feel free to discuss them with us!¡± Since Ein was so passionate, Himmel Soan accepted his offer. He would let nature take its course. Ein instructed Ton to prepare two rooms for Himmel Soan and Firey. However, Firey refused to take a room on her own. She wanted to stay with Himmel Soan, so only one room was required. While Ton was making arrangements, the elders went to talk to Ein. ¡°Ein, what do you think about that man?¡± The elders were all curious about the same thing. After some consideration, Ein said, ¡°He¡¯s a genius!¡± Chapter 327 - Genius Genius? Ein spoke very highly of Himmel Soan, surprising everybody. They had known Ein for many years. It was very rare to hear him call anybody a genius. Clearly, he regarded the guest highly. ¡°Ein, did you take some pills?¡± ¡°Elder Ein, I would believe it if it came from someone else, but not when it¡¯s from you!¡± ¡°Ein, I believe you. Tell me what kind of a genius he is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everybody was talking at the same time. They had a hard time believing his statement. They even suspected if they were talking to the real Ein. Ein frowned, and his face twitched. He was telling the truth. Why wouldn¡¯t anybody believe him? It wasn¡¯t like he had told lies before. ¡°It¡¯s about defective pills. We had a conversation about reusing the defective pills. What he said was such an inspiration. Moreover¡­¡± Ein told the others about Himmel Soan¡¯s theory. The others received the news with a mixture of feelings. They didn¡¯t believe anything at first. But then, their eyes lit up, and they became excited. In the end, they adored the man who had said those things. Just listening to Ein¡¯s description made things so much clearer for them. Some of them were having trouble making the pills, and they suddenly found their direction. However, it was still not specific enough. If they could learn more, they could solve all the problems plaguing them. ¡°He¡¯s such a genius! I can¡¯t believe someone who has never done alchemy can come up with that idea!¡± ¡°He¡¯s really a genius! He has to be a master alchemist that¡¯s better than Elder Tine!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ Elder Tine¡¯s alchemy is as good as the elders in the main manor!¡± ¡°Of course, a master like this needs defective pills. If he never fails, he won¡¯t have any defective pills!¡± Another round of discussion started. The group didn¡¯t try to hide their purpose. They wanted to win Himmel Soan to their side and let him work in their own division. They wouldn¡¯t come across such a talented man every day. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s the master called? I¡¯d like to learn a few things from him!¡± Ein was perplexed. He didn¡¯t recall asking the master that question. He had forgotten about it! He rubbed his hair and shook his head. ¡°I forgot to ask.¡± Forgot to ask? How could he forget such a simple thing? The others were speechless. It was understandable though. After all, making pills was pretty much all they did on a daily basis. They barely interacted with outsiders. Even when they did, they still thought about alchemy. They would forget about what they were saying halfway and wander off during a conversation. The people of Stelladom thus had misunderstandings about them, saying that alchemists were all weird people. ¡°We can ask the master when he returns.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s just a name. It¡¯s not that important.¡± ¡°You said the master was studying the defective pills. How long will that take?¡± somebody asked. Making pills was a lengthy process. It could take anywhere from one to five days. That was only to make the pills; studying the properties would take even longer, as many as two weeks. Himmel Soan was treading a road that they had never tried before. He was going to find something from the defective pills. They thought it would take him at least a month. Hence, it would be a while before he came out. ¡°Ton, how much did the master give you for all the defective pills?¡± Ein asked. It had just occurred to him that the master had bought all the defective pills. He wondered how much the man paid to make Ton give away the defective pills so willingly. Ton showed him the four red cores. Ein paled. ¡°Did you rob someone? Where did you get those?¡± ¡°That master paid me with them,¡± Ton immediately explained when he saw Ein¡¯s face darken. However, Ein smacked Ton on the head. ¡°Give them back when the master comes out! Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?! ¡°Stay here and wait for him! Give the master whatever he needs! Let us know as soon as he comes out!¡± Ton felt wrong. Why was he getting blamed and scolded? His master ordered him to sell the defective pills at no less than one top-grade essence stone each. Now that it was done, why did he have to give back the cores? Not only that, they had to wait here. Ton couldn¡¯t understand it. Either way, it wasn¡¯t his call. In the room, Himmel Soan poured out a bottle of defective pills and started studying them. He smelled the pills before tasting one. The toxins in the defective pills didn¡¯t affect him at all. In fact, no toxins would. Each bottle contained one kind of pill, and they all differed in smell and taste. It proved his theory that different factors would result in different defective pills. That was a major discovery. With enough experimentation, he would know which pill needed which materials. He could even find the sequence of the ingredients, the heat level, and the proportion. The door opened with a creaking sound. It was evening now. ¡°Sir! You¡¯re out!¡± Ton was dozing off when the door opened. He was startled and woke up. ¡°Yes, I need some fresh air. Are there any books I can borrow? I need some books.¡± Chapter 328 - Borrow Books Books? Ton hesitated a little before nodding. ¡°Yes, Sir. What kind of books do you want? We have books related to herbs, raw materials, and other general topics.¡± This was only a branch of the Elixir School. Although there weren¡¯t many books here, the number was still greater than in the other branches. The main campus gave them more books because Elder Tine was here. ¡°Bring as many as you can. I want to read them all. If you have extra materials, I¡¯d like to have some, too. I can pay if needed.¡± Himmel Soan gazed up at the sky. Ton was surprised. ¡°Sir, are you going to make pills now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. Before Ton could say anything, Himmel Soan went out to look at the moon. Having stars and a moon in the sky meant there were other planets out there. Maybe he wasn¡¯t in the same universe as before. Maybe the planet was so remote that one needed a special method to get here. He wondered when he could receive news on Gina. He stopped thinking about it. He had spent a long time looking for Gina. It was time that she waited for him. Once he was strong enough to figure out this planet, he would probably find her. ¡°Sir, the materials and furnace are outside your room. There are too many books, so I only brought a few of them. I¡¯ll take you to the library when you¡¯re free.¡± Hearing Ton¡¯s voice, Himmel Soan returned to his room. Ton had sent ten portions of materials and a hundred books. ¡°Sir, here are the things you want. And these are for you, too!¡± Ton took out the red cores Himmel Soan had given him. Himmel Soan was perplexed. He had asked for materials and books. Shouldn¡¯t he pay for them? Why was he being paid instead? ¡°I paid you with the cores when I bought the defective pills. You don¡¯t need to give them back. And here¡¯s money for the materials.¡± Himmel Soan put another core in Ton¡¯s hand. Ton was speechless. What was this? If his master learned of it, he would be in so much trouble. ¡°Sir¡­¡± By the time Ton realized what had happened, Himmel Soan had returned to his room with the materials and books. He even shut the door behind him. Ton didn¡¯t even have a chance to say no. He wanted to cry. It seemed his punishment would never be over. Other things aside, he decided he should report to his master first. ¡°The master asked for materials and books, and he paid you for those things?¡± ¡°Yes. What should I do?¡± Ton lost almost all hope. His punishment hadn¡¯t ended, and some new trouble had already appeared. When would this end? He really wanted to go back to refining pills! ¡°Alright. I see. Since he has given the cores to you, just take them,¡± Ein said after some consideration. Ton was thrilled. ¡°Great!¡± ¡°But you still need to stay by the master¡¯s side and give him whatever he wants. Bring him a few hundred books every day,¡± said Ein. ¡°What? When can I go back to making pills?¡± Even though his punishment was finally over, he still had to stay with that master. He wouldn¡¯t have any time of his own! Ein shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Idiot! You¡¯re such an idiot! Did you just wait outside the master¡¯s door like you were told to?¡± Ton nodded in bewilderment. That was right! Wasn¡¯t that what he was supposed to do? ¡°I really hope you¡¯re not my pupil! The master is going to make pills. Can¡¯t you find an excuse to stay in the room and learn from him? ¡°Although disturbing people when they¡¯re making pills is a no-no, if the master lets you, you¡¯ll learn so much from him!¡± said Ein in resignation. How could his pupil be so dumb?! If Ein hadn¡¯t been an elder in the school, he would have gone to Himmel Soan¡¯s room and seen how he studied the defective pills! He thought he might be able to learn something from Himmel Soan. He had been stuck in the Contemplation stage for a long time. If he didn¡¯t make a breakthrough in the next few years, he would reach the end of his life. Having talked to Himmel Soan, he could see a hint of the next stage. That was why he was sure Himmel Soan was an undiscovered master. As for why Himmel Soan was so young¡­ That was a sign of him returning to his original nature. He looked like an ordinary young man, and he behaved like one. He had found his original nature! ¡°I understand!¡± Ton finally realized what his master meant. He only needed to ask the master. If the other party agreed, what he learned would help him greatly in his alchemy skills. Even if the master didn¡¯t say yes, such a capable person probably wouldn¡¯t be angry at him either. They had talked about so many things, and Ton was the one who had invited Himmel Soan. Hence, he didn¡¯t think the master would be angry. Meanwhile, Himmel Soan was reading in the room. He had a photographic memory and would remember everything after reading it once. He could read ten lines at a time and would only pause when he noticed something important. Otherwise, he could finish a book in a minute. Firey also read with him. They enjoyed their time together. Himmel Soan found a map of Stelladom in one of the books. He partially unfolded it, and the map covered half the floor. The room wasn¡¯t big enough. He took the map outside and spread it on the ground. ¡°The continent of Stelladom is like a round cake that¡¯s been divided into eight sections. At the center is a big, round city, Cloud City. I came from the north¡­ Baihin City is here! ¡°What about further north? What¡¯s that village called?¡± Chapter 329 - Map Himmel Soan kept moving further north, but the village wasn¡¯t marked on the map. It seemed the place was too small. He looked further to the north. He wanted to know what that forest was. He only killed some random snakes and lizards, but their cores were so valuable! Why weren¡¯t any people there? He finally found a name at the edge of the map. ¡°Dusk Soul Forest.¡± Was that the forest he came out of? He felt the name ¡°Edgeless Forest¡± would be more appropriate. Why did the forest seem so small on the map? He had walked for a month to get out. It had to be much bigger. That was to say, no one on this continent had crossed that forest, which was why they thought the continent was all there was on this planet. It had to be! Himmel Soan figured it out. ¡°Sir, are you reading a map?¡± Ton walked in and got intrigued when he saw the map. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. I have a few questions for you.¡± Himmel Soan was happy to see Ton. Just as he was looking for someone to answer his questions, Ton showed up. ¡°No problem!¡± Ton walked up to Himmel Soan. ¡°Why is the Dusk Soul Forest so little on this map?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Well¡­ Ton was confused. He soon found an answer. ¡°The eight emperors drew the map. People like us know the forest can¡¯t be that small, but no one has put much thought into it. ¡°The school has sent people there before, but they all went missing. None of them came back. ¡°We know it¡¯s big, but we don¡¯t know what¡¯s on the other side of the forest, so the eight emperors declared it a restricted area. ¡°And these four more places are all restricted areas. The Eternity Desert, Endless Sea, Thunder Region, and Freezing Land. Together, they wrap around Stelladom.¡± Wrap around Stelladom? Himmel Soan didn¡¯t understand. How did such an environment exist on a planet? The eight emperors were the most advanced cultivators on this continent. Couldn¡¯t they do anything about it? ¡°Are you saying the eight emperors just restricted them without any explanation?¡± Ton nodded. They were onto a sensitive subject. If he revealed more, the eight emperors would notice, and his life would be in danger. Although the principal of the school was as advanced as any of the eight emperors, he couldn¡¯t beat all eight of them at once. Therefore, he would say as little as possible and be as ambiguous as he could. ¡°People at the top seem to know something about it. However, they all chose to remain silent. All influential people are like that. If anyone wants to know something, they¡¯ll have to reach their level first.¡± Ton made it very clear, practically admitting that the eight emperors knew the truth. Knowing it was different from saying it. Since the eight emperors chose to remain silent, they must have had their own reason. To find out the truth, one had to become one of the eight emperors or stand equal to them. ¡°I see.¡± Himmel Soan looked across the map and memorized everything. He then folded it and headed back inside. Ton said gingerly, ¡°Sir, I have a request.¡± Himmel Soan stopped, turned around, and asked quietly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He was living in their room and eating their food, so he was going to fulfill their requests. ¡°I¡­ I want to watch you refine pills!¡± After a long pause, Ton finally voiced his wish. He hesitated because most alchemists didn¡¯t want to reveal their secrets. His request was a little out of the line. Himmel Soan blinked. Watch him while he made pills? He didn¡¯t have a problem with that, but what was there to watch? ¡°Yes, but not now. I¡¯ll refine pills tomorrow morning. If you want to drop by, be my guest.¡± He then went back inside. As for why the next day, it was because he needed to practice tonight. He had never dabbled in alchemy before and couldn¡¯t let them know. For other newbies, they couldn¡¯t make any pills in a month, let alone a night. But Himmel Soan was different. He was sure that he could master the skill after trying it once. He didn¡¯t read all the books for nothing. Before long, the preparation was done. He was ready to begin. Himmel Soan followed the steps in the books he had read. ¡°First this, then that¡­ Start the spiritual fire now¡­¡± It took him two seconds to master it. It was another form of spiritual essence. ¡°Then turn it to low heat¡­¡± He slowly reduced the spiritual fire. Before it was low, he frowned and turned it back to medium. ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t turn down the heat. Medium heat is the right choice. Low heat will ruin the pills.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe everything in the books. The knowledge in the books came from other people, and there could be errors. For instance, the book was wrong about the pills he was making right now. Although following the instructions could produce pills, he was confident it wouldn¡¯t be as good as the ones he made following his intuition. Bang! There was a muffled noise. The alchemy session was successful. Himmel Soan opened the furnace and found nine round pills inside. Each pill had inscriptions on it. Chapter 330 - Making Pills Pills were categorized into four classes based on their quality. Class D pills were the least pure and the least effective, but they were still much better than defective pills. Many cultivators who didn¡¯t have much money but still wanted to make a breakthrough would buy these pills. Class C pills were most people¡¯s first choice. They would only go for Class D pills when Class C ones weren¡¯t available. Only the elders had the ability to make Class B pills. The legendary Class A pills could only come from the principal of the school. They had inscriptions on them. In his test run, Himmel Soan already achieved Class A Healing Pills. However, the raw materials were ordinary, so he only made Grade 3 Healing Pills. Pills had nine grades, with one being the lowest and nine the highest. Each grade had its specific guidelines. Essence Refinement cultivators couldn¡¯t use Grade 3 pills, or they would implode. However, Golden Core cultivators could use any pills from Grade 1 to Grade 3. The higher the grade, the more effective the pills. ¡°You did it!¡± Firey was glad to see Himmel Soan succeed. ¡°Would you like to try?¡± Seeing that Firey was interested, Himmel Soan suggested. ¡°Great!¡± Firey took over the furnace and started the work. Himmel Soan guided her from the side. The furnace gave a thump¡­ The first trial failed. Firey didn¡¯t use suitable heat. Ten minutes later, the second trial failed again. This time, she had used suitable heat, but her mind wandered off when she thought about what to eat the next day. The pills were burnt. ¡°Making pills isn¡¯t for me. It¡¯s not fun at all! I¡¯m done!¡± Firey pouted and wasn¡¯t pleased with the outcome. She felt she would succeed on the next trial. However, she still decided to give up. Making pills was too boring for her. She¡¯d rather spend her time daydreaming. Seeing that Firey didn¡¯t want to try again, Himmel Soan chuckled and let her go off to play. Before long, he went back to the furnace. He put all of Firey¡¯s defective pills into it and observed them with the spiritual fire. He examined the ingredients that were chaotic and redundant and separated them from the other ingredients. He then combined what was left. Bang! The furnace made another muffled noise. Lifting the lid, he saw that the defective pills had turned into perfectly round Class A pills. A few of them seemed to lack some medicinal properties and were only Class B pills. That was understandable because those properties were lost when defective pills were made. He considered this outcome quite satisfactory. He had only used three out of the ten portions of the materials to master the skill. It was all about comprehending the process. Himmel Soan realized that the content in the book was incorrect, proven by his demonstration. He had perfect control over his spiritual essence, so he could do much more. The following day, Himmel Soan opened his door to find hundreds of people gathering outside. What was going on? He was perplexed. He was going to make more pills. Why were there so many people? ¡°Tine, trust me! His ability is beyond your imagination!¡± ¡°Yes! Ein is right!¡± ¡°I agree!¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± ¡°Enough! Don¡¯t you have better things to do?!¡± Elder Tine couldn¡¯t help but bellow at the others. She found the other elders so childish. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen him refine any pills, nor do you know his level. How do you know he¡¯s a master? ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t talk to me about some defective pill ideas! I brought it up a long time ago, but you all laughed at me! What are you doing now? ¡°I admitted later that you were right. The pills can¡¯t be remade. Wait here if you want to. I¡¯m going back to my pills.¡± Elder Tine was straightforward in her conduct. She was annoyed. She had come to this branch because it was quieter here. However, these old men behaved as if they were high on drugs and wouldn¡¯t stop talking. They asked her to come here, but she couldn¡¯t see that master anywhere. Why were they so obsessed with a person they didn¡¯t know anything about? ¡°The door¡¯s open. Tine, just take a look. If he can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll give you five red cores!¡± Elder Tine frowned. ¡°Do you mean that?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Only then did Elder Tine agree to wait. Himmel Soan led Firey into the courtyard and started preparing for his alchemy session. Since they were here to watch him make pills, he didn¡¯t think he needed to say anything. Elder Tine was dumbfounded when she saw Himmel Soan¡¯s face. ¡°Have you been calling this teenager a master? And this little girl is with him? ¡°You¡¯re the master here! Master Bullshit!¡± She lost interest upon seeing Himmel Soan. How can this teenager be some genius master? It must be a joke! These old men must have forgotten to take their medicine last night. ¡°Remember to send me the cores!¡± Elder Tine left after that. She¡¯d rather work on her new pills than watch some performance here! Elder Ein didn¡¯t know what to say. He thought, You look like a teenage girl! Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover! Meanwhile, Himmel Soan finished his preparation. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to start making pills,¡± he told the crowd behind him. He then sat down and opened the furnace. The pills he was going to make were a little special. No¡­ It wasn¡¯t the pills that were special, the method was. He was going for Grade 7 pills. Refining them was neither too easy nor too difficult for Elder Ein. However, he had never heard of making Grade 7 pills with Grade 3 materials. Himmel Soan was going to use those seven portions of Grade 3 materials to make some Grade 7 pills today! Chapter 331 - Thunder Tribulation No one had imagined this possibility. Using Grade-3 materials to make Grade-7 pills? Fortunately, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t make that announcement, or the crow wouldn¡¯t stop talking about it! It was an impossible mission for them. Such a practice didn¡¯t exist in any books. One could skip grades when refining pills, like using Grade-1 materials to make Grade-2 or Grade-3 pills. But that was extremely rare. What Himmel Soan was about to do had no precedent in Stelladom. ¡°What¡¯s he doing? Why did he put all seven portions of materials into the furnace?¡± ¡°Is he refining pills? He almost looks like he¡¯s cooking!¡± ¡°How can he do that? Is he really a master alchemist? Was Elder Tine right? Have all the elders lost their minds?¡± ¡°What a waste! I can make five portions of Class C pills with those materials!¡± ¡°What a shame!¡± The others looked at Himmel Soan in surprise and cried out. When someone was making pills, they should never be disturbed. It could severely affect the outcome. But the guy was just wasting materials. That was why they made a clamor. He had thrown all seven portions in the furnace; that couldn¡¯t be right. Elder Ein had a strange look on his face as well. He thought, Is it possible that he¡¯s just an ordinary man? Even now, I sense no spiritual essence from him. It¡¯s like watching someone cook! Am I really wrong about him? No, that couldn¡¯t be the case because Himmel Soan really had inspired him. Could an ordinary guy achieve that? The more he thought about it, the more confused he felt. It didn¡¯t fit his expectations at all! Himmel Soan¡¯s strange behavior made Ein forget that the young man shouldn¡¯t be disturbed. Moreover, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t react to the crowd at all. Meanwhile, Himmel Soan put his hand on the furnace and kept adjusting the properties of the materials. To jump to Grade 7, he needed to extract, refine, and compress all the energy in the ingredients. After repeating the process, he would achieve Grade 7. As for the discussion, he didn¡¯t hear a word, let alone care about what they said. He was completely absorbed in himself. Apart from the furnace, he couldn¡¯t see anything. Just then, the sky darkened as if it was going to rain. ¡°I think a storm is coming!¡± ¡°When is this going to end? I don¡¯t want to get wet!¡± ¡°I dozed off and woke up, but he still hasn¡¯t finished.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯ll finish when it starts raining. He won¡¯t continue in the rain, will he?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The crowd was still chatting, not taking Himmel Soan¡¯s work seriously at all. If the elders weren¡¯t here, they would have gone back to their own furnaces. Ein and the other elders looked embarrassed. They hoped some miracle would happen, and Himmel Soan would refine some pills. If not Class C pills, Class B ones would save the day. He had put so many materials in the furnace, and even the elders would probably fail to produce anything. If Himmel Soan could make some Class C pills, it wouldn¡¯t be a humiliation. However, if nothing happened, they would lose their credibility in front of hundreds of pupils. Their words wouldn¡¯t carry any weight anymore. Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the clouds, and the sky grew darker. It almost looked like nightfall. ¡°Do I hear thunder? That¡¯s so loud. Is someone going through heavenly tribulation?¡± ¡°Of course not. The clouds are gathering above. Are you saying someone in our school is going through the thunder tribulation?¡± ¡°Can it be Elder Ein? I see! That¡¯s why we¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Congratulations, Elder Ein!¡± The crowd speculated about the heavenly tribulation. Even some elders had the same idea. After all, the thunder tribulation seemed very real. It had to be for one of them. The only explanation was that Elder Ein was having a breakthrough. Ein smiled bitterly. Tribulation? That wasn¡¯t him! He, of all people, knew that. He hadn¡¯t reached that level yet. Going through a thunder tribulation now would get himself killed. Moreover, everybody would sense their own thunder tribulation. If it was for him, he would become aware of it beforehand. It would give him some time to deal with any flaws in his comprehension and find ways to delay his thunder tribulation. But now, he didn¡¯t feel any connection with this thunder tribulation. It had to be someone else¡¯s. There was another rumble, scaring everybody. The thunder remained in the clouds, and the lightning never came down. As a result, the thunderclaps grew louder and more intense. ¡°Why are we having such a thunder tribulation?¡± Ein was confused. He had seen thunder tribulations when people made breakthroughs to the Hinayana stage, but there was nothing like this. The thunder tribulation was still brewing. Elder Tine heard the rumbles when she returned to her room, so she ran back and came up to Ein. ¡°Elder Ein, are you going to have a thunder tribulation? It¡¯s so strange. You won¡¯t make it. I¡¯ll help you hide. After it¡¯s gone, I¡¯ll take you to the principal.¡± She had bickered with Ein before, but after all this time, she already thought of this place as her home. Ein was her family. She didn¡¯t wish to see him get killed by lightning. She grabbed Ein and wanted to drag him away. ¡°That¡¯s not mine¡­¡± said Ein. Chapter 332 - Caused by Pills? It wasn¡¯t him? Lan, aka Elder Tine, looked at Pesi, Elder Ein, in suspicion, thinking, Do we have to keep our breakthroughs a secret now? That won¡¯t work either! Who knew when the heavenly tribulation would strike? ¡°Pesi, do you want to make a breakthrough in secret to surprise everybody? Other things aside, this thunder tribulation is so strange. I think you should hide. The breakthrough can wait!¡± Lan tried to talk Pesi out of it. Pesi still shook his head. ¡°It really isn¡¯t my thunder tribulation!¡± Seeing how serious he was, Lan got lost in her thoughts. If it wasn¡¯t his, whose could it be? Moreover, that tribulation was so strange! ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Lan asked again. ¡°Yes!¡± Lan turned to the other elders and looked at each of them. They all shook their heads at her, indicating that it wasn¡¯t their thunder tribulation. By now, the rumbling sound in the clouds had become continuous. It was like the world was going to end. ¡°A thunder tribulation of this scale will affect us!¡± ¡°Go!¡± Lan examined the thunder tribulation. Lightning kept flashing in the clouds, adding some color to the dreary atmosphere. Normal thunder tribulation would only go after the person that it targeted, attacking other people if they intervened. However, Lan suspected that this strange thunder tribulation might attack the crowd too. No one here was making a breakthrough to the Hinayana stage, and that was the only explanation. ¡°It¡¯s going to strike down!¡± someone shouted. As everybody gazed at the sky, the lightning finally came down. The power was going to destroy everything! A person usually had a 10% chance of surviving a thunder tribulation, but the crowd saw no such opportunity right now. ¡°What?¡± Himmel Soan sensed the thunder tribulation and looked up at the sky. ¡°Just about time!¡± Bang! He smacked the furnace, and nine pills flew out toward the clouds. ¡°Look at those pills!¡± ¡°What¡¯s he doing, sending the pills toward the cloud?¡± ¡°I have an idea. I suspect the thunder tribulation is drawn here by the master.¡± ¡°Maybe the thunder tribulation started because of the pills!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Putting seven portions in a furnace is against common sense. It explains this strange thunder tribulation!¡± Everybody was talking about it, addressing Himmel Soan as ¡°master.¡± Earlier, they only thought him to be a fraud. But seeing the pills, they realized they had underestimated Himmel Soan. Pesi was relieved. He was right. The young man was a master! Elder Tine was the most surprised of them all. Her mouth fell open as she watched the scene, not knowing what to say. ¡°Is this phenomenon caused by the pills? I heard extraordinary pills can indeed cause such a phenomenon. Passing the thunder tribulation will further improve the pills¡¯ quality. ¡°But what¡¯s happening now looks more like it¡¯s trying to destroy the pills!¡± Elder Tine explained to the others. She had never seen anything like this before. She wondered if the pills could withstand the thunder tribulation. The pills then received the full impact of the lightning. ¡°It¡¯s a little too powerful. I think I need to tone it down.¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky and analyzed the energy in the pills. Without hesitation, with a wave of his hand, the clouds became much thinner. No one noticed the change though. The crowd was focusing on the battle between the pills and the thunder tribulation. They had never seen pills going through tribulation before. This was a first. Himmel Soan felt the tribulation should reach an end now. If it went on, maybe the pills would be destroyed. He immediately chased the thunder tribulation away. The pills landed in his palm. ¡°He¡¯s a master!¡± ¡°What a treat! I¡¯ll remember it for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°Master, I want to learn this skill!¡± ¡°You want to? I want to!¡± ¡°Tribulations are hard to get through for people, let alone those pills. If they can pull it through, I should be able to do it as well!¡± ¡°I agree with you!¡± ¡°Of course you do!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not alone!¡± ¡°¡­¡± While the others talked among themselves, Pesi and Lan walked up to Himmel Soan. They couldn¡¯t help but give him a bow. ¡°Master!¡± they said in unison. Himmel Soan was perplexed because he didn¡¯t remember Lan. He didn¡¯t consider himself to be a master either. ¡°This is only the second time that I¡¯m refining pills. I still have a lot to learn. It won¡¯t take long though. I think I¡¯ll master it after some more practice. ¡°I¡¯m only getting started. It¡¯s never too late to learn, and I¡¯m going to keep learning!¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t deny his ability. He knew his strengths well, and it wouldn¡¯t take him long to learn anything. Earlier on Earth, he quickly became a top scientist. He still had a long way to go in the scientific world. It was the same with refining pills. ¡°I¡¯ve learned so much from you!¡± Pesi cupped his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I thought you were a fraud. You¡¯re so talented! I apologize for stepping out of bounds earlier. I¡¯ll send a hundred Grade-5 and ten Grade-6 materials to express my apology!¡± That was Lan. A hundred Grade-5 and ten Grade-6 materials! Everybody drew in their breath. Elder Tine was so wealthy! It wasn¡¯t impossible though. Elder Tine was a talented cultivator that everyone tried to win over. That was why she was quite wealthy. Chapter 333 - Master ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Making pills is just a temporary thing for me. I don¡¯t have any reason to accept so many materials.¡± Himmel Soan waved his hand and turned Lan down. She insisted. ¡°I saw the way you made the pills, and I know you¡¯re a master. I have so many questions to ask. Can I use these materials as payment for your teachings? Lan now knew Himmel Soan was an undiscovered master, hidden so well that even she had misjudged him. Therefore, she wanted him to forgive her. Moreover, she also had another request. She wanted Himmel Soan to answer her questions on subjects that she still didn¡¯t understand. She even feared that she hadn¡¯t offered enough¡ªat least that was her idea. ¡°Well¡­ Alright. If you have questions on pill refining, just tell me, and we can discuss them. I don¡¯t think of myself as a master, nor do I know what to teach you. Maybe you¡¯ll have to answer my questions.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t refuse her this time. In front of him were Elder Ein and a female cultivator who knew much about refining pills. He had only just started, while the other two were veterans. He really had some questions for them. For instance, how they made pills or the methods in the books. Lan was thrilled and felt honored. ¡°I¡¯ll answer all your questions. But before that, I¡¯d like to see the pills you¡¯ve just refined!¡± Her request was reasonable. She wasn¡¯t alone either. Everybody here wanted to see what kind of pills would attract such a thunder tribulation. Himmel Soan had every right to say no, but he didn¡¯t find it necessary. ¡°Here they are. You can have this one.¡± Himmel Soan showed them the nine pills. He gave them one pill because he wanted to see if the pill would do anything to recover one¡¯s energy. Otherwise, he would have given them all nine pills. Lan was stunned when she took the pill. Her hands were shaking so violently that she almost dropped it. ¡°There¡¯s an inscription on it! It¡¯s the inscription of a Grade-8 pill!¡± Lan cried out in astonishment. Even she couldn¡¯t refine such pills. Two out of three times, she would fail to make Grade-8 Class B pills. Those two times would only give her defective pills, let alone Grade-8 pills with inscriptions. ¡°I was going to make Grade-7 pills because that¡¯s the highest level those materials could give me. I didn¡¯t expect to attract the thunder tribulation, so I pushed it further and reached Grade 8,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t plan it beforehand. The turn of events was unexpected. Hearing how relaxed Himmel Soan was, Lan couldn¡¯t help but think, Is this how masters think? She then carefully handed the pill to Pesi. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the master. Keep it safe. You can learn a lot from it!¡± Pesi was perplexed because he thought they were going to return it. Were they really going to keep it? But after hearing what Lan said, Pesi didn¡¯t know what to add. Moreover, he wanted to keep the pill too. He thought maybe he could sense the thunder tribulation energy on the pill, which would help him reach the Hinayana state. At first, Lan thought about giving the pill back to Himmel Soan. It was a very valuable gift. On second thought, she felt maybe the master would be offended if she refused the gift. It seemed the master didn¡¯t think much of the pill and had given it away in passing. Because of that, Lan made her decision. ¡°I read a lot of books last night and found quite a few errors. I¡¯ve noted all of them. You can take a look and see if I¡¯m right.¡± Himmel Soan then took out all the books. Lan and Pesi turned the pages and saw his notes. As they did some calculations in their heads, the looks on their faces changed. Their mouths fell open, and they kept making soft cries. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t I thought about that?!¡± Two hours later, they closed the last book with twinkling eyes. Himmel Soan had edited quite a few pill formulas. They were the ones that could fail easily. After Himmel Soan¡¯s adjustments, it was obvious that following the new formulas would significantly increase the success rate. ¡°Sir, I¡¯d like to become your pupil!¡± Lan made the request. Everybody was shocked. The principal had tried to take Lan in as a pupil, but she turned down the offer. She said she didn¡¯t need a master. But she wanted to become this man¡¯s pupil! Did she think this man was better than the principal? What happened today was strange in a lot of people¡¯s eyes. They thought the principal could have done the same. Yet, Lan wanted to become this man¡¯s pupil. ¡°Well¡­¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. A pupil? He hadn¡¯t done so for a long time. He never thought anyone would want to become his pupil now. Moreover, Lan seemed quite talented. Himmel Soan hesitated. ¡°I want to become your pupil, too,¡± Pesi said with a blush. Everybody else was dumbfounded. Elder Ein wanted to become this man¡¯s pupil! Wasn¡¯t he a little too old for that? Chapter 334 - News on Gina Himmel Soan was equally dumbfounded. He could imagine having Lan as a pupil. But Pesi? He didn¡¯t know what to teach that man. The older a person was, the more stubborn they would be. Many of their habits couldn¡¯t be changed. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t plan to take Pesi in either. It would be too weird. ¡°I can only have one pupil,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t need to specify who the pupil would be. The crowd already knew what he meant. Obviously, he would have Lan, Elder Tine, as his pupil. No one would choose Pesi over her. He was old enough to be one¡¯s grandmaster, unsuitable to be anybody¡¯s pupil. It was a ridiculous proposition. Pesi also realized that he had misspoken and seemed disappointed. He wanted to be Himmel Soan¡¯s pupil because he needed a few questions answered that could take him to the Hinayana stage. He was inspired by his first conversation with Himmel Soan. After reading his notes, he felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough. If he could become his student, that breakthrough would happen very soon. However, he had to face reality. ¡°I want to discuss certain things with you. For instance, the general cultivation rule,¡± said Himmel Soan. None of these people were very capable. He would get no benefits if he consulted them. Still, he voiced his intentions because these people made him feel at home. His ideal choice was to discuss with people with advanced cultivation levels who knew more about the world. However, that wouldn¡¯t be the right decision. If Himmel Soan were to discuss something with Emperor Baih, he wouldn¡¯t have so many considerations. The discussion would take place two days later. So much had happened today, and everybody needed some time to digest it, hence the time. That evening, Lan moved into the room next to Himmel Soan¡¯s. ¡°Master, here are the books you wanted.¡± She had replaced Ton and delivered the books herself. ¡°Alright. Just put them here.¡± Himmel Soan put down the book he had just finished. ¡°Lan, I need to talk to you.¡± Lan nodded in excitement. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°All my pupils took my surname. So if you want to become one¡­¡± ¡°Change my surname? No problem!¡± Lan wasn¡¯t against the idea. She would have changed her surname if she had joined one of the eight royal families. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. Once she officially became his pupil, he would be the most important person in her life. Changing her surname was nothing. ¡°My name¡¯s Himmel Soan. If you want to be my pupil, you¡¯ll become Lan Soan,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°No prob¡ª What? Soan?!¡± Lan¡¯s eyes widened. Soan?! How could it be his surname? Seeing the surprised look in Lan¡¯s eyes, Himmel Soan remained silent and waited for her decision. He didn¡¯t want to force anybody. Lan didn¡¯t believe it at first and got lost in her thoughts. After hesitating, she made up her mind. She knelt and prostrated on the ground. ¡°Master, please accept me as your pupil!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Alright. You¡¯ll be my sixth pupil, and you¡¯ll become a Soan!¡± Himmel Soan was surprised by Lan¡¯s decision. The eight emperors had forbidden that surname; just mentioning it could get one killed. Yet, Lan still wanted to become his pupil. He was impressed enough to give her that. Lan rose to her feet in excitement. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll be Lan Soan. Master, what levels are my senior brothers?¡± Himmel Soan shook his head. He had no idea what was going on with those five people. He had recruited them at different times. After they became his pupil, they were on their own. Himmel Soan gave them next to no instructions. He didn¡¯t know if they were dead or alive. ¡°Am I going to stay by your side from now on?¡± Firey jumped out before Himmel Soan could say anything. ¡°No! Master is mine! I won¡¯t let you follow him around!¡± Lan turned to Firey. She had noticed her earlier but had no idea what her relationship was with Himmel Soan. Although the two people looked alike, Lan thought Himmel Soan was too young to have such a daughter. ¡°She¡¯s Firey, the human form of a heart of the volcano. I consider her as my daughter,¡± said Himmel Soan. The heart of the volcano? The essence of nature? That was invaluable! People would fight head over heels for the essence of nature when it was formed. How could this one still be around? One had to guard it all the time. However, it took millions of years for the essence of nature to take human form. Lan wondered if her master had been alive for that long. ¡°Since you¡¯ve become my pupil, I can tell you certain things. I¡¯m not from this world. I arrived at Stelladom by accident, and I¡¯ve been looking for someone. Her name is Gina Zimmer, and she¡¯s my cultivation partner. ¡°Have you heard about her?¡± Not from this world? Lan was dumbfounded. Was there another world apart from this one? She had had such speculations but was never able to verify them. Now that she had heard the answer, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. But that was what it was. She could only accept reality. As for Gina¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that name before, but I think one of the former eight emperors had the Zimmer surname. If we can find that family, maybe we can find out something about her!¡± Emperor Zimmer! Himmel Soan immediately reached the conclusion that the Zimmer family had something to do with Gina. ¡°Where can I find them?¡± he asked excitedly. Chapter 335 - Path ¡°Master¡­¡± Lan bit her lower lip and couldn¡¯t bring herself to say the next thing. She saw how elated Himmel Soan was and didn¡¯t want to disappoint him. Well¡­ Himmel Soan took a deep breath to calm himself down. Although Lan hadn¡¯t said anything, he could tell what she wanted to tell him. If the Zimmer family was easy to find, she would have said so instead of hesitating. ¡°Bring it on. I¡¯ve searched for her for so long that nothing can disappoint me anymore. I¡¯m happy enough to get any information at all. The scariest thing is to have nothing,¡± Himmel Soan said calmly. Lan finally started talking. ¡°The eight emperors are always changing. They are not permanent. Emperor Zimmer used to be one of them before he was replaced. ¡°The Zimmer family couldn¡¯t be spared either. What if they tried to revolt? Therefore, everybody was killed. ¡°The winner takes it all. That¡¯s the ultimate law in Stelladom. ¡°Pillages were a frequent sight in the past, but things improved when Emperor Oogh and Emperor Tzi reached a higher cultivation stage. ¡°The current eight emperors have been around for a very long time,¡± said Lan. Almost all cultivators knew these things. After being told that Himmel Soan was from another world, Lan improved his general knowledge. Himmel Soan had told her his surname. She didn¡¯t think she should keep anything from him, not to mention that he was her master. She would share everything with him. Himmel Soan nodded, not taking offense. Similar things happened in ancient Moon too. They were only repeated in this cultivation world. ¡°Alright. I see what¡¯s going on. Do you know anything about the Soan surname?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Lan shook her head. She didn¡¯t know much about that either. She hadn¡¯t run into issues about that surname, nor did she know when the rule was set. It seemed to be around for a long time. ¡°Master, if you want to find out more about the Zimmer family, maybe you can go to Starwan Tower. They sell all kinds of information. What you want to know may cost a little more. But your pills are more than enough to cover the expense.¡± Lan suddenly remembered the Starwan Tower. Just as in Elixir School, the leader of that organization was as capable as the emperors. Elixir School was where pills were made, Starwan Tower was where information was provided, and Stelladom Academy was where students went to learn things. Even the eight emperors couldn¡¯t do anything to them. The three organizations had always been safe and stable. Himmel Soan nodded and made a mental note. Afterward, he and Lan talked about things relating to alchemy. Lan went back to her room when it got late. Himmel Soan sat on his bed and recalled what he had been told. Could Gina and the Zimmer family be related? Could the issue with the Soan surname have something to do with his pupils? He didn¡¯t consider that possibility at first because he hadn¡¯t thought about his pupils for a long time. They were on their own. However, after taking Lan in, he was reminded of them. Maybe it really had something to do with them. He made plans to visit Starwan Tower and see if he could find out anything. Before long, two days had passed. It was just like what they said before; today was the day of the big discussion. Himmel Soan was going to talk to them about the general cultivation rule. ¡°Master, everybody¡¯s here. We¡¯re ready to begin,¡± Lan said respectfully. ¡°What¡¯s the general cultivation rule? Where does it come from? Why do we cultivate?¡± Himmel Soan asked three questions in a row. No one answered, nor did anyone know the answer. If they could, they would be as great as the emperors. Maybe even some of them couldn¡¯t answer those questions. If they could, some of them wouldn¡¯t be more capable than others. Emperor Oogh and Emperor Tzi were close to reaching a higher cultivation stage. Himmel Soan carved the word ¡°path¡± into a giant stone with his finger. ¡°This is the answer!¡± The answer? The others narrowed their eyes and tried to figure out the meaning behind the word. Himmel Soan had written in English, a language on Earth. However, this place was Stelladom. The languages were completely different. They couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡°This is my path,¡± said Himmel Soan. He then wrote ¡°path¡± in the language of this world. ¡°That¡¯s what it means. The path applies to everything if you reach perfection in an aspect. To cultivate is to do your best in the things you¡¯re good at. If you reach perfection in swordplay, you can destroy your enemy and even heaven and earth with a single strike. If you reach perfection in alchemy, you can make pills beyond Grade 9 with inscriptions!¡± While lecturing, Himmel Soan himself began to undergo a change. He felt as if he was the path. Normally, it would take him a whole year to figure this out. When he saw how Emperor Baih¡¯s speech resonated with heaven and earth, he had an epiphany. After refining the pills the day before, he had a full understanding of the general cultivation rule in the world, significantly improving his strength. He had recovered 9% of his energy. He only needed one more percentage to reach 10%. After that, he could go see Emperor Baih. Since the eight emperors could be replaced, he didn¡¯t mind taking Emperor Baih¡¯s place. However, he would only do that if the eight emperors had something to do with the Zimmer family. Chapter 336 - Pesis Breakthrough The discussion soon came to an end. Himmel Soan basically did all the talking on the general cultivation rule. Other people only asked questions. Pesi had the most questions of them all. He had a better understanding than anyone else and wanted to make a breakthrough as soon as possible to reach the Hinayana stage. Only someone who fully understood the rule could take that step. If one could fuse their understanding with nature, they would reach the Mahayana stage. Pesi didn¡¯t dream that high. Reaching the Hinayana stage was good enough. Now that Himmel Soan was here, Pesi would make full use of this opportunity. His wish was finally fulfilled. Finally, he had the feeling that he was about to make a breakthrough. It would happen in a couple of days. He didn¡¯t have time to thank Himmel Soan and hurried off to make his preparations. One day later, the thunder tribulation arrived as expected. ¡°Elder Ein has finally made a breakthrough. Our branch is probably on the rise!¡± ¡°Be confident. Lose the ¡®probably¡¯!¡± ¡°The master is here with us. Of course, we¡¯re on the rise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What the master said yesterday inspired me so much! I think I¡¯m going to have a breakthrough!¡± ¡°So many people have made breakthroughs today. You just have to jump onto the wagon, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already numb. I¡¯ve lost count of how many people have advanced!¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering if Elder Ein can survive this thunder tribulation.¡± Everybody fell silent. No one was sure that Pesi would survive this. Although he had been preparing for many years, it still came down to his capabilities. If he wasn¡¯t strong enough, no prior preparations would be enough. Pesi was several hundred years old and was reaching the end of his life. Would this old man overcome this crisis? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With the master here, the thunder tribulation is nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If Elder Ein can¡¯t withstand it, I¡¯m sure the master will intervene.¡± ¡°I have faith in the master. This thunder tribulation must be a piece of cake for him. His pills easily defeated that tribulation!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the master can intervene in the thunder tribulation. Even the emperors can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°What? Are you saying the young master is weaker than the emperors? That¡¯s just bullshit!¡± ¡­ A short distance away, someone was heading for the branch. He couldn¡¯t believe it when he saw the thunder tribulation in the distance, murmuring, ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a thunder tribulation the other day? Who is making a breakthrough now? ¡°Is it Pesi? It probably is him. Isn¡¯t he a bit too old for that?¡± The guy talked about Elder Ein without much regard. He was sent here by the principal of Elixir School. The thunder tribulation created by Himmel Soan¡¯s pills had caught the principal¡¯s attention. He thought Lan had made a breakthrough, so he sent this man here to take a look. The principal wanted to invite Lan to join the main branch of the school. The man had known Pesi for a long time, which was why he was sent here. To his surprise, someone else was making a breakthrough now. After guessing it was Pesi, the man picked up his speed. He knew what Pesi was doing. The old man didn¡¯t have many years left, so he wanted to grab this last chance to make a breakthrough. He didn¡¯t think Pesi could succeed. ¡°Pesi, slow down. I¡¯m not ready to see your dead body yet!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, the crowd all felt nervous. They were worried about Elder Ein. If he made the breakthrough, he would be the first Hinayana cultivator in this branch. It would be so magnificent! ¡°I hope Elder Ein can pull through¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hope! I¡¯m sure he can do it, or we¡¯ll lose an elder!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll jinx it!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you have some faith in him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The thunder tribulation put everybody on edge. However, Pesi himself was quite relaxed. Reaching this far was already a surprise. He would love to make a breakthrough, but if he couldn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have any regrets either. The thunder tribulation consisted of nine streaks of lightning. The first one was coming for him already. Pesi withstood it without difficulty, but it was only the beginning. Almost everybody could do that. Only someone who did little practice and depended entirely on pills might not pass the first test. Before long, more lightning bolts struck down. Pesi¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat. The fourth streak hit him, and he barely managed to survive. His expression paled a little. ¡°Phew¡­ is it as far as I can go?¡± Pesi didn¡¯t want to accept defeat. He was so close to the next stage, but he was going to fail on the fifth streak of lightning. His breathing quickened. Just then, he remembered the word Himmel Soan had carved in the stone¡ªpath. ¡°What¡¯s the path? ¡°I am!¡± Pesi mustered up his courage to compete with the law of nature. Boom! The fifth streak landed on Pesi. ¡°OMG¡­ Is Elder Ein still alive?¡± ¡°Even if he can withstand this one, there are still four more!¡± ¡°What should we do? Can someone help him?¡± ¡°How? Feel free to try it yourself!¡± ¡°Be quiet! We can only have faith in Elder Ein now.¡± Lan silenced the others. She had complicated feelings as well. The thunder tribulation was Pesi¡¯s own choice and what he wanted the most. She couldn¡¯t do anything apart from supporting him. She didn¡¯t have a choice. She knew Pesi couldn¡¯t withstand it much longer. Even if he could withstand the fifth and the sixth, he couldn¡¯t survive the last three streaks. Chapter 337 - Master, Help Despite knowing what was going to happen, she could only stand there and watch. She was just a mid-stage Contemplation cultivator. Before the thunder tribulation started, she had the ability to take Pesi away. But now, there was nothing she could do. Maybe her master could. Lan thought about Himmel Soan. So far, she still didn¡¯t know exactly how capable the man was. She couldn¡¯t sense any spiritual essence in him. She had met the principal before. Although that man usually concealed his spiritual energy, he still gave off a majestic aura. When he chose to show it, the fluctuation of his spiritual essence was impossible to ignore. One couldn¡¯t lie about such things. However, Lan had never detected such things in her master. She even doubted once that he was only an ordinary man. Or he was more capable than the principal. He was beyond the detection of this world, which was why he appeared to be ordinary. Those were only her speculations. As for what was really going on, Lan didn¡¯t dare ask nor would she. The sixth streak of lightning was about to land. There was no time to think about other things. Lan immediately headed for Himmel Soan¡¯s room. She needed to try no matter what. She wanted to ask Himmel Soan to help Pesi once he couldn¡¯t withstand the thunder tribulation anymore. Rumble¡­ Hearing the sound, she picked up her speed, arriving at Himmel Soan¡¯s room in no time. He was still reading one book after another. ¡°Master, I need your help.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Himmel Soan put down his book. ¡°Something¡¯s going on outside. Elder Ein is in the middle of a tribulation, and I don¡¯t think he can pull through. Would you please help him when he can¡¯t withstand it anymore?¡± Lan gritted her teeth and blurted out those words. She didn¡¯t have any time to lose. Elder Ein was getting hit by the sixth streak of lightning. ¡°Going through the tribulation is to complete one¡¯s cultivation path and experience the law of nature. If he fails, it means there¡¯s something wrong with his cultivation. ¡°If his general direction is right, failing the tribulation will only help him improve his foundations. But he¡¯s an old man, so it may be more difficult for him than others. I¡¯ll ask him before the eighth bolt,¡± Himmel Soan said after sensing the thunder. Even if Lan hadn¡¯t come here, he would still give Pesi a hand at the eighth streak. He had lived in the house Pesi provided, so he would help the old man when he could. Lan nodded and felt grateful. Now that her master had agreed to help, she felt nothing could go wrong. She had never actually seen Himmel Soan fighting. Even when refining pills, he looked as casual as if he were cooking. Yet, he could still create Grade-8 inscribed pills with Grade-3 materials. From that alone, Lan was certain that her master was as good as the principal, if not better. Lan left the room. She was going to check up on Elder Ein and stop bothering her master. At first, she thought Elder Ein would withstand no more than six streaks of lightning. To her surprise, her master said he could go as far as the seventh. It seemed Elder Ein still had a few trump cards up his sleeves. Himmel Soan used this time to finish the last few books. He found a lot of incorrect theories and marked them in the books instead of correcting them. Although he could make everything clear, he found it unnecessary. Those people needed to figure it out on their own. If he only told them what was correct, they would stop thinking. That would turn them into robots. He had finished all the books. He now planned to leave in two days and head south. The central city, the eight emperors, the Zimmer family, and the Stelladom continent were all waiting for his discovery. He couldn¡¯t stay in this place forever. He had learned a lot here and had a vague idea of what Stelladom was like. ¡°Firey, how¡¯s the desert spirit?¡± He had left it under Firey¡¯s care and had forgotten about it until now. ¡°It has gained intelligence. It¡¯s been making rapid progress since we got here. I think it¡¯ll take human form in one or two years.¡± Firey took out the desert spirit. Himmel Soan saw a faint red glow on it. The element seemed to have changed slightly under Firey¡¯s influence. ¡°Alright. Keep it with you. You¡¯ll be responsible for it after it takes human form.¡± Firey was surprised. Her responsibility? No! She was a kid herself! ¡°That¡¯s so exhausting. I don¡¯t want it!¡± Firey pouted. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give it to Lan.¡± Himmel Soan smiled when he saw her reaction. ¡­ While they were talking, the thunder tribulation continued. The sixth streak had struck Pesi. Pesi didn¡¯t fall. He only looked up at the sky without caring if he could pull through. Before long, the seventh streak was going to land on him. Everybody was nervous. ¡°Elder Ein doesn¡¯t look good. Can he really get through this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much hope. Even if he can survive, there are still two more left!¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°How about we ask for a time-out? Elder Ein can resume the tribulation once he recovers his strength.¡± ¡°Interesting. How are you going to do that?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the master? Elder Ein is in trouble! We need his help!¡± ¡°He still hasn¡¯t shown up. Does that mean things aren¡¯t as serious as we think?¡± Chapter 338 - Pills as Swords Rumble! As thunder rumbled in the clouds, that man from earlier arrived at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Phew¡­ Finally, I¡¯m here. I think I¡¯ve arrived just in time.¡± He was glad he had picked up his pace. Otherwise, he would have to pick up Pesi¡¯s dead body off the ground. At least he could see that man for the last time. He only paused for a brief moment. The next second, he arrived at the branch on the mountain top. ¡°Master Huor!¡± ¡°Master Huor, you¡¯re here! Elder Ein is going through his thunder tribulation. Are you here to help him?¡± ¡°Master Huor is here! Elder Ein will be alright!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seene Huor nodded at the crowd without responding to any of their questions. He moved as close to Pesi as possible. Upon noticing his gaunt face, Seene burst into tears. He could see Pesi, but Pesi didn¡¯t spot him. He didn¡¯t want Pesi to notice him either. That man was going through a thunder tribulation now. Seene didn¡¯t have much hope, but he didn¡¯t try to intervene either. ¡°Pesi, why are you in such a rush? He should have contacted the principal first. I¡¯m sure the principal would have lent him a hand. Why is he so stubborn?¡± Seene murmured. He knew Pesi had always been stubborn and wouldn¡¯t change his mind once he made his decision. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t stop until he felt he had done his best. When Pesi was young, Seene tried to persuade him to practice the sword instead of alchemy. Back then, Pesi¡¯s swordsmanship was so advanced that the best swordsman in Stelladom wanted to be his master. However, Pesi picked up alchemy instead. According to him, swordplay wasn¡¯t where his heart lay, nor was he interested. Alchemy was the field he was interested in, and he would only do things that interested him. If he hadn¡¯t changed his field, he would probably have become the finest swordsman on the continent. However, that was Pesi¡¯s choice. No one could tell him otherwise. Moreover, after so many years, it would be too late to go back. The seventh streak struck. Pesi swallowed a whole bottle of pills and withstood the lightning. The eighth was about to follow. Lan¡¯s stomach lurched. Elder Ein really had made it through the seventh streak of lightning. What about the eighth? Where was her master? Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes. Just as he was about to help the man, he stopped. ¡°I think he has found his path.¡± In that case, there was no need for him to get involved. Rumble! The eighth streak struck. The look in Pesi¡¯s eyes was so sharp that a sword seemed to burst out of his body. He had found his own path and was so close to the Hinayana stage. ¡°I haven¡¯t used a sword in 800 years. I¡¯ll practice on the thunder tribulation today. ¡°I¡¯m too old to wield a sword. My pills will be my sword!¡± Pesi took out a pill in the shape of a tiny sword. He then tossed it into the sky and used this ¡°sword¡± to carve his own path. ¡°Ha!¡± A streak of sword energy burst out of the pill and struck the churning clouds. The energy spread for tens of thousands of kilometers. Everybody looked up. The sword energy struck the thunder tribulation but didn¡¯t seem to waver at all. It was as if the thunder tribulation was the weaker side. In Cloud City, all eight emperors seemed to sense something and looked in the direction of Pesi. Despite being hundreds of kilometers apart, they seemed to be able to see what was happening. In reality, they couldn¡¯t see things so far away. They only sensed it because Pesi¡¯s sword energy had shaken the general cultivation rule. People were gathered in Stelladom Academy and Starwan Tower because they also sensed the sword¡¯s energy. In Elixir School, the principal of the school was more surprised than anyone. The energy came from the branch that Lan was in. He eagerly wanted to know what was happening over there. There was a thunder tribulation earlier, which he thought was for Lan¡¯s breakthrough. He believed he knew everything about all the branches, especially the one Lan was in. No one else in that branch should be having a breakthrough! Reality had slapped him across the face. A second person was making a breakthrough, which had started a thunder tribulation. Moreover, that person had let out such incredible sword energy. What was going on? He didn¡¯t think the sword energy could belong to Lan. That wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Seene¡¯s report.¡± He decided not to bother himself with the question. Being anxious wouldn¡¯t get him anywhere. No matter how curious he was, he couldn¡¯t run over there and check it on his own. Meanwhile, Seene was staring at the sky. At first, he felt sorry that Pesi had given up on his swordsmanship. To his surprise, Pesi had activated such powerful sword energy. ¡°That energy feels like something from a grandmaster,¡± he murmured. However, Pesi had been working on alchemy all these years. Seene wondered where Pesi learned that skill and how he found time to practice it. After the initial surprise, he contacted the principal and told him everything. He had to report such a major problem to the principal and see how he would react. Pesi had defeated the eighth streak of lightning, with the ninth in the air. It felt infuriated because of his provocation. ¡°This isn¡¯t over!¡± The sword energy hadn¡¯t fully dissipated, but it concentrated once more and became even stronger. It then charged at the thunder tribulation. Chapter 339 - Pesis Breakthrough Bang! The sword energy clashed with the thunder tribulation and disappeared. As if the sky had been ripped open, there was a large hole in the clouds. Sunlight poured down onto the crowd¡¯s faces. Once the thunder was gone, the clouds soon dissipated. Pesi had overcome the ninth streak of lightning. He had stepped into the Hinayana stage. Although he was only at the initial phase, he was different from other Hinayana cultivators because he already had a hint of the Mahayana stage. If he kept going forward on his path, he would soon reach the next cultivation stage. Well¡­ Pesi let out a breath of relief. Several elders approached him to see how he was. ¡°Elder Ein, that strike¡­¡± ¡°It was such an amazing move! I was blown away!¡± ¡°I never knew you could do that!¡± ¡°Why should you know what Elder Ein can do?¡± Seene walked up to Pesi as well. After looking at him up and down, he said, ¡°We only parted for a short while, but you¡¯ve completely changed.¡± Pesi chuckled. ¡°A short while? More like 800 years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been 800 years. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you like this. Do you still practice swords?¡± Pesi shook his head and exhaled. ¡°I haven¡¯t done that for a long time, and you know it. I gave up on swordplay once I chose alchemy.¡± Seene was perplexed. If he had given up on the sword, what was that sword energy? Was he trying to keep it a secret? Seeing how confused Seene was, Pesi laughed. ¡°I was inspired. That¡¯s all! Forget about that. Are you here for Lan?¡± An inspiration? Bullshit! Seene didn¡¯t believe a word, but he didn¡¯t think much of it because it was Pesi¡¯s private matter. The other party could decide if he wanted to tell the truth. Seene didn¡¯t want to probe too deeply and cross any boundaries. ¡°Yes, that was my original mission. The principal sensed the thunder tribulation and speculated Lan was making a breakthrough, so he sent me here to check. ¡°With everything that has happened, I don¡¯t know if he would give me additional missions.¡± Lan happened to be nearby and heard him. ¡°Please thank the principal for me, but I already have a master.¡± Already have a master?! What the heck?! Seene turned to Lan and was about to ask her something when he sensed her energy. ¡°You¡¯re still at the Contemplation stage.¡± Lan hadn¡¯t broken through yet. Seene was dumbfounded. He felt his brain had stopped functioning. ¡°Yes, so?¡± She was at the Contemplation stage, and that wasn¡¯t news. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just don¡¯t understand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a Hinayana cultivator now? Why are you still at the Contemplation stage?¡± Seene didn¡¯t know how he should feel. Was there something wrong with his senses? If not, was there something wrong with the principal? That couldn¡¯t be the case! Seene felt it couldn¡¯t be the principal. It had to be himself. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m an intermediate Contemplation cultivator, a long way from making a breakthrough.¡± Lan then walked toward Pesi. ¡°Elder Ein, you never told me you were hiding so many trump cards. I even went to my master to seek his help. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you do it all by yourself.¡± Pesi was surprised. Lan had gone to the master for help! He owed her a favor now, even if Himmel Soan didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Lan, who¡¯s your master?¡± Seene asked. Lan was about to say Himmel Soan¡¯s name but stopped. His surname couldn¡¯t be mentioned casually. Even if it could, it should come from her master. She said, ¡°You don¡¯t know him.¡± What¡­ Seene was dumbfounded. There were only a handful of masters on the continent. Lan had turned down the principal¡¯s offer, so he couldn¡¯t imagine her getting another master. Just then, his communication device buzzed. It must be from the principal. He took out the device and checked the message. A moment later, Seene told Pesi, ¡°The principal has asked you to visit the main campus when you have time. He¡¯d like to reward you for the breakthrough as well as make some arrangements for you.¡± He then turned back to the device. He needed to tell the principal about Lan right now. It was an important issue. He never imagined her becoming someone else¡¯s pupil, but that had happened. ¡°Please thank the principal for me. I¡¯ll visit him soon.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Seene nodded. He was already writing a message, so he just added Pesi¡¯s words. A few steps away, Himmel Soan¡¯s door opened. He and Firey came out and were going to walk around the branch. Their appearance caught many people¡¯s attention. Lan and Pesi ran to his side, leaving behind the dumbfounded Seene. What was that? Turning around, Seene was shocked by what he saw. Lan and Pesi were kneeling in front of a young man and a girl. The spectators were also giving the young man respectful looks. Was that Lan¡¯s master? Seene wondered. He also looked at Himmel Soan. They¡¯re just an ordinary young man and a little girl. How could they be her master? If they weren¡¯t, why did Lan kneel at the young man¡¯s feet? He needed answers. Chapter 340 - The Principals invitation ¡°Thank you! If it hadn¡¯t been for the discussion the other day, maybe I¡¯d never have reached the Hinayana stage,¡± Pesi said in reverence. Himmel Soan gestured to him to stand up. Before Pesi could move, a force rose from beneath him, making him rise to his feet. ¡°The person you should thank is yourself. I only shared my thoughts on cultivation. You alone decide how much you can take away from it. ¡°My words are only a reference. You made the breakthrough because you have the ability,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t want to claim any credit. Pesi respected Himmel Soan even more. Himmel Soan then turned to Lan. ¡°I¡¯m leaving tomorrow. Would you like to go with me or stay here?¡± Lan hesitated. Her gaze moved from her master to Pesi and the other people around them. She didn¡¯t know how to choose. After a long time, she made up her mind. ¡°Master, I¡¯m going to stay here. I¡¯ll come to you when I reach the Mahayana stage.¡± She wanted to follow Himmel Soan, but she didn¡¯t think she was powerful enough yet, worried that she would bring him trouble. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t a child anymore. She knew she couldn¡¯t depend on her master forever. Therefore, she made the decision to stay. ¡°Alright. Here¡¯s a goodbye gift,¡± said Himmel Soan. Firey took the desert spirit out of her pocket and gave it to Lan. ¡°Lan, please take care of it!¡± Firey grinned. ¡°Master, this is¡­¡± Lan was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s the desert spirit. It¡¯ll take its human form in about a year. Please take good care of it,¡± said Himmel Soan. The desert spirit! It was the essence of nature! Lan was too excited to speak. The essence of nature was very rare in Stelladom. Firey was the only one Lan had met that had taken the human form. She never thought her master would leave something so precious in her care. The essence of nature could be absorbed and significantly improve one¡¯s cultivation level without any side effects. The older the essence of nature, the more effective it was. Even if it took the human form, it could still be absorbed. It meant Firey was in quite a lot of danger in Stelladom, but it wouldn¡¯t be an issue since her master was always around. However, Lan wasn¡¯t as capable as him. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m good enough for the job¡­¡± said Lan. ¡°Is that the essence of nature?¡± Seene finally recovered from his astonishment. He couldn¡¯t suppress his cry. He then cupped his hands at Himmel Soan. ¡°Sir, are you Lan¡¯s master?¡± It was an unnecessary question. She had addressed Himmel Soan as her master several times. Wasn¡¯t that obvious enough? ¡°Yes.¡± Himmel Soan nodded, not bothered by Seene¡¯s surprise. ¡°May I ask what your cultivation level is?¡± Seene asked the important question. He had been curious about it for a long time. Pesi frowned and sounded displeased. ¡°Seene, the master doesn¡¯t need to answer that question. That¡¯s so inappropriate!¡± Seene was taken aback by Pesi¡¯s attitude. They were old friends. Why would he speak to him in that tone? Did he really have such respect for this young man? Himmel Soan waved at Pesi, calming him down. He then said, ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary independent cultivator. ¡°As for my level, I think I¡¯m the same as Emperor Baih.¡± Shocked, everybody fell silent. The same as Emperor Baih? It meant he could surpass Emperor Baih in the future. Emperor Baih was one of the eight emperors. Although he was only ranked fifth, he was still an emperor. How could Himmel Soan sound so indifferent? Pesi finally knew Himmel Soan¡¯s actual cultivation level, but he still thought he was being modest. He believed he was as capable as Emperor Zea, the third-ranked among the eight. Lan remained unaffected. She knew much more than the bystanders like he had only recovered 10% of his strength. Himmel Soan said he was about the same level as Emperor Baih, which meant at his prime, he was as capable as ten Emperor Baihs put together. She almost saw Himmel Soan as a god. Seene¡¯s mouth fell open. He couldn¡¯t believe it yet couldn¡¯t say it aloud either. It would offend this man. No matter who made that claim, he had to be very powerful. Seene suddenly took out his communication device and said tentatively, ¡°Sir, the principal wanted to invite you to Elixir School.¡± Wait¡­ An invitation? That wasn¡¯t a bad idea! Elixir School happened to be located in Cloud City at the center of Stelladom. It would be his first stop. ¡°Alright. Tell your principal that I¡¯ll set out tomorrow.¡± Himmel Soan took Firey and walked around this branch. This was their last day. They would be leaving for Cloud City soon. It was where he had to be. He needed to figure out the Soan surname and information on Gina. Cloud City was most likely the place where he would gain information. It was great that the school principal had invited him. He now had an excuse to go there. After that, he would go to the Baih family. Emperor Baih had invited him. It wasn¡¯t the most earnest invitation, but Himmel Soan still planned to go. Later that night, Himmel Soan went to bed. Seene also stayed for the night. They would leave together the following day. In the silent night, a group of men in black arrived at the foot of the mountain. Chapter 341 - Assassination ¡°This is a branch of Elixir School. Are you sure we¡¯re going to do it here?¡± ¡°I feel the same way. Should we give it another thought?¡± Two of the men looked at the third one. The latter was their leader and the most capable of them all. He was halfway into the emperors¡¯ level. Otherwise, the two Mahayana cultivators wouldn¡¯t have respected him so much. ¡°We¡¯re doing it tonight! This place is very close to Cloud City. It won¡¯t be so easy once he gets there. ¡°We may fail our mission. Feel free to stand aside if you want to face Emperor Baih¡¯s fury,¡± said the leader. His tone was as cold as a blade. They all worked for Emperor Baih and belonged to a division that specialized in assassinations. When the Baih family found a matter too delicate, they would send these people to do the job. However, they would usually send one person only and had never had three people on the same mission. Besides, they were the most capable people in the entire division. ¡°Eagle, did Emperor Baih tell you who the target is?¡± asked one of them. They didn¡¯t have names and only went by code names. Eagle was their leader. ¡°That¡¯s on a need-to-know basis, and you don¡¯t need to know. Do it again, and I¡¯ll take you out first!¡± Murderous energy suddenly burst out of Eagle as he stared at the man who had asked the question. He wanted to go solo, but Emperor Baih sent these two burdens along, which really annoyed him. To make it worse, these two men talked too much. Eagle had the impulse to kill them both. ¡°Eagle, we¡¯re doing it together. It¡¯s not your own mission. If you want to be a lone wolf, be my guest. But if you want to turn on us, I¡¯ll side with Tiger against you! ¡°Tiger and I can¡¯t defeat you, but we can fight you off. When Emperor Baih finds out about this when we go back, he will surely punish you!¡± one of the two men said coldly. He wasn¡¯t very familiar with Tiger, but he knew they were in the same boat. If Eagle killed Tiger, he would be the next. The two men stood together and stared at Eagle. Seeing this, Eagle snorted and left. Just as Wolf said, he could kill those two men, but it would take a lot of effort. After all, he hadn¡¯t reached the emperor¡¯s level yet. After that unpleasant conversation, he had no intention of working with the other two. Rather than carrying out the mission together, he believed he had the skills to do the deed alone. The other two men let out a breath of relief. ¡°Eagle is gone. What now? Shall the two of us go at it together?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a look first. If Eagle wants to do it on his own, we¡¯ll just watch. I¡¯d like to see what that man can do!¡± ¡°Great!¡± They nodded at each other and went up the mountain together. Meanwhile, Eagle was hiding in a tree and examining what was going on in the house. He had cased the premises earlier and figured out where his target lived. What perplexed him was why Emperor Baih sent them here to assassinate this person. He was just an ordinary man. Anyone could do the job. Was there something special about him? The reason didn¡¯t matter though. He only needed to finish the job. With his mind wandering, he walked to Himmel Soan¡¯s room on tiptoes. He walked so quietly that there was no sound at all. He didn¡¯t even make a peep when opening the door. What he saw in the room took him by surprise. Himmel Soan sat by the bed and looked him right in the eyes. Eagle was embarrassed. Having been working as an assassin for so many years, he had never been in such a situation. Luckily, he had enough experience to think on his feet, even in a situation like this. ¡°Someone wants you dead. Rest in peace!¡± Eagle drew out a dagger and charged at Himmel Soan. ¡°Really? Someone wants me dead? Who?¡± Himmel Soan remained perfectly poised as Eagle approached him. His face was as calm as a still lake, and nothing could stir it. Eagle found Himmel Soan¡¯s question redundant. Did he need to talk to a dying man? ¡°Of course not! You can figure it out in the other world!¡± Eagle struck down at Himmel Soan¡¯s neck. Thump¡­ The blade shattered as if it were made of glass. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± Eagle was dumbfounded. He had used 50% of his full power in that strike. It could cut off the head of a Virtualization cultivator. However, Himmel Soan was unscathed. The dagger broke instead, which was even scarier. His fingertips also felt numb as if he had slapped a stone. There was no time for him to be surprised though. Eagle clenched his fists and concentrated all his energy on his hands. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Assassins had to kill their target with one strike. Since he had missed the first chance, he couldn¡¯t afford any more mistakes. He concentrated all his spiritual essence on his fists. ¡°You¡¯re not powerful enough. Face-to-face combat isn¡¯t your forte, and this decision is quite stupid,¡± Himmel Soan commented in an indifferent tone. He could see that Eagle was an assassin, and a very good one at that. But he wasn¡¯t using his strength properly. He had just made an unwise choice. Chapter 342 - Are You Looking for Him ¡°You don¡¯t know anything!¡± Eagle snorted. As an assassin, he had absolute confidence in his ability. However, he underestimated Himmel Soan and treated him as an ordinary person. At this moment, he finally understood why Emperor Baih sent three people to assassinate this man. But it was too late. He still believed in his cultivation level. Even if the assassination attempt failed, he thought he could still complete the mission. He didn¡¯t think Emperor Baih would send him to assassinate someone at the emperor stage. However, why was this man so calm? All those thoughts went through his mind in an instant. He charged at Himmel Soan again with his fist raised. ¡°Now, tell me. Who sent you?¡± Himmel Soan casually waved his hand, disorienting Eagle. It was as if he never tried to attack Himmel Soan. ¡°Do whatever you want with me!¡± Eagle finally realized it was impossible to kill this man. He felt like a child in comparison. Why did Emperor Baih send him on this impossible mission? Eagle then remembered his own cultivation level. He was one step away from the level of emperors, but why did he fight like an ordinary man in front of this person? He didn¡¯t feel this way even when he faced Emperor Baih. ¡°Did Emperor Baih send you?¡± The idea soon came to Himmel Soan. Emperor Baih seemed to be the only person that had something against him. He couldn¡¯t think of another person that wanted him dead. ¡°I work for Emperor Baih, dead or alive. I¡¯ll never betray him!¡± Eagle was loyal to his master and would rather die than fail him. But his words gave him away. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t decide if Eagle said that on purpose or was simply dumb. None of that mattered though. It was clear that Emperor Baih was behind this assassination attempt. ¡°It was just an altercation, but Emperor Baih wants to kill me. Is he really that domineering?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He then turned to Eagle, asking, ¡°Is Emperor Baih always like that?¡± Eagle closed his eyes and refused to say anything. ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t have any more questions.¡± Himmel Soan squinted. Eagle shuddered and spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Whenever something happens, Emperor Baih sends us out on assassination missions. ¡°We¡¯ve assassinated people working for all other emperors¡­¡± Eagle fell to the ground before he could finish and couldn¡¯t speak another word. Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes as if he was lost in his thoughts. Outside, Wolf and Tiger had waited for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. Why is it so quiet?¡± ¡°Has Eagle completed the mission already?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If he has, he should have come out, but we¡¯ve heard nothing.¡± ¡°Are we too late? Has he left?¡± ¡°Emperor Baih sent all three of us. Will the mission be so simple?¡± The two men talked and talked because Eagle still hadn¡¯t returned. It was their mission as well, and they were right to be concerned. They didn¡¯t know what to do. Despite listing all the possibilities, they never thought Eagle would fail. ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± If Eagle had left, they wouldn¡¯t need to wait here any longer. There was a reason they never considered other outcomes. Eagle was the strongest below the emperors. He could defeat anyone that wasn¡¯t an emperor. They arrived at Himmel Soan¡¯s room to find the door open. As soon as they entered, they heard a voice. ¡°You¡¯re already here. There¡¯s no need to sneak around.¡± Damn it! The two men¡¯s stomachs sank. Their first reaction was to escape, but their skills stopped working. They couldn¡¯t get away. ¡°Are you here for him? You wear the same uniform, so I assume you¡¯re from the same division. Are you also Emperor Baih¡¯s assassins?¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s voice was emotionless. He thought Emperor Baih had only sent Eagle here to kill him. To his surprise, there were three in total. How sincere. Tiger and Wolf followed Himmel Soan¡¯s gaze and saw Eagle lying motionlessly on the floor. He wasn¡¯t breathing. Was he dead? The two men were dumbfounded. They hadn¡¯t heard a sound, yet Eagle was dead! Who was this man? ¡°Sir, it¡¯s true. We¡¯re Emperor Baih¡¯s assassins. Our mission is to kill you. We had an argument with Eagle, this man, at the foot of the mountain, so we went our separate ways. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have tried to harm you. Please forgive us!¡± Wolf and Tiger knelt on the ground and begged Himmel Soan for his forgiveness. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have a habit of killing people. Hearing their imploring words, he decided to let them go. ¡°Take him away and bury him. Clean my room; then you can leave.¡± Wolf and Tiger were thrilled. They didn¡¯t expect Himmel Soan to spare their lives. It was their last resort. Even Eagle was killed, so they stood no chance at all. If they wanted to live, they had to beg the other party. They didn¡¯t expect Himmel Soan would actually spare their lives. Other emperors would have killed them already. Killing such a man would be a humiliation for them. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± They bowed at Himmel Soan. ¡°Send a message to Emperor Baih. Tell him I¡¯ll pay him a visit in Cloud City soon.¡± Chapter 343 - Failed Assassination His tone was full of contempt for Emperor Baih. The guy had sent assassins after him for just a minor issue. Obviously, he was displeased. Part of the reason that he had spared the two men was to deliver a message to Emperor Baih. ¡°Of course! Sir, is there anything else?¡± Both men nodded when they heard Himmel Soan¡¯s request. Delivering a message was the last thing they could do. As for whether Emperor Baih got infuriated and blamed them, they would wait and see. If they didn¡¯t say yes now, they knew they wouldn¡¯t be leaving. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what would keep them alive longer. ¡°Go. Get out of my sight.¡± Himmel Soan gave them permission to leave. Feeling much relieved, the two men carried Eagle¡¯s dead body away. Himmel Soan closed his eyes and refreshed his mind after the assassins were gone. The following morning, Himmel Soan knocked on Seene¡¯s door with Firey beside him. Cultivators didn¡¯t need to sleep, but they seemed to make the fastest progress while resting. Therefore, they all put their minds to rest at night. They would fall asleep when they were too immersed in their medication. Seene was only resting his mind with his eyes closed. The tap on the door woke him up. ¡°Sir, why¡­¡± He was confused to see Himmel Soan and Firey upon opening the door. ¡°I thought the principal wanted me to visit him. Let¡¯s get ready to head out. Of course, I¡¯ll leave you alone if you still need to rest,¡± Himmel Soan was straightforward, not trying to sugarcoat anything. Seene was taken by surprise. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say goodbye to them?¡± ¡°I said it yesterday so that we can leave now.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t wait for a reply. He took Firey¡¯s hand and was going to leave. Firey rolled her eyes at Seene. ¡°Hurry up! Aren¡¯t you going back to Elixir School? What are you waiting for? If you don¡¯t come now, we¡¯ll really leave. ¡°It¡¯s so simple. Can¡¯t you even understand that?¡± Seene was embarrassed. Of course, he understood. He just never thought Himmel Soan would leave in such a manner. He quickly followed the father and daughter. The three of them headed for Cloud City together. Seene maintained a distance of half a step behind Himmel Soan. He would only step forward when Himmel Soan needed something to be taken care of. ¡­ In the Baih family, Emperor Baih sat there with no expression on his face. One thing was clear. He was exuding the most terrifying killing energy. ¡°Very interesting! ¡°I¡¯m impressed!¡± Emperor Baih suddenly laughed. No one who heard the laughter would think the emperor was happy. It was only his way of expressing his fury. When the laughter stopped abruptly, the temperature in the room plummeted. Wolf and Tiger knelt on the floor, too scared to breathe. They thought they were going to suffocate. Emperor Baih¡¯s fury was so frightening. Maybe he would even take it out on them. If that were the case, they would be doomed. ¡°He killed Eagle and left you two good-for-nothings alive to deliver the message. ¡°The message is delivered. You¡¯re done here.¡± With a wave of his hand, Emperor Baih sentenced the two men to death. He then got lost in his thoughts. He had sent three men to assassinate Himmel Soan because he wanted to test the man¡¯s ability. He had to retrieve his projection because he felt intimidated by Himmel Soan. Emperor Baih wanted to understand his strength. Eagle didn¡¯t seem to achieve anything before getting killed, signifying that Himmel Soan was at least a semi-emperor cultivator. He might even be an emperor-stage cultivator like Emperor Baih. He would become his No. 1 enemy. He had sent assassins but failed. A grudge was already created between the two men. If Himmel Soan came here, Emperor Baih would ensure he never left. ¡°How did he kill Eagle?¡± There was no injury to the man, nor did he seem poisoned. How could a semi-emperor cultivator die just like that? It was a mystery to Emperor Baih. ¡­ That noon, Lan knocked on Himmel Soan¡¯s door. Her master was leaving today. She was here to bid him farewell. However, no one answered the door. Lan guessed what had happened and pushed the door open. Himmel Soan was nowhere to be seen. She sighed in resignation. She had guessed this was going to happen. Her master had left without saying goodbye. Though he did let her know in advance, telling her about his departure the night before. He even gave her the desert spirit as a goodbye gift in front of everybody. She didn¡¯t realize how soon he would leave. As it turned out, that was his farewell. ¡°Master, thank you!¡± Lan bowed at the empty room before returning to her own. She needed to work hard. They had made a deal that when she reached the Mahayana stage, she would follow in her master¡¯s footsteps. She focused all her energy on cultivation. Other people in the branch gradually learned Himmel Soan had left. ¡°The master has left so suddenly!¡± ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying he has to tell you before leaving?¡± ¡°I feel the same way. I brought many gifts for him today, but he¡¯s already gone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Who would have thought the master was saying goodbye last night? If I had known, I would have stayed awake and rested here. That way, I could say goodbye to him this morning.¡± ¡°The master chose to leave quietly probably because he didn¡¯t want to disturb us.¡± ¡°Stop dreaming! Start cultivating and making pills!¡± Chapter 344 - I Admit My Defeat Pesi dispersed the crowd. Besides Lan, he was the most reluctant person to see Himmel Soan leave. He only made his breakthrough because of Himmel Soan and transformed into a sword cultivator during the tribulation. He didn¡¯t even have time to show his gratitude properly. Apart from ¡°thank you,¡± he couldn¡¯t really think of anything else to say. ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near the master¡¯s level,¡± Pesi sighed to himself. Although Himmel Soan didn¡¯t accept him as a pupil, Pesi already considered him as his master or even more important than that. Pesi also gave the empty room a bow. He then named this room the most important place in the branch. No hall or chamber was as important as the room Himmel Soan had lived in. Gradually, on the mountain, life returned to normal. It was the same as when Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t shown up. However, no one could forget about him now. ¡­ Cloud City. Three days after they left the branch, Himmel Soan and Seene reached their destination. It was as big as a country. Himmel Soan did some calculations and realized the entire population of Earth couldn¡¯t fill half of the city. There were over ten billion people on Earth, which showed how big the city was. And that was just this city. There were many more people and cities in this world. So many more. ¡°Do you know the total population of Stelladom?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Seene was confused by the question. Shouldn¡¯t the young master know better than asking him? Or was it a test? ¡°Over 50 billion, but I don¡¯t know the exact number. No one has collected such data. Some people would do anything to compete for resources. As a result, people are dying at any given time. Therefore, I can¡¯t give you an exact number.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. If there were 50 billion people in Stelladom, what about the whole planet? Unfortunately, the people here seemed to know this place as Stelladom only and didn¡¯t know they were on a planet. What would he find on the other side of the planet? Himmel Soan was very curious. If he could recover a quarter of his power, he would figure out everything. ¡°Sir, Elixir School is right ahead.¡± Seene¡¯s voice broke Himmel Soan¡¯s train of thoughts. He followed Seene¡¯s finger and saw a giant waterfall. There were all kinds of flowers blooming around it, adding an ethereal beauty to it. ¡°Elixir School is located by this waterfall, the most beautiful place on the continent. No other place can compare to it! ¡°Sir, I presume you¡¯ve never been here before.¡± Seene studied Himmel Soan¡¯s face as he made the introduction. Himmel Soan¡¯s face betrayed nothing, but Seene immediately knew it was his first time here. There was no doubt about it. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a wonderful place,¡± Himmel Soan praised the scenery. He could see such sceneries in many places on Earth, but it was quite rare in Stelladom. ¡°Sir, please come with me. The principal¡¯s residence is this way.¡± Seene gestured. ¡°Great!¡± The principal of Elixir School was said to be as capable as the eight emperors, but no one knew what his actual cultivation level was. Nonetheless, he couldn¡¯t be weaker than the eight emperors. Once they entered the residence, Seene slowed down and went up to a room. He knocked on the door. ¡°Principal, the young master is here!¡± ¡°Good. Please show him inside. We¡¯ll talk when we meet.¡± The principal didn¡¯t show up, but they all heard his voice. The entire residence could hear him. ¡°Who¡¯s this young master? The principal is meeting him in person. Is it one of the emperors?¡± ¡°An emperor? Impossible. I¡¯ve never seen an emperor here!¡± ¡°I saw Master Huor just then. He was with a young man and a girl. Could they be the guests?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s a long stretch. Do you think they¡¯re the principal¡¯s son and daughter?¡± The crowd went silent. That was, in fact, a possibility. Although it was very low, it seemed to be the only explanation. They all ran out to see what was happening. By then, Himmel Soan, Firey, and Seene had arrived at a study. Inside, an elegant woman in a long white dress was looking at Himmel Soan. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Bandora Cien, the principal of Elixir School,¡± said Bandora. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet a female principal here.¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. He had pictured the principal as a stately elder man, but it turned out to be a woman. Bandora only gave him a smile. A moment later, she turned to Seene and waved at him. ¡°Seene, you can leave us now.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Bandora smiled after Seene was gone. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I heard about the human-formed essence of nature. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m meeting one today. ¡°If I didn¡¯t see her with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t believe it!¡± Firey hid behind Himmel Soan. ¡°Ma¡¯am, did you invite me here for the essence of nature?¡± asked Himmel Soan. Bandora stopped the chit-chat when she noticed he wasn¡¯t interested in small talk. She sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve had my eyes on Lan¡¯s talent for years, and I¡¯ve been trying to become her master. All she did was find excuses to avoid me. ¡°However, she became your pupil when she met you. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out why I lost her to you and how you stole Lan away. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve met, I finally understood Lan¡¯s choice. ¡°I admit my defeat!¡± Chapter 345 - Heaven Spring and Epiphany Tea Admit her defeat? Himmel Soan was perplexed. ¡°Lan asked to be my pupil. It¡¯s her own decision, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your defeat. ¡°Each person has their will, and they¡¯ll make their choice accordingly. It¡¯s the most ordinary thing.¡± Bandora cupped her hands. ¡°Thanks for that.¡± She then took an incense burner out of her table and lit it. The smoke flowed downward instead of rising into the air. After that, she poured Himmel Soan a cup of water. ¡°The water comes from the Heaven Spring. It takes a hundred years to collect a cup, and it can cleanse your body from the inside out.¡± She pushed the cup toward Himmel Soan before taking out some tea and putting the leaves in the cup. ¡°This is Epiphany Tea, the main ingredient of Grade-9 enhancement pills. But I prefer drinking it as tea. I think the combination with Heaven Spring water is far more effective than the pills.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t drink the tea. From what Bandora said, he could tell how precious it was. It might even help him recover much power, but he had no reason to accept this favor. He and Bandora had only just met, and she was giving him some precious tea. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to take it. He continued Bandora¡¯s subject. ¡°The advantage of pills is that they give you a burst of energy in a compulsive manner. But taking them, in the long run, will have detrimental effects on the body. ¡°This tea doesn¡¯t have that effective burst of energy, but it¡¯s better for your long-term health. ¡°If the pills are likened to poison, the breakthroughs can be likened to poison, too. Taking pills will be fighting poison with another poison. ¡°Drinking this tea, on the other hand, is to change yourself and use that change to make breakthroughs.¡± Bandora¡¯s eyes lit up a little. She had been bothered by some questions for a while. Himmel Soan¡¯s words gave her some inspiration. If she worked in that direction, she would be able to clear all her doubts. ¡°What a wonderful idea. Thank you for the lesson, Sir. But I do have some questions for you.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t decline. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°If drinking tea can enhance our body, why do most people choose pills? All pills contain some toxins. Just as you said, taking them will damage one¡¯s health over time. The toxins will accumulate inside us. Once they become active, there¡¯s no cure. ¡°I think everybody knows that, but almost no one chooses to use other methods. What¡¯s your view on that?¡± Bandora seemed confused when she asked the question. She was the principal of Elixir School, where 80% of the pills in Stelladom were produced. It was as she said. Taking pills for a long time could have severe side effects. Over the years, she had seen countless people die from the accumulated toxins. She gradually began to question if she had chosen the wrong way. ¡°This water and tea can both cause a sensation when they¡¯re brought out. Even cultivators can¡¯t afford this tea, let alone ordinary people. Only a handful of Mahayana cultivators can enjoy this luxury once in a while. It¡¯s too precious to be used on a daily basis. ¡°But what about pills?¡± Himmel Soan paused. He knew he didn¡¯t need to continue. Bandora had gotten the point. Bandora realized it wasn¡¯t that those people didn¡¯t want a safer way but that they couldn¡¯t afford it. One such tea leaf cost as much as a Grade-7 pill. When she compared the effectiveness of the two, she understood everything. ¡°Aren¡¯t there skills that can enhance one¡¯s body?¡± asked Bandora. ¡°Everyone is different, and so are the skills they can practice. Even if a person finds the perfect skill for them, when there¡¯s an emergency, pills are still more effective. ¡°Pills are a necessity that no one can walk away from. That¡¯s why Elixir School is so important in Stelladom,¡± said Himmel Soan in an unhurried tone. That was his understanding of pills. His comprehension was as good as Bandora, if not better. Before, he didn¡¯t know anything, but he was so talented and such a fast learner that he reached Bandora¡¯s level just by reading books. He might even be better than her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ve asked quite a few questions, and I have some questions for you, too,¡± said Himmel Soan. Bandora digested what she had heard and nodded in embarrassment. However, Himmel Soan¡¯s questions changed her embarrassment to astonishment. ¡°Do you know the surname Soan?¡± Bandora was so shocked that she forgot to breathe. A moment later, she asked, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°Because I have the same surname.¡± Soan? He was a Soan? That surname stirred her memory, something she had buried in the deepest corner of her heart. Before she knew it, tears were cascading down her cheeks. She still looked at Himmel Soan in disbelief. After a while, she composed herself and got ready to answer. ¡°That surname used to exist in Stelladom, and there were quite a few of them. Several cultivators from the family reached the Hinayana and Mahayana stages, and one of them almost reached the Emperor stage. ¡°One night, all of them vanished without a trace. The eight emperors then made the announcement, banning that surname. ¡°Everybody suspected the eight emperors had something to do with the Soans¡¯ disappearance.¡± Chapter 346 - Beyond Stelladom Himmel Soan frowned. ¡°What happened after that?¡± Bandora shook her head and sighed. ¡°The eight emperors are the most revered people on the continent. If they wanted the Soans to go away, all they needed to do was give the order. They wouldn¡¯t have made the Soans vanish, nor did they need to make that rule. ¡°Because it came from the eight emperors, people suspected the Soans had done something bad to deserve this. That¡¯s why we¡¯re in this situation.¡± Himmel Soan rested his chin on his hands and pondered. This information didn¡¯t seem important, but he could confirm the connection between the surname Soan and the eight emperors. However, why was Bandora¡¯s tone so strange? It almost sounded like she was displeased with the eight emperors. Bandora asked, ¡°Sir, why are you asking about this?¡± She was confused. Although she couldn¡¯t tell Himmel Soan¡¯s exact cultivation level, instinct told her that she wouldn¡¯t be his match. He was more capable than her! Despite that, she had never heard of him before. What confused her the most was why Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know these things when he was such an advanced cultivator. She looked at the man in bewilderment. ¡°I¡¯m Himmel Soan. I don¡¯t remember the past. I only know I woke up in the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°I kept moving south after leaving the forest. I heard about the Soan surname, so I came here to investigate.¡± After some consideration, Himmel Soan decided not to talk about Earth. He told Lan earlier because she was his pupil. Bandora didn¡¯t know him that well. There was no need to share his secrets with her. The surname of Soan became his excuse. ¡°I see.¡± Bandora wasn¡¯t completely convinced. However, she didn¡¯t plan to carry out an investigation. It was his privacy, and he had every right to reveal as much as he wanted. She would believe him. ¡°That¡¯s all I know about that surname. Mr. Soan, do you have any more questions?¡± Himmel Soan claimed he had lost his memory, so she felt he must have many questions. She didn¡¯t mind answering them. She was willing to go the extra mile because he had greatly inspired her. Himmel Soan spoke again after a short pause, ¡°I do have things that I want to ask you. How much do you know about the Zimmer family? Do you know a woman called Gina Zimmer?¡± Bandora searched her memory for information on the Zimmer family. Soon, she shook her head. ¡°I was only a Mahayana cultivator back then and had been trying to make the breakthrough to the Emperor stage. ¡°After that, I went into seclusion. That was also the time when something happened to the Zimmer family. I only know Emperor Baih and Emperor Waf weren¡¯t among the eight emperors back then. There were Emperor Zimmer and Emperor Ele instead. ¡°As for Gina Zimmer, I¡¯ve never heard of that name¡­¡± Himmel Soan frowned. Bandora had no information on Gina either. He didn¡¯t lose hope though. After so many years, he had received worse news than that. Bandora was in seclusion, so it was normal she didn¡¯t know anything about Gina. ¡°I only have one more question. Have any of you traveled beyond Stelladom? Do you know what lies beyond this continent?¡± The question took Bandora by surprise, but she soon regained her composure. ¡°There are other continents outside Stelladom for magical beasts, sorcerers, and heresy cultivators. ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be a mysterious continent, too, but it only exists in the legends. No one knows what it looks like. ¡°Places like the Dusk Soul Forest and Frost Land divide the continents. They work like a shield around Stelladom.¡± There were other continents besides Stelladom! It was a giant planet! A fantasy world! What was beyond this planet? Were there more worlds out there? Himmel Soan didn¡¯t let his mind wander because he didn¡¯t have time. ¡°Have the people here never been to other continents?¡± It was something he couldn¡¯t understand. Bandora had reached the Emperor stage, but why did she know so little about the other continents? Bandora shook her head, but she wasn¡¯t surprised by that question. ¡°I found that very strange, too, so I ventured into the Dusk Soul Forest when I was at the Mahayana stage. I felt intimidated by that place. My cultivation level was suddenly reduced to the Golden Core stage. ¡°I thought I wasn¡¯t good enough at first, but when I reached the Emperor stage, I realized I was too naive. Even then, my cultivation level was still confined to the Golden Core stage in that forest. ¡°I tried to look for a reason, but that overwhelming power kept me from doing any investigation.¡± The phenomenon had confused Bandora for a long time. Being an Emperor-stage cultivator, she was one of the top cultivators in Stelladom. Yet she couldn¡¯t do anything to the Dusk Soul Forest. Even she couldn¡¯t do anything? Himmel Soan recalled how he felt when he appeared in the Dusk Soul Forest. But he hadn¡¯t sensed any restraints that Bandora was talking about. Chapter 347 - I Want to be an Examiner His level wasn¡¯t confined, but his mental force was. Things improved when he left the Dusk Soul Forest, but the confinement still existed. It was as if the law of nature here wouldn¡¯t let Himmel Soan spread his mental force all over the planet. Here in Cloud City, Himmel Soan could only cover 1/8 of the city with his mental force. That was to say, he knew 1/8 of the things happening in this place. ¡°Mr. Soan, how¡¯s Lan doing? I sensed two thunder tribulations in her branch earlier. Has she reached the Hinayana stage?¡± Bandora still cared about that girl even after she became Himmel Soan¡¯s pupil. ¡°No, she¡¯s still an intermediate Contemplation cultivator. I think she¡¯s still improving her foundations. ¡°Pesi made it to the Hinayana stage and looks much younger now.¡± Himmel Soan finally sipped his tea. Having talked for so long, his throat was parched. More importantly, he was willing to accept that tea now. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Lan who made the breakthrough?!¡± Bandora was shocked. Although Seene had told her that before, she only thought he had made a mistake, or something had interfered with his judgment. She only realized it was the truth when she heard it from Himmel Soan. If it wasn¡¯t Lan, what happened? ¡°Who caused the thunder tribulation, then?¡± Bandora asked. ¡°Some pills.¡± Bandora was so shocked she didn¡¯t know what to say. It took her a while to recover. She was relieved when she saw the calm expression on Himmel Soan¡¯s face. ¡°They were your pills, weren¡¯t they? May I have a look?¡± Himmel Soan took out a Grade-8 Class A pill without hesitation, handing it to Bandora. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± Bandora was so intrigued by the pill that she wanted to study it right away. However, with a guest present, and the owner at that, she couldn¡¯t forget her manners. ¡°Thank you, sir, but I can¡¯t accept it. It¡¯s a Grade-8 pill with inscriptions and has gone through a thunder tribulation. It¡¯s more valuable than a Grade-9 Class B pill. ¡°It¡¯s too precious. I can¡¯t have it!¡± She desperately wanted to put it in her pocket, but she knew better than that. It was too valuable. She pushed the pill back to Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t take it. ¡°I drank your precious tea, so I¡¯m offering this pill in return. Since I can¡¯t spit out the tea now, you just have to accept it. ¡°Please don¡¯t think too much of it. I¡¯m only refining pills as a hobby. This pill isn¡¯t valuable to me. When I run out, I can always make some more.¡± He then took out the other seven pills. He had given one of the nine pills to Pesi and was giving one to Bandora now. Even so, he still had seven such pills. Seeing this, Bandora smiled awkwardly and accepted the pills. After everything Himmel Soan had said, it would be rude to turn him down. Something seemed to occur to Bandora, and she said, ¡°Mr. Soan, Elixir School¡¯s annual examination is in two days. Would you like to take a look?¡± Himmel Soan hesitated. His plan was to leave Elixir School and visit the Baih family. But now, Bandora had invited him to stay. If he agreed, he would have to wait a few more days before going forward with his plans. ¡°An annual exam? Is it fun? Please tell me more about it!¡± Firey suddenly broke her silence as if she had heard something very interesting. Bandora looked from Firey to Himmel Soan. She had noticed her earlier, but Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t said anything, so she didn¡¯t ask. Firey was the essence of nature, making her a sensitive subject. The essence of nature could be absorbed even after it took human form. The possibility would only go away when it reached the Emperor stage or above. Seeing that Himmel Soan didn¡¯t react to Firey¡¯s request, Bandora explained to her, ¡°The exam takes place every year. We use it to examine the students¡¯ cultivation level. ¡°Students from all the branches will gather here. There will be competitions on fighting and pill refining. The students will take part in both individual battles and team competitions. ¡°Rewards are given out after the competitions, and there will be a feast.¡± Firey grew excited. Competitions! She found them so attractive. She tugged at Himmel Soan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Master, I want to join the competition!¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°But you¡¯re not a student here.¡± ¡°I want to compete!¡± Firey pouted. Bandora said, ¡°We can make an exception for her. We¡¯ll invite the eight emperors and capable members of Stelladom Academy and Starwan Tower. The best students of Elixir School will be competing against them!¡± Himmel Soan sighed. The girl wanted to join the competition so badly, and he didn¡¯t want to disappoint her. She had been such a good girl these days. He felt she could be willful every once in a while. Moreover, she needed to improve herself in battles. Chapter 348 - Training Tower ¡°I want to be an examiner!¡± said Firey. The two listeners were taken by surprise. Himmel Soan thought Firey wanted to take part in the competition. If that was the case, he was curious to know how she was compared to the elite students. He still had much to learn about the essence of nature, such as the way Firey cultivated and her cultivation stages. Firey didn¡¯t need breakthroughs, so the stages didn¡¯t matter. It only depended on her capability. After all this time, he never saw Firey fight seriously, so he still didn¡¯t know her exact strength. It was something even he couldn¡¯t see through. That was part of the reason he agreed to let Firey join the competition. However, Firey asked to be an examiner. Was she that confident in her capability? Bandora was shocked. She thought Firey wanted to have some fun. She could assign the girl to any of the branches. She would use this chance to observe Firey and see how the essence of nature fought. This was the first time she saw the human form of the essence of nature. However, Firey requested to become an examiner, making things a little tricky. ¡°An examiner? Which stage do you want to work on? Students of each stage have their own competitions. If you work as the examiner of the Golden Core stage, you can¡¯t join other stages.¡± After some consideration, Bandora still granted Firey¡¯s request. It was just an examiner. The girl could have some fun. With Bandora and Himmel Soan present at the scene, Firey would be under control. ¡°I want to work in the Virtualization stage!¡± Firey wanted to say the Contemplation stage at first, but she feared she wouldn¡¯t be those students¡¯ match. Even if she was, she couldn¡¯t defeat them so easily. After much consideration, she chose the Virtualization stage. She knew she could handle those students. She was very confident in her strength. Even if she couldn¡¯t defeat them, she could always run. ¡°The Virtualization stage?¡± Bandora hesitated. She couldn¡¯t see Firey¡¯s cultivation level, but she could speculate. She thought Firey was at most a Nascent cultivator. Hence, the girl would want to work in the Golden Core stage. It never occurred to her that Firey would choose the Virtualization stage. Besides, she looked so confident. It was out of Bandora¡¯s expectations. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Himmel Soan asked Firey in surprise. ¡°Yes. If I¡¯m not their match, I can always run.¡± She grinned at Himmel Soan. ¡°As long as you know what to do.¡± Himmel Soan then turned to Bandora. ¡°Firey will be the examiner of the Virtualization stage. Is there any problem?¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it. Working as an examiner shouldn¡¯t be an issue. There were so many examiners, so having one more or one less wouldn¡¯t affect anything. The job would train Firey¡¯s ability in other fields as well. Bandora listened to their conversation in astonishment and didn¡¯t know what to say. Since Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think there was any problem, she let Firey do what she wanted. With her ability, she could solve any problem. ¡°Alright. Firey will be the Virtualization stage examiner. I¡¯ll let Seene prepare a room for you for the next couple of days.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. Living here would be more convenient, and he could use the time to read some books in the school. The books here had to be better than the branches. Bandora let Seene prepare a nice room for Himmel Soan and Firey. She then went to make arrangements for the competition. ¡­ The following day, Firey dragged Himmel Soan out of the room before he could read anything. They took a walk in Elixir School. It was the most beautiful place in Stelladom, so Himmel Soan didn¡¯t mind enjoying the scenery. More importantly, Firey was by his side. All the buildings in Elixir School were of the same style. The white walls, black roofs, and red columns created a pleasant atmosphere. The ground was covered by neatly arranged stone bricks while trees were planted ten meters apart. There was a giant tree on the hill behind the school, which was magnificent. The trees here weren¡¯t as tall as those in the Dusk Soul Forest, but the tree trunks were four or five times thicker. Himmel Soan and Firey enjoyed the beautiful campus. On their walk, they reached a small tower. It had nine stories in total, and only the first two levels were lit. Many people were gathered around the tower. ¡°What took Mou so long on the second floor? He¡¯s always bragging, but the first time he enters the tower, he only lit two levels.¡± ¡°You sound as if you¡¯ve lit three or four levels.¡± ¡°Mou is a capable cultivator. I think he¡¯s still getting used to it. Just wait and see.¡± ¡°Lyn, how many levels did you light up last time? Are you going to try again today?¡± ¡°I lit four, and I¡¯m going to give the fifth level a go today. The competition is starting soon. I¡¯m not going to let the branch students humiliate me!¡± ¡°Lyn¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to try, too. I hope I can light up the third level.¡± They were still chatting when the third level lit up. The crowd cried out in surprise. They didn¡¯t expect to see Mou succeed. As his first time in the tower, this achievement was quite amazing. From their conversations, Himmel Soan identified what this place was. It was a training tower. Chapter 349 - Im Going to Light Them All ¡°Mou is coming out!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to exit so soon. I think he has the ability to complete the fourth level!¡± ¡°Mou is good, but he¡¯s nowhere close to a genius. He has already outdone himself by lighting up the third level.¡± ¡°Oh, shut up. You don¡¯t get to judge your senior brother like that!¡± ¡°Shut up? Whatever happened to freedom of speech? You think too highly of yourself!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! You¡¯re changing my words!¡± They were still bickering when a person walked out of the tower. It was Mou, the person they had been talking about. The crowd ran toward Mou as soon as they saw him. ¡°Mou, I¡¯m amazed! You lit three levels on your first try. That¡¯s so impressive!¡± ¡°Mou, you¡¯re awesome! Can I talk to you later in your room?¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± Mou scratched his head awkwardly. He was blushing. It took him forever to blurt out, ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± The crowd was amused by how shy he was, so they went on teasing him. Another person entered the tower. They could only enter the tower once every three months, so no one wanted to miss this opportunity. The trial could help them evaluate their capability, and lighting up an extra level could benefit them greatly. ¡°Do you want to try?¡± Himmel Soan asked Firey. He knew the answer when he saw her eager look. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll light up the entire tower!¡± Firey¡¯s eyes twinkled. She didn¡¯t try to keep her voice down. The crowd all heard her. They didn¡¯t know who made that bold claim. When they turned their heads, they saw a girl in a red dress. Such an ignorant child! ¡°Where did this kid come from?¡± Sheen asked with a frown. What was a kid doing in Elixir School? And why was she accompanied by an ordinary man? How did they get in? ¡°Don¡¯t call her that! She¡¯s such a lovely girl! Don¡¯t make me smack you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why can¡¯t the little sister dream about lighting up the tower? You shouldn¡¯t insult her!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with having ambition. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll achieve great things in the future!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say such nice things when I said those words earlier?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re overambitious!¡± The criticisms rendered Sheen speechless. The kid was ambitious, yet he was labeled overambitious. They said the same thing, but the girl was always right, and he was always wrong. He walked away in frustration. ¡°Hello, what¡¯s your name?¡± One of the female students who had scolded Sheen walked up to Firey and squatted down. Firey blinked. ¡°You can call me Firey.¡± Her master had told Bandora about their surname, but she knew that was because he trusted the principal. These people were strangers to her. Who knew what they would say? Firey wasn¡¯t going to tell them her full name. ¡°Firey? That¡¯s such a nice name! You can call me Vin! ¡°Do you want to try the tower? Here¡¯s the thing. You need to be fairly capable before you can do that. What do you think of your strength?¡± Vin smiled at Firey, finding the girl rather adorable. Firey smiled back at her. ¡°I¡¯m quite amazing, actually.¡± Vin was dumbfounded. But she soon reached the conclusion that the girl didn¡¯t have an accurate understanding of her capability, so she said, ¡°Being quite amazing isn¡¯t enough to light up the entire tower. ¡°Most cultivators in my school can light up two levels, and the more talented ones can do three. ¡°If they can light up four levels, they¡¯re more talented than most students. Only the real genius can go beyond the fifth level. ¡°Probably only that maniac of the Tzi family can pass the ninth level. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m only referring to how many levels one can pass in one go. When you¡¯ve tried enough times, you¡¯ll reach the ninth level eventually. However, the reward won¡¯t be so generous after the first trial, and the more times you try, the less you¡¯ll receive. ¡°Kiddo, do you want to get to the ninth level?¡± Firey nodded. It was just a tower. What was so difficult about that? Himmel Soan finally spoke, ¡°Does the tower adjust its difficulty level according to everyone¡¯s cultivation level?¡± Vin glanced at him in surprise, thinking, For an ordinary person, he has quite sharp eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. The difficulty of the trials will be adjusted according to each person¡¯s strength. ¡°The tower has its restrictions. Only the cultivators between the Golden Core and Contemplation stages can go inside. It¡¯s prohibited for others. ¡°Firey, have you reached the Golden Core stage yet?¡± Vin asked Firey after explaining to Himmel Soan. She couldn¡¯t tell what level Firey was, which was an enigma to her. However, she could detect the special energy Firey was giving off, which meant she had to be a cultivator. That was why she asked the questions. In her eyes, Himmel Soan was just an ordinary man. She had some idea of the relationship between the two. Since they resembled each other, Vin thought an ordinary person had a cultivator daughter, so he was here to enroll the girl in the school. That was the story Vin told herself. Of course, she didn¡¯t say it aloud. ¡°The Golden Core stage? Of course, I have. That¡¯s so basic.¡± Firey grinned. She was already at that stage when she took human form. She was a junior Contemplation cultivator now. The question was so unnecessary! Chapter 350 - A Father Knows His Daughter the Best The girl had reached the Golden Core stage. Vin wasn¡¯t surprised though. She indeed had something special about her. It was almost intimidating when one got too close. Vin wouldn¡¯t be surprised even if Firey said she had reached the Nascent stage. She would only see her as a little genius. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll lead you to the tower!¡± Vin then looked at Himmel Soan. This man was Firey¡¯s guardian, so she thought she should tell him what was going to happen. ¡°Are you alright with it?¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He didn¡¯t know anything about the tower, so he was happy to have a guide. Vin took Firey¡¯s hand and led her to the tower. The previous student happened to come out after lighting the third level. Firey could go in now. Vin took Firey to the entrance of the tower and told her what to expect once she went inside. After gaining a rudimentary idea, she entered the tower. Vin went back and stood by Himmel Soan¡¯s side. ¡°She¡¯s your daughter, isn¡¯t she? A father knows his daughter the best. How far do you think she can go?¡± ¡°Yes, she is.¡± After some consideration, he said, ¡°At least the fifth level.¡± At least the fifth level? Vin wanted to take back what she said. Apparently, this father didn¡¯t know his daughter that well. He was so arrogant! When she told them what kind of students could reach a certain level, she was trying to tell the father to lower his expectations. However, she was shocked by Himmel Soan¡¯s confidence. Only geniuses could go beyond the fifth level, and the daughter of an ordinary man was definitely not going to be a genius. ¡°Let me ask you something. What do you think is the difference between cultivators and ordinary people?¡± Vin asked indifferently. Himmel Soan thought for a while. He of all the people was qualified to answer this question. When Gina disappeared, he searched the entire universe but couldn¡¯t find her. In despair, he stopped resisting the law of nature and let himself get old. He even became demented and was thrown out of his house by his nanny. He had lived many life circles as an ordinary man. As a cultivator, he had reached a point where he was invincible. If he couldn¡¯t answer that question, no one could. ¡°The lives of an ordinary man and a cultivator seem different, but they¡¯re essentially the same. ¡°Ordinary people want to live a happy life for as long as they can. ¡°Cultivators also want to live a long life. To do that, they continuously improve their capability and raise their cultivation level to prolong their lives. ¡°It applies to all living creatures. Staying alive is their primary target, and everything else comes after that. ¡°When a life ends, so does everything else.¡± Himmel Soan used common expressions in his explanation, making sure everybody could understand it. However, it didn¡¯t mean they would agree with him, for instance, Vin. ¡°But some people find certain things more important than their lives and would die for them. That¡¯s completely against what you just said!¡± Vin retorted. She could find more examples and didn¡¯t agree with what Himmel Soan said at all. ¡°When a person is willing to give up his life for certain things or people because they¡¯re so important, even if that person dies, he¡¯s still alive! ¡°However, if that person loses what¡¯s most important to him, he¡¯ll turn into a walking corpse!¡± Himmel Soan grew agitated when he said those words. The air around them seemed to become thousands of times denser. Everybody around the tower sensed the terrifying pressure. They felt like ants in comparison. However, the feeling disappeared almost immediately. The crowd stood there for ten seconds without breathing. They thought their hearts were going to stop beating. Vin stood right next to Himmel Soan and knew very well where that pressure came from. It was created by the man when he lost his cool. She suddenly felt like a clown. The man she thought to be an ordinary person turned out to be a big shot! ¡°Sir, what you said was so true!¡± Vin bowed at Himmel Soan. Everybody saw it. Their mouths fell open, and they didn¡¯t know what to say. They had no idea what was going on. Why did Vin bow to an ordinary man? ¡°What was that? Why¡¯s Vin bowing to that guy?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Does anyone know? Can anyone provide an explanation?¡± ¡°No one does. Why don¡¯t we ask Vin? She must have the answer.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her? I don¡¯t want her to smack me.¡± ¡°Maybe Vin wants to become that girl¡¯s pupil. That¡¯s why she bowed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible!¡± The crowd soon came up with an explanation that made sense to them. Himmel Soan said quietly, ¡°I used to be a walking corpse. Then I met Firey, and I¡¯m only half-dead now.¡± He gazed at the sky in silence. Vin didn¡¯t say anything, fearing that she would distract the man. Seeing this, the other students decided not to ask Vin. There was a more important thing right now. The third level of the tower had just been lit. Firey had reached that level! ¡°The girl really is quite extraordinary. How many levels do you think she can reach?¡± ¡°I think four. She¡¯s already done a great job. If she can light up the fourth level, she¡¯ll be a genius!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized how little time it took her to reach the third level? I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take much longer for her to reach the fourth.¡± ¡°Maybe she can get to level six.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s definitely going to get there!¡± Chapter 351 - Cold Energy The crowd only realized how fast Firey had been moving up when they heard the first person. They would need more time to light up the first level. Even the faster ones wouldn¡¯t be able to light up two levels so quickly. However, Firey had already lit up the first three levels, which demonstrated how talented she was. ¡°I don¡¯t think Frost could move up this fast.¡± ¡°Frost took longer, but she doesn¡¯t need to take that long!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she can be faster than this girl if she wants to!¡± ¡°Even so, you still have to admit the girl¡¯s extremely talented!¡± They heard an emotionless voice while they were still talking. The person didn¡¯t mean to sound cold. She was born this way. Frost had arrived at the scene, dressed in black from head to toe. She was the person the others had been talking about. ¡°It¡¯s true. It took me longer to get through the levels.¡± Frost was a pretty woman, but her aura reminded others of an iceberg. ¡°Who¡¯s inside?¡± she asked with a frown. No one answered as if they were afraid of talking to her. They didn¡¯t even dare look her in the eye. Wherever Frost turned, the people in that spot shuddered, filling a chill run down their spines. ¡°Sir, she¡¯s Frost. She and I are both core members of Elixir School. She was born in a snowy area not far from the Freezing Land, and that cold energy is nascent to her. The principal happened to travel through that region, so she brought her back,¡± Vin explained to Himmel Soan in a respectful tone. Having sensed the terrifying pressure, she knew Himmel Soan had to be someone important. The principal must know he was here. Since she let this man walk around freely, it meant he was her friend or guest. As the leading student of Elixir School, Vin had to entertain such an important man. She couldn¡¯t give her the cold shoulder. Himmel Soan nodded and looked at Frost. It was true. He had sensed the cold energy in her. Meanwhile, Frost was also looking in his direction. Their eyes met. Frost was surprised. This was the first time that someone didn¡¯t react to her gaze and that someone was an ordinary man. She found it strange. She then spotted Vin by Himmel Soan¡¯s side, so she walked up to them. ¡°Vin, who¡¯s this? Who¡¯s in the tower?¡± Frost asked coldly. Vin frowned and ignored her. Although they were both leading students, they hadn¡¯t had much interaction. They hadn¡¯t even exchanged more than a few words. Frost¡¯s indifferent tone made Vin uncomfortable. ¡°I don¡¯t have an obligation to answer you,¡± Vin snorted and looked away. Frost¡¯s expression changed a little. She didn¡¯t mean to sound so cold. It was supposed to be a mild tone, but when she spoke, she sounded indifferent. She wanted to apologize, but she couldn¡¯t say the words. It was as if she was meant to be so cold and distant. ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary man. There¡¯s nothing curious about me. My daughter is in the tower. Is there any problem?¡± Himmel Soan answered the questions instead. He could tell Frost didn¡¯t mean to sound that way; it was just her nature. He didn¡¯t mind her tone. ¡°I see.¡± Frost left. She was curious about what was going on, but staying here would only make other people uncomfortable. She would rather leave. The others let out a breath of relief when Frost was gone. Vin was also relieved. She was glad that Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t upset by Frost¡¯s attitude. Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t predict what would happen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir. Frost is always like that. She naturally sounds cold, so if she made you uncomfortable, I¡¯d like to apologize to you on her behalf. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Vin bowed at Himmel Soan again. Himmel Soan waved her off. ¡°I can see it. Her natural energy is affecting her personality. ¡°But that natural energy isn¡¯t exactly a bad thing. At least, it¡¯ll be easier for her to make cultivation achievements.¡± Vin nodded. Himmel Soan was right. Frost had amazing talent in cultivation. Although she and Frost were both leading students, she was far less capable than her. ¡°Look! Level five has lit up!¡± someone shouted. The crowd looked at the tower and forgot about Frost. Yes, the fifth level had lit up! Another round of discussion was started. Everybody wondered how far Firey would go. Fifteen minutes passed, and the next two levels also lit up. ¡°OMG! She¡¯s so talented! Calling her a genius is an understatement!¡± ¡°This is her first time, and she¡¯s already reached level seven. I can¡¯t imagine what she will achieve in the future!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m still curious, though. Is seven her limit? I don¡¯t think so!¡± ¡°If she lights up level eight, does that mean she¡¯s one of the most talented people in Stelladom?¡± ¡°She lit up seven levels in her first try. Given time, she¡¯ll become a great master! She¡¯s already one of the most talented people I¡¯ve seen!¡± ¡°What if she lights up level nine?¡± ¡°Then she¡¯ll be as talented as you-know-who of the Tzi family.¡± People quieted down when that person was mentioned. Were they going to have another crazy genius? Firey seemed to be fulfilling her promise. She really was going to light up all nine levels! No one thought she was joking anymore. Chapter 352 - Old Man on the Tenth Level Level eight was lit. Level nine was the next. No one was talking about if she could light up the ninth level anymore. They all held their breaths as if they were waiting for a miracle. If a miracle did happen, they would all be witnesses. They felt butterflies in their stomachs as if they were the ones climbing the tower. Fifteen minutes passed. The ninth level was still dark, but Firey hadn¡¯t come out. It meant she was still trying. An hour later, Firey still hadn¡¯t left the tower. ¡°Is she going to fail?¡± That was the question on everybody¡¯s mind. Firey had climbed the first eight levels so fast that it seemed she had met no obstacles. Her momentum was broken at the ninth level. Unlike the first eight, this level was taking her forever. The others couldn¡¯t help but think she was going to fail. The time difference was too significant. Another hour passed, and people in the crowd made up their minds. Level nine wasn¡¯t going to be lit today. If she could do it, she would have done it by now. They had all tried the tower before and knew the longer it took, the harder it would be. After all this time, only an insanely talented person could stay in level nine for so long. While everybody thought she couldn¡¯t make it, the ninth level lit up. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! She has lit up level nine!¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy! She has passed the last level! I think the principal will be here soon.¡± ¡°Who is this girl? How can she be so amazing? She¡¯s not the principal¡¯s new pupil, is she?¡± ¡°Even if she isn¡¯t now, she will be when the principal arrives.¡± ¡°Today has been like a dream. Seeing this genius, I think our school is going to rise!¡± ¡°Why is she still inside?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably accepting the rewards now.¡± At the last level, everybody would be given a reward according to their achievements. The rewards after nine levels were beyond imagination. Now that Firey had passed all nine levels, it was only natural that she was there to receive the prize. Vin was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t expect to see Firey fulfill her promise. The ninth level¡­ She had tried the tower ten times and had barely made it through the eighth level. She couldn¡¯t fathom passing level nine. It was so difficult. Yet, Firey had succeeded. She lit up all levels on her first try. She was insanely talented, just like that person from the Tzi family. Vin then glanced at Himmel Soan, but he didn¡¯t show any reaction. It was as if he had anticipated this. She began to speculate about his cultivation level. If his daughter was so talented, he had to be an advanced cultivator himself. He was also the principal¡¯s friend. Who was more capable? The principal or this father that looked like an ordinary man? Vin didn¡¯t know the answer. She couldn¡¯t ask the two people to have a showdown either. She didn¡¯t have that right. Half an hour later, Firey came out of the tower, looking frustrated. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? She has passed the ninth level. Why does she have that look?¡± ¡°Maybe she feels she used too much time on the ninth level.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°I knew it! I knew she would be so talented! She¡¯s lit up level nine!¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t! You said she wouldn¡¯t reach level six!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Firey ignored all the voices and went straight to Himmel Soan. She then threw herself into his arms, whining, ¡°Master, the old man on the tenth floor was so mean! ¡°He kicked me out as soon as I went in! I didn¡¯t have a chance, and it was over! ¡°That¡¯s so unfair!¡± The tenth level? What tenth level? The tower only had nine levels! The others listened to Firey in confusion. Why did she say there was the tenth level? ¡°There are only nine levels. Where¡¯s the tenth one? You¡¯ve passed them all,¡± said Vin with a smile. ¡°Nine levels? There are ten! The attic at the top of the tower is the tenth level!¡± Firey blinked. Together, there were ten levels. The old man kicked her out of the last level, which was why she was upset. She wanted Himmel Soan¡¯s comfort! The attic? The tenth level? Everybody looked up at the tip of the tower. Did that count as a level? They didn¡¯t know that because it had never been lit up before. That was why they always thought there were nine levels. How could it count as a level? But Firey sounded so convinced. Everybody became intrigued. ¡°There have always been ten levels.¡± Bandora also arrived. She nodded at Himmel Soan first before turning to the crowd. ¡°The tower has always had ten levels. Those who pass level ten will leave their names there. ¡°Three people have passed level ten so far. Two of them didn¡¯t leave their names, and one only left behind a ¡®Soan¡¯.¡± She glanced at Himmel Soan again. Part of that piece of information was specifically for Himmel Soan. When she sensed what was going on in the tower, she recalled that name and came here in a hurry. She immediately saw Firey in the tower. The essence of nature was always talented and great at resonating with nature. Moreover, Himmel Soan had adopted her, so it was only normal that she passed all nine levels. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if she made it through level ten. By the sound of it, Firey left level ten as soon as she went in. Bandora was confused. ¡°Firey, was level ten very hard? Tell me what happened.¡± Firey said angrily, ¡°That old fool! I¡¯m so mad!¡± Chapter 353 - A Beggar Can Never Be Bankrupt ¡°From level one to level nine, the door to the next level would open automatically when I passed the previous level. But the door to the tenth level didn¡¯t budge. I was so mad that I kicked it open. ¡°There was an old man inside. When he saw me, he kicked me out without saying a word. ¡°Master, he was inside all the time, but he wouldn¡¯t open the door for me. You must teach him a lesson!¡± Firey felt so aggrieved. She kept asking Himmel Soan to get back at that old man for her. It was as if the guy had done something bad. In fact, she had kicked the door open first. If Firey hadn¡¯t looked so lovely, the others would have scolded her. But now, they only found her adorable. Bandora didn¡¯t think that way. Others might not know Himmel Soan, but she did. Although she was unclear of his exact cultivation level, she knew he couldn¡¯t be weaker than her. People like him usually wouldn¡¯t control their mood. If he really believed Firey and decided to make her happy, the old man would be in danger. ¡°Sir, the old man on the tenth level is the guardian spirit. He¡¯s in charge of the tower. ¡°This tower is an important energy source of Elixir School. It will only stand when the guardian spirit is there. Although I don¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t open the door, I hope you won¡¯t be mad at him. I¡¯m sorry for what he did.¡± Bandora cupped her hands at Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan casually waved his hands. ¡°Firey is the one who broke the rule. I¡¯m sorry. She was kicked out. It will teach her a lesson!¡± Bandora was relieved. If Himmel Soan wanted to take revenge for Firey, he and Bandora might have to confront each other. That was something she wished to avoid. No matter who won, many people in the school would be affected. Bandora would rather give up the guardian spirit than go to war against Himmel Soan. A beggar could never be bankrupt. And the school was the beggar here. ¡°Let me communicate with the guardian spirit so that Firey can try the tenth level again,¡± said Bandora. Himmel Soan stopped her. ¡°Since the tenth door didn¡¯t open, Firey wasn¡¯t meant to go inside. She can¡¯t force it. ¡°Maybe the guardian spirit did that because he wanted to train Firey.¡± Bandora nodded and found him to be reasonable. Firey said in her childish voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that strange old man! ¡°When I¡¯m powerful enough, I¡¯ll challenge him again. I¡¯ll kick him out of the tower, and he¡¯ll know how I felt!¡± Bandora lost her words. The father and daughter had made up their minds. What more could she say? Bandora then turned to Himmel Soan. ¡°Sir, are you here to visit Elixir School? Himmel Soan nodded. She said apologetically, ¡°I should be showing you around the school, but the competition is approaching. I really can¡¯t get away. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t let me keep you. I¡¯m just walking around the campus.¡± He was only enjoying the sights and didn¡¯t expect the principal to come here for Firey¡¯s trial. Hearing how busy Bandora was, Himmel Soan was a little embarrassed. He didn¡¯t want to get in the way of her work. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll go back to my work.¡± Bandora then turned to Vin. ¡°Vin, show the gentleman around. Tell him more about our school.¡± As soon as the principal left, the crowd started talking. They whispered about Himmel Soan. ¡°Who on earth is this man? He seems so ordinary. Why is the principal so polite?¡± ¡°Polite? I think the principal was fawning on him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Why would the principal do that? I must be so tired that I¡¯m seeing things.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not one of the eight emperors, is he? That can explain why the girl lit nine levels.¡± The others agreed with this speculation. Himmel Soan had brought Firey here, who lit up nine levels and even reached level. No one here had heard of it. If the girl was so talented, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t be an ordinary man. After seeing how the principal talked to Himmel Soan, they were even more convinced that he was a big shot. ¡°I don¡¯t think the principal would be so polite to the eight emperors.¡± Someone thought differently. That was right! The principal was also at the Emperor stage. Even if Emperor Tzi, the most capable emperor, was here, she still didn¡¯t need to fawn on him. Just who was this man? No one had an answer. Since Bandora didn¡¯t introduce this man, they couldn¡¯t ask her. It would be so offensive. They were talking about Himmel Soan under their breaths. They didn¡¯t dare raise their voices, let alone speak to him in person. Before long, somebody changed the subject to the tenth level again. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about the guardian spirit. I thought the tenth level would be just like any other level.¡± ¡°Knowing it won¡¯t change anything. You can¡¯t even light up level five, let alone level ten!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine someone has actually lit up the tenth level!¡± ¡°Is that Soan a surname? If it is, it¡¯ll be really terrifying!¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just part of that person¡¯s given name!¡± Chapter 354 - Essence Fish While people around the tower discussed it with passion, Himmel Soan and Firey were already gone. Vin followed Bandora¡¯s orders and showed them around. ¡°Here¡¯s our arsenal. Over there is our alchemy building. And this is¡­¡± At first, Vin was nervous about the task. Having heard what Bandora said, she realized the seemingly ordinary man was, in fact, a big shot. Bandora and Himmel Soan had talked in front of Vin, so she heard almost every word. It only made her more nervous. At first, she thought he was an ordinary man and tried to ask him to leave. Because of that burst of energy, she started showing Himmel Soan respect. Then, Bandora arrived, causing Vin to change her attitude once again. She became rather reserved. Now that she had spent some time with Himmel Soan, she forgot about his distinguished status and started chatting again. Sometimes, she would regard him as an ordinary man because he seemed so approachable all the time. ¡°Shall I show you the waterfall?¡± Vin suggested. ¡°The waterfall? Is it the big one I saw when I came in?¡± Himmel Soan was intrigued. ¡°Yes! The waterfall is why our school is built here. It¡¯s one of our core areas. The other core is the herb garden, but there isn¡¯t much to see there.¡± Once she started talking about the waterfall, Vin couldn¡¯t stop. She wanted to tell them everything she knew. However, she was only telling them about how beautiful the waterfall was and forgot to mention its function. Firey listened with her eyes wide open. Before long, Vin led them to the side of a river. It was the upper reach of the waterfall. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty waterfall, but is there anything special about it?¡± asked Himmel Soan. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I forgot to tell you that.¡± Vin was embarrassed. She had told them so many useless things and only realized that when he asked the question. How could she forget about that? After apologizing to Himmel Soan, Vin said, ¡°This river flows out of the Freezing Land. Our principal went out to find its source. On her exploration, she visited that land and found Frost. ¡°We all live from what the land can provide, and essence fish abound in this river. ¡°The waterfall has great momentum. We found the impact of the water to be especially effective in enhancing our strength. The longer one can stand under the waterfall, the more benefits one will get. ¡°Most students in Elixir School are alchemists, so we aren¡¯t as well-built as the martial arts practitioners. The waterfall has helped us greatly in that aspect.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. These people indeed lived from what this land could provide. He finally understood why Elixir School would hold the fighting competition. Having talent in alchemy was a good thing, but once one started focusing on making pills, it was hard to spare energy for other fields, such as physical training. Alchemists with inferior cultivation levels wouldn¡¯t get far. This waterfall was an essential facility for the school. ¡°Essence fish? Vin, are they tasty? I bet they¡¯re yummy when roasted!¡± Firey was intrigued by the essence fish. Vin smiled and said gently, ¡°Eating the essence fish is like absorbing the essence stones. The fish literally melts in your mouth, and its taste is so buttery. It¡¯s very delicious!¡± Firey was so excited that she rolled up her sleeves and was ready to jump into the river. Vin was scared out of her wits. She immediately grabbed Firey¡¯s hand, trying to stop her. However, Firey was adamant about having her way. She picked up Vin with one hand and wanted Vin to join her fish-catching activity. Himmel Soan intervened. ¡°Firey, behave yourself! ¡°Vin was going to give you instructions. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Hearing Himmel Soan¡¯s harsh tone, Firey looked like a deserted puppy. She ran back to him and grabbed the lower hem of his shirt. Vin didn¡¯t see that coming. If she knew how it worked, she would have spoken her mind already. She was relieved when she saw Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t really angry. ¡°Firey, don¡¯t be in such a rush. This river comes from the Freezing Land and contains some cold energy. If you go into the river, it will invade your body and become a toxin. We haven¡¯t created a pill to neutralize it yet. ¡°That¡¯s why I tried to stop you. Please don¡¯t be mad!¡± Vin explained herself. Firey was embarrassed when she heard this. She was the heart of the volcano, and that cold energy was her natural enemy. However, even the principal of the school couldn¡¯t find an antidote. If she jumped into the river, she would probably die. Firey soon figured out what could have happened. ¡°Vin, I¡¯m sorry. I was so careless that I almost get everyone in trouble.¡± Firey gave Vin a bow and tugged at Himmel Soan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Himmel Soan waved her off because he didn¡¯t think much of it. He had noticed how unusual the river was, so he scolded Firey to stop her. He hadn¡¯t scolded anyone for hundreds of years. He then asked Vin, ¡°If this river is so dangerous, why can the students use the waterfall? Doesn¡¯t it contain that energy?¡± Vin was just telling them about using the waterfall to enhance their strength. That didn¡¯t make sense. Chapter 355 - Lucky Day Vin blinked and was dumbfounded. Didn¡¯t she explain that? Searching her memory, she realized she hadn¡¯t! ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry, but I forgot to tell you. But don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not too late. The truth is: even the principal doesn¡¯t know why.¡± Himmel Soan was confused. Vin went on. ¡°The river has that cold energy up until the waterfall. Once the water falls over the edge, that energy vanishes.¡± Vanish? Himmel Soan frowned. There had to be a reason behind it. That cold energy couldn¡¯t just vaporize into thin air. The answer must lie in that waterfall. However, he wasn¡¯t planning to look into it now. ¡°If you can¡¯t go into the river, how do you catch the essence fish?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Since the essence fish was an important asset of the school, they must know how to catch them. ¡°With a fishing rod,¡± said Vin. ¡°A fishing rod?¡± Seeing Himmel Soan¡¯s confusion, Vin picked up a branch. She then took some fish wire and a low-grade essence stone out of her pocket. After tying the branch, the fish wire, and the essence stone together, she threw the stone into the river. That was what she meant. It was how everybody in Elixir School fished. Vin then said, ¡°Essence fish are spiritual animals. Nothing but the essence stone can be used as bait. Whether or not you can catch a fish depends on your luck though. ¡°The more fortunate you are, the less time you need to catch an essence fish. ¡°If you¡¯re not that lucky, you¡¯ll need a very long time. Sometimes it can take three whole days and over a dozen essence stones to catch one fish.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. They used fishing rods the same way Earthlings did. The only difference was that they were cultivators. Still, ordinary people and cultivators had many things in common. Himmel Soan got lost in his thoughts again. Just then, a cheerful voice woke him up from his reveries. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s my lucky day! I got one already, and I think it¡¯s a big one!¡± Vin sounded so happy. She had never caught a fish so fast. Usually, it would take her at least two hours. But today, it only took her less than fifteen minutes. It felt like she had just thrown the essence stone in the water, and the fish was hooked. Vin was thrilled by how fortunate she was. She pulled the fish wire out of the water, and out with it was a big fish about 1.5kg. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be so lucky today. That fish is over 1.5kg!¡± Vin reported to Himmel Soan in a cheerful voice. She then showed him the essence fish. ¡°Let¡¯s roast it! I¡¯m so lucky! ¡°When I used a low-grade essence stone in the past, the heaviest fish I could catch was around a kilo. To catch something this big, I¡¯d have to use a medium-grade essence stone. But it only cost me a low-grade one to catch this big fish. I¡¯m so happy! ¡°I talk too much. Sir, let me roast the fish for you!¡± Vin wanted to leave, but Himmel Soan stopped her. ¡°Since your luck¡¯s good today, why don¡¯t you try to catch some more?¡± Vin paused. That was true. Maybe with good luck, she could catch some more. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll give it a go! Maybe I¡¯m on a lucky streak!¡± Despite what she said, she knew it would be extremely difficult. Catching one fish a day was already considered very lucky. Catching two was next to impossible. In Elixir School, only Frost and the principal had caught two essence fish in one day. ¡°Vin, didn¡¯t you just catch one? Do you want to catch one more?¡± ¡°Why are you doing this to yourself?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t one enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We all saw how lucky you were, but trying to catch another one is being too greedy.¡± Many other students were fishing nearby. They all felt a little envious to see Vin catch a fish so soon. They had waited for half a day, but none of them had caught anything. What did Vin do? Only minutes had passed since she started fishing, and she already caught such a big one. The others all found it rather unfair. They didn¡¯t say anything at first because they couldn¡¯t deny her luck. However, instead of leaving, she started fishing again. What did she want? One more? That was just greed! Vin frowned, but she couldn¡¯t retort. ¡°Vin, do you really think you can get more? You just had a bit of dumb luck! Catching a second one? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± A man strolled toward them, holding a fan in his hand. He immediately started taunting Vin. Vin¡¯s brows locked together when she saw who it was. The man was Manos, her least favorite person in the school! Manos wasn¡¯t like this before. However, he began to target her whenever he could after she turned down his courtship. When she saw him, she felt her lucky streak had just come to an end. Chapter 356 - Manos That was how much she disliked this man. If he hadn¡¯t been her fellow schoolmate, she would have punched him in the face. ¡°You¡¯d better not run into me in the street, or I¡¯ll slap you until you have no teeth left!¡± Vin spat at Manos. Manos acted as if he didn¡¯t hear those words. ¡°Go gentle on me, then. The competition won¡¯t start until tomorrow. Besides, we should focus on the present. Do you really think you can catch a second fish?¡± Vin blushed. She really had no idea if she could do that. However, the honorable guest had suggested, and she couldn¡¯t say no. She didn¡¯t know it would give Manos an opportunity to laugh at her. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s none of your business. What would you do if I caught one and what if I didn¡¯t?¡± Vin said. Firey walked up to Vin¡¯s side. She sneered at Manos and pointed a finger at his face. ¡°Bitchy man, what Vin can or cannot catch is none of your business. ¡°You fart so loudly that I thought there¡¯s a butt on your face!¡± The people nearby were shocked. They wanted to laugh, but they had to suppress the impulse. Manos was a core member of Elixir School just like Vin. Hearing those words, Manos couldn¡¯t keep up that fake smile anymore. His face turned livid. He had never been humiliated like that before. ¡°You!¡± Manos pointed at Firey but didn¡¯t know what to say. As an important figure in the school, swearing wasn¡¯t an option. He could only reply sarcastically. However, this girl was so lovely that he was at a loss for words. ¡°You ignorant girl! I won¡¯t dignify your insult with a reply! ¡°Vin, if you can catch a second fish today, I¡¯ll jump into the river. If you can¡¯t, you must become my cultivation partner!¡± Firey snorted. ¡°That¡¯s not a challenge at all! ¡°I¡¯ll accept the challenge for Vin. I can¡¯t wait to see you jump into the river!¡± The people around them were astonished. A bet between two important students was established just like that. Having either one of them involved in such an affair was shocking news, let alone two. The news spread like wildfire. Before long, hundreds of students gathered around, and more people were on their way. ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? That was so bold of her, accepting the challenge for Vin.¡± ¡°Two fish in one day? That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Not exactly. The principal and Frost have done it before. Why can¡¯t Vin?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! The principal is at the Emperor stage, so of course, she can catch two. Frost is born with that cold energy; this river is like her home. It¡¯s not the same for Vin!¡± ¡°Then Vin is in trouble! How could that girl accept the challenge for her? That¡¯s just dumb!¡± ¡°Why could that girl accept the challenge? Shouldn¡¯t it come from Vin herself?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? Vin didn¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s given her consent!¡± ¡°Of course she does! Don¡¯t you know what girl has passed all nine levels in the tower? That man next to her is the principal¡¯s guest! Do you think Vin wants to offend them?¡± Everybody sighed. No one dared to offend the principal¡¯s guests. That must be why Vin hadn¡¯t said anything. Vin was indeed baffled. She frowned and couldn¡¯t say anything. If she did, she would offend Firey. They might have gotten along well, but she knew she wasn¡¯t her match. However, what if she didn¡¯t catch anything? She knew things had gotten out of hand. Even if the principal were here, she couldn¡¯t have come up with a perfect solution. All she could was remain silent and pin her hope on her fishing rod. ¡°Please let me have some luck!¡± Fifteen minutes passed, but nothing happened. Vin retracted the fishing wire and saw the essence stone was still attached. ¡°How is this possible? Although I haven¡¯t caught anything, the essence stone should be gone by now.¡± ¡°Is it possible that you haven¡¯t left it there long enough?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s been fifteen minutes, and the essence stone should have disappeared. This is so strange!¡± ¡°Is there no fish left in the river?¡± The speculation made everybody go quiet. The essence fish was an important resource, the reason why the Elixir School was built here. Without the fish, the impact on the school would be unthinkable. Vin sighed. She was ready to lower the stone into the water again. Himmel Soan rubbed his chin and suggested, ¡°Use a top-grade essence stone.¡± Vin was surprised. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t the low-grade one enough? A top-grade one sounds like such a waste.¡± Even if she caught a fish with a top-grade fish, it still wouldn¡¯t be worthwhile. However, she soon realized something. That shouldn¡¯t be her concern now. Her future happiness was on the line here! She changed the essence stone. Himmel Soan spoke again, giving her an explanation, ¡°All living things have spirit, which can turn them into spiritual beings. After that, they become intelligent and develop thoughts of their own. ¡°The essence fish is an intelligent species. The less intelligent ones will absorb the essence stone directly, and they¡¯ll get hooked. ¡°The more intelligent ones will observe before making their move. ¡°The essence stone didn¡¯t disappear because some more intelligent fish chased away the smaller ones.¡± Chapter 357 - Firey Lost Her Temper Himmel Soan¡¯s analysis was reasonable, but he couldn¡¯t prove it. He didn¡¯t need to though. The others didn¡¯t take him seriously. Even if he was right, they only saw him as an ordinary man and wouldn¡¯t listen to him even if their principal had been so polite to him. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Vin cupped her hands at Himmel Soan. She finally stopped worrying and calmed down. With Himmel Soan¡¯s words, Vin was confident that she could catch the second fish. Other people might not recognize his prowess, but she did. That man was definitely somebody. If a big shot like him said such a thing, it had to be true. Vin changed the bait to a top-grade essence stone and threw it into the water without hesitation. People around her cried out when they saw this. What a waste! ¡°Did she just throw that in? Why¡¯s there so much noise?¡± ¡°Is she really catching a second one?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t be. The bait has barely touched the water. They have to have hired the fish for it to come so soon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible either!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a top-grade essence stone. Why is it so strange that some small fish would take the bait? I think it¡¯s totally possible!¡± ¡°In that case, is Manos going to lose?¡± ¡°I think so!¡± Everybody was making guesses. Vin finally let out a breath of relief. What a wise man! As soon as the top-grade essence stone hit the water, the fish took the bait! Just as she was going to pull the fish out of the water, Himmel Soan immediately stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s not the right time. If you pull now, you¡¯ll catch nothing.¡± ¡°But sir, the essence fish is already hooked. If we wait, it¡¯ll get away!¡± Vin said anxiously. Despite that, she still followed Himmel Soan¡¯s instructions and kept the bait in the water. The wire soon became still again. Had the fish escaped? Why didn¡¯t she pull the rod? Everybody was perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s Vin thinking? Does she want to become Manos¡¯s partner?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She never liked him.¡± ¡°I see what¡¯s going on here! She¡¯s only been pretending! Her disdain is only a facade of her affection!¡± ¡°Bullshit. Vin is my favorite senior sister. She can¡¯t become Manos¡¯s cultivation partner. If that happens, I¡¯ll give up alchemy!¡± ¡°The wire has stopped moving. Why won¡¯t Vin pull it out? Does she want to fish without any bait?¡± ¡°I think she was too excited to pull the rod just then. She¡¯s at a loss now after realizing what she has missed.¡± They couldn¡¯t stop talking about it. Too many unexpected twists had taken place. It was more exciting than a roller coaster ride. ¡°Vin, if you want to be my cultivation partner, you can just give up. You don¡¯t need to go so far to let me win!¡± Manos was thrilled. He was so nervous when the fishing wire swayed just then. He thought Vin was going to catch a second fish. If that were the case, he would have to jump into the river, which would definitely kill him. What happened next was so unexpected that he was over the moon. He didn¡¯t know if Vin had done it on purpose, but he was glad that it had happened. It felt like God¡¯s will! ¡°Sir, are you sure we don¡¯t need to pull it out?¡± Vin ignored Manos. She had been following Himmel Soan¡¯s instructions since she switched the bait. She would do everything he said. Even their principal respected this man, so she didn¡¯t think he would trick her on such a matter. ¡°Wait for the next sway, but don¡¯t pull it just yet. When the wire shakes for the third time, pull it right away!¡± Vin was relieved, but Manos couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°The third time? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! No, I guess I should thank you. If you hadn¡¯t been misleading Vin, she wouldn¡¯t have become my cultivation partner later. ¡°Thank you, Master Mislead!¡± Manos praised Himmel Soan in a sarcastic tone. It sounded more humiliating than pure taunting. Himmel Soan smiled without getting offended. ¡°It¡¯s too early to reach any conclusion yet. You never know what will happen until it happens.¡± That was all Himmel Soan said. He then stared at the river in silence. Manos frowned. He found those words so vague that he couldn¡¯t understand a thing. Wasn¡¯t it so obvious what had happened? What more conclusions did this man need? Such a poser! Manos decided he had been right about this man. ¡°You¡¯re full of bullshit, but you can¡¯t fool me!¡± Manos continued to taunt Himmel Soan, but he then felt a suffocating burst of heat. ¡°What did you say? One more word, and I¡¯ll roast you like a fish!¡± Firey was so angry that energy burst out of her. The heatwave enveloped the entire school. Manos swallowed. His face darkened, but he chose not to speak a word. He was surprised by Firey¡¯s burst of energy. He was just a peak Virtualization cultivator and got intimidated. Almost everybody was shocked. Some of them knew Firey was the genius who had passed nine levels in the tower, but they didn¡¯t know her exact cultivation level. They assumed she was at most a Golden Core cultivator because she was just a little girl! The lower one¡¯s level, the easier it was to get through the tower. Therefore, many people believed Firey was a talented Golden Core cultivator with a bright future. But now, they knew how wrong they had been. She was so powerful! If she was so strong, what about that man behind her? Chapter 358 - Roast Fish Himmel Soan looked just like an average young man, and he resembled Firey a lot. After Manos said bad things about him, she shut him up by demonstrating her power. The burst of energy made them realize that the girl was a peak Contemplation cultivator! Just then, the fish wire started swaying. Vin still didn¡¯t pull, but she grew happier. Everything was happening just as the young master had predicted! She finally knew why it was her lucky day. She had met him, and that was the greatest fortune in her life! While Vin¡¯s face lit up, Manos¡¯s face darkened. The other people didn¡¯t hear their conversation earlier and couldn¡¯t understand their reactions. ¡°That was the second time a fish got hooked, but she still didn¡¯t do anything. She must want to be together with Manos!¡± ¡°Not necessarily. Maybe that young master gave her the instruction.¡± ¡°What young master? He¡¯s just an ordinary man. Maybe only his daughter is the talented one.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, but why does Manos look so unhappy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The fish has been hooked twice, but she still hasn¡¯t pulled the rod. She¡¯s going to lose the bet!¡± ¡°Maybe there will be a third time!¡± ¡°Bullshit! If that happens, I¡¯ll give you a bottle of Grade-7 treatment pills for free!¡± ¡°Really? You can give it to me now. The fish has just taken the bait.¡± They were still talking when the fish got hooked for the third time. Vin immediately pulled the fish out of the water. Everybody was shocked when they saw the fish. They had never seen an essence fish as big as this one. It was about the size of an adult! With that size, the fish had to weigh 100lb! Manos¡¯s face turned livid, and he stumbled back, feeling his legs go weak. If he lost that bet, he would have to jump into the river. With the cold energy in the water, it was practically suicide. Vin walked up to him and spoke in an indifferent tone, ¡°I never personally made that bet with you, so it doesn¡¯t count, regardless of me catching the fish or not.¡± Manos was relieved. He had already made up his excuse. He would insist that Vin never accepted the bet in her own words, so it didn¡¯t count. What the girl said couldn¡¯t be considered Vin¡¯s will. If he used that excuse, he knew he would lose all respect from his schoolmates, and his principal and parents would even punish him for it. To his surprise, Vin gave him a way out. After leaving the river, Himmel Soan asked Vin, ¡°Any regrets?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said no.¡± Vin sighed and looked up at the sky. ¡°After all, we¡¯re still going to see each other on a daily basis, so I decided to let him off the hook. I don¡¯t want to be as ignorant as him.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to kick him into the river!¡± Firey hissed, carrying the giant fish on her back. ¡°Firey, you¡¯re such a fierce girl.¡± Vin chuckled and stopped talking about Manos. Himmel Soan was filled with emotions as well. Not many people could be as magnanimous as Vin. Judging by their conversation, he could tell Vin and Manos had some old grudges between them, and she was trying to avoid him whenever she could. As a result, Manos became even more defiant. He had finally learned a lesson today. ¡­ They arrived at a cottage. It was where Vin lived, and the room was in perfect order without a trace of dust. It reminded one of its owner. ¡°All parts of the essence of fish are useful. I¡¯ve never seen such a big one before, nor do I know what to do with it.¡± Vin was at a loss. ¡°That¡¯s easy. I can roast it!¡± Firey opened her palm, where a small flame was dancing. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know much about cooking either. Boiling and roasting made no difference to him. Both were just ways to make the food edible. Vin left the fish for Firey to cook. After all, Himmel Soan had contributed the most to catch the fish. Although she didn¡¯t know how, she knew it was because of him. She only carried out his orders, which anyone could do. She knew that very well. Before long, Firey set the giant fish over a fire she had started and began to roast it. The aroma filled the entire school. People could tell somebody was roasting that essence fish. Nothing else could have such a strong fragrance. The smell made their mouths water. They wanted to see the difference between this big fish and ordinary ones. However, they stopped almost right away because they saw the principal heading for Vin¡¯s cottage. A moment later, Bandora arrived. ¡°The roast fish smells so delicious. Will I be lucky enough to taste some?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°Take it all if you want,¡± Himmel Soan replied politely. Bandora teased him, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take the whole fish.¡± ¡°On second thought, leave some for me!¡± Himmel Soan and Bandora smiled in unison. Firey pouted. ¡°I need to eat too. Why don¡¯t you leave me some!¡± ¡°Of course, we will. We¡¯re going to finish this fish tonight! It¡¯s not as fun if you eat it as a takeaway.¡± Bandora rubbed Firey¡¯s head. All four of them laughed. It was such an amicable atmosphere. Bandora left after eating the fish. Himmel Soan took Firey to their room. The following day, the competition began! Chapter 359 - Competition Starts The campus was bustling with noise and excitement. All branches had brought dozens to over a hundred students to participate in the competition. There were many stages above Golden Core, with each stage having talented students. Therefore, bringing over a hundred students was quite common. ¡°Pesi, I heard you had reached the Hinayana stage. That¡¯s very impressive for someone of your age. Congratulations!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only the Hinayana stage. What¡¯s there to congratulate?¡± Pesi said indifferently. Pesi and this elder from another branch had never gotten along well. When that elder paid him a compliment, he found it suspicious. He simply ignored that elder, who went by the name Zean. Zean chuckled, not affected by his attitude. ¡°Pesi, at your age, you can drop dead at any moment. Reaching the Hinayana stage is a big achievement for you. ¡°However, the Mahayana stage may be too far a stretch. I, on the other hand, reached the Mahayana stage the other day. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. ¡°I¡¯ll point you in the right direction and help you reach Mahayana. Don¡¯t die before that!¡± Pesi walked away without talking to Zean. He had only brought a few people with him, including Lan, aka Elder Tine, his pupil Ton, and Kot, his son. After leaving Zean, Pesi ran into Seene, his old acquaintance. ¡°Seene, it¡¯s been a while!¡± Pesi struck up a conversation. ¡°What¡¯s going on with that young master? Did anything happen after he came here? Did he meet the principal? Has he left? Is there a message or something?¡± He had so many questions, Seene didn¡¯t know what to say. Pesi didn¡¯t seem to miss him at all. He cared more about the young master. Seene knew the man came from Pesi¡¯s branch and had become Lan¡¯s master. Therefore, he understood why Pesi had so many questions. ¡°I spent the last few days preparing for the competition, so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with the young master. I think he and the principal got on well. He¡¯s also been invited to watch the competition. ¡°Speaking of which, I can share a little secret with you. That girl is going to be the examiner of the Virtualization stage!¡± Pesi was glad to hear that he was still here. He had some questions about his cultivation. While the young master was still here, maybe he could help with that! Pesi didn¡¯t know how to react to the rest of the news. If that girl was going to be an examiner, he could see something unusual was going to happen! ¡°Has the principal given Firey her permission?¡± Pesi asked. Seene nodded. ¡°Alright, the competition starts this evening. Let me show you to your room so that you can have some rest. I¡¯ll also tell you where the young master lives.¡± Seene then looked at Lan. Since she was the young master¡¯s pupil now, she must want to know where he lived. The second bit of the conversation was for Lan. Lan thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°The competition is starting soon, and that¡¯s what I should focus on. I¡¯ll see my master when I win it. ¡°Isn¡¯t he going to be there, too? I¡¯ll surprise him! ¡°I have to shine in this competition, or I would be too ashamed to see him.¡± Seene didn¡¯t say anything. Lan had made up her mind, so it wasn¡¯t his place to suggest otherwise. He left Pesi and the students after showing them their rooms to see Bandora. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Lan isn¡¯t going to see the young master now. She said she would do that after winning the competition.¡± Bandora put down her cup and nodded. ¡°I see. I won¡¯t keep you any longer.¡± With the competition coming, Seene was very busy, too. Bandora, on the other hand, had some free time at hand. But it was only temporary. In a few moments, the elders from various branches would visit her as a formality. ¡­ Himmel Soan was reading, while Firey and Vin were playing. Seene arrived in a hurry. ¡°Sir, Elder Ein and your pupil are here. Would you like to see them now?¡± Although Lan said she wanted to surprise her master, Seene still informed him. Himmel Soan shook his head. ¡°Students always visit their masters. Since she hasn¡¯t come, it means she has her own plans. I should support her. With the competition coming, she should be adjusting herself. I don¡¯t need to see her now.¡± Seene was dumbfounded. Himmel Soan had said everything he was about to say. He left after briefly explaining to Himmel Soan about the competition. Firey then brought up the essence of fish from the day before. ¡°Master, I¡¯m hungry. I want to eat that fish again. It was so delicious and could improve my power without any side effects!¡± Himmel Soan rolled his eyes. She ate the most yesterday, yet she was the first to get hungry. He never knew the essence of nature could feel hunger. ¡°That was a 100lb fish, and you still want more. We can¡¯t fish every day the same way we can¡¯t shave the sheep daily. ¡°Moreover, the essence fish is the most effective when you eat it for the first time. The effects will diminish when you eat more. Just be content.¡± Firey pouted. She didn¡¯t care about those things. All she knew was Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t give her any fish anymore. Vin smiled and gave Firey the other fish she had caught. ¡°There, you have the fish now. You can roast this one!¡± Firey accepted the fish. When she saw Himmel Soan didn¡¯t say anything, she roasted the fish and ate it. After finishing the 3lb fish, she returned to Himmel Soan in satisfaction and thanked Vin for the fish, ¡°Thank you, Vin!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Go easy on me in the competition!¡± Chapter 360 - Higher Level Pills When the competition started, Bandora invited Himmel Soan to watch the proceedings from one of the towers. Firey tagged along. As an examiner, she should be testing the pupils, but the event started with an alchemy competition, which she knew nothing about. Feeling bored, she followed Himmel Soan onto the tower. ¡°Are all of the pupils entering the alchemy competition together?¡± Himmel Soan asked. These pupils should vary in their alchemy abilities and cultivation levels. He thought they would have separate competitions. However, all the students were thrown into the same competition. It looked like a stew with every ingredient thrown into the same port. Himmel Soan was a little confused. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re all in the same competition.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t their failures affect each other?¡± ¡°Successful alchemists should be able to shut off the outside world. If they fail because of other people, they¡¯re not good enough.¡± Himmel Soan got her meaning. Bandora had deliberately put all of them in the same competition. The real genius could block the nose and rise to success. Maybe that was also one of the criteria. He wouldn¡¯t judge this method. He could list many merits, but they could also be shortcomings. It all depended on one¡¯s standpoint. ¡°The competition is on treatment pills. We¡¯ll score each person according to their cultivation level. Although you¡¯re all competing in the same area, your scores will be given separately,¡± announced Bandora. They were assessed independently despite competing in the same space. The purpose was to test their mentality. More importantly, there were simply too many pupils. Arranging them into different competition groups would cost too much time and manpower, and it would take at least three days to finish the alchemy competition. Holding one big competition only needed one morning. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡­ The competition started. Everybody was to make treatment pills. Different pupils would make pills of different grades. Some of them could make Class C Grade-6 pills, but to play it safe, they would refine Class B Grade-5 ones instead. Others could only refine Class D Grade-6 pills, but they took the risk and tried to make Class C ones. Lan, Vin, Ton, Frost, and Seene had all decided what pills they would make. ¡°Elder Tine, I heard you wouldn¡¯t even accept the principal¡¯s offer. Why did you become somebody else¡¯s pupil?¡± The speaker was an elderly man with a long, white beard. ¡°Elder Neu, I didn¡¯t expect to see such an elderly contestant here!¡± Lan rolled her eyes at him. ¡°If you¡¯re here, why can¡¯t I?¡± Elder Neu retorted. Lan didn¡¯t reply. She had nothing to say to a person like him. Entertaining him once was already polite enough for her. Elder Neu didn¡¯t get upset. ¡°Our task is to make treatment pills. I wonder what your opinion is.¡± Lan replied while preparing. ¡°They¡¯re testing, trying to see what the contestants of various levels can make. Using the treatment pills is easier for them to score.¡± Elder Neu was confused when he saw Lan¡¯s Grade-6 ingredients. All the cultivators who hadn¡¯t reached the Hinayana stage had to participate in this event. The Contemplation cultivators were the most important contestants. Elder Neu and Lan belonged to that category. The elders represented the strength of a branch. All branches would send their strongest elders below the Hinayana stage. Elder Neu was an experienced alchemist with a unique understanding of pills. He had been the winner of the alchemy competition for many years. This time, he was going to challenge himself and make some Grade-9 pills. ¡°I thought you would be a strong opponent this year, but I didn¡¯t expect you to give up so easily.¡± Elder Neu laughed. ¡°Give up? How did you arrive at that conclusion?¡± Lan remained perfectly calm. ¡°You¡¯re making Grade-6 pills! If that¡¯s not giving up, I don¡¯t know what is. Even if you can make pills with inscriptions, they can¡¯t be higher than Grade 8. Have you lost your mind after finding a master?¡± No matter how effective an inscribed Grade-6 pill was, it was equivalent to a Class D Grade-8 pill at most. Lan was more than capable of making Class B Grade-8 pills. Elder Neu was confused when he saw her Grade-6 ingredients. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to make Grade-8 pills with those!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Lan chuckled. Elder Neu didn¡¯t know what to say. Couldn¡¯t Grade-6 ingredients be made into Grade-8 pills? It wasn¡¯t written in any books, nor was it forbidden, but it was common sense! She had to be dreaming! Seeing Lan had started, Elder Neu only said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you do that!¡± He then started working on his own pills. Alchemists hated being disturbed. He knew it well. Although he didn¡¯t like Lan, she had already started working, so he had no excuse to distract her. He was an ethical alchemist. ¡°Mr. Soan, Lan is going to use those Grade-6 ingredients. What¡¯s going on?¡± Bandora was equally confused. ¡°I think she wants to make pills that exceed the grade of the ingredients!¡± Himmel Soan immediately saw what Lan was trying to do. He had done it once, so she was probably trying to replicate it. Chapter 361 - Lans Furnace She was trying to exceed the grade of her ingredients? Bandora nodded in understanding. Even so, she would only make Grade-7 pills, falling short of her real potential. But was it that simple? She wouldn¡¯t believe it. She had repeatedly tried to become Lan¡¯s master but got turned down. Lan was now the pupil of this mysterious young master. Bandora wouldn¡¯t believe that this girl would resort to mediocrity. Would she skip a grade and make some Grade-8 pills? That would be indeed impressive! ¡°Mr. Soan, is it unrealistic to make Grade-8 pills with Grade-6 ingredients?¡± Bandora asked tentatively. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Then why do you think she¡¯s doing it?¡± Bandora was baffled. Lan was his pupil, and he said she was going to refine higher-grade pills. However, he had just called her unrealistic. Did that mean even he had no confidence in her? Bandora didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°Just keep watching,¡± Himmel Soan said. ¡°Alright.¡± Bandora stopped trying to figure out what was going on. He was right about one thing: she just had to keep watching. Everything would get cleared in the end. Before long, one of the contestants burned his ingredients. Thump¡­ The people around him got affected as well, following his example. It was as if a string of firecrackers had been lit. The first cracking sound led to a series of non-stopping ones. A third of the contestants were affected, burning their ingredients. They could only walk away from their furnaces and wait on the side. They didn¡¯t have any other choice. They only had one portion of ingredients, which were useless when burned. They would receive zero points in this round. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do we have to compete together? I was making good progress on my Grade-5 pills, but the person next to me spoiled his ingredients. I was startled and burned mine as well! This arrangement doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I could stand it at first and kept working on my pills, but another person nearby burned his ingredients! It was crazy!¡± ¡°I think we should blame the first person. If he hadn¡¯t done that, the other people wouldn¡¯t have been affected, and we wouldn¡¯t have burned ours either!¡± ¡°A third of the contestants have no score in this round. This has never happened before!¡± ¡°I think more people are going to burn their ingredients.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If they haven¡¯t been affected by now, they should succeed.¡± ¡°What if some of them set their aims too high? Maybe someone is trying to make Grade-7 or Grade-8 pills with Grade-6 ingredients. Even if they haven¡¯t burned the ingredients, they will eventually.¡± The disqualified contestants discussed among themselves. There wasn¡¯t much to say about the pills because everybody was making the same kind. Instead, they focused on the contestants and the grades of their pills. ¡°I think Elder Tine is using Grade-6 ingredients.¡± ¡°Grade 6? How¡¯s that possible? Even the principal appreciates her talent. How can she use Grade-6 ingredients? You must be mistaken!¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not. I saw it when Elder Tine picked up her Grade-6 ingredients.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I was sitting right behind her and heard her conversation with Elder Neu. I think she said she was going to make Grade-8 pills with Grade-6 ingredients.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± No one believed it when they heard Lan¡¯s plan. They had never heard of such a thing before, and they weren¡¯t going to accept it now. The crowd went on talking as the competition proceeded. Before long, the cracking noise rang out again. Someone else had burned their ingredients. Many ambitious contestants could refine pills that were suitable for their levels, but they chose to challenge themselves in the competition. As a result, they burned their ingredients, spoiling their chances. Bang! Another contestant failed. Though not loud, it sounded like a thunderclap in everybody¡¯s ears. ¡°That was Elder Tine.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! Isn¡¯t she using Grade-6 ingredients? She¡¯s only making Class B pills. How can she burn her ingredients?¡± ¡°What¡¯s she doing now? Is she going to continue?¡± ¡°Her pills are useless now. What¡¯s she doing with them?¡± In the examination area, Lan had indeed burned her ingredients. However, she remained where she was as if she was pondering or waiting for something. She should have left the area already. Although no rules said that she couldn¡¯t stay with her furnace¡­ Was it because she couldn¡¯t accept her failure? It had to be! Elder Tine was capable of making Class B Grade-8 pills. However, she had just burned her Grade-6 ingredients. That was hard for anybody to accept. The crowd reached the conclusion on their own. Up on the tower, Bandora also had a frown on her face. She had seen everything and was genuinely confused. Elder Tine was supposed to make pills of a higher grade, but why did she just burn her ingredients? Even if she couldn¡¯t carry out her plan, she could always make some Grade-6 pills with inscriptions! How did this happen? ¡°Mr. Soan, what are we looking at?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like what you saw. The ingredients are burned.¡± Bandora frowned. She was hoping there was something else going on. She couldn¡¯t believe Lan had done that. That girl was supposed to be better than that! Even if she couldn¡¯t make more advanced pills, she shouldn¡¯t have burned her ingredients. Because of that, Bandora had to ask Himmel Soan. However, she had to face reality. ¡°Even if the ingredients are burned, she can still refine them. Unlike others, Lan has burned her ingredients on purpose,¡± said Himmel Soan. Chapter 362 - Refine On purpose? Refining the burned ingredients? Either way, it didn¡¯t make any sense. Who would deliberately burn their ingredients? Seeing how serious Himmel Soan was, Bandora didn¡¯t say anything. She could only wait to see what would happen next. A lot of things were going on. Many contestants in the examination area were looking at Lan after she burned her ingredients, forgetting about their own furnaces. They couldn¡¯t help it. That was so intriguing! Lan was the most famous elder in the school, and everybody knew her. However, she had just burned her ingredients. No one could believe it. Moreover, she was only making Grade-6 pills. Thump! Thump! Thump! Distracted by Lan, many more people burned their ingredients. They were so close to victory, but they fell short at the last step. Before long, there were only over a hundred people left in the game. ¡°Please wait! I¡¯d like to borrow your defective pills!¡± Lan finally spoke, but her words baffled the others. The defective pills? Why did she need them? Once the ingredients were burned, the defective pills were useless. What was she going to do with them? ¡°Elder Tine, you can have the defective pills, but I don¡¯t understand why you need them?¡± someone asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. Haven¡¯t you burned your ingredients?¡± ¡°What are the defective pills for?¡± ¡°Can she do something with them?¡± Everybody was full of questions. They didn¡¯t think much of it at first. The defective pills were useless, so they might as well do her a favor. But now, they tried to figure out what she needed them for. Lan had behaved so strangely. She burned her Grade-6 ingredients at first. Instead of leaving the area, she stayed and asked the others for their defective pills. How odd! If the defective pills were that useful, the other contestants wouldn¡¯t let Lan have them. This was a competition. Her request had kindled their hopes. Lan knew she couldn¡¯t have the pills if she didn¡¯t offer an explanation. She had better tell them. It wasn¡¯t much of a secret anyway. ¡°I¡¯m going to refine the defective pills to make new pills. ¡°If someone can lend me some defective pills, I¡¯ll return the favor by making a batch of Class B Grade-8 pills for them,¡± said Lan. If these people wanted to refine the defective pills on their own, Lan couldn¡¯t stop them. Therefore, she made a generous offer. Refine the burned ingredients? The crowd was thrilled. They had never imagined that possibility. Maybe it was a way to salvage their defective pills. However, they didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°Elder Tine, you can have my defective pills. I don¡¯t need the Grade-8 pills. I only want to see you refine them.¡± ¡°Me, too, Elder Tine!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll choose the Grade-8 pills!¡± Over a dozen people soon made up their minds. The refinement was too difficult for them. They didn¡¯t even know where to begin. In that case, they would rather give away their defective pills to do Elder Tine a favor. It would be much better than guessing blindly on their own. ¡°Alright. You can stay and watch me refine the pills after giving me the defective pills, but you can¡¯t disturb other people. ¡°If anyone needs Grade-8 pills, they can collect them from me when I return to my branch.¡± Elder Tine only collected eight sets of defective pills. After that, she started the refinement. Everybody quieted down. The contestants that were still working on their pills were those that could shut off the outside noise. They wouldn¡¯t notice anything happening around them unless their lives were in danger. As Lan relit her furnace, Bandora paced back and forth for a long while in the tower. ¡°The idea of refining the defective pills came from you. Is that right, Mr. Soan?¡± Bandora asked. ¡°Yes. The defective pills still contain energy, so why can¡¯t we extract it? ¡°It¡¯s the same principle with the ingredients. We can extract and refine the energy they contain, turning them into pills. During this process, the impurities are removed, and only the purest energy remains. Pills made in this way are the best! ¡°Lan is a brilliant girl. I only taught her once, but she has already mastered it.¡± Himmel Soan explained everything. Bandora was astonished and felt she was getting onto something. She had a better understanding of alchemy now. She kept thinking back to his words. After a long while, she raised her head and bowed at Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, thank you! ¡°You¡¯ve benefited me so much! I understand alchemy much better now. Lan is so lucky to have you as her master.¡± His words alone had taught her so much. How capable would he be? Bandora couldn¡¯t begin to imagine. Recalling the relationship between the Soan surname and the eight emperors, she wondered if Mr. Soan was here for revenge. But it didn¡¯t seem that way because Mr. Soan was an amicable man in every aspect. He was almost a saint. Was that how cultivators were when they rose beyond the Emperor stage? She didn¡¯t dare make too many assumptions. ¡°Mr. Soan, what do you think of Elixir School?¡± Bandora suddenly asked. ¡°It¡¯s a good school. Why?¡± Himmel Soan was a little perplexed. ¡°If you find Elixir School acceptable, would you like to replace me and become the principal?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m just an ordinary man. Why would I do that?¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. ¡°I¡¯m offering the job to you!¡± Bandora said. Himmel Soan had already calmed down. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not the suitable candidate.¡± Chapter 363 - Hinayana ¡°Being a principal isn¡¯t fun at all. The head of the eight emperors sounds much better!¡± Firey blurted out. ¡°Ouch!¡± The next second, she crouched down and covered her head. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry! I meant I wanted to be the head of the eight emperors!¡± Both Himmel Soan and Bandora laughed. Himmel Soan only gave Firey¡¯s head a little knock with his knuckle, and Firey made such an exaggerated response. What a girl! While they were laughing and chatting, the alchemy competition was coming to an end. Most people had produced their pills. Only Lan was still working on her furnace. Bang! There was a loud thump, and the competition was over. ¡°She made it!¡± ¡°How¡¯s that possible? I didn¡¯t know defective pills could be reused!¡± ¡°That¡¯s against common sense! It¡¯s going to change the history of alchemy!¡± ¡°Yes, she has refined the defective pills, but what pills has she turned them into?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious, too. Elder Tine asked us for eight sets of defective pills. Together with her own, she has nine in total. What pills are we going to see?¡± ¡°They have to be Grade 6 or 7 at least!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be higher than Grade 5. How many effective ingredients can the defective pills have? Grade 5 is already a far stretch!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everybody was talking about it. Most of them had one of the two speculations. Some felt she would make low-grade pills, while others thought she would come up with ordinary Grade-6 pills. Either way, they couldn¡¯t deny the fact that pills could be refined. They thought Elder Tine was using this competition to showcase her skills. ¡°Alright, the competition has ended, and so should the discussion.¡± Bandora came out of the tower. The crowd immediately quieted down. Bandora was here to announce the final result. Before that, she needed to reveal Lan¡¯s result first. ¡°Lan, open your furnace, please,¡± said Bandora. Lan nodded and opened the furnace without hesitation. The thunder tribulation arrived at once. The thunder tribulation? How could this happen? Everybody was dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m using the pills as a channel to guide me into the Hinayana stage!¡± Lan began to give off some unmistakable energy. She was going to have a breakthrough! That was the reason for the thunder tribulation! However, the crowd was still confused. Lan was only a mid-stage Contemplation cultivator. How could she make a breakthrough now? Could she have skipped a few levels? ¡°Is she achieving this through making those pills?¡± Bandora asked herself. Many things happening today had exceeded her imagination. She almost got used to them. Himmel Soan was the cause of all the amazing events. Who exactly was he? She had no idea. The thunder tribulation arrived with a loud rumbling noise. Lan was hit by nine streaks of lightning, and she handled them as easily as eating and drinking. ¡°Congratulations, Mr. Soan! She has reached the Hinayana stage!¡± Bandora congratulated Himmel Soan. ¡°It all came from her own talent and hard work,¡± said Himmel Soan. As soon as he said that, Lan arrived with a reverent look on her face. ¡°Master!¡± Lan wanted to kneel. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Please stand up.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t let her, however. He let Lan stand up before she could kneel. She had done so already when she became his pupil. There was no need to do that again. Kneeling on the ground every time she met him would be too troublesome. ¡°I¡¯ll announce the result now. ¡°Lan Soan is the first. She made Class C Grade-9 pills with Grade-6 ingredients. ¡°The second is Frost. She made Grade-8 pills with inscriptions, although she¡¯s only at the Virtualization stage. ¡°The third is Elder Neu. As a Contemplation cultivator, he made Class C Grade-9 pills. ¡°I¡¯m not going to list all the following names,¡± said Bandora. She would only read the first three names. Reading everything aloud was too much. The crowd murmured when they heard Lan Soan¡¯s name. Lan Soan? That surname¡­ ¡°Who¡¯s that? Is she referring to Elder Tine?¡± ¡°How can that be Elder Tine¡¯s surname? I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°Me neither, but the principal has announced it herself. It can¡¯t be a mistake.¡± ¡°Is the man next to the principal Elder Tine¡¯s master? Elder Tine has turned down the principal¡¯s offer! How could that happen?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t the eight emperors forbidden the surname Soan? Why is that Elder Tine¡¯s surname? Has the principal mispronounced it?¡± ¡°Of course, she wouldn¡¯t make such careless mistakes!¡± ¡°Even if the eight emperors forbid it, so what? The principal hasn¡¯t. She¡¯s at the Emperor stage, too!¡± People couldn¡¯t stop talking about Elder Tine and her surname. They couldn¡¯t believe what they just heard. The ban had been around for so long that they all felt awkward about hearing that surname. They all looked at Bandora. She was the only one who could answer their questions. ¡°Elder Tine changed her surname to Soan after she took Mr. Soan as her master. There¡¯s nothing to talk about. Everybody should take a good rest now. The combat trial will start tomorrow. ¡°Dismissed.¡± Bandora gave a brief explanation, telling them the essential things they needed to know. Elder Tine had the surname Soan because she had a teacher now. Elder Tine had called Himmel Soan ¡°master¡± in front of everybody. They would be very stupid if they couldn¡¯t figure out who he was. If Elder Tine changed her surname because of him, did that mean this ordinary-looking man was a Soan? The master and pupil usually had the same surname. The eight emperors forbade that surname, but somebody with that surname was here. What was the principal up to? ¡°Lan, come with me.¡± Himmel Soan ignored other people¡¯s gazes and summoned Lan. Since she had reached the Hinayana stage, she could no longer participate in the competition. ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t visit you when I arrived. I hope you didn¡¯t mind!¡± Lan apologized to Himmel Soan. ¡°I need to talk to you about something else.¡± Chapter 364 - Law of Time and Space Something else? Lan was perplexed. What did her master wish to say? ¡°Master, I¡¯m listening!¡± Lan said obediently. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you the law of time and space, but you¡¯ll have to find your own way. I can¡¯t teach you anything,¡± Himmel Soan made a shocking announcement. The law of time and space was the most important cultivation law. If one could master it, they could change the time, space, and location they were in. Lan had never heard of anybody who had succeeded. Hardly anybody ever tried to learn it. One could become the most important person in a region if one could learn a tiny fraction of the law. The little bit that Emperor Tzi had learned made him the head of the eight emperors. Right now, her master asked her to learn the law of time and space. The very idea made Lan want to pull her hair out. It was unbelievable! She would have to study the law of time and space, and her master couldn¡¯t offer any help. What a difficult task! No, calling it difficult was an understatement. It was next to impossible! ¡°Master, the law of time and space is so difficult. It¡¯ll take me forever to learn it even with instructions. You¡¯ve asked me to study it on my own. That¡¯s just beyond my imagination! ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get anywhere in the next one or two decades!¡± After some hesitation, Lan spoke her mind. She might be able to carry out any other task, but what her master asked now was too difficult for her to handle on her own. Comprehending the law of time and space was a daunting task. Lan felt her brain was going to explode. ¡°Take your time. Just like everything else, it can¡¯t be rushed. ¡°The law of time and space is one of the most important laws, so there¡¯s no need to hurry. ¡°But everything needs a time limit, so I¡¯m going to set a deadline. You must master the law in twenty years!¡± In the end, Himmel Soan set a deadline for Lan, thinking that it was long enough. However, twenty years would pass in the blink of an eye. Asking Lan to master the law of time and space within that deadline was going to be difficult. No, it wasn¡¯t just difficult. It was like ascending to the heavens! Even Emperor Tzi only learned a tiny fraction after so many years. Lan was only a Hinayana cultivator. Himmel Soan was basically asking her to reach Emperor Tzi¡¯s level in twenty years. How was that possible? Her master had just gotten her into the biggest trouble! ¡°Master, it¡¯s too difficult! ¡°I have zero ideas about the law of time and space, and I don¡¯t know how to start!¡± Lan was still at a loss. She wanted to turn down the request, but Himmel Soan was her master. How could she say no to him? But if she didn¡¯t, she had no idea what to do next. ¡°All laws of nature are connected. For instance, the law of alchemy can be related to the laws of herbs and healings. All the laws will be interwoven into a big web in the end. ¡°You have to have a taste of the law of time and space in one year. If you still can¡¯t understand it, I¡¯ll come for you.¡± Himmel Soan waved at Lan and walked away with a smile. Although Lan said she didn¡¯t know anything about the law of time and space, Himmel Soan still set a time for her. In one year, if Lan still couldn¡¯t figure it out, he would give her a hand. He had his reasons for letting Lan study the law of time and space on her own. The law of time and space seemed to be connected to the general cultivation rule of this world, and that rule didn¡¯t seem to like Himmel Soan. It was impossible for him to use the power of time and space. However, he needed that power to return to Earth. That was why he asked Lan to study it. ¡°I still haven¡¯t found anything about Gina. If I can¡¯t find anything here, I¡¯ll search for her on Earth,¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He had spotted Gina once and arrived in this world by accident. Was there no connection between everything that had happened? Was there no connection between the Zimmer family and the surname Soan? There had to be! However, Himmel Soan still made a Plan B. ¡­ After the alchemy competition was over, many people heard what happened, as well as the person with the surname Soan. The eight emperors, Stelladome Academy, and Starwan Tower all received the information. They all felt and reacted differently. At first, everything was quiet, as if nothing had happened. It seemed to be the silence before a storm. ¡°Shwa, what do you think?¡± ¡°Baih, you know me. I¡¯ve always kept my ground neutral and never gotten involved in your affairs.¡± ¡°But you agreed on our decision on the Soans.¡± Emperor Baih¡¯s face darkened a little. He seemed displeased with what Emperor Shwa said. They had made the decision together, but he wouldn¡¯t admit it now. Emperor Shwa smiled and said calmly, ¡°I never picked a side. No matter what you all said, I only kept my silence. ¡°Moreover, I rank above you, so mind your tone!¡± Emperor Baih almost snorted. Ranked above him? Emperor Baih was the fifth, while Emperor Shwa was the fourth. There wasn¡¯t much difference at all. Who was he kidding? ¡°If that¡¯s your excuse, you¡¯re too naive. So what if you¡¯re ranked above me? Are you more capable than me now? ¡°Thom Shwa, if you¡¯re neutral, stay where you are. If you have a hidden agenda and I find it, I don¡¯t mind joining hands with the others and removing you from your rank!¡± Emperor Baih threatened Emperor Shwa, yet Emperor Shwa completely ignored him. They were both emperors, so none of those words made sense. They wouldn¡¯t be threatened by a fellow emperor either. Join hands? That was bluffing! Another two out of the eight emperors belonged to the neutral party. Chapter 365 - The Soan Rule Like Emperor Shwa, Emperor Zea and Emperor Tzi were also neutral on the matter. Three out of the first four emperors didn¡¯t care about this issue. Emperor Oogh was the only one who strongly supported the eradication of the surname Soan. Without him, nothing would have happened. Emperor Shwa couldn¡¯t understand why Emperor Baih thought he could pose a threat. With what? If Emperor Oogh didn¡¯t get involved, Emperor Shwa was confident he could handle any of the other four emperors. Even if some of them joined hands, he still wouldn¡¯t be worried. If Emperor Oogh attacked, so would Emperor Tzi. Emperor Tzi wouldn¡¯t let him have it his way. Hence, Emperor Shwa never thought much of Emperor Baih¡¯s threat. ¡°Emperor Baih, if there¡¯s nothing else, please leave. The surname Soan has been mentioned. So be it. Are you ever going to let it drop?¡± Emperor Shwa ordered his guest to leave. Emperor Baih snorted and stormed off. ¡°Let it drop? A Soan wants to break the rules. Of course, I can¡¯t let it drop. No one can break the rules of Stelladom!¡± Emperor Baih disappeared after saying those words. Emperor Shwa sighed and shook his head. He then turned to the other side of the hall, asking, ¡°Roo, what do you think?¡± Emperor Zea walked out from behind a column. ¡°Thy was being completely unreasonable. We should never have kept our silence. He did want to attack you just then. I detected his killing intent. ¡°He must have detected me, so he gave up.¡± She didn¡¯t need to remind Emperor Shwa because he had noticed it, too. He was the one who was talking to Emperor Baih, so he knew all his intentions, especially when he wanted to kill someone! If Emperor Baih wanted to attack, so would he. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Thy found that kind of courage. Does he really have the ability to fight me now, or was he only probing?¡± Emperor Zea sighed and said in resignation, ¡°Who knows? No one can see through that man. We don¡¯t have time to talk about him now. Lan is the one that concerns us!¡± Emperor Shwa rose to his feet and looked at the sky through the window. I didn¡¯t expect Bandora Cien to get involved. Stelladom Academy is talking about this issue, too. As for Starwan Tower, it¡¯s as indifferent as ever. ¡°If you ask me, I think Starwan Tower wants to break this rule!¡± Emperor Zea nodded, agreeing with Emperor Shwa. Without a doubt, Starwan Tower wanted to challenge the status quo, but it probably wouldn¡¯t get involved in the current matter. Stelladom Academy would be on Emperor Baih¡¯s side. ¡°How did Elixir School get involved?¡± Emperor Zea was perplexed. ¡°I heard Lan Soan was called Lan Chia at first. She changed her surname after becoming a capable man¡¯s pupil. ¡°That man was said to have come out of the Dusk Soul Forest. He¡¯s called Himmel Soan, and no one knows what his cultivation level is because he looks like an ordinary man. ¡°He¡¯s staying with Bandora in Elixir School at the moment,¡± Emperor Shwa explained to Emperor Zea. He had heard all those things from other people. To find out the truth, he needed to go there and see it for himself. However, Elixir School was holding the competition at the moment. Going there now would be exceedingly rude. Everybody was waiting for the competition to finish. ¡°Should we send someone now?¡± Emperor Zea asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Bandora values respect above anything else. We¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble if we offend her. ¡°And she¡¯s probably on our side. We shouldn¡¯t disturb her right now.¡± Emperor Shwa turned down Emperor Zea¡¯s suggestion. He also wanted to send people over there, but the alchemy competition was taking place, and he didn¡¯t want to make things more complicated. Moreover, he would achieve the opposite effect if he offended Bandora. He would rather stay put. ¡°Although, we can send someone to Starwan Tower and ask for their opinion. After all, that surname is very unusual. Maybe we can achieve something this time!¡± Emperor Shwa and Emperor Zea nodded at each other. Apart from what they had talked about, there was also another person they needed to visit¡ªEmperor Tzi. They wanted to know his opinion. Meanwhile, Emperor Baih was already seeing Emperor Oogh. ¡­ In Stelladom Academy, the principal, several chiefs, and a few experienced teachers had gathered together. The principal cut to the chase. ¡°What do you think about the surname Soan?¡± They had all heard that the surname had been brought up again but hadn¡¯t figured out what to do. ¡°Maybe that person came from somewhere beyond our borders. We can just ignore the whole thing,¡± said one of the teachers. ¡°Once a Soan shows up, the rule will be broken! We can¡¯t overlook it!¡± somebody retorted. ¡°Are we going to go through the same thing again?¡± ¡°So what if we are? Someone wants to break the rule! Are you going to protect them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Things soon got out of hand. It was just like the last time when people couldn¡¯t stop arguing. The principal stomped his walking stick on the floor and cleared his throat. Everybody immediately quieted down. Being the head of Stelladome Academy, he could silence a crowd whenever he wanted. He only continued after the room fell silent. ¡°You can vote on whether to break the rule or not. ¡°As for the rest, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. ¡°You¡¯re all coming with me to Elixir School tomorrow,¡± the principal said slowly. Elixir School had invited them to attend the competition this year. It gave them an opportunity to observe this Soan up close. ¡°Alright, you can vote now. Are we going to break the rule or not?¡± The people in the room faced a choice. It might seem simple, but many lives would be affected. The lives of the Soans. If the rule were to be broken, nothing would happen to them. Otherwise, they would have to disappear from this world, or it would only be a matter of time before they broke the rule. Chapter 366 - Principal Eman Sket ¡°The Soans are ticking time bombs for this continent!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! They should never have existed!¡± ¡°To keep things in order, I think we should banish, lock up, or kill the Soans!¡± ¡°The Soans can¡¯t exist!¡± Several people offered similar opinions. The majority in the room agreed. Only a few people seemed hesitant. Principal Eman Sket frowned. ¡°I¡¯m only asking you to take a vote. If you have anything to say, just say it. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll take it as your acquiescence.¡± Those hesitating few looked at one another and didn¡¯t say anything in the end. Most people in Stelladom Academy agreed to eradicate the Soans. If they expressed different opinions, they would be going against the general trend. The relationships in Stelladom Academy were already complicated. If they expressed their true opinion, they would have a hard time afterward. Eman Sket sighed and seemed disappointed. ¡°Mr. Sket, what do you think?¡± one of the elderly teachers asked. They could express their opinions, but in the end, Eman was the one who made the call. The principal had veto power over all decisions. ¡°What do I think?¡± Eman smiled. No one could tell what he thought. ¡°We can let the Soans either live or die.¡± He left after that. The crowd was dumbfounded. They had no idea what Eman meant. That was a useless opinion. Either let live or die? Which was it? No one could figure it out. Starwan Tower. Emperor Shwa had already arrived. He wanted to send someone at first, but that wouldn¡¯t feel sincere enough. For an important matter like this, he felt he should come in person. ¡°Chief Nim, is Starwan Tower still going to remain neutral?¡± Emperor Shwa asked. ¡°Are you not? That¡¯s not very like you.¡± A voice came from behind a curtain. They spoke to each other through that curtain, and neither could see the other person¡¯s face. Ley Nim, the chief of Starwan Tower, had never been seen in public because he dealt with external affairs in person. Even if Emperor Shwa was here, Ley still remained behind the curtain. ¡°Chief Nim, do you think that¡¯s a wise decision? I think you already know many secrets of Stelladom. Don¡¯t you want to break some rules? ¡°Are you sure you want to hide here forever?¡± Emperor Shwa became excited and pointed at Ley. Although they couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s faces through the curtain, they could still see movements. Naturally, Ley saw what Emperor Shwa did. Emperor Shwa¡¯s words meant more than one thing. For one, he was referring to the fact that Ley had been staying behind the curtain all the time. For another, he meant everybody was hiding in Stelladom. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? If we want to hide out here, why should we go out? ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a big world outside, but we can pretend there¡¯s nothing there. Isn¡¯t that nice? ¡°The barrier has been there since I was born. Do you ever wonder why it¡¯s like that? Don¡¯t you ever speculate why the barrier exists? You don¡¯t know what we have to face if we break the barrier. In that case, why should we do it?¡± Those words felt like punches on Emperor Shwa¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t know the answer to those questions. No one in Stelladom did. That was why Emperor Shwa wanted to break some rules to see the world outside. The barrier felt like a prison! ¡°Chief Nim, it sounds like you¡¯re no longer neutral. You¡¯d rather defend the rules, don¡¯t you? I guess I shouldn¡¯t have come here!¡± Emperor Shwa sighed. He knew which side Ley was on. The chief didn¡¯t want to break the rules. Those questions had successfully stopped him from making further requests. In that case, he had no choice but to leave. Emperor Shwa heard a voice from behind him when he was almost out of the door. ¡°Adhering to old habits is a good thing, but breaking the rules isn¡¯t a bad thing either. The timing is wrong. Stelladom isn¡¯t strong enough, so we shouldn¡¯t touch the barrier.¡± That was obviously Ley¡¯s voice. The chief fell silent after that. Emperor Shwa paused for a brief moment before leaving the room. ¡­ The following day in Elixir School, the actual combat was about to start. Unlike the alchemy competition, the contestants were no longer competing together. They were separated into different groups. Virtualization cultivators were divided into 16 ten-member teams. Each team was led by an examiner. The examiners¡¯ task was to select three capable members from their respective teams, who would then compete with contestants from other teams. This selection would continue until there were only three contestants left. The finalists would compete against the guest contestants. That was the process of the annual competition. ¡°Alright. The ten of you can follow me now!¡± Firey smiled. She was in a great mood today because she was an examiner! However, no one followed her. Instead, they all stood there, looking dazed. ¡°Kid, are you our examiner? Are you sure you¡¯re up for it?¡± one of the ten contestants asked. ¡°Sister Cien has given me this token. If I¡¯m not up for it, are you?¡± Firey was displeased. She had the token, but these people were questioning her. Damn them! ¡°Sister Cien?¡± That person was confused. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± The others didn¡¯t recognize the name either. Chapter 367 - Principal Cien That was an unfamiliar name. Who was this ¡°Sister Cien¡± supposed to be? They were surprised to learn that the girl had gotten the job through her connections. They didn¡¯t know one could pull strings to become an examiner! ¡°Kid, I¡¯d return the token if I were you.¡± ¡°Do you know what an examiner does? It has to be someone who¡¯s capable enough to test our cultivation ability!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who that Sister Cien is, but she¡¯s very careless! How could she give you an examiner¡¯s token? That¡¯s so irresponsible!¡± ¡°I think we should report her to the principal and ask her to change our examiner!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a new examiner!¡± With someone taking the lead, the others agreed. Having this girl here was a joke! It was so ridiculous that ¡°Sister Cien¡± had given the token to such a girl. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Bandora arrived at that moment. Since Firey was Himmel Soan¡¯s daughter, she had kept an eye on the girl, fearing that something would go wrong. As expected, there was a problem even before the combat started. This was unacceptable. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we need to report to you about something,¡± said the contestants. Report to her? About what? Bandora frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about this girl. Somebody has sent her here as an examiner, and that¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ma¡¯am. This girl can barely take care of herself. How can she run an examination?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, she said a Sister Cien gave her the token. How irresponsible of her to give away a token like that!¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, please send us a new examiner! The battles are going to start soon!¡± Everybody was talking at the same time. Bandora couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Sister Cien and ¡°the girl¡±? ¡°Are you saying that ¡®Sister Cien¡¯ is irresponsible?¡± Everybody nodded. The next second, they sensed terrifying energy in the air, which was only aimed at those people. They realized it came from their principal. However, they didn¡¯t understand why this was happening. They only told the truth, which resulted in her wrath. They were completely at a loss. ¡°I made the decision to send Firey here! I¡¯m her ¡®Sister Cien¡¯! Do you think it was irresponsible of me to send a girl here?¡± Bandora snorted. The contestants shuddered. ¡°Sister Cien¡± was the principal! Yes, that was indeed her surname. They had just offended their principal! ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± ¡°Me, too! I take back my words! Ma¡¯am, please forgive me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The ten contestants all dropped to their knees. Bandora ignored them and walked straight to Firey¡¯s side. ¡°Firey, show them no mercy later.¡± ¡°Sure! I won¡¯t!¡± Firey grinned. Bandora turned around but still didn¡¯t look at the contestants. She chuckled as she walked away. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say how irresponsible ¡®Sister Cien¡¯ was? I¡¯ll show you how irresponsible she really is! ¡°You¡¯ll see why I chose the girl. The combat will start now. I¡¯ll be watching you.¡± She returned to Himmel Soan¡¯s side. Once Lan¡¯s name was revealed the day before, other forces all reacted to it. Bandora had anticipated this reaction. She wanted to use this chance to see how people reacted to the surname Soan. She had already received a lot of news. ¡°Mr. Soan, I think there¡¯s a connection between your surname and the barrier around the Stelladom continent,¡± said Bandora. ¡°According to them, a Soan is bound to break that barrier!¡± ¡°Some want to see that happen, while some don¡¯t. Last time, most decided they didn¡¯t want to, so the Soans disappeared. Mr. Soan, what do you think?¡± Bandora told Himmel Soan everything she knew. Himmel Soan gave it a thought and asked, ¡°Which do you think is better, keeping the barrier or breaking it?¡± What? Her opinion? Bandora didn¡¯t expect to hear a question instead. But she already had an answer. ¡°I think I¡¯ve made my attitude clear when I announced Lan¡¯s surname. Mr. Soan, it¡¯s up to you whether we should keep the barrier. ¡°I¡¯ll choose what you choose. Either way, I can¡¯t predict what will happen, so I decided to give that right to you.¡± Bandora was on Himmel Soan¡¯s side now, and so was Elixir School. Himmel Soan fell silent. He knew he was on a planet and that Stelladom was trapped by a barrier. He had recovered 20% of his strength and had made some faint connection with the law of this world. He could break the barrier when he recovered 25%. However, there was something he couldn¡¯t understand. Why was a Soan going to break the barrier and not anybody else? The Soans didn¡¯t reach the Emperor stage so many years ago, so where did that conclusion come from? ¡°I see, but I don¡¯t know if I should break the barrier. If breaking it can help Stelladom, I¡¯ll do it. ¡°But if it¡¯ll harm Stelladom, I can let it be. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. I still need to find out the truth about the surname Soan!¡± said Himmel Soan. Chapter 368 - Fireys Test Tests were taking place on the other stages. The rules and procedures were all determined by the examiners of each team. Firey¡¯s team was no exception. ¡°The ten of you will come at me together. The three people that remain standing till the end will be the winners!¡± Firey waved at the contestants. She was a bit grumpy. Just moments ago, these people treated her like an ordinary girl and even questioned her ability to be an examiner! How could she not be angry? Therefore, she decided to show them what she was capable of. ¡°All of us? Kiddo¡ªI mean, Miss, are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Young lady, we know you¡¯re sent by the principal, but I think doing that is against the rules.¡± ¡°Plus, how are we going to decide which three are the winners?¡± ¡°The ten of us together are equivalent to a Contemplation cultivator. I don¡¯t think you can handle that!¡± None of the contestants wanted to follow the instructions. They were already confused by the fact that Firey was their examiner. How could a girl be suitable for that position? They never believed it. If Bandora hadn¡¯t come, they would still keep calling Firey a kid. Nonetheless, even with the principal¡¯s endorsement, they found the whole thing ridiculous. Firey then gave them an incredible instruction, telling them to come at her all at once. How could they do that? What if they injured her? The principal would blame them! What if she was a Soan, too? The contestants were dumbfounded. They almost forgot they were in Elixir School. ¡°You¡¯re such a wuss! ¡°I¡¯m your examiner now. You¡¯ll follow my rules!¡± Firey then activated her energy. She was a peak Contemplation cultivator! ¡°You have ten seconds to react. After that, I¡¯ll attack. ¡°Ten! ¡°Nine! ¡°Eight!¡± Only then did the contestants realize how capable their young examiner was. There was no time for them to think about it. They need to prepare for battle. ¡°Two! ¡°One!¡± As soon as the countdown was over, Firey shifted to one side to dodge an incoming attack. She then vanished and reappeared behind one of the contestants. ¡°That¡¯s for calling me a kid!¡± Bang! She kicked the man to the ground. The impact resulted in a big hole in the ground. The next second, she disappeared again. Another man was kicked to the ground, adding one more hole. Boom! Bang! Loud noises kept ringing out. Even other examiners were intrigued by the noise. Some people forgot they were still conducting an exam and looked in Firey¡¯s direction. It was more like a one-sided slaughter than an examination. It was terrifying! The contestants in other teams were so glad they weren¡¯t in Firey¡¯s team. Otherwise, they would be in those holes now. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry! Please stop!¡± ¡°We give up! Please don¡¯t hit us!¡± ¡°Not my face! Don¡¯t hit my face!¡± ¡°Miss Firey, I won¡¯t say those things anymore!¡± The contestants¡¯ faces were bruised and swollen as they begged in tears. If they had known how fierce the examiner was, they would never have said any of those things. They ended up like this because of their loose tongue. They had it coming. ¡°The exam isn¡¯t over yet. There¡¯s no need to rush. The rule says I need to select three winners. You¡¯re all so full of energy, and it¡¯s hard for me to choose!¡± Firey sighed with a frown. Hard to choose? Of course, it was! Other teams held one-on-one battles, and the contestants were ranked according to their performance. Firey just beat up everybody. How would she know who the winners were? ¡°Miss Firey, we give up! We waive our right!¡± the contestants shouted. ¡°No, you can¡¯t give up during an exam. Would you do this when you¡¯re fighting off enemies? Begging won¡¯t save you! You can only run! ¡°You run, or you fight! Run for your life or fight till you die!¡± Firey proclaimed loudly. She wanted to let the contestants know that surrendering wasn¡¯t an option. Hearing this, the contestants started running. They couldn¡¯t fight, so running away was the only option. Firey wouldn¡¯t let them get away though. She caught all of them without breaking a sweat and kicked them around again. The cat-and-mouse game lasted for an hour before the contestants stopped struggling. They were always caught, and the beating that followed was even more severe. No one wanted to run now. ¡°You, you, and you, step forward. The three of you are the winners. That¡¯s it.¡± She swaggered away after announcing the results. The other teams also selected their winners, but none of them used Firey¡¯s method. Bandora was watching Firey¡¯s examination as well. ¡°What do you think?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°She¡¯s a little short-tempered, but she knows what she¡¯s doing. ¡°It seems she¡¯s been beating them up, but she never hit any fatal spots and even cleared some blockages in their energy channels. The three people she selected are indeed the most capable on her team. ¡°She might seem rough, but she¡¯s actually very observant.¡± Bandora gave her analysis. She could tell that if Firey really wanted to punish those people, they would be half-dead after a few punches. Instead, they were still running and hopping around. Firey returned in a cheerful mood. She took great pleasure in kicking those people around and was skipping when she came back to Himmel Soan¡¯s side. ¡°Master, I did well, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, good job! Bandora has been saying good things about you, too!¡± Chapter 369 - Not from Stelladom ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m rough but observant? I¡¯m not rough. Sister Cien, my skin is so smooth! I¡¯m not rough at all!¡± Firey pouted and complained to Bandora. Bandora and Himmel Soan chuckled. The three of them started chatting in a happy atmosphere. After a while, Bandora suddenly became serious. ¡°The entire Stelladom knows about the surname Soan now. We¡¯re holding the competition at the moment. Tomorrow, Emperor Baih and the others will be here with their people. ¡°Mr. Soan, what do you think?¡± Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Since they¡¯re here to see me, I have no reason to avoid them. I have nothing to hide! ¡°Moreover, I want to know more about my surname, which gives me even more reason to meet them.¡± Bandora nodded. She was one of the junior Emperor cultivators and still had much blank space to fill. However, she could tell Himmel Soan was beyond the Emperor stage, or she wouldn¡¯t have been so polite to him. The more time she spent with him, the more mysterious she found him to be. Himmel Soan sounded like he wasn¡¯t afraid of anybody, no matter who would come the next day. ¡°Alright, Mr. Soan. I see. We do have an emperor here now. Would you like to meet him?¡± Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t surprised. Bandora had probably mentioned the surname Soan to remind him, but he never cared much about the eight emperors. He wouldn¡¯t meet them if he hadn¡¯t recovered enough strength. But now, he was confident in beating them. With 20% of his strength restored, he could handle all the emperors. ¡°Of course. Which emperor is it?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Emperor Shwa. Not all the eight emperors or the members of Stelladom Academy agreed to eradicate the Soans. ¡°Last time when it happened, many people chose to remain neutral and never said anything to intervene. This time, Emperor Shwa was explicit about breaking the rules! ¡°I think he¡¯s here because he plans to help you in some way so that you can break the rules without complications,¡± Bandora explained to Himmel Soan. ¡°Where is he now?¡± If Emperor Shwa was already here, they might as well meet in person. Bandora led him away, followed by Firey. The competition could run on its own, which was why she could leave it. Before long, they arrived at the room Emperor Shwa was in. ¡°Uncle Shwa, Mr. Soan is here,¡± said Bandora. Emperor Shwa immediately opened the door. He fell silent when he saw the ordinary-looking young man. Was he really the Soan? He was just an ordinary man! Emperor Shwa had planned out what to say when he opened the door, but upon seeing how ordinary the other party seemed, he couldn¡¯t speak a word. ¡°Uncle Shwa, this is Mr. Soan!¡± Bandora frowned and repeated. This time, she raised her voice, and there was a sense of urgency in her tone. ¡°I see! Mr. Soan, I¡¯ve heard so much about you!¡± As one of the eight emperors, Emperor Shwa had met his fair share of people. He reacted quickly to an unexpected situation like this. Although he didn¡¯t understand why Himmel Soan was just an ordinary man, he couldn¡¯t forget his manners. Moreover, with Bandora here, he couldn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°There¡¯s no need for small talk. Emperor Shwa, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. I have nothing to hide,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. He was perfectly calm. Judging by this demeanor, Emperor Shwa immediately realized Himmel Soan was anything but ordinary. No ordinary man could stay so calm when an emperor was around! That would be highly unusual. However, he couldn¡¯t tell how capable Himmel Soan was. The young man had to be either an ordinary man or someone even more capable than an emperor, which was why he couldn¡¯t figure him out. ¡°Mr. Soan, that¡¯s very straightforward of you. I¡¯ll cut to the chase, then. I assume you¡¯ve heard about the ban on your surname here in Stelladom.¡± He looked at Himmel Soan, trying to read the emotions on the latter¡¯s face. There weren¡¯t any. Himmel Soan¡¯s calm face didn¡¯t betray anything. ¡°What¡¯s the relationship between my surname and Stelladom? This world is a planet, but why do people think it¡¯s only a continent? What secrets are hidden here?¡± To stop Emperor Shwa from making further small talks, Himmel Soan asked his questions first. He was very straightforward with the information he wanted to know. If Emperor Shwa would like to answer, he would love to hear them. Otherwise, he wasn¡¯t going to waste his time either. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you suggesting you aren¡¯t a native of Stelladom? It means you came from somewhere else. Mr. Soan, I¡¯d like some explanations. ¡°If your explanation doesn¡¯t satisfy me, I¡¯ll have to regard you as an abnormality!¡± Emperor Shwa didn¡¯t answer the questions but picked up something in his questions. They revealed how little Himmel Soan knew about Stelladom. That alone was proof enough that he didn¡¯t belong here. However, he couldn¡¯t make any decision yet because the most important thing was Himmel Soan¡¯s answers. It was an important question. If Himmel Soan really wasn¡¯t a native of Stelladom, he would join Emperor Baih. If he wasn¡¯t one of the natives, he must have had different goals! Emperor Shwa would never let an outsider break the barrier and the rules. Chapter 370 - Gina Zimmer, Emperor Zimmer ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m not a native of Stelladom. I¡¯m not from this planet either. I¡¯m just an honest, ordinary man.¡± Himmel Soan never changed his attitude, his tone remaining indifferent. ¡°You¡¯re not from Stelladom or this planet. Where are you from, then?¡± Emperor Shwa was alarmed. ¡°I only came to this planet for one thing: I¡¯m looking for a person. If you can provide me with some information on that, I can tell you a lot of things. If you don¡¯t know anything or choose to conceal it from me, then I have nothing to say.¡± Himmel Soan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had been thinking about these things ever since he arrived in this world. One thing that had bothered him for five hundred years was Gina¡¯s whereabouts. Emperor Shwa sighed. ¡°Mr. Soan, please go on. I¡¯ll see how I can help you. ¡°But don¡¯t put much hope on it. There are so many people in Stelladom, so I may not know the person you¡¯re looking for. ¡°Moreover, I do hope you can tell me the whole truth. After all, you¡¯re a Soan.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. The person he was looking for couldn¡¯t have stayed anonymous. Gina Zimmer was an immortal like him and was only slightly less capable, not to mention she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Someone like her couldn¡¯t stay unnoticed. Moreover, Emperor Shwa was one of the eight emperors. If even he didn¡¯t know about her, no one on his planet, or at least in Stelladom, could have information on Gina. ¡°Emperor Shwa, the person I¡¯m looking for is called Gina Zimmer.¡± Emperor Shwa was astonished. The person Himmel Soan was looking for was Emperor Zimmer of the Zimmer family! Gina Zimmer was her name! ¡°Is it a man or a woman you¡¯re looking for? Can you give me some descriptions?¡± Emperor Shwa asked hesitantly. He must know something! Himmel Soan got excited. There was news on Gina! Emperor Shwa¡¯s question meant he must know someone called Gina Zimmer. Still, he had to confirm it. ¡°She¡¯s stunning.¡± That was how Himmel Soan remembered Gina. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Emperor Shwa felt dizzy, and his mouth went dry. Himmel Soan¡¯s reply sounded like something he would hear in a dream. ¡°Yes, Gina Zimmer used to be Emperor Zimmer. I think it¡¯s quite certain. She was like a sister to me.¡± Emperor Shwa was also touched by the old memories. It was all in the past now. Himmel Soan was thrilled by the news. He rushed to Emperor Shwa¡¯s side and grabbed his hand, asking eagerly, ¡°Where did Gina go?¡± Emperor Shwa frowned. Himmel Soan grabbed him so hard that it hurt his arm. At first, he thought the other party was just an ordinary man. As it turned out, he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. He wanted to pull back his hand but failed. Who was this guy? ¡°Where¡¯s Gina? Where did she go? Where?¡± Himmel Soan pressed when Emperor Shwa didn¡¯t give him an answer. ¡°Gina is missing¡­¡± Emperor Shwa sighed and told him what had happened. ¡°Gina appeared out of nowhere many years ago. No one was her match, and she soon became one of the eight emperors. ¡°Thy Baih gradually gained power and reached the Emperor stage. However, there were only eight emperors in Stelladom, so he had to take out an existing one to replace their spot. ¡°He declared war against Gina. They fought for three days and three nights. Thy was exhausted and was ready to surrender and go into hiding. However, Gina suddenly disappeared¡­¡± Thy Baih? An Emperor cultivator with the surname Baih. He had to be the current Emperor Baih! Himmel Soan was hesitant to go to the Baih family before, but it seemed that he had to pay the man a visit. Emperor Baih was connected to Gina. Maybe he had something to do with her disappearance! He had gone all the way to come here from Earth to look for Gina but was told that she had disappeared again. ¡°Gina, where are you? Why is this happening to me?!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s face was distorted. He was crying and laughing at the same time as if he had lost his mind. Anyone that had gone through what he had would react in the same way. Thump! Thump! Thump! Waves of powerful energy spread out from Himmel Soan. His heartbeat sounded like thunderclaps. Even the sky was shaking. Pfff¡­ The pressure made Emperor Shwa and Bandora both spit out a mouthful of blood. They couldn¡¯t withstand it. ¡°Sister Cien, you and this man should leave,¡± said Firey. ¡°Mr. Soan has lost control. We¡¯re capable enough to stay here. If you get closer, the energy will tear you to pieces!¡± Bandora wanted to take Firey away with them. Emperor Shwa finally knew how ridiculous he had been. An ordinary man? Him? That energy was terrifying! He was at the Emperor stage, but Himmel Soan¡¯s aura alone had made him spit out blood. How would Emperor Oogh and Emperor Tzi compare to this Himmel Soan? No one knew unless they fought. ¡°You can go. I¡¯ll take it from here. Evacuate Elixir School for the time being. We don¡¯t want the energy to injure any students.¡± Firey was usually a noisy and lively girl, but she was calm as a cucumber at the critical moment, no longer looking like a young girl. She was a mature woman. Chapter 371 - Emperor Tzi Versus Mr. Soan ¡°Mr. Soan has lost control. Staying here will only be putting yourself in danger!¡± Emperor Shwa said. From the burst of energy, he could tell how terrifying Himmel Soan¡¯s power was. He never expected to see this type of reaction from him after receiving news about Gina Zimmer. Himmel Soan was so scary once he lost control! ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Just leave. If I weren¡¯t here, my master would probably have lost all his rationale. I don¡¯t have anything else to add.¡± Firey was very persistent. If her master remained in this unrestrained state, something terrible would happen. She had experienced it on Earth before. If she hadn¡¯t been around, Earth would have been covered by snow and turned into a giant snowball. What was happening now was both the same and different from the previous time. Before, he had some control, but he was a different person now. If they let Himmel Soan out, he would become a savage killing machine. ¡°Alright, Firey. Be careful.¡± Bandora followed Firey¡¯s advice this time. The girl had made it very plain. If they still wouldn¡¯t leave, they would be asking for trouble. If Firey had a solution, it would be the greatest news. After leaving the room, Bandora started evacuating Elixir School. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are we leaving the school all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Are we moving to a new campus?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The principal wouldn¡¯t keep something like that from us.¡± ¡°Who knows? I sensed a burst of energy just then, and I had difficulty breathing for a while. Can it have something to do with the evacuation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I felt the same thing!¡± ¡°Has some treasure been found in our school? Was that where the energy burst came from?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s very possible! Why else would they ask us to leave?¡± All the students were talking about it. It happened so suddenly! The competition was just over, but the principal was already asking them to leave. Everybody was confused by the timing and the instructions. ¡°Please don¡¯t get agitated! If we can solve the issue, it would be like nothing has happened. All I can tell you is that it¡¯s an emergency, not the discovery of some treasure. We¡¯re going through a crisis that can go wrong at any moment,¡± said Bandora. However, her speech achieved very little. The crowd was convinced that some treasure had been discovered and wouldn¡¯t believe her. Emperor Shwa sighed and explained it again. He said the same thing, but it was much more effective. Emperor Shwa and Bandora were both Emperor-stage cultivators. Even if there was some treasure, it would belong to them. With the two of them on the scene, no one dared have other thoughts. ¡°Miss Cien, what do you know about Mr. Soan?¡± Emperor Shwa asked Bandora. ¡°I never ask Mr. Soan unnecessary things. The less I know, the safer it is for me!¡± Bandora chuckled. ¡°Is that girl really the essence of nature?¡± ¡°What do you want from her? You¡¯ve crossed the line!¡± Bandora was furious. If he wanted to take Firey away, she would fight with him right now. Having spent some time together, Bandora treated Firey like a little sister. She doted on the girl. She had forgotten about her being the essence of nature until Emperor Shwa brought it up. The essence of nature could be absorbed by cultivators in any form. Firey was already a peak Contemplation cultivator, which meant an emperor could probably reach a new stage if they absorbed her. What a temptation! ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t do anything to her. Mr. Soan will kill me!¡± Emperor Shwa recalled the terrifying aura earlier. With that deterrence, he wouldn¡¯t dare try anything. ¡°Good. If you did that, I¡¯ll kill you even if Mr. Soan wouldn¡¯t! After meeting Mr. Soan, what do you think?¡± Bandora asked. Emperor Shwa wanted to use this opportunity to find out what he wanted. Should they break the barrier or not? He had finally made up his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can stop Mr. Soan. So I choose to follow him, and I¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Soan decides to do!¡± Pfff¡­ Bandora burst into laughter. That was what she thought as well, and she had never shared it with anybody. However, Emperor Shwa said almost the same thing. They were on the same page. ¡°What do Emperor Zea and Emperor Tzi think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think Emperor Zea will make the same choice after I talk to her. But I don¡¯t know about Emperor Tzi. No one knows what¡¯s going on in his head. Although I¡¯ve met him before, I can¡¯t figure him out.¡± Emperor Shwa sighed. It was so hard to live in a time like this! Bandora rubbed her chin and got lost in her thoughts. A moment later, she asked, ¡°Who is harder to figure out, Mr. Soan or Emperor Tzi?¡± Emperor Shwa answered without hesitation, ¡°Emperor Tzi. ¡°Mr. Soan is very straightforward. His cultivation level is the only thing we can¡¯t figure out.¡± Bandora nodded. Chapter 372 - : Out of Control Emperor Shwa didn¡¯t know what Himmel Soan was going to do, but he did not know he wasn¡¯t the other party¡¯s match. Himmel Soan felt far more capable than Emperor Tzi. But no one knew exactly how much. Unless they fought, no one could tell which of them was more powerful. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should worry too much. With Mr. Soan¡¯s capability, even if he breaks the rules, no one can stop him. I don¡¯t think Emperor Oogh and Emperor Baih have that ability either. Our concerns are unnecessary.¡± Emperor Shwa smiled in resignation. At first, he thought this Soan was a Hinayana cultivator and wanted to protect the man. To his surprise, the young man was even stronger than him. Although he was young, he had reached the Emperor stage and could be even more capable than that. With that ability, even Emperor Oogh wouldn¡¯t be able to hinder this man. Therefore, Emperor Shwa turned his attention to the barrier. If Himmel Soan wanted to, he could destroy the barrier in no time. But would that be a good thing? Emperor Shwa would hate to see Himmel Soan getting killed by Emperor Oogh for a ridiculous cause. That would be such a shame. What if that cause was worth it? If that were the case, Himmel Soan would be the key to breaking the barrier. However, would that benefit Stelladom? Emperor Shwa had been trying to protect Himmel Soan, but he hesitated now. ¡°Uncle Shwa, you¡¯ve said it already. We¡¯ll let Mr. Soan do his thing and won¡¯t interfere. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Bandora looked at Emperor Shwa, sensing his hesitation. Although she addressed him as ¡°Uncle Shwa,¡± it didn¡¯t mean she was particularly close to him. They might get along well now, but everything could change overnight in the cultivation world. Good friends today might turn into enemies tomorrow. Nothing was permanent. Bandora¡¯s trust in Himmel Soan started with Lan. After he told her about his surname, she trusted him with all her heart. Himmel Soan was impeccable in his alchemy ability, cultivation achievements, and personal qualities. If Bandora weren¡¯t an Emperor cultivator, she would have become his pupil. However, she had to maintain her image, so that wasn¡¯t an option anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± Emperor Shwa said ambiguously. He didn¡¯t agree with Bandora, but he didn¡¯t refuse either. He was playing the fence sitter, waiting to see which side would emerge victorious. ¡°I hope so.¡± Bandora didn¡¯t say anything else. All emperors had their own opinions. They wouldn¡¯t start a war just because they didn¡¯t agree with one another. Disagreements happened all the time, but they wouldn¡¯t lead to severe consequences. If a conversation didn¡¯t go smoothly, they would simply remain silent. ¡­ In the room, Firey wrapped her arms around Himmel Soan just like last time. Himmel Soan had said Gina Zimmer was his life. When she went missing, he felt he was no longer a living person. After meeting Firey, he felt alive once more. Therefore, she knew she had to calm him down. ¡°Master, I know you¡¯re upset. Your wife has been missing for so many years, and you¡¯ve been searching for her. Now that we¡¯ve finally found some information about your wife, how can you lose hope? ¡°Yes, she¡¯s still missing, but at least we¡¯re onto something! ¡°Losing hope won¡¯t help us find her!¡± Firey held Himmel Soan from behind and kept saying comforting words. She knew if she kept talking, she would wake him up. She was right. After much persuasion, the pressure in the air decreased. However, the intimidating sensation was still there. Seeing that it was working, Firey said, ¡°Master, I¡¯m here with you. We can look for your wife together. We¡¯ll find her eventually! ¡°Even if she has passed away, we can still find her grave. She¡¯s so capable, so she can¡¯t vanish without a trace! ¡°There must be a reason behind her disappearance! ¡°Just like you said, you saw your wife when we went through the portal, and now we find out more about her. There¡¯s no need to be so sad. ¡°This is a big world. She must have gone somewhere else. ¡°Didn¡¯t Emperor Shwa say Emperor Baih had harmed her? You have to avenge her!¡± ¡°¡­¡± As she spoke, the terrifying energy became less intense until it completely disappeared. Himmel Soan woke up. He remembered what had happened and even knew about the evacuation of the school. He lost all hope just then, which was why he lost control. However, he knew he couldn¡¯t give up. Firey was right. This was a big world, and he had learned something about Gina. He couldn¡¯t lose hope now. He also needed to take care of Emperor Baih. That man! He already hit a nerve when he tried to take Firey away, and now, Himmel Soan just learned that he had something to do with Gina¡¯s disappearance. Himmel Soan smirked. There was a murderous look in his eyes. He hadn¡¯t felt this way for over ten thousand years. Emperor Baih would be punished! ¡°Firey, tell Emperor Shwa and Miss Cien to come in. I need to talk to them,¡± said Himmel Soan. Firey was glad to see him back to normal. Having her master around was the happiest thing for her. ¡°Sure!¡± She nodded excitedly. Outside, Bandora and Emperor Shwa also sensed the change. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people losing control like this before, but I don¡¯t know how he could recover so fast.¡± Emperor Shwa frowned in confusion. Bandora shook her head. She didn¡¯t know the answer either. Chapter 373 - Eman Sket They were still confused when Firey came out. They moved closer and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Soan doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. He was just a little overwhelmed, but he¡¯s much better now. He wants to talk to you now. Is that alright?¡± Firey spoke in an unhurried tone. She could be very mischievous when she wanted to, but she knew when to be serious. ¡°Of course, we want to talk to him!¡± Emperor Shwa nodded. He wanted to know what Himmel Soan was like right now. Why did he suddenly lose control? How did he snap out of it? How capable was he, and where did he come from? Those were all the questions he wanted to ask. Bandora also wanted to see Himmel Soan. This was her territory, and he was the man she admired. Now that he was back to normal, she had no reason not to see him. There was no question about it. Firey led them to Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, are you alright?¡± Bandora asked. ¡°I¡¯m right here. If you think I¡¯m not alright, then I¡¯m not. If you think I¡¯m fine, then I¡¯m fine.¡± Himmel Soan smiled. He had lost control for a while, but he was back to normal. It was as if nothing had happened. They all pretended it was that way. ¡°Let¡¯s pick up from where we left. It¡¯s about Gina. You said Gina and Emperor Baih fought for three days. What was that about? Why did that war happen? Is the Zimmer family connected to the Soans?¡± Himmel Soan asked directly. He didn¡¯t expect Emperor Shwa to answer all of the questions. Though that would save him a lot of trouble. If he couldn¡¯t get all the information, Himmel Soan would find the answer on his own. Emperor Shwa thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. After all, it didn¡¯t concern him, and telling Himmel Soan would earn the man¡¯s trust. Why wouldn¡¯t he do Himmel Soan a favor? However, he was interrupted by a voice. ¡°Miss Cien, we are visitors from Stelladom Academy.¡± Eman Sket¡¯s voice resonated in the air. What¡­ Bandora was embarrassed. She was talking to Mr. Soan, and it would be rude to leave him to greet the visitors. However, ignoring those people would also be considered rude. It was such a dilemma. Stelladom Academy and Himmel Soan. She had to make a choice. Emperor Shwa also felt awkward because he didn¡¯t know if he should say anything now. Nobody spoke for a while. Himmel Soan was the only one who could break the ice. ¡°Miss Cien, why don¡¯t you invite your visitors here? We can all discuss it together. I think Stelladom Academy has a lot of information,¡± Himmel Soan offered a solution. He was glad to have Stelladom Academy here because it would give him a better understanding of things. Maybe they knew things that the eight emperors didn¡¯t know. Moreover, only Emperor Shwa was here. One emperor wasn¡¯t equivalent to all eight of them. He would love to chat with the people from Stelladom Academy. ¡°Mr. Soan, Stelladom Academy isn¡¯t neutral. They supported the idea of eradicating the Soans. Are you sure you want them here?¡± Bandora hesitated before explaining to Himmel Soan. Since she was on his side, she wanted to do things that would help him. Stelladom Academy was against Himmel Soan, so she had to warn him. ¡°Stelladom Academy wants to eradicate the Soans, you say? That¡¯s even better, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m right here. If they want to destroy me, they can try. ¡°I¡¯ll also have a chance to ask for an explanation.¡± Himmel Soan had already made up his mind. He was just explaining it to Bandora, which would save him a lot of trouble. She no longer tried to talk him out of it. Himmel Soan was determined, so there was nothing she could do. Moreover, with his ability, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid of anything. ¡°As long as you want it, Mr. Soan. Uncle Shwa, would you like to greet the visitors with me?¡± Bandora asked. ¡°Mr. Sket is here, so of course, I¡¯ll greet him in person.¡± Although Emperor Shwa wasn¡¯t a member of the school, the visitor was also an Emperor-stage cultivator. He had no reason to stay in the room and wait. They left the room together. ¡°Mr. Sket, sorry for making you wait.¡± Bandora smiled. ¡°No, I only just got here.¡± Eman smiled and looked at Emperor Shwa. ¡°I see Emperor Shwa got here before me.¡± Emperor Shwa chuckled. ¡°I was bored, so I decided to come here to watch the competition.¡± ¡°Is that so? I was bored at home, too. I guess I should have come earlier.¡± They all laughed, but none of them sounded sincere. They all had a hidden agenda. ¡°Mr. Sket, please follow me. We were just talking about the competition when you arrived. This is great. We can all discuss it together.¡± Bandora led the way. Eman nodded. He also wanted to sit down and have a chat. Bandora arranged for someone else to guide the teacher and students of the academy to their rooms. After reaching Himmel¡¯s room, she didn¡¯t push the door open but knocked on it. Eman was perplexed. Bandora was the principal of Elixir School. Why did she need to knock on the door before entering a room? Was there somebody inside? Who could it be? Chapter 374 - Stealing Energy Eman was confused, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He was experienced enough to keep his thoughts to himself. The door was going to open, and Bandora wouldn¡¯t offer an explanation. If he wanted to know something, he would depend on his eyes and other senses. Other people might tell the truth or lie. Who could tell? Even if he knew someone was lying, he would still be affected by it. He only trusted what he saw. That was Eman¡¯s belief. ¡°Come in,¡± said a calm voice. It sounded rather young. The youthfulness and the calmness blended perfectly. Who could this man be? Eman was perplexed. Closing his eyes, he searched his memory but couldn¡¯t find anyone with such a special voice. Some people¡¯s voices were similar to this one, but they couldn¡¯t possibly show up here. Bandora had to knock on the door first before going in. Only a handful of people could make her do that. The man had to be as respectable as Bandora, if not more. Bandora was an Emperor cultivator. Apart from Emperor Oogh and Emperor Tzi, Eman couldn¡¯t think of anyone that could make her show such reverence. However, that was definitely not those two emperors¡¯ voices. That was why Eman was so confused. All those thoughts flashed in his mind in a split second. Creak¡­ The sound of the door opening woke Eman up from his reveries. He found a young man dressed in white. An ordinary man? Eman frowned. Not only didn¡¯t he recognize the man, but he also seemed so normal. There wasn¡¯t a hint of spiritual essence in him. ¡°Mr. Soan, this is Eman Sket, the principal of Stelladom Academy,¡± said Bandora. ¡°Hello, Mr. Sket.¡± Himmel Soan nodded with a smile. Mr. Soan? Soan? Eman frowned. So, this was the person they had been talking about. How could he be an ordinary man? Moreover, Bandora seemed to respect him a lot. Eman couldn¡¯t understand it. But he wasn¡¯t going to offend Himmel Soan when he greeted him with a smile. Eman also wanted to get to know Himmel Soan and the Soan family better. ¡°Hello, Mr. Soan. I¡¯ve heard so much about you!¡± Eman smiled. He meant it. It was unexpected to see how young Himmel Soan was. In his mind, he was a mature or even elderly man. However, this ordinary-looking man was so young. What a surprise! ¡°Mr. Sket, I think we can skip the small talk. Please take a seat, and let¡¯s get down to business,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t like beating around the bush. He wanted information on Gina and the surname Soan, so he got straight to the point. He wanted information, but he didn¡¯t want to seem too eager. As an immortal, he knew how it worked. If the other side knew how desperate he was, they would take advantage of it or even blackmail him. Desperation wouldn¡¯t get him anywhere. It was the same case with what was happening now. Eman sat down as requested. He wanted to figure out the current situation, who Himmel Soan was, and the attitudes of Bandora and Emperor Shwa. He would only find out about those things when they started talking. ¡°Mr. Sket, I¡¯ll be straightforward. I¡¯m not from Stelladom or this planet. I haven¡¯t been here long, so I still have a lot of questions. Mr. Sket, if you know the answers, please let me know.¡± Himmel Soan started off by disclosing his identity. Eman frowned. Not from Stelladom? He wasn¡¯t even from this planet? Who was this man? Alarmed, Eman asked tentatively, ¡°In that case, how did you come here to Stelladom?¡± ¡°It was an accident. Time and space got tangled. I didn¡¯t come here on purpose,¡± said Himmel Soan. But he didn¡¯t go into details. He knew no matter what he said, if someone didn¡¯t want to believe him, they still wouldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t think he needed to tell these people too much, either. He had said enough. ¡°Time and space?¡± Eman was surprised. ¡°The law of time and space is the most complicated one. You said time and space got tangled. Do you know the relevant skills?¡± Eman asked another question. No matter how closely he observed, this young man still seemed so ordinary. How could he know the law of time and space? But Himmel Soan sounded so sincere that he didn¡¯t seem to be joking. What¡­ Was he hiding his power? After all, Himmel Soan said he wasn¡¯t from Stelladom. It was understandable that he knew skills people here didn¡¯t know about. ¡°I do, but I can¡¯t use it here. The law of nature here isn¡¯t compatible with me. To use the law of time and space, I need to find the divine order of things and make connections with it. ¡°I need to use its power. But it¡¯s obviously trying to avoid me and working against me,¡± said Himmel Soan. He also made a wild guess. Maybe all the Soans felt the same way, which was why they were eradicated. The Soans had to subdue the divine order of things if they wanted to gain some power. Eman chuckled when he heard this. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would discover it. You¡¯re more capable than I thought. Since you already have questions about the Soans, I think I should give you a direct answer. ¡°It¡¯s just as you said. The Soans wanted to steal the power of the divine order of things. The more they absorbed it, the weaker the barrier would become until it broke. ¡°That was why they were eradicated!¡± Chapter 375 - Furious Firey Bandora and Emperor Shwa were both shocked. They had never heard about this before. Although they knew the Soans would break the barrier, they didn¡¯t know how. They only learned it today. When the divine order of things lost its power, the barrier would weaken. Once it disappeared, would the divine order of things disappear, too? If that were the case, how would they cultivate in the future? Why would the Soans do that? ¡°Did you kill all the Soans?¡± Himmel Soan frowned. He didn¡¯t know if the Soans were related to him. If not, he didn¡¯t want to get involved. By the looks of it, they were related. Everything happened for a reason. He was also a Soan, and he had the same sensation as those people. Therefore, they were probably in it together. Himmel Soan looked at Eman. Eman said, ¡°So what if that¡¯s true? That was all in the past, and there¡¯s no point in investigating it now. ¡°I¡¯m more curious about you. You¡¯re also a Soan. Since what happened last time, you¡¯re the first person that has publicly stated that surname. All eyes are on you.¡± Eman looked at him with something vicious in his gaze. However, Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t affected at all and remained as calm as usual. ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± Himmel Soan chuckled and tilted his head. ¡°Do you want to kill me?¡± Eman closed his eyes. He hesitated, wondering what to do with him. He couldn¡¯t see through the young man¡¯s cultivation level. Everything about him was unknown. The less he knew, the more reluctant he was. He pondered in silence. ¡°Let¡¯s say you manage to kill me. What will that achieve? Is the disappearance of the Soans a good thing for Stelladom? What do you know about this barrier? Why do you have to defend it? ¡°Even if you make me go away, more Soans will show up in the future. What are you going to do then? Are you going to kill them, too? You¡¯re only curing the symptoms, not the disease! Without understanding anything, you¡¯ve slaughtered the Soans. How ignorant!¡± Himmel Soan said coldly. Although he hadn¡¯t figured out the whole thing, he knew the surname Soan must have something to do with him. Maybe the barrier was the same. Why else would it be against him? It couldn¡¯t be because of his surname. ¡°We don¡¯t know why the barrier exists, but we¡¯ve been fine for thousands of years. If we can live comfortably within the barrier, why should we break it? ¡°Therefore, the Soans had to disappear from Stelladom. As long as we¡¯re around, we don¡¯t need the Soans!¡± Eman opened his eyes and gave Himmel Soan a stern look. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped. Bang! Firey smacked the table and jumped to her feet. Pointing at Eman, she bellowed, ¡°You old fool! Who do you think you are? I¡¯m a Soan! If you want to eradicate the Soans, you can start with me!¡± Flames immediately wrapped around her. She was furious as she glared at Eman. She knew she wasn¡¯t the old man¡¯s match, yet she was still angry. Why should the Soans be eradicated? She couldn¡¯t stand it! ¡°The essence of nature? How interesting! I didn¡¯t know you had such a treasure!¡± Eman didn¡¯t notice the girl until then. As soon as Firey activated her energy, he figured out what she was. She was the heart of the volcano! There was greed in Eman¡¯s eyes. Extinguishing Firey¡¯s flames with a wave of his hand, he said to her, ¡°Nice fire, but you¡¯re still too weak. You¡¯re a treasure, so you should be treated as one. You shouldn¡¯t have emotions.¡± Pffft¡­ Before he could go on, Eman felt something sweet in his throat. He spat out a mouthful of blood. Together with the blood was his vital energy. There was vital energy inside everybody. The more powerful it was, the stronger a man would be. But it was a mysterious thing. No one knew where it was stored. It seemed to exist in all internal organs, but they couldn¡¯t be found there either. It was both everywhere and nowhere. However, Ekan had just spat out some vital essence. After that, he seemed ten years older. ¡°What happened?¡± Eman asked weakly. His raging murderous intention was replaced by fear. He couldn¡¯t stop trembling because all of this was so strange! He had a feeling that it was caused by what he had said to Firey. ¡°Mr. Sket, you need to choose your words carefully. There are things you can¡¯t say even if that¡¯s what you think!¡± Bandora¡¯s tone became cold. There was a murderous look in her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to kill him but was only warning him. Although Bandora and Emperor Shwa were surprised, they knew why Eman spat blood. It had to be Mr. Soan¡¯s doing! They didn¡¯t know he was so capable. He didn¡¯t move or say a word, but the other party spat blood. His cultivation level was beyond their imagination. Maybe Himmel Soan was warning them, too! ¡°Chief Cien is right.¡± Eman chuckled. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but he had his suspicions. Bandora was the chief of Elixir School, and her alchemy skills were unmatched. She must know how to make poisonous pills. Eman thought maybe he had been poisoned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your poisonous pills were so effective! What a surprise!¡± Bandora ignored Eman. She didn¡¯t care what Eman thought! Chapter 376 - Eight Emperors ¡°Enough with the nonsense. Let¡¯s get back to our discussion,¡± Himmel Soan said coldly before turning to Firey. All of a sudden, an affectionate look took over his face, and he said gently, ¡°Everything¡¯s alright now.¡± He then rubbed Firey¡¯s head. She threw herself into his arms and wouldn¡¯t say another word. She could understand him without exchanging a word. Eman Sket had insulted her, and her master stood up for her. What more was there to say? She felt much better now. After a long while, Firey released herself from Himmel Soan¡¯s arms and sat down next to him, still holding his hands. ¡°Eman, that was just a warning. Try that again, and I¡¯ll have your head on a plate.¡± The indifferent look returned to Himmel Soan¡¯s face. His gentleness was reserved for the girl only. A warning? Eman felt his mouth dry, and he couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He spat blood because of this young man! How was that possible? That young man didn¡¯t say anything or even move a finger. However, he didn¡¯t dare test him. If that were true, he would be in a lot of trouble. ¡°If you still want to eradicate the Soans, feel free to come to me. I¡¯m ready for your challenge at any time. ¡°Firey is the heart of the volcano, but she¡¯s also my daughter. Don¡¯t try anything, or you¡¯ll have me to answer to! ¡°Now that we¡¯ve gotten that out of the way, I want to ask you about Emperor Baih and Gina. What do you know?¡± Himmel Soan gave Eman a chance to speak. But things were so complicated that the man didn¡¯t know where to begin. Was this young guy an ordinary person or an extremely capable master? The essence of nature? What about Emperor Zimmer? With all those questions, Eman felt overwhelmed. He felt everything had tangled together like a ball of wire. To figure things out, he needed to clear them out one at a time. Himmel Soan was definitely a powerful master, but he still didn¡¯t know the young man¡¯s exact cultivation level. Eman still saw Firey as a treasure. As for Emperor Zimmer¡­ Did she have something to do with Himmel Soan? The answer was obviously yes, but he didn¡¯t know their precise relationship. ¡°Will it make a difference if I don¡¯t give you an answer?¡± Eman asked. ¡°If you want to tell me, then go ahead. If not, I won¡¯t force you. I won¡¯t pretend I didn¡¯t notice your enmity toward me. I normally don¡¯t mind such things, but I do now because the Soans you killed may be related to me. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯re enemies. How long do you think you¡¯re going to live if you don¡¯t answer my questions?¡± Himmel Soan was relentless, which was very unlike his usual self. Eman met his eyes. His gaze was so cold and fierce that the man looked like a god. He wouldn¡¯t let anyone defy him. However, Eman had just offended him. ¡°Mr. Soan, I didn¡¯t kill the Soans. We only destroyed their cultivation ability and banished them to the edge of the barrier. ¡°We don¡¯t know where they are now. Maybe they¡¯re dead, or maybe they¡¯ve found new opportunities outside the barrier. ¡°But we really didn¡¯t kill them.¡± Eman explained what had happened. They had arrested all the Soans, wasted their cultivation, and banished them to the edge of the continent. He didn¡¯t know what had happened after that. It was very likely that they were all dead. ¡°Do you call that ¡®you didn¡¯t kill them¡¯? ¡°They were banished to the edge of the continent without any cultivation ability. You¡¯re all Emperor cultivators. Do you dare to go that close to the barrier? What do you think will happen to them? ¡°You¡¯ve killed them, alright! ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Now tell me about Gina.¡± Himmel Soan smirked. After doing such atrocities, these people still wanted to pretend they were innocent. He didn¡¯t agree with what Eman said, but Gina was still his top priority. Anything else could wait. ¡°Emperor Zimmer? She disappeared after the three-day battle against Thy. How would I know where she is?¡± Eman shook his head. He didn¡¯t think much of Himmel Soan¡¯s threat. He believed he didn¡¯t kill the Soans. If Himmel Soan wanted to take revenge, people like Emperor Oogh would intervene, and so would the divine order of things in Stelladom! Therefore, Eman wasn¡¯t concerned. ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t forget about the Soans. Firey and the Soans are my reverse scale. I¡¯ll kill anybody who tries to harm them! ¡°Gina is my cultivation partner and the most important person to me. Why did Thy Baih attack her?¡± Himmel Soan asked sternly. Emperor Shwa answered before Eman could say anything. ¡°We can only have eight emperors. There can¡¯t be a ninth. ¡°However, there are a lot more Emperor-stage cultivators, but only one of the eight emperors is considered the real deal. ¡°The eight emperors can use some of the power from the divine order of things and be blessed by it. Once all the eight slots are filled, one has to get rid of an existing emperor to become one.¡± Emperor Shwa explained what it meant to be one of the eight emperors. The other people in the room knew it, too, but Emperor Shwa could explain it better. That was why Emperor Baih targeted Gina. In that case, Himmel Soan had to pay that man a visit. No one knew when or where Gina had disappeared. Maybe Emperor Baih did. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve asked all the questions I want to ask. I¡¯m going to meet this Emperor Baih now. He has invited me to his place, and it¡¯s about time. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± Himmel Soan left with Firey. The other three people sat awkwardly in the room. Everything felt weird. Emperor Shwa broke the ice. ¡°Mr. Sket, what do you think?¡± He knew Eman wanted to get rid of Himmel Soan. But after the meeting, maybe he had changed his mind. Chapter 377 - Frost ¡°I don¡¯t think I can even if I want to. ¡°I thought only the eight emperors would handle the Soans. I don¡¯t have anything against the Soans as long as they don¡¯t break the barrier. ¡°If Himmel Soan insists on opening it, the entire Stelladom Academy will stand up against him. We¡¯re willing to die for it!¡± Eman sighed and showed his attitude. His resolve hadn¡¯t changed. Bandora and Emperor Shwa weren¡¯t surprised. They had anticipated this. ¡°We don¡¯t know if breaking the barrier is a good thing. Since you¡¯ve made up his mind, we¡¯ll respect your choice,¡± said Bandora. They were all natives of Stelladom, and they were content that Eman wasn¡¯t after Mr. Soan anymore. Though even if Eman wanted to, he didn¡¯t have the ability to do anything to Himmel Soan. The blood he spat out had proved it. Therefore, Bandora wasn¡¯t concerned. She knew Mr. Soan would solve all problems. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll bid my farewell. My students will stay here. I¡¯ll have someone pick them up after the competition. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Eman left. He needed to take care of two things. First of all, he had to inform Emperor Oogh about Himmel Soan. As for what they would do after that, he wasn¡¯t concerned. The other thing was to get back to Stelladom Academy as soon as possible. For a moment, Himmel Soan wanted to kill him, and he spat out blood as a result. He didn¡¯t want to die yet. ¡­ The real competition was about to begin. The Elixir School students had finished fighting against one another. They would now compete against contestants from outside. Himmel Soan paid no attention to the games. He needed to decide when to go to the Baih family. He had to put it on hold when he hadn¡¯t recovered enough strength, but now, he wasn¡¯t afraid of anybody in Stelladom, including Emperor Tzi, the most mysterious one of the eight emperors. ¡°Master, let¡¯s take a walk outside.¡± Firey tugged at Himmel Soan¡¯s sleeve. She wanted to help him relax. Himmel Soan knew what she was up to, but he didn¡¯t say it aloud. He only rubbed her head and said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s take a walk.¡± They strolled around the campus. At this late hour, everything was quiet, and there was hardly anybody around. It was rather boring. ¡°Master, let¡¯s catch some essence fish and roast it. I haven¡¯t had it for a long time!¡± Firey was bored, but an idea soon hit her. She was craving some essence fish. Himmel Soan smiled in resignation. The walk seemed to have become something else. But he didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it. Firey only tried to get him out of the room earlier, but she was actually enjoying herself now. The truth was: Himmel Soan did feel much better. They headed for the river. ¡°There¡¯s someone sitting by the waterfall!¡± Firey spotted a person. A full moon was in the sky above the waterfall. The water glistened in the silver moonlight. The woman next to the waterfall was in a white dress and seemed to blend into the surrounding scenery. Himmel Soan immediately recognized her. It was Frost. She was born with freezing energy. Hence, she had this cold personality that made her unapproachable. She didn¡¯t know what to make of this characteristic. ¡°Shall we have a look?¡± asked Himmel Soan. Firey hesitated. She had met Frost before and didn¡¯t really like the girl. She was the heart of the volcano and had the natural heat about her. Frost was the polar opposite of her. The two girls were incompatible. Therefore, Firey didn¡¯t want to go near Frost. ¡°You can stay here and fish. I¡¯ll talk to her. Maybe there¡¯s a similarity between the two of you,¡± said Himmel Soan. He had been intrigued by Frost ever since he heard her story. Maybe he could learn something about the barrier from her. Gina was still missing, so he needed to look for her somewhere else. It meant he had to go beyond the barrier, maybe breaking it in the process. He needed to find Gina in other parts of this world. Because of that, he needed to get to know Frost. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you!¡± Firey hesitated at first but still decided to go with him. He took her hand and walked toward Frost. He slowed down when he was five meters away from the girl. ¡°Miss Frost, is there something on your mind? You¡¯re sitting here alone at such a late hour,¡± Himmel Soan said mildly. ¡°Mr. Soan?¡± Frost¡¯s voice was as cold as ever. She was filled with guilt when she saw him. She had talked to him in such a cold voice that she felt she had offended him. However, Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t angry, even answering her question. It was still bothering her. When other people understood and showed sympathy toward her unconcerned attitude, she would feel quite guilty. It was the case with Himmel Soan. She wanted to apologize but couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. She didn¡¯t know how to face him. She didn¡¯t need to do anything because her attitude had already revealed her emotions. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. My daughter, Firey, is with me, too. Didn¡¯t you want to know who was in the tower earlier? You¡¯re looking at her right now,¡± Himmel Soan introduced Firey to Frost. Firey felt so awkward that she remained silent. Frost didn¡¯t want to say anything, but she couldn¡¯t control her personality. ¡°I see. So what?¡± Her voice was still cold. Chapter 378 - Frosts New Master She regretted it as soon as she said those words. She tried to stop, but she couldn¡¯t control it! ¡°I know what you mean and how your personality affects your tone.¡± Himmel Soan put a hand on Frost¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Soan!¡± Frost blurted out her apology before she knew it. She didn¡¯t realize she was apologizing to him. Subconsciously, she thought she was using the cold voice again, not recognizing what she had said. ¡°I know how sorry you feel. There¡¯s no need to apologize. You talk like that because of your natural endowment, and that¡¯s also why you have this attitude. You don¡¯t mean to sound like that, so you don¡¯t need to apologize to me.¡± Himmel Soan smiled and retrieved his hand. His hand had become much more rigid. When he put his hand on Frost¡¯s shoulder, he temporarily suppressed the freezing energy inside her. As a result, his hand was almost frozen. ¡°I still feel sorry. But I can¡¯t apologize! I hate myself like this!¡± Frost burst into tears. She had accumulated these emotions for so many years. Firey was perplexed. What was going on? ¡°Because of her natural energy, she has held back those words for so many years but could never say them aloud. I suppressed her energy so that she could vent her feelings. If she keeps holding back like that, she won¡¯t last much longer,¡± Himmel Soan said solemnly. He only found it out when he suppressed the energy. It stopped Frost from expressing herself. She could only speak in that indifferent voice, but it wasn¡¯t her intention. However, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it, and it became her biggest concern. Today, she was finally able to give voice to her emotions. ¡°What happened to me?¡± Frost finally calmed down. She had been lost in her emotions and didn¡¯t hear what Himmel Soan said. Now that she had calmed down, she didn¡¯t know what had happened or why she was like this. ¡°I¡¯ve temporarily suppressed your energy, so you can say whatever you want now. It¡¯s not indefinite. The effect will disappear after tonight. Before that, you won¡¯t be affected by the freezing energy though,¡± Himmel Soan explained. Tears welled up in Frost¡¯s eyes. She wanted to kneel, but Himmel Soan stopped her. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan! Although it¡¯s only for one night, I still cherish it. After so many years, I can finally speak my mind! ¡°Mr. Soan, if you want anything, just say it! Thank you!¡± Frost was so excited that she almost wanted to give herself to Himmel Soan. But she knew he would never accept her in that way, so she gave up on that idea. ¡°Do you know the Freezing Land?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He wished Frost knew about it. If that were the case, maybe he would know what to do with the barrier. However, it wasn¡¯t that easy. ¡°I don¡¯t, but images of the Freezing Land keep popping up in my mind. The principal found me when I was very little. I don¡¯t remember anything from that time. ¡°But those images seem so real that I almost feel like I¡¯ve been there before,¡± said Frost. She didn¡¯t try to hide anything, nor did she need to. Himmel Soan had done her a great favor. She wasn¡¯t going to keep such little things from him. She didn¡¯t know if it was a dream or her real memory though. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re bits and pieces from your memory. You could be a capable master in your previous life and were reincarnated for some reason. Some unknown reason might have put you in your current condition. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future because it¡¯ll depend on your memory.¡± After some consideration, Himmel Soan offered his opinion. He had gone through many reincarnations and had gotten used to things like this. That was why he suggested the possibility, but it was just one of the possibilities. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, but I am and always will be Frost. I don¡¯t know who I used to be, but from now on, I am me!¡± Frost said earnestly. Himmel Soan nodded and didn¡¯t disagree with her, but he didn¡¯t agree with her either. Who knew what would happen in the future? ¡°Mr. Soan, will I return to my past self after tonight?¡± Frost seemed scared. She was finally able to speak her mind, but after tonight, she would go back to what she was before. The idea scared her. She didn¡¯t want to be the old self. ¡°Yes. The effect of that freezing energy will be with you until you reach the Emperor stage. You¡¯re only at the Virtualization stage now, but with your talent, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take you long to get there. ¡°If you really are the reincarnation of a master, you¡¯ll be making rapid progress,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t know Frost well. Suppressing her energy for one night was already a big favor. If he kept on doing it, it would have a negative effect on her abilities. Since Frost seemed to be doing fine, he wouldn¡¯t try to intervene. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan! ¡°Mr. Soan, I sincerely want to become your pupil!¡± Frost dropped to her knees. Himmel Soan said indifferently, ¡°Give me a reason.¡± He did want to recruit a new disciple, but if she really was the reincarnation of a past master, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to become her master. However, he would feel sorry for messing up an opportunity like this. Therefore, he needed a reason. Chapter 379 - Going to the Baih Family He needed a reason to persuade himself and Frost. If she couldn¡¯t give any reason, he would have to let her go. However, he wasn¡¯t going to change his mind. Since he had asked Frost to give him a reason, she had to give him a reason. It was either that or nothing. ¡°I was born with a unique condition, and it makes me very talented in cultivation. ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re a competent man, and you understand what I¡¯m going through. I¡¯m so grateful that you can suppress my condition for one night. ¡°Moreover, I feel familiar with your surname, which is why I want to become your pupil.¡± Frost quickly gave her answer. She knew she couldn¡¯t think for too long, or she would seem to be prevaricating. The sooner she answered, the more sincere she would seem. Himmel Soan nodded and asked another question, ¡°If I become your master and you find out you really are the reincarnation of a master, what will you do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll always be my master!¡± ¡°What if your memory from the previous life comes back, and it affects or wipes out the memory of this life?¡± Before she could answer, Himmel Soan added, ¡°Your condition is already affecting your personality. What I suggested may have even more severe effects.¡± Frost didn¡¯t know what to say. He was right. If that happened, the current Frost would be as good as dead. ¡°If I¡¯m not affected, you¡¯ll always be my master. But if I am, you can think of me as dead!¡± It was the perfect answer but not for Himmel Soan. Affected or not, once her memory came back, her attitude would change unless the memory from the previous life was wiped off. But he would accept her answer. ¡°Lan is your senior sister. From now on, you¡¯ll be Frost Soan. If you have any questions, you can ask her. ¡°You¡¯ll be back to your old self tomorrow. In that case, you¡¯ll be making your own decisions. You don¡¯t have to meet her. ¡°I¡¯m leaving soon, so you¡¯ll need to inform Bandora.¡± Leaving? Frost was surprised. She had just become his pupil, and he was already leaving. What was that about? Still, she couldn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Alright.¡± Frost nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t taught you any skills because I believe you know what¡¯s the most suitable for you, and you¡¯ll find it in your memory. ¡°Practicing the skills in your memory will be much more efficient. I won¡¯t teach you anything. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m leaving with Firey now.¡± Himmel Soan left with Firey. He wanted to come back sometime, but Elixir School wasn¡¯t his home, and he didn¡¯t think it was appropriate for him to extend his stay. Moreover, it was time to look for Gina Zimmer. The first stop would be the Baih family. ¡°Master¡­¡± Frost wanted to say something, but Himmel Soan and Firey were already gone. They were nowhere to be seen. It was too late to say anything. They left as suddenly as they came. The following day, no one in the school knew Himmel Soan had left, nor did they have the right to know. Frost knocked on the door to the principal¡¯s room. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Come in. ¡°Frost, why are you here?¡± Bandora was curious and wondered if she was dreaming. Frost had always been an unapproachable person. Bandora couldn¡¯t believe that the girl would come to her voluntarily. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m Frost Soan now. Himmel Soan is my master. I came here because my master asked me to. He left last night and told me to inform you. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Frost told Bandora in her cold voice. Bandora found her tone much more familiar. That was what she had expected. Although, when did she take a new master? If Himmel Soan left the night before, did she become his pupil before that? Bandora soon figured it out. It had to be the previous night. ¡°Did Mr. Soan tell you anything else? Did he say where he was going or why he had to leave? Why didn¡¯t he tell me beforehand?¡± Bandora was perplexed. She thought Himmel Soan would let her know before he left He was capable enough to go anywhere, but she was still confused. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that, aren¡¯t I?¡± Frost said coldly. Bandora¡¯s face darkened. Kind of¡­ She knew what Frost meant, but her tone still sounded unpleasant. ¡°Alright, I see.¡± Bandora waved at Frost and dismissed her. She paced around the room after Frost left. ¡°Mr. Soan shouldn¡¯t have left without saying goodbye. At least he should express his intention to leave. Did he leave so suddenly because he didn¡¯t want to attract any attention? ¡°But he¡¯s so famous now. He¡¯ll be the center of attention wherever he goes. If he had to leave, maybe it was because he was going to the Baih family!¡± Emperor Baih! Mr. Soan had made up his mind so soon. They only talked about Emperor Baih the day before, and he left that very night. He really wanted to make Thy Baih pay. However, would he really kill Thy? If Emperor Baih died, the Baih family would be in a crisis, and there would be an opening for the eight emperors. Would Mr. Soan fill in that slot? ¡°Forget it! It¡¯s so confusing!¡± The whole thing gave Bandora a headache, so she decided to drop it. Once Emperor Baih was dead, all the forces against Mr. Soan would come forth. Bandora would have a difficult decision to make. Whatever! She would decide when she had to. The Baih Manor. Holding Firey¡¯s hand, Himmel Soan stood outside the front gate. He knocked on the door. Someone soon came out to ask who he was and why he was there. ¡°Tell Thy Baih that the guest he has been waiting for is here. ¡°Get ready to greet me,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. ¡°How dare you address Emperor Baih by his name?!¡± The person who opened the door was furious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me calling him Thy?¡± Chapter 380 - Luton Baih ¡°You¡¯ve addressed Emperor Baih by his name. Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done?!¡± The man glared at Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t charged into the house, and he felt he was being polite enough. There was a conflict between Thy and Gina. No matter what the reason was, he would always take Gina¡¯s side. It also meant he considered Thy an enemy. Gina disappeared after the battle against Thy, so he probably had something to do with it. Himmel Soan had shown enough courtesy by standing here. ¡°I¡¯m only asking you to inform Thy. I¡¯m going in, regardless of your or Thy¡¯s reaction. If you keep standing in my way, I won¡¯t be so nice!¡± There was something terrifying in Himmel Soan¡¯s indifferent voice. The man trembled and didn¡¯t dare say another word. Stopping a man like him would get him killed. He didn¡¯t know why Himmel Soan was here, but he knew he was an important figure. He thought, If he really is Emperor Baih¡¯s guest, the emperor won¡¯t do anything if he kills me for offending him! The big shots were all moody people. The man didn¡¯t dare take the risk. Getting no answer from him, Himmel Soan walked past him. A voice resonated in the air when he opened the door. ¡°How dare you break into the Baih manor?!¡± A figure appeared in the sky. ¡°What are you doing up there? Come down!¡± Himmel Soan ordered. The man frowned. He was displeased with the intruder¡¯s tone. He was about to say something when he felt that his spiritual essence was suppressed. He lost his power and fell from the sky. Bang! He smashed into the ground. Many people in the house gathered around. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Young Master Luton? What¡¯s going on? Is someone invading the Baih family¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°Shhh! We shouldn¡¯t get involved in Young Master Luton¡¯s affairs!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just stand around and watch!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! We¡¯re part of the Baih family now, but we can be members of other families tomorrow! Have you forgotten your old surname?¡± ¡°Luton is Emperor Baih¡¯s son. He¡¯s getting his ass kicked, so it¡¯s Emperor Baih¡¯s job to avenge him, not ours. Understood?¡± Everybody was talking about the fight. It was such a humiliation for the Baih family. Who could be so bold? Although they were members of the Baih family now, just like one of them had said, they could be members of other families tomorrow. Their masters changed all the time. They had the surname Baih now, but they didn¡¯t identify with the family. That was why they only watched without doing anything. Yes, Luton had been humiliated, but what did it have anything to do with them? They didn¡¯t feel the need to intervene. Meanwhile, Luton was glaring at Himmel Soan. ¡°Who are you? How dare you barge into the Baih manor?!¡± Luton somehow found this man familiar. However, he was sure he had never seen him before. That feeling was immediately taken over by his rage. Even if this man was an old acquaintance, he had just become an enemy. Luton had been floating in the air, but this man made him fall to the ground, embarrassing him in front of the whole family. He couldn¡¯t swallow that shame. ¡°I¡¯m only here to see Thy Baih. Am I going to inform everybody I run into? Didn¡¯t he invite me to visit his house when we were in Baihin City? I¡¯m here now. Is this how you greet your guests?¡± Himmel Soan smirked. The temperature at the scene dropped. He was here to make trouble. Before he could find an opening, this fool jumped out and gave him a really good excuse. He no longer had any scruples! ¡°Wait!¡± Luton sensed the danger in the air. Shocked, he realized something had gone wrong and decided to stall. ¡°Did you say Baihin City? I remember it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I found your face familiar! I didn¡¯t know you were the gentleman from Baihin City. I apologize for my rudeness. This way, please.¡± Luton¡¯s attitude took a 180-degree turn. He seemed to have become a different person. Luton had never done this before! All the people around them were dumbfounded. Who was this man? How could he make Luton change his manners so drastically? Those who knew Luton sighed. That was a smile of treachery! ¡°Where¡¯s Thy?¡± Himmel Soan asked, ignoring Luton¡¯s new behavior. ¡°He went out, but I¡¯ll tell him to come back now.¡± Luton was still smiling when he gestured in a direction. ¡°Please follow me, Sir. I¡¯ll entertain you for now.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t say anything, but he didn¡¯t decline the offer either. ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡± Luton looked at Firey. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions you¡¯re not supposed to ask,¡± Himmel Soan said coldly. He knew the Baih family had attacked Gina, and that family was after Firey now. He was displeased. Having lived for so many years, most things wouldn¡¯t affect him. However, Firey meant so much to him. No one was allowed to plot against her. They shouldn¡¯t even think about it! Luton timidly lowered his head when he heard Himmel Soan¡¯s cold voice. He didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s exact cultivation level, but he knew Himmel Soan could kill him without breaking a sweat. ¡°Sir, I was only going to ask where the girl was going to stay. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± Luton feigned a scared voice. ¡°You¡¯d better not. Don¡¯t ask questions you shouldn¡¯t be asking!¡± Himmel Soan snorted again. Luton broke out in a cold sweat. He didn¡¯t dare say another word, but he was making plans to get rid of Himmel Soan. He had been humiliated in front of so many people and had to follow Himmel Soan¡¯s orders. He was Emperor Baih¡¯s son! If word got out, he could never face other people again! What would they think? What would his father think? At an angle no one could see, Luton grinned maliciously. Chapter 381 - Ivar the Black Panther When Luton raised his head, his expression looked perfectly normal. If one didn¡¯t know better, one would consider him a civilized man. Everybody had something on their minds. Luton led Himmel Soan into the manor and reached a luxurious courtyard. With a clap of his hands, over a dozen nice-looking female Golden Core cultivators came out with tea, fruit, and desserts. After setting everything down on the table, they stepped back, held their hands in front of them, and humbly bowed their heads. ¡°Sir, please wait here while I send a message to my father, telling him you¡¯ve arrived.¡± Luton left with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they would have so much delicious food here!¡± Firey was practically drooling over the desserts. ¡°Emperor Baih is one of the eight emperors. Of course, he would have nice food around the house.¡± Himmel Soan smiled and rubbed Firey¡¯s head. Firey put a finger in her mouth and eagerly eyed Himmel Soan. ¡°Master, can I have some desserts?¡± In the past, she would have grabbed the food and stuffed it into her mouth without asking any questions. However, she knew she had to be careful here in the Baih manor. If she could ask Himmel Soan, she would never make decisions on her own. ¡°Go ahead. Take whatever you want.¡± Himmel Soan gestured at the table with a swiping motion. He could tell that Luton had poisoned the desserts. He was immune to all toxins, but Firey wasn¡¯t. He had been wondering if Firey would reach for the desserts, not expecting her to ask him beforehand. She had learned so much! The swiping motion he made just then removed all the toxins in the desserts. They were harmless now. ¡°Great!¡± Firey was relieved. She realized what Himmel Soan had done and was glad she asked for permission. If she had gone straight to the desserts, she would be in trouble now. Luckily, she was smarter than that. She sighed inwardly before turning to the food on the table. She wolfed down the fruit and desserts. Meanwhile, Luton was talking to someone outside. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve never killed a guest in the manor before!¡± ¡°You will from now on!¡± Luton snapped. He was Emperor Baih¡¯s son. Why wouldn¡¯t these secret guards follow his orders? Why were there so many questions? Did they even consider him their master? ¡°Sir, we won¡¯t take any actions without an order from the head of the family,¡± said the man in black. ¡°I¡¯m Thy Baih¡¯s son. When he¡¯s away, I¡¯m the head of the family. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Luton asked. He never liked Black Panther. He works for my father. Who¡¯s he to give me attitude? Luton was angry. Himmel Soan had humiliated him in front of everybody, and now, even a secret guard refused to follow his commands. It was time to ask his father to recruit some new assassins! ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t have a problem with that, but we only take orders from the head of the family. As for you, Sir, no matter what happens in the future, you¡¯re not qualified to give us orders now. ¡°Moreover, assassinating that man is too easy! Are you making fun of me?¡± Black Panther¡¯s tone was emotionless. He didn¡¯t try to please Luton just because he was Emperor Baih¡¯s son. The only person he obeyed was Emperor Baih. So what if Luton was Emperor Baih¡¯s son? Until Emperor Baih told the secret guards to follow Luton¡¯s orders, they would treat him just like any other family member. ¡°Black Panther! No, Ivar, are you sure about that? Don¡¯t you want to see your daughter and wife again? ¡°I hear your daughter is turning 16 next month. You do want her to live to see that day, don¡¯t you?¡± Luton smirked. His smile widened when he saw Ivar¡¯s reaction. He held the man¡¯s life in his hand and was telling him his struggle was futile. Ivar, the Black Panther, was dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t understand why Luton knew his name. His personal information became top secret when he joined the secret guards. Emperor Baih was the only one who had access to that information. He had promised the secret guards that their details were safe with him. They all believed their families wouldn¡¯t be harmed. Now that his name was revealed, Ivar felt his family was under Luton¡¯s control. Ivar couldn¡¯t figure out what had happened, but he wanted to rip Luton apart when he saw the look on his face. ¡°Luton, you brat!¡± Ivar ground his teeth. Blood was dripping to the floor. Ivar¡¯s fingernails had cut his own palms. He wanted to kill Luton, but he knew he couldn¡¯t lose his head. Luton had his family! ¡°In this world, only the merciless can rise to the top. I wouldn¡¯t be my father¡¯s son if I played nice. Ivar, I didn¡¯t want to do this, but you refuse to respect me. Do I have your attention now?¡± Luton laughed like a madman. He thought he was untouchable. Ivar was intimidated by Luton¡¯s demeanor. He knew Luton would do anything to get what he wanted, which made him the scariest type of person. ¡°Sir, I offended you earlier, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ivar finally gave in. His family was everything to him. He couldn¡¯t live without them. Luton was threatening him with his family, so he had to take a step back. ¡°I knew this would work. Just like I said earlier, kill the young man in white in that room. The girl can live!¡± Luton walked into the courtyard. He wanted to watch Himmel Soan die! Chapter 382 - Destroy the Baih Family He had no idea Himmel Soan had seen everything because he had covered the entire manor with his mental force. It was incredibly impolite to probe a cultivator with one¡¯s mental force. That was why Himmel Soan hardly ever used his mental force in Cloud City. Even when he had to activate it, he tried to avoid all the cultivators. He didn¡¯t feel the need to be restrained here in the Baih family. Right now, he could detect everything going on in the manor. For instance, he heard the entire conversation between Luton and Ivar. He hadn¡¯t taken action because he wanted to see what they would do. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve sent a message to my father. He asked me to entertain you first. He¡¯ll be back as soon as possible,¡± Luton smiled and said politely. ¡°Where is he? Cloud City is a big place, but I assume he can come back soon,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Yes, my father could come back immediately by using his power, but that¡¯s not allowed in Cloud City. Sir, I thought you knew that.¡± Luton made up an excuse. He knew Himmel Soan had appeared out of the blue. As a result, he wasn¡¯t familiar with Cloud City that well. Luton thought he could fool Himmel Soan with any story he made up. He wasn¡¯t lying, though. None of the eight emperors or any Emperor-stage cultivators could activate their power in Cloud City because it would lead to the death of a lot of low-level cultivators. That was why it was forbidden. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll wait here until Thy comes back. If he¡¯s not here in fifteen minutes, I¡¯ll have your head on a plate,¡± Himmel Soan said calmly. Luton froze. Was this man threatening him? Fifteen minutes? Who was he kidding? He could kill this man in half that time! ¡°Sir, that¡¯s a bold statement. I don¡¯t mind you disrespecting me, but you can¡¯t insult my family! ¡°You¡¯re on the Baih family¡¯s territory!¡± Bang! Luton pounded his fists on the table and jumped to his feet. He glared at Himmel Soan. ¡°Did you say the Baih family¡¯s territory? I think it should be the Zimmer family¡¯s.¡± Himmel Soan looked at Luton. There was nothing threatening about his expression, but Luton felt he had seen death. He swallowed and forced himself to calm down while staring at Himmel Soan. ¡°The Zimmer family is in the past! ¡°This is an era where only the toughest people can survive. Emperor Zimmer disappeared. The Zimmer family was weak! That was why it was destroyed!¡± Despite what he said, Luton was anxious. Where was Black Panther? Him pounding the table was the signal to attack. Yet that man was still nowhere to be seen! How was that possible? Luton was holding Black Panther¡¯s family hostage. There was no way the guy would defy his order. It didn¡¯t make sense. Black Panther couldn¡¯t have run off to rescue his family either because he didn¡¯t know where they were being held. Just where was he? ¡°Only the toughest can survive? You¡¯re absolutely right! ¡°I find the Baih family weak. So can I wipe you out now?¡± Himmel Soan smiled coldly. He couldn¡¯t forgive the Baih family. Luton frowned. It was obvious that he was enraged. The man was talking about destroying his family in front of him. It couldn¡¯t get more insulting than that! He had put up with the insults until now because he knew he would have his revenge. But his patience had run dry. ¡°Are you a leftover of the Zimmer family? Don¡¯t make me laugh! ¡°Did you just call my family weak? Why don¡¯t you try destroying us? ¡°Ivar, what are you waiting for? Do you want your family dead?¡± Luton shouted. Since Ivar didn¡¯t take the hint, he would make his request clearer. Ivar¡¯s family was his hostage now. He didn¡¯t think Ivar would defy his order. If Ivar still refused to do anything, he would kill his wife. After that, he would still have his daughter. However, nothing happened. Luton got no response. It made him uneasy. Had something happened to Ivar? Did the guy care about his family at all? Earlier, when they spoke in the courtyard, it was obvious that Ivar loved his family. Where was he? ¡°Before you wonder where he is, you should worry about yourself. ¡°Leftover of the Zimmer family? I can kill you a hundred times for saying that! ¡°Do you know why I still kept you alive?¡± Himmel Soan asked unhurriedly. He wanted nothing more than to kill this man. The murderous energy had filled the manor and was spilling over. Many cultivators in Cloud City sensed the energy. They turned in the direction of the manor. What was going on? In the restricted area in the Tzi family, a voice in a stone chamber said, ¡°Lasul, go to the Baih family to see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± a teenager cupped his fists and replied in a respectful tone. The place regained its peace. The teenager was already used to such arrangements. He grabbed his sword and headed for the Baih manor. Emperor Shwa, Emperor Oogh, and Emperor Zea also sent people there. So did Starwan Tower. Meanwhile, Emperor Baih was still with Emperor Uru. ¡°Something happened at my house! I must go now!¡± Thy looked in the direction of his home and frowned. He couldn¡¯t think of anyone who could burst out with that kind of killing intent, not to mention it was happening in his own home. Emperor Baih had a bad premonition. He hurried back home after saying goodbye to Emperor Uru. ¡­ The Baih Manor. Himmel Soan snorted. Luton spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Luton put a hand on his chest. He didn¡¯t understand why he spat blood. It had to have something to do with Himmel Soan! ¡°I told you already. I¡¯m going to destroy the Baih family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± Luton said stubbornly. He didn¡¯t believe Himmel Soan could do anything. He was Emperor Baih¡¯s son! Chapter 383 - Remove His Arm Kill the family of an emperor? That had to be the funniest thing in the world. Who was confident enough to say that? Who was this man kidding? Luton snorted. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t killed him yet, so he believed the other party had scruples. Luton was Emperor Baih¡¯s son. Killing him would make him the ultimate enemy of the family. Emperor Baih would never let the matter drop. Luton believed Himmel Soan was afraid of falling out with his father. He wasn¡¯t in any danger. One thing he hadn¡¯t figured out was Ivar. He was still racking his brain when he heard a childish voice. ¡°Master, it¡¯s done!¡± Firey appeared, dragging Ivar behind her. Did she kill Ivar? But Ivar was a peak Mahayana cultivator! How could this girl kill him? ¡°Is he alive?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Yes! I kept him alive!¡± Firey nodded. She seemed so harmless. Who could have thought she had caught Ivar alive? That was even harder than killing him. At Ivar¡¯s cultivation level, it was virtually impossible to capture him alive. How did that happen? Luton was utterly confused. The only explanation was the girl was already at the Emperor stage. But that was impossible! It defied common sense! Ivar scrambled to his feet, coughing violently. He was extremely cautious and wanted to run into the shadows as soon as he got up. But he failed. His abilities seemed to have been deactivated. He then remembered feeling the same way when he fought the girl. The difference was that he could use some of his power back then. It was as if somebody was suppressing him to hone the girl. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. If we wanted to kill you, you would have been long dead,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. ¡°Was that you?¡± Ivar asked. Himmel Soan knew what he meant and nodded. Ivar was surprised. His wild guess had turned out to be correct. It was hard to accept because Himmel Soan seemed so ordinary. However, being an assassin, Ivar could tell there was something extraordinary about this guy. He had no choice but to believe the man. ¡°You¡¯ve captured me, so I presume you want something from me. What do you need?¡± Ivar said calmly. Himmel Soan nodded. He liked smart men like Ivar. They were so easy to talk to. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a task. Remove one of his arms.¡± Himmel Soan pointed at Luton. Ivar frowned and hesitated. He tried to figure out why Himmel Soan kept him alive. With his ability, he could easily remove Luton¡¯s arm or kill him on his own. He didn¡¯t know why the man asked him to do it. Luton was holding his wife and daughter hostage. He was worried about how that would affect the situation. At that moment, Ivar felt the restraints on his power disappear. He was back to normal. He hadn¡¯t decided yet, but the man had already freed him. Wasn¡¯t he worried about getting attacked? On second thought, Ivar realized it was a ridiculous idea. The man could lift the confinement without leaving a trace, so of course, he wouldn¡¯t be worried. ¡°Alright.¡± Ivar approached Luton with hesitation. ¡°Ivar, how dare you?!¡± Luton glared at Ivar. He laughed at Himmel Soan¡¯s request at first. He was still holding Ivar¡¯s wife and daughter hostage. That man wouldn¡¯t dare touch him! What a ridiculous request! He believed Ivar would never dare betray him. If Ivar didn¡¯t care about his wife and daughter, his threat would never have worked in the first place. To his surprise, Ivar started walking toward him. ¡°Ivar, what are you doing? I still have your wife and daughter! ¡°Move any closer, and you¡¯ll never see them again! ¡°Ivar, what the hell are you doing? You¡¯re a member of the Baih family! Are you going to kill your master?¡± Luton panicked as Ivar moved closer. He didn¡¯t dare fight the man, so he had to crawl away. Ivar looked perfectly calm as he moved toward Luton. As an assassin, removing Luton¡¯s arm would be a piece of cake. It wouldn¡¯t take him more than a second. He could even do it without alarming Luton. However, he chose the most painful way that would take the longest time. He would use a knife. Before long, Luton was cornered. ¡°Ivar, don¡¯t do it! ¡°Leave me alone. I¡¯ll release your wife and daughter immediately!¡± Luton was crying uncontrollably. Losing an arm was worse than death. He brought up Ivar¡¯s wife and daughter because that was the only chip he had. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m moving so slowly?¡± Ivar asked. ¡°Why? You are doing it on purpose?¡± Luton suddenly became hopeful. ¡°You¡¯re stalling for time? You¡¯re the best assassin! I¡¯m going to release your wife and daughter! ¡°Ivar, get me out of here!¡± Luton reached out to Ivar, asking the man to help him get away. Ivar didn¡¯t move. He watched Luton with the same expression, showing no emotions. The next second, an arm appeared in his hand. It was Luton¡¯s. Luton was dumbfounded. He blinked and looked at his empty shoulder. Chapter 384 - Emperor Baih Returns ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­¡± Luton couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. One of his shoulders no longer had an arm attached, which was now in Ivar¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve walked so slowly because I was thinking about what would happen if I let you go. ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out now. I¡¯ll die! ¡°My death won¡¯t save my wife and daughter. Even if I attacked that man, you were still going to threaten me with their lives. ¡°Therefore, I chose to follow that man¡¯s order and cut off your arm. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s going to save my family, but you¡¯re going to lose an arm for sure!¡± Ivar threw Luton¡¯s arm on the ground as if it was garbage. Firey frowned and burned it to ash. She didn¡¯t like the sight of it. If she could, she would set fire to Luton, but Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t let her. ¡°Moreover, I want to torture you psychologically. I want you to feel fear and regret. You¡¯re never going to forget this day!¡± Ivar cut off Luton¡¯s remaining arm. He threw it on the ground again, while Firey burned to ash. Ivar snorted. He wished more than anything to kill Luton right now, but he didn¡¯t. The man had ordered him to cut Luton¡¯s arm only. He kicked Luton in the stomach before returning to Himmel Soan¡¯s side. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve completed your task,¡± said Ivar. ¡°Good job. I like smart men.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. What Ivar said was mostly for him. He was announcing his decision to Himmel Soan. Of course, Himmel Soan knew what he was after. Ivar wanted to protect his family. ¡°You can go to your wife and daughter now,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Ivar was thrilled. It was a pleasant surprise. When his power was suppressed, he thought he was going to die and never see his family again. This moment was so unexpected. Ivar was about to leave when he heard a cold voice. It wasn¡¯t loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap in his ears. ¡°Ivar, where are you going?¡± That was Thy! His voice arrived before he did. Bang! The front gate exploded into bits and pieces. Thy walked in, looking furious. He immediately noticed his son. Luton¡¯s eyes were blank. He was laughing with tears and saliva covering his face. He seemed to have lost his mind. ¡°Luton!¡± Thy was infuriated by his son¡¯s miserable condition. ¡°Ivar, look at what you¡¯ve done!¡± Thy bellowed. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t been here, his roar would have struck Ivar unconscious. ¡°Master¡­¡± Ivar said hesitantly. ¡°Am I still your master?¡± Thy laughed. His frantic laughter filled the air. A moment later, he stopped laughing and stared at Ivar. ¡°It seems you¡¯re a master of your own. Ivar, how dare you cut off my son¡¯s arms?!¡± Ivar frowned, not knowing what to say. He knew whatever he said, Emperor Baih wouldn¡¯t listen. Thy would only think he was looking for excuses. Ivar had no choice but to remain silent. He had accepted his destiny. ¡°Thy, I told him to cut off your son¡¯s arms,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. He interrupted Thy, dissipating the energy he gave off. Thy looked at Himmel Soan. ¡°Himmel Soan, I¡¯m impressed. But you won¡¯t live to see another sunrise!¡± Thy was overwhelmed by rage. He was determined to kill Himmel Soan. He threw his fist at his head, trying to punch him in the face. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t try to dodge the attack. ¡°Die!¡± Thy struck Himmel Soan, but something fell off. His punch seemed to have hit empty air. He missed his target! Turning around, he saw that Himmel Soan was still in the same spot, but the man was unscathed. How was that possible? Thy couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Although he didn¡¯t feel he hit anything, he was sure his fist went through Himmel Soan. Why didn¡¯t he seem injured at all? ¡°Did you think I would come here unprepared?¡± Himmel Soan asked calmly. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re prepared! So what?¡± Thy tried to strike Himmel Soan again. Nothing changed. He hit empty air again. This time, he got more cautious. He was an emperor, and he couldn¡¯t stand to be teased in this way. No one could. The next second, a dagger appeared in his hands. ¡°Himmel Soan, I don¡¯t care what kind of trick you¡¯re using! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Himmel Soan frowned. He could sense the divine order of things from the dagger. It was definitely an extraordinary weapon. He felt danger. Immediately, he moved to the other side of the courtyard. ¡°So now you¡¯re dodging. I thought you were going to stand there as before. Still, you can¡¯t run away from me!¡± Thy snorted. He thought Himmel Soan was only prolonging the moment before his death. He didn¡¯t use this dagger when he fought Gina because it could bring severe side effects. He hadn¡¯t used the dagger until now. This man had cut off Luton¡¯s arms. That was worse than killing him. In his rage, Thy took out the dagger. He was going to soak it in Himmel Soan¡¯s blood. ¡°You can¡¯t run away from me!¡± Himmel Soan suddenly heard Thy¡¯s voice behind him. The sense of crisis hit him again. He moved away from the spot and rose above the courtyard. However, Thy immediately showed up behind him. What happened? Himmel Soan frowned and was perplexed. Why could Thy follow him in an instant? Chapter 385 - Divine Dagger The current situation didn¡¯t allow Himmel Soan to think for long. He could only move as fast as he could. The two men started a chasing game. Wherever Himmel Soan went, Thy would immediately appear behind him. Luckily, Himmel Soan always dodged in time. If he moved any slower, Thy¡¯s dagger would have stabbed into his head. The dagger seems to contain the power of time and space. It has locked on me, which is why he can follow me wherever I go. That¡¯s quite similar to my teleportation ability. Himmel Soan analyzed the dagger while dodging the attacks. If he could figure out how the dagger worked, he could render it useless. Luckily, Thy wasn¡¯t as fast as him. Whenever Himmel Soan moved to a new spot, Thy would arrive with his dagger. However, he always had to pause for a second before striking out, but he was getting better with time. Himmel Soan tried to figure out how to disarm Thy. ¡­ Up on a tall building in the manor, Lasul stood on the roof. He was watching everything in silence. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Thy had such tricks. It won¡¯t be easy to get rid of him. That young man in white should be Himmel Soan. He seems so ordinary, but he¡¯s actually very capable. Thy has been trying to catch up with him. ¡°I think he has realized by now that running away like this is useless. What will he do?¡± Lasul murmured. He could see everything from such a long distance away. Not many people could do that. Of course, since Lasul was here, it meant all eight emperors had sent people here. They had all arrived. People from the eight emperors were standing on the roofs of various houses in the manor. They each had a roof of their own and kept their distance from one another. Everybody was here to see what the farce was about. They all sensed the existence of the others, but no one greeted one another. Their task was to see what was going on in the Baih family, not socialize. Moreover, they wouldn¡¯t know if the others were telling the truth. What if somebody was on a secret mission? Anything was possible. No one should be trusted. Therefore, they all kept to themselves. ¡­ In the courtyard, the two men¡¯s chasing game continued. Thy still followed Himmel Soan around. Five more times! Himmel Soan did some calculations. Thy was getting used to the sudden movements, and he was improving. He could now attack Himmel Soan almost right after the teleportation. In five times, he would stab him in the neck. Therefore, Himmel Soan would be safe for four more moves. The fifth time would be his downfall, but that wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him. Himmel Soan calculated in his head. Five teleportations? He wouldn¡¯t wait until the last move. In two moves, Himmel Soan was going to strike. One. Two! Himmel Soan activated his current full power. He recovered a third of the power of his peak state. ¡°Stop!¡± He swiped his palm downward like a knife. He then moved to Thy¡¯s side. ¡°You still don¡¯t know how to use it, so I¡¯m going to take it.¡± Himmel Soan kicked Thy away, and the dagger dropped to the ground. Thy landed over ten meters away. ¡°This is impossible! You¡¯re just a youngster! How could this happen?¡± Thy was dumbfounded. He was an emperor. How could this young man defeat him? It was such a hard blow on Thy¡¯s self-confidence. ¡°This weapon is connected to the law of nature. You¡¯re not using it the right way.¡± Himmel Soan picked up the dagger that Thy had dropped. As he waved it in the air, some strings suddenly appeared. The downward movement of his palm was to cut the stringing linking him to the dagger. That way, it became useless to him, and he struck Thy down without breaking a sweat. ¡°Pay attention. This is how you use the divine dagger.¡± Thy was shocked. How did Himmel Soan know it was a divine dagger? Moreover, he seemed to know how to use it. Himmel Soan walked to Thy¡¯s side and swiped the dagger across the air above his head. ¡°You¡¯re no longer Emperor Baih. There¡¯s no longer an Emperor Baih among the eight emperors!¡± Himmel Soan had cut a string representing the connection between Thy and the emperors. Everybody had strings attached to them. Thy was no exception. The strings represented relationships such as one¡¯s love life, career, life span, and kinship. Once a string was cut, the person would be forever severed from that aspect. One would die if the string representing their life was cut. However, using this dagger came at a price. If Thy had tried to cut Himmel Soan¡¯s life string, he would have been killed by the side effect first. More importantly, Thy didn¡¯t know how to use it properly. If he had known, he would have gotten himself killed already. ¡°I¡¯m not Emperor Baih anymore? Who is, then? You?¡± Thy wanted to laugh. If Himmel Soan could depose an emperor by waving his hand in the air, he could wipe out all the emperors just by a swipe of his hand! ¡°Why can¡¯t I be one?¡± Himmel Soan retorted. ¡°It takes more than empty words!¡± Thy was furious at first, but he calmed down soon. Himmel Soan played with the dagger and ignored Thy. It was as if the man didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Himmel Soan, how long do you think you¡¯ll live?¡± Thy ground his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, but I do know that you won¡¯t live for much longer.¡± Himmel Soan put the dagger away and spoke in an indifferent tone. With the power he had recovered, Thy wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. In fact, the guy had one foot in his grave, but Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t let Thy die before extracting information on Gina from him. ¡°Tell me about Gina Zimmer.¡± Chapter 386 - Emperor Soan Gina Zimmer? Thy searched his memory, and a face popped into his head. That beautiful woman! ¡°You know Gina Zimmer? I didn¡¯t expect to hear that!¡± Thy was intrigued. He realized he couldn¡¯t defeat Himmel Soan, but he could still make his life harder. Just as he was looking for an opportunity, Himmel handed it to him. Judging by Himmel Soan¡¯s tone, Thy knew this woman was special to him. ¡°Why do you care about Gina Zimmer? Is she very important to you? Do you want to know why she disappeared? Do you think I¡¯m going to tell you? ¡°You¡¯ll never know! I won¡¯t make it easy for you!¡± Thy made it clear that he wasn¡¯t afraid of Himmel Soan. Although he didn¡¯t understand why Himmel Soan was so capable, he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to surrender. ¡°Even if you won¡¯t open your mouth, I can still find the answer. It¡¯s going to be painful though. I didn¡¯t want to go that far, but you¡¯ve given me no choice.¡± Himmel Soan walked toward Thy. He had many ways to extract information from him. There were hundreds of methods to torture the man and dozens of ways to get the information out of Thy without torturing him. Those methods were essentially the same, extracting Thy¡¯s memory after his death. The answers could be found there. However, using this method would affect Himmel Soan¡¯s own brain. ¡°Painful? How painful?¡± Thy smirked. He couldn¡¯t think of anything that could make him give away the information. That wasn¡¯t going to happen! No one could get anything out of him! They would be dreaming, especially Himmel Soan! ¡°Everybody has a soul. Cultivators¡¯ souls are their weak spots. You¡¯re no exception. Thy, I¡¯m going to show you how it feels to have your soul interrogated!¡± Himmel Soan no longer held back and activated all his mental force. The entire Cloud City felt tremendous pressure. Everybody felt they were being watched by a giant eye from the sky. Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force attacked Thy¡¯s soul. ¡°That hurts!¡± Thy¡¯s face contorted either from his hatred for Himmel Soan or the pain. His face was too scary to watch. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t want to do this, but you left me no choice. Gina is my bottom line. If you still won¡¯t tell, I¡¯ll return your dead body to your family.¡± Himmel Soan took out the dagger. He attached a little mental force to it, and dozens of strings appeared. If Thy still wouldn¡¯t tell him, he would have to use the most forceful way: look directly into his memory. Thy screamed in pain before Himmel Soan infiltrated his mind. He no longer looked like an emperor. ¡°Ready to talk?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course! There¡¯s no need to go that far for such a small matter!¡± The pain was gone, but Thy was still trembling. He was scared and shaken to the core. The pain in his soul was much more unbearable than any physical pain. He didn¡¯t want to go through it again. If he kept resisting, he wouldn¡¯t make Himmel Soan¡¯s life harder but would only make his own life miserable. That Gina Zimmer wasn¡¯t even important! ¡°In that case, you have one minute. Why did you fight with Gina? Where did she go after the battle? Where did you see her last? ¡°What happened to the Zimmer family?¡± Himmel Soan only gave Thy one minute to answer all his questions. He had to be concise, and Thy had to tell the truth because telling lies would take longer. ¡°I competed for her position because she was the weaker one and didn¡¯t have much interest in being an emperor. ¡°We fought for three days and went into the Dusk Soul Forest, where we got separated. She went missing after that. ¡°The Zimmer family didn¡¯t like my leadership, so I killed them all.¡± Thy searched his memory and managed to squeeze everything into one minute. His answer kept him alive. The Dusk Soul Forest? What a coincidence. Himmel Soan came out of that place, while Gina went missing there. Where did she go? No one knew the answer. Was it planned out beforehand? Himmel Soan pondered. Over on the other side, Lasul sent a message to Emperor Tzi, telling him everything. ¡°Patriarch, what should I do now?¡± asked Lasul. ¡°Things are getting interesting. It¡¯s about time I come out of my seclusion. Himmel Soan has become Emperor Soan. You can congratulate him now. ¡°Let¡¯s stir things up a bit!¡± Emperor Tzi fell silent. It was up to Lasul to carry out the instructions. Emperor Tzi knew he would do a good job. He was a capable man, as sharp as a sword. After receiving the order, Lasul jumped off the roof and landed in front of Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, congratulations. You¡¯ve just become an emperor and haven¡¯t been ranked, so you¡¯re the eighth for now. ¡°Still, you¡¯re Emperor Soan! ¡°Emperor Baih has lost his title and will become Thy Baih again. The Baih family¡¯s manor is now the Soan family¡¯s!¡± Lasul said those words in an unhurried tone. However, every word sounded like a thunderclap in the spectators¡¯ ears. Everybody was dumbfounded. Emperor Baih had been replaced by this man, who was Emperor Soan now. The eight emperors didn¡¯t allow the surname Soan to be mentioned, but now, there was an Emperor Soan. What was happening? Thy was the most dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m Emperor Baih! Why is there an Emperor Soan? ¡°Lasul, are you sure about this?¡± Chapter 387 - Lasul Thy looked at Lasul in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears. What Emperor Soan? He wasn¡¯t Emperor Baih anymore? How was that possible? Thy refused to believe it. ¡°Believe it or not, you¡¯re stripped of your title,¡± Lasul said lightly. He didn¡¯t care what Emperor Baih thought. He was only here to inform him. ¡°I¡¯m stripped of my title? Lasul, even Emperor Tzi can¡¯t say that. What makes you think you can make that decision?¡± Thy shook his head and deemed Lasul crazy. Otherwise, where did that suggestion come from? Lasul was only Emperor Tzi¡¯s offspring. Even if he were to become an emperor, he would have to wait until the current Emperor Tzi retired. Right now, he was just a young cultivator. Where did he find the courage to say such things? ¡°I see you¡¯ve had a lousy upbringing. I¡¯m Emperor Baih and your senior. How could you talk to me like that? I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson!¡± Thy threw a punch at Lasul. He didn¡¯t know why he wasn¡¯t Himmel Soan¡¯s match, but he believed he could definitely defeat the youngster. He still couldn¡¯t tell what level Himmel Soan was at, but he did know he would never defeat him. ¡°Do you think so?¡± Lasul drew his sword halfway before sliding it back into the sheath. Thy¡¯s arm fell to the ground. ¡°That¡¯s the consequence of attacking me. You offended me for the first time, but you used to be one of the eight emperors, so I¡¯m going to spare your life. ¡°If you do it again, I¡¯m going to cut you in half. Is that clear?¡± Lasul didn¡¯t even look at Thy. In his eyes, Thy was no more than a clown. If he didn¡¯t stop talking, he really would kill the man. Lasul turned to Himmel Soan, trying to see his reaction. Himmel Soan remained unperturbed. He either didn¡¯t care about what happened or had anticipated it. Thy was horrified when he saw his arm on the ground. ¡°Why¡­ Why did that happen? How can you be so powerful?¡± Thy¡¯s face was ashen. He almost started doubting himself. Himmel Soan seemed so ordinary, while Lasul was only a junior cultivator. However, compared to them, he felt like an ant running into elephants. Both men could kill him as easily as crushing an egg under their feet. He was Emperor Baih, one of the eight emperors! What was happening to this world? ¡°Are you trying to save him in this way?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Do you mind it?¡± Lasul admitted it. Since Himmel Soan had seen through his plan, there was no point in keeping it a secret. Lasul said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it and still want to finish him off, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Himmel Soan said, ¡°I do want to kill him, but not now. Gina Zimmer is my cultivation partner, but you¡¯ve banished and killed all the Zimmers. I won¡¯t forgive you. I can kill you now, but I¡¯m going to leave you to the Zimmers.¡± Himmel Soan then grabbed a fork from the table and threw it at Thy, piercing his body. Thy spat out a mouthful of blood. A moment later, he felt his spiritual essence dissipating. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t absorb spiritual essence anymore. If this continued, he would lose all the spiritual essence and become an ordinary person. ¡°What did you do?¡± Thy glared at Himmel Soan. He knew Himmel Soan was the cause of everything. Thy used to be an emperor. When the spiritual essence dissipated, he would be reduced to an ordinary guy. He would never accept it. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Back then, the Soans had their spiritual essence taken away and were thrown into the Dusk Soul Forest, weren¡¯t they? ¡°You¡¯ll now know how that feels. ¡°How does it feel when it happens to you?¡± Himmel Soan spoke in an emotionless tone. He didn¡¯t care how Thy reacted to his words. He had destroyed the man¡¯s cultivation ability, and he only said those things to further disappoint him. After Thy was taken care of, Himmel Soan looked at Lasul. ¡°Did Emperor Tzi send you here?¡± asked Himmel Soan. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Are you sent here to kill me, or do you have other missions?¡± Himmel Soan asked matter-of-factly. ¡°My Patriarch only sent me here to see what was going on.¡± Lasul didn¡¯t lie about his mission, nor did he have to. He trusted he was capable enough to handle any situation regardless of Himmel Soan¡¯s attitude. ¡°Was saving Thy your own decision or Emperor Tzi¡¯s?¡± Cutting off Thy¡¯s arm seemed to be a reckless move, but Lasul was mainly trying to save him. Himmel Soan wanted to kill Thy after getting the answers. Lasul was hindering his plans. ¡°My Patriarch only asked me to observe. The rest was my own decision. Since you haven¡¯t killed Thy, I think you¡¯ve made a decision. In that case, I don¡¯t think I need to say anything else,¡± Lasul said quietly. He didn¡¯t think much of Thy. Lasul and Himmel Soan spoke like two judges. If they wanted to, they could kill Thy at any moment. Himmel Soan nodded. He had destroyed Thy¡¯s cultivation, so the man couldn¡¯t do much. He wouldn¡¯t mind if Thy died now. If Thy survived, he would hand him over to Gina or the Zimmer family after he found them. ¡°Will it help you to keep him alive?¡± Chapter 388 - Destroy Thy Himmel Soan still didn¡¯t understand why Lasul tried to save Thy. ¡°With everything that¡¯s happening in Stelladom, it¡¯ll be a pity to lose an emperor,¡± said Lasul with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve destroyed his cultivation ability. That¡¯s as good as losing him.¡± Himmel Soan was perplexed. If Lasul didn¡¯t want to lose an Emperor cultivator, he should have stopped the fork. Although he had the ability to intervene, he didn¡¯t. He only stood there and watched. If that was the case, why did he say he didn¡¯t want to lose an emperor? ¡°If Thy dies, I can¡¯t bring him back. But I can recover his cultivation ability at a certain cost,¡± Lasul explained. A certain cost? It had to be very expensive. Once a person lost their cultivation, it would be very difficult to get it back. The price would be a lot higher than Lasul made it sound to be. Even if they could get it back, that person would remain at that level forever. They couldn¡¯t make any progress anymore. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be worthwhile to make such an effort. ¡°Is he worth it?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°No, but I¡¯m still going to do it.¡± Lasul wasn¡¯t making any sense. Thy wasn¡¯t worth helping, but Lasul still helped him. Why? Why was he putting so much effort into this man? What did he want? Lasul explained before Himmel Soan could ask him. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it, but Stelladom can¡¯t lose another capable cultivator. That was why I stopped you from killing him. I cut off his arm to appease you. ¡°After that, I knew you wouldn¡¯t try to kill him again, so I stopped intervening. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t stop there, so I didn¡¯t do anything when you destroyed his cultivation ability. Thy deserved that punishment.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He understood Lasul¡¯s plans. The young man only wanted to make sure that Thy wouldn¡¯t die. Although Lasul tried to keep Thy alive, if Himmel Soan wanted to kill him, Lasul wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it. ¡°You keep saying Stelladom can¡¯t lose another capable cultivator. Why¡¯s that? Is something going to happen? Is that why Stelladom needs capable cultivators?¡± Himmel Soan analyzed what Lasul said, but he still needed a definite answer. Lasul was the only one here who could give him that. Judging by the man¡¯s tone and expression, he knew he could get some useful information. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve guessed correctly. Since the surname Soan has resurfaced, it means our previous decision was wrong. ¡°Your showing up means the barrier is about to be broken. Once that happens, other continents nearby will send people here, which will lead to unpredictable things happening. ¡°We need every capable cultivator to join hands. They can make all the difference!¡± Lasul didn¡¯t try to hide anything. He knew Himmel Soan was very capable, and it was only a matter of time before he found it out on his own. The information wasn¡¯t top-secret. He would definitely learn of it soon. Therefore, Lasul told Himmel Soan why he protected Thy. If he didn¡¯t give him a reason, he was worried that Himmel Soan might hold grudges against Stelladom. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s a capable cultivator?¡± Himmel Soan was a little confused. ¡°Mr. Soan, your capability is beyond my imagination. Here in Stelladom, Thy is one of the best cultivators. He¡¯s a capable man by our standards.¡± Lasul¡¯s attitude was quite humble. He couldn¡¯t detect Himmel Soan¡¯s exact cultivation level. That was to say, he was far more capable than him. Lasul didn¡¯t feel this way even with his Patriarch. Himmel Soan was a mystery to him. ¡°Other things aside, what do you know about the Zimmer family?¡± Himmel Soan no longer cared about Thy. That man was unimportant. Instead of Thy, he would rather focus on Lasul. He was from the Tzi family, and Emperor Tzi was the head of the eight emperors. He was far more important than Thy. Himmel Soan thought maybe he could learn more from Lasul. ¡°Thy has already answered that question. Mr. Soan, do you not believe him? ¡°That¡¯s understandable. I wouldn¡¯t believe him either. However, he was telling the truth. We last saw Emperor Zimmer in the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°After Gina Zimmer disappeared, Thy took the opportunity and became Emperor Baih. ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe it, there¡¯s nothing I can do,¡± said Lasul. That was all he knew. He wasn¡¯t concerned if Himmel Soan would believe it. Either way, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. ¡°What about the Zimmer family?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Lasul frowned a little and said cautiously, ¡°Thy killed them all. He had replaced Emperor Zimmer, so of course, the Zimmer family was displeased. As a potential threat, you can expect what would happen.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. In this cultivation world, people could get killed for a lot less. There were no laws, and the toughest people always called the shots. It was the law of the jungle. If one were powerful enough, they could kill Emperor Tzi and rule Stelladom. That was also why the Zimmer family was destroyed. If the family members were capable enough, they would have lived, and the Baih family would have been destroyed. Himmel Soan understood all that. Since he was capable enough, his words became the law. ¡°Sir, what will you do next? Will you break the barrier, or are you going to destroy the Baih family?¡± When Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t said anything, Lasul asked the question. Himmel Soan thought for a moment and gave a surprising answer, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to break the barrier.¡± Chapter 389 - Change the Fate Everybody had made a mistake. They all thought Himmel Soan was going to break the barrier because he was a Soan. However, he didn¡¯t have that plan because he didn¡¯t need to. His purpose was to find Gina. Breaking the barrier didn¡¯t have anything to do with it. If that could lead him to her, he would already be looking for a way to break it. Now that he knew Gina had disappeared in the Dusk Soul Forest, he would search for her there. Breaking the barrier was completely unnecessary. Lasul was surprised for a moment. He had made that same mistake. ¡°Are you not going to break the barrier?¡± Lasul asked, feeling suspicious. Himmel Soan shook his head. ¡°What good will it do to me? If I wanted to break the barrier, I wouldn¡¯t wait for your permission. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Thy here. After I find Gina, I¡¯ll settle my account with him. I¡¯m not going to take his position and become an emperor either.¡± What? Lasul was surprised again. Mr. Soan had done a lot of unexpected things. ¡°But the divine order of things has already recognized you as Emperor Soan¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll change that order.¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky. The divine order of things here had been avoiding him even now when he had become Emperor Soan. It was still targeting him. Himmel Soan would never become an emperor on this continent. He didn¡¯t trust the divine order of things here. ¡°Change it?¡± Lasul didn¡¯t seem as calm as before. Himmel Soan had just said the most shocking thing. He was going to change his destiny. It was something that other people wouldn¡¯t even dare imagine, yet Himmel Soan just blurted it out. Lasul was astonished. ¡°I¡¯ll just cut the string that links me to the emperor¡¯s position!¡± Himmel Soan took out the dagger and closed his eyes. He sensed the string between him and the divine order of things. Among the countless threads, he saw the one between him and Gina. He was astonished. He hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the dagger, so he didn¡¯t use it on himself until now. Then he saw that string. It was such a valuable piece of information. The string was still intact, which meant Gina was still alive! Moreover, she remembered him. That was why they were still linked by the string. ¡°What a pleasant surprise!¡± Himmel Soan burst into tears of joy. He got what he wanted! Gina was still alive! Before today¡¯s discovery, he had been wondering what he was after. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could find Gina Zimmer or what to do if he couldn¡¯t find her. But now, his purpose had just become specific. He felt his life was back. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lasul was confused. The man was talking about changing his destiny a moment ago. Why was he laughing and crying now? Thy, who had been in a daze until then, woke up from his reverie. The aura around Himmel Soan had changed. Although he looked the same on the surface, he also looked like a completely different person. He seemed to have one more thing on him¡ªemotion! Before, Himmel Soan felt like a machine that had no feelings or desires. But now, he was longing for something. As a result, his demeanor had totally changed. ¡°I¡¯m not Emperor Soan now.¡± Lasul and Thy were startled. Lasul frowned. One couldn¡¯t simply decide not to become an emperor! He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he studied Himmel Soan again. The imperial aura had vanished. Himmel Soan really wasn¡¯t an emperor anymore. Did he voluntarily give it up? No, something like that was impossible. The only possibility was what Himmel Soan had said. He had changed his destiny! ¡°Lasul, keep an eye on Thy for me. If he tries to harm my friends when I¡¯m gone, I¡¯ll look for you when I return. Since you¡¯ve kept him alive, take responsibility for him.¡± Himmel Soan took Firey¡¯s hand and walked away. Now that he had information on Gina, he didn¡¯t need to stay here anymore. They didn¡¯t seem to walk fast, but they disappeared in a matter of seconds. Lasul felt relieved. He could tell that Himmel Soan was thinking about killing Thy before he left. If he really tried it, Lasul could die in the process, too. Luckily, nothing happened. ¡°Lasul, why did you cut off my arm? Is that how Emperor Tzi taught you? Why didn¡¯t you do anything when Himmel Soan destroyed my cultivation? Why did you just stand there?¡± Thy got hysterical after Himmel Soan left. He blamed everything on Lasul and felt he was the reason for his downfall. ¡°Quite!¡± With one word, Thy stopped talking right away. ¡°So what if you¡¯re Emperor Baih? Why can¡¯t I cut off your arm? And you¡¯re not Emperor Baih now! Say one more word, and I¡¯ll kill you! ¡°You¡¯re the reason that all this happened! So what if I didn¡¯t do anything? You¡¯re the weak one, yet you¡¯re blaming me. ¡°I¡¯m not as good-natured as my Patriarch. Be careful. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do once I lose my temper!¡± Every word felt like a dagger in Thy¡¯s chest. He was filled with rage, resentment, and doubts. The mix of emotions overwhelmed him. He couldn¡¯t understand why Lasul, a Mahayana cultivator, could make him feel intimidated. He almost feared for his life! ¡°You don¡¯t understand? Of course, you don¡¯t.¡± Lasul seemed to have read Thy¡¯s mind. Chapter 390 - The Last Melody ¡°I¡¯m a Mahayana cultivator. Why can¡¯t I cut off your arm? You¡¯re an emperor who has faked his cultivation level. For that alone, I can kill you! ¡°If the barrier can¡¯t be destroyed, I¡¯m going to kill you and apologize to Mr. Soan with your head!¡± Lasul had drawn out his sword. Its blade was snowy white and as thin as a piece of paper. Low-level cultivators would be injured by the sword energy just by looking at the sword. It was Thy¡¯s first time seeing Lasul¡¯s sword. He was an ordinary man now, so he couldn¡¯t withstand the impact. His eyes were bleeding, and he thought he was going blind. When he opened his eyes again, Lasul was gone. The courtyard was empty. The once luxurious place had been turned into a ruin. Thy knelt on the ground and held his son in his arms, unable to speak a word. No one in the family dared come closer. They all hid in their rooms and shut their doors. ¡°Master¡­¡± A teenage girl dressed in white walked into the courtyard, holding a zither in her arms. ¡°Viive¡­¡± Thy wept when he saw Viive Baih coming in. ¡°Master, what happened to you?¡± Viive burst into tears. She couldn¡¯t understand why her handsome and talented master was in such a miserable state. He was her faith and what she wanted to be one day. She made a promise to herself that she would be as great as him in the future. She would become an emperor. However, she had just witnessed the worst moment in her master¡¯s life. How could this happen? Viive felt as if she had been stabbed in the chest. ¡°Viive, play something for me. Let me hear you play for one last time,¡± said Thy, feeling life leaving his body. ¡°Master!¡± Viive didn¡¯t know what Thy meant at first, but she soon understood. Thy was dying. He was going to take his own life. He committed suicide! Viive wanted to hold Thy¡¯s body and cry, but she remembered his last wish. He wanted to hear her play. Putting the zither on the ground as tears covered her face, she plucked the strings. A sad melody filled the entire Baih manor. ¡­ In the restricted area in the Tzi family, Emperor Tzi¡¯s eyes opened. Lasul had returned and was reporting to him everything that had happened. Suddenly, Emperor Tzi said, ¡°Thy has killed himself.¡± Lasul frowned and blurted out, ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± He then covered his mouth. The news came from the Patriarch, so it had to be true. But it was so hard to believe. Although Thy had lost his ability, Lasul had told him that he would be cured. There was still hope. Why did he take his own life? ¡°It¡¯s because of his ego. He might have faked his cultivation, but he was still an emperor. ¡°He has been struck by one failure after another, and neither you nor Mr. Soan has taken him seriously. He lost all his pride. ¡°He couldn¡¯t live with that, so he chose to commit suicide. I never thought that would be his end.¡± Emperor Tzi¡¯s voice came out of the stone chamber. Lasul understood why Thy killed himself. However, he couldn¡¯t agree with his decision. If he were Thy, he would have tried to take revenge. But Thy wasn¡¯t him. The man was already dead. There was no need to say anything else. Before Lasul could digest the piece of information, he was shocked once more by Emperor Tzi¡¯s next words. ¡°The Baih family has a new emperor. She¡¯s Viive Baih, Thy¡¯s pupil. Mr. Soan turned down the position, so Viive inherited it and became the new emperor. ¡°The Baih family remains intact.¡± That was what Emperor Tzi had sensed. The Baih family still had an emperor, but it wasn¡¯t Thy anymore. His disciple had taken his spot. ¡°Viive is only at the Virtualization stage. How can she be an emperor?¡± Lasul was perplexed. ¡°In special circumstances like this, the opportunity fell upon her. However, the Baih family won¡¯t be very friendly toward Mr. Soan.¡± Emperor Tzi was concerned. Things weren¡¯t so complicated when Thy was still around. With Viive rising to the position, everything became unpredictable. ¡°Should we talk to Viive?¡± Lasul asked. ¡°It won¡¯t change anything. She must be filled with hatred. That¡¯s also what drove her to the Emperor stage. If talking worked, she wouldn¡¯t have made the breakthrough.¡± Lasul frowned. If that was the case, Himmel Soan and Viive were bound to have a conflict. A battle between two Emperor-stage cultivators could result in severe consequences. The aftereffects would spread over the continent, and Stelladom would be in chaos! That was why Lasul saved Thy and tried to cure him. He didn¡¯t want such conflicts. Thy¡¯s suicide would have affected the Baih family as well, but Viive became the new Emperor Baih. Nothing happened when the new emperor rose to power. ¡°Just leave it be. They can take care of their own affairs. Our job is to look after the Tzi family and keep the Oogh family out of our way!¡± ¡­ In the Baih manor, the music had stopped, but Viive¡¯s hands were still on the zither. Her face was still covered by tears, and her black hair had turned snowy white! ¡°Master, I¡¯ll look after the Baih family for you,¡± Viive said in a trembling voice. She held the zither and went into a trance-like state. She knew she was the new emperor, but she didn¡¯t care how she became one. She only knew who had killed her master. Himmel Soan. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll avenge my master!¡± Energy suddenly burst out of her body. Chapter 391 - New Emperor Baih It was a manifestation of Viive¡¯s determination. The divine order of things had recognized it. Infected by that emotion, all members of the Baih family knelt in her direction. They chanted, ¡°Long live Emperor Baih!¡± Thy had died, and Viive had become the new Emperor Baih. The news soon spread to all corners of the continent. No one believed it at first and thought it to be a rumor. However, nobody came forward to prove otherwise, which meant the news was genuine. ¡­ Himmel Soan heard the news as well, but he didn¡¯t think much of it. Dead or alive, Thy had no effect on him. He only wanted to find Gina. Since Thy had offended Gina, he had destroyed his cultivation as a punishment. Once he found Gina, he would let her decide what to do with Thy. His death had saved Himmel Soan much trouble. As for Viive, Himmel Soan cared about her even less. If Viive wanted to take her revenge, he wouldn¡¯t stop her. ¡°Master, are we going to look for your wife?¡± Firey asked curiously. ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s something I need to do before that,¡± said Himmel Soan with a nod. Something else? ¡°Are we going to get rid of Viive?¡± Firey asked. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t rush to give the answer. Instead, he asked for Firey¡¯s opinion. She should develop her own thoughts and ideas. ¡°Master, you destroyed Thy¡¯s ability, and I think that¡¯s the main reason for his suicide. Viive became the new Emperor Baih out of rage. It means she¡¯s not going to let it pass, and her rage is directed toward you. ¡°She¡¯s bound to be your enemy. I think we should take care of her before she takes her revenge!¡± That was Firey¡¯s opinion. If she were Himmel Soan, she would have done the things she said. However, she wasn¡¯t with him and couldn¡¯t decide for him. Her opinion was her own. ¡°You make sense, but I don¡¯t think that way. Although Viive hates me and wants to kill me, I have no ill will toward her. She¡¯s not trying to kill me now, so she¡¯s only a stranger to me. ¡°And I won¡¯t kill a stranger. Firey, we don¡¯t kill innocent people; that¡¯s the most important thing!¡± Himmel Soan patiently explained to Firey. He had noticed that since they came to this world, Firey¡¯s mindset and life philosophy had changed. Rules on Earth weren¡¯t compatible here. To survive in this world, one had to adapt to the local customs. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t against it, but one had to have moral standards. If someone killed innocent people and pillaged villages, they would be as bad as heresy cultivators in Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Alright! I see!¡± Firey nodded. She knew it was for her own good. ¡°I¡¯m going to fetch Lan and Frost because they¡¯re both my pupils. I¡¯m not afraid of Viive, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll follow me into the Dusk Soul Forest. I would hate to see her go after Lan and Frost. That¡¯s why I¡¯m making preparations beforehand,¡± said Himmel Soan. Before long, they arrived at Elixir School. Bandora was waiting for them outside the gate. ¡°Mr. Soan.¡± ¡°Miss Cien, let¡¯s talk inside,¡± Himmel Soan said. ¡°Alright.¡± Bandora let Himmel Soan into her room. ¡°I presume you heard what happened.¡± Bandora was going to make some tea, but he stopped her. She had to sit down and get to business. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t beat around the bush. Bandora nodded and said, ¡°I know Thy¡¯s dead, and Viive Baih is the new Emperor Baih.¡± ¡°I caused Thy¡¯s death. Now Viive hates me and is trying to get back at me,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, can¡¯t you subdue Viive? You¡¯re more than capable of doing that.¡± ¡°I can, but I don¡¯t have the time.¡± He didn¡¯t have the time? Bandora found it strange. Why didn¡¯t he have the time? Was he on a mission? Even so, he could still use a fraction of his power to deal with Viive. Even Thy had been defeated by him, so she shouldn¡¯t be hard to handle since she was just a new emperor. Himmel Soan explained before Bandora asked, ¡°I¡¯m going into the Dusk Soul Forest again. It is such a big place that I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back. It won¡¯t be a surprise if I don¡¯t return at all. Therefore, I don¡¯t have the time to handle Viive, nor do I want to.¡± Bandora nodded. Mr. Soan was going to the Dusk Soul Forest. No wonder he said he didn¡¯t have the time. The forest was so dangerous that hardly anybody came back alive. Why would Mr. Soan do such a dangerous thing? Was he trying to avoid Viive? Obviously not. Himmel Soan said he could overpower Viive but didn¡¯t have the time to do so. He was going to the Dusk Soul Forest, which meant he had an important mission there. ¡°Sir, why are you here?¡± Bandora was perplexed. If he had made up his mind, what was he doing here? ¡°It¡¯s about Lan and Frost. They¡¯re both my pupils. I¡¯m leaving, but I can¡¯t take them with me. Viive may come after them, so I hope Miss Cien can lend them a hand. If something dangerous happens, please save them.¡± Himmel Soan cut right to the chase. Bandora chuckled after the initial surprise. ¡°Mr. Soan, you¡¯re taking away all my geniuses!¡± Chapter 392 - The Library ¡°Lan and Frost are students of Elixir School. Of course, I¡¯ll protect them. With your reminder, I¡¯ll be even more careful. ¡°You have my word, Mr. Soan. As long as I¡¯m breathing, I won¡¯t let Viive Baih touch them. Trust me!¡± Bandora said earnestly. Although Himmel Soan had taken away two of her most talented students, Bandora wasn¡¯t angry. He was far more capable than her and had even driven Thy to his death. She admired him wholeheartedly. She thought it was Elixir School¡¯s honor to have Lan and Frost become Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils. Of course, Bandora wouldn¡¯t resent the idea. She felt like a mother who had married her daughters to a capable man. Himmel Soan hence became affiliated with the school, and nothing could make Bandora happier. However, if he went into the Dusk Soul Forest, he probably wouldn¡¯t come back. That would put a lot of pressure on the school. Bandora couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen then, but she had faith in Himmel Soan and believed he would return from the forest. So much was at stake! ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad to hear that. I¡¯ll leave my two pupils in your care. To return the favor, I suggest you visit your library when you¡¯re free. ¡°That¡¯s all. Firey and I will be on our way.¡± Himmel Soan left with Firey. He was going to the Dusk Soul Forest. The earlier he got there, the sooner he would find Gina. That was the most important thing to him. He didn¡¯t care about anything else, so he didn¡¯t stay in Elixir School for long. The library? Bandora was perplexed. She couldn¡¯t see how visiting the library could be a way to return her favor. The two things didn¡¯t seem connected at all. She wanted to ask Himmel Soan what it was about, but before she knew it, he was nowhere to be found. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll check out the library. What did he mean by that though?¡± Bandora murmured. She then headed for the school library. Once she was there, she looked around and was utterly confused. Nothing caught her attention. Everything seemed to be the same as before. She asked the librarian, ¡°Did Mr. Soan tell you anything?¡± The librarian was confused. At first, he didn¡¯t know who Bandora was referring to. He had been living in the library and knew very little of what was happening outside. He had no idea who Mr. Soan was. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the young man dressed in white. He¡¯s been here quite often recently,¡± Bandora explained. ¡°Oh, him. Miss Cien, what¡¯s this about? Has he stolen our books?¡± The librarian didn¡¯t know what was going on. If Himmel Soan had stolen some books, he would be held responsible. He wondered if that was why the principal was here. Damn it! Why didn¡¯t I notice what he had taken? That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t seen him for a few days! Miss Cien must have caught him! thought the librarian. ¡°Miss Cien, please forgive me! I didn¡¯t know he had stolen our books!¡± The librarian wanted to kneel. However, what Bandora said surprised him. ¡°What books? He hasn¡¯t stolen anything. He could take whatever books he wanted to. But I don¡¯t think he has taken anything.¡± Bandora was confused. Hadn¡¯t Mr. Soan said anything to the librarian? If not, what did he mean by returning the favor? Bandora was lost in her thoughts. ¡°He hasn¡¯t stolen any books? I was so scared!¡± The librarian was relieved. He thought he was in big trouble, but as it turned out, nothing had happened. He then recalled the principal¡¯s question earlier. Had that man told him anything? He couldn¡¯t remember anything in particular. ¡°That young gentleman never said anything. All he did was read in silence. We never spoke. There¡¯s something strange, though. It only took him a few seconds to finish a book. I told him last time that he would only gain a superficial understanding in that way, but he only smiled and said nothing in return. ¡°I ignored him after that because I thought with how he read the books, he wouldn¡¯t return the following day. ¡°However, he came back every day after that and flipped through more books. He was such a freak!¡± The librarian complained about the young man. He seemed to have forgotten that the ¡°freak¡± was the Mr. Soan that Bandora had mentioned. Yes, he had completely forgotten about it. He couldn¡¯t stop complaining. Flipping through books? Bandora was intrigued. She knew Mr. Soan wouldn¡¯t do that for no reason. He must be able to read one page at a time and have a photographic memory. That was how he read and comprehended the books so fast. But that wasn¡¯t the point. She was here because Mr. Soan talked about returning the favor before he left. Bandora still hadn¡¯t found an answer. Just then, a student came in to borrow a book. ¡°Miss Cien?!¡± The student was shocked. He hadn¡¯t noticed Bandora until he came so close. Startled, he dropped the book in his hands. ¡°Wait.¡± Bandora looked from the student to the book on the floor and frowned. She activated her spiritual essence and picked up the book without bending down. She opened it to glance through it. The student started trembling as if he had made the biggest mistake. He didn¡¯t dare meet Bandora¡¯s eyes. ¡°What happened to this book?¡± Bandora asked as she turned the pages. ¡°I dropped it by accident! Miss Cien, please forgive me!¡± the student said gingerly. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the words written in red ink on the pages. Where did they come from?¡± The student immediately dropped to his knees, thinking that Bandora was angry at him. ¡°Miss Cien, please forgive me. I don¡¯t know who wrote them. They were already there when I picked up the book! ¡°I wasn¡¯t me!¡± Chapter 393 - Back to the Village Bandora frowned and took a closer look. The red words seemed to make more sense when she read through them. She soon finished the entire book. The words written in the red ink had improved the contents! Could it be what Mr. Soan was referring to? ¡°You can have the book. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it,¡± said Bandora. What¡­ The student took the book in utter confusion. He didn¡¯t know if he should borrow the book. After some hesitation, he still borrowed it. After all, the principal had said there was nothing wrong with it. He decided it wasn¡¯t his place to worry about such things. Bandora turned to the librarian after the student left. She showed him a book and asked, ¡°Do you know where these red words came from?¡± The librarian shuddered. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Miss Cien, please forgive me! I don¡¯t know what happened!¡± Bandora frowned and stopped the librarian before he knelt on the ground. She wondered if she really was that scary. Why did everybody want to kneel? ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Don¡¯t worry about it. Just pretend nothing happened. I¡¯ll have an explanation on those words later.¡± Bandora dismissed the librarian. She needed to investigate this matter further. She could understand why the librarian missed those words. Since Mr. Soan made the corrections, he could easily keep doing it without getting detected. He probably didn¡¯t want to catch any attention, so he didn¡¯t let anyone see it. She would have to check how many books he had corrected and if all the corrections made sense. ¡°I respect and have faith in Mr. Soan¡¯s capability. I know he would have no problem with making these corrections. But there are some very important books here. I have to examine them,¡± Bandora murmured. She had already started reading. One, two¡­ ten, a hundred¡­ After flipping through nearly a thousand books, she was convinced that almost all the books had been corrected. With the additional comments, the skill manuals and alchemy formulas were much better than before. Maybe this was the opportunity for Elixir School to rise! ¡­ Meanwhile, Himmel Soan and Firey had arrived at the village earlier. He quietly entered Oech¡¯s house. ¡°Master, what are we doing here?¡± Firey asked curiously. ¡°To see a friend. This is the first village I saw when I came to this world. I learned the language of this world here. I also made a friend, so I want to see how he¡¯s doing.¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky. It had been six months since he accidentally came to this world. Six months¡­ He wondered how things were on K18. To be honest, he missed his people. He had lived on Earth for so long, and he considered K18 his new hometown. He felt nostalgic. However, Gina was the most important thing. If he could find her, he didn¡¯t care where he had to live. He just needed to find her. ¡°It¡¯s been six months. I haven¡¯t tried a lot of the food on Earth! Master, will we ever go back?¡± Firey was drooling. She was born on Earth, but she didn¡¯t miss it the way Himmel Soan did. This place and Earth meant the same to Firey. All she needed was nice food and interesting things to do. If she had to choose, she would return to Earth because there were so many more nice things to eat. This place didn¡¯t have tasty food! ¡°Maybe. Anything is possible. Maybe we¡¯re never going back.¡± Himmel Soan clenched his fists. He had recovered a third of his strength and should be able to use the power of time and space. However, he couldn¡¯t get in touch with K18. He couldn¡¯t even communicate with people on the other side of the continent. If he could do that, he would be able to teleport to any place he wanted to. But why? Was it still because of the divine order of things? Or was this place not in an ordinary universe? Was this world not in any known universe at all? If that was true, there was a high chance that he couldn¡¯t return to his world. Creak¡­ The door opened, and Oech came back with a boar. ¡°Mr. Soan? Is this your daughter?¡± Oech was dumbfounded. He was shocked at first because he didn¡¯t expect to see two people in his house. However, he calmed down when he recognized Himmel Soan. It was such a familiar face. Although he didn¡¯t stay here for long, he left a deep impression. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, and this is Firey, my daughter,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, have you regained your memory?¡± Oech immediately accepted the fact that Himmel Soan had returned. But Firey was a surprise. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t left for so long, but his daughter was already a big girl. The only explanation was he had regained his memory. He found the Soans in Stelladom and his long-lost daughter. That was Oech¡¯s conclusion. ¡°You could say that.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Oech was happy for him. They hadn¡¯t known each other for too long, but Oech was a simple man. He was happy to hear that Himmel Soan had found his memory. ¡°We¡¯re going to eat this boar to celebrate! ¡°Wait here! I¡¯ll cook it for you!¡± Chapter 394 - The Mute Is Back Oech was going to fetch the knife from the kitchen, but Firey stopped him. ¡°Please leave it to me!¡± She was already drooling. ¡°Leave it to you?¡± Oech frowned. Firey was just a child. He found the idea of letting her handle the boar ridiculous. Oech turned to Himmel Soan, who nodded and said, ¡°You can leave it to her. She may seem tiny, but she can beat a thousand you put together! ¡°If she wants to take care of the food, let her do it.¡± Oech backed off. Since Mr. Soan had said so, who was he to suggest otherwise? He couldn¡¯t stop the girl even if he wanted to. She was a Soan! Firey carried the boar outside. The perfect way to cook a boar was to roast it! Inside, Himmel Soan and Oech sat down. ¡°Mr. Soan, why did you return?¡± Oech asked after some hesitation. ¡°I need to investigate something in the Dusk Soul Forest.¡± The Dusk Soul Forest! Oech immediately saw what it was about. Mr. Soan was going on his own investigation! He knew Mr. Soan came out of the Dusk Soul Forest with amnesia. Now that he had retrieved his memory, he must want to find out why he was in the forest. Oech didn¡¯t find it weird at all. ¡°The Dusk Soul Forest is a strange place. Please be careful!¡± Oech reminded Himmel Soan. He knew he didn¡¯t need to warn Mr. Soan because the man was capable enough to handle it on his own. Still, he said those words out of kindness. ¡°There are things we have to do. You¡¯re going to run into danger sooner or later when you go hunting, but you still do it because your life depends on it. It¡¯s the same with what I do.¡± Himmel Soan smiled, finding Oech easy to talk to. Despite the great gap between their cultivation levels, Himmel Soan still saw them as equals. Everybody¡¯s lifestyle should be respected. Oech nodded without saying another word. ¡°May I ask why you were banished here?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°You¡¯ve guessed it, haven¡¯t you? I can¡¯t keep anything from you.¡± Oech sighed. He knew Himmel Soan would figure it out. After all, it only took him two days to master their language. Oech didn¡¯t know if that ability was hidden in Himmel Soan¡¯s lost memory, but he attributed most of it to his intelligence. He wasn¡¯t surprised by Himmel Soan¡¯s guess. ¡°All the villagers used to belong to a big family and were favored by the Baih family. Someone then offended Luton, Emperor Baih¡¯s son. As a result, 90% of the family was killed while the survivors were banished. ¡°We were deemed unworthy of a surname, which is why I¡¯m only known as Oech. We¡¯re not allowed to live in Stelladom. We had to move all the way out here.¡± Oech smiled wryly. Somebody said the wrong thing, causing so many people to be killed and banished. That was how things worked in Stelladom, a cultivation world. Himmel Soan nodded. He knew what Oech had gone through, but he didn¡¯t offer any comforting words because no words in this world could comfort these people. Oech and his people had to learn to move on. Judging by their attitudes right now, they had already done that. At that moment, they smelled an aroma in the air. ¡°I think Firey is done. Let¡¯s go out.¡± Himmel Soan walked out of the room. By then, many other villagers also noticed the aroma and gathered around. They saw a boar being roasted over a fire. Next to it was a girl with red hair and a red dress. ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? How can she stand in the middle of the fire without getting burned?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that smell? It¡¯s so nice!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s coming from that boar!¡± ¡°It must be so hard to roast such a big boar!¡± The villagers gathered around and discussed the scene. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. When Firey was standing in the fire, they didn¡¯t think she was roasting the boar. Moreover, who was she? Why was she here? Creak¡­ While they were confused, Oech and Himmel Soan came out. People in the crowd frowned upon recognizing Himmel Soan. ¡°Why is he here again?¡± ¡°That mute is back, but his clothes aren¡¯t as strange as before.¡± ¡°Did he bring the girl?¡± ¡°They look alike. Is she his daughter?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t be. The mute wasn¡¯t gone for too long. He couldn¡¯t have had a daughter in such a short time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯ll be ridiculous!¡± The villagers couldn¡¯t stop talking about it. Oech cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed. Himmel Soan was his guest, but these people kept calling him ¡°the mute.¡± How rude! Oech was about to say something when Himmel Soan stopped him. Turning around, he saw Himmel Soan shake his head, telling him not to do anything impulsive. Oech sighed. He knew he had to be careful. Moreover, the villagers didn¡¯t mean to hurt anybody. They were just a little hostile. ¡°Since you¡¯re all here, I¡¯ll invite you all to the feast. Everybody can have some meat when the boar is roasted!¡± Chapter 395 - Youre All Freaks The crowd¡¯s attention turned to the boar. ¡°Oech, are you really roasting the boar?¡± ¡°Are you sure about this? Yes, you can cook the skin, but it¡¯s hard to cook the entire boar!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the girl? How can she stand in the fire and not get burned?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think the fire was real at first, but it is! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°I told you from the beginning that the fire was real and very hot, but you just wouldn¡¯t believe me!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? She looks like a fire¡ª¡± The man choked before he could finish his sentence. However, there was no one around him. It happened so suddenly that everybody was shocked. When the suffocating sensation was gone, the man gasped for air. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Raimi, what happened to you?¡± ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Several villagers asked him at the same time. Raimi blinked and searched his memory. He became panic-stricken and pointed at Firey. ¡°It was her! I called her a freak, and she did that to me!¡± The crowd stumbled back in fear. Was the girl really a freak? She had to be. She was standing safely in the middle of a fire! Raimi almost got killed for calling her a freak. ¡°Guys, please calm down. She¡¯s Mr. Soan¡¯s daughter. There¡¯s no need to worry!¡± Oech tried to explain to the others. ¡°Soan? Isn¡¯t that a forbidden surname?¡± ¡°Where is there a Soan here?!¡± ¡°Oech, you¡¯ve been helping him! Don¡¯t you remember how we got here?¡± ¡°If the eight emperors know what you¡¯ve done, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± ¡°I think we should kill the two Soans!¡± ¡°Kill the Soans!¡± Things spiraled out of control. Oech had called Himmel Soan ¡°Mr. Soan¡±, and the others all heard him. He knew they wouldn¡¯t listen to him anymore. Oech looked at Himmel Soan timidly, trying to find a solution. Himmel Soan remained perfectly calm and didn¡¯t react to the shouts at all. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a Soan. So what? Don¡¯t the Soans deserve to live?¡± Himmel Soan smiled. He had lived here once and had no intention of killing all these people. The most effective way to convince somebody was to reason with them. Killing would only create more chaos. He chose to reason with these people. ¡°No, they don¡¯t!¡± However, these people didn¡¯t want to accept his reasoning. Just as they were going to charge at Himmel Soan, a wall of flames suddenly stood in their path. ¡°This fire is more than enough to turn you into ashes. Will that make you behave?¡± Firey tore a piece of meat off the boar and spoke to the crowd while chewing on it. Her words were in stark contrast to her childish voice. The crowd was astonished. They were all cultivators and could sense the approaching danger. They knew they would turn to ashes like Firey suggested if they tried to go through that fire. No one dared to take a step. ¡°All the Soans are freaks! You¡¯ll only bring us disaster!¡± Raimi pointed at Firey and shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you once, but if you keep insulting my daughter¡­¡± Himmel Soan smirked. He didn¡¯t want to do anything at first, but Firey was his daughter. He couldn¡¯t let these people insult her and call her a freak. He warned Raimi one last time in this world¡¯s way. Raimi immediately looked away. The man looked as fierce as a beast! Raimi ran away with his tail between his legs, intimidated by Himmel Soan. The other villagers also did the same. Only Firey, Oech, and Himmel Soan were still outside. ¡°I guess the three of us will share the boar,¡± Oech said awkwardly. He didn¡¯t expect to see this happen. He had gotten along so well with Himmel Soan, so he couldn¡¯t understand why his fellow villagers wouldn¡¯t accept the man. ¡°I don¡¯t want to share with them, anyway. There¡¯s barely enough for me. The last thing I want is to share with them! I¡¯m glad to see them all gone!¡± Firey angrily waved her hands in the air. She had wanted to chase those people away, but having spent so much time with Himmel Soan, she had grown calmer than she used to be. Even without him, she knew what to do. The scene earlier proved how much she had changed. ¡°Good job!¡± Himmel Soan rubbed Firey¡¯s head. He saw how much progress she had made. She was no longer the impulsive girl anymore. He was very pleased with her. ¡°Master, have some meat and tell me how my cooking is!¡± Firey dragged Himmel Soan to the roasted boar. ¡°The aroma alone suggests it must be delicious. Firey, you¡¯re getting so much better!¡± Himmel Soan only put a small piece of meat in his mouth. He didn¡¯t have any desire for food because eating wasn¡¯t necessary to him. He wouldn¡¯t starve if he stopped eating. Firey was drooling. She obviously couldn¡¯t wait to jump in. Needless to say, Himmel Soan would leave all the boar to her. After trying the small piece of meat, he complimented her cooking. He then turned to Oech. ¡°Join us. It¡¯s your game, but you¡¯re acting like a guest now.¡± By the time they finished the boar, the sun had almost set. Firey patted her stomach in satisfaction. However, something was brewing in the village. Chapter 396 - Late Night Meeting Firey returned to her room and went to bed. Himmel Soan sat on a stone chair with his eyes closed. They didn¡¯t need to stop here and could head for the Dusk Soul Forest right away, but he suggested they stay for the night. Firey had no objections, so she happily went to bed. She didn¡¯t need to sleep, but it provided her with psychological satisfaction. She slept soundly. An event was taking place in a courtyard in another corner of the village. It was the largest courtyard in the village. The villagers would come here whenever they had things to discuss. Although it was already bedtime, the villagers were gathered there. Everyone was here except for one, Oech. That was because the subject they were discussing had something to do with him. Of course, they couldn¡¯t talk about it in front of him! ¡°That mute is a Soan. What should we do now?¡± ¡°We should kill him! That¡¯s the order of the eight emperors!¡± ¡°But you saw what happened this afternoon. I agree we should kill him, but how?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just one man. Why should we be scared?¡± Somebody wasn¡¯t convinced. If the eight emperors wanted to kill the Soans, they could do it on their own. That young man had unfathomable strength, not to mention he was so strange. Why should it be their job to kill him? They would only get themselves killed! Moreover, that young man didn¡¯t do anything to them. There were no grudges between them and him. Why should they attack him? Many people shared the idea. ¡°I know what you think. Actually, I thought the same way at first, but what if the Baih family and the eight emperors hear about this? I¡¯m sure if words get out, we¡¯re all going to die! We can¡¯t let that happen.¡± That was Nue, one of the villagers. He suspected Himmel Soan when the latter was here the first time and had wanted to kick him out. Back then, Nue also discussed with some other villagers, but Himmel Soan left before they could take action. They gradually forgot about this matter until he showed up again and revealed his surname. They decided they couldn¡¯t leave him alive anymore. ¡°I agree with you, but it¡¯s none of my business. I¡¯m going home.¡± One of the villagers wanted to leave. ¡°Toch, if I remember correctly, you and Oech are friends, aren¡¯t you?¡± Nue suddenly asked. ¡°Yes, but aren¡¯t we all friends?¡± Toch stopped in his tracks. He knew Nue was suggesting something, but he didn¡¯t know what exactly he was getting at. Then he understood. ¡°Toch, I think you should stay here for the night,¡± said Nue. ¡°What?¡± Toch was confused. Then he saw two men guarding the door with weapons. It seemed no one was allowed to leave. Toch frowned. ¡°Nue, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Toch, I¡¯m sorry, but this is a special case!¡± Nue said solemnly. ¡°What are you going to do to Oech? Aren¡¯t you his friend? What¡¯s happening?¡± Toch glared at Nue, but he didn¡¯t fight back. Everybody had taken Nue¡¯s side, so resisting would only get him killed. However, he could still ask questions. ¡°Yes, Oech and I get along well, but that¡¯s exactly why I can¡¯t let him make such a big mistake. That Soan has brainwashed him. You saw what happened today! ¡°Do you think Oech still has hope? He¡¯s not the old him anymore! We have to remember that. He¡¯s only that Soan¡¯s accomplice! ¡°We serve the Baih family, so we¡¯re obligated to exterminate him! ¡°Once Oech is dead, the Baih family won¡¯t blame us for his actions! Maybe we¡¯ll get our status back and won¡¯t have to risk our lives, hunting for a living!¡± Nue made a passionate speech. It didn¡¯t matter if Oech was brainwashed. The villagers simply wanted to kill him. His death would be their chance to get recognized again. ¡°Kill the Soan and his accomplice!¡± ¡°Yes! Kill them both!¡± ¡°Kill the Soans!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everybody shouted one after another. Toch couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Kill Oech? What was happening to this world? A moment ago, Oech was their friend and companion, but now, they hated him so much that they wanted to kill him. It was crazy! This world had gone mad! ¡°Kill me to show the Baih family your loyalty, is it?¡± A delightful voice rang out in the courtyard. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Nue frowned and looked around. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to kill me? How are you going to do that if you can¡¯t even recognize my voice?¡± Himmel Soan suddenly appeared in the middle of the courtyard. Nue¡¯s pupils contracted, and his heart skipped a beat. He had wanted to assassinate Himmel Soan because that would be the least risky way. He had never expected to see him here! If he didn¡¯t have a strong heart, he might have been frightened to death. To be able to show up here and speak so casually, Himmel Soan had to be more capable than all of them put together! There was no chance for them to defeat him, let alone kill him! ¡°Guys, the Soan is right here! We have to make good use of this chance! Let¡¯s kill this abominable man together! ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Kill him!¡± Nue backed away as he riled up the crowd. He was going to run away while the others fought. However, over a minute passed, but no one moved. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ve mastered the bewitching skill? If you are, you can make these people willingly die for you with a single sentence. ¡°You¡¯ve only learned a knock-off version!¡± Chapter 397 - Who Nue Really Was ¡°How do you know that?¡± Nue couldn¡¯t believe his ears. How did he know his secret? Nue didn¡¯t think he had revealed anything! How was it possible? ¡°I can see an inferior technique from miles away. Do you really think this skill will make you invincible? You¡¯re so lost that you¡¯ve bewitched your own mind. How are you going to put a spell on other people when you¡¯re not in control of your own thoughts?¡± Himmel Soan stated the truth. Nue felt a hammer pounding on his chest. Seeing this, Toch pleaded, ¡°Mr. Himmel Soan, Nue didn¡¯t mean to say that. Please forgive him!¡± Himmel Soan was perplexed. ¡°Why are you pleading for him after what he did to you?¡± ¡°No matter how he has treated me, he¡¯s still Nue. That won¡¯t change. Moreover, you said he was only bewitched by the spell. I¡¯m sure the idea he has is only a result of the spell! ¡°I can forgive him for what he did. Please spare his life!¡± Toch almost dropped to his knees. In fact, he wanted to, but Himmel Soan held him by the arm, stopping him from kneeling. Himmel Soan sighed. ¡°He already had those ideas before he was bewitched. The spell only magnified it. ¡°Nue has always wanted to kill Oech and me. That¡¯s why he got lost. ¡°If I spare him, he¡¯ll try to finish his task later.¡± What¡­ How was that possible? Toch heard every word, but he didn¡¯t understand what Himmel Soan meant. He couldn¡¯t imagine why Nue, who had always been Oech¡¯s friend, wanted to kill him. Why?! ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve always wanted to kill Oech! If it hadn¡¯t been for him, my brother would never have died! Oech could have saved my brother, but he didn¡¯t! We had to watch my brother get eaten by that beast!¡± Tears welled up in Nue¡¯s eyes as he laughed. He had buried those words in his heart for so many years and could finally say them aloud. Toch immediately recalled what happened back then. He was there and saw the whole thing. ¡°You still remember that day. Oech wasn¡¯t capable enough to save your brother, and you know that. Didn¡¯t you forgive him? Why couldn¡¯t you move on? Your brother was killed by the beast, not Oech! How can you blame everything on him?!¡± Toch coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood. He couldn¡¯t live for much longer, and the agitation only worsened his health. He coughed out blood. Nue saw it but didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Enough talking! I have to kill Oech!¡± Nue also spat out a mouthful of blood because of the pressure Himmel Soan put on him. If it were a little higher, he would have been crushed. ¡°I want to spare him, but his mind is corrupted. Even I can¡¯t treat him. No matter what you say, he¡¯ll never listen,¡± Himmel Soan explained to the others. Nue said, ¡°You call me crazy, but you¡¯re the crazy one! Do you really think everybody¡¯s going to believe you? ¡°Wake up! They all have eyes, and they all know which of us is crazy!¡± That was the bewitching spell! Nue had used it again. The timing was just perfect. Ordinary people would have been put under his spell, and things would have escalated. However, with Himmel Soan here, he wouldn¡¯t let the man have his way. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting spell. The real Nue is dead, isn¡¯t he? You¡¯ve occupied his mind.¡± The others were astonished. The real Nue was dead? Then who was this man? When and where did the real Nue die? ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Nue panicked, but he wouldn¡¯t admit to what Himmel Soan said. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll show you the truth.¡± Energy burst out of Himmel Soan, and there suddenly were streaks of red smoke in the air. They were the bewitching spell! It seemed to be connected to the purple smoke on Earth. ¡°What¡¯s that red smoke?¡± ¡°Is it a toxic gas?¡± ¡°Of course not. If it were toxic, you would be dead already.¡± ¡°Look! There¡¯s some on you, too!¡± ¡°Where did it come from? Why didn¡¯t we notice it before?¡± ¡°Look! The red smoke seems to be from Nue!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How can it come from Nue? Wait, I think it¡¯s true!¡± The villagers couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. They frowned and couldn¡¯t accept this man as Nue. He was filled with red smoke. They couldn¡¯t even tell if it was a person. The man was a skeleton, and the red smoke was his flesh. Was that Nue? ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Somebody felt sick and covered their mouth. The other people also looked stunned. This was Nue. He looked like a different person. ¡°Mr. Soan, who is this?¡± Toch asked. ¡°He¡¯s what Nue really looks like. You were all put under the spell. That¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t see his real appearance. I¡¯ve extracted the red smoke so that you can see reality,¡± said Himmel Soan. Chapter 398 - To the Dusk Soul Forest What¡­ They were dumbfounded, unable to tell if Himmel Soan was telling the truth. Which was the real Nue? The one they saw or this monster? Things happened so fast that they had a hard time digesting them. It was too unbelievable! ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to accept, but that¡¯s the truth. I noticed something off about him this afternoon. My daughter was roasting the boar, so I didn¡¯t think much of it because nothing had happened yet. ¡°I overheard what Nue was planning tonight, so I came here and showed you who he really was,¡± Himmel Soan said unhurriedly. Toch asked, ¡°Is there no way to help him?¡± Other people also looked at Himmel Soan. They seemed to have forgotten how they had planned to kill Oech and Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t take it to heart. Even if he stood there and let these people attack him, they still wouldn¡¯t leave a mark on him. That was why he wasn¡¯t bothered. Moreover, these people only had that idea because they were under a spell. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that. He was beyond saving for a long time. The Nue you knew died two weeks ago. When the bewitching energy occupied his body, he looked exactly the same as the real Nue. It even spoke to you the same way as him. That was why you never noticed the difference.¡± After telling the others what happened to Nue, he explained who he was, ¡°I think you¡¯re all curious about my identity. You heard it correctly. My surname is Soan! ¡°The eight emperors wouldn¡¯t dare make reckless moves against the Soans. Thy Baih, the main force behind the killing of the Soans, is dead. You don¡¯t need to worry about having me here.¡± Thy had killed himself, and Himmel Soan had met Eman Sket from Stelladom Academy. Only Emperor Oogh, who was the more capable one, was still in seclusion. Himmel Soan still didn¡¯t know his attitude about the Soans, but he didn¡¯t think there would be any major issues. The villagers were relieved to hear this. They weren¡¯t shocked by Emperor Baih¡¯s death. That was too big an issue to be their concern. The death of an emperor wouldn¡¯t affect them directly. Although there would be changes, they wouldn¡¯t do anything major. The villagers¡¯ attitude changed after receiving the news. ¡°Nue doesn¡¯t exist anymore. The heresy cultivators only know evil skills, so they should be destroyed!¡± Himmel Soan summoned a streak of lighting. The red smoke in the shape of Nue couldn¡¯t say a word. It could only face its death. Boom. When the lightning struck, the red smoke vanished as if it had never existed. Nue was gone forever. The villagers weren¡¯t particularly sad. They had seen too much death and had become immune to it. Nue¡¯s death wasn¡¯t any different from any previous deaths. The villagers fell silent as Himmel Soan walked out of their sight. ¡­ The following day, Himmel Soan and Firey bade Oech farewell. ¡°I don¡¯t know when or if I¡¯ll be back. But I¡¯m not worried about that. My top priority is to find Gina. I don¡¯t care where I¡¯ll end up afterward! Even the Void won¡¯t stop me!¡± said Himmel Soan. Firey squeezed Himmel Soan¡¯s hand, trying to cheer him up. They left the village together and headed for the Dusk Soul Forest. Oech watched until they went out of his sight. He remembered when he first met Himmel Soan. Back then, he couldn¡¯t speak their language, and Oech thought the young man was a human trafficker. Only then did he realize how ridiculous that notion was. Why would anyone come all the way here to abduct a child? ¡°Mr. Soan¡­¡± Oech murmured. He was filled with emotions but didn¡¯t know how to express them. Oech sighed and went back home. He saw a few red cores and a letter on the table. It read, ¡°The cores are my gifts for you. Thank you for teaching me your language. ¡°I know you probably trade with cores here, so I¡¯ve changed their property, turning them into harmless essence stones that you can absorb. ¡°Once you absorb all the essence stones, you¡¯ll become a senior Nascent or even junior Virtualization cultivator. ¡°It¡¯ll depend on you. That¡¯s all I can do for you. ¡°There¡¯s something more. Nue is dead. You can ask Toch for details. ¡°That¡¯s all. Take care.¡± Oech was moved by the letter. A capable man like Himmel Soan was treating him like a friend! Of course, he was touched. Moreover, the man had left such a precious gift. Himmel Soan probably knew Oech wouldn¡¯t accept such a gift, which was why he left the stones in his room and wrote him a letter. Oech was confused when he finished reading. How could Nue be dead? How was that possible? He was perfectly fine the day before. How could he be dead now? If the letter hadn¡¯t come from Himmel Soan, Oech would have considered it a prank. It was too out of the blue. ¡°If Mr. Soan is telling me to talk to Toch, he must know the answer!¡± Oech went to see Toch. No one answered when he knocked on the door. He only heard a weak voice when he knocked again. ¡°Who is it? Come in.¡± Oech frowned and pushed the door open. Toch¡¯s hair had turned completely white. He looked old and weak. ¡°Toch, is it time? That¡¯s earlier than I thought.¡± ¡°I only have a few more days left, anyway.¡± Toch laughed but immediately started coughing. ¡°I was waiting to see you one last time¡­¡± Chapter 399 - Elpin Oogh and Erp Oogh ¡°You were waiting for me? Did you know I was coming?¡± Oech was perplexed, but he soon figured it out. Mr. Soan must have arranged it in advance, or he wouldn¡¯t have asked him to talk to Toch. Seeing this, Toch didn¡¯t make any further explanation. ¡°My time in this world will be over after I tell you what happened. Mr. Soan sent you here to ask me about Nue, didn¡¯t he? It happened yesterday¡­¡± Toch¡¯s voice grew weaker and weaker until he couldn¡¯t make any sound. He stopped breathing. Toch had passed away. Oech slowly rose to his feet and sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know so much had happened that night. Rest in peace, Toch!¡± ¡­ Cloud City. The Oogh family manor. A majestic man sat in a chair in the main hall. The chair was covered by the fur of a sacred beast. He picked up a pot of liquor and poured it down his throat. ¡°That¡¯s enough! You¡¯ve had enough!¡± The man next to him folded the fan in his hands. ¡°Who do you think Emperor Oogh is? Me or you? You have no respect for me at all!¡± Elpin pointed at the other man. His order could determine the fate of a person or a city. However, the other man didn¡¯t even blink because he was Erp, Emperor Oogh¡¯s older brother. ¡°When are you going to sober up? Thy is dead, and Viive is the new Emperor Baih. She¡¯s going to be our new target!¡± Erp frowned and gave some instructions. ¡°Right! You¡¯re worried about that. She¡¯s just a harmless girl. We¡¯ll keep her if she behaves. If not, we can always get rid of her! ¡°There¡¯s no need to make a fuss about it!¡± Elpin seemed intoxicated, but he didn¡¯t sound drunk. What he said was actually well-thought. Erp seemed to have anticipated the answer. ¡°Viive isn¡¯t like her master! She won¡¯t agree with us. I¡¯ve tried to win her to our side, but none of the messengers ever returned. She¡¯s not as easy to work with as you think!¡± Elpin smacked the table and jumped to his feet. The table broke and the pieces fell all over the floor. He was angry. Viive had humiliated him and the Oogh family. He wouldn¡¯t tolerate such behavior. ¡°Kill her. We¡¯ll have a new Emperor Baih!¡± Elpin no longer looked drunk. Erp shook his head. ¡°I would have done it if things were that easy. Viive is more capable than you think. Her cultivation level is genuine, which means she¡¯s as capable as you and me! ¡°Even if we work together, it¡¯ll take us a lot of effort to get rid of her. That¡¯s too high a price to pay. ¡°Emperor Tzi is also keeping an eye on her. It won¡¯t do us any good.¡± Elpin wanted to smack the table again, but he forgot the table was already gone and nearly fell on his face. He was so angry that he stomped his foot. The entire Cloud City shook slightly. Just then, they heard a voice. ¡°Elpin, Erp, what are you up to this time? I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re plotting. Behave yourselves when you¡¯re in Cloud City. ¡°That¡¯s my bottom line! Keep it in mind!¡± Emperor Tzi¡¯s voice disappeared as if it had never been there before. ¡°One day, I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± Elpin growled. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Emperor Tzi, but now wasn¡¯t a good time to start a war. He had to wait. ¡°Yes, but our task now is to handle Viive.¡± Erp reminded him. ¡°I know. I heard about the incident. ¡°Thy died because of a Mr. Soan. The hatred turned Viive¡¯s hair white overnight, and she rose to the Emperor stage. ¡°That Mr. Soan is the only enemy she cares about. She can¡¯t think of anything else,¡± said Elpin. He wasn¡¯t a reckless drunkard. His rash side was only a facade, and drinking was his hobby. Contrary to his appearance, Elpin was a meticulous man. Erp nodded. ¡°I heard about that, too. Lasul also seemed to be involved.¡± ¡°Lasul? The brat from the Tzi family? Why is that strange?¡± ¡°He may be a brat, but his cultivation achievement is genuine, too. Don¡¯t underestimate him. You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± Erp warned his brother. Although Lasul was only a Mahayana cultivator, he could easily kill an emperor. Practicing sword skills was one of the ways to reach the ultimate cultivation achievement. With Lasul¡¯s level, he could easily kill an emperor whose cultivation level was fake. ¡°So what if I underestimate him? He¡¯s just a kid. Don¡¯t worry about it. Emperor Tzi is much bigger trouble!¡± Elpin rubbed his chin. Lasul was only a youngster. He decided the boy wasn¡¯t worth his attention. If he had to pay attention to somebody, it would be that cunning Emperor Tzi! ¡°I¡¯ll leave Viive to you. If you can¡¯t handle her, drag Emperor Shwa into it. I need more wine!¡± Elpin started drinking again. Erp sighed, thinking, One day, he¡¯s going to drink himself to death! He unfolded his fan and walked out of the room. Drag Emperor Shwa into it? It wouldn¡¯t be easy! Emperor Shwa and Emperor Zea were quite close. They would always help each other out. Targeting either one meant targeting both of them. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to upset Emperor Shwa. ¡°Maybe I can start with Bandora. I must be discreet!¡± After all, Bandora was Elixir School¡¯s principal. If something went wrong, the pill supply would be affected. He needed a good reason to pick on her. Chapter 400 - Seclusion Over on the other side, Elpin¡¯s face darkened after Erp was gone. He waved at someone behind him. ¡°You can leave now.¡± Nobody answered him. There was no sound. It was as if Elpin was talking to empty air. However, if one looked closely, one would see something moving in the darkness. ¡°That was boring. I thought I could see some action.¡± Elpin turned the ring on his finger. He then started drinking again. He was like this for a reason. Erp was his older brother, and the two of them grew up together. He was supposed to be the next Emperor Oogh. However, the previous emperor changed his mind and let Elpin take the throne. The relationship between the two brothers got complicated. Elpin was guarding against Erp all the time. He had activated his ring because he needed to summon his weapon as soon as something happened. The secret guards hidden in the dark were also capable enough to withstand an Emperor-stage cultivator. Elpin had taken all those precautions because of Erp. ¡°Brother, I hate the idea of declaring war against you one day. But if that day does come, I won¡¯t show you any mercy!¡± Elpin murmured, sipping his wine. ¡­ Erp returned to his room. He unfolded his fan to examine it. All nine poisonous needles were still inside. He carefully removed them and soaked them in the poisonous potion. ¡°Brother, I know you¡¯re waiting for that day. So am I! ¡°Let¡¯s see who will show his hand first!¡± Erp then walked to the window and looked out. He was already thinking about what to do with Bandora. The war between the two brothers was inevitable, but it wouldn¡¯t happen now. They wouldn¡¯t let their sibling rivalry affect other things. Both of them focused on the big picture. ¡°Bandora and Elixir School. Attacking the principal is too far a stretch. Without a proper replacement, the pill supply will become chaotic. We don¡¯t want to see that!¡± To know if there was a suitable replacement for Bandora, he would need to run some investigation in Elixir School. By then, the competition held by Elixir School was over. If he wanted to investigate the school, he would have to make up an excuse. What should he say? ¡°How about asking Bandora to create some pills for me?¡± Erp received a message after coming up with that plan. ¡°Bandora has gone into seclusion. How¡¯s that possible? Why now? ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence! ¡°Has somebody learned my plan beforehand? Who could be the leak?¡± Erp bit off all his fingernails, but he still couldn¡¯t come up with an explanation. It was so hard to believe! He was almost on his way to the school when he received the message. It didn¡¯t make sense. Could Bandora read his mind from afar? Why the seclusion? Bandora was already at the Emperor stage. Why did she need to cultivate in seclusion? ¡°Has he leaked the news?¡± Erp suspected his brother. He had to. It was too much of a coincidence. Elpin was the only other person who knew he was plotting against Bandora. He couldn¡¯t help but suspect his brother. ¡°I can¡¯t make trouble for Emperor Shwa, Emperor Zea, and Emperor Tzi. The other emperors are our allies. ¡°Starwan Tower never gets involved in such things, so they¡¯re out of the picture. ¡°Bandora is my only choice.¡± Erp shook his head. He took the needles out of the potion, inserted them into the fan, and flapped it in his hand. The seemingly unintentional movement was the most lethal one. Once the needles were in the fan, he would flap the fan to dissipate the smell of the poison. Otherwise, other people could pick up the scent. Even if they didn¡¯t know what was going on, they would become suspicious. That was why Erp had the habit of flapping the fan from time to time. Getting rid of the smell was only one of the reasons though. By waving the fan, other people wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to it. That way, he could fire the poisonous needles without arousing suspicion. Erp had never done it in front of other people. He had been saving it for Elpin. He went to see his brother again. Like usual, he called out before going in. ¡°Elpin, I need to talk to you.¡± He then entered the hall. ¡°You¡¯re back. What do you need?¡± Elpin frowned and felt uneasy. Did his brother want to catch him off guard? He had just dismissed the secret guards and switched off his ring. Right now, he was defenseless. However, he knew he couldn¡¯t panic at a moment like this. If he showed his fear, all would be over. ¡°It¡¯s about Bandora. She went into seclusion. You told me to make trouble for Emperor Shwa, but you know that¡¯s impossible. ¡°I was going to take care of Bandora, but like a coincidence, she goes into seclusion,¡± said Erp. He sounded like he was concerned, but he was more focused on Elpin¡¯s reaction. ¡°Seclusion? Now? Is it really a coincidence?¡± Elpin was equally confused. He had no idea what was going on. He only learned Erp¡¯s plan just now. He couldn¡¯t understand it. Was Erp suspecting him? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s such a coincidence. We need to adjust our plan. Let¡¯s find a way to influence Viive. She¡¯s much more useful than Thy. It¡¯s easier than getting rid of Bandora.¡± Elpin nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Chapter 401 - He Killed My Master Erp spent the next month visiting Viive. He tried to win her to his side, but she never took him seriously. All she could think of was Himmel Soan, the man who had killed her master. Apart from that, she also tried to run the Baih family. Nothing else interested her. She wouldn¡¯t even let Erp into the manor. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Erp Ooh is here again,¡± said an elder. ¡°Why should I care? I told you I won¡¯t see him!¡± Viive frowned. She had insisted several times that she wouldn¡¯t see any visitors. However, she kept receiving such reports, and it irritated her. Seeing this, the elder immediately apologized. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Erp is Emperor Oogh¡¯s brother and maybe the future Emperor Oogh. He must be here for a reason. Are you sure this is the right way to¡ª¡± Viive cut him off by raising her hand. ¡°Are you telling me to follow your order? Do I look like I need your help?¡± The elder trembled and dropped to his knees. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that! It¡¯s just¡­ Your master used to have a close relationship with the Oogh family. ¡°Distancing ourselves from them now may not be the reasonable thing to do. Ma¡¯am, please think about it!¡± Viive calmed down a little. Her tone wasn¡¯t as harsh, but it was still rather cold. ¡°Do you know I can kill you for talking to me like that?¡± The elder nodded. He wouldn¡¯t be a competent elder if he didn¡¯t know that. However, it was his job to say these unpleasant things. ¡°I know you¡¯ll listen to me, which is why I said it.¡± ¡°Alright. I see.¡± Viive¡¯s tone softened. The elder was also her master¡¯s brother. He was Thy¡¯s closest sibling when he was still alive. He was also like a teacher to her. When she was little, this uncle was the one who taught her how to read and cultivate. That was why she could put up with him for so long. After an entire month, Viive finally had her rage under control. She still had to kill the man who had killed her master. However, she had received news that Himmel Soan had gone to the Dusk Soul Forest. That man had to have a death wish! She hated Himmel Soan, but she hadn¡¯t lost her mind. If he wanted to get himself killed in the Dusk Soul Forest, she wasn¡¯t that crazy to follow him. However, if Himmel Soan ever got back alive, she would go after him. ¡°Viive¡ªI mean, Emperor Baih.¡± Erp walked in at that moment. ¡°Did you say that on purpose? Viive asked coldly. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m not that bold!¡± Erp claimed he didn¡¯t address her incorrectly on purpose, but he was deliberate. He wanted to see what her cultivation level was. He would negotiate if she was stronger than him. If not, he would subdue her. ¡°You¡¯d better be!¡± Viive snorted. She knew Erp was probing her, but it wouldn¡¯t change anything. She still had to jump into the trap. If she didn¡¯t demonstrate her power now, he would consider her a weakling. She was the face of the Baih family now. Therefore, she would never show weakness in front of others. ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. Unlike my master, I¡¯m very straightforward. Tell me why you¡¯re here. If I¡¯m interested, I¡¯ll consider your offer. Otherwise, there¡¯s no need to continue this conversation,¡± Viive said coldly. Meeting Erp in person was already doing him a big favor. If her uncle hadn¡¯t been convincing her, she would never have agreed to see him. Erp was a little embarrassed. He thought they could exchange pleasantries first. But the other party was so straightforward. Maybe that was better since he didn¡¯t have much to talk about with her. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point, then. The late Emperor Baih had always been close to the Oogh family. Now that you¡¯re the new Emperor Baih, I thought I should drop by and see what your plans are.¡± Viive said indifferently, ¡°Yes, my master used to be close to the Oogh family, but what does it have anything to do with me? ¡°Everybody wants something for themselves. If befriending the Oogh family doesn¡¯t benefit me, why should I do it? ¡°If you really want to talk, show me your sincerity!¡± Viive rose to her feet. Erp wasn¡¯t sincere, so there was no need to keep the conversation going. She was going to leave. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sure we can talk about it!¡± Viive was so blunt that Erp was taken by surprise. She wasn¡¯t anything like her master. Thy was a shrewd man. He would stretch out a conversation and only give consent when he decided it was lucrative enough. Viive wasn¡¯t like that. She would walk away as soon as things didn¡¯t go her way. How scary! ¡°We¡¯re not conducting business here. The relationship between the eight emperors isn¡¯t maintained that way! ¡°I know the Oogh family has never seen eye to eye with the Tzi family, and there are two main forces. You want to have more people on your side. That means you need something from me. You shouldn¡¯t talk to me like that!¡± Viive had seen through everything. She was very mature for her age. Even Thy couldn¡¯t have handled it better. Being young didn¡¯t mean she was lacking wisdom. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get to the point. You must hate Himmel Soan to your core, don¡¯t you?¡± Erp gave her a knowing look. Viive frowned. She didn¡¯t like this feeling, but she had to admit she indeed hated Himmel Soan. ¡°He killed my master. Of course, I hate him! What does that have anything to do with you?¡± Chapter 402 - The Tzi family Viive looked at Erp in disdain. Himmel Soan was her taboo. That man had killed her master! Erp was looking for trouble by bringing up his name. Viive felt Erp was here to dig into her painful past. She snorted and rose to her feet. ¡°See the guest at the door!¡± She gave the command and was about to leave the room. Erp¡¯s following words made her stop in her tracks. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to kill Himmel Soan?¡± Viive was half a step away from the door. She paused when she heard this. ¡°He¡¯s on a one-way trip. I don¡¯t need to do it myself!¡± ¡°Even if he dies in the Dusk Soul Forest, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve had your revenge,¡± Erp said. Viive fell silent. He was right. If Himmel Soan died in the Dusk Soul Forest, it wouldn¡¯t count as taking her revenge. Moreover, she wouldn¡¯t get to decide his fate. She was finally interested in what Erp had to say. ¡°What do you think I should do, then?¡± She took the bait. Erp smiled. ¡°Himmel Soan has gone to the Dusk Soul Forest, but his pupils are still here. I heard he has two pupils in Elixir School. ¡°Since he chose to run away, we should let him know what it feels like to lose those close to him!¡± Viive frowned. She had thought about that possibility before, and she knew who those pupils were, but she didn¡¯t do anything to them. First of all, they were still students of Elixir School. Killing them would create a lot of issues. Secondly, it was Himmel Soan and not his pupils that had killed Thy. To avenge her master, she would obviously go after Himmel Soan. He was the one responsible for everything. The pupils were innocent. There was no need to offend Elixir School. Viive looked at Erp. ¡°Killing the pupils won¡¯t avenge my master either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing! They¡¯re Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils. They should have chosen a better master!¡± Erp had anticipated the problems Viive would raise. He was prepared and had made a plan to convince her. He couldn¡¯t believe Viive would still say such things after what he told her. ¡°They¡¯re still Elixir School students. Killing them will turn me into the school¡¯s enemy. That¡¯s too high a price to pay,¡± said Viive. She already guessed what Erp¡¯s plan was, so she saved him the probing words. Erp chuckled, but his expression became serious. ¡°You don¡¯t need to kill them with your own hands. ¡°If Emperor Baih agrees to make friends with the Oogh family, maybe those two pupils will simply disappear. ¡°The eight emperors have set the rules, forbidding the Soans from showing their faces. Elixir School won¡¯t be able to do anything if two Soans go missing. ¡°Moreover, you won¡¯t know how it happened. All you need to do is to befriend the Oogh family.¡± He meant more than he said. That little speech was his way of showing his sincerity. Once the two families were on friendly terms, the Oogh family would help Viive to kill Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils. It was such a sweet deal. However, why would they do that? Viive was still perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s in it for you? Even if you want to have more forces on your side, you must have more candidates than the Baih family. ¡°You¡¯re befriending us at the price of offending Elixir School. I don¡¯t believe in free lunches. If you really want to be our friends, tell me your real purpose.¡± Erp was surprised. He thought Viive would say yes right away. However, she was much more cautious. Even Thy couldn¡¯t think that far. It was terrifying! If he didn¡¯t do something, Viive would be a major threat in the future. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to start a war against the Baih family. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a price. The Oogh family won¡¯t do it for free. We¡¯ll take the blame for you, but when we go to war against the Tzi family one day, the Baih family must join us!¡± Erp said in an unhurried tone. He was sure that he had closed the deal because Viive had no reason not to help the Oogh family. Viive smirked and walked away after dropping a few words. ¡°Taking your offer will only turn my family into the Tzi family¡¯s enemy. Instead of offending Elixir School, I¡¯ll offend the entire Tzi family. ¡°What a trade-off!¡± Erp was dumbfounded. That was so out of the blue. It wasn¡¯t what was supposed to happen! ¡­ The Dusk Soul Forest. Himmel Soan and Firey entered it again. This time, he felt something different. As he had recovered some of his strength, he could feel the subtle changes here. The spiritual essence here was still very dense. Having stayed in Stelladom, he had gotten used to the spiritual essence level there. The spiritual essence here was so different, almost like heaven and earth. ¡°The spiritual essence is pretty dense here. It should be a perfect place for cultivation. There are no ferocious beasts either. Why is Stelladom so afraid of this forest?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He couldn¡¯t understand. The forest didn¡¯t seem dangerous at all. There were only a few snakes and cat-sized animals. Why was it a restricted area? What was hidden here? If there was a hidden danger, why didn¡¯t he run into it when he traveled for months here? He didn¡¯t even encounter anything strange. It was just like any other forest. The only difference was that Dusk Soul Forest was bigger. ¡°The air is so fresh here!¡± Firey was amazed. Chapter 403 - Burn to the Ground ¡°I landed in this forest when I first came here. You were still resting at that time.¡± Himmel Soan smiled. He remembered how things were when he first arrived here six months ago. This was where he landed, and Gina was also last seen here. Could this forest be the key to answering all his questions? What secret lay inside? What connection did it have with Stelladom? Why was it the barrier to this continent? There were so many questions. Himmel Soan sighed. No matter how intelligent he was, he couldn¡¯t answer all the questions at once. He didn¡¯t know where to start. Even here in the Dusk Soul Forest, he was still at a loss. He needed a way in instead of searching aimlessly. He knew how vast the forest was. Finding traces of Gina here would be looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, so much time had passed, so all the traces should have been washed away. He wouldn¡¯t find Gina if he followed conventional thinking. He only had two choices. He could either go through the forest or try to find out its secret. The grass nearby shuffled slightly. There was a little noise. ¡°Master, let me take a look!¡± Firey was cautious. Himmel Soan nodded. Firey returned almost immediately. Behind her was a giant dead snake. It was where the noise came from. ¡°Master, what should we do with it? Shall we roast it or leave it here?¡± She was already drooling when she asked the question. It was obvious what she wanted. She was waiting for Himmel Soan¡¯s consent rather than for him to choose. ¡°Don¡¯t eat it just yet. I need to do some research,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Firey pouted. It wasn¡¯t the answer she had expected. She thought he would let her cook the snake right away. I should have roasted it before bringing it back. Firey kept those thoughts to herself. In reality, she would always listen to Himmel Soan. She would do it even if he told her to throw away the snake. ¡°It¡¯s just a snake. What¡¯s there to study?¡± Firey asked. She had studied the snake as well. ¡°This forest is the only place in Stelladom where you can find magical beasts. Although they¡¯re animals, they can cultivate, too. ¡°I¡¯m curious how different their cultivation methods are from ours. Maybe we can learn something about this forest through them,¡± Himmel Soan explained to Firey. Firey poked the snake with her finger. ¡°What¡¯s there to study? If the forest is so strange, I can burn it to the ground.¡± A ball of flame appeared in her palm. She understood what Himmel Soan said, but she had no interest in it. Apart from fighting and food, all other things bored her. She didn¡¯t find them intriguing at all. ¡°This is what they call the barrier. Things can¡¯t be that simple. Burning down the forest will cause too many consequences. Among other things, we¡¯ll be facing unnecessary trouble.¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky. Even here, the law of nature seemed to be avoiding him. Was it scared that he would destroy everything? Did the law of nature here have a conscious mind? ¡°Alright. I see,¡± Firey said in resignation. She wanted to burn everything to the ground, but just as her master had said, doing that would create unnecessary trouble. She might look like a naughty girl, but she wouldn¡¯t ask for trouble. ¡°Yes, they cultivate with their cores. I¡¯ve learned that already. Nothing seems to stand out. It¡¯s the same as the other snakes I¡¯ve killed.¡± Himmel Soan rubbed his chin. The dead snake wasn¡¯t any different from other snakes. Was there nothing special about the Dusk Soul Forest? No, that couldn¡¯t be the case. If it were normal, the people of Stelladom would have occupied it already. This place was so beneficial to one¡¯s cultivation. The spiritual essence here was much more valuable than essence stones. Cultivators could absorb the spiritual essence here without any side effects. If one were to compare it with essence stones, the environment here felt like being surrounded by top-grade essence stones. One could make much faster progress here. ¡°There must be something special about this place. I should have asked them!¡± Himmel Soan sighed. If he had asked Bandora before he went on this trip, he probably would have found a way to solve the problem already. Unfortunately, he forgot to do so. ¡°Master, can I roast it now?¡± Firey asked Himmel Soan, who had finished the examination. ¡°Alright. You can roast the snake here. I¡¯ll search the trees.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He had no interest in the snake. He learned nothing from it. Becoming Firey¡¯s food would probably make it more useful. Himmel Soan then jumped onto a tree. The next second, he jumped onto another branch. After a few leaps, he reached the top of the tree. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I couldn¡¯t use my spiritual essence to elevate myself when I came here. ¡°At first, I thought it was the way this world was, but when I saw Luton moving around in the air, I understood. The law of nature is against me. ¡°Why are you hiding from me?¡± Himmel Soan asked the gray sky. Chapter 404 - Reap the Benefit No matter what Himmel Soan said, the sky remained silent. It was as if something was broken. Himmel Soan never doubted he could speak with the law of nature. However, he couldn¡¯t wake it up when it pretended to be asleep. Once he recovered his strength, he would seek the answers to his questions. He would use force if he had to. However, he didn¡¯t come up here for the law of nature. He wanted to examine the surrounding area. He needed to find out how big the forest was so that he could figure out where to go next. It was easy to get lost in a forest. After entering this place, Himmel Soan had a distinct feeling that his mental force had been restricted again. He could only detect things within a mile of him. ¡°I can see the village in the south. There is nothing but trees in the north. I can¡¯t see where they end. ¡°Is the Dusk Soul Forest even larger than Stelladom? ¡°It can¡¯t be. The area of Stelladom is larger than the land area on Earth. If this forest is even bigger than that¡­¡± Himmel Soan was amazed. If that were the case, how big would this planet have to be? He wondered if Stelladom could take up a quarter of the planet. This cultivation world filled with spiritual essence was so much bigger than Earth. Things here had to be much more complicated, too. He got himself involved in all this mess because of Gina. ¡°I guess I have to keep pushing forward and see if I can find anything useful.¡± Himmel Soan jumped off the tree after making up his mind. Firey had turned the snake into a meal. ¡°Master, have a bite! I saved it for you!¡± Firey was drooling, but she wouldn¡¯t eat until her master was back. Himmel Soan had to try it first. ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± he casually commented. He then sat on the ground and thought about other things. Firey didn¡¯t try to talk to him because the food was the most important thing now. Himmel Soan taking a break was the best because he wouldn¡¯t interfere with her meal. After the feast, the snake was completely gone. It was as if it had never existed. It was longer than ten Firey put together, yet she looked exactly the same after the meal. Her weight didn¡¯t change either. It wasn¡¯t strange though. To her, the snake was both food and energy. She could absorb the energy and turn it into her own. Her digestive system did the job for her. That was why Firey could eat a whole snake. Ordinary people would have burst their stomachs. They absorbed the energy in the same way as Firey did, but it took much longer to do so. They would feel full very soon because they couldn¡¯t digest it fast enough. Two hours later, Himmel Soan opened his eyes. ¡°Get ready to leave. I detected something two miles to the north.¡± ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go!¡± Firey jumped to her feet in excitement. She wanted to get there now and take care of that ¡°something.¡± She might find something else nice to eat. Himmel Soan stopped her. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. We don¡¯t want to alarm them. ¡°Let¡¯s walk slowly because I think there¡¯s a fight. We don¡¯t want to get involved. Stay hidden and observe.¡± Firey stopped, feeling a little sorry. After the reminder, of course, she wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless. She didn¡¯t want to alarm them either. She might lose her food. ¡°I know! It¡¯s called ¡®the wolf has a winning game when the shepherds quarrel!''¡± said Firey. Himmel Soan was surprised. He didn¡¯t know Firey was familiar with that expression. She sounded different. But he didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°There¡¯s a battle over there. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right expression to use.¡± Firey thought for a moment and said, ¡°We¡¯re reaping other people¡¯s benefit!¡± Himmel Soan nodded. What a smart girl! It was perfect for the current situation. Himmel Soan and Firey headed in the direction of the battle. If they wanted, they could get there in seconds. However, they chose to walk there. On the way, Himmel Soan kept an eye on the fight. They would show up when one side was losing or when both sides were exhausted. They couldn¡¯t wait for too long. Otherwise, the winning party might get away. One mile. Half a mile. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up!¡± He noticed the sounds getting weaker. There was no time to hesitate. He arrived at the battlefield in a second to see four men and a woman lying on the ground. To his surprise, the battle was between men and magical beasts. He didn¡¯t expect to see any living person here, but here they were. Himmel Soan found it incredible. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Firey dropped a giant black bear on the ground. She had killed the bear in an instant. Although the bear was covered with wounds, one still couldn¡¯t underestimate it. The more it was threatened, the more likely it would go wild. However, this bear didn¡¯t have a chance. It was dead before it knew what was going on. ¡°Alright. Just put it there. I¡¯ll take care of it later.¡± ¡°What about them? Should we also kill them?¡± Firey gestured at the people lying on the ground. If they couldn¡¯t even handle this bear, they really didn¡¯t have many reasons to live. Chapter 405 - Four-Member Team Himmel Soan smacked Firey on the head. He was very serious, but all she knew was fighting and killing. Even if he didn¡¯t ask that question, what she said still wasn¡¯t appropriate. She should never have mentioned it. ¡°Go fix your dinner!¡± He waved Firey off. ¡°Great!¡± Firey happily walked to the other side. She didn¡¯t want to get involved anyway. She wasn¡¯t even thinking when she said those words. She was just glad she didn¡¯t need to stay here. She preferred cooking much more! After she walked away, Himmel Soan spoke to the people on the ground. ¡°The four of you can stop pretending now. If I wanted to kill you, faking your death wouldn¡¯t help you at all.¡± The four of us? Is he talking to us? Those people thought. They slowly opened their eyes, pretending they had just woken up. ¡°Sir, who are you? What is this place?¡± one of them asked Himmel Soan. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pretend you¡¯ve lost your memory. I can see through you. You can¡¯t lie here forever. You¡¯ve lost one member already,¡± said Himmel Soan. He wasn¡¯t here to play nice. These people might be the key to finding Gina. Therefore, he didn¡¯t have time for pleasantries. ¡°We¡¯ve lost one member? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all fine! Why did you say that?¡± ¡°We were only pretending to be asleep. You didn¡¯t need to curse us.¡± ¡°Farit, wake up!¡± The other four people didn¡¯t believe Himmel Soan. They had been working together for a long time and had survived many dangerous situations. Why did this man say that? They knew they had seen better days, but they wouldn¡¯t be intimidated. ¡°Farit? Hey, wake up!¡± ¡°Farit, what are you doing? The beast is dead. Wake up!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Is Farit¡­¡± They finally realized Himmel Soan was telling the truth. Farit was gone! That beast had killed him! Himmel Soan sighed. ¡°Are you going to listen to me now? I saved you from your crisis. If I hadn¡¯t taken care of the bear, you would have all been dead by now! ¡°I think that you can answer a few questions.¡± The team was in sorrow, but they studied Himmel Soan after hearing those words. Although the death of a team member was a traumatic experience, they had gotten used to it. It had happened many times before, and they had gotten numb by now. ¡°Sir, if you want to know something, we can¡ª¡± The man spat out a mouthful of blood before he could finish. He was badly injured in the battle earlier. Life was gradually leaving him. If nothing was done, he would soon die. ¡°Rustam, are you alright?¡± ¡°Rustam, hang in there!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve lost Farit. We can¡¯t lose you!¡± The other three members were anxious. In fact, their injuries were as severe as the other two. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t shown up, they would have all been dead now. The idea embarrassed them. The man had saved their lives, but they were so rude to him at first. ¡°Take these pills.¡± Himmel Soan handed them some medicine. He refined the pills while trying out the furnace, and they were quite handy now. He gave one pill to each of them. The four people stared at the pills in their hands. Rustam only hesitated for a moment before swallowing it. His injury was the severest of the four, and he couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer. He would rather take the risk than sit here until he died. If the pill really could treat his injury, then he would be saved. If it was poisonous, he would be relieved from his misery. Moreover, his death would warn the others. A few minutes passed, but he was still alive. Things seemed to be improving. ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡± Rustam bowed. He could sense he was recovering as they spoke. He was greatly moved. Seeing this, the other three people took the pills as well. They bowed in unison and thanked Himmel Soan. ¡°No need for that. I saved you because I have some questions. Now that you all feel better, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Who are you, where did you come from, and why are you here?¡± Himmel Soan asked three questions in a row. He wanted to know how different it was to cultivate here from cultivating in Stelladom. However, he couldn¡¯t lead with that. These guys might regard him as crazy. He needed to take a detour. ¡°Our exploration team belongs to Starwan Tower. Our specific mission is top secret. We¡¯d rather die than give it away. Sorry about that.¡± Rustam cupped his hands. That was all he could reveal. Everything else was Starwan Tower¡¯s secret, and he had to follow the rules. In fact, he didn¡¯t know much either. ¡°Starwan Tower?¡± Himmel Soan had heard about the organization, but he never looked into it. While searching for Gina through the Zimmer family, Starwan Tower was brought up. However, he went to Elixir School later and recovered much of his strength, so he went directly to the Baih family. As a result, he didn¡¯t know much about Starwan Tower. Chapter 406 - Starwan Towers Secret He hadn¡¯t heard that name again until now. Starwan Tower wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. ¡°Starwan Tower has reached quite far. I didn¡¯t expect to see you people here. Since it¡¯s top secret, I won¡¯t ask any more questions. I¡¯d like to know your thoughts on the Dusk Soul Forest,¡± Himmel Soan asked. After all, he held no grudges against Starwan Tower, and there was no need to go after this team. No matter how far they had reached, it wasn¡¯t any of his business. Therefore, he asked them about their opinions on the forest. ¡°It¡¯s so terrifying that I can hardly breathe!¡± Rustam seemed horrified. The other three didn¡¯t seem any better. ¡°Master, it¡¯s done! We can eat now!¡± Firey¡¯s voice soothed their terror. ¡°Shall we talk over dinner?¡± Himmel Soan nodded at Firey, then asked the four people. ¡°We¡¯d love to talk to you, Sir, but please don¡¯t let me eat it,¡± said Rustam. ¡°It¡¯s just a bear? Why can¡¯t you eat it?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He could tell Rustam was holding something back. Maybe these people had different opinions about magical beasts. This was his chance to find some clues! ¡°Sir, do you not know the reason?¡± Rustam asked in surprise. He immediately regretted saying it. Although he couldn¡¯t tell Himmel Soan or Firey¡¯s cultivation levels, he knew the two of them were very capable. When somebody like that asks you a question, you just answer! However, he asked a question instead. One might think he was probing for an answer! He had said the wrong thing! ¡°No, I don¡¯t. This is my first time here, so I don¡¯t know how this place is different from the world outside. I was going to investigate, but I heard you guys fighting, so I came here. You know the rest.¡± Himmel Soan made up a story. He didn¡¯t need any rehearsal. Those words just came out of his mouth. It was as if that really had happened. He wanted to see if these people could give him any useful information. After all, he couldn¡¯t tell what was so special about the forest. Sometimes, one needed to look at multiple perspectives before finding an answer. ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for bearing with my rudeness. ¡°You ran into us by accident and helped us. We¡¯d like to thank you again for your help. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can repay what you did for us, so I¡¯m going to tell you everything I know about the Dusk Soul Forest! ¡°We accumulated this information during our missions, and we hope it can help you. ¡°Zuxra, the map.¡± Zuxra hesitated. They had created this map after losing so many friends, but she had to give it to an outsider now. She wasn¡¯t convinced. It was drawn at the price of their friends¡¯ lives! This man just walked into the forest and was now going to take their map. She couldn¡¯t believe it! ¡°Zuxra, what are you doing?¡± Rustam sounded displeased. ¡°I just don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right thing to do! We got this map after losing so many friends. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair for them if we give the map away.¡± Zuxra wouldn¡¯t let go of the map. She was ready to fight to her death to guard it. The other two members stood behind her. They felt the same way. Rustam¡¯s face darkened. He had made a promise, and he wasn¡¯t going to break it. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t even be standing here if this gentleman didn¡¯t save us just then. The map means nothing if we¡¯re dead. How can this piece of paper be more important than our lives?!¡± Rustam was so angry that he started panting. He couldn¡¯t understand it. They were all on the same team. They had gone through so many things together. How could this be happening now? The others saw the look on his face. ¡°We understand what you said, and we know how you feel, but you have to understand us, too! ¡°This map is built on the lives of so many friends. We can¡¯t just give it to some random guy! ¡°Even if we have to die, we still don¡¯t think we should give away the map!¡± Rustam was in a dilemma. He couldn¡¯t make his friends change their minds, but he didn¡¯t feel right if he kept the map from the master. He had offered the map to the man already. It was the only valuable thing they had. ¡°Keep the map. Tell me what happened to you in the Dusk Soul Forest. and the reason you can¡¯t eat the beast.¡± Everybody looked at Himmel Soan. They were trying so hard to keep the map, but this man didn¡¯t even want it. How strange. Himmel Soan had a reason not to take the map. Their map probably only showed the outermost layer of the Dusk Soul Forest. They couldn¡¯t have gone deep into it. On the other hand, he wanted to investigate the entire forest, for which he needed to go to the center. Only there could he find the Dusk Soul Forest¡¯s secret. Therefore, a map of the outer area was useless to him. With what he had remembered, Himmel Soan already had an overall layout in his head. He remembered all the paths he had traveled and all the places he had scanned with his mental force. Maybe the map in his head was more detailed than the one these people had. Moreover, he trusted his own map more. Chapter 407 - Incompatible Compared to the map, Himmel Soan cared more about the details. For instance, how this team felt about the Dusk Soul Forest. Since the other party didn¡¯t want the map, Rustam didn¡¯t insist. After all, his teammates refused to give it. By not taking the map, Himmel Soan had relieved the tension between them. ¡°When we came here the first time, we thought the beasts were edible. We ate some beast meat, too. Afterward, we felt a type of energy that was incompatible with our own. It¡¯s the same as the energy in the air.¡± Rustam thought Himmel Soan would understand him. He was talking about the energy in the air, which should be self-explanatory. Himmel Soan frowned. Incompatible energy? The energy in the air was a dense spiritual essence. Would absorbing it have that effect? It shouldn¡¯t, but why did they feel that way? ¡°I see.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He wanted to have another look at the bear¡¯s meat. Turning around, he only saw Firey standing there, looking pleased with herself. The grease on her lips told him where the bear was. Firey had eaten it all. Rustam and his teammates were shocked. ¡°She ate it all?¡± Zuxra swallowed. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. The bear was gone! The only explanation was she had eaten it! ¡°Since you guys won¡¯t eat it, I didn¡¯t want to waste any food. We should cherish what we have, so I ate it all. ¡°Do you want some now? I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s gone!¡± Firey chuckled. She had been listening to their conversation. When Rustam said they couldn¡¯t eat it, she wanted to have the bear to herself. When he explained the reason, she started eating and soon finished the whole bear. Even if the others wanted to change their minds, there was nothing left. ¡°Did you finish the entire bear?¡± Zuxra still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°How did you do it? You¡¯ve eaten more than ten of us put together! How can you still stand up? Even if that were an ordinary bear, it would still be too much for one person!¡± The team members were all astonished. They couldn¡¯t believe it. It was too hard to digest! How could someone finish such a big bear in such a short period of time? The amount of meat aside, they couldn¡¯t understand how she withstood the incompatible energy. ¡°Ordinary people also hunt in the area, but why aren¡¯t they affected by consuming the meat?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He also killed a bear when he first arrived. The bear had a core, so it had to have come out of the forest. After killing the bear, Oech took it back to the village. He then distributed the meat among the villagers. Nothing happened after they ate it. If the incompatibility existed, why weren¡¯t they killed? All the villagers were fine. ¡°The lower one¡¯s cultivation level is, the less severe the effect is. Villagers in the nearby villages are mostly ordinary people and low-level cultivators. That¡¯s why they aren¡¯t affected. ¡°As your cultivation level rises, you¡¯re affected more. Most people getting killed in the Dusk Soul Forest are advanced cultivators. People like us are usually attacked by the beasts.¡± Rustam smiled bitterly. He recalled his friends. So many of them had been killed by the incompatible energy or the beasts. They used to have around thirty people on the team, but there were only four left now. He didn¡¯t know how many of them would return in the end. ¡°I see.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He had an answer, but he wasn¡¯t sure yet. He needed to test it before he knew it was accurate. If his guess was right, he would solve the mystery of the forest. After talking to these people, he needed to test his theories. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you here. I need to go deeper into the woods. See you around.¡± Himmel Soan left with Firey. They left so suddenly that Rustam and his team members didn¡¯t have time to react. When they realized what had happened, the duo was nowhere to be seen. It was as if they had never existed. After a long while, one of them said, ¡°Did we run into a spirit?¡± Rustam frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. That gentleman saved us. Show some respect!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. There¡¯s no need to get angry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been calling him a gentleman the whole time. I almost thought he was your friend!¡± ¡°Have you forgotten we¡¯re your actual friends?¡± Two other team members scolded Rustam. Zuxra immediately intervened, trying to separate Rustam from the other two men. ¡°That¡¯s enough! We¡¯re friends. Isn¡¯t that obvious? Why are we fighting over such a petty thing? ¡°Get some rest! We have a long road ahead!¡± The other two men snorted. They had been displeased with Rustam for a long time. The conflict had stayed under the surface until Farit died. But they couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. They couldn¡¯t put up with Rustam¡¯s attitude and he couldn¡¯t tolerate them either. ¡°That gentleman saved us. Shouldn¡¯t we be grateful? Why couldn¡¯t we give him the map in return? We could always draw another one. Why did you have to embarrass that gentleman and me?¡± Rustam brought it up again. He didn¡¯t want to, but the other two men kept accusing him, so he wanted to shut them up. ¡°You want to talk about the map, don¡¯t you?¡± They smirked. Chapter 408 - Go Separate Ways The issue with the map was the trigger. ¡°Are you seriously going to talk about the map? You¡¯re trading your life with the sacrifice of so many people! ¡°I¡¯d rather die than give away the map! ¡°Rustam, you, of all people, should know better! ¡°I think our friendship has come to an end. Zuxra, are you coming with us?¡± The team was falling apart. Zuxra was dumbfounded. She had always thought no matter how bad their differences were, they would always reconcile in the end. They had gone through so much together. She had lost count of the time they had quarreled. It was almost a daily activity. Still, things always got better in the end. Nobody ever talked about leaving. Zuxra was dumbfounded to see this. ¡°I know we¡¯ve different opinions, but let¡¯s not take it too far.¡± She believed they could still turn things around. ¡°We¡¯ve been through so much together. Although we had fights, we still care about each other! ¡°Please don¡¯t say things we can¡¯t take back. Let¡¯s all take a good rest and continue our journey tomorrow.¡± Zuxra wanted to play the peacemaker and calm down the three men. However, nobody listened to her, including Rustam. Rustam said, ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go our separate ways. This is where we part. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with one another! ¡°Zuxra, you can come with either side. It doesn¡¯t matter to me. That¡¯s all I have to say. Bye!¡± Rustam walked in another direction. He showed no hesitation. There were no good feelings between them anymore, so it wasn¡¯t strange that something like this happened. Rustam had been ready to leave for a long time. He could feel there was a sense of separation among the team. As they lost more members, that feeling became more prominent. Even if the other men hadn¡¯t said anything, he was going to leave anyway. The team wasn¡¯t what it used to be. Zuxra burst into tears as she watched Rustam leave. She wanted to hold him from behind and tell him that she was on his side. However, she didn¡¯t have the courage. She could only watch as Rustam walked out of her sight. With him gone, there were only three people on the team. ¡°I think we should return. There are only three of us left, so I think our mission is half-finished. The chief wouldn¡¯t blame us.¡± The two men nodded at each other without seeking Zuxra¡¯s opinion. They would make all the decisions from now on. If they thought it was alright, they would do it. If not, they wouldn¡¯t. Zuxra was irrelevant. ¡­ ¡°Master, I think they had a fight,¡± said Firey. She could sense what happened even from so far away. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t need her reminder, though. However, he was an outsider and had no excuse to intervene. ¡°Firey, do you think he¡¯ll be safe on his own?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Firey thought for a moment. If she were alone in this forest, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be in any danger. But Rustam wasn¡¯t her, so she couldn¡¯t say for sure. She didn¡¯t know anything about him. Therefore, when her master asked that question, she needed to think it over. ¡°If he explores this forest on his own, he¡¯ll have an accident in a few days.¡± Firey shook her head. She was already giving Rustam a lot of credit. Still, she reached the same conclusion. The bear she just ate could wipe out that entire team. If they ran into another one, without Himmel Soan¡¯s help, they wouldn¡¯t be that lucky. ¡°Let¡¯s follow him around for a few more days. We can observe how he survives in the forest. Maybe we can find an answer to the incompatible energy he talked about.¡± Himmel Soan soon made a decision. Rustam had left a good impression on him because he had been trying to repay him ever since he saved the team. There was also the episode with the map. Therefore, Himmel Soan wanted to help him. Well, he was more like a secret guardian angel. As for the three-man team, he felt they could protect themselves. They had suggested returning, so they wouldn¡¯t stay in the forest for too long. He didn¡¯t need to worry about them. ¡°Are we going to follow him in secret?¡± Firey asked curiously. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s not reveal ourselves. We¡¯ll give him a hand when he¡¯s in danger.¡± If they showed up now and let Rustam follow them around, it would feel rather strange. There would be caution and tension between them. Following Rustam in secret was a better choice for Himmel Soan. He wanted to see him as who he genuinely was. The following day, Firey rubbed her rumbling stomach. It had been a while since she last ate. She couldn¡¯t follow the man in silence like this. Several times, she almost ran out of her hiding place when she sensed some danger. Luckily, Himmel Soan stopped her in time. The beasts making those noises would have all turned into Firey¡¯s dinner. The more she ate, the stronger she became. Himmel Soan had observed the energy flow in her body. Everything was going in the right direction. The beasts were like candies to her without any side effects. ¡°Calm down. They¡¯re just some magical beasts. There¡¯s no need to get so excited. I heard there are scared beasts out there.¡± Chapter 409 - Stay Alive Himmel Soan¡¯s words intrigued Firey. He wanted to appease her so that she wouldn¡¯t make trouble for him now. Firey¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard the words ¡°sacred beast.¡± A sacred beast sounded much fancier than magical beasts. It would definitely taste better! She immediately lost interest in the petty magical beasts. The sacred beasts were her new goal. ¡°Master, when are we going to look for the sacred beasts? I don¡¯t think Rustam will die. He just needs to be careful. Nothing will happen! ¡°Let¡¯s find some sacred beasts!¡± Firey urged her master. Of course, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t listen to her. He was the one who told her about the sacred beasts. He wasn¡¯t going to be tempted by her. ¡°Firey, behave yourself, or I won¡¯t take you to the sacred beasts. This task will be completed in a couple of days. If you delay it, I¡¯ll hold you responsible! ¡°Besides, sacred beasts aren¡¯t that easy to spot. If you want to find them sooner, we need to figure out the mystery about the Dusk Soul Forest!¡± Himmel Soan tried to persuade Firey. He was worried that she would do reckless things. Apparently, his concern was unnecessary. Although she tended to do reckless things, with his orders, she would behave, no matter how much she was itching for action. ¡­ Three days later in Stelladom, Zuxra and her two friends returned to Starwan Tower. ¡°Zuxra, Gadel, please wait a moment. The chief will be here soon!¡± Gadel nodded and waited with Zuxra. Before long, they were led to see the chief. They heard Ley Nim¡¯s voice before going inside. ¡°Why are there only the three of you? I know all the tasks are dangerous, but you came back before you completed the mission. You do know the consequences, don¡¯t you?¡± Ley¡¯s voice was cold and without any emotions. It was almost like a machine talking. Ley wasn¡¯t angry because these people were incompetent. What disappointed her was their retreat without completing the mission. That was unacceptable! ¡°Chief, I know we came back before we should have. We wouldn¡¯t have defied your order if we had any other choice. If we hadn¡¯t returned now, we might never have been able to come back! ¡°After much consideration, we decided to withdraw first and tell you what happened in the Dusk Soul Forest.¡± Gadel pressed his forehead on the ground and didn¡¯t dare look at Ley. Even if he raised his head, he wouldn¡¯t see Ley¡¯s face because there was a screen between them. Ley chuckled. ¡°What a nice excuse. We¡¯ve had so many teams like yours. They all backed out and came back at the last minute. They sounded just like you. Do you know what happened to them?¡± That sounded like a death penalty in Gadel¡¯s ears. There was no mention of punishing him, but basically, Ley was telling Gadel that his excuse didn¡¯t work. It was something Ley had heard too many times before. ¡°Chief, we have more news!¡± ¡°We ran into a girl with red hair and a red dress in the forest!¡± Exasperated, Gadel brought up Firey. He knew if he didn¡¯t say something now, he would never have another chance. Ley frowned at the mention of the girl. The punishment could wait. ¡°Speak. If the information is useful, I may spare your lives. If not, you¡¯ll be wasting my time!¡± Gadel was relieved when he realized Ley was interested. It was a risky bet. If he couldn¡¯t raise their chief¡¯s intrigue, he would have been dead by now. Luckily, their chief was interested in the girl. ¡°We were attacked by a bear and could have all been killed when this girl appeared out of the blue and saved us! ¡°Without her, we wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Gadel talked about Firey as if they were close. ¡°Get to the point.¡± Ley cut him off. ¡°The girl didn¡¯t feel the incompatible energy. She ate a whole bear on her own! ¡°The bear was dead, but that energy was still inside it. It would definitely raise an incompatible feeling. But nothing of the sort happened!¡± Gadel told Ley everything he knew about Firey. He described all her moves to the greatest detail. He even asked the other two to remind him, fearing that he might miss something. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she with a young man in white?¡± Ley asked. Gadel was perplexed. He only mentioned Firey and never said a word about Himmel Soan. However, Ley still knew the man. Could they have met before? That had to be the case. Otherwise, why was their chief so interested? They had to know each other. Gadel nodded. ¡°Yes, there was a young man of that description. The girl addressed him as master. I was just about to tell you!¡± He said respectfully as if he was telling the truth. Ley didn¡¯t think much of the trivial things. ¡°Tell me everything about them, and maybe you get to live!¡± Ley made an offer. Gadel¡¯s only goal was to keep himself alive. He could finally feel safe! Chapter 410 - Ginas Pupil He described what Firey and Himmel Soan had done. Ley thought for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The three people felt uneasy. They were so sure they were going to die! With what the chief had said, they were so close to hearing their death sentence. Luckily, they got through it. As for why the mention of those two people could change his mind, they had no idea. As long as they were safe, anything else didn¡¯t matter. After leaving the hall, Zuxra bit her lip and moved closer to Gadel. ¡°Hey, come to my room tonight¡­¡± She ran off after that. She liked Rustam and wanted to get intimate with him. However, he didn¡¯t share her feelings. Zuxra had decided her future a few days ago when the team split up. Now that they had survived, she felt she should do something with Gadel. She even felt glad that she didn¡¯t follow Rustam. Otherwise, who knew what trouble she would be in now? ¡­ After the three people left, Ley sat on the chair, pondering over the information. ¡°Himmel Soan and Firey¡­ ¡°The Soans are so incredible! ¡°After killing Thy, they went to the Dusk Soul Forest. Are they there to find a way to break the barrier? ¡°No, that can¡¯t be the case. They must have another reason. ¡°Gina Zimmer, Emperor Zimmer, and Himmel Soan. Things are getting more and more interesting! ¡°It¡¯s like a chess game, and the chess pieces are time and space!¡± Ley murmured. She seemed to notice something very interesting. A bystander saw through everything, and Ley was a bystander. She soon formed her own theory. Stelladom was like a chessboard. Everything was a chess game, and everybody was a chess piece. She wondered what kind of chess piece she was and to whom it would belong. She chuckled. It was a pleasant sound. ¡°Fetch my dress!¡± She commanded. A maid came in. She was Ley¡¯s only pupil and servant. In the entire Starwan Tower¡ªno, the entire Stelladom¡ªthis maid was the only other person who knew Ley was a woman. ¡°I remember you¡¯re from the Zimmer family, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ley asked. ¡°Yes, why?¡± Jui was surprised. Her master had always known that, so why did she bring it up now? ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I guess I¡¯m getting old and like to think about things from before. ¡°Emperor Zimmer is your previous master. What a shame. Why did she disappear? ¡°If she were still here, she¡¯d see the person she¡¯s been missing day and night,¡± said Ley. Jui was perplexed. Ley reminded her of the old times. Gina and Ley used to be best friends. They had made an arrangement about Jui. They talked about if one of them wasn¡¯t around one day, the other one would be Jui¡¯s master. It was only a joke at first. It had never occurred to them that the joke would turn out to be true. Jui was brought back by Ley as her pupil, but there was no public announcement. Ley used to be called Rey. She changed her name after Gina disappeared. She became much quieter, too. Today, she looked like her old self again. ¡°You¡¯re not old, Master! You¡¯re always young! Why did you mention Master Zimmer?¡± Jui asked. She didn¡¯t understand where the conversation was going. ¡°Himmel Soan. Have you forgotten that name?¡± Ley smiled. ¡°Himmel Soan?!¡± Jui trembled and burst into tears. ¡°That¡¯s the name my master couldn¡¯t stop talking about! Has he shown up? Is he here in Stelladom?¡± Jui had a log of questions. Ley was also affected by her emotions. It had been a while since she felt that way. Today was an exception. ¡°You don¡¯t need to call me master anymore. Call me Nim like you used to. ¡°We still need to find out if he is the Himmel Soan that your master has been waiting for. She has been missing for so long. We don¡¯t know if he¡¯s a different man with the same name. ¡°He has a girl with him. She seems to be his daughter. You¡¯ll need to be prepared for these things,¡± Ley said slowly. She meant every word. In fact, she was almost certain that Himmel Soan was the person on Gina¡¯s mind. Otherwise, why would he enter the Dusk Soul Forest? He had also gone after Thy. The signs all pointed to the fact that he was THE Himmel Soan. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s the one. I must look into it. Nim, please tell me where that Himmel Soan is now. I must ask him in person! I need to know what took him so long?! ¡°It¡¯s too late!¡± Jui sounded like she was going to make Himmel Soan pay. But he was the man that her master loved. There was nothing she could actually do. She probably wasn¡¯t his match either. Should she talk to the man or accuse him? Her master had been missing for so many years. Blaming other people wouldn¡¯t change anything. Jui gradually calmed down. She only felt disappointed. ¡°Himmel Soan has entered the Dusk Soul Forest, probably trying to find news on Gina,¡± said Ley. Jui smiled bitterly. ¡°The Dusk Soul Forest? How is he going to find anyone there? It¡¯s probably just for show!¡± Ley rubbed her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. ¡°Himmel Soan is the man your master loved. Don¡¯t you believe in her taste?¡± Chapter 411 - A Sacred Beast Her master¡¯s cultivation partner had to be an extraordinary man. Why did it take him so long to come here? Her master had waited for that man for many years, but was he really worth it? ¡°Even if he might be better than my master, what good will it do to him by going into the Dusk Soul Forest? Even my master went missing there. What can he possibly do?¡± Jui sighed. She knew it was too late to say anything now. She couldn¡¯t go look for Himmel Soan in the Dusk Soul Forest. Even if she found him, what would she say? Should she tell him to stop searching or let him continue? By the looks of it, she should probably stay here. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s just wait and see what happens. If he really is that capable, maybe he can bring your master back. Otherwise, we¡¯ll forget about him and pretend he never showed up. We¡¯ll only have good news in that way,¡± said Ley. Jui nodded. She couldn¡¯t possibly forget about it. Her master was concerned. Deep down, she hoped Himmel Soan would find her master and bring her back. ¡­ The Dusk Soul Forest. Himmel Soan looked up at the sky and pondered about the Dusk Soul Forest¡¯s secret. What kind of mystery was hidden here? ¡°I¡¯ve figured out the incompatible energy. The law of nature here was an integral part of the one in Stelladom, but they aren¡¯t the same. Neither one seems complete. ¡°The law of nature followed by Stelladom cultivators differs a lot from the law of nature here. ¡°As a result, when one absorbs spiritual essence in the Dusk Soul Forest, the two types of energy repel each other, causing certain changes,¡± said Himmel Soan, rubbing his chin. Most people couldn¡¯t withstand such a reaction. The more spiritual essence they absorbed, the more obvious the effect was. Ordinary people and low-level cultivators hadn¡¯t touched the law of nature yet, so they weren¡¯t affected. That was the conclusion Himmel Soan had reached. ¡°Why are we fine then?¡± Firey was confused. She knew more than eating and fighting. She did think about such things. ¡°We both have some special qualities, and the law of nature on Earth was complete. Therefore, we aren¡¯t confined by these things. ¡°I now understand why these people consider this place a restricted area. Someone knows the reason. For instance, Starwan Tower!¡± Himmel Soan explained to Firey. He was pleased that Firey didn¡¯t bring up food again. Finally, they could talk about serious issues! Special qualities? Yes, she was the heart of the volcano. What about her master? Firey thought about it and realized she didn¡¯t know what Himmel Soan¡¯s qualities were. She didn¡¯t even know his cultivation level. All she knew was he hadn¡¯t recovered all his power yet and was still getting stronger. Still, they hadn¡¯t met anyone that was her master¡¯s match. Thy and all the assassins could only exchange a few blows before being defeated. And they were already very advanced cultivators. Thy was an Emperor-stage cultivator, but he didn¡¯t stand a chance when facing Himmel Soan. If her master recovered all this power, he could easily turn the planet upside down. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get going. We need to find the sacred beasts as soon as possible. I think the sacred beasts here should have gained intelligence, just like you. ¡°It¡¯ll be great if we can communicate with them!¡± said Himmel Soan. Firey shook her head repeatedly. If the sacred beast could speak, she couldn¡¯t treat them as her food anymore. It would be such a loss! She wanted to experience the legendary sacred beasts. Would they taste much better than the bears and snakes? ¡°Master, I detected some fire energy over there. It¡¯s very powerful, more powerful than when I release my full strength! ¡°Can it be a sacred beast?¡± Firey pointed to the west. Himmel Soan frowned a little. It would have been great news if that were the direction they were going. He didn¡¯t want to lose his way by fighting with a sacred beast. He could walk back to where he started. ¡°Based on your description, I think that¡¯s a sacred beast. We can¡¯t find many creatures that are more powerful than you. Advanced cultivators can¡¯t get in here. If its fire is stronger than yours, it has to be a sacred beast.¡± Himmel Soan agreed with Firey. It was the only explanation. He had to admit that although she was a little short-tempered, she could be very meticulous. If the fire energy was stronger than Firey¡¯s, what else could it be? A magical beast was weaker than a sacred beast, so it was obviously not that. No matter what kind of a beast it was, if it could talk, it would be useful. They suddenly heard a scream coming from the west. Both Firey and Himmel Soan noticed it. It was the Starwan Tower members they ran into the other day. What happened to them? These people were so unlucky. After they were almost killed, they ran into what seemed to be a sacred beast. Talk about bad luck. ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look,¡± said Himmel Soan. They were here for the sacred beast. It would be all the better if he could save someone. How efficient. This time, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t wait. He and Firey ran toward the sound. Chapter 412 - Fire Phoenix They arrived at the scene to find everything in a mess. There were flaming pits on the ground, and the fire seemed inextinguishable. The stones and trees nearby all exploded as if there was a world war. Himmel Soan saw a single person on a spot where the ground was still intact. It was Rustam! ¡°Are you alone? Where are the others?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Rustam was shocked to see him again. He felt conflicted because he didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing or not. He hesitated before saying, ¡°Sir, why are you here?¡± Clunk¡­ They heard the loud sound made by a phoenix. All three of them looked up at the sky. It was a fire phoenix with flaming red feathers. Its tail took up two-thirds of its entire length. Three bright red feathers stood on its head like a crown. The phoenix opened its beak to create a ball of fire. ¡°Run! It¡¯s a sacred beast. I¡¯m sorry to get you in danger!¡± Rustam said anxiously. He wanted Himmel Soan to escape as soon as possible, not wishing to see him get injured. The gentleman had saved him once. ¡°Where are your companions? Are they all dead?¡± Himmel Soan asked calmly. The bird didn¡¯t pose any threat to him. He couldn¡¯t care less about it. He only tried to solve his own problem. ¡°We had a fallout, so we went our separate ways. I don¡¯t know where they are now.¡± Rustam sighed. He didn¡¯t want to get the gentleman involved, but it was too late for that. He had no idea why he seemed so calm, but he still answered his question. ¡°I se¡ª¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± Rustam cut Himmel Soan off. He ran behind him and spread his arms to shield him. He closed his eyes, ready to die. There was a flash of light, but he didn¡¯t feel anything. He slowly opened his eyes. The ground was still covered with debris. It wasn¡¯t a dream, but why didn¡¯t he feel anything? ¡°I think the bird has been making fun of you.¡± Himmel Soan examined the wounds on Rustam¡¯s back. ¡°Sir, thank you for saving me again!¡± Rustam was thrilled. He had to be an idiot not to realize what had happened. The gentleman must have saved him from death! He saw the phoenix spitting out a small ball of fire, so he immediately shielded Himmel Soan with his own body. The attack was from behind. He thought even his savior couldn¡¯t withstand it. Himmel Soan had saved him once, so he wanted to return the favor. However, he worried too much because he got saved once more. ¡°I can tell from the pits on the ground and the wounds on your back that the bird has been playing you. ¡°It can kill you in an instant, but it gave you all these injuries. It doesn¡¯t want to kill you. Maybe it hasn¡¯t had enough fun yet.¡± Himmel Soan activated his spiritual essence to treat the wounds on Rustam¡¯s back, a gift from the phoenix. There were three bloody scratches. They weren¡¯t shallow cuts, but they weren¡¯t deep enough to kill Rustam. The bird did it on purpose. ¡°I saw that, too. It turned me into a circus monkey. The fireballs came slowly and would deliberately miss me. It enjoyed seeing me getting flustered. ¡°I gave up once and stopped dodging. That was when it left the scratches on my back.¡± Rustam sighed. He was only a Virtualization cultivator. There was nothing he could do to a sacred beast. It was like when he went to see the eight emperors. He wouldn¡¯t dare look them in the eye. Hence, he could only be played like a circus monkey. If the gentleman hadn¡¯t arrived, the sacred beast would keep treating him like a toy. When the phoenix was bored, or he was exhausted, this nonsense would end. ¡°Master, I¡­¡± Firey looked eagerly at the bird. She knew she couldn¡¯t defeat the fire phoenix, or she would have charged at it and turned it into her food. The bird and Firey had the same attribute. Absorbing the fire phoenix would benefit her greatly. The fire phoenix felt the same way. ¡°Human, let¡¯s make a deal. He can leave with you if you give her to me!¡± the fire phoenix suddenly started talking. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t surprised. Even Firey had taken a human form; a talking fire phoenix was completely normal. Maybe the bird could become a human one day, too. ¡°Why should I trade with you? Why do I have to choose one? Can¡¯t I have them both?¡± Himmel Soan smiled. He would like to communicate in a civilized way. To know the Dusk Soul Forest, the best way was to ask the natives here. The fire phoenix didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, she found the human being rather amusing. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for many years. You¡¯re the first human that can keep his composure in front of me. Alright, I¡¯ll let you take them both under one condition. ¡°Fight with me. If you win, they can leave with you. If not, the three of you will be my toys!¡± The fire phoenix sounded relaxed, but she was very cautious. She didn¡¯t think Himmel Soan was an ordinary man, but she couldn¡¯t see anything special about him either. He had no signs of spiritual essence. He was like a corpse with a beating heart. However, such a man had just parried her attack. Chapter 413 - I Win, You Come with Me It was just a casual strike, but she was a sacred beast, so all her strikes contained a lot of energy. If this man could fend it off so easily, she would start doubting her power. How annoying! This man must be very capable but managed to hide his real strength. That was why she suggested the fight. She wanted to find out the man¡¯s real capability. ¡°Alright, but you¡¯re in the sky the whole time. Am I going to fight you in this way?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°That¡¯s my advantage. Can¡¯t I use it? Alright. I¡¯ll make it easier for you.¡± The fire phoenix turned into a woman and landed on the ground. She was as pretty as Firey, if not better. She also resembled Gina a little. Himmel Soan watched her face in astonishment. His lips trembled, and he couldn¡¯t speak a word. Tears were glistening in his eyes. The fire phoenix was dumbfounded. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a competition? Why was the man suddenly crying? Sensing something was off, Firey took Himmel Soan¡¯s hand and stood in front of him. ¡°Master, are you alright?¡± Firey asked. She looked at the fire phoenix, alarmed. The fire phoenix shrugged. She hadn¡¯t done anything yet, but he was already crying! It wasn¡¯t her fault. She was confused, too. Earlier, the man was so calm that nothing could affect him. All of a sudden, he started crying without rhyme or reason. She wondered if he was shocked by her beauty. ¡°Firey, it¡¯s alright.¡± Himmel Soan took a few deep breaths. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s begin. Firey, move aside.¡± Firey glanced at him before stepping aside. She was very sensitive to changes in Himmel Soan¡¯s emotions and knew when he was affected. Himmel Soan slowly calmed down. He was still a little excited, but it wasn¡¯t enough to affect him. ¡°You look like her, but you¡¯re not her.¡± The fire phoenix was confused. Only Firey knew what it meant. She immediately understood why Himmel Soan lost his composure earlier. The fire phoenix was utterly confused. Was that a riddle? ¡°I don¡¯t look like anybody! I am unique!¡± The fire phoenix snapped. ¡°I have one more condition. If I win, you¡¯re coming with me.¡± Himmel Soan made a decision. It wasn¡¯t impulsive or anything. He had made up his mind after thinking it through. He had a few reasons. First of all, the fire phoenix was a sacred beast and knew a lot of things. If she came with him, she could tell him many things he needed to know. Secondly, the fire phoenix might lead them to Gina. Last but not least, Himmel Soan had a personal reason: the fire phoenix looked a lot like Gina. Maybe she knew her. Even if she didn¡¯t, he could still bring her along. Maybe something interesting would happen when he found Gina. ¡°Coming with you?¡± The fire phoenix frowned. She liked her freedom and didn¡¯t want to follow anybody. But would she lose? Never! Even if she lost, she could always go back on her words. The fire phoenix made up her mind and agreed to Himmel Soan¡¯s terms. ¡°My name¡¯s Phoe Zimmer. Be careful!¡± Phoe launched her attack right away. She wanted to strike the instance she said her name, thinking Himmel Soan¡¯s guard would be down and that she could defeat him with a single strike. That way, she wouldn¡¯t need to go with him. These three would become her toys. Bang! There was a loud noise. Sensing something awry, Phoe quickly fell back. She stopped after a few dozen meters. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?!¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t move an inch, yet he didn¡¯t have a scratch on him. She used 50% of her power in her earlier strike. Why wasn¡¯t he injured at all? The trees around the man all fell to the ground. The broken twigs and branches were reduced to ash from the impact. ¡°Why are you still alright? This can¡¯t be happening! ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Phoe struck again. This time, she appeared behind Himmel Soan and punched him with 80% of her power. Immediately after that, she flew into the sky and spat out a large ball of fire. She resumed her human form and returned to her original spot. She made another strike with 80% of her power. All of this was done in an instant. Three attacks containing 80% of Phoe¡¯s power came toward Himmel Soan at the same time. She was sure no one could withstand that kind of force. ¡°Have I gone too far? I hope I don¡¯t blast him into pieces. ¡°Sister Zimmer told me not to kill anybody. Have I broken my promise? ¡°What am I going to do? ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s an accident! I¡¯m sure Sister Zimmer won¡¯t be angry with me!¡± Phoe mumbled. She did everything on instinct. After the strikes, she began to worry if Himmel Soan could withstand the attacks. If not, she would have killed someone! That was the last thing she wanted to see. She could only pray Himmel Soan could withstand the attacks. Thump! Dirt filled the air after the explosions. ¡°It¡¯s so dusty!¡± Firey didn¡¯t like it at all. She took a fan out of her ring. With a few swipes, she cleared the dust in the air. Only then did Phoe see what was going on. Himmel Soan still stood where he was without moving an inch while Firey was flapping a fan. Rustam was sitting on the ground, recovering from his injury. The area around them still had an even ground. They were surrounded by deep pits. Chapter 414 - Win without Fighting ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± Phoe was surprised. She knew Himmel Soan was powerful because he had dodged her attacks without any difficulty, but he never did anything extra. That was so strange. If he could withstand that kind of strike, his attacks would be equally powerful. ¡°I¡¯d rather win without fighting. I don¡¯t want to fight you. I want you to surrender,¡± Himmel Soan said earnestly. Phoe resembled Gina so much that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to fight her. He couldn¡¯t do it even without the resemblance. Who could bring themselves to harm a girl? ¡°Are you scared of hurting me? That¡¯s an insult! Do I look so fragile to you? Be serious! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to force you to fight!¡± Phoe was enraged. She used 80% of her strength, but he still wouldn¡¯t do anything. That was such a humiliation! Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. Was she blaming him for not attacking her? So be it. He didn¡¯t want to fight her anyway. Phoe was shaking with anger, thinking Himmel Soan was brushing her off. She turned into the fire phoenix again and spat out a massive fireball that contained all her energy. It was three times the size of her body. The fireball kept growing bigger until it grew by five times. It shrank immediately after that and became the size of the phoenix again. However, it only concentrated its power. The fireball was more like a mini sun now. The white light it gave off was blinding. Even Firey couldn¡¯t look at it, let alone Rustam. She could sense it even with her eyes closed. Boom. Phoe launched her attack. The fireball came charging at Himmel Soan. Although she had accumulated her energy, the attack wasn¡¯t slow. It was fast like lightning and hit Himmel Soan within a second. Trees and rocks within a couple hundred miles were burnt to ash. The entire forest shook under the might of the collision. The impact went all the way to Stelladom, and the people there felt it. A giant cloud of smoke rose above Himmel Soan. Only then did Phoe realize what she had done. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯ve overdone it! The man must have been vaporized. I¡¯m in big trouble! ¡°Tiger, Dragon, and Spider, I didn¡¯t mean to do that! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Phoe¡¯s lips quivered. She would probably have to go into hiding. She was in big trouble! With the noise she had made, she would have a lot of questions to answer. More importantly, she had violated her agreement with Gina. ¡°Nice move!¡± Somebody clapped. That was fast. Phoe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. How could anyone arrive so soon? No! That voice came from¡­ Phoe looked in Himmel Soan¡¯s direction. She was even more shocked. ¡°He¡¯s still alive!¡± Firey fanned the smoke and dust away again. She was furious. She would have charged at the bird if she were Phoe¡¯s match. Flapping the fan like this was really tiring. The bird should stop making useless attacks and stirring up all the dust. That was so rude! ¡°Are you ready to give in?¡± Himmel Soan chuckled. ¡°Yes! Yes, I am! I¡¯m going with you! Now!¡± Phoe landed right next to Himmel Soan and urged him to leave. ¡°That was fast. I thought you were going to keep trying your useless attacks,¡± Firey said sarcastically. Before, Phoe would have launched another attack, but now, she pretended she hadn¡¯t heard a thing. ¡°Yes, I give in! I do! Just take me away with you. Boss, just get me out of here!¡± Phoe urged him while keeping an eye on her surroundings. She wished she could disappear at this instant. Firey laughed. What was this girl doing? Was she an actress or something? Firey didn¡¯t think Phoe would honor the agreement even if Himmel Soan won, but what just happened? ¡°Why do you want to leave? What are you afraid of?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Stop asking questions. You¡¯re so capable, so just take me with you!¡± Phoe pressed. She seemed anxious, but it only made Himmel Soan more curious. ¡°I¡¯ll only leave once you give me a reason. If not, well, I think somebody¡¯s coming. You seem to be hiding from them.¡± Himmel Soan sensed several sources of incredible power heading their way. He immediately connected Phoe¡¯s reaction to it. She must be hiding from those sources of energy. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell you, but only after we leave this place! Hurry up! We won¡¯t go anywhere if they¡¯re here! ¡°Just get me out of here! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Phoe stomped her foot in frustration. She looked like a cat on a hot tin roof. ¡°Tell me who you¡¯re running from and why,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°I told you already. I¡¯ll¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. Her mouth fell open, and she couldn¡¯t believe what she saw. The pits in the ground were all filled up as if nothing had happened. Everything returned to when she saw Rustam. ¡°You¡¯re concealing my energy!¡± Phoe cried out. ¡°Yes, no one will notice you even if they¡¯re close. We¡¯re almost invisible. They won¡¯t notice us. You have all the time in the world to answer my questions,¡± Himmel Soan said calmly. He helped Phoe with his spiritual essence. As a result, he was back to having 10% of his total strength. Chapter 415 - Forest Meeting If he were to fight Phoe now, he would definitely lose. However, the battle was over, and Phoe had lost. She should keep her promise and leave with him. Himmel Soan found his spiritual essence well-spent. ¡°Are you sure about this? I don¡¯t feel I¡¯m concealed. Are you sure it¡¯ll work? What if they notice me when they¡¯re here?¡± Phoe asked anxiously. Firey got displeased. ¡°My master has told you it¡¯ll be fine. Why are you so paranoid? Shall I throw you out and let those people discover you? Will you regret asking so many questions then? You talk even more than me!¡± Phoe didn¡¯t react to Firey¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t want to get thrown out. That couldn¡¯t happen! She decided to give it a go. She didn¡¯t have any better choice anyway. She couldn¡¯t give up on this chance. That man could change the terrain and turn everything back to what it used to be. With that kind of power, he might actually be able to make her invisible. However, she was still worried. ¡°Answer my question after they¡¯re gone,¡± said Himmel Soan. With Phoe agreeing to stay with him, he could soon get the answers. There was no need to rush her. He had waited for so many years. A few more minutes wouldn¡¯t make a difference. The powerful energy soon approached them. There was a dragon with red wings, a tiger with two heads, and beasts like bats, spiders, wolves, and lions. There were twenty sacred beasts in total, and they all turned into humans when they landed. A hubbub of discussion started. ¡°What happened?¡± the two-headed tiger asked. ¡°How are we supposed to know?¡± said a wolf with a horn on its head. ¡°That¡¯s right. We all just got here. Your question is pointless,¡± said the spider. ¡°Only the fire phoenix isn¡¯t here. She¡¯s probably the culprit!¡± ¡°Again? She¡¯s making trouble all the time! We should kick her out!¡± ¡°Dragon, are you going to stop us again? Did you see what happened? Are you still going to defend her?¡± The red dragon fell silent. He had heard similar things many times, but he had protected the fire phoenix every single time. Without him, the others would have killed her already. He was the most capable one, so the others didn¡¯t dare say anything when he took the fire phoenix under his wings. But after so many times, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it anymore. ¡°Have you figured out what¡¯s going on? Even if the fire phoenix isn¡¯t here, you can¡¯t blame everything on her. Are you making her a scapegoat? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we at least figure out what happened first?¡± The red dragon retorted. A four-winged bat said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious what happened? Can¡¯t you tell from the smoke and the shaking ground?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We saw that mushroom cloud. The fire phoenix must have done major damage! We can¡¯t forgive her!¡± ¡°Luckily, that noise didn¡¯t disturb ¡®them,¡¯ or we¡¯ll all be in trouble!¡± All eyes were on the three-eyed cat when he mentioned ¡°them.¡± Most of the group didn¡¯t like that word. ¡°Them¡± was a taboo that no one dared bring up. Mentioning it would upset everybody here. The three-eyed cat knew he had said the wrong words and immediately apologized. The red dragon said, ¡°We felt the ground shaking and saw the mushroom cloud, but now that we¡¯re here, we can¡¯t find any signs of that incident, can we? ¡°Since nothing has happened, there¡¯s no point in discussing it.¡± The two-headed tiger nodded. The spider agreed with the red dragon and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Since nothing has happened, why don¡¯t we call it a day? We don¡¯t need to get upset about it.¡± A softer voice immediately came out of her body. ¡°The fire phoenix is such a lovely girl. Of course, she won¡¯t do something like this.¡± Then a cold voice said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on. If nothing happened, we should get back to what we were doing.¡± After that came a lazy voice, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy, and I¡¯m going back. Don¡¯t wake me up!¡± Once the spider left, the discussion became rather casual. Apart from the explosion and the mushroom cloud, there wasn¡¯t anything else. This place didn¡¯t seem disturbed either. Seeing this, the others wanted to leave, too. The ice snake asked coldly, ¡°Lumi, what do you think?¡± Everybody turned and looked in the direction of a tree. Nothing was there, but they still felt a presence. That was Lumi, a creature of unknown species, identity, and personality. Lumi was a transparent being, and no one could make out its face. If it didn¡¯t reveal itself, the others wouldn¡¯t know it was there. ¡°Everything happened, but nothing seemed to have happened either. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s pretend nothing had happened. ¡°Let¡¯s avoid causing trouble¡­¡± Lumi¡¯s voice was quiet and featureless. Its voice trailed off until no one could hear it. Lumi itself disappeared as well. No one knew when it arrived and how it left. It was so mysterious. ¡°Lumi is like that all the time! What a poser!¡± Although the bat was angry, there was nothing he could do. ¡°Be careful. You don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind it,¡± the wolf reminded him. ¡°I¡¯m going to tear it apart when it shows up again. I want to know what that thing is!¡± No one said anything because the speaker was a poisonous mad dog. As his name suggested, he was poisonous and crazy, and no one wanted to cross him. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± The three-eyed cat leaped up and soon disappeared. Chapter 416 - Mysterious Lumi All the beasts left one after another. The meeting ended as suddenly as it started. Before long, only the red dragon, the two-headed tiger, and the wolf king were still there. ¡°Dragon, do you think it¡¯s really as simple as it seems?¡± the tiger asked. The red dragon shook his head. ¡°I wish it were. We all know what the explosion and the mushroom cloud mean. However, nothing seemed to have happened here. Do you believe it?¡± The tiger sighed and seemed to be worried about the dragon. As the leader of the Dusk Soul Forest, the red dragon was under a lot of pressure. The red dragon smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯m off, then,¡± said the tiger before leaving. Once he was gone, the wolf king narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°You had the perfect chance to get rid of him. Why didn¡¯t you let me do it?¡± Yes, the wolf king wanted to make a move just then. He was behind the tiger, who hadn¡¯t paid any attention to him. It was the perfect opportunity! However, the red dragon only smiled at him, implicitly forbidding him from doing so. The tiger had sensed something was off, so he left in a hurry. ¡°Even if we did attack him just then, he might not have been caught off guard. ¡°You know what he¡¯s like. Do you really think he stayed till the end without being vigilant? ¡°He must have been on his guard. Even if he can¡¯t defeat us, he could easily escape. He can¡¯t die now. I won¡¯t let it happen. ¡°If he dies, the bat and his creatures will bring chaos. The tiger is a tool to hold them back,¡± the red dragon explained. He had said similar things to the wolf king no fewer than ten times, but he still couldn¡¯t remember it. The red dragon didn¡¯t know what to do with the wolf. The wolf king had always tried to get rid of the tiger. The red dragon wanted to do the same, but he didn¡¯t know how. The tiger hadn¡¯t given them any excuses, and they needed a double-faced member like the tiger. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not smart enough. Since you¡¯re the boss, you figure it out. He¡¯s very ambitious, so be careful. ¡°If you don¡¯t know where to begin, I don¡¯t think I can help you with anything. Take your time and find a way. I¡¯m off. ¡°And stop indulging the fire phoenix. You¡¯ve spoiled her!¡± The wolf king ran off. The red dragon sighed and smiled shyly in the direction of Phoe before flying away. He knew Phoe was here and could sense in which direction she was hiding, but he couldn¡¯t see her. It was good news for him. She must have something to do with what had happened because only she could attract so much attention. However, by the time they got here, Phoe hid, and the place was returned to its original state. Those beasts came here for nothing. ¡°Did Lumi do this? Why did it help Phoe? What¡¯s their relationship? If ¡®they¡¯ sent Lumi here, it has no reason to help her. This is so strange!¡± the red dragon murmured to himself on his way back. He could have asked Phoe directly just then, and she might tell him the truth. But he couldn¡¯t do that. First of all, there was Lumi. That creature was too mysterious, so the dragon didn¡¯t want to get involved in its affairs. If Lumi chose to protect Phoe, it probably meant well. Secondly, he might not be alone here. The bat and his creatures might have left behind monitoring devices. If he talked to Phoe now, they would be in trouble. As a result, the red dragon only smiled and left. ¡°That dragon knew where I was. This invisible spell doesn¡¯t work. Didn¡¯t you promise no one would find me? What a lie! My cover was blown!¡± Phoe complained. She only realized they were in a different spot when she stopped talking. They were at the edge of the forest now. How did they get there? She was caught off guard! ¡°You and that dragon are connected through your bloodlines. Isn¡¯t it normal that he can detect your presence? ¡°Can you answer my questions now?¡± Himmel Soan asked. They had all heard those beasts¡¯ conversation. Himmel Soan and Phoe didn¡¯t miss a single word. Rustam was still in a trance-like state while Firey couldn¡¯t stop drooling. Food! So much food! ¡°What questions? Ask away. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know!¡± Phoe didn¡¯t hold back anything. These people had helped her, and she was in a great mood. It was as if nothing had happened. She even started humming a tune. ¡°Who¡¯s Lumi?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He didn¡¯t ask questions about Gina right away. Phoe looked like Gina and called herself ¡°Phoe Zimmer,¡± so she must have something to do with her. They had to have a special relationship. Himmel Soan decided to work his way up to the most important question. He would start with casual things and gradually bring up the surname Zimmer. That way, he might get an answer from her. It was a lot of trouble, but Himmel Soan wanted to look into it. For instance, he was interested in Lumi. Even though he couldn¡¯t feel Lumi¡¯s presence, he knew it was there. Lumi even looked into his eyes when it left. ¡°Lumi seems to be a senior. I¡¯ve known its name since I was born. It hardly ever attended any meetings. That was only my second time seeing Lumi. ¡°Nobody knows who Lumi is. We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s special, its gender, or how tall it is. Sometimes I wonder if it really exists,¡± Phoe complained. She knew very little of Lumi because it was invisible. No one knew where it came from. It was always there. Chapter 417 - Broken Continent Himmel Soan nodded and made a mental note of Lumi. That creature was so mysterious that even he couldn¡¯t make any sense of it. Maybe he had used too much spiritual essence, or he might be able to tell what creature Lumi was. Everything happens for a reason. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t restored this area, Lumi might not have been here in the first place. In that case, he wouldn¡¯t even have met Lumi, let alone figured out its species. This wouldn¡¯t be an isolated incident. Since Lumi had noticed him, Himmel Soan knew they would meet again. ¡°Were you afraid of them? You¡¯re very powerful. Even that dragon isn¡¯t much stronger than you. Why are you so scared? Can¡¯t you just fight them off?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Phoe blushed and rubbed her hands uneasily. ¡°I used up my energy in that last strike. Right now, I¡¯m just a defenseless girl. I can¡¯t fight off anybody!¡± Well¡­ Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. He had thought about many possibilities, but the explanation was so simple. A harmless girl? No one would believe it! ¡°Where are we going? If we keep heading in this direction, we¡¯ll arrive at Stelladom, the broken continent. I¡¯m not going to that desolate place!¡± Phoe pouted. She wanted to go with Himmel Soan because he gave her a familiar feeling. It reminded her of Gina, which was why she willingly left with him. However, she didn¡¯t want to go to that broken land. ¡°The broken continent?¡± Rustam swallowed and asked nervously. ¡°That¡¯s right. The broken continent where some barbarians live. It¡¯s not worth visiting,¡± Phoe said casually. ¡°Forget about what you heard. It¡¯s for your own good.¡± Himmel Soan interjected before she could go on. He didn¡¯t want Rustam to hear too much. Knowing certain things would only make his life harder. Phoe also stopped talking. ¡°We¡¯ve reached the edge of the forest. Further to the south is Stelladom. Here¡¯s where I leave you,¡± said Himmel Soan. He had done everything he could. After saving Rustam, he walked the young man all the way to the edge of the forest so that he could return to Stelladom. Rustam felt grateful. He didn¡¯t know this gentleman was going to part with him and thought they would return to Stelladom together. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s something I want to tell you. My boss once mentioned the broken continent. I think it was referring to Stelladom. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep it a secret and won¡¯t tell another soul! I swear on my mother¡¯s grave!¡± Rustam solemnly swore. Himmel Soan decided Rustam was no longer his concern. He left with Firey and Phoe. Once they were far away, he said, ¡°Tell me more about the broken continent.¡± Phoe blinked. ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s a broken continent.¡± ¡°What about the Dusk Soul Forest?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know,¡± Phoe said after giving it a thought. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. She couldn¡¯t actually tell him anything. Phoe seemed to know what Himmel Soan was thinking, so she said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t born that long ago! I¡¯m only 99 years old! ¡°I¡¯m so young! Of course, I don¡¯t know all the things! ¡°I only know this because Sister Zimmer told me. That dragon wouldn¡¯t tell me anything!¡± Phoe pouted, looking a lot like Firey. ¡°Sister Zimmer?¡± Himmel Soan asked tentatively. He had finally picked up something useful! He was almost certain that Phoe was referring to Gina. It was a hunch. ¡°Yes! She¡¯s great! She was the first person I saw when I was born. ¡°She taught me how to fight and how to cultivate. She¡¯s a great fighter, and she¡¯s very pretty, too. Even the red dragon wasn¡¯t her match! ¡°She can take you out by moving a finger. You wouldn¡¯t stand a chance! ¡°Are you scared now?¡± Phoe said proudly. It was as if she was talking about her real sister. Himmel Soan got excited. Once more, he had news on Gina, and it was good news. She wasn¡¯t missing anymore. ¡°Where¡¯s your sister now?¡± Himmel Soan asked eagerly. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Phoe frowned, her vigilance rising. It was a sensitive question. She didn¡¯t want to answer it and even felt hostile toward Himmel Soan. ¡°Master¡¯s cultivation partner is called Gina Zimmer. We think she¡¯s your sister. Master has been looking for her for a very long time, which is why he¡¯s so excited. I hope you can understand,¡± Firey explained. Himmel Soan was thrilled. He would have difficulty explaining himself in his current state. Therefore, Firey explained it to him. She told Phoe about her master and his partner. ¡°You¡¯re Himmel Soan, my sister¡¯s cultivation partner? Really?¡± Phoe still had some doubts, but she no longer seemed so alarmed. ¡°Yes, my master is Himmel Soan, and I¡¯m Firey Soan.¡± ¡°I see! I¡¯m Phoe Zimmer!¡± Phoe didn¡¯t let her guard down completely. After all, they had only just met. She wouldn¡¯t trust them just because of what they told her. However, she would listen to them now. ¡°Where¡¯s Gina, your sister?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Phoe remained silent, looking dispirited. Himmel Soan¡¯s heart sank. His hope turns to despair once more. Everything seemed to lose its color. Chapter 418 - Revive Himmel Soan had gone through similar situations many times. This time, it seemed so promising, but he missed her all over again. He lost all strength and fell to the ground. ¡°Master! Master!¡± Firey ran over to his side to check up on him. Phoe felt her stomach lurch and didn¡¯t know how to describe her emotions. She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t make any sounds. She was sobbing. ¡°Master? Master!¡± Firey cried. She sensed life was leaving Himmel Soan. His heartbeat was slowing down. If this continued¡­ No, it had to stop! Firey held Himmel Soan in her arms and rubbed his hands repeatedly but received no response. He was still dying. ¡°You¡¯re called Phoe, right? What did your sister tell you about my master? ¡°Talk to him! Please! Say something! Say anything about his wife! ¡°Please! Say something!¡± Firey begged Phoe in tears. Phoe had an emotional breakdown as well. She wanted to say something, but there was a lump in her throat, and she couldn¡¯t make a sound. She had wanted to say something the moment Himmel Soan collapsed on the ground, but she couldn¡¯t do anything at all. She soon passed out, too. ¡°Himmel, wake up. Wake up, Himmel. I¡¯m still waiting for you. Save me¡­¡± A voice kept ringing in Himmel Soan¡¯s mind. He opened his eyes to find himself in total darkness. He couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Himmel¡­¡± With the echo, he saw a beam of blue light in the darkness. ¡°Gina?¡± Himmel Soan should have been thrilled to hear that voice, but he couldn¡¯t feel anything. He was as cold as steel. The blue light dimmed and was about to dissipate. ¡°Himmel¡­¡± The voice called his name again. It was as weak as the dim blue light and could disappear at any moment. However, it woke up Himmel Soan¡¯s emotions. He reached out for the dim blue light, but it was too far away. He ran after it, but it was beyond his reach. It seemed he would never catch up with it. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up again!¡± Himmel Soan kept running after that fading blue light. One day. Ten days. A month. A year. Hundreds of years. It seemed forever, but he still couldn¡¯t catch up with the light. In this darkness, he had lost count of time. The only thing he knew was to keep running until he caught the blue light. He didn¡¯t care if it would take him a million years. However, he caught the light the next second. Suddenly, the light amplified, lifting the darkness. He saw his whole life flashing in front of him. It was like a merry-go-round. Himmel Soan felt he was reliving his life. His heart started beating again. ¡°Master!¡± Firey was crying her eyes out and didn¡¯t expect her master to wake up. She was so thrilled to see him awake. ¡°How long was I out for?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Less than five minutes!¡± Firey wiped her tears and said in a shaking voice. ¡°What¡¯s going on with her?¡± Himmel Soan pointed at Phoe, who was lying on the ground. She had been fine when he passed out. Now that he had woken up, why was she unconscious? Only then did Firey realize what had happened. ¡°I almost forgot about her. I don¡¯t know what happened, but she collapsed, too. Then she kept mumbling ¡®Himmel.¡¯ I almost wanted to slap her! ¡°She can¡¯t address Master like that!¡± Firey waved her fists, looking displeased. She was busy crying. Phoe was the last thing on her mind. She now realized she was probably in trouble. Himmel Soan walked to Phoe¡¯s side and woke her up. ¡°Sister-in-law?¡± Phoe blinked and asked tentatively. ¡°Let me help you up,¡± Himmel Soan said gently. He wasn¡¯t sure what had happened, but he knew he probably wouldn¡¯t have woken up without Phoe¡¯s mumbling. Although he was immortal, he could still die. Just then, he almost died from a broken heart. He was fully aware of that. Himmel Soan asked when she got up, ¡°Do you know what happened just then?¡± ¡°No. I thought I just passed out.¡± Phoe shook her head. Himmel Soan sighed. He had anticipated this answer. It was probably one of Gina¡¯s techniques. She knew he could be looking for her. Therefore, she left clues everywhere. The figure he saw on Earth was probably one of them. One day, he would find her. ¡°Tell me more about you and Gina,¡± Himmel Soan said gently. ¡°Sure! Gina was very nice. She took care of me after I was born but suddenly disappeared when I turned 60. I don¡¯t know what happened. She was just gone. ¡°I looked everywhere, but she wasn¡¯t in the Dusk Soul Forest. I don¡¯t know where she went because we can¡¯t leave this forest, at least not for a long time,¡± Phoe explained. She told Himmel Soan everything she went through in the past sixty years. She already saw him as her sister-in-law. Gina used to talk about Himmel Soan all the time, so Phoe grew to trust him. She didn¡¯t hold back anything. Gina had disappeared again. She disappeared from Earth, Stelladom, and the Dusk Soul Forest. Where did Gina go? Why did she disappear? Chapter 419 - Rustams Return Something else caught his attention. The timeline didn¡¯t fit. It had been five hundred years since she disappeared from Earth. However, she was gone from Stelladom for eight hundred years. Here in the Dusk Soul Forest, the time became 39 years. The three times didn¡¯t match! Gina came to Stelladom 800 years ago and disappeared from the Dusk Soul Forest. But during that time, Gina should be on Earth. The whole thing was so suspicious. Why did she disappear all the time? Why didn¡¯t the time add up? Both questions needed answers. ¡°Alright. I see. I¡¯ll find Gina. Trust me!¡± Himmel Soan said confidently. Phoe nodded. Somehow, she trusted him and believed he could do it. ¡°Let me introduce you to the dragon. He¡¯s really nice and knows a lot about the forest and Stelladom,¡± said Phoe. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Himmel Soan agreed. He had been wondering where to search next, and here was his opportunity. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t miss it. ¡­ Stelladom. Starwan Tower. After leaving the Dusk Soul Forest, Rustam immediately sent his chief a message, informing his return. The chief flew over and brought him back to the tower. ¡°Gadel said you died in the Dusk Soul Forest. I never thought I would see you alive again. Did something happen between you?¡± Ley asked. A ¡°dead man¡± had returned. It was the most incredible. However, he was only ¡°dead,¡± according to Gadel, which wasn¡¯t much evidence. It was obvious that Gadel and his friends had been lying. ¡°Here¡¯s what happened¡­¡± Rustam described their first encounter with Himmel Soan. As for his second encounter, he didn¡¯t mention it at all. He had made an oath to keep the secret, and he wasn¡¯t going to break his promise. ¡°I see. Return to your room, and don¡¯t talk to Gadel just yet. I¡¯ll summon them later. You go back and have some rest,¡± Ley said indifferently. ¡°Yes!¡± Rustam cupped his hand and left the room. Jui came out and commented, ¡°That was strange. A dead man has been brought back to life.¡± ¡°Tell me what you think,¡± Ley said. ¡°He and Gadel fell out. It¡¯s so obvious. Fighting over a map is so pointless! ¡°I think Rustam did the right thing. That man saved them, and the least they could do was give him a map! ¡°Those three have crossed the line. I would have fallen out with them, too!¡± Jui was displeased. Ley chuckled. Jui looked adorable. She didn¡¯t like Himmel Soan before, but she was now speaking up for him. How fickle! However, Ley didn¡¯t point it out. Instead, she asked, ¡°What do you think I should do to Gadel and his friends?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Do you mean how to punish them?¡± Jui hesitated. Ley smiled. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°They should be banished! Our organization can¡¯t tolerate such things. They were a team, and what they did was unforgivable! ¡°I¡¯m curious, though. How did Rustam come out of the Dusk Soul Forest all by himself?¡± The Dusk Soul Forest was a restricted area. Starwan Tower had been investigating this place, which was why they knew how terrifying it was. Jui couldn¡¯t understand how Rustam survived. ¡°Why do you think he was alone? Maybe somebody helped him. He didn¡¯t mention it, so I think he must have his reasons. ¡°Everybody has their secrets, and Rustam¡¯s no exception. ¡°You can speculate how he survived, but don¡¯t ask any questions,¡± Ley told Jui. She was teaching Jui with her life experience. Many things weren¡¯t supposed to be found out. Getting to the bottom of things was a stupid thing to do. ¡°I see. What are you going to do with Gadel and the other two?¡± Jui nodded and asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯ll take your advice. What do you think?¡± Ley chuckled. ¡°What? Banish them?¡± Jui hesitated. Kicking them out seemed a bit too much. After all, the map was very meaningful to them and was more important than their lives. Many people lost their lives because of it. Neither side seemed to be wrong. What should she do? Jui was lost in her thoughts. ¡°I think you have an answer. You can stay here and observe. See how I handle this matter.¡± Ley waved at Jui, who then went to stand behind the curtain. Once Jui was hidden, Ley said, ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Gadel and the other two came into the room. They didn¡¯t know why they were summoned, but they had to come. ¡°I have something to tell you. Rustam is back.¡± Ley didn¡¯t beat around the bush and told them about Rustam¡¯s return. The looks on their faces were incredible. Zuxra seemed to be conflicted. She had already become intimate with Gadel. How should she face Rustam now? Although nothing had happened between them, she had always had a crush on Rustam and wanted to be his girlfriend. What she did was horrible! Damn it! Why did Rustam have to come back? ¡°Did Rustam tell you anything?¡± Gadel asked tentatively. Ley said, ¡°No, he returned to his room without reporting to me. That¡¯s why I summoned you here. I wanted to know what happened. ¡°Why were you separated?¡± Chapter 420 - Turn of Events He didn¡¯t? That was good news! Gadel wanted to laugh. If Rustam told the truth, maybe they would be dead. The chief wouldn¡¯t forgive them for their actions. However, the guy didn¡¯t say anything. How stupid! He should know better! ¡°Chief, I didn¡¯t want to say anything about Rustam before, but since he¡¯s back, I have to say it. If not, he¡¯ll try to make up stories about us!¡± Gadel knelt down and pleaded, looking like he was forced to do this. He then started describing the ¡°horrible things¡± Rustam had done. Zuxra¡¯s lips quivered, and she seemed perplexed. In the end, she didn¡¯t say anything and let Gadel tell his story. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that. I guess he shouldn¡¯t have come back after doing those things. How ignorant! ¡°What do you think I should do to Rustam?¡± Ley asked. At this point, Jui couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. Knowing she was exposed, she came out of her hiding place, but she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. Ley was making such an innuendo! How clever! It was so smart! ¡°Senior Sister!¡± ¡°Senior Sister Jui!¡± The three people greeted Jui. Although they didn¡¯t know why she was laughing, they had to greet her because Jui was Ley¡¯s pupil and had a much higher status. ¡°Sorry to have interrupted you. Please go on! ¡°You were talking about what to do with Rustam, weren¡¯t you? Just tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll try my best to carry it out. ¡°As the chief¡¯s pupil, I¡¯m responsible for managing Starwan Tower. I¡¯ll deal with someone like that on my own,¡± Jui said solemnly. Behind the curtain, Ley didn¡¯t know what to say. The girl sounded quite convincing. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the task to Jui. You can decide what punishment you want. You can suggest anything!¡± Ley gave the task away, but she encouraged the three people, in the end, wishing to stir things up even more. The trio was excited to hear this. They were glad they could decide what punishment to use because they wanted Rustam dead. Once he was dealt with, no one would be able to challenge their story! They could blame everything on him. ¡°He betrayed us, so I think we should banish him to the Dusk Soul Forest. Forbid him from ever coming back! ¡°Starwan Tower will cut its ties with him. From now on, he¡¯ll have nothing to do with us!¡± The three people came up with a punishment plan together. The banishment was more like the death penalty. Throwing somebody into the Dusk Soul Forest and forbidding them from coming back was the death penalty! Jui frowned. The three people drew in their breaths in fear. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too light a punishment? I don¡¯t think banishment alone is enough,¡± said Jui. She also tried to stir the pot. What a nice move! ¡°Are you suggesting we should give him the death penalty?¡± Gadel asked tentatively. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Let¡¯s do that! ¡°I¡¯ll fetch Rustam. We¡¯ll carry out the execution right here!¡± Jui then went to bring Rustam from his room. The death penalty! What an exciting thing! Gadel couldn¡¯t believe his casual suggestion would be accepted! It was like hitting the jackpot. However, he also found Jui¡¯s tone a little strange. So be it! Rustam would be dead. That was enough! ¡°Rustam¡¯s here!¡± Before long, Jui returned with Rustam. ¡°Rustam!¡± Zuxra called his name before she realized it. ¡°You¡¯re all alive! That¡¯s great!¡± Rustam smiled. As long as they were alive, he could forgive them for everything. Yes, they had an argument, but that was because they had different opinions. Now that he had returned, everything was in the past! ¡°Rustam, why are you here? I can¡¯t believe you dare come back with everything you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You should have stayed in the Dusk Soul Forest!¡± ¡°Rustam, you shouldn¡¯t have come back here.¡± Even Zuxra¡¯s tone became cold. She chose this path when she became Gadel¡¯s woman. She and Rustam were no longer on the same team. She had to say something to show where she stood. ¡°Why would I stay in the Dusk Soul Forest?¡± Rustam smiled wryly, thinking Gadel and the others were joking. ¡°No, you should have died there!¡± ¡°You should stay in the Dusk Soul Forest until you die!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to come back!¡± ¡°Jui, can we carry out the execution now?¡± Gadel asked. He feared Rustam would say something to incriminate them, so he decided to shut him up for good. Rustam didn¡¯t understand what was going on and couldn¡¯t believe his ears. It was incredible! ¡°Alright. You¡¯ve chosen the punishment, and I¡¯ll respect your choice. You can do it yourself. I don¡¯t want to make my or the chief¡¯s hands dirty. ¡°Gadel, Zuxra, and Llou, because of your heinous crimes, you¡¯re all sentenced to death! ¡°Any questions?¡± Jui asked indifferently. ¡°What?¡± The four people couldn¡¯t believe how the situation was reversed. Wasn¡¯t Rustam supposed to be executed? Why did it become the other three? ¡°No! This isn¡¯t happening! It¡¯s all Rustam¡¯s fault! He should be punished!¡± Gadel shouted. ¡°Well, it is happening!¡± Jui took out a needle. The next second, there was a tiny bloody hole on Gadel¡¯s forehead. Jui then turned to the other two. ¡°What about you?¡± Zuxra¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say. I know I¡¯ve been making mistakes ever since I made my choice. Rustam, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She committed suicide. Jui killed Llou before he could say anything. Chapter 421 - They Deserve It The three people were all executed. Rustam didn¡¯t know how to react. They were his companions once, but they were all dead now. He heard everything they had said about him. With what they had done earlier, they probably deserved to die. However, they all used to be teammates. Rustam didn¡¯t know how to express his emotions. ¡°They got what they deserved. You should put it behind you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve kept a secret about how you got back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you don¡¯t want to tell, I won¡¯t ask you anything. ¡°Gadel and the other two have been punished for their crimes. Go back and have some rest.¡± Ley knew Rustam probably felt sorry for those people. After all, they used to be teammates that went through so many things together. He couldn¡¯t remain unaffected. If it were up to Rustam, he probably wouldn¡¯t have let them die. Therefore, Ley made a choice for him. Jui helped move things along, too. ¡°Ley, did I overdo it?¡± Jui asked anxiously. ¡°If you¡¯re asking this question now, why didn¡¯t you think it over beforehand?¡± Ley asked. Yes, why didn¡¯t she? Jui was lost in her thoughts. She heard everything those people said. Gadel denied what he had done and tried to slander Rustam, which infuriated her, so she gave them the death penalty. Was their mistake so serious? ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t stop you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ No.¡± Only then did Jui realize that Ley had been watching the whole time. She could have intervened. If she wasn¡¯t happy with the decision, she could have said something. Everybody would follow her order. ¡°Do you feel the same way as I do?¡± Jui asked tentatively. ¡°Ouch!¡± Jui rubbed her head in pain. That seemed to be the wrong answer, or Ley wouldn¡¯t have clunked her in the head. ¡°If you didn¡¯t agree with me, why didn¡¯t you stop me?¡± Jui asked. ¡°It could go either way. Rustam values friendship, so he wouldn¡¯t have said anything even if we didn¡¯t punish them. ¡°However, somebody did the wrong thing, and they should be punished for that. ¡°The punishment you adopted was the most strict one, but you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡°Rustam didn¡¯t say anything, which means he agrees to your decision,¡± Ley said slowly. Jui now understood it. Ley was teaching her to make her own decision. Ley nodded in satisfaction. ¡­ The Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can work together,¡± the three-eyed cat said gracefully. ¡°We¡¯re both the intelligent kind, so why won¡¯t I work with you? Only the four-wing bat and the ice snake will believe your stories. It¡¯s like you said: we¡¯re both the intelligent kind.¡± The three-eyed cat stopped there with a meaningful look in her eyes, waiting to see what the two-headed tiger would choose. She couldn¡¯t be more straightforward. Did he want to work together? Sure, she could do that, but he had to come up with the right offer. Otherwise, the answer would be no. ¡°After the wolf king dies, you can have all the profits,¡± the two-headed tiger said lightly. ¡°All of them?¡± The three-eyed cat was perplexed. That was highly abnormal. When they worked together before, the best she could get was 50%. 100% was unheard of. The tiger wouldn¡¯t take anything. How was that possible? He would only give up on the reward when it was too petty. But he was plotting against the wolf king! ¡°That¡¯s just too generous. Are you trying to swindle me? I¡¯m not stupid,¡± the cat said coldly. ¡°There¡¯s no need for probing. I promise you I¡¯m telling the truth. Why would I lie to you?¡± said the other head of the two-headed tiger. The three-eyed cat frowned. It wasn¡¯t a secret that the tiger¡¯s two heads could think independently. When two heads shared one body, there were bound to be conflicts. However, it didn¡¯t happen with the tiger. One of the heads had brown stripes while the other had black. Most times, the brown one did the talking. The black head would take over the conversation on important occasions. ¡°I believe your plan, but I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll take nothing. If you want this to work, you have to tell me what you¡¯re after.¡± The three-eyed cat became serious. The two-headed tiger smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what I want?¡± ¡°Are you talking about doing that thing? I don¡¯t think taking out the wolf king can achieve your goal. Are you sure you¡¯re ready for it?¡± The three-eyed cat had many questions. She didn¡¯t think the tiger would let her have all the benefits and wanted nothing for himself. There was no such thing as free lunch. She wouldn¡¯t work with the tiger unless he told her his plan. ¡°After we get rid of the wolf king, we¡¯ll have less to worry about when facing the red dragon. ¡°The fire phoenix went into hiding after making that mess, so the spider won¡¯t side with the dragon. ¡°Now is the best time to take out the wolf king and the red dragon!¡± the two-headed tiger told her the whole truth. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the three-eyed cat¡¯s uncooperative behavior. He just didn¡¯t want another unstable factor. He didn¡¯t mind trying his moves on this cat if he had to. The three-eyed cat thought for a long while before raising her head. ¡°Alright, I can help you but only secretively. ¡°I¡¯ll join in when you succeed. If you fail and have no chance to turn things around, I¡¯ll retreat!¡± Chapter 422 - Mad Dog The three-eyed cat was a cunning creature. She wanted to have the most profit by taking the least risk. If the wolf king was killed, she would come out to reap the harvest. She wanted to earn the benefit without joining the fight. The two-headed tiger saw through her plans. ¡°In that case, wish us good luck.¡± The three-eyed cat then disappeared into the darkness. After she was gone, the two tiger heads looked at each other. ¡°Are you sure about that? If something goes wrong, it can get us killed!¡± said the head with the brown stripes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. If everything goes as planned, we¡¯ll soon have separate bodies,¡± said the black-striped head. ¡°I hope so!¡± The brown head turned quiet. They had been dreaming about having their own bodies since they were born. Finally, they found an opportunity. The brown one wouldn¡¯t let it slip. Would they have another chance? Of course not! ¡°Who should we visit next? The bat, the snake, or the poisonous mad dog?¡± ¡­ On the other side, Phoe led Himmel Soan and Firey to the red dragon. They stopped shortly before they reached the area. They weren¡¯t tired because they hadn¡¯t traveled for long. A mad dog was blocking their way. It was the poisonous mad dog! He would be hostile toward anybody. Even the red dragon couldn¡¯t do anything about him because he was a mad dog. ¡°Why are you blocking our way? Do you want to try my fireballs?¡± The fire phoenix scolded the dog. She was displeased with the dog¡¯s behavior. Although she couldn¡¯t stop it, she found some verbal threats necessary. What if the dog suddenly could be reasoned with? However, that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°I thought you¡¯d flown away, but here you are. In that case, I¡¯d like to take a bite of that bird. There¡¯s a human being and an essence of nature too. It¡¯s my lucky day!¡± The poisonous mad dog was drooling. He was always like this. Even when facing the red dragon, he would say such words in a similar manner. His lack of shame was the only thing that kept him alive. He could also heal at a tremendous speed. The red dragon was angry at the dog once and wanted to take him out. He used his most powerful stances, yet the dog was only severely injured. The poisonous mad dog gained fame in that battle. He was the easiest yet the toughest target in the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°Mad dog, don¡¯t be stupid. Get out of my way!¡± The fire phoenix went on. She was threatening the dog. If he didn¡¯t move, she would make him move. However, her threat didn¡¯t work. The dog even snorted. ¡°Or what? What if I want to be stupid? You should get smarter and let me eat you!¡± The mad dog charged at them. Phoe frowned. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so unreasonable. There was nothing she could do about him. ¡°Damn it!¡± Phoe ground her teeth. She didn¡¯t want to face this strange creature. Even the bat and the ice snake would be much easier to handle. Today had to be her most unlucky day! Phoe clenched her fists and got ready for battle. The poisonous mad dog opened this mouth, baring his rotten teeth, many of which had turned black. It didn¡¯t bother him. His bad teeth were sharp and toxic. It was great news to him instead. He was never bothered by how the teeth became like this. The next second, the dog¡¯s wide-open maw was at Phoe¡¯s face. It was so wide that the opening was bigger than its body. It looked like a black hole that could suck everything inside. Unlike a black hole, though, there was a terrible smell in the dog¡¯s mouth. That bad breath had also turned into a toxic gas that the dog could use. ¡°If you like eating so much, I¡¯ll feed you until your stomach bursts!¡± Phoe got angry. She had always hated the dog and felt he should disappear. Now that he was here, she would take this chance and eliminate the dog once and for all. The Dusk Soul Forest would be rid of a disaster. There was already a spinning fireball in her hands. If the dog liked eating so much, he could eat this until his stomach burst! Boom¡­ The fireball slowly moved toward the dog¡¯s mouth. The dog didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, he swallowed the fireball. He then moved aside and burped. Black smoke rose out of his mouth. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± The poisonous mad dog then lay down. What? The dog swallowed the fireball. Phoe was infuriated. She had used all her power but had achieved next to nothing. Only earlier today, that strike had burned the forest to the ground. How could the dog swallow it but still seem unaffected? Was he pretending? Could he have been weakened already? At that thought, Phoe rubbed her hands, ready to fire another one. The dog opened his eyes a little. ¡°Stop. Another strike won¡¯t work.¡± Himmel Soan stopped Phoe. According to her, this dog was crazy. But it didn¡¯t seem that way. Seeing might not be believing after all. All he appeared to be could only be a facade. That was probably the case with the dog. He might not be crazy! Chapter 423 - Have You Been Brainwashed The dog glanced at Himmel Soan. He felt transparent. It was a surreal feeling. The man seemed to have seen through him, or maybe not. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± the poisonous mad dog murmured before closing his eyes again. It was as if he was really asleep. The three people didn¡¯t worry him at all. ¡°Damn it! He¡¯s ignoring us. I can¡¯t take it anymore! I¡¯m going to blow him up!¡± Phoe then tried to activate her spiritual essence. Only then did she realize she had drained herself with that strike. She felt rather weak now and couldn¡¯t launch any more attacks. The realization made her even angrier. Why? She had used all her spiritual essence, but why was the dog unscratched? Was she too weak? The dragon used to say she was so powerful. Even the ice snake was afraid of her. Why was this happening? Phoe couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why after meeting the red dragon. One thing is for sure: you¡¯re not weak. The poisonous mad dog is simply much more capable than you.¡± Himmel Soan took Firey¡¯s hand and walked up to the dog. He crouched and looked the dog in the eye. He casually said, ¡°Behave, and nothing will happen. ¡°If not, you¡¯re dead.¡± The dog didn¡¯t even blink. It was as if he didn¡¯t hear anything. He seemed to have fallen asleep, but Himmel Soan knew the dog had heard him. He just couldn¡¯t give a reply right now. Therefore, Himmel Soan promptly walked away. He only needed the dog to acknowledge what he said. Phoe was incredibly impressed. What a speech! She had just suffered a defeat from the dog. Seeing Himmel Soan threatening the dog like that was so satisfying. It was better than punching him in the face. She trotted after Himmel Soan. ¡°The dragon¡¯s territory is right ahead! He¡¯ll sense us as soon as we¡¯re there. Then he¡¯ll come out to greet us!¡± Phoe said happily. In the red dragon¡¯s territory, the dragon was sitting in his mansion in his human form. Ever since he gained the human form, he assumed it most of the time. He also lived like a human being. The beasts would become real human beings after flying up to heaven. That was why they maintained their human form most of the time now. ¡°I¡¯m picking up Phoe¡¯s scent. Is she back?¡± The red dragon frowned. Yes, he could detect Phoe, but there were two other types of energy that he couldn¡¯t recognize. Phoe was here with someone. Her energy was weak. With the two strangers, the red dragon began to have a lot of ideas. ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s going on?¡± He thought of the worst possibilities. ¡°They¡± must have come here and caught the weakened Phoe! But why? Why would they take her? She hadn¡¯t done anything. Even if she had, the forest had already recovered. Who was Phoe fighting? Why did it happen? Why was she here with some strangers? The dragon had so many questions. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he got. Still, he would only get some answers after seeing her. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± The red dragon smacked the table, turned into a dragon, and took off in Phoe¡¯s direction. ¡°He¡¯s coming,¡± said Himmel Soan, looking up at the sky. ¡°Yes! Brother Dragon is coming!¡± Phoe also sensed the red dragon was coming toward them. She felt both excited and nervous. Would he scold her? Would he complain? Suddenly, she didn¡¯t want to see him so much. However, the red dragon arrived at that moment. There was nothing she could do now. The dragon was here! ¡°Phoe, are you alright?¡± The red dragon sounded concerned. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t been around, the dragon would have rushed to Phoe and examined her. The red dragon studied the stranger¡¯s height, appearance, energy, and everything else. ¡°Who are you?¡± The dragon asked cautiously. ¡°He¡¯s a¡­ capable senior!¡± Phoe hesitated a little. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know how to introduce her brother-in-law, but Himmel Soan had told her so. She couldn¡¯t reveal his identity without his permission. Therefore, she changed the way she addressed him. ¡°A senior?¡± The red dragon frowned. This man had an unperturbed demeanor, which indeed made him look like a capable senior. However, the dragon couldn¡¯t see anything else. To him, Himmel Soan was just like any other ordinary man, but he also felt so different. The difference came from Himmel Soan¡¯s tranquility. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so hostile. We¡¯re all one big family, and he¡¯s also our guest! Welcome him! ¡°You shouldn¡¯t keep us standing here! That¡¯s not the right way to greet your guests!¡± Phoe told the red dragon. What¡­ The red dragon was embarrassed. What was the matter with the girl today? She never talked to him like that. She was scolding him today! The red dragon stood there, dumbfounded. Was she still the Phoe he knew? Did someone else try to trick him? Her energy definitely belonged to Phoe. Had she been brainwashed? ¡°What are you waiting for? Greet your guests!¡± Phoe frowned. She was dumbfounded when she heard the dragon¡¯s reply. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if you¡¯ve been brainwashed.¡± Chapter 424 - Every Ten Years ¡°Yagon, take back that stupid thing you¡¯ve just said!¡± Phoe shouted. There was tension in the air. Phoe was angry. Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Yagon immediately asked for forgiveness. ¡°I¡¯ll only forgive you if my br¡ªif the senior forgives you!¡± Phoe snorted and raised her head. She would never have dared speak to Yagon in this manner if Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t been here. But with her brother-in-law having her back, she could do whatever she wanted! Yagon doted on her, but he could be very strict at times and would say the harshest things. Today, she finally had a chance to get back at him. Phoe secretly enjoyed this feeling. Her patron had officially switched from Yagon to Himmel Soan. ¡°Sir, what do you think?¡± Yagon felt conflicted. He wanted to make Phoe happy, but apologizing to a stranger was unacceptable. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. It would hurt his ego! As the boss of the Dusk Soul Forest, it would be so humiliating to apologize to a stranger! ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s only joking. Can we go inside now? I have some important questions to ask you,¡± Himmel Soan told Yagon not to worry. Yagon nodded in appreciation. He wouldn¡¯t know how to face the others if he had to apologize now. Luckily, this man didn¡¯t press for an apology, saving the day. ¡°This way.¡± Yagon let Himmel Soan inside. Phoe and Firey wanted to follow them but were stopped by Himmel Soan. They would be better off being kept in the dark, especially Phoe. Firey wouldn¡¯t be a problem because she had seen a lot of things during this journey with Himmel Soan. She could accept many strange situations, but Phoe couldn¡¯t. If Firey went inside, maybe Phoe would insist on going with her and might even eavesdrop. Therefore, Himmel Soan let Firey wait outside to keep an eye on Phoe. In the room, Yagon questioned Himmel Soan as soon as they stepped inside. ¡°Who are you? Why are you so familiar with Phoe? Are you trying to steal her away?¡± He had wanted to ask that question from the very beginning. If Phoe hadn¡¯t seemed too familiar with Himmel Soan, the dragon would have attacked him right away. ¡°I¡¯m Himmel Soan,¡± said Himmel Soan. Everything he wanted to know revolved around him and Gina. The sooner he revealed his identity, the less explanation he would need to give. He would learn more things faster. Himmel Soan? Yagon felt conflicted about the name. ¡°Do you know Gina?¡± He felt like crying. ¡°You know that name! She¡¯s what I want to ask you about.¡± Himmel Soan was amazed. He had come to the right place. It could make up for all his hard work so far. He had finally found some of the answers he had been looking for. At this rate, maybe he would soon find Gina¡¯s whereabouts. He might even reveal the secrets of the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. How can you prove you¡¯re Himmel Soan? How do I know you¡¯re the Himmel Soan that Gina knew?¡± Yagon asked. Deep down, he already recognized Himmel Soan as the man Gian used to talk about, but he still asked the questions just to be cautious. ¡°I came from another world, just like her. Are you happy with that answer?¡± said Himmel Soan. Yagon nodded. ¡°What do you want to know? I can tell you everything.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°Yes, everything!¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t want to miss any information. Maybe the key to Gina¡¯s disappearance was hidden between the lines. The clue could be anywhere. ¡°Gina came to the Dusk Soul Forest sixty years ago. Phoe was just born, and Gina found her. ¡°She came to me, asking me to adopt Phoe, but I was only a junior sacred beast and didn¡¯t have the ability to raise a fire phoenix. ¡°Gina saw my concern, so she took over and lived with Phoe for sixty years. ¡°On the same day when Phoe reached the Sacred Beast stage, Gina went missing. We don¡¯t know why she left or where she went. The next year, she would be gone for forty years. ¡°That¡¯s all I know about Gina,¡± Yagon told Himmel Soan. Of course, he kept something to himself instead of telling the man everything. He didn¡¯t think it was necessary to tell all the details. Gina was missing, and they didn¡¯t have a clue. How would they know where to find her? If they couldn¡¯t find her anywhere in the Dusk Soul Forest, the little details wouldn¡¯t be of much use either. Moreover, the information he withheld had nothing to do with her disappearance. ¡°Did she tell you anything before she went missing?¡± Himmel Soan was perplexed. All the signs pointed to the fact that Gina knew she would disappear. She must have left some clues behind. Telling her name to Phoe and Yagon was the most straightforward one. However, she had to at least have a Plan B. That was why Himmel Soan wondered if she had said other things to Yagon. ¡°There¡¯s something rather strange. Every ten years, Gina would become someone that didn¡¯t feel like her. ¡°She was cold and distant like a stranger.¡± Yagon suddenly recalled this. A change of her character? Himmel Soan frowned. He knew Gina well. Such things never happened when they were together. Why did that happen in the Dusk Soul Forest? Did the same thing happen to Gina in Stelladom? Why didn¡¯t anyone from Stelladom mention it? Chapter 425 - Other Continents Was it because they didn¡¯t know it, or such things didn¡¯t happen in Stelladom? ¡°Are you sure it was a hundred years ago when Gina came to the Dusk Soul Forest?¡± Himmel Soan asked. That was a very important question and the key to solving the mystery of Gina¡¯s disappearance because it involved time and space. Gina was last seen on Stelladom eight hundred years ago. However, she only came to the Dusk Soul Forest a hundred years ago. Time must have somehow been distorted midway. Of course, he could only reach his conclusion after hearing what Yagon had to say. ¡°Yes, it was a hundred years ago. I can still remember it like yesterday. ¡°A very powerful presence entered the Dusk Soul Forest that year. All the beast kings went to see what happened and found Gina. ¡°She just stood there and let us come to her. After defeating all of us, she became our boss. However, the situation changed after she disappeared forty years ago. ¡°Some beasts still remain friends, but some old grudges have been renewed. I thought that would be the end, but you came here.¡± Yagon sighed. He missed the time when Gina was around. There were no internal strifes back then because everybody obeyed Gina. The forest was harmonious. But those days were gone now. ¡°A hundred years ago? Did you notice her as soon as she entered the forest?¡± Himmel Soan felt the information wasn¡¯t thorough enough. He needed more details. Did Gina really come to the Dusk Soul Forest a hundred years ago? If so, where was she for seven hundred years? Moreover, she disappeared from Earth five hundred years ago. The only explanation was the time here flowed at a different speed than on Earth. The time and space were distorted between the forest and Stelladom too. That was why there were discrepancies in the timelines. ¡°Yes, all beast kings have to notify the others when they detect abnormal activities in their territories, especially something like that. Even if the event wasn¡¯t reported, we still could sense it. ¡°I¡¯m certain it was a hundred years ago.¡± Himmel Soan was at a loss. Things got complicated once more. He had no idea what had happened, and the trail went cold. He didn¡¯t know when or where Gina had disappeared. How frustrating! ¡°If I go through the Dusk Soul Forest and exit on the other side, where will I end up?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Maybe he could find answers there. Yagon grew anxious when Himmel Soan brought up that subject. His stomach lurched. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you know what place that is?¡± Yagon asked. Himmel Soan only looked at him without saying a word. It was obvious what he meant. If he knew the answer, he wouldn¡¯t be asking Yagon. Yagon realized it, too. ¡°Stelladom is only part of this planet. There used to be a trade route through the forest. ¡°Gradually, people began to dislike Stelladom, finding it too remote and poor. ¡°Some selfish people thought that because Stelladom was so poor, the people there didn¡¯t deserve to live, for they would be wasting the spiritual essence. ¡°One day, ten of the most capable cultivators joined hands, banished most people to Stelladom, and sealed it. ¡°That way, other parts of the planet could enjoy the spiritual essence of Stelladom, and everybody else could have double the amount of spiritual essence that they used to have. ¡°Gradually, they forgot about Stelladom and called it the broken continent. ¡°The Freezing Land, Eternity Desert, Endless Sea, Thunder Region, and Dusk Soul Forest are the five places that seal Stelladom off,¡± Yagon explained. He didn¡¯t personally see it happen. Those things took place a long time ago, and he only heard it from the older generations, who were maybe the only people who remembered the original Stelladom. To everybody else, it was only a story. Even if the people outside knew Stelladom and its residents, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference. They would only see those residents as raw materials for their spiritual essence. They couldn¡¯t care less about them! Yagon didn¡¯t care, either. He only wanted him and Phoe to live a happy life. It was the law of the jungle; the weak would be eliminated. That was why those people of Stelladom couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°I see. Tell me more about the other side. What¡¯s it like?¡± Once Himmel Soan was told there was another continent, of course, he would visit it. He wouldn¡¯t go there unprepared though. One should know their enemy as well as themselves. Himmel Soan understood the principle and had been following it for millions of years. It had never failed him. He would run a thorough investigation before doing important things such as this one. He needed to know the other side first. Yagon hesitated but answered the question in the end, ¡°This planet is called Blue. I don¡¯t know if there are other planets out there because no one has managed to leave this one yet. ¡°They do seem to exist.¡± He then looked at Himmel Soan, obviously suggesting that Himmel Soan had come from a different planet. Himmel Soan knew the answer to that question better than Yagon. ¡°Apart from Stelladom, there are three other continents: Starloud, Starain, and Starlune. That¡¯s all I know. After all, I only live in this forest. We never venture outside, so we can¡¯t gather much information.¡± Yagon shook his head. He had shared everything he knew about the world outside. Himmel Soan nodded in satisfaction. That was a great help. At least he wasn¡¯t completely at a loss. ¡°What about heresy cultivators?¡± He heard a voice outside before he could ask any more questions. ¡°Yagon! Come out! I¡¯m challenging you!¡± Chapter 426 - A Present What¡­ Yagon frowned. He recognized the voice. It was the two-headed tiger. Why was the creature here? Yagon wondered if the tiger wanted to use this opportunity to kill him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound nice.¡± Himmel Soan also recognized the voice. He was rather interested in the tiger and wanted to study it. The two heads had to share a body, which must be a difficult life for anyone. The two minds were independent, so they could be fighting over who to control the body or whose turn it was to speak. However, the two-headed tiger seemed to have overcome that problem. Himmel Soan was very curious. ¡°The two-headed tiger is always asking for trouble. He¡¯s here now probably because he has found my weak spot and is confident that he can defeat me. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have come here. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The red dragon went outside to confront the tiger. Himmel Soan also came out to watch the show. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Brother-in-law!¡± Firey and Phoe each took one of Himmel Soan¡¯s hands. Phoe seemed preoccupied. ¡°Brother-in-law, is Yagon going to be alright? The tiger suddenly decided to challenge him, and I¡¯m worried.¡± Himmel Soan smiled. ¡°Do you doubt Yagon¡¯s capability?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t, but I also know the tiger would only do this if he¡¯s absolutely certain. He must have something up his sleeves.¡± ¡°You have a point, but how do you know Yagon isn¡¯t prepared for this? You¡¯ve been guarding against the tiger all these years, haven¡¯t you? Surely, you have some cards to play!¡± Himmel Soan was certain and could tell the dragon and the tiger were both very capable. Well¡­ At their cultivation stage, everybody would have a few cards up their sleeves. Phoe was no exception. When Himmel Soan met Phoe, all she did was spit out fireballs of various sizes. Was that all she could do? Of course not! Himmel Soan was sure Phoe could do many more things. Yagon would only know better! In a moment of life or death, having more tricks would make all the difference. If the two-headed tiger had come here well-prepared, would Yagon really be caught off guard? Of course not! ¡°But I¡¯m still worried about him.¡± Phoe pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m around, that tiger can¡¯t do anything.¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky, wondering what battles between sacred beasts look like. How would they fight? What skills would they use? He could learn from these beasts. The Soan empire was inspired by other species in their scientific research and established many theories. He felt he would be inspired by the battle. Up in the clouds, the tiger and the red dragon faced each other. ¡°Is the fire phoenix back?¡± The tiger¡¯s stomach lurched. He had caught a glimpse of someone resembling the phoenix when he announced his arrival. It really looked like her, but the tiger was too far away to be sure. He had said he wanted to challenge the dragon and couldn¡¯t take back his words now. Why was the bird back so soon? Had she anticipated this? That was so surreal. If the phoenix was back, they would have two more enemies. The spider would side with the phoenix! That was the worst scenario, and he couldn¡¯t believe it was happening. However, it was too late to back away. ¡°Yes. I see you¡¯re worried about Phoe.¡± The red dragon chuckled. ¡°I do, but I¡¯m more curious about when you¡¯re going to die!¡± The tiger smirked. ¡°That won¡¯t happen for a very long time, but I can¡¯t say the same for you!¡± The red dragon¡¯s face darkened as he glared at the tiger. He didn¡¯t want to do anything to the tiger. Having a double-faced creature around was a good thing. He could be a potential threat to the other side. The dragon had been using the tiger as his pawn. However, the equilibrium got broken, and he had to take the tiger out. ¡°Hold on! Don¡¯t be so grumpy! I have something for you. Maybe you¡¯ll calm down a little when you see the present I¡¯ve prepared for you.¡± The tiger clapped his hands, and another figure appeared in the air. ¡°You promised not to get me involved!¡± The three-eyed cat was displeased. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re only here to drop something off for me. You¡¯re not involved,¡± the tiger said indifferently. The three-eyed cat couldn¡¯t enjoy the benefits without making her fair share of contributions. The tiger wouldn¡¯t let that happen. He would get the cat involved no matter what. Moreover, the cat was necessary for a particular part of this plan. The three-eyed cat handed the tiger a black box in silence before hiding herself again. She knew the tiger was forcing her to pick a side. Since she would receive the benefits, she didn¡¯t mind doing it. She only complained because she didn¡¯t want the tiger to cross the line. ¡°Yagon, would you like to guess what present I have for you here?¡± The tiger smiled. If one didn¡¯t know better, one would think the two beasts were enjoying their conversation. Yagon¡¯s face was livid because he knew what was in the box. ¡°Piger, do you have a death wish?¡± Yagon¡¯s voice was cold. He was furious. He usually had a mild temper. It had been a while since he lost control. Even if he was angry, he never stayed angry for long. Phoe had never seen him so furious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She was frightened by Yagon¡¯s anger. It was terrifying! The light dimmed. Chapter 427 - What Are You Running Away From The sky above the Dusk Soul Forest seemed to have been affected by Yagon¡¯s mood. Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled in the clouds. It was like something was exploding. Yagon¡¯s face was expressionless. There was a murderous look in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t feel anything else. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the present yet. Why are you so angry? ¡°It¡¯s just a gift. Don¡¯t you want it? Even if you don¡¯t want it, there¡¯s no need to be so rude. ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to take it, I¡¯ll destroy the box. I don¡¯t need it, anyway.¡± The tiger then made a gesture to destroy the black box. Yagon said coldly, ¡°How dare you?¡± The two-head tiger grew excited. ¡°If you want it, just say so. I won¡¯t keep it. I¡¯ll do it, you know. You don¡¯t scare me. I¡¯ll give it to you, for old times¡¯ sake. ¡°There!¡± The tiger tossed the box on the ground and walked away. ¡°Piger!¡± Yagon bellowed. He wanted to eat the tiger alive, but he had to pick up the box. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. If you want to thank me, bring me your head in three days. Otherwise, I¡¯ll take it myself! ¡°Enjoy your present. I¡¯m looking forward to having your head!¡± Piger¡¯s voice trailed off as he disappeared out of sight. Yagon landed on the ground as he moved toward the black box. ¡°Retch!¡± He pressed a hand on his chest and spat out blood. Clunk! The black box hit the ground, and the lid fell open. Yagon jumped onto the box and put the lid back on. Phoe¡¯s eyes went bloodshot as she collapsed on the ground. She covered her mouth and kept saying, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Seeing this, Firey ran to Phoe¡¯s side and wrapped her arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright.¡± She didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, but she had some hints. That tiger was evil, and the black box probably contained the parts of somebody very important to Yagon and Phoe. Piger had killed that person. How cruel! Yagon and Phoe must be heartbroken. ¡°Uncle Wolf¡­ How¡­ No! How could that happen? I¡¯m going to kill Piger now!¡± Phoe was furious. She hated Piger for doing such a thing and herself for not being capable enough to kill him right there and then! She detested herself, but she hated Piger more. ¡°With your current capability, going after him will only get you killed. It¡¯s obvious why he gave this to you. He wants to enrage you so that you¡¯ll walk into his trap. ¡°You¡¯ll be committing suicide if you go after him now,¡± Himmel Soan said. He was trying to reason with them. He had met people like Piger before and witnessed more repulsive and unacceptable behaviors. Therefore, he immediately saw through him. The tiger wanted to push Phoe and Yagon over the edge. ¡°We can¡¯t let Uncle Wolf die for nothing! ¡°Uncle Wolf is dead, and I¡¯m still standing here. That¡¯s not right. I should have died instead of Uncle Wolf!¡± Phoe said. ¡°What are you running away from? Do you think your death can solve all the problems? ¡°What would Yagon and the wolf think if you were dead? Wouldn¡¯t they feel the same way as you do now? ¡°It¡¯ll still be a tragedy. The victim would be different, but nothing would change! ¡°You must face reality instead of running away from it!¡± Himmel Soan said in an unhurried tone. Phoe was deeply moved. Overwhelmed by her sorrow, she threw her arms around Firey and burst into tears. Himmel Soan then turned to Yagon. ¡°I think you can understand what I¡¯m saying.¡± Yagon took a deep breath and rose to his feet. Holding the black box, he nodded and said calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± Boom. A bottomless pit suddenly appeared in the ground. Yagon crouched down and put the black box inside. The ground then closed up as if nothing had happened. The black box was nowhere to be seen. ¡°I know making reckless moves won¡¯t help, so I¡¯m going to stay calm. In three days, I¡¯ll rip off that tiger¡¯s both heads! ¡°If I had listened to the wolf king, that tiger would have been dead already. I let go of the opportunity and got the wolf king killed. He¡¯s like a brother to me, and I¡¯m responsible for his death. ¡°Mr. Soan, I¡¯d like you not to intervene three days later. If I die, please take Phoe away,¡± Yagon pleaded. His tone was sincere. He was ready to die with Piger. Himmel Soan nodded. He didn¡¯t plan to intervene either. No matter what Yagon was going to do, he knew he had no right to interfere. Moreover, he only had less than 10% of his full power. Even if he wanted to help, there was nothing he could do. Looking after Phoe was the best choice. ¡°Yagon, why are you going alone? The ice snake, the four-winged bat, and the three-eyed cat will probably all be there. You¡¯ll only get yourself killed. I won¡¯t let that happen!¡± Phoe cried. She had lost the wolf king, and Gina was nowhere to be found. If Yagon was gone too, she would have no one left. ¡°Phoe, what¡¯s wrong?¡± A small white spider showed up at that moment. ¡°White, Uncle Wolf is dead!¡± ¡°The wolf king is dead? How?¡± The spider turned into her human form and walked up to Phoe. Chapter 428 - Tragedy The spider sighed when she studied the energy in the forest. Everything happened so suddenly that she was confused. The Dusk Soul Forest would have some turbulence in the coming days. The death of the wolf king was only the beginning of a tragedy. If this conflict didn¡¯t end, many more would die. Anyone could be dragged into this, including Phoe. Once it started, the storm would suck everyone in unless an outsider intervened. ¡°You¡¯re Himmel Soan, right?¡± the spider asked. ¡°Do you know me?¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. He was certain he had never met the spider before. How could she recognize him right away? ¡°A person will show up and change everything. It may end either way. ¡°That person can¡¯t decide if it will be a good or bad ending. That¡¯s determined by the nature of the incident. ¡°That person may be the icing on the cake.¡± The spider paused briefly and sobbed. ¡°She told me that.¡± She?! Himmel Soan immediately realized it was Gina. She indeed trusted him and knew he would be looking for her. That was why she made all the arrangements. But why? Why couldn¡¯t she tell him directly why she left? Was everything that had happened here part of her plan? Why would she do that? The more he looked into it, the more certain Himmel Soan was: Gina¡¯s disappearance was far more complicated than he believed it to be. The closer the truth was, the more perplexed he became, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before the truth was revealed. ¡°What else did Gina tell you?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°She told me your name and said she was waiting for you. Happy and sad things can both happen. ¡°She believed you would meet again, but until then, she wanted you to use your wisdom to solve the mystery. ¡°That¡¯s all she said,¡± the spider told Himmel Soan the instructions Gina had given before departing. Her job was done. As for how Himmel Soan would think, it wasn¡¯t her concern. All she cared about was Phoe. She wouldn¡¯t let anyone mistreat the phoenix. ¡°Phoe, I¡¯ll help you get back at them!¡± said the spider. ¡°No! Don¡¯t! White, just stay here with me. Will you do that? Just like this¡­¡± Phoe stopped abruptly. The spider was gradually turning transparent. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. I¡¯m not the tiger¡¯s match, but I can get rid of the ice snake for you. You¡¯ll need to take care of the rest. ¡°Phoe, goodbye.¡± The spider was becoming even less visible. The next moment, she exploded, turning into tiny dots of light. Half of them entered Phoe, while the other half transformed into a sword, which flew into the sky before turning in the ice snake¡¯s direction. They heard a scream, and the ice snake disappeared, too. The dots of light dissipated. The last bit flew into Himmel Soan¡¯s ear. ¡°My task is done. ¡°One more thing: there are two keys. One is in Stelladom, and the other is on Earth.¡± The spider was gone forever. Phoe was devastated. The wolf and the spider were both very important to her, but they left her one after another. Yagon was also going to leave soon. Who else could she depend on now? ¡°White told me she was still alive because she had a mission. Once it is completed, she¡¯ll be gone. ¡°I thought it was only a joke and told her she could stay around forever if she didn¡¯t finish the mission. But she only shook her head, saying it was the purpose of her life. Every extra day was a blessing. ¡°White completed her mission just like that¡­¡± Phoe told the story between broken sobs and falling into Firey¡¯s arms. Himmel Soan also felt conflicted. It seemed Gina knew he would come here and had left hints for him, but why would she do that? Did Gina have to leave for some reason? And those keys¡­ What were they for? Could they solve the mystery? There was nothing left on Earth now, and he had searched the planet hundreds of times. Where could the key be? How could he find the key in Stelladom? Instead of answering his questions, Gina created more problems for him. He didn¡¯t know what to do. Should he look for her in the new continent or go back to Stelladom to find the key? It was such a difficult decision. ¡°I can¡¯t be at two places at the same time. Gina, where are you?¡± Himmel Soan sighed. Somewhere else in a courtyard full of cherry blossom trees, many pupils dressed in white were practicing sword skills with a woman. However, she hadn¡¯t made a move for a long time. She only looked up at the sky. Petals danced in the air. None of the pupils spoke or changed their poses. They held their positions in silence. Slowly, a drop of tear slid down the woman¡¯s cheek. She was crying. Despite being the most talented and beautiful woman in this world, she was crying. Why? For whom? The pupils had a lot of questions, but none of them dared to say anything. They even lowered their heads because they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to see her face. ¡°People have sorrow and joy; they part and meet again. The moon dims or shines; it waxes or wanes,¡± she murmured. She didn¡¯t know why she cried or said those things. Those words just slipped out of her mouth. Her eyes soon became cold again, and she moved on to the next stance. The pupils followed suit. No one said anything about what happened just then. Chapter 429 - Decision In Yagon¡¯s house, everybody was very quiet. In the past two days, Firey was the only one that had said anything. However, the conversations never lasted more than a couple of sentences. Neither Yagon nor Phoe was in the mood to chat. They were still trying to face the wolf king¡¯s death and were busy preparing for the upcoming war. Those two things had taken up all their energy. Tomorrow would be the third day. Yagon was supposed to visit the enemies. He went to Himmel Soan¡¯s room and knocked on the door. ¡°Hello, you came earlier than I expected. I even considered the possibility of not seeing you here. Since you¡¯re here, you must have made up your mind.¡± Yagon seemed conflicted. After two days, he calmed down and began to wonder if he should go to see the two-headed tiger. He knew if he went there, he might not be able to return. If so, what would happen to Phoe? At first, he only wanted to kill the tiger to take revenge for the wolf king, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he was capable enough to do that. Could he really kill the tiger? The other side was obviously targeting him and must be well-prepared. They had planned it for a while, and he probably wouldn¡¯t survive this journey. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death, but who would look after Phoe after him? What if he was dead, and the tiger was still alive? All those emotions mixed together, and Yagon couldn¡¯t think straight. That was why he came to Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± Yagon said. He didn¡¯t understand why Himmel Soan said he had made up his mind. If that were the case, he wouldn¡¯t have come here. ¡°You¡¯ll know what to do. Your answer will be your best choice,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°But if I don¡¯t go, then the wolf king would have died for nothing.¡± Yagon felt his throat dry and couldn¡¯t say another word. ¡°Revenge is better served cold. Sometimes it¡¯s necessary to wait. Do you know how long I¡¯ve looked for Gina? Five hundred years! ¡°Finally, I see some hope to find her. ¡°Why can¡¯t you control yourself?¡± Hearing this, Yagon remained silent. He wanted to take revenge while Himmel Soan was looking for Gina. Although their goals were different, there were some similarities. For instance, they both had a mixture of feelings. Could he control himself? If he couldn¡¯t, he would have fought the tiger when he was here the other day, but he was still hesitating here. He had so many responsibilities. He had to defeat and kill the two-head tiger, but making reckless moves wouldn¡¯t help him. He had so much on his mind. If he was killed by the tiger¡¯s trap, what would happen to Phoe and the forest? He had to consider such things, which restrained his urges. ¡°Mr. Soan, please teach me.¡± Yagon knelt on the floor. ¡°What do you want to learn? Do you need me to teach you how to get stronger or how to kill the tiger? ¡°It¡¯s your task, not mine. Why should I teach you anything?¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s questions made Yagon lose all hope once more. He was right. Why should he teach him anything? Yagon couldn¡¯t give an answer. He simply assumed he could find answers from Himmel Soan. After all, he was Gina¡¯s cultivation partner. If Gina were here, she would have taken charge of this matter. But Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t Gina. He didn¡¯t have any reason to help Yagon. ¡°You¡¯re capable enough to be proud of yourself, but you can¡¯t think outside the box. ¡°That box is Phoe and the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°Why are you worried about Phoe? If you don¡¯t care about her, the wolf king, or the forest, will you still be so troubled? ¡°If you don¡¯t care about what has happened, the whole thing will be solved automatically.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t beat around the bush. The words felt like daggers stabbing into Yagon¡¯s chest. He was utterly confused and felt very pessimistic. He was overwhelmed by all sorts of negative emotions. Could he stop caring about Phoe, the wolf king, and the Dusk Soul Forest? If he didn¡¯t care about those things, his life would have no meaning at all. He would live for the sake of living, without any goals or desires. ¡°Mr. Soan, I don¡¯t agree. I must do the right thing; I must go to see the tiger, even if I have to die on his territory!¡± Yagon made up his mind. Himmel Soan smiled. ¡°What about Phoe?¡± Yagon seemed to have anticipated it and already had an answer. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have made up his mind. ¡°Just like you, I have things I care about. ¡°Phoe is a Zimmer. If I die, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll abandon her. You¡¯ll take her with you and keep her safe. I don¡¯t need to worry about her. I¡¯ll focus all my energy on making the tiger¡¯s life hell!¡± Yagon grinned. He realized what Himmel Soan meant. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t trying to make him lose hope. He said those words because he wanted Yagon to be certain of what he wanted. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, do you have a plan? How are you going to deal with their ambush?¡± Himmel Soan smiled at Yagon. Now that Yagon understood him, he didn¡¯t mind giving him some help. Of course, it would only be limited to offering suggestions. Himmel Soan only had 10% of his power left, so he couldn¡¯t do much in physical combat. ¡°The wolf king, the spider, and the ice snake are all dead. My opponents now are the four-winged bat, the two-headed tiger, and the cunning three-eyed cat. ¡°There¡¯s also a very unstable factor!¡± Chapter 430 - Unstable Factor The unstable factor was the poisonous mad dog. He was big trouble for all the creatures in the Dusk Soul Forest. No one could kill him, and he would randomly attack just about anyone. Yagon was worried that the dog would join the other side. ¡°Are you talking about the poisonous mad dog?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Yes! Things will be much more complicated if he turns against us!¡± Yagon didn¡¯t want to bring up that dog, but he didn¡¯t have a choice. In the current situation, the dog might become the deciding factor. If he joined the tiger, Yagon wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Even if the dog didn¡¯t join the other side, he might still stir things up. As for Lumi, that creature was so mysterious that even Yagon didn¡¯t know where it stood. Lumi was probably one of ¡°them.¡± What would ¡°they¡± do in a situation like this? ¡°The poisonous mad dog is a peculiar creature, but you¡¯re all wrong about one thing. He¡¯s not crazy. ¡°I¡¯ve met him already. He stopped us on our way here, and Phoe exchanged a few blows with him. ¡°He absorbed Phoe¡¯s energy and turned it into his own. Do you know this ability?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Yagon searched his memory and said in resignation, ¡°Yes, I do. I fought the dog before. He can absorb all attacks and use them to improve his ability. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to avoid fighting him since then so that he won¡¯t get even stronger. That dog¡­¡± Yagon was anxious because having such a creature around was too unstable. However, what did Mr. Soan mean by ¡°he¡¯s not crazy¡±? Had the mad dog been faking it this whole time? That didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Everybody in the Dusk Soul Forest agreed that the dog was mad. How could he be faking it? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not. He¡¯s digesting Phoe¡¯s energy now, so he wouldn¡¯t have time for anything else. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about him. Even if he gets involved, he may not join the other side.¡± Himmel Soan was very calm. It was as if he was talking about the most common thing. However, this incident would shake the entire forest no matter which side won. ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t need to worry anymore. I know for a fact that the tiger has been coveting the cat. We can easily drive a wedge between them. The cat will wait for the windfall while I fight the others. ¡°I only need to take care of the four-winged bat and the two-headed tiger. ¡°Lumi has never interfered with such things. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll make an exception now.¡± Yagon began to think about tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the day he took revenge for the wolf king. He didn¡¯t think he could defeat both of them, but he could still hold them off. It would all depend on the cat¡¯s choice. ¡­ The following day, Yagon was on his way. Phoe didn¡¯t see him off. She didn¡¯t even say a word. She shut herself in her room for the past two days and wouldn¡¯t see Yagon. Yagon didn¡¯t know what to say either, so maybe this was for the best. Phoe didn¡¯t need to worry about anything. Everything he did was for her. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death. ¡°Phoe, why didn¡¯t you see him off?¡± Firey asked. Firey received Himmel Soan¡¯s order the moment Yagon made up his mind. She was instructed to stay with Phoe the entire time. She was to calm Phoe down and keep an eye on the girl so that she wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless. ¡°Why should I care if he¡¯s dead or alive?¡± Phoe snorted. She acted as if she didn¡¯t care about the whole thing, but deep down, she was filled with anxiety. She couldn¡¯t tell Yagon not to go because she couldn¡¯t forget about the tragedy. She wanted to go with him, but neither Mr. Soan nor Yagon would let her go. Therefore, she stayed in her room and sulked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure Yagon will be fine. You have to believe him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come back safely. We¡¯ll just stay here and wait for him. Don¡¯t get so upset about it.¡± Firey held Phoe in her arms. Phoe wanted to stay indifferent, but she chuckled upon hearing Firey¡¯s innocent voice. She couldn¡¯t get mad at her. Only the weak would try to hurt someone who was weaker, and she was anything but weak! ¡°Firey, can we talk about¡ª¡± ¡°No! Definitely not! My job is to protect you!¡± Firey cut her off before she could finish. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what she wanted to say. Everybody knew what Phoe wanted. ¡°If you¡¯re here to protect me, you can protect me everywhere I go. Firey, I know you understand me. If you were me, what would you do now? ¡°Please help me! ¡°I promise you when we¡¯re over there. I¡¯ll just watch in silence and won¡¯t do anything else.¡± Phoe pleaded in a sincere tone. She knew she had to help Yagon. She didn¡¯t want their previous meeting to be the last time she saw him alive. However, she had to persuade Firey first. She would be in trouble if Mr. Soan learned of this. Firey bit her lip and hesitated. ¡°Are you really just going to watch and won¡¯t do anything else?¡± Hearing her tone, Phoe knew she had a chance. Just watch? Of course, she wouldn¡¯t, but to get through Firey, Phoe had to lie. ¡°You have my word. I¡¯ll just watch. Yagon is so capable. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t need my help! ¡°Do you trust me? If you were in my place, I¡¯d help you!¡± Firey wavered and considered what Phoe said. In the end, she agreed. The two girls headed for the two-headed tiger¡¯s territory together. Himmel Soan appeared in their room as soon as they were gone. ¡°So they still decided to go.¡± Chapter 431 - Alienation Himmel Soan smiled. He didn¡¯t send Firey here to watch over Phoe. Rather, he wanted her to keep her safe. He also gave Firey another instruction. If Phoe wanted to leave, Firey had to stall for a moment before letting her go. That was why it took Phoe so long to change Firey¡¯s mind. ¡°Gina, have you anticipated everything?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. The tiger attacked the wolf king right after Himmel Soan came here. Yagon was enraged by the death of the wolf king. The spider killed the ice snake before her disappearance. Right now, it was the bat, the cat, and the tiger against Yagon and Phoe. Everything seemed to be destined to happen. If that were the case, the war should have broken out a long time ago. However, Gina¡¯s arrival calmed them down. Himmel Soan wondered if Gina was trying to tell him something in his process of solving this issue. Would Lumi or the poisonous mad dog be part of Gina¡¯s plan? Since the spider was Gina¡¯s arrangement, from what Himmel Soan knew about Gina, she would have more than one such arrangement. He decided to wait and see what would happen next. He hurried toward the two-headed tiger¡¯s territory, too. ¡°Tiger, I¡¯m here to take your head!¡± Yagon challenged the two-headed tiger from up in the air. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have the balls to come here!¡± Three figures appeared. It was the cat, the tiger, and the bat. ¡°Yagon, are you so eager to die? What a wonderful day!¡± The bat chuckled. There were three of them and one Yagon. He had no chance! The bat was thrilled. Without Yagon, everyone would be so much happier! The cat and the tiger smiled at each other, laughing at Yagon for having come here alone. ¡°You really have brought me your head. I like that. You know what¡¯s best for you. ¡°No more small talk. Let me have your head.¡± The tiger smirked. Seeing the tiger¡¯s annoying look, Yagon almost wanted to punch him in the face. Luckily, he fought back the urge. He took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°What about when I¡¯m dead? Is the cat going to be the next? ¡°I actually want to see your two heads splitting up, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have that opportunity.¡± The tiger frowned and bellowed, ¡°Yagon, shut up!¡± He charged at Yagon and tried to land a punch. However, Yagon caught his fist. ¡°Cat, Bat, what are you waiting for? Now is the best time to kill the dragon! Let¡¯s get him!¡± The bat rushed to the tiger¡¯s side whereas the three-eyed cat hesitated. ¡°Cat, what are you waiting for?¡± The two-headed tiger was anxious. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two enough? I¡¯ll just stay here and watch in case something unexpected happens,¡± the cat said lightly. She was obviously hesitating and even wanted to back out. She didn¡¯t hold any grudges against Yagon and didn¡¯t want to become his enemy. After all, Yagon was terrifyingly capable. Although the three of them could kill Yagon together, what would happen after that? The cat wondered if the tiger would turn on her and join hands with the bat to kill her. If that were true, killing Yagon wouldn¡¯t do her any good. She had no reason to attack him. ¡°Tiger, don¡¯t take me for a fool. Everybody knows your plan for the three-eyed cat. You want to find a new body for one of your heads! ¡°Do you really think she¡¯ll help you?¡± Yagon went on alienating the cat and the tiger. He didn¡¯t need to do much because the cat was already suspicious. The tiger got angry. He knew the cat was probably on her guard, but that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen now. He had promised many things to the cat. When the reward was generous enough, anyone would lose their head. The cat was no exception. Right now, she should be helping the tiger to kill Yagon first before worrying about other things. However, Yagon spoiled his plans. ¡°Cat, you¡¯re in this with me. If I fail, you won¡¯t survive either. You need to take full credit for killing the wolf king. Do you think Yagon will let you live?¡± The tiger revealed the secret to keep the cat on his side. As long as he got what he wanted, he didn¡¯t care what means he used to reach his goal. Why did he work with the three-eyed cat when he wanted to kill the wolf king? He wanted to have some dirt on the cat. She wouldn¡¯t be able to detach herself from the affair. ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated you. I didn¡¯t see this coming. Have you been planning this all along?¡± The three-eyed cat took a deep breath. The tiger had set her up! He had thrown her under the bus. If Yagon survived, he would go after her. If Yagon died, the tiger would be her next trouble. It was a difficult choice to make. ¡°Yagon, if you make a promise, I¡¯ll back out,¡± said the three-eyed cat. The two-headed tiger had made her an offer, but it was obviously a threat. Of course, the cat wouldn¡¯t give in. She had to see if Yagon gave her a way out. If it was good enough, she didn¡¯t mind switching sides. ¡°I¡­¡± Yagon couldn¡¯t make up his mind, but he had to make a decision. ¡°I can let you go, but you must apologize at the wolf king¡¯s grave. You¡¯ll have to handle the bat for me. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to fight. You can just stall him,¡± said Yagon. The two-headed tiger panicked. If the dragon and cat worked together, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. He couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°Think it through, Cat! Even if Yagon agrees to your terms, how do you know he¡¯ll keep his promise? ¡°You killed the wolf king! ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll forgive you that easily?¡± Chapter 432 - Lumi That was right! Would Yagon forgive her? She couldn¡¯t afford to offend either the dragon or the tiger. In terms of their combat ability, her best choice was to help the tiger. Yagon was a much more powerful fighter, but the tiger was a sinister creature. She could never figure him out. She had been set up once when she killed the wolf king. What if, by helping the tiger, she brought more harm to herself? ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you fight Yagon!¡± The three-eyed cat finally made her decision. ¡°You!¡± Yagon hadn¡¯t anticipated this. He thought the worst scenario would be having the cat sit this one out and reap the spoils later. However, she chose to help the tiger, putting him under a lot of pressure. ¡°This is great! ¡°Yagon, your life will end here today. Go to hell! ¡°We¡¯ll find the bird and send her on her way, too!¡± The tiger guffawed. He was certain he would win this battle. Everything was going as planned. ¡°Lumi? The poisonous mad dog?¡± Suddenly, the tiger frowned and immediately backed away. The bat and the cat followed suit. What were those two doing here? Were they here to help Yagon? ¡°Why are you here?¡± the tiger asked. If they decided to help Yagon, the situation could turn around. Lumi stood on one of the branches, flickering in and out of sight without saying a word. It was as if it was only here to watch the show. The poisonous mad dog lay his chin on the ground, seemingly asleep. The unstable factors! Both of them were here! The battle was bound to be more complicated than it seemed. ¡°Yagon, how did you manage to summon them?¡± the tiger asked gloomily. He had no idea Yagon could do this. If he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have made this move so soon. Yagon didn¡¯t say anything. He was lost in his thoughts. When the cat went to the other side, she sent him a secret message, promising him she would take out the bat. But now, they were all surprised by the newcomers. ¡°Ahh! You!¡± ¡°Shut up and die!¡± Everybody looked in the direction of the noise and saw a shocking scene. The bat was dead. The cat had killed him! Picking up the bat¡¯s corpse, the three-eyed cat told Yagon, ¡°I¡¯ve kept my side of the bargain. I hope you can keep your promise.¡± Promise? The tiger was surprised. Didn¡¯t the cat choose his side? Why did she suddenly betray him? ¡°Why? We could have killed Yagon together!¡± The tiger bellowed. The cat¡¯s actions had destroyed his entire plan. His preparations were all futile. ¡°You felt more dangerous to me. Killing Yagon won¡¯t do me any good, but helping him will be helping myself. Why should I choose you over him?¡± the cat said calmly. She knew what was best for her. Killing the bat, she would gain all the benefits, but killing Yagon would only make her look over her shoulder for the tiger¡¯s ambush all the time. Therefore, she attacked the bat when he was distracted and killed him. She was trading the bat¡¯s life for her own. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll kill you! ¡°My plan would have worked if it weren¡¯t for you. It¡¯s all your fault!¡± The tiger¡¯s muscles bulged, and blue veins popped up all over his body. He was furious beyond measure. His top priority was to kill the cat right here and now. He jumped at the cat. ¡°I¡¯m the one you¡¯re fighting!¡± Bang! Yagon turned into a dragon and pounced at the tiger. Since the cat had made her choice, he would keep his promise. The impact of their collision created powerful shockwaves. The trees nearby were uprooted, and some smaller ones were either shattered or blown into the distance. The one Lumi was on was the only one that was still standing. The poisonous mad dog lay under the tree and remained unaffected. The three-eyed cat moved to the side and cautiously watched Lumi as if trying to see through this creature. ¡°Stop staring. I¡¯m something you can¡¯t figure out,¡± Lumi said indifferently. The cat also dropped the act. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± Lumi smiled. ¡°I¡¯m exactly what you see. As for why I¡¯m here, I¡¯m waiting for somebody.¡± Waiting for somebody? Apart from the fire phoenix, all the main players in the forest were here. Lumi couldn¡¯t be waiting for the ordinary beasts. Moreover, none of them would dare come here. ¡°The fire phoenix¡¯s here. Is she the one you¡¯re waiting for?¡± The cat saw Phoe and Firey. ¡°No, I¡¯m waiting for the person behind them,¡± Lumi said frankly. It didn¡¯t have to answer the question, but since the cat asked, it answered. ¡°Who¡¯s that next to the fire phoenix?¡± The cat suspected she knew the answer, but she wasn¡¯t sure. The energy was so familiar that she felt she knew what it was, but she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the essence of nature,¡± said Lumi. Yes! She was right! The cat was astonished. She couldn¡¯t believe the girl next to the fire phoenix was the essence of nature. It was incredible. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the essence of nature could exist in this form, let alone become a human,¡± the cat said greedily. What a treasure! Her ability would improve greatly if she could have something like that. Maybe she could even fight against Yagon, the forest lord that even the two-headed tiger couldn¡¯t overpower. She couldn¡¯t imagine what level she would reach if she absorbed the essence of nature. ¡°You¡¯d better not have wrong ideas, or you¡¯ll die,¡± said Lumi. ¡°Why? Are you going to stop me?¡± the cat asked. Chapter 433 - Greed and Senses Lumi only smiled. Stop her? It could do that, but why would it try to stop some ignorant creature with a death wish? ¡°If you want to stop me, bring it on! I¡¯ll find out what you really are,¡± said the cat. Lumi chuckled. ¡°Why should I stop you? If you want to die, go for it.¡± The cat wondered why the fire phoenix had the essence of nature with her and why Lumi said those things. There had to be an explanation. Her question was her way of probing Lumi for helpful information. Unfortunately, Lumi didn¡¯t entertain her. If Lumi won¡¯t stop me, why did it say I had a death wish? Surely, I can handle that fire phoenix. Although I¡¯ll offend Yagon once more, once I defeat the phoenix and absorb the essence of nature, I won¡¯t need to be afraid of the dragon anymore. With enough power, she could afford to offend anybody. ¡°Let me remind you that I¡¯m waiting for somebody. Are you sure you want to do this? ¡°The Dusk Soul Forest has lost the wolf king, the spider, the ice snake, and the four-winged bat. That¡¯s a considerable loss. If you and the tiger die too, the forest will become defenseless. ¡°Are you sure you want to go through with your plan?¡± Lumi asked. It didn¡¯t want to lose another capable member of the forest. Although the cat was cunning, she was still an advanced sacred beast and one of the best in the forest. It hoped the three-eyed cat could behave herself. As expected, the cat started hesitating. Lumi was a mysterious creature that might have been sent by ¡°them.¡± She took its words seriously. If Lumi was waiting for somebody, that person had to be very important. Only such a person could have a treasure like the essence of nature. Once she figured that out, the cat gave up on the idea. ¡°Are you from the other side?¡± Lumi smiled. ¡°Yes and no.¡± Firey and the fire phoenix arrived at that moment. ¡°You stupid dog!¡± Phoe lost her temper as soon as she saw the dog. He had absorbed her attack the other day and was completely fine. Phoe couldn¡¯t stand it. She would have fought the dog to the end if Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t stopped her. Firey was drooling at the sight of the poisonous mad dog. ¡°That dog looks so delicious!¡± ¡°Firey, let¡¯s take it down!¡± The poisonous mad dog wasn¡¯t afraid of Phoe, but he kept falling back when he saw Firey as if it was scared. ¡°Phoe, I only ate your attack. Get over it already!¡± said the dog. ¡°I used my full power, but you just opened your mouth and ate it! You humiliated me! I won¡¯t get over it! You must apologize!¡± Phoe stressed each word. She might sound reasonable, but in fact, she was making trouble out of nothing. The dog could only shut up and listen. Seeing this, Lumi jumped off the tree and landed in front of everybody. ¡°Phoe, I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Lumi smiled. ¡°Lumi?¡± Phoe was confused. She wasn¡¯t friends with Lumi, but why did it sound like they knew each other forever? ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡± Lumi asked Firey. ¡°He¡¯s coming,¡± Firey said casually. Phoe was dumbfounded. He was coming? Firey¡¯s master was Himmel Soan, Pheo¡¯s brother-in-law. ¡°Firey, didn¡¯t you say Brother-in-law wouldn¡¯t know about it? Why is he coming here?¡± Phoe nervously looked over her shoulder like a child who had done something wrong. Firey was still drooling at the poisonous mad dog. He was so scared that he hid behind Lumi. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The cat was dumbfounded. Brother-in-law? Master? Who were they talking about? What was the relationship between the dog and Lumi? ¡°Isn¡¯t Phoe¡¯s sister Gina?¡± The cat suddenly recalled a woman, and her hair stood up. Brother-in-law? Gina¡¯s partner? How was that possible? Hadn¡¯t Gina disappeared? How could she have a partner? ¡°Cat, are you still having those ideas?¡± Lumi teased her. ¡°No! Of course not! I don¡¯t have any idea at all!¡± The cat shivered. She was frightened. She couldn¡¯t think of anything else. All she wanted to do now was to go home and cultivate for the next couple of hundred years. It was too late to slip away now. ¡°Master¡¯s here!¡± Firey said happily. ¡°Where¡¯s Brother-in-law?¡± Phoe looked around. ¡°I¡¯m here. Are you looking for me?¡± Himmel Soan suddenly showed up and asked after Phoe. Phoe shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not! I just missed you. The air here is so fresh. Brother-in-law, what brought you here?¡± Himmel Soan smiled and clunked Phoe on the forehead. ¡°I told Firey to keep an eye on you. Don¡¯t you know what that means? I gave her permission to let you come here. Otherwise, you¡¯ll still be in the house! ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish!¡± Himmel Soan scolded her while Phoe listened without saying a word. She came here because she was worried about Yagon. She saw the cat killing the bat, and the tiger would fight Yagon later. She knew Yagon would win. That was why she was so at ease. ¡°Cat, are you going to leave, or do I have to make you?¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. After all, the cat had killed the bat and helped Yagon greatly. He didn¡¯t want to do anything to the cat, so he let her go. Chapter 434 - Lumis Identity After the cat left, Lumi looked into Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes. Himmel Soan smiled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see you clearly at first and thought I was mistaken. I didn¡¯t know the law of nature could become an intelligent being.¡± Lumi wasn¡¯t surprised. It knew Himmel Soan would figure out who it was eventually. Firey didn¡¯t show any reaction either because she wouldn¡¯t be surprised by anybody. The only one that was shocked was Phoe. ¡°What are you talking about? Why can¡¯t I understand you? What law of nature? Brother-in-law, what are you talking about?¡± Phoe suddenly felt left out, and she didn¡¯t like that feeling. It was as if she was ignored. ¡°The law of nature is the law of nature.¡± Himmel Soan smiled but didn¡¯t explain. If she could figure it out on her own, she would understand. If she couldn¡¯t, there was no need to explain. ¡°What? Forget it. I¡¯ll watch Brother Dragon fight! I want to help!¡± Phoe then switched to her phoenix form and flew into the sky. She was smart enough to realize it was something she wasn¡¯t supposed to know, so she found an excuse and slipped away. ¡°If the essence of nature can grow a mind and take a human form, why can¡¯t the law of nature?¡± Lumi asked. ¡°You have a point. What do you have against me? Why have you been trying to suppress me?¡± Himmel Soan asked. The question had been bothering him for a long time. Why did the law of nature in the Dusk Soul Forest want to suppress him? If he could find the answer, he would learn the secret of the forest and even deduce why the law of nature in Stelladom tried to suppress him, too. However, things didn¡¯t go as planned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m the law of nature, but not really,¡± said Lumi. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Himmel Soan was confused. Yes, but not really? That wasn¡¯t the case with Firey. Was Lumi the law of nature or not? ¡°Technically speaking, I¡¯m only a fraction of the laws of nature. After billions of years, I grew a mind and separated from it. So I¡¯m not technically the law of nature. As for why you¡¯re targeted, I know the answer. ¡°No one in this world is immortal. Immortality isn¡¯t allowed,¡± said Lumi. It was very clear. Himmel Soan was an immortal, which wasn¡¯t permitted in this world, so he was being targeted. However, since he was so capable, even the law of nature couldn¡¯t stop him. All it could do was suppress him. Lumi was only a fraction of the law of nature that had developed consciousness. It couldn¡¯t be considered the law of nature anymore. Maybe one could call it the law of nature¡¯s child. ¡°I don¡¯t think the law of nature will accept you either. You¡¯re not that capable, but why aren¡¯t you destroyed?¡± Himmel Soan asked. The law of nature wouldn¡¯t allow part of it to grow a mind and become an independent being. How did Lumi survive? ¡°That¡¯s because I can use a little bit of the law of nature¡¯s power. The Dusk Soul Forest is part of the barrier of Stelladom, so the law of nature has used most of its power on it. ¡°With that main task at hand, the law of nature doesn¡¯t have time to come after me. ¡°I need to sleep for a long time every once in a while to reduce the enmity the law of nature has toward me. I want to be free of the law of nature and become a real human being! ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I need your help!¡± Lumi had never told anyone those things. Himmel Soan was the first to learn the truth about its identity because he was immortal. ¡°Gina is immortal, too. Why didn¡¯t you tell her?¡± Himmel Soan raised a question. Gina was immortal, just like him, and Lumi should be able to tell it. In that case, why didn¡¯t Lumi tell these things to her and seek her help? ¡°Gina¡­ Well, I was dormant at the time, so I didn¡¯t know,¡± Lumi said lightly. Himmel Soan frowned. Lumi¡¯s tone had changed. It hesitated. Lumi must be lying, but why? ¡°You raised the poisonous mad dog as an alarm clock to wake you up, didn¡¯t you? He should have woken you up when he heard about Gina, even if you were asleep. ¡°You must know Gina and might even have met her.¡± Himmel Soan reached a conclusion. He was right. Lumi had raised the poisonous mad dog, the unruly dog that had been running wild in the forest. He wasn¡¯t mad. The dog was only naughty. He served as Lumi¡¯s alarm clock. ¡°You¡¯re very clever. Just as you said, I¡¯ve met Gina. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t find my hope in her. She should have been able to help me, but I realized she had some mental problem. ¡°That was why I didn¡¯t choose her,¡± said Lumi. It knew Gina was Himmel Soan¡¯s partner and that he was here to find her. Lumi hesitated before because it was wondering if it should tell him about Gina. If Himmel Soan left after that, Lumi might never find another immortal. But if Lumi didn¡¯t explain, Himmel Soan obviously wouldn¡¯t offer any help. Therefore, Lumi told the truth and waited to see if he would lend a hand. If he wouldn¡¯t, Lumi wouldn¡¯t let him leave the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°Mental problem? You¡¯re the law of nature. How could you not know where she went?¡± Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t believe it. How could Gina have mental problems? Could Lumi be lying? ¡°I don¡¯t know. She just suddenly disappeared,¡± said Lumi. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t figure out if that was the truth. It came from the law of nature, and no more than a third of what it said could be true. Therefore, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t believe Lumi. Chapter 435 - Headless Tiger He would take those words with a pinch of salt. That was what Himmel Soan thought about Lumi. ¡°What do you need me to help you with?¡± Himmel Soan asked. After everything Lumi said, he felt he should say something, regardless if it had told the truth. ¡°I want to fight the law of nature.¡± Lumi didn¡¯t beat around the bush and made a shocking announcement. Even Yagon would be surprised if he heard it. Their cultivation revolved around the law of nature. Without it, they wouldn¡¯t have anything to cultivate with. Fighting against the law of nature would be the same as destroying this world. ¡°Do you want to replace it and become a conscious law of nature?¡± Himmel Soan asked. At first, Lumi wanted to be a real person, but it now wanted to become the law of nature. That was why Himmel Soan never trusted it. The law of nature was relentless; growing a mind wouldn¡¯t change that. ¡°No! I just want to become a person. But the only way for me to break free from the law of nature is to destroy it! ¡°Only then can I really be free!¡± Lumi explained. Himmel Soan only smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m immortal, but my capability is very limited. What am I supposed to do with the law of nature? You¡¯re trying to ask a cultivator to destroy the law of nature. You must be joking. ¡°Moreover, why should I help you? Is it because you told me something about Gina? You said she suddenly disappeared. That¡¯s just not possible.¡± How could a person suddenly disappear? He came here from Earth for a reason. It was the result of the unstable portal and Gina¡¯s image. That was why he was teleported here. He still hadn¡¯t had any time to figure out how it was done. He tried once when he recovered a third of his power, but he didn¡¯t succeed. Maybe he could only do that when he recovered all his power. He didn¡¯t understand all the hints Gina had left behind for him. In the end, he decided to take his time. ¡°You¡¯re capable enough, or the law of nature would have attacked you as it did with Gina. ¡°Gina¡¯s disappearance was very strange. I don¡¯t know how to explain it, either. She just vanished. I detected the residual power of time and space. I don¡¯t know where it came from.¡± Lumi felt helpless. To secure Himmel Soan¡¯s help, it had to explain everything. But it was still not certain if he would agree. There was hope though. ¡°The power of time and space?¡± Himmel Soan was intrigued. That had something to do with Gina. The power of time and space¡­ It suddenly occurred to him that the power of time and space was Gina¡¯s specialty. Maybe his portal¡¯s destination changed not because of his excitement but because of Gina! If what he saw was real, the person he saw was Gina. Was Gina on Earth? That person must be Gina, but she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind. If she had seen him, why would she go all the way to bring him to this world? The Zimmer family and the spider were all part of Gina¡¯s plan. What was she up to? Himmel Soan sighed and wasn¡¯t in a hurry to look for Gina anymore. They would eventually meet again. It couldn¡¯t be rushed. ¡°I can help you, but under one condition. ¡°You must tell me everything about the Dusk Soul Forest and its relationship with Stelladom and the other side.¡± Himmel Soan finally agreed to help Lumi. Lumi was thrilled because its plan could finally get going. Its efforts wouldn¡¯t be for nothing. ¡­ Over on the other side, once the fire phoenix joined in, the tiger soon started losing ground. He was already at a disadvantage when fighting with Yagon. With the addition of the fire phoenix, he was covered with wounds. The tiger wanted to retreat, but neither Yagon nor Phoe would let him go. ¡°Yagon, I give in. You win. Please stop.¡± The tiger surrendered. ¡°You give in? Do you think that¡¯ll solve everything?¡± Phoe cut him off. She wouldn¡¯t let the tiger surrender. He had started his battle, so he had to finish it. Yagon was prepared to die when he came here. Had he surrendered, would the tiger let him live? Of course not! In that case, why should they forgive the tiger? ¡°I lose! I¡¯ll give you everything you want. You can have all my territories. I don¡¯t want anything! You can take them all! ¡°I surrender!¡± The two-headed tiger seemed to have given up his resistance. If one didn¡¯t know better, one would think Yagon and Phoe were bullying him. Phoe smirked. ¡°If you¡¯ll give us everything, I¡¯d like to have both of your heads!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°You!!¡± The two heads bellowed in unison. They were furious because it was a humiliation. He had said the same thing to Yagon back then, and now, Phoe humiliated him by throwing the words back at him. No one could stand that. However, the tiger¡¯s life was on the line, so he had to swallow the shame. ¡°When will this feud end? Why don¡¯t we both take a step back? I¡¯ll stay out of your way, and you¡¯ll stay out of mine. ¡°Let¡¯s make peace and go our separate ways. How about that?¡± The two-headed tiger sounded quite sincere, but Yagon and Phoe only found him hypocritic and ridiculous. No one would believe anything the tiger said now. He had signed his death sentence when he killed the wolf king. If he had killed the wolf king fair and square on the battlefield, things wouldn¡¯t have been like this. ¡°It¡¯s too late to say anything. You can confess to the wolf king in another world. I think he¡¯ll kill you again over there.¡± Immediately after that, the two-headed tiger became a headless one. Chapter 436 - Law of Natures Pet When the tiger¡¯s two heads fell, the incident of the wolf king¡¯s death reached its end. Yagon was glad the cat made the decision to side with him. If the cat and spider hadn¡¯t killed the bat and the ice snake, he would probably be dead by now. Therefore, he decided not to look into the cat¡¯s past actions. After burying the tiger, Yagon went back to Himmel Soan. He frowned when he saw Lumi and the poisonous mad dog. Although he wasn¡¯t familiar with Lumi, he didn¡¯t like the energy it gave off. ¡°Mr. Soan, thank you.¡± Yagon cupped his hands at Himmel Soan. ¡°Why thank me?¡± ¡°Things wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± Yagon smiled, but he was obviously suggesting something. ¡°Is that so?¡± Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Mr. Soan, let¡¯s go back. Some things aren¡¯t meant to be discussed in front of outsiders.¡± He then glanced at Lumi. Lumi only nodded with a smile while Yagon smirked. Outsiders? He was obviously referring to Lumi. His wording also suggested Himmel Soan was his close friend. Lumi understood all that, but it didn¡¯t say anything. It only smiled. Himmel Soan went home with Yagon. Lumi was the law of Nature, so its words couldn¡¯t be trusted. He found Yagon and Phoe much more trustworthy. After Himmel Soan was gone, the tiger¡¯s body and both heads were dug out from where they were buried. ¡°Which head should I attach to the body?¡± Lumi hesitated. ¡°You, then!¡± The black-striped head was attached to the tiger¡¯s body. A moment later, the head opened its eyes. The tiger was alive again. He looked around him in bewilderment. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You were dead once, but you¡¯re alive now. Do you understand?¡± Lumi asked. ¡°I was dead?¡± The tiger had just woken up and was trying to make sense of the situation. Soon, he remembered what had happened. He was killed. His two heads were cut off and later buried. Why was he alive now? ¡°Where is he?¡± the tiger asked in a trembling voice. He had been sharing this body with another head, but it wasn¡¯t there. What¡­ That was great news! He was brought back from death and the competing head was gone! ¡°It¡¯s here. I¡¯ll leave it to you to decide what to do with it.¡± Lumi tossed the other head under the tiger¡¯s feet. The tiger caressed the head as old memories rushed back. Although they were two independent minds, they only had one name. The black-striped head was the older brother while the brown-striped one was the younger one. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry. I promise I¡¯ll take revenge for you. ¡°Rest in peace.¡± His eyes glinted, and he stepped on the head. The brown-striped tiger head was gone forever. From now on, there was no two-headed tiger. He was the black-striped tiger now. After taking care of the head, he stared at Lumi. ¡°You¡¯re Lumi, that mysterious poser!¡± Lumi had brought him back from death, but he was still hostile toward the creature. He didn¡¯t know which side it was on. ¡°I¡¯m the embodiment of the law of nature. I¡¯m not mysterious. ¡°I know everything about you, from your past to your future. Ciger is your new name. Your brother is in the past, and you alone will decide your future. ¡°You¡¯ll become the lord of the Dusk Soul Forest. The world will shake under your feet!¡± Lumi¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap in Ciger¡¯s ears. He was blown away. In the end, he could realize the dream of him ruling the world. Everybody would tremble at his presence. ¡°Did you say you¡¯re the law of nature? How can you prove that?¡± Ciger felt his mouth go dry. His heart was pounding for the promising future. Was Lumi really the law of nature? Even if Lumi didn¡¯t answer him, Ciger still had a guess. If Lumi wasn¡¯t the law of nature, how could it change destiny? How was he brought back from death? ¡°How am I going to prove I¡¯m the law of nature?¡± Lumi smiled. ¡°Let me answer it for you. The law of nature never needs to prove itself! ¡°It¡¯s what it is! I¡¯m the law of nature!¡± Clouds gathered above their heads. With a wave of Lumi¡¯s hand, the thunder turned into a dragon that would fly in whatever direction Lumi pointed at. ¡°Come,¡± Lumi said lightly. The dragon roared and flew toward Lumi. Ciger was terrified. That was a thunder dragon. Was it going to swallow Lumi? The next second, he realized how ridiculous his thinking was. The dragon disappeared into Lumi¡¯s body. Lumi was unaffected, but voltaic arcs were flickering around its body. ¡°The law of nature!¡± Thump! Ciger dropped to his knees and prostrated on the ground. Lumi didn¡¯t stop him. It had done everything for this moment. Lumi would consider it a failure if Ciger wasn¡¯t on his knees. It wasn¡¯t for show. ¡°Please get up. I¡¯ve only told you and the poisonous mad dog about the law of nature. ¡°The poisonous mad dog is my pet,¡± said Lumi. Ciger was going to get up, but he stopped immediately and cupped his hands. ¡°I want to become the law of nature¡¯s pet!¡± Lumi frowned and shook its head, looking disappointed. What¡­ ¡°Am I not even qualified to be a pet?¡± Ciger dropped the matter. He had died once, and the law of nature probably didn¡¯t want such a creature to be its pet. ¡°No, you¡¯re not a pet. I appreciate your power, which was why I brought you back from death. ¡°I didn¡¯t do that to have a pet. Understood?¡± Lumi smiled. It had won Ciger¡¯s heart with that little trick. Chapter 437 - Surrender Lumi revived Ciger and showed him the law of nature¡¯s power so that he would surrender and become its subordinate. One would find the most ordinary thing precious when in despair. A drowning man would grab a straw when he was about to die. Ciger was the drowning man, while Lumi was the straw. He would do anything to hold onto this opportunity. He was dead once, and his pride was long gone. He now realized playing tough wouldn¡¯t solve any problem. Lumi was the law of nature. All cultivators depended on it. Therefore, it could practically rule everybody. By following the law of nature, Ciger knew he would make outstanding achievements, at least in the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°Lumi, I mean, My Lord, I¡¯m at your service. I¡¯ll do all your bidding,¡± Ciger pleaded. That was what Lumi had been waiting for, but it didn¡¯t say yes right away. Having Ciger¡¯s help wasn¡¯t the most important thing because he wasn¡¯t particularly capable. It needed Ciger¡¯s heartfelt submission. He had to follow Lumi¡¯s orders and even be willing to die for it. Lumi only wanted an obedient servant. ¡°My Lord, do you think I¡¯m too weak? I was sharing a body with my brother, so I couldn¡¯t exert my full power. ¡°Please trust me! I can help you!¡± Ciger was very sincere. Lumi felt it was the right time, so it said yes. Otherwise, Ciger might hesitate, and that wasn¡¯t what it wanted. What Lumi didn¡¯t know was that Ciger had never recognized its power. The law of nature? So what? Ciger didn¡¯t care what law Lumi represented. He only wanted to use its power. He had no gratitude toward Lumi for bringing him back to life. Once he discovered Lumi¡¯s weakness, he would abandon it right away. Lumi didn¡¯t know any of that and thought it had total control over Ciger. ¡°Since you¡¯re working for me now, I won¡¯t mistreat you. ¡°Yagon has killed you once. I¡¯ll help you gain enough power to defeat him. You¡¯ll have your revenge! ¡°But the time isn¡¯t right yet. You need to hide for now. There¡¯s a stone chamber on the western border of the forest. You can stay there until you recover,¡± Lumi said. Ciger looked thrilled. He immediately thanked Lumi, making sure it wouldn¡¯t notice anything. ¡­ In Yagon¡¯s house, Himmel Soan told Yagon about Lumi being the embodiment of the law of nature. ¡°What? Lumi is the law of nature?¡± Yagon couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°I see you don¡¯t know anything about it. Technically, it¡¯s not the law of nature itself but only an avatar.¡± Yagon was astonished. He had no idea. He had had his speculations, but the existence of the law of nature stopped him from investigating further. It was the law of nature! Yagon didn¡¯t dare probe further. Now that Himmel Soan had said it, things became different. Everything he knew before was overturned. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± Yagon shook his head. Himmel Soan must want to ask him about Lumi, but Yagon didn¡¯t know a thing about that strange creature. He felt rather guilty because Himmel Soan had saved his life, and he couldn¡¯t give anything in return. However, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I know most of its deeds. ¡°I just wanted to see your reaction.¡± Yagon got much more relaxed. He was happy to be of any help to Himmel Soan. ¡°Unfortunately, Lumi is very mysterious. We don¡¯t know anything besides its name. It seldom comes out, and even Gina said we shouldn¡¯t underestimate Lumi. ¡°She also told us to be careful around that creature.¡± Yagon accidentally brought up Gina. Himmel Soan was pleasantly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect to receive information on her. However, that was all Yogan could tell him. He couldn¡¯t recall much. ¡°I see. ¡°You still need to be careful around Lumi. I don¡¯t know what plan it has, but it must be an elaborate one. ¡°I probably won¡¯t stay here for long, and Lumi may still be carrying out its plan. You must keep an eye on it,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t know how long he would stay here, but it wouldn¡¯t be for long. Having obtained information on Gina and other continents, he needed to investigate them. He didn¡¯t think much of Lumi. ¡°Lumi is the law of nature. No matter what it does, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m powerful enough to intervene.¡± Yagon sounded concerned. Regardless of his strength, he couldn¡¯t do anything to stop the law of nature. Therefore, he hoped Himmel Soan could do something about it. Maybe Mr. Soan knew what to do with Lumi. Himmel Soan shook his head. ¡°Lumi isn¡¯t equivalent to the real law of nature. ¡°You¡¯re cultivating under the law of nature. If Lumi interferes with that, the real law of nature wouldn¡¯t permit it. ¡°If Lumi attacks you, the law of nature will punish it! ¡°It won¡¯t take that big a risk to come after you unless it wants to die. ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other reason that Lumi will turn on you, but you still need to be cautious in case anything unexpected happens.¡± Yagon nodded. Since Mr. Soan said that, he was much more reassured. ¡­ In Stelladom, Viive went to Elixir School on her own. She was playing chess with Bandora. ¡°You know I¡¯m not here to play chess, don¡¯t you?¡± Viive said in a cold voice after moving her chess piece. Chapter 438 - Chess Game Bandora smiled and moved her piece, dissolving Viive¡¯s attack. ¡°I suppose you have time for one game, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ended. Why prolong it?¡± ¡°Do you think so? Why did I make that move, then?¡± Viive frowned. Her last move should have checked Bandora. How did she avoid that trap? Viive couldn¡¯t wrap her around it. ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± she asked. If Bandora had led Viive into making that move, it meant her chess skills were far more advanced. ¡°Who knows?¡± Bandora smiled but didn¡¯t give a straight answer. Viive sighed. She wasn¡¯t Bandora¡¯s match. She admitted her defeat, but some things couldn¡¯t be resolved over a game of chess. ¡°The game is over. What¡¯s your answer? Are you going to give them to me or not?¡± Viive glanced at Bandora and was ready to attack. Bandora sipped her tea and said ambiguously, ¡°Why the rush? Let¡¯s be civil and talk about it.¡± Viive glared at her and took out her zither. ¡°Keep dodging the subject, and you¡¯ll answer my zither!¡± Viive was ready for a fight. She had asked Bandora to hand over the two students, but so far, Bandora had been very offhanded with her and wouldn¡¯t mention anything about Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils. Viive was done waiting. She lost her temper and gave Bandora the ultimatum. However, Bandora wasn¡¯t threatened. She met Viive¡¯s eyes and became aggressive as well. ¡°You come here and demand that I give you my students. What makes you think I¡¯ll hand them over? ¡°I¡¯m the principal of Elixir School. You can¡¯t take my students like they are cabbages. ¡°Emperor Baih, do you think your request is reasonable? ¡°You can¡¯t disrespect me like that! Since you¡¯ve just become Emperor Baih, I¡¯ll forgive you for your actions. ¡°Still, it doesn¡¯t give you the right to offend me repeatedly!¡± Bandora lost her temper. Himmel Soan¡¯s request aside, she wouldn¡¯t give the pupils to Viive for her own dignity. Why did this woman think she could come here and take her students away? There was nothing more to talk about. ¡°Miss Cien, are you sure you want to go to war with the Baih family over two students? ¡°You repeatedly stated that this incident has nothing to do with Elixir School, but the person who killed my father is your school¡¯s guest! ¡°How do I know he didn¡¯t kill my father under your instruction? ¡°As for this Gina you mentioned, I don¡¯t know anyone with her name. Is she one of your excuses? ¡°Elixir School can¡¯t be innocent in this! You must hand them over, or your school will be at war with the Baih family!¡± Viive was just as aggressive as Bandora. She was very confident, but where did it come from? She turned down the Oogh family¡¯s offer at first, but she was here in person to make a demand now. The reason lay in one person. That person changed her mind. It was Eman Sket, the principal of Stelladom Academy. ¡°Go to war? I have no intention to go to war with the Baih family, but if you want to declare war against us, we¡¯ll take the challenge!¡± Bandora refused to back off. She would avoid going to war at all costs. If a war broke off, it meant the incident had escalated to the most severe level. All personnel on either side would have to go to war. To initiate a war, some conditions needed to be fulfilled. First of all, the leader of the two parties had to give consent. For instance, Bandora and Viive both had to agree to it. Secondly, all the forces needed to be summoned as witnesses, and there would be a preparation time of three days. Anybody on either side could choose not to participate, but if they did that, they would no longer belong to that side and would watch the battles as an ordinary audience. Once the war started, everything else had to stop until one side won. ¡°So, Elixir School is prepared.¡± ¡°You came here just to declare war, didn¡¯t you? Demanding the two students is just for show!¡± Bandora said sternly. ¡°No, I was trying to figure out your attitude. The best outcome is for you to hand them over. Haven¡¯t you realized that?¡± Viive smiled. She didn¡¯t want to start a war either. So many people were involved. She would avoid it if she could. However, Bandora wouldn¡¯t give her those students. Viive had no other choice. ¡°Hand them over? Don¡¯t flatter yourself. Somebody is behind this. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. ¡°You¡¯re just a girl. Declare war? Don¡¯t make me laugh! ¡°You have no idea what a war means!¡± It was obvious that Bandora didn¡¯t take Viive seriously. Viive was so young that Bandora felt the girl didn¡¯t know what she was doing. She believed Viive hadn¡¯t thought it through before declaring war. Someone must be behind all this. Otherwise, Viive would have come here when she became Emperor Baih. Why wait until now? Bandora knew Viive¡¯s behavior hid more than what appeared on the surface. Maybe she should be expecting other unexpected incidents. Thump! Viive smacked the table. The chess pieces fell all over the ground. ¡°I¡¯m not a little girl! You¡¯re going to pay for your arrogance and ignorance. ¡°I¡¯m Emperor Baih. Miss Cien, you should know your place! ¡°You¡¯re just a coward who has inherited some power. How dare you talk to one of the eight emperors like that?¡± Viive stormed off. Bandora frowned. How did Viive find that out? Who was behind her? Emperor Oogh? Or somebody else? Going to war was a complicated matter. ¡°Miss Cien, why didn¡¯t you let her have us?¡± Chapter 439 - Traitor Frost and Lan came out from behind the curtain. They were both Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils and Viive¡¯s target. At first, they thought it would be a piece of cake for Bandora to protect them. Viive was only a girl that had just reached the Emperor stage. It was normal that Bandora wouldn¡¯t give her a definite reply. However, Viive was much more persistent than they expected, even going to war. Frost and Lan felt Bandora had done too much for them. ¡°If I hand you over, how will I face Mr. Soan?¡± Bandora didn¡¯t explain but only asked them questions. The two women answered with another question. ¡°But how are we going to face the people of Elixir School?¡± It was one way or the other. Handing them over, Elixir School wouldn¡¯t need to get involved, but Bandora would have let Himmel Soan down. The other choice was to keep the two pupils safe, which meant going to war with the Baih family. The two pupils felt Bandora had chosen to sacrifice herself. ¡°Our master killed the previous Emperor Baih, and Viive is Emperor Baih¡¯s pupil. We¡¯re our master¡¯s pupils! ¡°We shouldn¡¯t shirk from our duties now!¡± Bandora smiled. ¡°What if you can¡¯t defeat her?¡± They would die. They all knew Viive wouldn¡¯t let them live. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have said those things earlier. The two pupils fell silent. Could they defeat Viive? No, they couldn¡¯t. Viive was Emperor Baih. To get that position, one had to be very capable, or the law of nature wouldn¡¯t recognize them. ¡°Even so, we can¡¯t bring Elixir School into this!¡± Lan and Frost said in unison. ¡°You were, and you still are, students of Elixir School. Elixir School is already in it with you. Wherever you go, you¡¯ll represent the school. ¡°Stop saying such things. ¡°I¡¯ll make an announcement later. The school won¡¯t force anyone to stay. You can stop having those guilty thoughts!¡± Bandora repeated. Her attitude was quite clear. She wanted to protect the two students no matter what they said. ¡°Well¡­¡± Lan was almost in tears. Frost¡¯s face remained expressionless. She had feelings, but her special condition stopped her from showing any emotions. She was affected by the cold energy, so she couldn¡¯t look sad even if she wanted to. Luckily, Lan and Bandora understood her. ¡°Frost, don¡¯t mind it. We know how you feel,¡± said Bandora. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ The Baih Manor. Viive returned home and told the entire family about the war. Everybody clenched their fists and couldn¡¯t wait for it to start. They were members of the Baih family, and Emperor Baih was their head. However, Himmel Soan killed the previous Emperor Baih. It was the greatest humiliation! They didn¡¯t know how to face the people outside. Viive alone couldn¡¯t stop all the discussion. The Baih family wanted to wash away their humiliation with the war. Of course, some people had their own plans. ¡°Finally! The Baih family will get rid of this shame!¡± ¡°That Soan is still our biggest enemy. Fighting Elixir School is only the first step! That man is our real enemy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, That Soan has offended the Baih family, and he¡¯ll pay for it!¡± ¡°Why go after Elixir School?¡± somebody asked. Since they were offended by that Soan, what did it have to do with Elixir School? Everybody looked at the speaker. They recognized him. ¡°You¡¯re a Baih, and your partner is in Elixir School. You should know better!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried about your partner and don¡¯t want anything to happen to her, tell her to drop out of that school now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The war is coming. If she¡¯s still there, I won¡¯t show her any mercy!¡± The man bit his lip and spoke again, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why we¡¯re going to war with Elixir School! ¡°If that Soan has wronged us, why don¡¯t we go after him? Why are we attacking Elixir School?¡± The crowd¡¯s tone and expressions changed. No one was smiling, and their faces darkened. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?¡± The man was shaking. The expressions on everybody else¡¯s faces were so scary that they could eat him alive. He didn¡¯t dare speak or look into other people¡¯s eyes. However, he didn¡¯t change his statement and stood his ground. ¡°Jabril Baih. I thought we were on the same side. I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong!¡± ¡°Go after that Soan? He has gone to the Dusk Soul Forest. Are you going to look for him there?¡± ¡°Two students in the school are Soans. They¡¯re both that man¡¯s pupils! Why shouldn¡¯t I go after the school?¡± ¡°Jabril, you¡¯re not a spy for Elixir School, are you?¡± ¡°We should punish the spy before the war starts. Otherwise, they¡¯ll try to confuse us!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everybody started accusing Jabril. Some even walked toward him. ¡°Spy? No, I¡¯m not!¡± Jabril stumbled back. He only said what was on his mind. How did this suddenly turn into him being labeled as a spy? Everybody was accusing him! ¡°Do you want to run away?¡± Jabril had nowhere to go because he was surrounded. His face lost all color. He didn¡¯t understand why this was happening. However, he didn¡¯t think he should try to reason with them. No matter what he said, they would only treat him like a traitor. Chapter 440 - Just a Cover Jabril sighed. The Baih family was always like this. Why should he be surprised now? He decided to let it go. He stopped trying to explain himself. No matter what he said, the others would still find him guilty. They believed he was the traitor, regardless of what he had or hadn¡¯t done. Jabril closed his eyes, waiting for the final judgment. Suddenly, they heard a majestic voice. ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± Viive arrived wearing a white cape. ¡°Emperor Baih.¡± ¡°Emperor Baih!¡± ¡°Emperor Baih¡­¡± People dropped to their knees, greeting her. Jabril slowly opened his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating. He knelt when he saw that Viive was actually there. ¡°Emperor Baih!¡± ¡°Rise. What are you all doing here?¡± Viive¡¯s tone was neither too warm nor too unapproachable. It wouldn¡¯t sound right if she leaned toward either direction. ¡°Emperor Baih, we¡¯re here to condemn this spy!¡± ¡°We¡¯re at war with Elixir School, but Jabril is spying for them! He should be punished!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a member of the Baih family, but he¡¯s speaking for Elixir School. That¡¯s unforgivable!¡± Everybody started accusing Jabril, even though he had done none of those things. However, having been repeated so many times, everybody believed it to be true. If one didn¡¯t know better, one would immediately believe the opinions of the masses. Even ordinary households would punish Jabril to appease the angry crowd. However, they were facing Emperor Baih now. ¡°Jabril, is that true?¡± Viive asked indifferently. Jabril felt like a thirsty man in the desert, and those words were his oasis. It was the beam of light that shattered the darkness. He was in despair, but Viive¡¯s words gave him some hope. Who would want to die when there was a chance to live? Jabril lost hope again when he saw the looks on other people¡¯s faces. If he said all those things were made up, the crowd might get in trouble. Besides, Emperor Baih might not believe him. He would rather take the blame. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re telling the truth. I support Elixir School and don¡¯t want to see our family go to war with them. ¡°Why do we have to go to war? So many innocent lives will be lost!¡± Jabril smiled in despair. If death didn¡¯t frighten him, nor would Emperor Baih. He was going to die anyway, so why not tell the truth? Telling Emperor Baih off? So many people wanted to do that, but they didn¡¯t have the guts. Jabril had just done it! He closed his eyes, ready to take his own life. ¡°Nicely said. Do you want to die just like that? It¡¯ll be too easy!¡± Viive smirked. It gave everybody the creeps. Was Emperor Baih going to torture Jabril? What a terrifying idea! ¡°I can¡¯t even die, can I?¡± Jabril smiled sadly. ¡°You¡¯re going to live and watch me going to war with Elixir School! ¡°After that, you can see how the Baih family will deal with the students! ¡°Take Jabril to my room. I¡¯ll punish him myself!¡± Viive walked away. The others laughed at Jabril. ¡°Traitor! You have to answer to Emperor Baih now!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see this coming, did you? How ridiculous!¡± ¡°You deserve to be punished! Emperor Baih made the right decision!¡± ¡°Emperor Baih is awesome! I would have killed him!¡± They spat at Jabril to show their contempt. Before, Jabril would have punched these people in the face, but things were different now. He had no hope left. Nothing the others did could affect him. ¡­ Viive returned to the main hall as the guards escorted Jabril in. ¡°Leave us.¡± Viive dismissed them with a wave of her hand. Only then did she become a little more friendly. ¡°Jabril, my brother. I¡¯m Emperor Baih now, so there are things I must do. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Viive sounded sorry. My brother? Those two words triggered Jabril¡¯s memory from his childhood. A little girl was brought to the Baih family. Jabril was the one who greeted her. That girl used to call him brother. Later, the senior members of the family later took her away. He didn¡¯t know where she went. He didn¡¯t have the right to know. Gradually, he forgot about her. When Viive called him brother again, his memory was stirred. Jabril couldn¡¯t believe it. That little girl was Viive, the current Emperor Baih! No one would believe it. It was almost like a miracle. ¡°Jabril, trust your instinct. I know you have many questions, but that¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll answer all of them for you.¡± Viive sounded excited. ¡°Emperor Baih, I¡¯m only a pupil in the Baih family. I don¡¯t deserve to be called your brother.¡± Jabril didn¡¯t acknowledge the title of ¡°my brother.¡± There was such a huge gap between their status that he didn¡¯t feel entitled to be Emperor Baih¡¯s brother. ¡°Jabril, you know some things can¡¯t be changed overnight. I think you know what I¡¯m talking about!¡± She was talking about her relationship with Jabril as well as the relationship between the Baih family and Elixir School. ¡°Time will change everything. Emperor Baih, you know some decisions are not meant to be made. ¡°Are you going to war with Elixir School just to take your revenge? ¡°That¡¯s so unsensible. Why should we go to war with Elixir School? ¡°Is it because of those two pupils? We shouldn¡¯t take revenge on them!¡± Jabril was ready to die, so he blurted out everything on his mind. Although he didn¡¯t admit to being Viive¡¯s childhood acquaintance, he still felt much closer to her. He wasn¡¯t afraid of her anymore. Chapter 441 - Be My Knife Jabril began to point out Viive¡¯s wrongdoings and conduct that he couldn¡¯t understand. If death didn¡¯t frighten him, nothing else would. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Viive frowned. As the new Emperor Baih, she had been doing pretty well. Usually, there would be some turbulence when a new emperor took the throne, but it didn¡¯t happen with her. She had done many things well. For instance, what happened with Jabril today was handled well, and the Baih family was pleased. However, she couldn¡¯t do everything the way she wanted. She had many worries but didn¡¯t have anybody to talk to. She wished somebody would understand her. ¡°Why? You¡¯re Emperor Baih. Your word can change a lot of things. ¡°For example, my life and the destiny of the Baih family. You can change them with a single word. ¡°You condemned me today, but are you sure they were telling the truth? ¡°No, you didn¡¯t look into it and decided I was guilty right away. Have you forgotten the basics?¡± Jabril went on criticizing Viive as if she wasn¡¯t an emperor. Viive sobbed. Yes, Jabril was right. One word and she could change those people¡¯s lives forever. But what good would it do to her? Could she really say or do whatever she wanted? ¡°Jabril, I have my own problems.¡± Viive sighed. This time, Jabril didn¡¯t say anything. He knew complaining about Viive wouldn¡¯t change anything. Moreover, did he really have the right to tell Emperor Baih what to do? If he were in her shoes, would he think what she did was problematic? Not really! At that thought, Jabril hated himself for how useless he was. ¡°I felt conflicted about going to war, too. The Oogh family visited me, asking me to target Elixir School or the Tzi family. ¡°I turned them down. Do you know why?¡± Viive asked calmly. She answered before Jabril could, ¡°It¡¯s the pressure. ¡°The Baih and Oogh families have always been close. I was under a lot of pressure when I turned them down. ¡°When Eman Sket of Stelladom Academy came to me, I couldn¡¯t say no. ¡°They wanted to target Elixir School and Himmel Soan, but they had no excuses. ¡°Therefore, they came to me and made my master¡¯s death their excuse. That way, I can attack Elixir School. ¡°Our family is a knife without its own will. Do you understand?¡± Viive patiently explained. All the pressure was crushing her down. She was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. She had already reached her limit. If she kept taking on it alone, she would collapse before she could take revenge. Jabril was dumbfounded. He could understand every word, but he didn¡¯t know what Viive meant. He wasn¡¯t Viive, so he couldn¡¯t put himself in her shoes. However, he did realize how difficult it was for her. ¡°I see. Are we really going to war against Elixir School?¡± Jabril became much humbler, his question showing how determined he was. He was still unwilling to go to war against Elixir School. Wars were terrifying, and the consequences were unthinkable. ¡°The war is just for show. I went to see Bandora and talked about it with her.¡± Viive sighed. ¡°For show?¡± Jabril was dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t know they could do that. The Baih family thought the war was real! They wouldn¡¯t let it slip that easily. Moreover, what would Emperor Baih tell her family? ¡°Are you surprised? It¡¯s not my aim either, but we have unstable factors in our family. Some members have to be eliminated. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of the Oogh family or Stelladom Academy. I just don¡¯t want to be stabbed in the back. ¡°If they want to use the Baih family as a pawn, I¡¯ll make them regret it. But to do that, we need to remove the moles first!¡± Viive¡¯s tone turned cold. She had been trying to figure out which family members were working for other forces. Those people were exposed through Jabril¡¯s incident. She was almost sure now. ¡°Emperor Baih, don¡¯t you hate your enemy?¡± Jabril still couldn¡¯t believe it. The turn of events happened too suddenly. At first, Jabril thought Viive was carried away by her hatred, which was why she wanted to go to war against Elixir School. It didn¡¯t seem like that. Jabril was confused. Didn¡¯t Viive hate her enemies? ¡°Of course, I hate them, but Elixir School doesn¡¯t have much to do with my revenge. ¡°Himmel Soan and Lasul caused my master¡¯s death. Why should I hate Elixir School? ¡°Himmel Soan didn¡¯t attack me, so I have no reason to attack his pupils. ¡°If he returns from the Dusk Soul Forest alive, I¡¯ll then take my revenge.¡± Jabril finally understood what was going on. Viive was made the new Emperor Baih for a reason. It wasn¡¯t just because of her hatred and talent. There was more to it. Her qualities meant she would become an emperor eventually. It was the choice of the law of nature and the most suitable one. ¡°I see, but why are you telling me this? Do you really trust me that much?¡± Jabril asked. Viive didn¡¯t have any reason to tell him all these secrets. Yet she didn¡¯t hold back anything. She trusted him so much. ¡°You¡¯re Jabril, my brother. Isn¡¯t that enough? ¡°There¡¯s another reason. I want you to become my knife alone, not the Baih family¡¯s!¡± Chapter 442 - Ngina Soan In the Dusk Soul Forest, Himmel Soan and Yagon talked for a long time. Finally, Himmel Soan decided where to go next. He would head to other continents because Gina must have gone there. As for the keys, he decided to put them aside for the time being. After so many years, if the keys could have been lost, they would have been lost already. There was no clue about the keys. He didn¡¯t know how to find them or what they were used for. He might as well find Gina first. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t need the keys. Therefore, Himmel Soan decided on his next destination. ¡°Mr. Soan, I forgot to tell you about something. Another Mr. Soan came here a long time ago. He was a swordsman with a scar on his forehead. ¡°He also came from Stelladom, and his cultivation ability seemed to have been destroyed. ¡°Could he have something to do with you, Mr. Soan?¡± Yagon asked tentatively. He wasn¡¯t sure how accurate his guess was. Himmel Soan felt his head buzz. A swordsman with a scar on the forehead. He was almost certain that it was Ngina, his third pupil. His pupil was here, too! Himmel Soan had had speculations ever since he heard about the Soans in Stelladom. The law of nature in Stelladom was against him, so it was probably the same way with his pupils. The trail went dead after he heard the Soans were banished. He didn¡¯t expect to pick it up here. ¡°Yes, I think that was probably my pupil. Was he alone?¡± Himmel Soan wanted to know some specifics. However, it was a long time ago, and Yagon only recalled it by accident. He could only remember some basic things. ¡°He was alone and seemed apprehensive as if he was worried about somebody. I don¡¯t know anything else. He left the following day without saying a word. ¡°We haven¡¯t met any Soans since then,¡± said Yagon. It was so old a memory that he could barely recall it. ¡°How long ago?¡± ¡°About 50,000 years ago.¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s face twitched. That was so long ago! Was time distorted again? No! Himmel Soan knew it wasn¡¯t the case. He remembered that Ngina became his pupil 530,000 years ago. Back then, Earth was still a cultivation world. The spiritual essence grew thin later, and Earth became a technology world. How was Earth and K18 doing now? Himmel Soan didn¡¯t linger on that subject for too long. Finding Gina was much more important. ¡°Did Ngina go to other continents, too? Maybe I can see my pupil again!¡± He looked forward to their meeting. What cultivation level would Ngina have now? Where were his other pupils? ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in? I didn¡¯t know the law of nature could be shy,¡± said Himmel Soan. Was Lumi here? Yagon was astonished. This was his territory, but he had no idea Lumi had arrived. How did Lumi get here, and how did Mr. Soan find out? Yagon felt as petty as an ant in front of Lumi and Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan has sharp senses. I¡¯ve tried my best to blend into the environment, but Mr. Soan still detected me.¡± Lumi slowly emerged but remained half-transparent. Yagon frowned. ¡°Why are you like this?¡± Although Lumi was the law of nature, according to Himmel Soan, it was only an abnormal fraction of it. One could even ignore that property. Therefore, Yagon was very impatient. ¡°Why? Am I not welcomed here? Should I leave?¡± Lumi smiled and pretended to want to leave. Neither Yagon nor Himmel Soan tried to stop it. Lumi was surprised. It thought one of them would try to let it stay. Even if Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t say something, Yagon would. However, neither seemed to care. Was it possible that Yagon didn¡¯t know who Lumi was? No. Of course, he knew what Lumi was. Lumi believed Himmel Soan must have said something to make Yagon behave in this way. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop me?¡± Lumi wasn¡¯t embarrassed. Instead, it made its own excuse. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop you when you came. Why do you think I can stop you from leaving? And why should I stop you?¡± Yagon asked curiously. Lumi came here of its own will and wanted to leave without saying a word. What was that about? Lumi didn¡¯t know what to say. Disappointed, it decided not to be too bothered by it. It turned to Himmel Soan, asking, ¡°Mr. Soan, have you made up your mind?¡± Lumi had told Himmel Soan about Gina and asked him to help it fight against the law of nature. Himmel Soan agreed. Lumi had come here to seek help. ¡°I¡¯ve agreed to help, but I didn¡¯t say when. My goal is to find Gina first. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with the law of nature after I find her,¡± said Himmel Soan. He wasn¡¯t going to break his promise, but he only had 10% of his strength and wasn¡¯t capable enough to handle the law of nature. Moreover, it had been dodging him all the time, and there was nothing he could do. Lumi said gloomily, ¡°Mr. Soan, are you going to carry out your promise or not? You¡¯ve agreed to my request!¡± Its tone was very threatening, but Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve been telling me the truth? What percentage of your words are true? ¡°If you want to talk about promises, I can talk about the things you¡¯ve said.¡± The air was filled with tension. Himmel Soan remained very calm, but Lumi grew agitated. Such emotional reactions would attract the law of nature¡¯s attention. Lumi immediately calmed down. Chapter 443 - Law of Nature Fruit Yagon was relieved. Mr. Soan was right. Lumi couldn¡¯t make random attacks because the law of nature would detect it. In that case, Lumi would restrain itself. ¡°Mr. Soan, when are you going to fulfill your promise?¡± Lumi smiled amicably as if it was willing to talk about anything. Would things really be that easy? ¡°Maybe soon; maybe it¡¯ll take a long time. I don¡¯t know,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t know why he would help Lumi against the law of nature. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t know what Lumi was planning. On the other hand, he needed to recover his strength and look for Gina. At this speed, it would be three years before he was capable enough to fight the law of nature, and that was the best scenario. If anything happened, it would delay him further. Once he went to other continents, he might not even come back to the Dusk Soul Forest. There were so many uncertainties. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wait for you to come back.¡± Lumi smiled and left. Yagon was dumbfounded. ¡°It left just like that. Is it even sincere?¡± ¡°No. A thirsty man can¡¯t throw away a glass of water in the desert. Lumi must have some secret plan.¡± Himmel Soan rubbed his chin. He couldn¡¯t be certain of what the law of nature would do, but he knew something was off. Lumi suddenly changed its mind because it had other plans. Otherwise, why would it give in? ¡°What can its plan be? The Dusk Soul Forest isn¡¯t all that big, and we don¡¯t have many capable creatures left. ¡°Even if Lumi has plans, I don¡¯t think it can carry them out.¡± Yagon frowned. He knew how few capable creatures were left. Lumi couldn¡¯t let the law of nature notice it, so it had to have someone else do its bidding. The poisonous mad dog? What could a dog possibly do? Yagon was utterly confused. ¡°Maybe, but Lumi has been around for so long. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll have a plan B? ¡°If Lumi wanted to use the powerful creatures, it should have turned down the battle from the start. ¡°As the law of nature, it should be aware the two-headed tiger had attacked the wolf king. ¡°Instead of stopping the tiger, Lumi accelerated the process. Maybe the current situation is what it wants,¡± Himmel Soan suggested. Maybe Lumi had set up the whole thing. If true, everybody else would be its pawns. ¡°That¡¯s so terrible!¡± The idea made Yagon shudder. If what Himmel Soan said was true, Lumi would be using the Dusk Soul Forest as its chess board. Yagon swallowed. It was possible that Lumi was the actual law of nature. How terrifying! ¡°Of course, no matter what Lumi¡¯s plotting, we don¡¯t need to be afraid if we¡¯re capable enough. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to Lumi¡¯s power. It¡¯s just a downgraded version of the law of nature. If it could do everything, it wouldn¡¯t have asked me for help. ¡°Therefore, as long as you¡¯re capable enough, you don¡¯t need to be scared,¡± said Himmel Soan. Meanwhile, he was also making his own arrangements. Although he was going to leave Dusk Soul Forest, Lumi was like a time bomb here. He didn¡¯t want it to do something dangerous after his departure. Gina used to be here. She had subdued and befriended both Phoe and Yagon. Hence, he wanted everyone to be safe. Therefore, he needed to get rid of Lumi first. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of Lumi.¡± He reassured Yagon. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± Yagon was relieved. Lumi would be a needle buried under his fingernail after Himmel Soan left. ¡­ ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Thank you, my lord! I¡¯m used to it now!¡± Seeing Lumi, the tiger switched to his human form and greeted it. Lumi nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll take you to Yagon when you¡¯re capable enough. ¡°Still, I won¡¯t get involved. You can take your revenge or get killed by Yagon, depending on your luck. ¡°Be prepared.¡± Lumi took out a fruit and handed it to Ciger. ¡°This is the law of nature¡¯s fruit. Eat it, and you¡¯ll have an epiphany. You¡¯ll become more perceptive.¡± The law of nature¡¯s fruits! Looking at the fruit, Ciger felt he was dreaming. It was a legendary item! Nourished by the law of nature, the fruit was only created every 100,000 years. The law of nature was a supreme being. No one had seen it, let alone the fruit. ¡°My lord, I don¡¯t deserve it!¡± Ciger was about to hand the fruit back. ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you. Don¡¯t talk about who deserves it. ¡°You¡¯re my subordinate, and you¡¯re good enough to have this reward. Is that not good enough for you? ¡°Take it. I have so many of them, but they¡¯re useless to me,¡± said Lumi. The fruit was made every 100,000 years and was created by the law of nature. However, it was made by the real law of nature, while Lumi was only a fraction of the original. It couldn¡¯t create any fruit. Therefore, this law of nature¡¯s fruit wasn¡¯t genuine, but it was a little useful to Ciger. ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± Ciger said gratefully. He was suspicious at first, but the fruit shattered all his doubts. Only the law of nature could have the fruit. Since Lumi was giving him the fruit, it had to be the law of nature. Ciger swallowed the fruit and started cultivating. Many things suddenly became much clearer. The fruit benefited him greatly. Three days later, he opened his eyes, which had become much brighter. Chapter 444 - Other Means ¡°Thank you, my lord! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Ciger thanked Lumi again. ¡°Work on increasing your strength. Right now, how much do you think you can help me? ¡°You¡¯re too weak. Tell me when you¡¯re strong enough.¡± Lumi left after the reminder. It thought it had won Ciger to its side and was very confident about it. However, Ciger smirked when Lumi was gone. ¡°Do my best? In its dreams! ¡°The only one I¡¯m helping is myself!¡± Ciger only cared about himself and didn¡¯t believe a word Lumi said. He only behaved himself because Lumi had the power to help him recover. The fruit was key to the recovery and improvement of his cultivation. Once Ciger was strong enough and Lumi couldn¡¯t offer him any help, he would kick it away without hesitation. The law of nature? So what? He wasn¡¯t stupid. The law of nature was a set of rules. Could it grow conscious and take a human form? Obviously not! If that was possible, the law of nature in the Dusk Soul Forest would have lost control a long time ago. Lumi was capable enough to use the law of nature¡¯s power, but it was definitely not the law of nature itself. Ciger had been observing Lumi in secret since it was revived. As time passed, he was certain that Lumi wasn¡¯t the real law of nature. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t genuinely helping Lumi. ¡°I¡¯ll improve my capability first.¡± Ciger closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Lumi was making its own plans. The poisonous mad dog and Ciger were only two of its means. It had been around for so long that one couldn¡¯t imagine how many backup plans it had. Lumi bit its lip. ¡°Gina!¡± It muttered that name. Lumi had told Himmel Soan that it hadn¡¯t had any dealings with her, but it was lying. None of that was true. Lumi had dealt with Gina before and hated her to the core. It came to Gina back then and told her the same thing as Himmel Soan. However, Gina never agreed to its request and even sabotaged some of its plans. She nearly destroyed all its means against the law of nature. If Gina hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the dog, she would have gotten rid of him, too. ¡°After Gina, there¡¯s Himmel Soan. This time, I won¡¯t spare anyone!¡± Lumi said bitterly. It was determined to make Himmel Soan pay the price. Lumi believed it was going to be the only law of nature in the future and would punish anybody who had lied to it. It would be time to settle the account! Lumi even blamed Himmel Soan for what Gina had done. Himmel Soan would have been amazed if he knew this. It wasn¡¯t even his fault! ¡°Wood, Soil, you¡¯ve been asleep for too long. It¡¯s time to wake up! ¡°Phoeny! ¡°Ostrat! ¡°Mongey! ¡°It¡¯s time for you ancient beasts to see this world!¡± Lumi came to the west border of Dusk Soul Forest. There was a square black stone with a mysterious pattern on it. It put its hand on the pattern while speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯m so sleepy and tired. I don¡¯t want to get involved!¡± ¡°Soil, that¡¯s not what you said before!¡± Lumi¡¯s tone changed. However, there was no reply. The creature seemed to have fallen asleep again. Lumi sighed. Soil was the soil element in this world and an abnormality like Lumi. It was the same way with Wood. The three creatures had made an agreement that they would become the real thing together. Lumi would replace the law of nature, Wood would replace the wood element, and Soil would replace the soil element. That was one of Lumi¡¯s plans. However, Soil was backing out now. ¡°Soil, have you forgotten about our agreement? What about you, Wood?¡± Lumi asked. Without their help, it would be very difficult for Lumi to replace the law of nature. Hence, its tone became humbler than before. ¡°Wood has wiped off his mind and integrated himself with the wood element again. ¡°After some careful consideration, I think I¡¯m going to make the same choice. ¡°I¡¯m still here because I wanted to tell you in person. I used to be a part of the soil element, so why don¡¯t I return to that state?¡± Soil spoke slowly, sounding tired. It was as if his voice would trail off at any moment. Lumi was dumbfounded. What Soil said meant it probably had to fight the battle on its own. What a betrayal! ¡°Why? ¡°Why won¡¯t you replace the soil element? ¡°You¡¯ve gone through so much to grow a mind. Why do you want to wipe it out? ¡°You could become a conscious soil element! ¡°Why did you betray me?¡± Lumi couldn¡¯t understand it. It believed it could succeed with Soil and Wood¡¯s help. However, both of them made that stupid choice. ¡°A conscious soil element? Does that still count as the soil element? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll understand,¡± said Soil. ¡°One last thing: you can¡¯t become a conscious law of nature even if the current one collapses.¡± Soil¡¯s voice grew weaker and weaker until it vanished. Soil wiped off his mind and integrated with the original soil element. Lumi was disappointed and couldn¡¯t wrap its head around their choice. However, the only thing to do was to accept reality. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have put my hopes on others. I¡¯m not afraid! ¡°What about you three ancient beasts?¡± Lumi asked. Phoeny, Ostrat, and Mongey had heard the whole conversation. They knew Lumi¡¯s plan from the beginning. ¡°Why bother asking us? ¡°We never had a choice! ¡°You chose to wake us up now. Do you think it¡¯s time?¡± The three beasts asked. They belonged to another era. As soon as they showed their faces, they would be repelled by this world. The longer they stuck around, the stronger the repellent force. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t stay outside all the time. Chapter 445 - Choice Waking them up meant it was time to go after the law of nature. ¡°It¡¯s not against the law of nature but another person.¡± The beasts were surprised. A person? It must be a joke! Why did they live until now? They wanted to change the law of nature and keep living. If Lumi became the law of nature, it could change the rules and give them a suitable environment to live in. Therefore, they had been waiting for this day. Their agreement was that they would come out to help when Lumi went after the law of nature. They were finally woken up, but why was it a person? Was Lumi duping them? ¡°Lumi, I hope you didn¡¯t wake us up for a joke!¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going after the law of nature, tell us about your plan!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t blurt out something like that! Our time is valuable!¡± The three beasts and Lumi were of equal status. They were only working partners. They would help Lumi in its fight against the law of nature while Lumi would change the environment for them. In that case, what Lumi said next would determine their attitude. Its words till now sounded like the biggest joke. ¡°You heard me right. I wasn¡¯t joking. It¡¯s not as simple as you think. ¡°This person is either a friend or an enemy. Obviously, he has become my enemy. ¡°To replace the law of nature, I have to get rid of him first!¡± Lumi explained. Needless to say, it was referring to Himmel Soan. Since Himmel Soan didn¡¯t promise Lumi that he would help it with destroying the law of nature, it decided he had to go. If anything happened, it must have something to do with him. Somehow, Lumi had that feeling. ¡°Either a friend or an enemy? How can a human have something to do with the law of nature? ¡°Can¡¯t you take care of a human? It¡¯s ridiculous that you¡¯re asking us for help! ¡°Our power isn¡¯t meant for such things! ¡°I think we should focus on the law of nature now. Once that¡¯s taken care of, we¡¯ll help you eliminate whatever enemies you want!¡± The three ancient beasts refused to listen to Lumi. They even thought it was joking. Time was of the essence. After they came out of their seal, every second would count. There was no way they would waste it on a human. If they really did what Lumi wanted, who would go after the law of nature? They were trading with Lumi; they weren¡¯t its tools. ¡°No, you still don¡¯t understand me. If we go after the law of nature, that man will sabotage our plan. We must get rid of him! ¡°He¡¯s not your average human being, which is why I asked you to join me. ¡°The law of nature repels him the same way as it repels you, but he¡¯s been roaming the Dusk Soul Forest as if nothing is going on. Even the law of nature has to avoid him. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. You can make the decision on your own.¡± Lumi didn¡¯t try to persuade the beasts. It had laid the facts for them and would let them choose. Lumi didn¡¯t want to make the decision for them because it wouldn¡¯t be right. They would only be willing to do it if they decided it on their own. That way, no matter what happened afterward, they wouldn¡¯t blame it on Lumi. ¡°Even the law of nature has to avoid him? How¡¯s that possible? ¡°Even we have to avoid the laws of nature! Why would he become our enemy?¡± Phoeny asked. That man might be Lumi¡¯s enemy, but why would he do anything to them or the law of nature? Moreover, shouldn¡¯t the law of nature repel him, too? In that case, he was even less likely to be their enemy. Did Lumi make the whole story up? ¡°I can only tell you that it¡¯s my instinct,¡± Lumi didn¡¯t try to explain, only giving a vague reply. However, it was one of the best answers. Who was Lumi? It was a conscious fraction of the law of nature. But it could still sense the fluctuation of the spiritual essence. When Lumi concentrated, it could instantly notice everything happening in the forest. Its instinct was the law of nature¡¯s instinct. Why would that man attack Lumi? Was there some grudge between him and Lumi? ¡°Let us think about it. ¡°The law of nature is a tough target, and we have some difficult decisions to make. ¡°What should we do with the law of nature after taking care of this man? ¡°We need to think about that.¡± All three beasts asked for some time to think it over. So many things were on the line. Everybody needed time to think. ¡°Alright. Take your time. No matter what decision you make, I hope you¡¯ll take responsibility. ¡°You have one day. Contact me when you reach a conclusion.¡± Lumi took a step back and gave them some time to think. It couldn¡¯t wait for too long. One day was the limit. If that wasn¡¯t enough, there was nothing it could do. It gradually faded out. Lumi knew if it stayed here, the beasts wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable discussing the problem. So it left and let them discuss more openly. Lumi was confident that the three beasts would give it the answer it wanted. Once Lumi went away, the three ancient beasts started talking. None of them agreed with Lumi. Lumi had told them about this capable man that could stop them. How unbelievable! ¡°Should I believe Lumi?¡± ¡°Was it telling the truth?¡± Chapter 446 - Communicate with the Law of Nature Ostrat and Mongey found Lumi suspicious, but Phoeny kept speaking up for it as if he could see another outcome. ¡­ Recently, Himmel Soan seemed to be idling away. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have anything to do, but he just appeared that way. In fact, he was already trying to communicate with the law of nature. If he could set it against Lumi, things would be much easier. Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t be here for too long, and he didn¡¯t know when Lumi would act out. If Lumi would only take action after he left, waiting here would be foolish. Instead of being on the back foot, Himmel Soan felt he should make the first move. ¡°Firey, you¡¯re the essence of nature, so I think the law of nature will enhance your qualities. ¡°Focus, and see if you can sense the law of nature.¡± Himmel Soan suddenly remembered who Firey was. The essence of nature was created by nature itself and was technically its beloved child. The law of nature had set against Himmel Soan in Stelladom and the Dusk Soul Forest, but it had never rejected Firey. Maybe that could be his way in. ¡°The law of nature? I think I can sense it. It feels relatively weak. ¡°Yes! It can sense me, too!¡± said Firey. Himmel Soan almost sighed. There was no need to get so excited. It was only normal that the law of nature could sense her. But why did Firey say it was weak? ¡°Can you communicate with it?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He had been trying to do that all along. However, the law of nature was evading him. He couldn¡¯t sense it, let alone communicate with it. If Firey and the law of nature could sense each other, maybe she could communicate with it. It would solve his problem. ¡°I think I can do that. The law of nature says everything about Lumi is carried out as planned.¡± Firey thought for a moment and relayed what the law of nature said. Ordinary people would find what Firey said gibberish, but Himmel Soan believed her. Firey could tell jokes in daily conversations, not while delivering a message from the law of nature. ¡°Everything¡¯s going as planned, is it?¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky. Plan? Did the law of nature have a plan? ¡°I have another message. It says it¡¯s the lady¡¯s plan!¡± Firey was dumbfounded. She couldn¡¯t believe what she had said. The lady¡¯s plan? She didn¡¯t know Gina was so capable that even the law of nature would serve her. There was even a plan! ¡°Gina¡¯s plan?¡± Himmel Soan was astonished. Had Gina thought so far ahead? Had she anticipated that the law of nature would avoid him? ¡°Firey, ask the law of nature why it¡¯s been avoiding me.¡± Firey nodded. A moment later, she said, ¡°It says it¡¯s a heavenly secret.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. What a convenient answer! That was the perfect excuse for not being willing to tell him the reason. The information he received was a pleasant surprise though. Without Firey, he wouldn¡¯t know how to communicate with the hidden law of nature. ¡°What¡¯s the plan? What¡¯s Gina¡¯s purpose? ¡°If you chose to tell me this, why are you hiding from me? ¡°Judging by what Lumi said, you used to reject and evade Gina. Why are you planning things with her now?¡± Himmel Soan asked the sky. He knew now that although the law of nature was evading him, it was still observing everything going on in the Dusk Soul Forest. He could talk to the law of nature directly, but it couldn¡¯t give a reply. It would expose its position. ¡°Master, it says Gina sabotaged a lot of Lumi¡¯s plans. That¡¯s why it¡¯s working with her. ¡°You¡¯ll know what they¡¯re working on. ¡°You¡¯ll have to look for Gina on your own. It has no obligation to help you. ¡°The final step of this plan will also be completed by you!¡± Firey was frustrated by the message she had delivered. It was outrageous! The law of nature wouldn¡¯t tell her master anything, even going as far as hiding from him. And now this! Her master would have to finish the final step of the plan! How was he going to do that when he didn¡¯t know what the plan was? It was preposterous! ¡°Master, let¡¯s just ignore this law of nature. I¡¯ll punch it in the face, and it won¡¯t be so mysterious anymore! ¡°I¡¯ll find its location now!¡± Firey closed her eyes and started looking for the law of nature. Himmel Soan was also upset. He finally had some information on Gina, but the law of nature had blocked all the channels and wouldn¡¯t tell him anything. It even wanted to use his power to finish its plan. However, because the plan was made by Gina, maybe he could find some clues after completing it. Therefore, he had to go along with it. ¡°It¡¯s alright. After all, the plan is Gina¡¯s.¡± Himmel Soan put his hand on Firey¡¯s head to appease her. ¡°I can help you finish the plan, but you have to tell me where to find Gina. That¡¯s my bottom line! ¡°If I complete the plan, you won¡¯t answer my question. The Dusk Soul Forest won¡¯t need you anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll destroy the whole forest!¡± Himmel Soan went to Yagon¡¯s room without waiting for an answer. Firey also broke off the connection and went after him. Himmel Soan had some idea of what the plan could be. The final part was also straightforward. He would destroy both Lumi and its plan. He didn¡¯t want to wait any longer for information on Gina. Chapter 447 - Assumption Himmel Soan went to see Yagon. He needed to finish this business to continue his search for Gina. He didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. The sooner, the better! ¡°Mr. Soan? What brought you here?¡± Yagon was a little perplexed. Didn¡¯t he say he was going to figure out how to handle Lumi? How long had it been? Could he have figured it out in such a short time? He couldn¡¯t have! ¡°Let¡¯s discuss how to handle Lumi. It can utilize a small proportion of the law of nature¡¯s power. If it does that, it¡¯ll have no problem handling you. ¡°But after that, the real law of nature will be onto it. Therefore, it won¡¯t do anything unless it has absolute certainty.¡± Himmel Soan ignored Yagon¡¯s reaction and went straight to the point. Yagon was dumbfounded at first, but he soon joined the discussion. ¡°So, we don¡¯t need to worry about Lumi. If it can¡¯t attack us itself, we only need to watch out for the poisonous mad dog. ¡°The dog is quite tricky. None of my or Phoe¡¯s stances work on him!¡± Yagon analyzed. Neither Lumi nor the dog scared them. The real concern was its hidden tricks. Yagon didn¡¯t know anything about Lumi, let alone the cards up its sleeves. Their top priority was to get rid of it. Without Lumi, its hidden tricks would be useless. ¡°Lumi can¡¯t attack you, but it can still protect itself. Although it¡¯s not the genuine law of nature, we can¡¯t underestimate it! ¡°Just concentrate on the poisonous mad dog. I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Although he can absorb your attacks, there¡¯s an upper limit. Once he reaches the threshold, he¡¯ll snap. Together with Firey, you and Phoe will have no problem handling the dog.¡± Yagon nodded. Himmel Soan had a plan, so he only needed to carry it out. Mr. Soan would take care of Lumi and its tricks. Otherwise, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t have come to him and told him this plan. ¡°Mr. Soan, if you have some ideas, just tell me. Phoe and I will follow your instructions. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, no need to discuss this with us. We¡¯ll do as we¡¯re told!¡± Yagon said respectfully. His resolve was cemented. He already considered Himmel Soan to be his leader. ¡°I¡¯ve said all I need to say. It¡¯s time for action!¡± said Himmel Soan. The idea of coming to Yagon was a spur-of-the-moment thing. As for what to do next, he would go with the flow. With enough power, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid of any tricks that Lumi was playing. ¡°Firey, contact the law of nature and ask for Lumi¡¯s location!¡± ¡°Great!¡± ¡­ On the western side of the Dusk Soul Forest, Lumi¡¯s instincts warned him. ¡°Is it the law of nature? No, there is no reason to attack me now!¡± Lumi narrowed its eyes and sensed its power. It couldn¡¯t feel anything. It was almost as if it was hallucinating. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lumi? Aren¡¯t you going to remove our seals? Stopping suddenly like that can kill us!¡± ¡°Lumi, what the hell are you doing?¡± The three ancient beasts asked. To remove the seal, they had to work from inside and outside simultaneously. They couldn¡¯t work too fast or too slowly. Every step had to be synchronized. Lumi almost lost the rhythm when it turned around for a moment. If the process failed, they could face severe consequences. That was why the beasts were so angry. Their anger woke Lumi up from its stupor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault. I sensed something amiss, which was why I got distracted. I think it was an illusion.¡± Lumi looked at the square black stone in front of it. No. That feeling couldn¡¯t have been an illusion. Lumi was on its guard. It didn¡¯t know where that sense of crisis came from, so it was hostile toward everybody, including the three ancient beasts. ¡°Lumi, what are you thinking? Your hostility is too strong!¡± ¡°We¡¯re working together in a win-win situation. Do you really want to kill us?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t defeat the law of nature without our help!¡± The three ancient beasts could easily detect Lumi¡¯s killing intent. Realizing it was exposed, Lumi spoke its mind, ¡°Yes, I wanted to kill you!¡± ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t we partners?¡± ¡°Why do you think so? What if you stop working with me when you come out? What if you turn on me?¡± ¡°Why would we do that to our partner? What good will it do to us? We¡¯re counting on you to change the environment!¡± The three beasts were shocked. They had never had such thoughts. The most aggressive thought they had was what they would do if Lumi refused to change the rules. Killing Lumi had never come to their minds. It wouldn¡¯t do them any good, so they never thought about doing it. But¡­ Their explanation didn¡¯t work for Lumi. It had never trusted the beasts. They had lived for so long, so who really knew what their plans were? After the strange feeling earlier, Lumi became very cautious to the point of paranoia. These ancient beasts could be an unstable factor! ¡°What if you lied to me? Maybe this seal is the only thing that¡¯s keeping you under control.¡± Lumi made an assumption. That idea didn¡¯t just pop out. Lumi had always had that thought. If that were true, freeing the beasts might become his downfall. ¡°Why would we lie to you?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any reason to do that!¡± The beasts tried to explain, but nothing they said would work. Lumi said, ¡°Even Soil and Wood have broken their promises. ¡°How can I trust you?¡± Chapter 448 - Trust and Suspicion Should they be trusted or not? Lumi had to make a choice. Needless to say, it chose to suspect the beasts. Who could it trust? Who was worth its trust? Obviously, Lumi would never believe the ancient beasts. ¡°Lumi, if that¡¯s what you think, we won¡¯t trust you either!¡± ¡°We can ask the same question. How can we trust you?¡± ¡°With everything that has happened, we can¡¯t trust each other anymore.¡± ¡°I think our partnership should end here.¡± ¡°Lumi, I hope you won¡¯t regret this choice in the future!¡± The three beasts spoke one after another, ending the partnership. They had worked on it for tens of thousands of years, but the effort failed at the last moment. Ridiculous! So ridiculous! That was the most ridiculous thing one could ever experience! ¡°Why would I regret it? Once you¡¯re set free, you¡¯ll kill me!¡± Lumi suddenly turned around, looking alarmed. Himmel Soan gradually emerged into his sight. ¡°Himmel Soan? What are you doing here?¡± Lumi probed. ¡°Me? I¡¯ve been here from the start.¡± Himmel Soan smiled. He heard everything Lumi and the beasts had said. Every single word! He only came out when the negotiation failed and Lumi was going to leave. Otherwise, he would have kept watching. The more divided Lumi and the beasts were, the better it would be for him. He couldn¡¯t wait to see them fall out. ¡°My feeling was accurate! You¡¯re the source of my sense of crisis!¡± Lumi suddenly realized why he had felt that way earlier. He had wronged the beasts! ¡°Why are you here? Are you here to make trouble for me? I¡¯m the law of nature. You can¡¯t defy me!¡± Lumi began to work on the law of time and space as it spoke. It was only trying to distract Himmel Soan. Lumi had always known that Himmel Soan would become an enemy, so it wasn¡¯t surprised to see him here. It just didn¡¯t expect him to arrive so soon. Lumi had made a mistake. ¡°You¡¯re not the real law of nature. Why can¡¯t I defy you? Even if you are, what can you possibly do to me? ¡°You can stop your little tricks now. I have total control over this space. You¡¯re the pseudo-law of nature in the Dusk Soul Forest. Your antics won¡¯t work in my presence.¡± Himmel Soan exposed Lumi. Lumi was trying to build a portal in Himmel Soan¡¯s space. What a joke! ¡°Your territory? How can it be yours? You¡¯re not the law of nature. How can you claim a territory?¡± Lumi smirked, but it still stopped working on the portal. Although it didn¡¯t believe what Himmel Soan said, it was true that it couldn¡¯t connect to the portal. Lumi didn¡¯t know how that could happen. With how things had turned out, Lumi decided not to waste its energy. ¡°What did you do? Is it a barrier or a formation?¡± Lumi asked. If it could figure out what method Himmel Soan had used, it could think of a countermeasure. ¡°I told you already. This area is under my control. It was all thanks to you because you were so focused on the beasts. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do that.¡± Himmel Soan smiled. To catch Lumi, he used almost all his power and built this space of his own. His energy had decreased from 10% to 0.1%. The cost was high, but Himmel Soan found it worthwhile. Catching and eliminating Lumi were at the top of his list so that he could find information about Gina. That was all that Himmel Soan wanted. Compared to the information, the energy expenditure was nothing. His strength could be recovered, but Gina wouldn¡¯t be there forever. To find her, Himmel Soan had searched all the way from Earth to here. He didn¡¯t want to go to the next place without first finding some clues. He must bring her home. ¡°Your space? Who do you think you are? You¡¯re nothing! You just took advantage of this place and thought you are invincible. That¡¯s just preposterous!¡± Lumi felt its life was being threatened. Even if the law of nature would target it, it had to take action. Lumi suddenly frowned. No! Something was terribly wrong! It had lost its connection with the law of nature. It couldn¡¯t exert any power. ¡°In my space, you¡¯re not the law of nature. You¡¯re just like an ordinary man. Any last words? If you have more tricks, now is the time to use them. Otherwise, you may not have another opportunity.¡± Himmel Soan slowly walked toward Lumi. Lumi backed away in fright. It was overtaken by the terror of death. Despite being the law of nature, it had lost its power. The helpless feeling only increased its fear. ¡°Ostrat! Phoeny! Mongey! ¡°Come out and help me! ¡°If you want to work with me, kill this man! ¡°It¡¯s him! Kill him, and I¡¯ll have his power! I¡¯ll be the law of nature!¡± Lumi abandoned its scruples and revealed its plan. It wanted to kill Himmel Soan because it needed his power. Even the law of nature had been avoiding him. Lumi felt if it could obtain that power, it could replace the law of nature. However, things didn¡¯t go as planned. When Lumi began to suspect the ancient beasts and fell out with them, its scheme failed. ¡°Do you need us now?¡± ¡°Why should we help you? We¡¯re perfectly fine living behind the seal.¡± ¡°You broke off the partnership, but you want our help now. In your dreams!¡± The three beasts wouldn¡¯t forgive Lumi. Moreover, they didn¡¯t feel confident that they could defeat Himmel Soan. Seeing what happened to Lumi, they wondered if the same thing would happen to them when they went out. Living miserably was still better than death. They wouldn¡¯t come out. Chapter 449 - Life Stone ¡°Please! Our partnership can still work. If I die, you will never be unsealed! ¡°Do you want to be trapped there forever? ¡°Are you worried that your power will be confined when you come out? ¡°You don¡¯t need to be scared! He can only do that to me. Your power comes from ancient times, so he can¡¯t do anything to you. ¡°He has been greatly weakened. If you come out, you can easily get rid of him! ¡°Do you still want to work with me?¡± Lumi felt cornered. No matter what terms the three beasts had, it was ready to accept them, as long as they weren¡¯t too unreasonable. It really needed their help now! Himmel Soan watched in silence. Lumi was right. If the beasts came out, things would become more difficult for him. Would they come out? Definitely not! ¡°Lumi, we don¡¯t believe you anymore.¡± ¡°You wanted to kill us from the beginning, which is why our partnership failed. How can we trust you?¡± ¡°If you become the law of nature, we¡¯ll probably be the first ones you eliminate. Even if you don¡¯t kill us, you¡¯ll be hostile toward us. We¡¯ll have to look over our shoulders all the time.¡± Only then did the beasts realize how terrifying a conscious law of nature could be. If they came out now, the law of nature would reject and punish them, but they could live once they hid behind the seal. What if the law of nature was conscious? Maybe it would destroy them at all costs. The law of nature set the rules. It couldn¡¯t be conscious because the rules wouldn¡¯t be rules anymore. Therefore, they wouldn¡¯t accept Lumi¡¯s request. ¡°No! Why? ¡°You have to trust me! I¡¯m the only one who can break the seal for you. I¡¯m the only one who can change the law of nature so that you can survive in this world!¡± Lumi became hysterical. It couldn¡¯t understand it. The plan was perfect, but why did it turn out this way? It was all because of one man. Himmel Soan. ¡°Damn you!¡± Lumi turned to Himmel Soan, transferring all its rage toward him. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got? In that case, you¡¯d better disappear!¡± Himmel Soan then wiped away Lumi¡¯s mind before opening up the confined space. Keeping the territory to his own would cost him spiritual essence. He would have taken care of Lumi if he had known Lumi was out of its means. He only wanted to do a clean job. After so many years, that was all Lumi could do. How disappointing! However, it was more likely that Gina had destroyed Lumi¡¯s other plans, forcing it into this state. At that thought, Himmel Soan walked up to the black stone. ¡°Although there¡¯s a seal, I think you know what¡¯s happened out here. ¡°Lumi is dead. There¡¯s no one to set you free. ¡°Since you¡¯re ancient beasts, you shouldn¡¯t show up in this world. Stay where you are. If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll eliminate you all!¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. ¡­ ¡°Master, Lumi is dead!¡± A figure dressed in black knelt on the ground, holding a lustreless stone. If one looked closer, one could see ¡°Lumi¡± carved into the stone. It was Lumi¡¯s life stone. It would give off light as long as Lumi was alive. When the life stone extinguished, Lumi would die, too. ¡°Lumi¡¯s dead? Where?¡± The person on the throne didn¡¯t react to Lumi¡¯s death. He only frowned and tried to remember who Lumi was. The man on the ground cupped his hands and said timidly, ¡°It used to be in the Dusk Soul Forest.¡± The man sitting on the throne paused. He then smirked. ¡°Did I say I needed your reminder? ¡°Didn¡¯t you see I was thinking? Get him out of here! Don¡¯t get my hall dirty!¡± Immediately, a few more people emerged. Two of them were the king¡¯s guards, and they were here to take away the man. The other one was an old man. He stumbled into the hall, leaning on a walking stick. Because of his arrival, the guards didn¡¯t carry out the order right away. ¡°My king, these are only petty matters. There¡¯s no need to get angry. We should think about Lumi¡¯s death!¡± The old man coughed and waved at the guards, sending them away. ¡°Noi, you know what I¡¯m like. I hate it when a subordinate acts on their own. I don¡¯t need a servant to tell me what I should be thinking! ¡°That¡¯s a humiliation!¡± Noi cleared his throat but didn¡¯t reply to the king. The Spirit King did this a lot. When a subordinate reminded him, he would take it as an insult. If the servants didn¡¯t say anything, the king would question their loyalty. Either way, the servants were guilty. As a result, dozens of them lost their lives. Noi had to speak up to stop some of the incidents. ¡°My king, Lumi died so suddenly. It¡¯s very strange.¡± Instead of replying to the Spirit King, Noi returned to the serious matter. ¡°We just lost one of the minor subjects. It can be replaced by some other minor subject!¡± The Spirit King was still mad at what had happened earlier, but he listened to Noi. Noi focused on the big picture, and the Spirit King valued his opinions. He didn¡¯t understand why Noi would care about that petty creature. Similar things had happened before. There was no need to make a fuss about it. ¡°It¡¯s not the same. The law of nature didn¡¯t cause Lumi¡¯s death. It was something else! ¡°Who or what else could kill Lumi? That¡¯s the strangest thing! ¡°If we send anyone there, we must investigate that place first, or they¡¯ll fail like Lumi!¡± Noi analyzed the situation. Chapter 450 - Puppet King ¡°Alright. Noi, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll leave everything to you. Now leave me alone! ¡°Can you put a leash on those people who like to report to me about such things? ¡°If they want to report something, they can report it to you. Why are they bothering me all the time? It¡¯s so annoying!¡± the king complained. He never wanted to get involved. And what happened next? Noi started calling him the master and the king so that everybody would report to him. As a result, he had to deal with everything. That was why the Spirit King was so angry and kept killing the messengers. ¡°You¡¯re our king. We¡¯re looking to you to make all the decisions. That¡¯s why we need to report all these things to you,¡± Noi said respectfully. The Spirit King laughed. Why did everybody have to report to him? What should he do after that? Make decisions? Why didn¡¯t any of his decisions count? ¡°Noi, I¡¯ve told you before. I give you full power to act on my behalf. You can even take my throne. Please leave me alone, alright?¡± The Spirit King waved his hand in frustration. He knew Noi would have a speech ready, but he had no interest in listening. Out of sight, out of mind. If these people could just stop talking, he wouldn¡¯t feel so annoyed. ¡°But¡­ Alright, my king. Understood.¡± Noi cupped his hands and left the hall. The Spirit King was a puppet trained by Noi, who put him on the throne. Noi wanted to keep using this puppet. However, things had begun to change. The Spirit King already had other ideas. Maybe it was time to develop a new puppet. He didn¡¯t need to worry about the Spirit King because Noi was the one with the actual power. The Spirit King couldn¡¯t do anything. Back in his room, Noi thought about what had happened to Lumi. ¡°The law of nature didn¡¯t do anything, yet Lumi was still destroyed. That¡¯s the work of a very capable being. ¡°Could it be them? They¡¯re the only ones that can have this kind of power. ¡°Though it¡¯s too early to say for sure. If it really were them, whoever destroyed Lumi would be here sooner or later.¡± Noi rubbed his chin. ¡­ The Dusk Soul Forest. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know Lumi had someone behind him when he took care of it. Of course, when he eventually learned that, he would have left the Dusk Soul Forest. Right now, Himmel Soan was still in the forest. He went to see Firey. She and the others were fighting the poisonous mad dog. ¡°Master, you¡¯re here!¡± Firey was covered in sweat, but her spirit was lifted upon seeing Himmel Soan. ¡°How are you doing here?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°It¡¯s done! ¡°That stupid dog has given us a lot of problems. It absorbed so much of my energy that my cultivation level almost dropped!¡± Firey recalled the time when she drained her energy to open the portal. She had to switch back to her original form. She didn¡¯t want to be like that again. She turned to the poisonous mad dog¡¯s dead body and cursed it. ¡°Stop yelling. Your spit is everywhere.¡± ¡°Can I absorb this dog to make up for the energy I spent?¡± Firey looked at Himmel Soan with anticipation ¡°No. You didn¡¯t do it all by yourself.¡± Himmel Soan turned her down. Yagon and Phoe also arrived, both looking exhausted. They said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Firey. Without her, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill the dog. ¡°We have no interest in that corpse either. If Firey likes it, she can have it!¡± Himmel Soan nodded in resignation. Since Phoe and Yagon agreed, there was nothing he could do. Firey had it her way. She took the dead body and went to the other side as if she was afraid Himmel Soan would go back on his word. ¡°Mr. Soan, is Lumi¡­¡± Yagon asked curiously. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s dead. It went more smoothly than I expected.¡± Himmel Soan was relieved. If he hadn¡¯t noticed the conflict between Lumi and the beasts, Lumi might have gotten away with it. Running into their fight was a godsend. Obviously, the law of nature wouldn¡¯t help him. Now that Lumi was taken care of, he needed to ask the law of nature for information on Gina. However, Firey didn¡¯t have time to communicate with it now, so he had to put it aside for the time being. He would wait for her to finish her meal. ¡°Alright. Thank you, Mr. Soan. The forest can finally have peace again.¡± Yagon was elated. The two-headed tiger was dead, and so were their other enemies. With Lumi gone, the forest would have its peace again. It was all thanks to Himmel Soan. ¡°No, if I hadn¡¯t come here, Lumi wouldn¡¯t have taken action. It only attacked because of me. It¡¯s been onto me from the very beginning,¡± Himmel Soan explained. ¡°How¡¯s that possible? Mr. Soan, you¡¯re the one who solved our problems. Otherwise, Lumi would have been a hidden threat to the forest forever! ¡°Thank you, Mr. Soan!¡± Yagon felt grateful for what he did for them. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t stop him. With Lumi gone, it was time for Himmel Soan to leave. Yagon said hesitantly, ¡°Mr. Soan, I hope you can take Phoe with you. She¡¯ll be thrilled to see Gina.¡± Hearing this, Phoe looked at Yagon. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave him. She then looked at Himmel Soan expectantly. She also wanted to go with him. However, Himmel Soan turned them down. ¡°I thought about taking you with me, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. You should stay here. ¡°Coming with me will be quite inconvenient. Staying here is the best choice. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Gina back when I find her!¡± Chapter 451 - Breakthrough Phoe calmed down. Although she wanted to leave with Himmel Soan, she understood his reasons. He was leaving the Dusk Soul Forest to look for Gina. If she followed Mr. Soan, she might become his burden. Moreover, she was confined by the Dusk Soul Forest and couldn¡¯t go anywhere. Even if Himmel Soan wanted to take her with him, he still had to solve that problem. It would all be so much trouble. As a result, she couldn¡¯t go anywhere. ¡°I¡¯ll stay for another week. Feel free to come to me if you have any questions.¡± Himmel Soan glanced at Firey. It wouldn¡¯t take her long to devour the dog but digesting required some time. The greater the power, the harder it was for her to absorb. The poisonous mad dog was a sacred beast, while Firey was only at the Hinayana stage. If an ordinary cultivator did that, they would have exploded already. However, Firey was the essence of nature and didn¡¯t need to worry about that. She was still affected though. To fully absorb the dog¡¯s energy, Firey would need to wait for a week. That was why Himmel Soan said he would be here for another week. He would use that time to recover his power. Having worked on the forest and Lumi, Himmel Soan¡¯s power was down to 0.1% again. Would he go to other continents in this state? Obviously not! To find Gina, he would need to recover enough energy because he might run into beings like Emperor Baih or Lumi again. ¡°Yagon, has Mr. Soan been injured? He seems weak¡­¡± Phoe was concerned. ¡°Mr. Soan knows his condition better than us. He does seem weak, however. I think he has drained his energy. After all, he was fighting the law of nature. ¡°It¡¯s normal that Mr. Soan feels weak now. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Yagon. He had learned not to speculate about capable men like Himmel Soan. No matter what happened, they only needed to follow his instructions. If he didn¡¯t give any order, they shouldn¡¯t make wild guesses. The most important thing was to do their job. ¡°Alright. I understand. I was just worried about Mr. Soan.¡± Phoe returned to her room. After the battle today, everybody needed some rest. She was going to visit Himmel Soan, but she decided to wait for a few days, fearing that she might disturb him. ¡­ In the room, Himmel Soan brought Firey back in. She was in a special state. It was as if she was evolving. Himmel Soan initially wanted to use this time to recover his energy, but he gave up on that plan and chose to guard Firey instead. Phoe and Yagon wouldn¡¯t come here. The only thing that concerned him was Firey¡¯s safety. She was at the Hinayana stage but had absorbed a sacred beast, which was equivalent to an Emperor stage being. No matter how special Firey was, she would still be affected. If Himmel Soan stayed with her, he could solve possible problems in time. ¡°At this speed, I¡¯ll have 1% of my power by the time I leave. That¡¯s the ideal situation. ¡°Stelladom is a broken continent, so the other continents should be more advanced. ¡°I don¡¯t think 1% of my power will be enough for me to travel in those continents,¡± Himmel Soan analyzed. To find Gina, the fastest way was to improve his capability so that he could question the capable beings of other continents. Gian wouldn¡¯t have stayed unnoticed even if she wanted to. Her talent was as amazing as her good looks. Moreover, Gina could have been the one who lured him here. In that case, she wouldn¡¯t stay hidden. He could find Gina¡¯s whereabouts by asking around. But to do that, he needed the requisite strength. Otherwise, nobody would tell him anything. No one wanted to give away free lunches. ¡°Gina, I¡¯m coming!¡± Himmel Soan made an oath. He had lived for millions of years. All he wanted was to settle down with Gina and Firey. If he could find Gina, there was little else he wanted in this world. Firey was still digesting the dog¡¯s energy. The temperature in the room kept rising. If Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t here, this place would have been set on fire. ¡°Gina, I think you¡¯ll like Firey a lot. Her temperament resembles yours! ¡°Where are you?¡± Himmel Soan sighed. He didn¡¯t understand what Gina¡¯s plan was. It felt as if she had voluntarily disappeared. But why? He still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. There were so many mysteries in the world, and even someone as old as Himmel Soan had many questions. For instance, both Stelladom and the planet had remained unknown to him. He had never explored these places before coming here. The universe was so big! Two days later, Phoe knocked on Himmel Soan¡¯s door. ¡°Come in,¡± said Himmel Soan. He already knew who it was. Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force covered the room he and Firey were in. Every movement in the vicinity was under his watch. The door was no exception. When Phoe knocked on the door, she was making contact with Himmel Soan¡¯s mental force. Therefore, he knew who it was as soon as she knocked. Chapter 452 - Precious Gift Phoe and Yagon were the only masters left here. It had to be one of them. The rest were Yagon¡¯s subordinates. They wouldn¡¯t disturb somebody as important as Himmel Soan. In the end, the answer was quite straightforward. Phoe opened the door, only to be welcomed by the heatwave inside. ¡°Why is it so hot in here?¡± Phoe was curious. Although the temperature was high, it was nothing for Phoe. Being a fire phoenix, she liked fire. She could withstand much higher temperatures. In fact, she would enjoy that kind of environment and turn it to her advantage. ¡°Firey is making a breakthrough,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°What?!¡± Phoe was surprised. She and Firey had been quite close recently, so she knew it hadn¡¯t been a year since Firey took her human form. It only took her six months to reach the Hinayana stage, yet she was already making a breakthrough! How could that be possible? Nobody could be that talented! Phoe cried out in surprise when she looked at Firey. ¡°She¡¯s really going to make a breakthrough!¡± As soon as she said that, she covered her mouth, realizing her mistake. At this critical moment, Firey shouldn¡¯t be disturbed. If she was distracted, her energy could go awry. That would make Phoe the culprit! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anything happen.¡± Himmel patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I almost caused a disaster!¡± Phoe was relieved. Despite what Himmel Soan said, she still lowered her voice. She knew the only reason that Firey wasn¡¯t disturbed was Himmel Soan. But that didn¡¯t mean she could talk as loudly as she wanted. She didn¡¯t want to bring any more trouble for Himmel Soan. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about Firey. That¡¯s understandable. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here for her. Is there a problem?¡± he asked why Phoe came here. Only then did Phoe realize what she was here for. She got distracted! ¡°Mr. Soan, Yagon said he wanted to give you a small present to express his gratitude. Please take this!¡± Phoe took an exquisite box out of her storage ring. On it was a sapphire. It reminded Himmel Soan of something. It was said that dragons always coveted treasures. The rumors seemed to be true. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually do anything. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Himmel Soan. He meant it. Lumi was destroyed because of the deal he made with the law of nature. He would solve the problem in the Dusk Soul Forest in exchange for Gina¡¯s information. Therefore, Himmel Soan felt he was only helping himself. He felt ashamed to accept any present, nor did they have that habit. Hence, he turned it down. ¡°Mr. Soan, it¡¯s only a small thing. If you don¡¯t accept it, we won¡¯t know how to thank you anymore. ¡°Please take it!¡± Phoe said earnestly. Himmel Soan was moved. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll accept it. That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to give me, right?¡± Fearing that more was coming, Himmel Soan immediately rejected any future presents. If Phoe didn¡¯t give him a promise, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t accept this gift. He didn¡¯t think he had done enough to take presents. ¡°Of course, please accept this one. This is all we have to offer. We don¡¯t have anything else that¡¯s valuable enough,¡± Phoe said in resignation. How many gifts could they afford? What more could they give to Himmel Soan? Firey was the essence of nature. Himmel Soan had managed to find such a treasure and even brought her up to be such a capable cultivator. How many treasures could be compared to the essence of nature? Such things did exist, but they were extremely rare, and Yagon couldn¡¯t find them either. After giving away this item, Yagon and Phoe didn¡¯t have anything else valuable to give. ¡°Alright.¡± Himmel Soan took the box but didn¡¯t open it right away. It wouldn¡¯t be polite. He only opened it after Phoe left. ¡°Well¡­ ¡°This gift¡­ ¡°If I knew what it was, I wouldn¡¯t have accepted it!¡± Himmel Soan sighed. There were two golden cores in the box. They were Phoe and Yagon¡¯s. There were two ways to obtain cores. One was to kill the sacred beasts and remove the cores. Another was to let them willingly give away their cores. Asking a sacred beast to give away its core was unheard of. The core was equivalent to a human¡¯s heart. Removing it wouldn¡¯t kill a sacred beast, but it would become very weak. Creating a second core was extremely difficult, so taking it away was almost the same as killing them. Phoe and Yagon had given him their cores as a gift. Himmel Soan felt sorry for accepting it. He didn¡¯t think he had done enough to deserve such a gift. He had to return it. Himmel Soan was determined. No matter what he or Phoe had said, there was no way he would accept this. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Himmel Soan was still thinking about the gift when Firey started moving. Her energy fluctuated. The temperature in the room became unstable, and she seemed to be struggling. ¡°Is she making the breakthrough now?¡± Himmel Soan reached his conclusion after some observation. The poisonous mad dog was a sacred beast, after all. Even in death, it didn¡¯t want to be absorbed. Now was his last resistance. It wasn¡¯t conscious, but the resistance was real. Once Firey suppressed it, Firey would be able to absorb all the energy and make her breakthrough. Chapter 453 - Real Human By the looks of it, Firey was making the breakthrough much earlier than he had expected. At this speed, she would only need another day to finish this process. To do so, she had to keep a steady pace. She was fighting against the poisonous mad dog¡¯s last resistance. If she won, she could absorb its energy and make a successful breakthrough. If she failed, the dog¡¯s energy would dissipate, and Firey¡¯s cultivation would go awry. However, with Himmel Soan keeping watch, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. The following day, Firey¡¯s energy gradually calmed down. She had reached the Mahayana stage. ¡°Mahayana only?¡± The dog was a sacred beast. After absorbing its energy, Firey should be able to reach the Emperor stage. The two stages didn¡¯t make much difference to Himmel Soan. As long as Firey was alright, he could accept any outcome. Firey slowly opened her eyes. ¡°I think I made a breakthrough.¡± She felt like she had had a dream. When she woke up, she had advanced a level. Of course, she was elated. When she was strong enough, she could help Himmel Soan. The breakthrough was great news. ¡°Congratulations!¡± Himmel Soan acknowledged her improvement. Although it wasn¡¯t what he had expected, it was still good news. At least there were no accidents. ¡°I feel different from before,¡± Firey said in surprise after examining herself. ¡°How? What¡¯s the difference?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°I feel like a real human!¡± A real human? Himmel Soan didn¡¯t understand this until he examined Firey with his mental force. He finally saw what she meant. It was as Firey said: she was a real human now. Before, other people would recognize Firey being the essence of nature when she exerted her power. Being the essence of nature wasn¡¯t a good thing for Firey. Many people saw her as a treasure instead of a person. But now, they had to admit she was a person. She was a human being by all standards. No one would see her as a treasure anymore. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good news! ¡°You¡¯re a big girl now. If you want to leave, all you need is to talk to me.¡± Himmel Soan was amazed. So many things had happened since he met Firey on Earth. Time flew by so fast. Firey had grown up in the blink of an eye. She wasn¡¯t a kid anymore. One day, she would leave him to travel the world on her own. Himmel Soan sighed with emotions. ¡°No! I¡¯ll never leave you!¡± Firey clenched her fists, looking determined. Himmel Soan nodded without saying a word. He closed his eyes to recover his strength. ¡­ Somewhere else in the forest, Ciger learned of Lumi¡¯s death and found the three-eyed cat. ¡°Why are you not dead?¡± The cat was surprised and alarmed. She had betrayed the tiger and almost directly caused his death. How did he come back from death? ¡°I know why you¡¯re surprised. You don¡¯t need to be scared. I won¡¯t kill you, at least not before Yagon is dead. ¡°Didn¡¯t you make a choice back then? I¡¯ll give you a choice now. ¡°Will you report to Yagon or help me to get rid of Phoe?¡± Ciger asked. He gave the three-eyed cat another chance. ¡°Where¡¯s your other head?¡± The cat was perplexed. She turned on the tiger earlier because she was worried that the tiger would attack her. Where was the tiger¡¯s other head? The cat realized her question was too impertinent, but she didn¡¯t think much of it. She was also a sacred beast. She might not be as capable as Ciger, but she was much better at hiding and escaping. ¡°I said I won¡¯t do anything to you, and I¡¯ll keep that promise. If I wanted to kill you, you¡¯ll stand no chance at all!¡± Ciger activated his energy. The power he demonstrated was as impressive as Yagon¡¯s, if not stronger. The three-eyed cat was so shocked that she wanted to flee. The tiger was too powerful; it was impossible for her to defeat him. He could easily crush her. Could she even escape? Still, she wouldn¡¯t give up. As long as she was alive, anything was possible. ¡°It¡¯s like I said. I¡¯ll give you some time to make up your mind. If you want to leave, I won¡¯t attack or try to stop you. ¡°I have something to tell you. ¡°Lumi and the poisonous mad dog are dead, while Yagon and Phoe are weakened. ¡°Which side will you choose?¡± Ciger told the cat about the current situation. He wasn¡¯t worried that the cat would help Yagon because he had demonstrated his power. He would be the strongest one no matter what. However, the cat would have to pay for what she had done. If she hadn¡¯t betrayed him, Yagon would have been dead by now, and things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way. However, her betrayal was the reason that he only had one head now. Everything was linked. Ciger didn¡¯t hate the cat that much. It would only help his cause if he could win her to his side to fight against Phoe. A friend was always better than an enemy. He waited for the cat¡¯s choice. ¡°What about that mysterious young man, the one that came with Phoe? He¡¯s extraordinary. How is he now?¡± the cat asked. Yagon and Phoe both respected that man, so there must be something special about him. Chapter 454 - Final Decision Maybe the young man was the key, but no one knew for sure. The cat hadn¡¯t seen Himmel Soan in action and didn¡¯t know how capable he was. Everything had remained unknown. ¡°Have you forgotten that they¡¯re our enemies? Do you want to get information on them from me? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ll find it out eventually. ¡°That Himmel Soan seems to be connected to Gina. ¡°Lumi was a fraction of the law of nature, and Himmel Soan caused its death. As a result, he¡¯s quite weak now. ¡°What choice will you make?¡± Ciger told her the truth and forced her to make a choice. The cat shuddered when Gina¡¯s name was brought up, but then, she calmed down. Swallowing, she asked, ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s weak?¡± Ciger chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the most resourceful being in the forest? Why are you asking me all these questions? Haven¡¯t you received any information? ¡°You¡¯re so behind. You don¡¯t have to believe everything I say. ¡°Come to my territory tomorrow evening when you make up your mind.¡± Ciger gave the cat some time to think. He was sure she would side with him. She only needed to ask around to know the tiger had all the advantages. If she still couldn¡¯t make the right decision, there was nothing the tiger could do. It was obvious that Ciger was winning. Shortly after Ciger left, the cat obtained the information through her subordinates. Ciger was right. ¡°He only has one head left, so he has no reason to attack me. Still, I need to keep an eye on him. ¡°If Lumi hadn¡¯t revived him, he would have been dead. He probably still holds a grudge against me. ¡°Yagon, Phoe, and Himmel Soan are all weakened. Do I really have to make a choice?¡± The cat sighed. It was such a difficult choice. If she didn¡¯t make up her mind, Ciger would definitely attack her. She was sure of it. However, Himmel Soan was Gina¡¯s partner. Attacking him would be equivalent to declaring war against Gina. Although Gina had disappeared for decades, the cat was still terrified of her. ¡°Since I¡¯ve attacked the wolf king, there¡¯s no turning back. It¡¯s too late to regret now. ¡°Gosh¡­¡± None of this would have happened if she hadn¡¯t killed the wolf king. What happened now was the consequence of her listening to Ciger¡¯s instructions. She was cornered. Between Himmel Soan and Ciger, she still chose the latter because of his attitude and capability. ¡­ The following evening, the cat came to Ciger¡¯s place. She still suspected him. If all this was Ciger¡¯s plot, she would be walking into a trap. However, she had to come because of what Ciger said and the information she had received. ¡°I see you¡¯ve made a wise decision,¡± said Ciger. He emerged from behind a tree. He had been waiting there since the afternoon. His effort had paid off. The cat was here. It meant he could make his move on Yagon now. The thought of taking revenge made Ciger excited. ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice. Are you going to tell me what to do?¡± the cat asked. Since he had asked her to make a choice, he must have a task for her. To show how firm she was, the cat took the initiative. Ciger grinned. ¡°I like straightforward guys. You hesitated too much yesterday. ¡°I¡¯ve given you a day. I think you¡¯ve figured out what you need to do because you¡¯re much more decisive now. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. We¡¯ll ambush Yagon tonight!¡± Ciger made the shocking announcement. The cat was dumbfounded. She wasn¡¯t prepared for this. ¡°Tonight? Isn¡¯t it too soon? What¡¯s the plan? Don¡¯t you need some sort of strategy beforehand? ¡°We also need to take that Himmel Soan into consideration. Isn¡¯t this ambush a little¡­¡± The cat hesitated. She didn¡¯t agree with Ciger, but the other party was too powerful for her to object to his decision. ¡°Delaying now will only bring more accidents. We must catch them by surprise! ¡°Even you¡¯re surprised, aren¡¯t you? If we attack now, they¡¯ll be caught off guard. This is our best chance! ¡°They¡¯re all weakened at the moment. The longer we wait, the more likely they¡¯ll recover. ¡°Or do you want to stall me? ¡°As for a plan¡­ When you¡¯re strong enough, you don¡¯t need any plan!¡± Ciger smirked. Now was their window to attack. With each day, Yagon would be a little stronger. Ciger didn¡¯t want to see that happen. The cat was clever enough to see it right away. ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± She nodded. She made the final choice. From now on, she was completely on Ciger¡¯s side. Their fate was tied together. Since tonight was their best chance, they immediately headed for Yagon¡¯s territory. The bleak moonlight cast a silver shroud over the forest. Yagon had no idea danger was coming his way. ¡°Get ready to attack,¡± said Ciger. Chapter 455 - Ambush ¡°Are we doing it now? We¡¯ve just got here.¡± The cat was confused. The two-headed tiger would have been very cautious and wouldn¡¯t take action until he was fully prepared. After losing a head, the tiger seemed to have changed completely. He was no longer what he seemed to be. ¡°We¡¯re doing it now. Do you have any objections?¡± Ciger¡¯s question was more like a threat. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Let¡¯s do it now. ¡°I can conceal our energy. They won¡¯t detect us until we¡¯re outside Yagon¡¯s house.¡± The cat tried to make up for the earlier slip-up. It wasn¡¯t a big issue, so the tiger didn¡¯t scold the cat. Seeing him nod, the cat concealed their energy. They infiltrated Yagon¡¯s territory right away. Himmel Soan happened to be in Yagon¡¯s room. ¡°These are your cores. They are very important! ¡°It¡¯s almost equivalent to your life. Why did you give them to me as a gift? ¡°I don¡¯t need gifts like that. I wouldn¡¯t have accepted them if I knew what they were.¡± Himmel Soan gave the cores back to Yagon. He refused to budge from his stance. He would never accept a gift that came at the cost of other people¡¯s lives. Even when he accepted it before knowing what it was, he would give it back later, which was what he was doing now. ¡°But Mr. Soan, that¡¯s the only way we know how to thank you. If you won¡¯t take it, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Yagon got anxious. Was his core not good enough? That was the only precious thing he had. He didn¡¯t know what to do now. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but your cores are useless to me. ¡°I have a special cultivation system; I can¡¯t absorb your cores. ¡°You¡¯re the forest¡¯s rulers now. Without the cores, how are you going to take charge? How are you going to rule your territory?¡± Himmel Soan said unhurriedly. Yagon hesitated before saying, ¡°But they¡¯re all dead. Dusk Soul Forest doesn¡¯t need a ruler¡­¡± Himmel Soan only smiled in response. He knew Yagon already had an answer, so he didn¡¯t say much. ¡°I don¡¯t need your gratitude. If you really want to thank me, you should improve your capability. ¡­ ¡°The cores? Don¡¯t tell me Yagon and Phoe took out their cores!¡± The cat swallowed in astonishment. She and Ciger had arrived outside the house. The cat was great at concealing her energy. They weren¡¯t discovered until now. More importantly, Yagon and Himmel Soan were both very weak at the moment. Everybody thought the two-headed tiger was dead and didn¡¯t expect the three-eyed cat to give them any trouble, so Yagon didn¡¯t pay much attention to his territory. Ciger and the cat reached his house without any incident. ¡°Cat, are you sure your concealment skill still works?¡± Ciger asked. ¡°Of course! I can make a successful escape even when the opponent is you. What can possibly go wrong?¡± The cat was very confident in her skills. However, she didn¡¯t feel so confident upon watching the scene inside. The cores! Yagon and Phoe offered their cores to Himmel Soan, yet he turned them down. That just wasn¡¯t possible. Were they putting on a show? It was so fake! Every single person in this world would love to have the core of a sacred beast. ¡°If your skill is working, then there¡¯s something special about Himmel Soan. I¡¯ve never heard of somebody who can¡¯t absorb a core, but I can live with that. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Since we¡¯re here, we need to make a move. ¡°I¡¯ll meet Himmel Soan. You can take care of Phoe and Yagon!¡± Ciger analyzed the situation and found his decision reasonable. However, the cat turned him down. ¡°I¡¯ll handle Himmel Soan. You get Yagon and Phoe,¡± said the cat. She had made a deal with Yagon, so she couldn¡¯t bring herself to attack him. She would rather face the mysterious Himmel Soan than meet Yagon and Phoe. Ciger frowned. He nodded after some consideration. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll do that. We¡¯ll hit them five minutes later. We must succeed! ¡°If you betray me again, I¡¯ll take you out first!¡± Ciger snorted. The cat nodded. She didn¡¯t like his tone and attitude, but she had indeed betrayed him before. This behavior was expected. She didn¡¯t have any reason to betray him now unless she could have Yagon and Phoe¡¯s cores. Was that possible? Absolutely not! Yagon was willing to give his core to Himmel Soan, but it didn¡¯t mean he would give it to her. The best choice for her was to eliminate Yagon and Phoe. That way, she and Ciger would be the most powerful beings in the Dusk Soul Forest. It was great news for her. ¡°Himmel Soan is Gina¡¯s partner. I wonder what¡¯s so mysterious about him,¡± the cat murmured. The five minutes soon passed. Yagon and Phoe were in their separate rooms, absorbing their cores. They were their own cores and hadn¡¯t been out of their bodies for long. Therefore, they could be absorbed quite fast. Ciger had chosen the perfect time. ¡°Yagon, I¡¯m back.¡± Bang! Ciger punched open the door and entered the room. ¡°It¡¯s you, the two-headed tiger! Aren¡¯t you dead already?¡± Yagon opened his eyes in surprise. The dead tiger was alive. Chapter 456 - Another Betrayal What¡­ How was that possible? How could the tiger come back from death? ¡°The two-headed tiger? Do you see two heads?¡± Ciger asked. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to kill Yagon because he thought Yagon¡¯s life was there for him to take. Why rush it? Keeping Yagon alive longer would make him suffer more. He relished that feeling. ¡°Are you not the two-head tiger? No, you¡¯re him! ¡°Where¡¯s your other head? Did you abandon it?¡± Yagon was surprised at first, but he smiled and calmed down. ¡°The other head? The two-headed tiger you remember is dead. I¡¯m Ciger now. ¡°Stop pretending to be calm. ¡°You¡¯ve just absorbed your core, haven¡¯t you? Your energy is chaotic. I can see right through you.¡± Ciger snorted. He was displeased because he wanted to see a terrified Yagon, not this unperturbed one. ¡°So what if my energy is chaotic? Who told you I¡¯m pretending? You¡¯re just a clown, who should have stayed dead! ¡°You belong in the grave!¡± Yagon said coldly. He remembered the death of the wolf king. Many things wouldn¡¯t have happened if it weren¡¯t for Ciger. He was the trouble behind everything! Who brought him back from death? It didn¡¯t matter now. He could kill the tiger once more! ¡°Yagon, you don¡¯t know what despair is, do you? ¡°You certainly sound tough. Tell me, how are you going to bury me? Do you really think you can do that? ¡°You¡¯re too weak!¡± Ciger mocked him and left the room. ¡°Ciger, where are you going?¡± Yagon panicked when he saw Ciger leave. ¡°No. He¡¯s probably going after Phoe. I can¡¯t let that happen!¡± Despite feeling weak, Yagon hurried toward Phoe¡¯s room. ¡­ On the other side, in Himmel Soan¡¯s room, the cat was already fighting Firey. ¡°Damn it! How can a Mahayana cultivator withstand my attack? She¡¯s almost as powerful as me!¡± The cat was frustrated. She came after Himmel Soan, but this girl was far more capable than she had expected. Lumi seemed to have mentioned that she was the essence of nature. However, the information the cat received the other day said Firey, Yagon, and Phoe had to join hands to barely finish off the dog. That was only a few days ago! Why was the essence of nature so powerful now? ¡°Little kitty, I wouldn¡¯t fight so hard if I were you. I wonder what you taste like,¡± Firey wanted to mock the cat at first, but she somehow brought up food and started drooling. The cat was furious. ¡°How do I taste? You look very yummy to me!¡± Firey grinned. ¡°Of course I do.¡± The fight continued, while Himmel Soan was lost in his thoughts. Why was the cat here now? The tiger was dead. If the cat wanted to attack them, she wouldn¡¯t have betrayed the tiger and killed the bat. But¡­ Why? Why was she attacking him? What was going on with Yagon and Phoe? ¡°Firey, will you be alright here? I need to check up on Yagon and Phoe.¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°What? Are you leaving her to me? ¡°Of course, I can handle her! She¡¯s just a little kitten. What can she possibly do?¡± Seeing that Firey even had time to answer his questions, Himmel Soan was relieved. She would be fine here. What about Phoe and Yagon? They had just taken back their cores. It would take a while to absorb them. They would be at their weakest right now. If the three-eyed cat was here, maybe somebody else was attacking Phoe and Yagon. They were most likely in danger! While analyzing the situation, he was already outside Phoe¡¯s room. ¡°Phoe, Yagon, are you alright?¡± The scene inside was miserable. Both Phoe and Yagon were barely breathing. If he had come a little later, maybe he would be burying them now. Himmel Soan was capable, but he couldn¡¯t bring people back from the dead. He was relieved that he had arrived in time. ¡°Mr. Soan¡­¡± Yagon said weakly. Phoe wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Himmel Soan? Why are you here? Where¡¯s the cat?¡± Ciger was a little angry and thought about two possibilities. Maybe Himmel Soan had killed the cat, or she had switched sides again. He could see how weak Himmel Soan was. There was no way he had just won a battle. Therefore, Ciger believed it was the second possibility. The cat had betrayed him again! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m more curious about why you¡¯re alive. ¡°It was Lumi, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Lumi was the one who brought you back from the dead!¡± Himmel Soan reached a conclusion. He was the most skillful doctor on Earth and the most talented alchemist in Stelladom. It was so easy to detect Ciger¡¯s condition. Ciger frowned. No one knew he was revived by Lumi, apart from the cat! He was even more certain that the cat had betrayed him. ¡°You talk too much. Yes, I was revived. So what?¡± Chapter 457 - Time Freeze ¡°Nothing. I just want to remind you that if I were you, I¡¯d have stayed hidden, not risk your life here,¡± Himmel Soan said coldly. He didn¡¯t get angry easily, but he lost his temper when he saw Yagon and Phoe lying on the ground. He was partially responsible for what they went through. If he had returned the cores earlier or covered the house with his mental force¡­ There were so many improvements he could have made to avoid this incident. None of that mattered now because the attack had already taken place. The only thing he could do now was to finish off Ciger to make up for his mistake. ¡°I¡¯m risking my life? You¡¯re not powerful enough to threaten me! ¡°Lumi is the embodiment of the law of nature, and you¡¯ve destroyed it. I¡¯ll give you that. But no matter how capable you are, do you see how weak you are now? Your toughness is only an act. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to die!¡± said Ciger. He felt Himmel Soan was just a fragile shell. He wasn¡¯t afraid of this man. Yagon used to play the tough guy just like him, but he was lying on the ground now, struggling for his life. If Ciger hadn¡¯t wanted to humiliate Yagon, he would have killed Yagon and Phoe already. Himmel Soan was just one more person to kill. Ciger wasn¡¯t concerned. Himmel Soan closed his eyes. He only had 0.1% of his total strength, just as when he was on Earth. It made him equivalent to a Nascent stage cultivator. Ciger was a sacred beast. A battle between them would be a one-horse race. However, he was Himmel Soan. As soon as he closed his eyes, Ciger jumped at him. He didn¡¯t spare any strength because he didn¡¯t want to give Himmel Soan any chance. After all, Himmel Soan was closely connected to Gina. What if he had some secret weapon? ¡°That¡¯s a clever move. You attacked me as soon as I closed my eyes. Great timing. ¡°But I¡¯m Himmel Soan. 0.1% is more than enough to handle you!¡± Himmel Soan exerted all his remaining power. Although it was only the power of a Nascent cultivator, it came from Himmel Soan. It was far stronger than that of an ordinary Nascent cultivator. ¡°Time will freeze,¡± Himmel Soan said quietly. Instantly, time inside Yagon¡¯s house froze. Even the spiritual essence in the air stopped flowing. Everybody else¡¯s breathing and thinking all stopped at that moment. Himmel Soan was the only one who could still move. ¡°My current power can only freeze the time for ten seconds, but that¡¯s enough.¡± Himmel Soan walked up to Ciger. The process took him five seconds. He could finish Ciger off in a second, but he didn¡¯t. He only stood next to him and casually tapped on him. Ten seconds had passed by then. ¡°More than enough? Don¡¯t make me laugh! Pfff¡­¡± Ciger spat out a mouthful of blood before he could finish. He then saw Himmel Soan in front of him. How was that possible? This man was by Yagon¡¯s side a second ago. When did he get so close? Was it teleportation? It couldn¡¯t be! Ciger knew he would have noticed teleportation. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but it was very strange! ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so surprised. I just destroyed your cultivation ability.¡± Himmel Soan smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. Did you say you destroyed my cultivation ability? What makes you think you can do that?¡± Ciger laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke. ¡°I would check my core if I were you. I¡¯m telling the truth. I¡¯ve even taken out your core. Haven¡¯t you realized that?¡± Ciger examined himself and trembled in fear. His core was gone, and so was his cultivation ability. Himmel Soan was right! ¡°Who are you? Why? I won¡¯t accept it!¡± Ciger became hysterical because he couldn¡¯t exert any power. It was worse than killing him. He was a powerful cultivator a moment ago, but he had suddenly lost all his power. No one could live with that. Himmel Soan ignored him because he also felt miserable after manipulating time and space. But he couldn¡¯t rest yet. He went to Yagon and Phoe¡¯s side and took out Ciger¡¯s core to treat them. ¡°No! That¡¯s my core! You can¡¯t take it!¡± Ciger bellowed and wanted to take back his core. He could only take one step before falling to the ground. Everything was within Himmel Soan¡¯s expectations. Since he was treating Yagon and Phoe with Ciger¡¯s core, he wouldn¡¯t let the tiger take it away. The plan started when Himmel Soan froze time. ¡°Why can¡¯t I take your core? You¡¯ve broken into Yagon¡¯s house, so you should have anticipated this. ¡°Did you want to kill Yagon and Phoe so that you can rule the forest? ¡°If I left a few days early, maybe you would have succeeded.¡± Luckily, he chose to stay for another week. Otherwise, he might not be able to see Yagon and Phoe again. Although they hadn¡¯t known each other for that long, Himmel Soan already felt attached to them. Moreover, Gina used to live here. If something happened after he went away, he wouldn¡¯t know how to face her in the future. Nothing irrevocable had happened. That was the best! Chapter 458 - A Dream Five minutes later, Yagon and Phoe opened their eyes. ¡°Mr. Soan, what happened?¡± Phoe was alarmed. She let down her guard when she recognized Himmel Soan. ¡°Mr. Soan, where¡¯s Ciger?¡± Yagon remembered what had happened before he passed out. Since Mr. Soan was treating them now, it probably meant Ciger was dead. They didn¡¯t need his reply because they both saw Ciger¡¯s glassy eyes. ¡°He¡¯s useless now. I¡¯ll leave him to you. I need to take some rest. Don¡¯t disturb me if I don¡¯t ask for you,¡± Himmel Soan said in a weak voice before returning to his room. When he got back, the battle between Firey and the cat had ended. ¡°Did you win?¡± ¡°Yes. I was curious because the cat suddenly stopped moving. She¡¯s already in my stomach. Aren¡¯t I amazing?¡± Firey was excited. Usually, it would be very difficult for Firey to defeat the cat. However, when Himmel Soan froze the time, he did it in the entire house. Firey should also have stopped moving, but she wasn¡¯t affected. He didn¡¯t understand why, but there was no time to figure that out. ¡°Let me take a break¡­¡± He then fell onto the bed nearby while Firey was still talking about her battle with the cat. ¡°Master? ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Firey rushed over to his side. She was relieved when she saw he was just resting. Her master was weakened, but there was nothing seriously wrong. After Himmel Soan fell asleep, Firey set up a barrier around the room. Although she liked solving problems with her fists, she was very talented in other things, too, such as refinement and setting up barriers. This task was nothing. After setting up the barrier, she stayed by Himmel Soan¡¯s side. She didn¡¯t even try to digest the cat¡¯s energy. Three months passed. Himmel Soan had a dream. He dreamed about long ago, when it was the Song Dynasty. Himmel Soan and Gina were putting lantern boats into a river. ¡°What will you do if I suddenly disappear?¡± Gina asked. ¡°Why would you disappear?¡± Himmel Soan only thought she was joking. Did she mean she would somehow leave Earth? How was that possible? ¡°I said ¡®if.¡¯ Tell me what you¡¯ll do if I disappear one day?¡± Gina asked mischievously. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much of it back then. He only said that if she disappeared, she must be playing hide-and-seek with him. ¡°I¡¯ll look for you. No matter where you¡¯re hiding, I¡¯ll find you!¡± Gina nodded in satisfaction and threw herself into his arms. Only now did Himmel Soan understand what Gina meant. He finally knew why she was crying back then. As early as hundreds of years ago, she already knew she would be gone one day. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she tell me? She could have discussed it with me. Why did she have to leave?¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s breath quickened as he recalled the years when Gina was still around. The memories rushed back to him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Please come to find me.¡± The last thing he remembered was when Gina said those words by his bed before she disappeared. ¡°Gina, I¡¯m here for you!¡± Himmel Soan slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Master, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Firey had waited for three months. ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡± ¡°Three months!¡± ¡°That long?¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. He thought he was only unconscious for a week. He never thought he could sleep for three months in a row. It wasn¡¯t a waste of time though. At least he remembered some things from before. Gina¡¯s disappearance wasn¡¯t out of the blue. She had anticipated it a long time ago. Therefore, Himmel Soan had to fulfill his promise and find her. ¡°Did anything happen in these three months?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was here the whole time. ¡°Yagon came here, saying he and Phoe have recovered and wanted to see you. They didn¡¯t come in when I told them you were resting. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else. ¡°Also, you were crying in your sleep,¡± said Firey. The next second, she was clunked on the forehead. ¡°You can forget about the last part,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°The last part? Do you mean where you were crying? ¡°Ouch!¡± Firey covered her head in pain. Seeing Himmel Soan raise his hand again, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve already forgotten about it! ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Himmel Soan chuckled. He knew it didn¡¯t hurt. Firey only reacted in that way because she wanted to cheer him up. He indeed felt much happier. However, he needed to take care of something else. His strength. He didn¡¯t know too much about the power of time. He had pushed his limits when fighting Ciger three months ago, which was why he was in a coma. He hardly had any energy left and was almost as weak as an ordinary man. To go to other continents, he needed to become stronger first. Chapter 459 - Leave It was very difficult for somebody to improve their capability, but Himmel Soan didn¡¯t need to do that. He only needed to recover his strength. It wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded though. To recover his strength, he needed to absorb spiritual essence. Although there was plenty of spiritual essence in the Dusk Soul Forest, to make a full recovery, he would have to drain the entire forest. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t let that happen. It didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t try to recover. ¡°The forest¡¯s spiritual essence can provide me with 0.5% of my strength. That¡¯s the highest I can go. If I absorb more, the spiritual essence in the forest will be changed forever. ¡°It¡¯s the same as collecting branches. You can¡¯t do so by uprooting trees,¡± Himmel Soan murmured. Could he look for Gina with only 0.5% of his full strength? Himmel Soan smiled because he had less than 0.1% of his full strength before coming here. He made a slow recovery when he came to Stelladom. 0.5% would be enough! ¡°Firey, I need to rest some more to recover my strength. ¡°It¡¯ll be another month before we can set out again. Don¡¯t stay here with me. You can go back to your own business. ¡°Tell Yagon what I¡¯m doing, and don¡¯t let him disturb me.¡± Himmel Soan closed his eyes. He sat on the bed and adjusted his position. ¡°Alright!¡± Firey nodded and left the room. She really wanted to talk to her master, but he was continuing his rest. She was a little unhappy. Firey knew how important it was. Himmel Soan needed to recover his strength so that he could leave the Dusk Soul Forest to look for Gina. That was his ultimate task and Firey¡¯s top priority. She quickly left the room. ¡­ A month later, Himmel Soan exhaled. He was too optimistic before. 0.5%? He didn¡¯t even have 0.1%! ¡°There were some side effects when I forced myself to use the power of time and space.¡± Himmel Soan sighed. He had learned something about the law of time and space here in the Dusk Soul Forest. Four months ago, when the tiger and the cat attacked, he activated that power and froze the time in the house for ten seconds. He didn¡¯t have the strength to exert that kind of power, but he still used it. As a result, he exhausted himself and was in a coma for three months. It took him an entire month to get over the side effects. He only had 0.01% of his full strength now. The 0.5% expectation was way too optimistic. ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer. It¡¯s been a year since I came here, but I don¡¯t know anything about Gina. ¡°Moreover, the forest¡¯s spiritual essence has reached its threshold. I can¡¯t absorb anymore.¡± He slowly rose to his feet and walked toward the door. Exhaling, he pushed the door open. ¡°Master!¡± Firey was waiting for him outside. ¡°Congratulations on your recovery, Mr. Soan!¡± Yagon said respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m nowhere close to a recovery.¡± Himmel Soan waved his hand. ¡°How¡¯s the forest doing?¡± Phoe finally found a chance to speak. ¡°Almost everybody in the forest is united and follows Yagon¡¯s order!¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± He had meant to leave more than a couple of times. He only stayed here to help Phoe out. Now that all the problems were solved, he felt he could make his departure. Therefore, he bade both of them farewell. ¡°I have my own affair to deal with, so I¡¯ll be on my way. It¡¯s time to say goodbye. ¡°Yagon, Phoe, take care. I¡¯ll bring Gina back here when I find her.¡± Yagon felt like crying because he didn¡¯t want Himmel Soan to leave. However, he had no reason to keep him here. He could only say, ¡°Alright. Have a safe trip, Mr. Soan!¡± Phoe had broken into tears. Firey wrapped her arms around her. After a long while, Firey and Himmel Soan left Yagon¡¯s territory. ¡°Law of nature, I¡¯ve taken care of Lumi and didn¡¯t even absorb its energy. Is that sincere enough? ¡°You should tell me what I want to know. You can¡¯t evade the question. If I can get rid of Lumi, I can do the same with you. ¡°Stop hiding from me and answer my questions!¡± Himmel Soan looked up at the sky. The law of nature must know what he had done. Although he threatened to destroy the law of nature, if it refused to answer, there was nothing he could do for now. Moreover, the law of nature covered the Dusk Soul Forest. If he destroyed it, the forest would become a chaotic place and eventually become void. Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy the law of nature before he figured out how to take care of the aftermath. Of course, that would only happen when the law of nature wouldn¡¯t answer his questions. ¡°Head to the north,¡± said an undefinable voice. It was obviously the law of nature. Himmel Soan sighed a little because he thought he would force the law of nature to show itself. Instead, he only heard its voice. It sounded alarmed and well-prepared. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t locate it. Getting an answer was the best outcome he could hope for. ¡°To the north? Alright. I see.¡± Himmel Soan took Firey¡¯s hand and headed for the north. He wondered if they would circle back to the starting point if he kept walking in that direction. Chapter 460 - Get Lost The answer would be yes if he were still on Earth, but he couldn¡¯t say the same about this planet. After all, it was a cultivation world. Most things were the same though. ¡°The north¡­ ¡°I asked Bandora before. She told me there was the heresy cultivator¡¯s continent, the demon¡¯s continent, and a mysterious continent. ¡°But according to Yagon, there are three continents, Starloud, Starlune, and Starain. ¡°Is Bandora¡¯s information incorrect?¡± Himmel Soan thought for a moment. He didn¡¯t think somebody had lied to him, just that maybe Bandora was misinformed. After all, she lived mostly in Stelladom and didn¡¯t even dare go into the Dusk Soul Forest. The information she could receive was limited. Yagon was the current leader of the Dusk Soul Forest. He must know more about the other side than Bandora. Himmel Soan was almost sure that Bandora¡¯s information was incorrect. However, he still had to go there no matter what. Once he was there, he would know what the other continents looked like. The only way to do that was to find it out on his own. ¡°Firey, what¡¯s your cultivation level now?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He didn¡¯t need to ask before because he could see it with a glance. His current condition didn¡¯t permit him to do so anymore. ¡°I¡¯m alright. I guess¡­¡± said Firey. Alright! Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. Firey probably didn¡¯t understand her own strength either. However, he knew she would be at least as powerful as a sacred beast. That was to say, Firey was equivalent to an Emperor cultivator in Stelladom, but that was only the case in the Dusk Soul Forest. Stelladom was known as the broken land. On the contrary, other continents were ¡°intact.¡± The names alone were self-explanatory. As a result, the cultivators on those continents would be stronger than those in Stelladom. He needed more strength. Without it, he couldn¡¯t get established over there and wouldn¡¯t be able to find Gina. He would have to wait for a very long time if he wanted to recover naturally on his own. Hence, he put his hopes on Firey. If she was powerful enough, he could borrow her power and find Gina as soon as possible. By the looks of it, that plan wouldn¡¯t work either. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m glad you still have your power. At least you can tell what kind of enemies you can or cannot handle. That¡¯s all that matters. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything else,¡± Himmel Soan said in resignation. ¡°Great! I¡¯ve always been able to do that!¡± Firey grinned. She could do anything that didn¡¯t involve using her brain. It was just as Himmel Soan said, things that required her instinct only were the easiest for her. She was the essence of nature, and her instinct was her natural advantage. Firey had always been very intuitive and knew what tasted good and what was nutritious without trying them. Himmel Soan¡¯s request couldn¡¯t be easier for her. It was like drinking and eating. ¡°Well, when you defeat someone, we can have a little chat with them and collect some information. If you can¡¯t, we can figure out a way to make them talk. ¡°This way, we¡¯ll probably find Gina before my full recovery.¡± Himmel Soan became excited as if Gina was going to show up the next moment. He wouldn¡¯t need to wait for too long! The Dusk Soul Forest was a vast place. A week passed, and they were still heading north. They had been walking all this time but still hadn¡¯t left the forest. ¡°Is the Dusk Soul Forest really so big?¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t want to walk anymore. It¡¯s been a week. I think we¡¯re lost! ¡°We¡¯ve been walking in circles without going anywhere!¡± Firey had grown impatient. It wasn¡¯t toward Himmel Soan. She simply couldn¡¯t stand this place anymore. They had been walking for a week but were still trapped in the same place. Her patience had run dry. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ve been walking in circles. Let¡¯s take a break. I¡¯ll try to figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± Himmel Soan sighed. As he only had 0.01% of his full strength, he didn¡¯t realize the abnormality until now. He knew he wasn¡¯t powerful enough, but he didn¡¯t have time to regret it. Instead, he needed to face reality and figure out what to do. Was it the law of nature¡¯s doing? Himmel Soan asked himself but soon eliminated that possibility. He and the law of nature had spoken to each other. It didn¡¯t try to stop him when he said he was leaving. If it wasn¡¯t the law of nature, what was going on? Was it a labyrinth, a formation, or his illusion? He closed his eyes and relived the past week in his mind. He didn¡¯t miss a single grass that they walked past and checked everything they saw. It only took him ten minutes to review everything, but he didn¡¯t find anything out of place. Everything seemed to be normal. Was it his illusion? Was it possible that they hadn¡¯t been walking in circles? Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think both he and Firey were wrong. He examined his memory again, but there was nothing amiss. Chapter 461 - Wish Finding no abnormality only made it more suspicious. That was simply impossible. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll have an answer after circling one more time,¡± Himmel Soan said. He examined their journey in the past week but couldn¡¯t find any clue. His memory might not be perfect, and he might have missed something. If he took another trip to the forest, maybe he would find things he had missed before. By the looks of it, Firey didn¡¯t want to take another step today. Himmel Soan walked to a big tree, put an open palm on the trunk, and closed his eyes to sense it. He then left a mark on it. If they really were walking in circles, he would see that mark again. To make sure the mark wouldn¡¯t be covered, Himmel Soan left some energy in it. Here in the Dusk Soul Forest, leaving a mark alone wouldn¡¯t be the smartest move, but it was the most effective one now. He returned to Firey. ¡°Firey, it¡¯s been two years since I took you out of the volcano and brought you here. It¡¯s your second birthday today. We should celebrate it.¡± Firey was confused. Birthday? She had heard about the Earthling¡¯s tradition before. She knew what people were supposed to do on their birthdays, but she didn¡¯t understand its meaning. Therefore, she was dumbfounded. ¡°Celebrate my birthday? Master, you never celebrate your birthday.¡± Firey tried to understand it. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. Yes, he hadn¡¯t celebrated his birthday since Gina disappeared. Otherwise, she always surprised him on his birthday. With her gone, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to celebrate birthdays anymore and even forgot when it was. ¡°I don¡¯t need birthdays anymore. You¡¯re still young, so you should celebrate it. I should give you a birthday present, but that¡¯ll have to wait. ¡°You also get to make a birthday wish. ¡°Firey, do you have any wishes?¡± Himmel Soan sounded a little helpless. He wanted to celebrate Firey¡¯s birthday at the spur of the moment, but when he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t prepared anything. What present could he give Firey? Himmel Soan felt guilty for not being able to give her anything. Although he proposed to celebrate her birthday, he had nothing for her¡ªwhat a shame. However, Firey was excited. ¡°That¡¯s alright, Master. I¡¯m happy to have you here. I don¡¯t need any presents. I just want to stay by your side forever! ¡°I have birthday wishes. First of all, I hope you can find Gina as soon as possible. ¡°My second wish is that my master and his loved one can live happily ever after!¡± Himmel Soan fell silent. Those were the most basic requests and should have been easy to fulfill. Yet, he couldn¡¯t make them happen now. He couldn¡¯t do anything until he found Gina. After a long silence, Himmel Soan said, ¡°You have my word. ¡°I¡¯ll make your wishes come true.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Firey nodded and beamed at him. Her smile made Himmel Soan more determined. Five minutes later, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to know what this place is about.¡± He and Firey had to leave the forest. But first, he had to stop walking in circles. ¡°Master, what¡¯s going on?¡± Firey asked curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have a couple of ideas, but I need some experimentation to see how it goes.¡± Himmel Soan shook his head. He had a bold idea, but it was so daring that he wasn¡¯t sure at first. If what he thought was correct, the entire Dusk Soul Forest would look like a chess board. Who could have made such a grandiose plan? The forest had been turned into a chess board! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Himmel Soan. They got up and headed north again. The following day, they didn¡¯t find anything abnormal. ¡°The mark I left is getting further and further away from us, so we¡¯re indeed moving forward,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°I feel the same. But I also feel that we were here a week ago!¡± Firey said affirmatively. She never doubted her instinct. She was certain that they had been here a week ago. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Himmel Soan thought about it and nodded. He didn¡¯t realize it at first and had to check his memory to confirm it. His strength really had dropped too much. How could he have missed that? The other reason he didn¡¯t notice it was that he had been focusing on the tree mark. ¡°That¡¯s very important! ¡°At least we¡¯re sure now that we were moving forward a week ago, but yesterday, we suddenly returned to the starting point. ¡°It means something happened yesterday, and we both missed it. ¡°Maybe the answer will come to us in six days,¡± said Himmel Soan. Firey nodded. He was only making speculations. They needed to keep walking to find out what would happen. After exchanging a glance, they continued their journey to the north. Nothing happened for the next three days, but Himmel Soan still stopped. ¡°Maybe I was wrong before. Maybe today¡­ No, maybe this place will give us the answer!¡± said Himmel Soan. Today was the fourth day since their previous break, but his mark suddenly became much closer. That was why Himmel Soan stopped. Chapter 462 - Guesses and Experiments They had been moving forward, and the mark should be moving away from them. How could it become closer? It meant they were moving in circles again. Himmel Soan suspected it the day before, but they had traveled quite far after three days, so he couldn¡¯t say for sure until today. To find out why, he needed to investigate more. It was still a mystery. ¡°Master, are we returning to the same place?¡± Firey asked. She had noticed it, too! Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°Yes. If we keep walking in this direction, we¡¯ll be back to our starting point in three days. ¡°Therefore, we should walk for another half day and stop there. Maybe we¡¯ll find our answers there!¡± Firey agreed. Solving the problem needed some brainwork. She wasn¡¯t interested in it at all. She hated this feeling. Walking in circles made her feel like she had become somebody¡¯s toy. She was happy to see Himmel Soan solve the problem. She would just follow his instructions and didn¡¯t need to think about anything else. They turned around and headed south. An hour later, he felt the mark moving away from them. It proved that they couldn¡¯t keep walking north. Half a day later, they were back to where they were three and a half days before. Himmel Soan halted. ¡°I think this place is the key,¡± said Himmel Soan. Firey frowned because she also felt something strange. This place felt so wrong; she didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Master, this is a strange place,¡± said Firey. Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°It feels like a mirror to me. The north and south sides are symmetrical. ¡°If we keep traveling in either direction, we¡¯ll end up where we started. ¡°We must be able to find an answer here.¡± Himmel Soan then started his investigation. He determined the axis between the two sides. The forest on either side was symmetrical. However, he couldn¡¯t find what had gone wrong. Himmel Soan thought for a moment and investigated along the line. ¡°We should burn everything to the ground! ¡°Examining everything is too much trouble! ¡°I think we should set everything on fire. Then this won¡¯t happen again!¡± Firey pouted. She was only saying it out of frustration. She knew her master would never let her do that. They were in a forest. If she started a fire, she wouldn¡¯t be able to control it. It was too dangerous. She was only venting her frustration. ¡°Maybe your method will work, but we can¡¯t do it now. I need to investigate this place first. ¡°If we can¡¯t find another way, we¡¯ll have to try your fire.¡± To Firey¡¯s surprise, Himmel Soan agreed to her suggestion. That was so unexpected! Firey was so excited that there was a fire in her pupils. Himmel Soan ignored her and went on examining the axis. Time flew by, and half a day soon passed. Himmel Soan still couldn¡¯t find what went wrong. He had some speculations, but he would need Firey to help him verify them. ¡°Firey¡­¡± Himmel Soan only said her name, but a giant ball of fire rose out of her palm. It lit up the trees around her. ¡°Are we doing it now? Where should I start? ¡°I¡¯m ready! ¡°Just give me an order!¡± Firey said excitedly. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Conjure some fire first. I need to verify my idea.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Firey was disappointed that she couldn¡¯t burn down the whole place. She had been waiting for so long, but the instruction she received wasn¡¯t what she expected. But she still did what Himmel Soan wanted and turned the fire in her palm smaller. ¡°Make it smaller. I want to test my theory. Just give me the smallest fire you can conjure,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°The smallest? Let me try!¡± Firey frowned a little. Exerting her full power was easy, but she had to try hard to reduce the fire to the smallest. The fire on Firey¡¯s palm disappeared. ¡°I accidentally put it off,¡± Firey said in resignation. She didn¡¯t mean to let this happen, but she couldn¡¯t control it. The request was a little bit too tricky for her. ¡°That¡¯s alright. We can try it again.¡± Himmel Soan comforted Firey. ¡°Alright!¡± Seeing how much he trusted her, Firey became much more serious. She stared at the fire in her hand and controlled her power. Finally! After three failures, she eventually made it. ¡°I did it! I succeeded!¡± Firey said happily. ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot!¡± Himmel Soan complimented her. ¡°Put the fire under that tree.¡± Firey followed his finger and saw Himmel Soan pointing at a tree on the north side of the axis. There was a corresponding tree on the south side. Firey directed the fire in that direction. Himmel Soan watched closely. The fire passed the axis, but nothing happened. ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion. The trees on the north side do exist.¡± Himmel Soan murmured and kept watching Firey¡¯s fire. The flame soon landed on the spot he pointed at. Just then, something strange happened. A ball of fire suddenly appeared under the corresponding tree on the other side. It appeared the moment when Firey¡¯s fire landed on that spot. Chapter 463 - Mirror Image Forest It was the strangest phenomenon, and even Himmel Soan didn¡¯t anticipate it. He had to accept this reality now. ¡°Firey, see if you can retrieve your fire. ¡°I wonder what will happen to the fire on the other side,¡± said Himmel Soan. Even Firey was intrigued. She had never seen something so odd. She couldn¡¯t wait to solve the mystery. She usually hated thinking about complicated things, but she was actually using her brain now. She also tried to control the fire on the other side. ¡°I can do it! ¡°Master, what¡¯s going on? It¡¯s too complicated for my little brain,¡± said Firey. She wanted to find out the answer, but what she saw was so shocking that she gave up thinking. She could only be amazed by the scene. Himmel Soan was focusing on the fire on the north side. After Firey retrieved the fire on the south side, the fire on the north side suddenly disappeared. It went away as suddenly as it appeared. However, the fire that appeared out of the blue was on the south side, but Firey could retrieve it as if it was her own. The fire that had disappeared was the ball of fire that she ejected at first, but it was gone now. ¡°Is it a mirror image, a replica, or an illusion? ¡°Are the two balls of fire, in fact, one and the same?¡± Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes. It couldn¡¯t have been a replica or an illusion. If it were a replica, the other ball of fire wouldn¡¯t have disappeared. If it were an illusion, Firey wouldn¡¯t have been able to retrieve the fire in the south. If it was a mirror image¡­ They were in the south, and if it were a mirror image, their images should have appeared on the other side, too. Everything apart from their own images would be explained by a mirror image. ¡°Firey, destroy that tree from earlier,¡± Himmel Soan gave her another order. If these were mirror images, when Firey destroyed the tree on this side, the corresponding tree on the other side would be destroyed, too. In what way, though? Firey was on this side. If that tree was destroyed, would her image appear on the other side, too? ¡°This tree?¡± Meanwhile, Firey had already reached the tree. ¡°Yes, destroy it!¡± Himmel Soan said affirmatively. ¡°Great!¡± Firey put her palm on the tree trunk. The next second, fire devoured the entire tree. Himmel Soan frowned and looked to the north. As expected, the tree on the other side was on fire, too. ¡°Stop!¡± Himmel Soan shouted. Firey immediately put her hand down. However, the fire was so powerful that the entire tree turned into ash. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± Firey scratched her head. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve found the answer I want.¡± Himmel Soan looked at the ash and reached a conclusion. ¡°Really? Master, what¡¯s going on?¡± Firey asked curiously. She also wanted to know what they were experiencing. Now that Himmel Soan knew the answer, she was dying to solve the puzzle. Himmel Soan smiled but didn¡¯t tell her immediately. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. I¡¯ll tell you when I have the final conclusion.¡± Himmel Soan chuckled. ¡°What? No! ¡°Master! Tell me now!¡± Firey pouted. ¡°If you want to know, you should use your brain. You¡¯re meant to use it, you know. ¡°It¡¯s very simple because I told you the reason already.¡± Himmel Soan went back to examine the axis. He had told the reason? Firey was utterly confused because she didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. She was so intrigued. Since Himmel Soan already knew the answer, she didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. She wanted a ready answer. Seeing how serious Himmel Soan was, Firey had to fight back her curiosity. ¡°I know I can figure it out!¡± Firey clenched her fists. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She just didn¡¯t like thinking. ¡°If my master knows the answer, why can¡¯t I too? ¡°I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t ask me to do all those things for nothing. The answer must lie in my actions!¡± Firey murmured before sitting on the ground. ¡°Forget it. Thinking isn¡¯t my thing. I¡¯ll wait for Master to tell me! ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting for a little while!¡± A few seconds later, Firey made up her mind. She would sit there and wait. The answer would come to her eventually. Why bother thinking about it at all? Meanwhile, Himmel Soan was walking up and down the axis. If the two sides were mirror images, the axis would be the ¡°mirror.¡± It was a huge mirror that allowed things to go through it. It couldn¡¯t have formed naturally, or the law of nature would have told him. The law of nature had been evading him. It couldn¡¯t wait to see him gone. If it knew this problem, it would have warned him in advance or gotten rid of it already. In that case, the law of nature probably didn¡¯t know about it. Well¡­ No! The law of nature might be aware, but for some reason, it couldn¡¯t tell him. Yes, the barrier! Himmel Soan suddenly remembered the Dusk Soul Forest was part of the barrier that had sealed the forest off. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have a path that led to Stelladom. ¡°Is it the barrier? They certainly have invested a lot in locking Stelladom inside. ¡°The Soans will be the key to breaking the barrier. Does that mean I can leave when I destroy this mirror image? ¡°That¡¯s why Stelladom hates the Soans¡­¡± Chapter 464 - Mechanical Tree Himmel Soan linked this barrier to the rules in Stelladom. His surname was forbidden over there. Why? They were afraid the Soans would break the barrier and expose Stelladom to the world outside. Did the eight emperors know what lay beyond the barrier? Bandora was Elixir School¡¯s principal, but even she didn¡¯t know what was outside. What about the eight emperors, Stelladom Academy, and Starwan Tower? If Starwan Tower had sent people to the Dusk Soul Forest, it must have sent people to other places as well. What did they know? Himmel Soan thought about it. ¡°Everything seems to blend together. I can almost link them up with a line. Somehow, it¡¯s connected to both of me and Gina. ¡°Is this all part of your plan? Or is there somebody else behind everything?¡± It would be very scary if somebody else was behind it. Who could have made such an elaborate scheme? Both Himmel Soan and Gina were used as pawns. What a terrifying idea! ¡°I¡¯ll make decisions as I go. I don¡¯t care who¡¯s behind it. My only goal is to find Gina.¡± Himmel Soan cleared his mind and observed the trees. If they were mirror images, there must be a weak spot. Nothing was perfect, including the barrier and the mirror images. He knew he could locate the weak spot. He would then be able to break this barrier. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve looked around. This tree feels special. It¡¯s the only tree that doesn¡¯t have a corresponding tree on the other side. ¡°No other tree is like this!¡± Firey pointed at a tree in front of her. It stood right on the axis. Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes lit up. At first, he thought the trees on the axis didn¡¯t have a corresponding tree. However, Firey noticed something different: they had corresponding trees, too! The counterpart wasn¡¯t on the southern or northern side. Rather, it would be found on the eastern or western side. ¡°Nice job, Firey! ¡°That tree is the cause of everything. All formations have a core; this tree is the core of this forest!¡± Himmel Soan said excitedly. Once he found the core, he could break out of this mirror! ¡°Shall I burn it?¡± Firey asked. Himmel Soan sighed when he saw the fire on her palm. Why did she want to set fire to everything? It was time that she made some changes! ¡°Destroying the core can solve some low-level formations, but this is obviously not the case here. ¡°Burning down the core can create side effects. Not everything can be solved by sheer force!¡± Himmel Soan tried to teach her a lesson. He treated Firey as his daughter, so he wanted to make sure she was brought up properly. He would teach her something whenever he had a chance. ¡°Everything can be solved by force. If it doesn¡¯t work, it means I¡¯m not powerful enough!¡± Firey refused to change her mind. She was sure that with enough power, she could solve all problems. Himmel Soan was speechless. She had a point. He had lived for millions of years, so he wouldn¡¯t lose to Firey in a debate. ¡°Some methods are more useful than sheer force. ¡°It isn¡¯t the answer to everything. How do you treat a wounded person? ¡°You can¡¯t treat them by force.¡± Himmel Soan made another argument. Firey fell silent. She didn¡¯t know how to retort, so she stopped talking. If she couldn¡¯t solve certain problems, she could always let somebody else do it! Himmel Soan looked at the tree. ¡°A formation core usually isn¡¯t a living creature. ¡°When it¡¯s a living thing, it¡¯s mostly as little as grass. Large living creatures are used only under extreme circumstances. It¡¯ll leave a very big flaw! ¡°I can¡¯t see anything wrong about this formation.¡± Himmel Soan was amazed. He searched his memory but couldn¡¯t recall such a formation. That wasn¡¯t surprising because he was in a different universe now. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t know all the formations here. The principle should be the same, however. If he could destroy the core, the formation would be solved. That was where he ran into difficulty. This tree didn¡¯t have a counterpart, but it looked just like any other tree. He couldn¡¯t find any trace of a formation. ¡°Is it not the core? No, it has to be. ¡°How does it work as the formation core?¡± Himmel Soan put his hand on the tree. He needed to investigate it, and using his spiritual essence was the quickest way. It could be risky though. If the formation core contained another formation, he might trigger it, making the situation even more complicated. However, Himmel Soan was confident. His long years of experience didn¡¯t turn out to be useless. He knew he wouldn¡¯t trigger anything. ¡°It¡¯s not a tree!¡± Himmel Soan was shocked. The tree wasn¡¯t a real tree. No. It was mechanical, filled with complicated machine parts. He had never seen anything like it before. Even the space cannon he built on Earth didn¡¯t have such a complex structure. ¡°What kind of a continent lies on the other side? How did they build such a sophisticated formation core?¡± Chapter 465 - Intact Meteorite Core Himmel Soan was astonished. Why would there be a sophisticated mechanical tree in a cultivation world? ¡°The current technology on Earth isn¡¯t advanced enough to build something like this, not for another twenty years. ¡°Although, technologies like this don¡¯t seem necessary here. Spiritual essence or formations are much more effective than machines. ¡°How do I explain this?¡± Himmel Soan murmured in confusion. He had never seen anything like this machine before. When he was ¡°reborn¡± on Earth, he soon mastered the technology there. However, he only knew the most advanced technology by Earth¡¯s standards. This tree was far beyond his knowledge. There was nothing he could do at the moment. ¡°Master, what¡¯s going on?¡± Firey came up to Himmel Soan when she saw him lost in his thoughts. ¡°This tree is the formation core. It¡¯s mechanical, and the internal structure is rather complicated. What I know for sure is that it is the reason we¡¯re trapped here. ¡°To leave this place, we must learn the tree¡¯s structure and analyze its mechanism. That¡¯s how we can find a solution. After that, we can get out,¡± Himmel Soan finally told Firey everything he knew. He then taught Firey many things about formations. She could only understand half of it. The more she listened, the more confused she became. Everything seemed to be in a tangle; she couldn¡¯t tell one from the other. ¡°Master, can I burn this tree now? Formation core or not, it¡¯s just a machine. If I burn it, I can destroy it!¡± Himmel Soan rolled his eyes. After everything he had explained, Firey was as reckless as ever. He didn¡¯t scold her because what she said was an option. ¡°Let¡¯s take it easy. We¡¯ve found the core, but we don¡¯t know this formation well enough. Once I¡¯ve figured out everything, I¡¯ll give you a chance to show your skills,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Great!¡± Firey nodded. He focused on studying the tree. As his spiritual essence moved deeper inside the machine, he was even more amazed by it. The machine was still operating, which Himmel Soan found rather strange. There were no perpetual motion machines on Earth, but this tree somehow reminded him of that. He could tell the tree was constantly operating. If it controlled the barrier that sealed off Stelladom, according to Yagon, it must have been functioning for hundreds of thousands of years. After such a long time, the machine should have stopped working. But that wasn¡¯t the case. The barrier and the formation still existed, which meant the tree was working. Himmel Soan searched the tree with his spiritual essence and realized it was still operating. He controlled his spiritual essence carefully to avoid accidentally triggering anything. The investigation went slowly. ¡°The thing that keeps the tree running is a heart. How¡¯s that possible? ¡°The combination of a heart and a machine is so incredible. ¡°Wait. The heart is a mechanical one, too.¡± Himmel Soan was surprised to learn that the tree was a machine. When he found the mechanical heart, he couldn¡¯t begin to describe how shocked he was. Even Roams from Atlantis couldn¡¯t do that. The tree was powered by the heart and worked as the core to maintain the entire formation. Everything was linked. If any part went wrong, the entire system would be affected. Yet that never happened. The system operated for hundreds of thousands of years without running into any problems. It was perfect. ¡°But how can the heart release so much energy to maintain the barrier? That¡¯s the only thing that doesn¡¯t make sense. Is there something hidden inside?¡± Himmel Soan had another speculation, and he wanted to verify it. He began to examine the heart. Although it was mechanical, it seemed almost like a real heart. Anybody would think it was a normal heart just by the looks of it. However, nothing could change the fact that it was a machine. The previous investigations all went well, but Himmel Soan frowned this time. ¡°This heart is conscious! How¡¯s that possible? If a machine has a mind, it won¡¯t follow the rules! ¡°But I think it has intelligence.¡± Atlantis became chaotic because their robots gained intelligence. It was proved by many planets that nobody could control intelligent machines. What was special about this mechanical heart? Had someone in this world learned how to control the minds of machines? Well¡­ No. As he dug further, Himmel Soan finally saw the inside of the heart. ¡°It¡¯s a meteorite core! ¡°An intact meteorite core!¡± Himmel Soan was astonished once more. Everything made sense now. The meteorite core powered the mechanical heart, which kept the tree running. The tree was the formation core that maintained the entire formation. Once he figured out the secret, he was even more amazed by the tree. ¡°Without the meteorite core, no one can set up a formation of this scale. But using a meteorite core is such a huge high price to pay. ¡°Do they really need a meteorite core to seal off Stelladom? What about the other places? Do the Freezing Land, Endless Sea, Thunder Region, and Eternity Desert all have a meteorite core in their formations?¡± Chapter 466 - Backfire Since Stelladom was supposed to be sealed off, Himmel Soan¡¯s speculation was probably correct. The five places should form one giant formation because five separated formations were never going to seal off a continent. Since the barrier had existed for so long, it was probably because of this giant formation. Otherwise, people like Emperor Tzi would have broken it a long time ago. Five meteorite cores¡­ Wasn¡¯t that too high a cost? A meteorite core was the essence of a planet and contained all of its energy. Once it was removed, the planet would soon reduce to a lifeless place like Mars. Mars¡¯s meteorite core was broken and spread all over the planet. Himmel Soan brought those broken pieces back to Earth and used them for his recovery. After that, he gave the remains to Roams, who made them into the Soanian swords. Himmel Soan had never seen an intact meteorite core in this form before. This one was made into the energy source of a formation. It wasn¡¯t the meteorite core that he knew of. ¡°Forget it. No matter how wonderful this formation is, I still need to find Gina first. I must solve this formation!¡± Himmel Soan followed the energy flow of the meteorite core. If he went on like this, he would find out the solution eventually. However, this process took time. ¡­ Stelladom. The Baih Manor. ¡°Emperor Baih, this is my third visit. When are you going to declare war?¡± Eman Sket asked. ¡°Why are you in such a rush? Aren¡¯t I supposed to be declaring war? Why are you more anxious than me? ¡°Mr. Sket, you must know how long it takes to prepare for war. The best way is to negotiate to avoid it. ¡°Once the war starts, do you know how many family members I¡¯ll lose? That¡¯s irrevocable. I won¡¯t do anything until I¡¯m fully prepared. ¡°Mr. Sket, am I right?¡± Viive asked calmly. Eman nodded in frustration. She made sense. However, Viive had turned it into an excuse. It had been five months since she first talked about the war. She was obviously stalling. Eman came here every month, urging Viive to go to war, but she had been giving him the same answer. ¡°Emperor Baih, it¡¯s been five months since you talked about going to war. No one has ever waited that long!¡± Eman wanted to give her some examples, but Viive cut him off. ¡°Mr. Sket, I know what you mean, but you¡¯re talking about ancient history. You know how it goes with wars. Everybody loses. Times have changed. Stelladom can¡¯t afford that kind of loss anymore. ¡°If we can negotiate, there¡¯s no need to go to war.¡± Eman couldn¡¯t refute her reasoning. He really wanted the Baih family and Elixir School to fight with each other. Viive agreed at first, but so much time had passed since then. Did she even want to go to war? She had said yes before! Eman was unwilling to think about that possibility because Himmel Soan was the reason that Viive¡¯s master was dead, and Elixir School was on Himmel Soan¡¯s side. Viive had every reason to hate Elixir School. But¡­ As it turned out, Viive didn¡¯t want to go to war. ¡°Emperor Baih, have you forgotten about how your master died? Are you going to reconcile with Elixir School? I didn¡¯t know you could be so generous. I¡¯m amazed!¡± Viive¡¯s expression turned cold. She stared at Eman. Killing intent filled the air, covering the Baih manor. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eman wasn¡¯t intimidated. ¡°Am I wrong? You said you were going to war, but nothing has happened. Was that all a show? ¡°You never wanted to do anything. You¡¯ve even forgotten how we lost your predecessor!¡± Viive frowned. The wind around them had become so fierce that it felt like little blades on their skin. She didn¡¯t try to hide her rage. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget how my master died. I don¡¯t need you to remind me! ¡°Say that again, and the Baih family will declare war against Stelladom Academy instead of Elixir School!¡± Eman didn¡¯t dare provoke Viive anymore. His plan could backfire. If he kept provoking her with Thy¡¯s death, maybe she would really go to war with Stelladom Academy. Stelladom Academy wasn¡¯t afraid of such a war, but there was no need to offend the Baih family. Hence, Eman changed to a milder approach. ¡°Emperor Baih, if you still remember your promise, you should declare war as soon as possible. That way, you¡¯ll take revenge for your master a lot faster.¡± Viive snorted. ¡°It¡¯s the Baih family¡¯s business. What does it have anything to do with you? Does everybody think they can tell me what to do? Himmel Soan killed my master; he¡¯s the only one I¡¯m going to take my revenge from!¡± Eman was dumbfounded. Viive had never said anything like this before. The Baih family had agreed to go to war against Elixir School, but she just said she would only go after Himmel Soan. ¡°Are you not declaring war with Elixir School?¡± Eman was perplexed. ¡°Does the answer matter? You don¡¯t get to tell us what to do? Don¡¯t make me laugh! ¡°Since when do we need to be taught what to do?¡± Viive became so tough that Eman was speechless. She wasn¡¯t like this before! What changed? ¡°Emperor Baih, you¡¯re so funny. I¡¯m not your enemy. Why are you talking to me like that? You leave your enemy alone and criticize your friend. Is that how you do things?¡± Eman stood up to leave, but Viive spoke first. ¡°The Baih family prepared a gift for you at Stelladom Academy¡¯s gate. I hope you¡¯ll like it.¡± Chapter 467 - Special Gift A gift? Eman was confused. Why would the Baih family send Stelladom Academy a gift? It sounded so ominous! ¡°What is it?¡± Eman asked tentatively. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Bye. ¡°By the way, we¡¯re not declaring war against Elixir School. Please don¡¯t mention it again.¡± Even if Eman wanted to know the reason, he wouldn¡¯t get any answers. He could only return to Stelladom Academy and see what the gift was. After Eman left, Jabril showed up. ¡°Jabril, thank you for all your hard work.¡± Viive smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to serve you and the Baih family!¡± Jabril said respectfully. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t know how to handle the situation between the Baih family and Elixir School. I thought about going to war just for show, but the Baih family would take it the other way. ¡°Once the war starts, a lot of people are going to die. I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here. You got rid of so many moles they put in our family!¡± Viive sighed. Viive and Jabril had spent the past few months on internal affairs. The main reason that she had agreed to go to war was because of those moles. After months of work, they finally threw them out. With them gone, Viive was the real leader of the family. Some of the remaining family members wanted to go to war, but Viive had made Himmel Soan her primary target. They couldn¡¯t exactly disagree with her. She could finally relax a little. She didn¡¯t need to take anybody¡¯s attitude anymore. She was Emperor Baih, one of the eight emperors. Nobody could order her around. The Baih family only needed one leader! ¡­ Eman returned to Stelladome Academy, still confused. He racked his brain but still couldn¡¯t figure out what gift Viive could have sent him. Finally, he was back at the academy. He saw a large group of students before entering the gate. At the back of the group stood a few teachers. They were trying to send the students away, but there were just too many people. Nothing could be done. The teachers had no choice but to stand at the back and watch. Eman narrowed his eyes. Was that the gift Viive mentioned? ¡°Isn¡¯t that Junior Brother Amara? How did he lose his cultivation ability?¡± ¡°Glycas, what happened to you?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you out on a mission? Why are you back together? What happened to you?¡± ¡°Galla, tell me who did this to you! I¡¯ll make them pay!¡± The students had been discussing what happened all morning, but no one had the answer. The students who lost their cultivation ability also seemed to have lost their minds. They couldn¡¯t utter a word and were terrified by anybody who tried to approach them. The other students felt sorry for these guys. ¡°Mr. Sket is here!¡± somebody shouted. ¡°Mr. Sket!¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Sket!¡± ¡°Mr. Sket, you¡¯re finally back! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°This is so malicious! I can¡¯t believe somebody can do this to our students!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr. Sket will get to the bottom of this matter!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everybody talked at the same time. They wanted to seek justice for their fellow classmates. Eman was filled with emotions and couldn¡¯t say a word for a long while. He finally knew what Viive meant when she mentioned the ¡°gift.¡± These students were sent to the Elixir School by Eman. On the surface, the students were there to learn alchemy. However, they were actually moles who worked for him. He didn¡¯t know what to say. Should he take revenge for them? Should he? On whom? For what? After what they did to Elixir School, the other party had every reason to destroy their abilities. Eman had no excuse to blame Elixir School. Strictly speaking, Elixir School had every reason to kill all of them. He even needed to thank Viive. If she had exposed him, the reputation of Stelladom Academy would suffer a huge blow. Why was Stelladom Academy so powerful? It was because many talented people were drawn here by their fame, making the academy stronger. Stelladom Academy, therefore, became a unique institute in Stelladom. ¡°Viive, thank you for your GIFT!¡± Eman¡¯s face twitched. He stressed the word ¡°gift¡± as if he wanted to eat somebody alive. ¡°Go back to what you were doing. I¡¯ll take care of it. I¡¯ll investigate what happened and tell you the result in three days. Nobody can treat our students like this!¡± Eman dismissed the students. The teachers at the back could finally move closer. They were about to ask Eman when he said, ¡°This is a serious matter and needs a meeting. Get Linas and Juras here. Bring all these people to the conference hall. Don¡¯t let them say a word!¡± Although the teachers were perplexed, they noticed Eman¡¯s demeanor, so they followed his instructions. Two hours later, in the conference hall, Eman was nervously waiting for Linas and Juras, the people he mentioned earlier. After five minutes, they finally showed up. ¡°Eman, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We left the school in your care, and you¡¯ve made such a mess!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve let you do whatever you wanted, but you must give us an explanation now!¡± The two men were displeased. They didn¡¯t show Eman Sket much respect because the three of them were co-founders of Stelladom Academy. It wasn¡¯t a well-known fact. Even most of the students and teachers in Stelladome Academy didn¡¯t know. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you to come here!¡± Chapter 468 - The Conference Eman was already frustrated. Their questions only made him more upset. Everything had gone so well until now, and he didn¡¯t know why it all went wrong. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you in to solve problems, not to blame me. If you want to interrogate me, so be it. I¡¯ll give up on Stelladom Academy. You¡¯re welcome to take my job. I don¡¯t care.¡± Eman shrugged and ignored the duo¡¯s attitude. After all, he was Stelladom Academy¡¯s principal. They should be solving the problem together, not blaming each other. The other two men pursed their lips. Eman Sket spoke again after silencing his partners, ¡°Those students were our moles in the Baih family. They¡¯ve all been kicked out. What we should be discussing now are the consequences of this incident if the matter is leaked!¡± A young teacher didn¡¯t understand the situation. ¡°We¡¯re teachers. Shouldn¡¯t we look after our students?¡± Freton asked angrily. ¡°Yes, we should care about our students, but we also need to set our priorities straight. We must realize that if other people learn that we placed spies in another family, Stelladom Academy¡¯s reputation will be ruined!¡± Eman said. Almost all the teachers were attending the meeting, and many of them didn¡¯t know the truth. Therefore, Eman explained the situation to them. Many teachers began to consider the aftermath, but Freton wasn¡¯t like them. ¡°Why did Stelladom Academy send students to other families as moles?¡± Eman frowned. He didn¡¯t answer the question but said, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the discussion. The Baih family has destroyed their cultivation abilities and tossed them outside our gate. ¡°However, they didn¡¯t broadcast the truth. Most people were still in the dark. I¡¯d like to hear your opinions.¡± This time, neither Linas nor Juras said anything. They both knew about the moles sent to other families, and they couldn¡¯t blame anyone for what had happened. The Baih family found these moles only because their people were more sensitive. The school could only work on preventing what could happen next. ¡°Mr. Sket, please answer my question. Why did you send students there as moles? ¡°Is this what Stelladom Academy does now? Are our students only tools that we use to collect information from the eight families? Is Stelladome Academy such a filthy place?!¡± Freton growled. Stelladom Academy wasn¡¯t what he thought it would be. He couldn¡¯t accept that the place he had been living in could do something like that. He wished someone could tell him it was all a dream. However, reality was cruel. ¡°Freton, is that how you talk to your principal?¡± ¡°Freton, you¡¯re a teacher of Stelladom Academy. How could you say such things?¡± ¡°We should work on solving the problems instead of complaining about everything!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Other teachers defended Eman before he could say anything. They were all part of Stelladom Academy, so they felt Freton was criticizing them, too. Moreover, they didn¡¯t know how to behave in a situation like this, and Freton happened to be an easy target. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Freton only cares about our school. ¡°Freton, I know you said that because you want Stelladom Academy to be perfect. However, one needs some tricks if one wants to survive in this world. Naive, good people get eaten. Our students can only enjoy their time here when we¡¯re powerful enough to speak for ourselves. Am I right?¡± Eman Sket tried to persuade Freton. What he said made sense, and Freton didn¡¯t know how to refute it. He was right when he said one needed to be powerful to survive. Still, he couldn¡¯t stand it. The students he taught were used as pawns and spies. ¡°Who can prove these pawns are connected to Stelladom Academy?¡± Linas suddenly asked. The others were shocked. Some experienced teachers soon understood what he meant. He wanted to clear the school¡¯s name. If they didn¡¯t admit those people were Stelladom Academy¡¯s students, no one could prove otherwise. ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that. We must disclose the information to the students and the outside world. We know these students. Disowning them will disappoint too many people.¡± Eman turned down the suggestion. He had thought about this plan before, but if it were that easy, he would have carried it out already and wouldn¡¯t have waited until now. The teachers fell silent again. Shortly after, Juras made a suggestion, ¡°How about we blame the other side? Since Emperor Baih destroyed their cultivation, why don¡¯t we work on that? Let¡¯s say Emperor Baih wanted to blame us, so she crippled those students.¡± The others nodded. It was a good plan. If the Baih family wanted to create trouble, the plan could backfire on them. The Baih family would be blamed for everything and take all the responsibilities. Most teachers supported the plan and looked at Eman. Eman still shook his head. ¡°Since the Baih family kicked them out, they must have found some evidence. If we use the plan against them, we may become the ones suffering from the backfire. ¡°That¡¯s not a good plan!¡± Everybody fell silent. If no plan worked, what should they do? ¡°It sounds like you have an idea already,¡± said Linas. Chapter 469 - They Must Die Eman was so decisive that Linas suspected he already had an idea. Otherwise, he would have thought about Linas¡¯s proposal first. Eman must have turned it down because it wasn¡¯t as ideal as his own. Juras also turned to Eman. ¡°Eman, if you have any suggestions, tell us already. Stop making us guess! ¡°This is an important matter. If you have some ideas, share them so that we can have a discussion. If we all find it plausible, we can get things moving!¡± The teachers all looked at Eman, who bit his lip and pretended to hesitate. He maintained that demeanor for a while before shaking his head. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate. Let¡¯s go back to our discussion. Maybe we can find a better plan.¡± Linas and Juras were dumbfounded. They had waited for so long, and that was the answer they heard. They couldn¡¯t accept it. They were waiting for a suggestion! ¡°Eman, Stelladom Academy¡¯s future is on the line. If you have any suggestions, tell us now. We¡¯ll discuss it and reach a conclusion. Plausible or not, we need to know your plan first!¡± Juras and Linas were worried sick. They wanted this to go away as soon as possible. Although they weren¡¯t involved much in Stelladom Academy¡¯s daily activities, what happened was so serious that they were more anxious than Eman. Stelladom Academy was like their own child. When something happened to a child, of course, a parent would be concerned. They knew Eman had a plan but wouldn¡¯t share it, making them more anxious. ¡°Alright¡­ ¡°Since you¡¯ve asked, I guess I have to share it with you. ¡°It¡¯s a cruel plan, and I can¡¯t bring myself to do it. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to share it. However, it¡¯s the only perfect solution to our problem.¡± Eman¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡°We have to kill them!¡± Kill them? That was crazy! Eman must have gone mad! No one could believe they would hear such a thing from their principal. It was an insane idea! Those students were sent out by Stelladom Academy as pawns. Now that they had sacrificed themselves for the school, they should treat them well. However, Eman wanted to kill them. That was madness! ¡°Eman, that¡¯s too cruel! Those students have made a great contribution to the school!¡± Linas rose to his feet and scolded Eman. ¡°Eman, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°Please calm down. I¡¯m sure Eman has a reason. Let¡¯s hear him out first!¡± Juras was the more sensible one. He knew Eman wouldn¡¯t suddenly lose his mind. There must be a reason behind his suggestion. They could make a decision after hearing him out. ¡°But¡­¡± Linas wanted to say something, but Juras cut him off. ¡°Eman is the principal. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t make stupid decisions!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear him out first!¡± As the crowded calm down, Eman exhaled in relief. He knew his suggestion would cause a sensation. Luckily, it was all under control. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re Stelladom Academy¡¯s students, but we¡¯ve never brainwashed them or anything. After they graduate, they won¡¯t have much to do with the school. ¡°We have no idea what they did in other families. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Baih family destroyed their cultivation just because they used to be our students. ¡°The Baih family has joined hands with Elixir School and forced them to eat poisonous pills. The poor students were dead shortly after they came back. ¡°What do you think of this solution?¡± Instead of giving them an explanation, Eman improved his initial plan. It was perfect. No one could make a dead person talk. Once they were dead, the school could blame the Baih family for everything. Moreover, the plan would also damage the relationship between Elixir School and the Baih family. Eman was very pleased with his idea. The Baih family wouldn¡¯t go to war with Elixir School. So be it! He would make people think the Baih family had joined hands with Elixir School. He only needed to point in that direction; people would form all kinds of connections. The Baih family would never be able to explain itself. ¡°Mr. Sket, you¡¯re so cruel! ¡°They¡¯re all innocent students! How can you kill them?¡± Freton criticized Eman. However, Eman didn¡¯t need to explain himself because his supporters stepped in for him. ¡°Freton, what are you talking about? The students were poisoned by the Baih family and Elixir School!¡± ¡°The Baih family is abominable! Well, if they can forget about the previous Elixir School¡¯s transgressions, it¡¯s not surprising that they¡¯ve partnered with them!¡± ¡°How sinister! Will Stelladom Academy become their next target?¡± Everybody¡¯s attitude changed. The students were still alive, but these people were talking about them as if they were already dead. Freton couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Was this still the Stelladom Academy he remembered? Everything suddenly became so unrecognizable. How did this happen? To cover up what Eman had done, those students were going to be sacrificed. ¡°You¡¯re all so cold-blooded! You don¡¯t have a heart. I¡¯ll reveal your crime to the world! The others should know what Stelladom Academy is like! ¡°Your plan won¡¯t succeed!¡± Freton marched toward the door. However, he was stopped before he could get out. Those people didn¡¯t follow Eman¡¯s instructions. Instead, they voluntarily blocked him. If this got out, they would be equally humiliated. Chapter 470 - Pawns They didn¡¯t care what method they used. All they wanted was to protect Stelladom Academy¡¯s reputation. As for the students, they couldn¡¯t think of any other way. They would protect the school even if it came at the price of human lives. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Freton asked impatiently. ¡°Nothing. We just hope you can consider the future of Stelladom Academy and don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± ¡°Stelladom Academy deserves a great future. If our reputation is ruined, all our efforts will go to waste!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Several people tried to persuade Freton. They were all colleagues that had been working together for many years. Therefore, they wanted to give him some friendly advice. ¡°Ha! Do you really think a school filled with lies will have a beautiful future? There will only be more lies!¡± Freton smirked. When he pointed out the hypocrisy, his colleagues felt attacked. Finally! One of them couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°I think Freton has his own agenda! ¡°Maybe he¡¯s the one who misled the Baih family and turned them against Stelladom Academy. That was why they were so cruel to our students! ¡°Only one of our teachers could recognize a former student of Stelladom Academy. I suspect Freton!¡± With someone taking the lead, many others chimed in and started blaming Freton. His fate was set. He didn¡¯t want to conform and follow the others blindly. When he started talking, he was bound to become cannon fodder. He couldn¡¯t change anything now. ¡°Mr. Sket, you were never going to let me leave, were you? I hope you¡¯ll remember what you did.¡± Freton smirked and closed his eyes. He had given up on these people and the academy. He grunted a little and stopped breathing. He would rather end his own life than wait for them to kill him. He had committed suicide. His death didn¡¯t change anything though. The discussion resumed. They were even going to use Freton¡¯s death for their own benefit. ¡°Bring those people in,¡± said Eman. Those people. He was referring to the moles who had been kicked out by Emperor Baih. There were over a hundred of them. Eman had them wait outside. Once they reached a conclusion, he would take action. ¡°Why are we bringing them here?¡± ¡°Are we going to do it here?¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Even if we¡¯re sacrificing them for Stelladom Academy, we aren¡¯t supposed to be the executioners!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The older teachers immediately saw through Eman¡¯s scheme. He wanted to make everybody a sinner! That way, no one would reveal the secret. It was the right way of thinking, but the teachers couldn¡¯t accept it. They had taught some of those students before, and they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to execute them. Moreover, once they did it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to break free. ¡°Are you just going to stand there and watch? Weren¡¯t they killed by Elixir School and the Baih family? What does it have anything to do with Stelladom Academy and us?¡± Eman said indifferently. Seeing that the others were still hesitating, he changed his attitude. His expression became serious. ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you how Freton died. If you refuse to do anything, you¡¯ll end up like him. ¡°If you want to protect Stelladom Academy and keep your current status, my way is the only way. ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree to it earlier? It¡¯s too late to regret it now!¡± The teachers¡¯ expressions twisted. Were they really going to execute the students? They could make the decisions, but killing people was another story. However, Eman was so persistent that the teachers didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Sir, what are you talking about?¡± one of the students asked in bewilderment. ¡°We were your moles in the Baih family, and you¡¯re going to kill us now?¡± ¡°Sir, are you really going to do that? I took your course two years ago!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The students had already lost their abilities. They were filled with despair when they heard they were going to die. They thought by coming back to Stelladom Academy, they had survived a massacre, but they had, in fact, walked into a death trap. Why was this happening? They couldn¡¯t understand it. They pleaded with their teachers even when they didn¡¯t know what they had done wrong. ¡°Mr. Sket, did they hear everything?¡± one of the teachers asked in disbelief. They realized the students had heard the conversation, during which they had said yes to executing them. ¡°Yes, they were in the room next door and heard everything. Now it¡¯s up to you.¡± Eman smiled. As long as he could reach his goal, he didn¡¯t care what means he had to use. He would trade the stability of Stelladom Academy for these students¡¯ lives. What a sweet deal! Eman left the conference room. He didn¡¯t need to be here anymore because he already knew what would happen. Linas and Juras walked out after him. When they closed the door behind him, the smell of blood came out from inside. None of them paid any attention to it. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± Linas and Juras asked. ¡°We underestimated Viive!¡± Eman explained to them. Chapter 471 - Open the Passage After Eman told them everything, Juras and Linas nodded. Judging from what Eman said, they hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Viive changed everything; they didn¡¯t think they should be blamed. ¡°Tell the other spies to stay put and sever their link with Stelladom Academy. Lay low for a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Tell them not to do anything for the next five years.¡± Juras and Linas immediately thought about their spies in other families. They had sent students to all the forces. They didn¡¯t want them to be affected. If they were, Stelladom Academy¡¯s reputation could be ruined forever. ¡°I¡¯ve made some arrangements already.¡± Eman nodded. In the Dusk Soul Forest, another month had passed. Himmel Soan finally figured out how the mechanical tree operated. With the necessary materials, he could build an identical tree, which might be more powerful than the existing one. However, he couldn¡¯t find all the materials in the Dusk Soul Forest. The only source was the tree in front of him. He could break it apart and make a better version. However, that would be against his purpose. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out the formation, but the formation is the Dusk Soul Forest itself. ¡°Moreover, it only seems to be a fraction. ¡°The formations of the Dusk Soul Forest and the other four regions are all part of a giant formation. ¡°This enormous formation seals off the entire Stelladom. To break it, I¡¯ll have to travel to the other four regions, find the cores, and solve them one by one,¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He came up with a plan after studying the formation. He was very careful when he examined the meteorite core. After a while, he obtained some of its energy. It was the reason they could figure out the formation so soon. If he only used 0.01% of his full strength, it¡¯d be ages before he could find the solution. Luckily, everything went as planned. ¡°Master, how much longer do we have to stay here?¡± Firey was getting bored. She couldn¡¯t find anything to do. Himmel Soan was busy with his work, while she was bored to death. She had captured all the magical beasts in the area and was looking forward to leaving this place. ¡°We can leave tomorrow,¡± said Himmel Soan. Breaking the barrier would require a lot of time and energy, but going through it was very simple. After all, Himmel Soan had figured out the formation. It was a piece of cake for him to open a passageway inside it. However, once they left, they might not be able to come back because he didn¡¯t know what was on the other side. He needed another day to think. ¡°The barrier sealing Stelladom is a super one consisting of five smaller ones. To break it, I¡¯ll have to find all five formation cores. ¡°Once the barrier is broken, Stelladom will be connected to the rest of the world. ¡°It¡¯ll lead to all sorts of conflicts, and the situation may be worse than now.¡± Himmel Soan pondered aloud. He had no reason to break the barrier because it didn¡¯t concern him. He wasn¡¯t the meddlesome type. However, something about the barrier caught his attention. The time and space factor. Why did he arrive at the Dusk Soul Forest? If he came here through the forest, could he find his way back to Earth here? But he didn¡¯t look into it. He hadn¡¯t found Gina yet. What if he was teleported back as soon as he figured out the solution? He would miss Gina again! Finding her was his top priority. Moreover, there was also Gina¡¯s timeline. Gina disappeared from Earth 500 years ago, and the time she spent in Stelladom and the Dusk Soul Forest before disappearing was 800 years and 100 years respectively. Time must have played a factor here. Why did it cause Gina to disappear? Why was she entangled with time? What part did this barrier play in the process? Himmel Soan still couldn¡¯t answer those questions. ¡°Forget about it. When I find Gina, I¡¯ll have all the answers.¡± He closed his eyes and rested his mind. He only had 0.01% of his full strength, and he couldn¡¯t do much with that little power. The spiritual essence here emanated from the meteorite core, so he could absorb as much as he wanted. It would greatly help his recovery. For the rest of the day, Himmel Soan worked on recovering his strength. Firey was making progress as well and almost had the strength of a peak Mahayana cultivator. That was good news to Himmel Soan. When she was powerful enough, he could let her handle certain things. It would have the same effect as handling them on his own. Right now, Firey was much more capable than him. ¡°It¡¯s time to go. Firey, are you ready?¡± Himmel Soan stood up. ¡°I¡¯m always ready!¡± Firey jumped to her feet. The other side of the barrier was unknown, making it even more exciting. That was why Firey was so thrilled. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t say anything but only put his hand on the tree. To open the passage, he needed to use the power of the formation core. Shortly after, a passageway appeared out of the blue. Chapter 472 - Crisis in the Baih Family They could see the door but not what was on the other side. The door opened up to a sea of darkness. There was no light, reminding them of an abyss. Firey¡¯s heartbeat quickened. ¡°Master, are we going through that?¡± she asked tentatively. ¡°Yes. Just walk right through it.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He wasn¡¯t surprised at all. The door looked the same as when they opened the portal last time. Firey had been the one to keep the portal stable, so she didn¡¯t notice its appearance. This was her first time seeing it. ¡°It¡¯s dark as hell!¡± Firey tut-tutted. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to leave.¡± Himmel Soan took her hand and led her forward. Firey closed her eyes and walked into the portal with Himmel Soan. ¡­ Stelladom. In pubs, inns, and streets, people were bustling about. They were all talking about the same thing: the incident in Stelladom Academy. ¡°As one of the eight emperors, how could Emperor Baih do such a thing?¡± ¡°Emperor Baih is so heartless! Those people were Stelladom Academy¡¯s former students. Why did she have to kill them?¡± ¡°Shhh! We aren¡¯t supposed to talk about the eight emperors! Be careful!¡± ¡°Everybody is talking about it! Emperor Baih can¡¯t come after all of us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She can¡¯t get to us all! If she¡¯s not guilty, she needs to show us the evidence!¡± Many people were saying bad things about Viive and the Baih family, but some people tried to defend her. ¡°We don¡¯t know the whole story yet. Should we believe Stelladom Academy¡¯s one-sided story? ¡°Not matter how cruel the Baih family is, doing this is stupid.¡± ¡°Why would they leave those people outside Stelladom Academy if they were going to kill them?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sound ridiculous? Can¡¯t you hear yourself?¡± Three people spoke up for the Baih family in a restaurant. What they said made sense. If one were to think about it, one would reconsider the whole situation. However, no one here would do that. Their argument made sense. So what? They only wanted to enjoy the show. As ordinary cultivators, they never had a chance to target a giant like the Baih family. Usually, they didn¡¯t dare say one bad thing about them. But the situation was different now! Everybody was criticizing the Baih family, and these ordinary people realized they could do the same. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. Somebody immediately retorted, ¡°You¡¯re all members of the Baih family, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That must be the case! Only a Baih will defend another Baih!¡± ¡°Did you say ¡®ridiculous¡¯? What you said was ridiculous! The Baih family did it; don¡¯t bother denying it!¡± Other people around them chimed in. The three people must be from the Baih family, and everybody felt they had a right to blame the Baihs. They couldn¡¯t think of anything else. ¡°The Baih family banished those students, and they¡¯re all dead now! Are you telling me Stelladom Academy has wronged you?¡± ¡°Stelladom Academy is the most sacred place in Stelladom. If you didn¡¯t kill the students, are you saying Stelladom Academy has killed them?¡± ¡°Did the Baih family not think about the consequences of their actions?¡± ¡°Emperor Baih is such a bully. I¡¯m sure she never thought about the consequences and only wants to blame it on somebody else now!¡± ¡°Nicely said!¡± ¡°The Baih family is so cruel! We must teach them a lesson!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t allow such a violent force to exist in Stelladom!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The Baih family should be excluded from the eight families!¡± The crowd surrounded the three Baihs, and the people grew agitated. Even if Emperor Baih was here now, they would still attack her. The three Baihs shivered. What on earth was going on? Shortly after that, they were carried to the Baih family¡¯s front gates, all three of them barely breathing. It was similar to how the students were brought back to Stelladom Academy. However, the Baihs¡¯ cultivation ability wasn¡¯t destroyed. After all, they were still a major force. If those people destroyed their abilities, the Baih family would be furious. They couldn¡¯t handle the aftermath. Beating up the three people was enough to vent their rage. This way, even if Emperor Baih wanted to take revenge, she wouldn¡¯t find any excuses. Meanwhile, outside the Baih manor, many Baihs were already lying unconscious on the ground. They had experienced the same thing. More and more Baih family members were left outside their front gates. In Emperor Baih¡¯s manor. ¡°Emperor Baih¡­¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re here for. You can leave now. I want to be alone.¡± Viive waved the man off. She had heard similar reports over fifty times today. It gave her a headache. ¡°Emperor Baih, it¡¯s all my fault!¡± Jabril knelt on the floor. He was the one who kicked out all the moles. He did a great job. It was also his idea to leave those people outside Stelladom Academy¡¯s front gate. It was supposed to be a warning, but he never thought things would turn out this way. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Viive sighed. ¡°We made the decision together, so you don¡¯t need to take the blame. ¡°Neither of us expected Eman to be so heartless. He killed them all! ¡°We¡¯ve lost this round!¡± Jabril ground his teeth in regret. If he had anticipated this, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way. Damn it! It was supposed to be a sound plan, but something still went wrong. ¡°Let me go out and clear things up!¡± said Jabril. Viive shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that. They¡¯ll only think we¡¯re making excuses.¡± Chapter 473 - Lasul ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. The Baihs lying outside is the way they express their emotions.¡± Viive cut Jabril off. There was no time for regrets. No explanation would work because the people outside wouldn¡¯t listen. They only wanted to slander the Baih family. ¡°What should she do now?¡± Jabril asked anxiously. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know. ¡°They¡¯re using the connection between us and Elixir School as an example. We can¡¯t make them believe otherwise. ¡°The news about going to war was fake, and they¡¯ll never let other people forget about it.¡± Viive breathed out. The incident was used as an excuse, and they couldn¡¯t convince other people they hadn¡¯t done it. The only way was to silence them by force. However, Stelladom Academy was behind them. The Baih family wasn¡¯t afraid of becoming Stelladom Academy¡¯s enemy, but it couldn¡¯t become the enemy of the entire continent. If they wanted to solve the problem by using force, everybody would turn against them. Therefore, Viive didn¡¯t know what to do. Nothing seemed right. ¡°Emperor Baih, this is Lasul!¡± Lasul¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Viive frowned. Why would Lasul come here now? Did the Tzi family want to send a message? Emperor Tzi was the head of the eight emperors and the leader of Stelladom. His words could determine everything. If Emperor Tzi wanted to banish the Baih family, it would be a done deal. Lasul¡¯s visit could be a significant event. ¡°The entire continent has gone into chaos because of an incident that involves the Baih family. It must be taken care of, and I¡¯m here for it.¡± Lasul walked into the room. Viive frowned. The look in her eyes was dangerous. It must be taken care of? Was he talking about the Baih family or the incident? By the sound of it, Lasul seemed to want to get rid of the Baih family. ¡°I¡¯m here to solve the problem. The Baih family isn¡¯t my target. ¡°You¡¯re one of the eight families. Without you, Stelladom will be in an even bigger mess. ¡°Our only choice is to solve the problem,¡± said Lasul. Viive was relieved, but she didn¡¯t let down her guard. ¡°Are you here on behave of the Tzi family, yourself, or Emperor Tzi?¡± Lasul smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Viive finally stopped worrying about it. It was great news for the Baih family that the Tzi family also wanted to solve the problem. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± Viive asked. ¡°The eight families belong to the same system, and the Tzi family believes you. ¡°We know what Stelladom Academy has been doing, but we didn¡¯t think much of it. With what has happened, we can¡¯t let them continue. ¡°Eman Sket has crossed the line!¡± Lasul said angrily. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°Stelladome Academy has spies in other families, too. ¡°How do you think they¡¯ll react when they hear about this?¡± Lasul paused. He didn¡¯t need to go into details. If Viive still couldn¡¯t understand, she didn¡¯t deserve to be an emperor. ¡°I see!¡± Viive got excited. She thought she was doomed, but there was a loophole in Eman¡¯s plan. The other spies! They were the key to turning things around. They could counterattack now. ¡°But how do I know who the other moles are?¡± Viive smiled bitterly. They were in the other families. She couldn¡¯t just show up and knock on their doors. There was a plan, but it wouldn¡¯t work until she identified the other spies. ¡°We¡¯ve found the ones in the Tzi family and talked to them. If they come out to testify, Stelladom Academy¡¯s lie will be exposed,¡± Lasul said indifferently. He came here because they had the solution. Otherwise, it would only be a waste of time. ¡°Really? In that case¡­¡± Viive quickly calmed down after the initial excitement. If the Tzi family knew how to solve the problem, they could clear things up right away. Why did Lasul come here? There was no free lunch, was there? ¡°Since when did the Tzi family start selling information?¡± Viive smiled in resignation. ¡°We¡¯re not selling anything. We just have our own terms,¡± said Lasul. ¡°What terms? We¡¯ll take it as long as we can afford it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one tiny thing.¡± What? One tiny thing? Viive was surprised. Was one tiny thing valuable enough to trade for things that could save the Baih family? Lasul said, ¡°Stop seeing Himmel Soan and the Soan family as your enemies. ¡°That¡¯s all we need from you.¡± Viive¡¯s eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Stop seeing Himmel Soan as her enemy? How would that be possible? Himmel Soan had killed her master! If it weren¡¯t for him, her master would still be alive! He was asking her to forget about the person that had killed her master. Viive¡¯s breathing quickened. She laughed, and her tone became cold. ¡°Lasul, are you serious? I don¡¯t like jokes! ¡°If you¡¯re actually serious, you can leave now! ¡°I¡¯ll never agree to your terms!¡± Lasul remained calm. He had anticipated her reaction. Would he really leave? ¡°Think about the Baih family and the current situation. ¡°The grudge between Himmel Soan and Thy started from Gina. Their feud is over now, and it doesn¡¯t really concern you. ¡°When will this vicious circle end? Why don¡¯t you let it go and focus on your family? ¡°With your current situation, I hope you can consider my offer.¡± Lasul tried to persuade Viive. Chapter 474 - The Price But¡­ How could Viive let it go? ¡°Get lost. We don¡¯t need anybody¡¯s help. I can get the Baih family out of this. If they like talking so much, I¡¯ll make sure they never speak again!¡± Lasul left after saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be here for two days. I hope you can make up your mind before then.¡± Viive was alone in the manor. She helplessly sat in her seat. ¡°Master, what should I do now?¡± she murmured. It had only been a year since she became Emperor Baih, but she had to be responsible for everything in the family. She was under more pressure than anyone else. Finally, Jabril showed up and relieved some of her burdens. Things had been going in the right direction, but then this happened. Viive realized she couldn¡¯t handle everything on her own. She wanted to find somebody to depend on. However, her master was gone, and she couldn¡¯t turn to anyone for help. She took out her zither, put it on her legs, and plucked the strings. The melody filled the entire manor. Viive¡¯s music was filled with her emotions and experiences. In the Baih family, everybody empathized with it. Tears streamed down their faces before they knew it. She played for two days in a row. On the day that Lasul was leaving, Viive stopped. She found Lasul. ¡°I see you¡¯ve made up your mind,¡± said Lasul. He wasn¡¯t surprised. Viive was Emperor Baih. If she cared about her family, she would do the right thing. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Viive sneered. ¡°But I want to ask you something. What¡¯s the Tzi family¡¯s relationship with that man? Why do you want me to forget my revenge?¡± Viive was referring to Himmel Soan. She couldn¡¯t understand why the Tzi family would ask for such a thing. They didn¡¯t seem related to Himmel Soan. ¡°It¡¯s for the good of your family. ¡°You¡¯re right. The Tzi family doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Himmel Soan, but we need to think about other things,¡± said Lasul. Viive smiled bitterly and left. She didn¡¯t understand why Lasul asked her to do that, but she still made that decision for the Baih family. That was what she had been thinking for the past two days while playing the zither. To solve the problem, she could only give Lasul what he wanted. Between the Baih family and avenging her master, Viive chose the former because she was Emperor Baih. If she were only Viive, she would take revenge for her master no matter what. Lasul left the Baih family. As for the moles, the Tzi family had already made the necessary arrangements. That was to say, no matter what choice Viive made, the Tzi family would still help her. Things had turned out the perfect way. ¡­ In the Baih Manor, when Viive learned the news, she felt conflicted. She didn¡¯t know if she should laugh or cry. ¡°The incident with Emperor Baih has been solved. ¡°Stelladom Academy¡¯s reputation is ruined, and Eman has been disgraced,¡± Jabril reported to Viive. It was good news, but she didn¡¯t seem happy. Jabril thought she didn¡¯t hear him. ¡°I see. Stelladom Academy had it coming. Don¡¯t mind them. Our crisis is over. I¡¯m tired. ¡°Look after the Baih family for me for a while. I need to take a break.¡± Viive dismissed Jabril. All these things had exhausted her, especially when she thought about her master. She seemed to have been drained of her energy, her silver hair turning white. ¡°But Emperor Baih¡­¡± Jabril wanted to say something when Viive suddenly started coughing. ¡°Emperor Baih! Are you alright?¡± Jabril wanted to check up on her, but Viive waved him off. ¡°Leave. I¡¯m tired.¡± Immediately after that, Viive threw Jabril out. The front gate of the manor was tightly shut. Viive spat out a mouthful of blood, and her face turned ghastly pale. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± She gasped for air. She was used to spitting out blood. She made several breakthroughs and became Emperor Baih overnight. This was the side effect. She became Emperor Baih at the cost of her lifespan. Before this incident, Viive might have had ten years left. But now¡­ She blamed herself after talking to Lasul, and the frustration took a toll on her. She now only had five years left. ¡°I have to find a successor in five years!¡± Viive panted. She had a candidate in mind¡ªJabril. She trusted him. But that alone couldn¡¯t make him the head of the family. He needed the necessary capability and decisiveness, which he lacked. Hence, she needed a new candidate. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry. I have to let go of my hatred for our family. I hope you can forgive me. ¡°If you can¡¯t, you can punish me when we meet in the other world.¡± Viive wept. Outside, Jabril frowned. He knew Viive¡¯s condition. She was leaving the Baih family in his care. Did that mean he would be the next Emperor Baih? Jabril couldn¡¯t let his imagination run wild because thinking about it was forbidden. Viive was still here, so how could he speculate who the next Emperor Baih would be? ¡°Emperor Baih, please take care of yourself. I¡¯ll keep the family in order!¡± Jabril bowed in the direction of her room and left. Chapter 475 - Need More People K18 was known as the new Earth. Most people had gotten over the meteorite disaster. They even seemed to have forgotten about Himmel Soan¡¯s name. Himmel Soan and the Soan empire were in the past. People were living happily on this new planet. The planet had also changed greatly. The roads, the communication network, the towns¡­ Everything that used to exist on Earth was replicated here. The topic of the day was Roams. Dr. Roams had proposed to build a space station. The news went viral. ¡°A space station? Dr. Roams is amazing! We¡¯ve only been here for two years, and we can already build something like that!¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t just yet. It¡¯s only a proposal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so ignorant! If Dr. Roams proposed it, he¡¯ll make it come true!¡± ¡°A space station is nothing. We should focus on the plan of exploring the surface of K18. We should keep our feet on the ground!¡± ¡°I disagree. We should pursue all possibilities!¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the laboratory, Roams looked up at the sky. His office had the most advanced technology on K18. From here, he could observe the entire planet as well as the sky above him. However, the distance that he could observe was limited. ¡°Dr. Roams, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. Could you answer some questions for me?¡± Roams woke up from his reverie. Turning around, he saw it was Leo. ¡°Dr. Leo, how can I help you?¡± ¡°We have so many ongoing projects that we don¡¯t have nearly enough people to cover them all. Why are we trying to build a space station now? We don¡¯t have anyone to spare! Besides, the cost will be astronomical.¡± Roams frowned. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough people?¡± There were over ten billion people on this planet. How could there be a shortage of manpower? ¡°There are so many people on this planet. We can easily find a couple of hundred thousand,¡± said Roams. ¡°No, we can¡¯t. The exploration project needs a hundred thousand people, but we only have thirty thousand, and they¡¯re working around the clock! ¡°There¡¯s a huge gap!¡± Leo shook his head. The shortage of people was the largest challenge they were facing at the moment. Charles and the rest of the population were supporting these projects with all the manpower and resources on the planet. There were plenty of resources. The shortage of people was the main issue. ¡°How¡¯s that possible? We have a population of ten billion, and you¡¯re telling me we don¡¯t have enough manpower. How can we only have thirty thousand people on that exploration project? ¡°What happened?!¡± Roams asked in frustration. With enough people, these projects could be completed in no time. ¡°Of the ten billion people, only fewer than a million want to work. We can¡¯t recruit any new workers! ¡°We¡¯re paying fifty thousand a month, but no one¡¯s willing to take the offer. We don¡¯t know what to do,¡± said Leo. Roams was perplexed and asked indignantly, ¡°Where¡¯s Charles?¡± Charles Chow was the leader of the human race, and he should be handling these problems. However, Leo sighed and shook his head. ¡°Mr. Chow came to me this morning and talked to me about it. ¡°I told him about the shortage of people and asked him to solve the problem. However, Mr. Chow said there was nothing he could do.¡± Leo explained, but Roams still couldn¡¯t understand. It was a small matter. Why couldn¡¯t the head of the planet do something? How was that possible? ¡°Dr. Roams, Mr. Chow isn¡¯t to be blamed. Things have developed so fast in the past two years that everybody has become too comfortable. ¡°At first, every man was making a contribution to K18. ¡°Once their stomachs were full and they had a roof over their heads, they settled down. Between living idly and having a job, they chose the former,¡± Leo explained. He knew it so well because the situation happened to some scientists, too. Roams had been focusing on his research all this time and knew little of the things outside. ¡°Living idly? It¡¯s only been two years, and they¡¯ve already settled down? ¡°Our purpose is to go back to Earth and find Mr. Soan! Why have they settled down?¡± Roams was utterly confused. Everything they did on K18 was to return to Earth. That was where they were supposed to be. They couldn¡¯t settle down! ¡°Isn¡¯t K18 a nice place? Mr. Soan still hasn¡¯t come, so maybe he doesn¡¯t want to come here after all,¡± Leo expressed his opinions. He didn¡¯t share Roams¡¯s feelings. K18 was a nice place. There was no need to return. Most people on K18 felt the same way, finding K18 better than Earth. On Earth, they had all experienced incredible things. According to Mr. Soan, it was no longer suitable habitat. Why would they return? Moreover, what did it have to do with finding Mr. Soan? ¡°Leo, what do you mean? Mr. Soan saved you on Mars. Without him, you would already be dead. Shouldn¡¯t searching for him be your top priority? ¡°Have you forgotten how he helped you?¡± Roams clenched his fists in frustration. Searching for Mr. Soan should be at the top of their list. ¡°Dr. Roams, there¡¯s thinking we can do now. Even Mr. Chow said he wanted to take a break. ¡°We¡¯ve been so busy over the past two years that everybody is tired.¡± Yes! They had been working for two years and had achieved so much. It was time to take a break. Chapter 476 - Each On Their Own Rest? Roams was dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t believe Leo would say something like that. However, facts were facts. Leo was stating the truth. ¡°Alright. I see. I don¡¯t need you. I can finish the space station on my own. You can leave now,¡± Roams said indifferently. He was used to doing research and making constructions all by himself. When he didn¡¯t have human labor, he would build robots to help him. Robots could replace the people he needed. He would never stop looking for Mr. Soan. Leo left without saying another word. ¡°Damn it!¡± Roams suddenly lost his temper and swept all the files on the table to the floor. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he stepped on them repeatedly. ¡°Why is this happening? Damn it! Why?! ¡°Mr. Soan, where are you? Why won¡¯t you come here? How am I supposed to do any research? Have you gone back to the seventh age?¡± Roams suddenly had a bold idea. That was right! Mr. Soan was from the seventh age, so it was understandable that he went there. Why did he leave without saying goodbye? People of the seventh age should be able to travel through time and space, which was why Mr. Soan built that portal. Did he do that to travel to the seventh age? Roams suddenly felt enlightened. Before, he had always thought he could find Mr. Soan when he returned to Earth, but he had another option now. The seventh age! Mr. Soan must have gone back to the seventh age. Roams became excited. Scientific research was everything to him. He would look into everything that was unknown to him. Right now, the seventh age became the new mystery he wanted to solve. He was determined to study the seventh age and the way to get there. ¡­ Drake, Liam, and Phoebe were still waiting at the Soan manor. They were all Nascent cultivators. They wouldn¡¯t leave here unless there were some special circumstances. Most of the Soans had blended in with ordinary people and made contributions to Moon. ¡°Liam, Phoebe, should we keep waiting?¡± Drake suddenly asked. ¡°Drake, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Brother, what do you mean?¡± His siblings asked in surprise. Drake would never have said such a thing before. What was going on today? ¡°I don¡¯t think we should keep waiting like this. Patriarch wouldn¡¯t want to see us like this. ¡°He helped us gain our strength, but we haven¡¯t made any progress in two years. Do you think the Patriarch would be happy?¡± Drake asked. It had been on his mind for a while, and he finally spoke up. He also wanted to persuade his siblings. ¡°Well¡­ We can¡¯t give up. If the Patriarch isn¡¯t back, our life will lose its meaning!¡± Liam and Phoebe hesitated. They knew Drake had a point, but he was asking them to stop waiting for their patriarch. How could they do that? ¡°Patriarch will want what¡¯s best for the Moonians. He¡¯ll also want to see us help Moon with our ability. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t interfere with Moon, we should still improve ourselves. That¡¯s the only way we¡¯ll find our patriarch, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Stop waiting. ¡°It¡¯ll only waste our time. What we should do is to keep practicing so that we won¡¯t disappoint our patriarch,¡± said Drake. He already had a plan. The past two years had taught him a lot. Their patriarch was the one who gave them the chance and told them where to go. They weren¡¯t babies. They could function without their patriarch. They could wait for their patriarch for the next ten, twenty, or even fifty years. If they stayed here without advancing, when their patriarch came back, he would be disappointed. ¡°Alright. I understand what you mean. The Soan family will function like it used to.¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll cultivate in secret and help with Moon¡¯s development.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set up a timeline and see who will make the most progress.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s make it ten years. Let¡¯s see who will make the biggest contribution!¡± ¡°Ten years? Great! I¡¯ll be more powerful than you in ten years, Brother!¡± The three of them made a deal. After that, they led the others away despite their reluctance. The Himmelians, the Himmelian Village, and the Himmelian Pavilion merged back into society. All the Soans mingled with the Moonians again. If Himmel Soan came back one day, they would gather around him in no time. Phoebe led the Himmelian Pavilion and joined the exploration project. They could dive deep into the sea and could help the project greatly. Liam joined the resource-searching project. As for Drake, he visited Roams¡¯s laboratory. ¡°Drake?¡± Roams was perplexed. ¡°Yes, Dr. Roams, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°How can I help you?¡± Roams was curious. Shouldn¡¯t Drake be waiting at the portal right now for Mr. Soan¡¯s return? Had Mr. Soan come back? No, he hadn¡¯t. If that were the case, Drake wouldn¡¯t be the one who came here. Roams didn¡¯t know why Drake visited him now without a reason. ¡°Dr. Roams, I want to help you finish your research,¡± said Drake. ¡°You? Help me?¡± Roams was surprised. ¡°Yes, I can help you in your research on energy.¡± He then released his spiritual essence. Roams was astonished. ¡°Are you from the seventh age, too?¡± Chapter 477 - Search for Essence Stones It never occurred to Roams that Drake could be from the seventh age, too. Not only that, but he also offered to help with the research. What a pleasant surprise! Roams knew the direction of this research, but he had never dealt with the seventh age before. He didn¡¯t even know what the sixth age looked like. Drake showed up at just the right time. Roams felt like a man wandering in the desert before, and he had just found his oasis. His goal had never been so clear. ¡°This is great. With your help, I believe we can find our path to the seventh age!¡± Roams said excitedly. Drake was utterly confused. The seventh age? He had never heard about that term. For a moment, he thought Roams had lost his mind, but the man looked too sane to be crazy. Drake didn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste. Let¡¯s start working!¡± Roams started right away. ¡°Did you call this energy ¡®spiritual essence¡¯? It¡¯s the same as what Mr. Soan released. Yours is more powerful, but it¡¯s not pure enough. Are you not from the seventh age? ¡°I see. Mr. Soan probably didn¡¯t teach you until he came to Earth. That¡¯s why your spiritual essence is so messy. After all, I can¡¯t detect spiritual essence in the air.¡± Roams was as clever as he always was. He reached this conclusion based on Drake¡¯s spiritual essence alone. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this in the outside world, but this was his laboratory, and there were all kinds of precise instruments here. With them, he could run a series of data. ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near as capable as Patriarch,¡± said Drake. ¡°That¡¯s expected. Of course, you can¡¯t compare yourself to a man from the seventh age. ¡°I think to find Mr. Soan, we must open the portal and study the power of time and space!¡± Roams made a stunning statement. His proposal was unheard of. Reopen the portal. How was that possible? That was something only their patriarch could do! ¡°I don¡¯t think we can control that power.¡± Drake tried to be polite. ¡°Why not? You can control the spiritual essence, can¡¯t you? Why not the power of time and space? ¡°We have so many tools here. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come in handy.¡± Roams was very confident. He didn¡¯t think he would be stopped by those obstacles. If he could discover this power, he would find a way to control it. Every problem had a solution. It was as Mr. Soan said. Science was the greatest power. If he could keep working at it, he would be able to master everything. He had absolute confidence in his beliefs. ¡°Dr. Roams, you¡¯re right, But the portal won¡¯t be so easy to open. The two of us can¡¯t do it alone¡ª¡± Roams cut Drake off. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t we do it? With enough energy and tools, I¡¯m sure we can do everything! ¡°The first step is to find a type of stone.¡± Roams took out a yellow stone. Drake was shocked when he saw it. ¡°Is that an essence stone?¡± ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s the name.¡± Roams nodded. He examined the stone and found it contained some powerful energy. Maybe Himmel Soan had used this type of energy when he opened the portal. It was what he called the spiritual essence. Roams felt he could start from here. He had some knowledge of how to use the spiritual essence, but it was very limited. It had been a while since he received the essence stones, and he didn¡¯t have many left. What he knew was only the tip of the iceberg. Roams realized spiritual essence was a miraculous substance. It could be applied to aspects like medicine, chemistry, and research. He seemed to be able to apply the spiritual essence to any known field, even expanding to aspects that he didn¡¯t understand. Therefore, maybe the spiritual essence could be connected to time and space. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to find the essence stones,¡± Drake said in resignation. ¡°You have the power. Why can¡¯t you find them? You should be able to sense them?¡± Roams was surprised. Drake shook his head. He wanted to, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Since you have spiritual essence, we can build a device that can help us find essence stones. Things will be much easier afterward. ¡°The beginning is always difficult, but I believe we can solve the problem.¡± Roams wasn¡¯t dissuaded. Leo¡¯s departure had turned the situation into the worst scenario. Drake¡¯s help was completely unexpected. Everything else was trivial in comparison. ¡°I¡¯ve done some research on the instrument, but there¡¯s something I¡¯m not sure about. Take a look!¡± Roams presented Drake with half-finished equipment. Shortly after that, the two men had a discussion. Drake followed Roams¡¯s instructions and emanated his spiritual essence. After a month, they finally completed the equipment. ¡°There are essence stones here on K18!¡± Roams was excited. It meant they were heading in the right direction. Their efforts hadn¡¯t been wasted! Drake was equally excited. Now that they had found the essence stones, he could cultivate, too. When he made enough progress, he could look for his patriarch. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s find the essence stones!¡± Roams nodded. He couldn¡¯t wait to study the stones. He liked Drake¡¯s decisiveness. Studying the essence stones had become Roams¡¯s purpose as well. ¡°Mr. Soan, when you come back, you¡¯ll be amazed by my talent!¡± Chapter 478 - Living Hell In the Dusk Soul Forest, Himmel Soan and Firey walked out of that passageway and arrived at a new place. As soon as they opened their eyes, they were shocked by the scene. The ground was littered with bones. They were walking on a path paved with bones, and next to them was a tree consisting of bones. ¡°Are these manmade or natural?¡± Firey found them rather creepy. The number of bones was frightening, and this bone-made tree looked even creepier. There was a skeleton on top of it, making Firey want to draw in her breath. However, she stopped herself when she realized the environment she was in. She didn¡¯t want to breathe the air here. ¡°They look manmade¡­¡± Himmel Soan was also bewildered. Why were there so many bones? What had happened here? Although he had lived for millions of years, he had never seen such a sight. ¡°Isn¡¯t this place one of the other continents that Yagon mentioned? Why does it look this way?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He had just arrived and couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on there. The only thing he knew for sure was that this place had some connection with Stelladom. He was certain of that through his feeling of the law of nature. The law of nature here shared the same source as that of Stelladom. The two were related in the same way that Lumi was connected to the law of nature of Dusk Soul Forest. If he hadn¡¯t met Lumi, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have realized this relationship. The law of nature here was much more complete than that of the Dusk Soul Forest. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t communicate with it. First of all, he wasn¡¯t capable enough. The other thing was that the law of nature was more complete, meaning it was unbendable. It wouldn¡¯t create a mind of its own. Naturally, it couldn¡¯t communicate with Himmel Soan. ¡°These aren¡¯t human bones,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°They¡¯re not?¡± Firey was surprised. ¡°Well, their bone structure is very similar to humans. They¡¯re almost identical, but there are differences. I¡¯m certain they aren¡¯t human bones,¡± Himmel Soan explained. But if she were to ask what creature the bones belonged to, he wouldn¡¯t be able to answer her. He didn¡¯t know it either. Maybe the bones belonged to the ¡°demons¡± that Bandora talked about. In the end, he had to put his bet on the demons. If these were their bones, this continent was probably the demon¡¯s continent. What about the Starloud, Starlune, and Starain that Yagon talked about? There was no clue at all. Himmel Soan sighed. He knew he had to look further for answers. ¡°I see!¡± Firey cheered up when she heard the bones weren¡¯t human. She didn¡¯t feel so revolted anymore. However, it didn¡¯t change the fact that there were a lot of bones. ¡°Master, where are we going now?¡± Firey asked. ¡°We¡¯re heading north. We came from the south, where the Dusk Soul Forest is. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that this place is also affected by the Dusk Soul Forest, but there¡¯s no formation core here. ¡°We need to find another path if we want to return to the forest. ¡°That¡¯s not our concern at the moment though. Come. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Himmel Soan made the decision. They were here now, so they had to keep going. Moreover, he needed to find Gina. ¡°Sure!¡± Firey nodded happily. As they headed north, the bones grew fewer and fewer. Shortly after that, they reached the mainland of the continent. Unlike Stelladom, this continent was very dark. The land and the trees were all black. Everything felt rather grim. ¡°Is this place and Dusk Soul Forest really used to be in the same world?¡± Himmel Soan wondered. If this place were to be compared to Stelladom, Stelladom felt like heaven while this was hell. The overall environment in Stelladom was the same as Earth. Himmel Soan liked the environment on Earth, so he also found Stelladom comfortable. But when he set foot on this continent, his mood changed. Rather than a continent, this place felt like a living hell. ¡°Humans?¡± A strange-looking ¡°man¡± covered with tattoos suddenly appeared in front of them. He kept sniffing the air as if he wanted to make sure Himmel Soan and Firey were humans. Himmel Soan had been hiding his energy, but Firey couldn¡¯t be bothered. When their energy mixed together, it was hard to tell them apart. After a while, the man was sure that Himmel Soan was a human, a living human. ¡°I never thought I would find a human here. Finally, I can have a feast!¡± The ¡°man¡± saw Himmel Soan as his prey. ¡°A demon?¡± Himmel Soan finally determined that this place was really the demon¡¯s continent. What about the names that Yagon had mentioned? Did he lie to him? That wouldn¡¯t be possible. There was no reason for Yagon to lie. Maybe Yagon had stayed in Dusk Soul Forest for too long and didn¡¯t know what happened in the world outside. He wouldn¡¯t know as much as Bandora. ¡°Do you know what I am?¡± The demon was surprised. If he knew demons, maybe he was an important person among humans. The demon couldn¡¯t believe it. He had finally found a human, but if he turned out to be someone important, he would lose his lunch. ¡°Can you tell me what place this is? Is it not Stelladom?¡± Himmel Soan asked tentatively. He deliberately offered a wrong answer because he wanted to see if the demon would give him the right one. As expected, the demon walked right into Himmel Soan¡¯s trap. ¡°Stelladom? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± Chapter 479 - Demons Capital How could this place be Stelladom? He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Himmel Soan, not knowing that the other party had done it on purpose. He was using the power of suggestion by giving a random answer so that he could deduce the correct answer by observing the other party¡¯s reaction. This demon walked right into the trap. ¡°Stelladom is only a legend. I can¡¯t believe somebody would be foolish enough to believe its existence!¡± The demon was sure that this human wasn¡¯t by any means important. He was just a fool that came out of nowhere. Still, the demon was glad he could have a nice meal. ¡°Really? This is the demons¡¯ continent, then. ButDemon Continent? I thought the name of this place was Starain.¡± Himmel Soan continued probing. The first question was to find out what residents of this continent thought about Stelladom. The answer suggested that they knew very little about Stelladom. That made sense. After all, so much time had passed. ¡°Starain? What an ancient name. Do you know anything at all? This is the Demon Continent. Starain was a long time ago! ¡°Enough talking. Don¡¯t fight it. Let me eat you!¡± The demon grinned and walked toward Himmel Soan and Firey. Himmel Soan shook his head in disappointment. He thought he could find more information from this demon, but that was it. It wasn¡¯t completely futile though. ¡°Firey, let¡¯s go!¡± Himmel Soan took Firey¡¯s hand and was ready to leave. The demon was dumbfounded. Why was this man so calm? He thought, Does he think I¡¯m joking? ¡°Die!¡± Infuriated, the demon wanted to eat Himmel Soan alive. Against his wishes, he couldn¡¯t control his body. That was the last thought he ever had. Himmel Soan and Firey went on with their journey. ¡°It seems Starloud, Starlune, and Starain were these continents¡¯ old names. This is the Demon Continent now. ¡°Bandora was right. ¡°According to her, there¡¯s the Demon Continent, Heresy Continent, Beast Continent, and a mysterious continent. ¡°There are four, which doesn¡¯t match the three continents Yagon mentioned,¡± Himmel Soan told Firey so that she would help him analyze, but she didn¡¯t understand it either. They had only just gotten here. What could they possibly know? ¡°Master, if this is the Demon Continent, we don¡¯t need to stay here, do we? Let¡¯s get out of here and go to that mysterious continent! I think Gina must be there!¡± said Firey. Himmel Soan nodded, agreeing with her. Gina couldn¡¯t possibly stay in the Demon Continent, Heresy Continent, or Beast Continent. If he had to pick one, the mysterious continent would probably be where she would stay. The journey to find Gina was suddenly shortened. ¡°We need a path out of here. I don¡¯t think this place is separated from the other continents. We can walk there. ¡°Our top priority is to get to know this place,¡± said Himmel Soan. This time, Firey didn¡¯t retort. She only nodded and said slowly, ¡°Master, more demons are coming.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll change my energy.¡± After all, they were still in the Demon Continent. From the incident just then, Himmel Soan realized how the demons would react to a human¡¯s energy. He would become the cake that all demons were after, making his journey very inconvenient. Changing his energy was the best choice. Soon, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t look any different from a real demon. Firey made some changes, too. She wasn¡¯t human, but the energy of the essence of nature could still bring her trouble. Two hours later, they had walked past dozens of demons. None of them reacted to Firey or Himmel Soan. Their disguise was perfect. Even the real demons couldn¡¯t tell who they really were. ¡°The demon¡¯s capital,¡± Firey murmured. ¡°I think we¡¯ve seen the entire Demon Continent,¡± said Himmel Soan. The continent resembled Stelladom a lot in terms of its geography. However, Stelladom consisted of cities of various sizes that were distinctively stratified, but the Demon Continent only had one country and one city that was vast beyond measure. Maybe he could find a way to leave this place after going into the city. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Himmel Soan. The capital city was a bustling place, and the buildings were industrial-looking. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t see any plants. It reminded him of human civilization, but it was so depressing that it didn¡¯t feel like a human environment. ¡°Maybe humans used to live here until the demons took over. You never know what can happen. I wonder what this place looked like before,¡± said Himmel Soan. He was also thinking about something else. What are these demons? They looked like humans, but they weren¡¯t. Were demons a species of their own? Maybe¡­ He didn¡¯t know because he was on a different planet. There were no demons on Earth, so he didn¡¯t know anything about this species. He could only analyze with what he knew so far. ¡°Master, this place is huge, but it¡¯s so smokey. I don¡¯t like it! ¡°Are we going to investigate this place?¡± Firey asked reluctantly. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it here, turn into the heart of the volcano. I¡¯ll wake you up when I need you,¡± said Himmel Soan after some consideration. ¡°Alright!¡± Firey immediately transformed. Chapter 480 - Ancient Demonic Gods Corpse The environment repulsed Firey. When she heard she could turn into her original form, she did it right away. As it was on her own initiative, she could still communicate with Himmel Soan. ¡°I think I can use your power,¡± said Himmel Soan. It was a good thing. Firey was a peak Mahayana cultivator. By using her spiritual essence, he could exert the power of an Emperor cultivator. However, if he used too much, Firey would be drained of her energy and slip into a coma. ¡°Really? If you can use my energy, feel free to use it!¡± Firey said happily. Usually, she would prefer to fight on her own, but here, she had no interest at all. Her master hadn¡¯t recovered yet and was still very weak. If something happened, she would have to come out and do the fighting. Luckily, Himmel Soan could borrow her power. This way, she didn¡¯t need to fight and could comfortably stay in his pocket. ¡°Let me know if you need anything,¡± Himmel Soan said gently. Firey disliked this place ever since she set foot in it. Himmel Soan had been worried that something unexpected would happen to her. So far, nothing had happened, but he was still very careful. He couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Firey. The heart of the volcano was put in Himmel Soan¡¯s chest pocket. He then entered the capital city. The grim look on his face was very typical of demons as he blended in with the city. ¡°Hello. How can I help you?¡± Himmel Soan walked into an inn. The lifestyle here wasn¡¯t much different from that of humans. The inns and shops were filled with customers, but the goods sold were slightly different. ¡°I¡¯d like a cup of tea. Thank you.¡± Himmel Soan went to a corner with a few demons around. Inns and restaurants were the most convenient places to collect information. People would chat while enjoying their food. Back on Earth, Moonians were the same. Himmel Soan knew what he should do. ¡°Sir, here¡¯s your tea.¡± A pretty demon woman winked at Himmel Soan, but he acted as if he didn¡¯t see her. The woman pursed her lips, displeased with his attitude. However, he was a customer, and she was there to serve him. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re here for information, aren¡¯t you? Information on the ancient demonic god¡¯s corpse is getting more expensive every day. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry! We always have a fair price here, and our information is always accurate. ¡°Are you interested?¡± The demon woman started talking before Himmel Soan said anything. Did he need to ask any questions? No, he didn¡¯t. Nine out of ten customers were here to gather information, especially when a stranger like Himmel Soan came into town. The woman immediately started introducing her reputable establishment. Himmel Soan waived her off. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ll collect the information on my own. ¡°Here¡¯s the money for the tea. Now I¡¯d like to be left alone,¡± said Himmel Soan. He found the money from the first demon they met. It came in quite handy now. ¡°Alright.¡± The woman¡¯s attitude turned rude. Not only did Himmel Soan not buy any information, but he also only paid so little for the tea. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t be happy. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t touch the tea. He wouldn¡¯t drink the demon¡¯s tea and only ordered it so that he could sit in the inn. He wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Pan, you just came back from ¡®there.¡¯ Tell us what you saw.¡± ¡°Nothing interesting.¡± ¡°Brother, please tell us! I¡¯ll buy you lunch!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Please tell us something!¡± The mention of ¡°there¡± made many people excited. Obviously, they were talking about the place where the ancient demonic god¡¯s corpse was. All the demons were talking about it. Any news on the corpse would soon become the most popular subject. Everybody was talking about it, but very few demons could go there. Therefore, those who had visited that place would become the center of attention. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing special about that place!¡± Pan enjoyed being the focus of the group. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t tell them right away because he enjoyed having something everybody wanted. As long as he had the information, they had to follow him around. Keeping other people guessing would only make them more desperate. ¡°Pan, just tell us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll buy you a drink. Tell us now!¡± ¡°We all want to go there. I envy you so much!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The crowd fawned over Pan, and the praise fed into his vanity. He couldn¡¯t keep them guessing forever though. There was a fine line in stalling. If he crossed it, he would go too far. Pan cleared his throat. ¡°The ancient demonic god¡¯s corpse is real, but no one can get close to it. ¡°The area nearby seems to have been devoured by the void. No light can penetrate it. ¡°Anyone who visits that place can sense the potent demonic energy. ¡°The demonic god himself went into the darkness the other day and dismissed us after that. He said the ancient demonic god was about to wake up and couldn¡¯t be disturbed. ¡°Therefore, we all came back.¡± Pan made it sound very mysterious and had certainly exaggerated it a little. However, the information was genuine. After all, the demonic god was involved. No demon would dare to make fun of it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know our dear lord went there in person. It must be more complicated than we think.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say! If the ancient demonic god wakes up, maybe there will be a war between him and the current demonic god!¡± Chapter 481 - : Public Enemy That wasn¡¯t a far stretch because only one demonic god could exist in the Demon Continent. If the ancient demonic god woke up, there was bound to be a war. The demons were still discussing the matter, but Himmel Soan had disappeared from the inn. He had a rough idea of where to go next. To find which continent Gina had gone to, he had to figure out this Demon Continent first. He needed to travel through this continent to reach the one Gina was in. The quickest way to do that was to find the ruler of this continent, namely the demonic god. The demonic god was in the same area as the ancient demonic god¡¯s corpse, which was very convenient for Himmel Soan. He would support whichever demonic god could get him out of this continent. At that thought, Himmel Soan headed for the area the demons were talking about. Shortly after, he was out of the capital city. ¡­ Stelladom. The Oogh family manor. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Stelladom Academy would be like that.¡± Elpin sighed. He then poured another glass of wine down his throat. Erp frowned a little. He was obviously displeased by Elpin¡¯s demeanor, but Elpin was Emperor Oogh, and there was nothing he could do. Erp sighed and said, ¡°What happened to Stelladom Academy was because of the Tzi family¡¯s intervention. We never anticipated it. ¡°I guess we¡¯ve overlooked the possibility.¡± Elpin drained the liquor in the pot and smashed it on the floor. He smirked. ¡°The Tzi family? I thought you were taking care of them. ¡°You¡¯ve overlooked it, not us. You! ¡°Everything has been going smoothly, but your negligence destroyed Stelladom Academy. ¡°We¡¯ve lost another card to play. What should we do now?¡± Erp asked solemnly. He gripped his fan tightly and narrowed his eyes. He was waiting for an opportunity, but it wasn¡¯t time yet. Elpin was equally nervous and had switched on his ring. The tension between him and Erp was like a time bomb that could go off at any moment. No one knew when the trigger would be lit. ¡°Stelladom Academy¡¯s reputation is ruined, but maybe it¡¯s a good thing. As the principal, Eman is to be blamed. ¡°He¡¯ll only hate the Tzi and Baih families more and won¡¯t lash out at us. He¡¯s like a mad dog now, and all we need is to feed him,¡± said Erp. He had already prepared his way out. Even if this strategy failed, he would still have a plan B. However, Elpin scolded him before he could bring it up. Elpin was warning him with the change of his attitude. Only Erp could withstand him. Finally, he had a chance to share his plan. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. You need to make up for your mistakes. If you fail again¡­ Of course, I don¡¯t think you will.¡± Elpin smiled. His tone was full of threat. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll never disappoint my dear brother!¡± said Erp. He confronted Elpin for the very first time. It meant when the whole thing was over, the two brothers would be officially at war. It was inevitable. Only one would survive. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± Erp left. The two Oogh brothers finally had a fallout. Elpin watched as Erp walked away. He was filled with emotions. If they hadn¡¯t been born into this family, maybe they would be loving brothers. However, they were Ooghs, and there could only be one alpha male. This was bound to happen ever since the twins were born. Elpin sighed again and took out another bottle of wine. ¡°This was made when we were born. Brother, I¡¯ll give anything to drink with you.¡± Elpin heaved sigh after sigh and opened the bottle. The aroma filled the air. He downed the bottle in one go and fell asleep on his seat. ¡­ Meanwhile, Erp was on his way. He found Eman in a remote place. Eman looked untidy and disheveled. If Erp hadn¡¯t sensed his energy, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell it was him. ¡°Mr. Sket, what happened to you?¡± Erp sighed. ¡°What?¡± Eman raised his head and looked at Erp with glassy eyes. He remembered his face, but he couldn¡¯t recall who this person was, nor did he want to. He was even afraid of Erp and wanted to dash off. Erp stopped him. ¡°Mr. Sket, it¡¯s me, Erp Oogh. I¡¯m Emperor Oogh¡¯s brother. ¡°Why are you in such a state? I¡¯m so sorry to see you like this!¡± said Erp. Finally, Eman recognized the name and calmed down. ¡°Erp?¡± Eman seemed to return to his senses. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Mr. Sket, what happened?¡± Erp asked. ¡°What do you think? Don¡¯t you know the answer? It¡¯s the Baih and Tzi families! It¡¯s all their fault! ¡°Stelladom Academy is destroyed!¡± Eman seemed to be losing control again. Erp said, ¡°Mr. Sket, do you really want to live like this? Those two families have destroyed Stelladom Academy. Don¡¯t you hate them?¡± Eman laughed. He found his stupidity and incompetence amusing. He didn¡¯t hate them? How was that possible? However, his hatred wouldn¡¯t change a thing. Stelladom Academy was destroyed and had become the public enemy. So what if he hated them? ¡°The Oogh family wants to help you out!¡± Erp immediately offered to help. ¡°You? Help me? You only want to use me!¡± Chapter 482 - Help Me Erp frowned. Although Eman was right, he couldn¡¯t possibly admit it. More importantly, he had to persuade Eman to go after the Baih and Tzi families! ¡°Mr. Sket, that¡¯s not what I meant. We¡¯re just¡ª¡± ¡°Stop. I know I¡¯m just your pawn.¡± Eman cut Erp off. He didn¡¯t want to hear all the pretty words. ¡°I knew from the very beginning that I and Stelladom Academy were only your pawns. Just like you, I wanted to go after the Baih family. ¡°That was why I let you use me. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for what happened to Stelladom Academy. No one knew the Tzi family would intervene. ¡°I¡¯ve become a public enemy now, but you still came to see me. You want me to fight to the death against the Baih family, don¡¯t you? ¡°I can do that, but you must remember one thing: we¡¯re partners. I¡¯m not your pawn!¡± Eman made himself clear. He knew he was being used as a pawn from the beginning. To bring down the Baih family and Elixir School, he let them use him. Their plan was to turn the Baih family against Elixir School, but the Baih family never took action and made him take the fall. Eman hated the Baih family, which was why he killed the students to incriminate the Baihs. It should have done the trick, but the Tzi family got involved, and Stelladom Academy met its downfall. Hence, the Oogh family couldn¡¯t be blamed. Eman needed them to show some sincerity if they wanted to use him again. ¡°I see, Mr. Sket. I need to discuss it with Emperor Oogh first.¡± Erp cupped his hands. Suddenly, Eman laughed. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be Emperor Oogh and make the decision on your own? ¡°Since I¡¯m only a pawn, I don¡¯t care who the chess player is. Do you really need to discuss such a petty thing?¡± Erp frowned and glared at Eman. Eman only grinned, unaffected by Erp¡¯s rage. Erp¡¯s fury was genuine, but he was also tempted. So he didn¡¯t attack Eman. ¡°Emperor Oogh is my brother! What are you suggesting?!¡± Erp asked grimly. ¡°Are you really his brother? Does he treat you as one? ¡°Everybody knows what¡¯s going on between the Oogh brothers. ¡°If my guess is right, you¡¯re about to fall out, aren¡¯t you? ¡°Let me remind you of something: all emperors are ruthless!¡± Eman smiled a little because he was amused. He was already dead inside and couldn¡¯t care about anything. He was more interested in seeing the Oogh brothers turning against each other than going after the Baih family. Erp bit his lip and seemed concerned. ¡°That can wait until this is over!¡± ¡°Until this is over?¡± Eman laughed. ¡°Do you think you can live to see that day? ¡°If you want to kill somebody, you¡¯d better be the first to take action. I think you know what that is. No one will keep a pet with claws!¡± Erp paled. To take the initiative was to gain the upper hand. Of course, he knew that, but he and Elpin were still brothers. He didn¡¯t think Elpin would attack him before this incident was over. Erp smiled mockingly. ¡°Let me think about it!¡± He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Eman stood there in silence. He was curious about what Erp would choose in the end. Five minutes later, Erp opened his eyes. He exhaled and cupped his hands at Eman. ¡°Sir, please help me!¡± Eman laughed wholeheartedly. In the end, that was his choice. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already prepared for this, go back and kill Elpin tonight!¡± said Eman. ¡°Tonight? Isn¡¯t that a bit too soon?¡± Erp hesitated at the thought of killing Elpin, but he soon made up his mind. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it tonight. What should I do? What am I supposed to tell other people?¡± Erp and Eman started to form a plan. Assassinating an emperor was a big deal. Both Erp and Eman were emperor cultivators. They decided to take Elpin by surprise and ambush him tonight. Elpin wouldn¡¯t stand a chance! However, Erp didn¡¯t know how to tell other people why his brother was dead. After all, he couldn¡¯t let them know he was the culprit. He had to come up with an excuse so that the others wouldn¡¯t suspect him. ¡°What to tell the others? I¡¯ll be the killer. You don¡¯t need to make up any excuses. ¡°I¡¯ll be killing my employer, who has hired me to do everything I did earlier. That should sound convincing enough!¡± Eman was willing to take all the blame. He didn¡¯t care about what other people thought anymore. So many people were cursing him. A few more haters wouldn¡¯t make any difference. Erp was excited. This way, he didn¡¯t need to worry about anything. Elpin would be dead, and he would be the new Emperor Oogh! ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you for your help. If I can successfully take the throne, I won¡¯t forget your help!¡± Erp then headed back home with Eman. They chatted happily as they walked. ¡­ The following day, in Stelladom, everybody learned the news that Elpin had died, and Erp became the new Emperor Oogh. Eman was the killer and had lost an arm in the process of killing Elpin. All the major forces received the news. In the Shwa family. ¡°How could Elpin die so suddenly? It¡¯s too suspicious!¡± Emperor Shwa was surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Eman would still play a part,¡± said Emperor Zea. ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought he had killed himself already. But he was here to make trouble for us again!¡± Emperor Shwa sighed. He didn¡¯t know what else to say. Emperor Zea teased him. ¡°I thought you hated the Oogh family. Aren¡¯t you happy that Emperor Oogh is dead?¡± ¡°Emperor Oogh couldn¡¯t have died so easily,¡± Emperor Shwa said solemnly. Chapter 483 - Emperor Tzi out of Seclusion Emperor Zea blinked and asked curiously, ¡°Why did Emperor Oogh ¡®die¡¯?¡± Emperor Shwa grinned. ¡°He can try it every now and then.¡± Elpin was an emperor and couldn¡¯t have died so easily. Moreover, Emperor Oogh was the second most capable emperor out of the eight, almost as capable as Emperor Tzi. How could he have died so easily? ¡­ In the Tzi family, Lasul went to the stone chamber to report everything that had happened. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long, but so many things have happened,¡± said an old voice. The door to the stone chamber opened. Emperor Tzi had come out of his seclusion. ¡°Emperor? Why did you come out?¡± Emperor Tzi smiled and put his hand on Lasul¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much. That¡¯s good!¡± He nodded in satisfaction. Lasul was surprised by the compliment, but he soon came to his senses and knelt on the ground. ¡°Emperor Tzi has returned!¡± His voice resonated in the Tzi family and the entire Cloud City. Most people in the city knelt in the same direction. ¡°Emperor Tzi!¡± They stood up after a long time while feeling conflicted. In the Tzi family, all the important people had gathered in the family hall. ¡°Lasul, let¡¯s go to the main hall,¡± said Emperor Tzi. ¡°Yes, Emperor!¡± Many people soon gathered in the hall. When Emperor Tzi appeared, everyone gave him a bow. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Emperor Tzi stopped. The Tzi family members looked at one another. Of course, they would follow the instructions, so they stopped bowing. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t reach a higher level. The law of nature has confined both this world and us.¡± Emperor Tzi sighed. He wanted to make a breakthrough, but the law of nature wouldn¡¯t let him. He had no choice. ¡°Well¡­¡± The other people felt sorry for him, but they didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. A lot of things have happened in Stelladom, some of which weren¡¯t supposed to. For example, there was that incident with Eman!¡± Emperor Tzi¡¯s tone was very calm, but his voice sounded like a thunderclap in other people¡¯s ears. It almost sounded like he was scolding them for not taking care of the incident, but they didn¡¯t know what to do either. Emperor Tzi always let Lasul do his bidding. If Lasul couldn¡¯t handle this, nor could they! ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take care of Eman. The other thing concerns Mr. Soan, Himmel Soan. From now on, no one should be hostile toward the Soans. Seeing Himmel Soan will be the same as seeing me! Understood?¡± Emperor Tzi¡¯s tone had been quite indifferent until now, so they thought everything was normal. However, his introduction shocked everybody. Himmel Soan was to be greeted in the same way as Emperor Tzi? ¡°What?!¡± ¡°How¡¯s that possible? ¡°Am I hearing it correctly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± People of the Tzi family couldn¡¯t believe their ears. They thought they heard him wrong, but they hadn¡¯t. They were Hinayana and Mahayana cultivators while Emperor Tzi was a peak emperor cultivator. Of course, they could hear each other clearly. However, they still couldn¡¯t believe it because it sounded surreal. ¡°You heard me. You should greet Himmel Soan the same way you greet me! ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself. It¡¯s for your own good as well as this family. ¡°Lasul, come with me. The rest of you can go back to your own business.¡± Emperor Tzi left with Lasul. This was just a brief meeting; he had a real meeting to attend later. The eight emperors¡¯ meeting! Dong! Dong!! Dong!!! ¡­ A bell rang eight times, and the sound resonated in Stelladom. Everybody heard it. In the Shwa family, Emperor Shwa suddenly laughed. ¡°Emperor Zea, which Emperor Oogh do you think we¡¯ll see later?¡± Emperor Zea gave up. It was too hard to answer. ¡°Who knows?¡± However, Emperor Shwa¡¯s interest hadn¡¯t died down. ¡°It¡¯ll be so interesting if we can see both Emperor Ooghs.¡± Emperor Zea rolled her eyes at him. This man enjoyed other people¡¯s trouble too much. She teased him. ¡°Maybe Eman will come with them.¡± Emperor Shwa¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. I didn¡¯t think far enough. It¡¯ll be so much fun if Eman is there! ¡°I¡¯ll go get Bandora!¡± ¡­ Starwan Tower, Jui was intrigued when she heard the bells. ¡°Ley, what¡¯s that sound? We can even hear it from here!¡± Their attic was sound-proofed. There was no doubt of that. So why couldn¡¯t the walls stop the sound of the bell? ¡°It¡¯s the eight emperors¡¯ meeting. Emperor Tzi came out of his seclusion today. It¡¯s understandable that they want to hold a meeting. With everything that has happened, I¡¯d be surprised if he just sat tight,¡± said Ley. The eight emperors¡¯ meeting didn¡¯t concern her much. Although she was an Emperor-stage cultivator, she wasn¡¯t one of the eight emperors. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Ley suddenly asked. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Emperor Zea replied. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at the meeting now? What are you doing here?¡± Ley was alarmed. Emperor Zea smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fetching you. You¡¯re invited to the meeting. Emperor Shwa went to get Bandora, so I came here.¡± Ley laughed. What kind of a reason was that? Why did she have to come here just because Emperor Shwa went to get Bandora? How ridiculous! However, Ley knew that was the way Emperor Zea was. ¡°Fine! But why do you need me for the eight emperors¡¯ meeting?¡± Ley wanted to turn down the offer. ¡°Just come! You¡¯re at the Emperor stage, too. Why can¡¯t you attend the meeting? ¡°I¡¯m inviting you! If Old Tzi doesn¡¯t like it, he can kick both of us out!¡± Emperor Zea said mischievously. Chapter 484 - Eight Emperors Meeting Ley raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more like Emperor Shwa.¡± Emperor Zea frowned and pouted. ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Ley didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I can go with you, but my pupil is coming with me.¡± She pointed at Jui. Emperor Zea was perplexed. Taking her pupil to the meeting? Emperor Tzi was probably the only one who had brought a disciple to the eight emperors¡¯ meeting. So be it! Emperor Zea decided that the worst that could happen was to be kicked out with Ley and Emperor Shwa. The law wouldn¡¯t punish numerous offenders. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go!¡± said Emperor Zea. ¡°Alright.¡± Ley knew where the meeting was held. Since Emperor Zea invited her, they would go together. If anything happened, the people there would only blame Emperor Zea. Jui was still confused. She had no idea what was going on. The eight emperors¡¯ meeting was an event for the bigshots. She couldn¡¯t understand why Ley wanted to bring her along. Was she qualified to attend such a meeting? Was she? No! However, she was going there. It all felt like a dream. Shortly after that, they arrived at the meeting venue. Emperor Shwa and Bandora were already outside. ¡°Roo, you¡¯re so slow. Holy crap¡­ You brought Ley? I¡¯m impressed!¡± Emperor Shwa was astonished. He thought bringing Bandora here was already strange enough, but Emperor Zea went even further. She had brought Ley and Ley¡¯s disciple! That was a great move! What an idea! Emperor Shwa cupped his hands at Emperor Zea. ¡°Cut the crap. Let¡¯s go in,¡± said Emperor Zea. ¡°Great!¡± They pushed the door open and entered the conference room. Everybody was present except for Emperor Oogh. ¡°Miss Cien? Chief Nim? What¡¯s going on?¡± Emperor Waf sounded displeased. Emperor Uru chimed in. ¡°This is the eight emperors¡¯ meeting. Since when are outsiders allowed to attend?¡± Emperor Shwa had anticipated this when he invited Bandora. Therefore, he already knew how to reply, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Emperor Tzi, do you have any problem with it?¡± Emperor Shwa asked for Emperor Tzi¡¯s opinion. ¡°No.¡± Emperor Tzi shook his head. Bandora and Ley Nim were two of the most capable cultivators on this continent. Of course, they were qualified to attend the meeting. Emperor Tzi didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°See? Even Emperor Tzi doesn¡¯t mind. Don¡¯t make such a fuss about it. You¡¯re Emperor Waf now, but it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be Emperor Waf forever. If I were you, I¡¯d worry about myself first!¡± Emperor Shwa sat down and made room for Bandora and the others. The table at the conference was huge. Even if there were thirty more people here, they still wouldn¡¯t fill all the seats. There was more than enough room left for Bandora and Ley. Emperor Waf wanted to say something, but Emperor Tzi beat him to it. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. ¡°The incident about Eman and Emperor Oogh has caused quite a sensation recently. We¡¯ll start from there and form a new plan. ¡°First of all, there¡¯s Eman Sket. He has slandered the Baih family and Elixir School and attacked Emperor Oogh. I think we should execute him. What do you think?¡± Emperor Tzi started the meeting by dropping a big bomb: execute Eman. Although he deserved to die, no one had sentenced him to death until now. It was shocking news. The eight emperors had never dealt with another Emperor-stage cultivator in this way. ¡°We¡¯ll do it the same way as before. Let¡¯s vote. Anybody who agrees to execute Eman, please raise your hand. ¡°That¡¯s a unanimous vote for executing Eman!¡± Emperor Tzi clapped his hands, and Lasul slowly pushed Eman into the room. He was no longer the proud man he used to be. He looked like a stray dog. ¡°Eman Sket, you made everybody despise the Baih family. Do you have anything to say before you die? Forget about it. Talking to you is a waste of my spit! ¡°Emperor Tzi, the execution is ready.¡± Lasul closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His sword was only drawn out for a brief second, and there was a tiny cut on Eman¡¯s neck. ¡°Eman is dead. I hope everybody can learn from this incident. Stelladom will get better! ¡°And I have something that concerns Emperor Oogh. Elpin has killed Erp, but he¡¯s been severely injured and is still in recovery. That¡¯s why he¡¯s not here.¡± Everybody drew in their breaths. They didn¡¯t expect that Erp would be the one who lost in the end. They all had some idea about what had happened the day before. They knew Eman and Erp had joined hands and ambushed Elpin. However, things didn¡¯t go as planned. They failed to kill Elpin. What a surprise! Emperor Shwa pursed his lips. That wasn¡¯t the result he wanted. ¡°I thought I could see two Emperor Ooghs today!¡± Emperor Tzi looked at Ley. No, he was looking at Jui. ¡°Is she that girl from the Zimmer family?¡± Emperor Tzi asked curiously. ¡°No, my lord. You¡¯re mistaken,¡± said Ley. She didn¡¯t know why Emperor Tzi suddenly brought up the Zimmer family, but it couldn¡¯t be anything good. Therefore, she immediately denied it. ¡°No, she¡¯s the Zimmer girl. Take good care of her. We¡¯ll give Emperor Zimmer a pleasant surprise one day,¡± said Emperor Tzi. Emperor Zimmer¡­ Everybody was dumbfounded. They couldn¡¯t understand why Emperor Tzi would bring up Gina now. Jui was equally confused. She knew everybody here was a big shot, but what they said concerned her master. She would never let anybody say anything bad about Gina. ¡°We have to talk about Mr. Himmel Soan when Emperor Zimmer is concerned. I¡¯d like to make one thing clear. If anybody is Mr. Soan¡¯s enemy, they¡¯re the Tzi family¡¯s enemy!¡± Chapter 485 - Team Everybody was caught off guard. How could he say such things? Himmel Soan¡­ They all knew that name because it had caused quite a sensation recently. He was the one who deposed the former Emperor Baih. He could have become Emperor Soan, but he gave it up. No one could believe it at first, yet that was reality. After destroying Emperor Baih, Himmel Soan made another incredible decision: he went off to the Dusk Soul Forest. That was a place even the emperors didn¡¯t dare go too deep. It would be suicidal. However, Himmel Soan did the impossible. No one knew what he was thinking. They also didn¡¯t know the relationship between Himmel Soan and Emperor Tzi. What made Emperor Tzi give that speech? Targeting Himmel Soan would be the same as targeting Emperor Tzi. Could anybody else in Stelladom make Emperor Tzi say such a thing? Of course not. Himmel Soan was the only one! They were intrigued by Himmel Soan¡¯s identity. ¡°Emperor Tzi, is this Himmel Soan some kind of important person?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than you can imagine.¡± Emperor Tzi only gave an ambiguous answer, refusing to add more to the topic. The eight emperors¡¯ meeting soon ended. Emperor Tzi finally started running Stelladom affairs on his own. The incident of Emperor Baih, Eman Sket, and others were put to an end. Stelladom found its peace again. ¡­ In the Demon Continent, Himmel Soan joined a team that was on its way to the ancient demonic god¡¯s body. Although they weren¡¯t qualified to go, it didn¡¯t deter them. The corpse was too valuable. If they were lucky enough, they would gain something from it that would benefit them greatly. The higher the profit, the higher the risk. With enough money, one could buy anything. When there was enough profit, one wouldn¡¯t hesitate to risk their life. It was the case with that team. ¡°Let me remind you why this team was formed,¡± said the leader, a strong, bald male demon that had tattoos all over his scalp. He was the creator of this team. Naturally, he became the captain. ¡°Didn¡¯t we go over this already?¡± ¡°Why are you repeating the same thing? Hurry up!¡± ¡°We¡¯re here for the real business, not your speech!¡± said a male demon with stubble and a scar over his left eye. He used to be qualified to go there, but his brother stole that opportunity from him. Despite his protests, no one in his clan listened to him. Therefore, he joined this team. If he could obtain a small piece from the ancient demonic god¡¯s tomb, his family would regret their decision forever! ¡°Imm, I know you have your own clan, but you¡¯re a member of our team now. You must follow our rules. If everybody behaves the way you do, there¡¯s no point in having a team! ¡°To enter the tomb, we must work together! Understood?¡± The bald demon knew who Imm was, but he wasn¡¯t afraid. Although Imm¡¯s identity was important, the bald demon had cards up his sleeves, too. Moreover, Imm was only a member of a big clan. He couldn¡¯t represent the family. Hence, the bald demon wasn¡¯t intimidated by Imm. Imm¡¯s lips twitched. He hated the way the bald demon spoke to him. However, he had no choice but to let the demon be. After all, the other party was a capable being. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get back to the rules of our team,¡± the bald demon continued. ¡°Our goal is to get into the tomb together. After that, everybody is on their own. ¡°I¡¯ve studied the surroundings of the tomb. We can take action tonight. You must follow my orders! Copy?¡± The bald demon didn¡¯t really set up any specific rules except for following his orders and working together. Then, he regrouped the team. Himmel Soan was allocated to a four-member group. He was the fifth member. Most of the other groups had seven or eight members. The bald demon¡¯s only had six, but they were all much more capable. ¡°I see, we¡¯re the cannon fodder,¡± Himmel Soan said sarcastically. That was why the bald demon didn¡¯t check him when he joined. He wasn¡¯t supposed to live for much longer. The other four demons in his group were in the same situation. After the regrouping, Himmel Soan realized they were baits. ¡°Alright. Now that we have the new groups, let¡¯s get to know our group members!¡± said the bald demon. He didn¡¯t care if the others were happy with the arrangement. Since the decision was made, they had to abide by him. He only needed his own group to enter the tomb safely. ¡°What are your levels? I¡¯m at the Contemplation stage¡­¡± That was a fragile-looking demon in Himmel Soan¡¯s group. ¡°I¡¯m at the Contemplation stage, too.¡± A female demon smirked. ¡°What a coincidence! Me too!¡± said another demon. ¡°I¡¯m at the Hinayana stage. Nice working with you all.¡± The fourth member was more talkative than the other three. He was also the most capable demon of the four. That wasn¡¯t a demon¡¯s typical personality. It caught Himmel Soan¡¯s attention. The demon noticed him, too. ¡°Hey, buddy. You¡¯re in our group, too, aren¡¯t you? Why aren¡¯t you saying something? Don¡¯t be shy. We¡¯ve all introduced ourselves. It¡¯s your turn!¡± The demon suggested. Himmel Soan returned to his senses. He would catch unwanted attention if he didn¡¯t tell the others about his cultivation level. Attention was something he had been trying to avoid. Therefore, he made up his cultivation level. ¡°I¡¯m a junior Hinayana cultivator.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m an intermediate one, so I guess I¡¯ll be the group leader!¡± Chapter 486 - Cannon Fodder Himmel Soan nodded. He didn¡¯t mind who the group leader was, as long as it wasn¡¯t himself. He was glad somebody took the responsibility, so of course, he wouldn¡¯t object to the idea. Just like that, Himmel Soan¡¯s group reached a consensus. The others only viewed it as a farce because they all knew Himmel Soan¡¯s group was the bait. There was no need to introduce themselves. They wouldn¡¯t live for long. Did they need to know one another? Of course not. That was what they believed, but they wouldn¡¯t say that aloud. They couldn¡¯t tell the group that they were going to be sacrificed. What if one of them refused to accept their fate? Therefore, the other demons only watched as the group members greeted one another. Shortly after, it was nightfall. All the groups had elected their leaders, but the bald demon was still the captain of the entire team. Members of several groups held grudges against one another, but with what they could potentially gain, they endured the other demons¡¯ presence. Upon entering the tomb, they would part ways anyway. Some groups were more united than others. They even agreed to help one another inside the tomb. The bald demon¡¯s team was like that. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go. Here¡¯s the plan.¡± The bald demon told his strategy to enter the tomb. It was pretty much as the others had anticipated. Himmel Soan¡¯s group was indeed the bait. Of course, that wasn¡¯t said specifically in the plan. The bald man only said, ¡°You guys catch their attention, and we¡¯ll cover you.¡± Everybody knew what that meant, but no one in Himmel Soan¡¯s group protested. They knew they were being used, but they had their own desires. As long as there was a possibility to enter the tomb, they didn¡¯t mind being used as cannon fodder. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time for you to draw their attention,¡± said the bald demon. ¡°Yes¡­¡± said the four demons. Their voices were trembling, and they were shaking from head to toe. On the other hand, Himmel Soan acted perfectly calm. The five of them headed out with various thoughts in their minds. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys. I¡¯m sure when we distract the guards, the others will jump on them. After that, the guards will leave us alone!¡± The group leader tried to encourage the others, but his words felt empty. He had little confidence in what they were doing. But after coming this far, he wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. It was the same case with the other members of the group. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said the group leader. ¡°Where¡¯s our fifth member?¡± He suddenly realized one of the members was missing. Himmel Soan was nowhere to be seen. ¡°He¡¯s already on the move. Let¡¯s go,¡± said another demon. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go!¡± The other four demons caught up with Himmel Soan, all feeling they could die at any moment. ¡°Dude, why are you so calm?¡± the group leader asked. ¡°I guess I¡¯m alright,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°Maybe a little.¡± The group leader didn¡¯t know what to say. He didn¡¯t seem scared at all! Couldn¡¯t he react like everybody else? He was way too calm! ¡°Why do you want to come here?¡± Himmel Soan asked. What? Why did he suddenly ask that question? They didn¡¯t think much of it. The group leader said, ¡°I only have ten years left, and I can¡¯t make a breakthrough before my time is over. I have to take my chance here.¡± Another demon said, ¡°I want to get stronger. I don¡¯t want to be a loser anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They all had different reasons, but their purpose was the same. They all wanted to get stronger and improve their capability. The four demons all looked at Himmel Soan. ¡°My goal is to find my partner. I can help you get into the tomb, you¡¯re on your own afterward!¡± At that moment, the guards spotted them. Their mission was accomplished. Immediately after that, all five of them vanished. ¡°Where are we?¡± The group leader was dumbfounded. He was sure the guards had seen them, and they were under attack. How did they arrive here? What just happened? ¡°We¡¯re inside the tomb. I have my own business to tend to. I¡¯ll leave you here.¡± Himmel Soan looked at the nine paths in front of him. He had to make a choice. Is it a labyrinth? Himmel Soan pondered. He was in a tomb that was supposed to contain the ancient demonic god¡¯s body. According to the information that he had gathered, the body was found a month ago. So far, no one could say for sure what it was. Even though a month had passed, no one could verify the news. There could only be two explanations. Either the tomb was too big and contained a formation similar to that of Dusk Soul Forest, which made it difficult to find the body or the information was blocked. As for who did it, it was either the demonic god or the ancient demonic god. One of the rumors was about the relationship between the two demonic gods. If the ancient demonic god really was going to wake up, this continent would be too small to house two demonic gods. The current demonic god would be the first one to object to the ancient one¡¯s return. No one knew what was really going on. After all, the demonic god didn¡¯t clarify it, and there was no definite answer on the body. The tomb¡¯s existence was the only thing that was certain. But the news was probably true. Himmel Soan suspected the two demonic gods were confronting each other. If the ancient one woke up, the demonic god would take him out. The best way was to destroy the ancient demonic god before he woke up. Something must be hindering the demonic god, which was why he hadn¡¯t shown up. Chapter 487 - Choice After a while, Himmel Soan stopped wasting his brain cells on the topic. He only needed to find the current demonic god and had no interest in the ancient one. He examined the tunnels again. He had to choose one out of the nine. Did each tunnel lead to a different place? How should he choose? If he selected the wrong tunnel, he might never find the ancient demonic god¡¯s body. That would be against his purpose. He must make the right choice. But he had no idea how to go forward. There was no hint at all. His mental force didn¡¯t work here, either. All that was useful was 0.01% of his power. Should he make a wild guess? That was a one-in-nine possibility. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think he was a lucky person, so he didn¡¯t want to bet on it. ¡°The divine dagger!¡± Himmel Soan suddenly remembered. It was a dagger that could defy the law of nature. Emperor Baih had tried to kill him with it, but Himmel Soan grabbed the dagger instead. Then he forgot all about it because he didn¡¯t need to use it. Right now, it seemed to be the best option. Maybe he could find the path ahead with it. Himmel Soan exhaled and injected a wisp of spiritual essence into the dagger and concentrated on the energy in the air. Shortly after, he saw millions of strings. ¡°Countless people have been here before.¡± Anyone who had entered the tomb would leave behind some trace. Energy and smells could change and even fade with time, but they couldn¡¯t change the fact that somebody used to be here. As long as somebody had visited this place, Himmel Soan could use the dagger to follow their trail. He could see millions of strings here, which meant these many demons had been here before. Luckily, he was looking for the demonic god. He could follow the demonic god¡¯s traces with the dagger. Unlike ordinary demons, he must have a special string, making it much easier to find him. ¡°Sir¡­¡± the fragile-looking demon said timidly. ¡°What?¡± Himmel Soan turned to him. ¡°Thank you¡­ If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have been killed!¡± Himmel Soan waved him off. He didn¡¯t need the demon¡¯s thanks because it didn¡¯t cost him anything to bring them in. Having heard their stories, Himmel Soan realized the demons weren¡¯t what he thought they were. They didn¡¯t deserve to die as cannon fodder. ¡°Sir, there are nine tunnels here. Which one should we choose?¡± the group leader asked Himmel Soan. By now, he had realized Himmel Soan was much more capable than the rest of them. He was able to bring all of them into the tomb without raising an alarm. That was proof enough of his power. Of course, they needed to follow the master when they could. Maybe he could lead them to some great discovery. ¡°You can choose whichever tunnel you want. That¡¯s your own choice. Please don¡¯t ask me,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. He was already doing them a big favor by bringing them in. This wasn¡¯t Earth but a cultivation continent. He could protect them on Earth, not here. Only the most capable beings could survive on the Demon Continent. Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t stay here for too long. He would leave this place when he found the demonic god and his way out. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t protect these demons forever. He had his own mission. These demons were on their own. ¡°Sir, can we follow you?¡± the female demon asked. The other three demons nodded. ¡°Sir, can we follow you?¡± Himmel Soan hesitated. Follow him¡­ That was their choice. Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t change their decision, but he needed to inform them about certain things. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the demonic god and the ancient demonic god. It¡¯ll be a dangerous journey. If you want to follow me, I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll have enough energy to help you. ¡°You can follow me if you want to, but I won¡¯t offer you any help.¡± He set out without waiting for the demons¡¯ reactions. He had found the demonic god¡¯s string. Himmel Soan entered the third tunnel on the right while the four demons were still trying to digest the information. ¡°Well¡­ do we follow him?¡± asked the fragile-looking demon. He was obviously dissuaded when Himmel Soan brought up the demonic god. If they followed him, they would be on their way to see that powerful being. However, they were only here for some windfall, hoping that they could make a little achievement. Facing the demonic god? How was that possible? Therefore, the fragile demon hesitated, and so did his teammates. Even the group leader wondered if they should follow that capable ¡°demon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll enter the same tunnel. You can make your own choice. I hope we all find what we want and get out alive. ¡°Goodbye!¡± The group leader entered the third tunnel on the right, too. The other demons soon made up their minds. The female demon was the last one to choose where to go. After some consideration, she also selected the third tunnel on the right. Once her decision was made, her team had fallen apart. Chapter 488 - How to Allocate Shortly after they left, the other groups entered the tomb. There were dozens of groups at first, but only six managed to succeed. Two out of the six groups had fewer members than they started off with. The bald demon¡¯s group was still intact. ¡°Baldie, what should we do now?¡± Imm asked. He was in the bald demon¡¯s group. He was impatient toward the bald demon, but the latter¡¯s capability also deterred him. The bald demon had demonstrated his power outside. Imm knew he was weaker than the bald demon. Therefore, he would ask for his opinion on certain things. ¡°There are nine tunnels. I think each group should choose one tunnel. That way, even if a group finds something, there will be no competition,¡± said the bald demon. A demon from another group asked, ¡°What if two groups choose the same tunnel?¡± The bald demon laughed at the stupid question. ¡°The more powerful group will win, then. We¡¯re all on our own. I said at the beginning that once we enter the tomb, we¡¯ll part ways. From this moment onward, we¡¯re strangers! ¡°If anybody wants to steal my discoveries, I won¡¯t be so polite anymore. Make your decision.¡± The bald demon¡¯s words reminded the others that they all wanted to find rewards in the tomb. Their team was only temporarily formed to enter the tomb. Now that they were here, everyone needed to depend on their ability. Before long, there were only three groups left. Members of the other teams either left alone or formed partners with another demon. The wisest thing was to be the first to make a choice. If a capable group chose a tunnel, the others would have one less choice because they couldn¡¯t follow the capable group. It would only get them killed. Therefore, choosing the tunnel first would benefit them. They thought the bald demon was doing them a favor, but it was all part of his plan. ¡°What about you?¡± the bald demon asked the other two groups. ¡°I don¡¯t think it concerns you,¡± said one of the group leaders. ¡°Do you have some sort of plan? Do you want to get rid of us now because you need us as your scout or because you don¡¯t want us to know your choice?¡± asked the leader of another group. Neither leader showed the bald demon any respect. They only wanted to get into the tomb. It wasn¡¯t like they were best friends. There was no need to show the bald demon any respect. Moreover, the bald demon had said earlier that they would depend on their own. They had even less reason to respect him. ¡°I just want to know what choice you¡¯ll make. I won¡¯t keep my choice a secret. If you don¡¯t want to go, I¡¯ll leave with my group.¡± The bald demon was ready to depart. They went to the third tunnel on the right, which was also the one Himmel Soan had entered. He looked over his shoulder before going in. ¡°You need to make up your mind now. There¡¯s no time to waste. Don¡¯t stay in one place for too long.¡± The remaining two group leaders looked at each other. ¡°The bald demon seems to know this place well. Should we follow him or choose a different tunnel?¡± asked one of the leaders. He was intrigued by the bald demon¡¯s words but didn¡¯t know what to do. The other group leader fell silent as well. After a long while, he said, ¡°If you trust me, I think we should follow the bald demon. ¡°He seems to be familiar with the tomb, so I think his choice is probably the correct one. At first, I thought he wanted to eliminate the incorrect paths by having us choose first. But that didn¡¯t happen. I now suspect he¡¯s waiting somewhere down this tunnel to ambush us. ¡°If a group goes into the tunnel, maybe it¡¯ll be annihilated. We can handle the situation better by joining hands. ¡°That¡¯s what I think. What about you?¡± The group leader named Ould spoke his mind to express his sincerity. Hirba, the other group leader, fell silent. Ould got him thinking. His analysis was rather straightforward and was something that was on Hirba¡¯s mind. ¡°If we stick together, how are we going to divide the loot?¡± Hirba asked. He agreed that the two groups shouldn¡¯t be separated, but they needed to reach an agreement first. How would they divide the reward among themselves? Each group had made a plan beforehand. If the two groups joined hands, wouldn¡¯t they become enemies when they stumbled upon a great prize? If they couldn¡¯t reach an agreement, the alliance wouldn¡¯t work. Ould smiled. ¡°The bald demon is ahead of us. Do you think we¡¯ll stumble upon anything valuable? ¡°If we really want to find anything, we must get rid of him. Otherwise, talking about sharing the prize is a joke! ¡°We¡¯re ready to go. Hirba, we need your decision now!¡± Ould led his group toward the tunnel. Hirba knew the discussion was pointless because Ould was right. To obtain any reward, they would have to get rid of the bald demon. It would be even better if they could obtain some information from him. ¡°Alright! I agree, but it¡¯s only temporary!¡± They all went into the tunnel. Chapter 489 - Soldiers Soul After passing through the first tunnel, Himmel Soan found another eighteen tunnels. Luckily, the dagger could save him from any deliberation. He soon found the right path. Just then, he noticed something strange. There were a lot of severed strings here. The strings were all intact in the first tunnel, but here, he found some broken ones. It indicated that from now on, his choices might lead him into danger. Although there were broken strings leading into all eighteen tunnels, there were intact ones, too. Himmel Soan had no time to explore other tunnels. He found the tomb very intriguing, but nothing was as important as Gina. He still needed to find her first! ¡°Sir!¡± He was about to leave when the group leader caught up with him. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Himmel Soan knew some of them would follow him, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s this?¡± The group leader finally saw the surroundings. He was dumbfounded when he saw the eighteen tunnels. He had just made a difficult choice, but a harder one was waiting for him here. Why was this happening? He was glad to have Himmel Soan here. ¡°Sir, why are there so many tunnels? Will there be more in the next level?¡± The female demon arrived at that moment and was equally astonished by the eighteen tunnels. Himmel Soan said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve followed me here, I¡¯ll show you the way. ¡°The first tunnel on the left is the safest path, whereas the one in the middle is the most dangerous one. ¡°The higher the risk, the greater the opportunity. I¡¯ve told you all you need to know. It¡¯s up to you now. ¡°You can choose if you want to follow me. Either way, I won¡¯t intervene again.¡± Himmel Soan disappeared right after that. Yes! He vanished into thin air. He didn¡¯t let them see how he chose the tunnel. Instead, he teleported into one of the tunnels. He wanted these people to choose their own way, not follow him all the time. He soon reached his next destination. The tunnel led him to an arena. Some of the strings were severed here. There were bones all over the ground. They used to be the owners of the broken strings. The bones reminded Himmel Soan of when he first arrived. That place was covered with bones, too, and the number was much greater. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what created that scene. Here in the arena, he knew the bones must have been dead demons, but what about the place earlier? What happened there? Was it possible that so many demons had died there? Bones were easy to destroy, so he couldn¡¯t understand why they were just scattered on the ground. It confused him. Just then, he heard a cold voice. ¡°A Nascent cultivator. You can pass after defeating the senior Nascent soldier¡¯s soul.¡± A Nascent cultivator? ¡°Is it talking about me?¡± Himmel Soan was woken up from his reverie. He was the only person here so that Nascent cultivator must be referring to him. ¡°When did it examine me? ¡°Did it determine my cultivation stage by my current capability? ¡°What¡¯s a soldier¡¯s soul?¡± Himmel Soan thought about those questions because they concerned him. Specifically, he had to figure out why the system deemed him a Nascent cultivator. He hadn¡¯t noticed any change in his body, but this system had already announced his current capability. Himmel Soan was alarmed. Just then, he saw a half-transparent figure ahead of him. That must be the soldier¡¯s soul, a senior Nascent soldier¡¯s soul. It couldn¡¯t pose any threats to Himmel Soan. The soldier¡¯s soul wouldn¡¯t leave a scratch on him even if he stood there and let it strike him. He could use this opportunity to study the soldier¡¯s soul as well as examine himself. There must be a reason that this system could detect his capability. ¡°Is the soldier¡¯s soul a spirit?¡± Spirits were intangible things on Earth. Even Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t had much to do there. Therefore, he was very curious about this soldier¡¯s soul. Shortly after, he studied the soldier¡¯s soul. He was also interested in the way it attacked. The attack itself couldn¡¯t hurt him at all. If the soldier¡¯s soul could think, it would be shouting at Himmel Soan now. How humiliating! ¡°I see. The soldier¡¯s soul is the spirit and soul of a dead demon. The demons probably have a way to keep the soul alive. ¡°Even though the soul can fight, it has no intelligence. ¡°Will the soul have the same capability as when it was still alive?¡± When Himmel Soan destroyed the soldier¡¯s soul, the voice spoke again. ¡°Congratulations. Please proceed to the next location.¡± It was the second time that the voice spoke to him, but he still couldn¡¯t figure out where it came from. It was as if the voice had blended in with its surroundings. A passageway opened up in front of Himmel Soan. He sighed and stopped thinking about the voice. His top priority was to keep pushing forward. He moved on to the next tunnel while scanning himself. Outsiders shouldn¡¯t have been able to examine him unless there were some parasites hiding inside him. He was sure he didn¡¯t have any parasites, so it had to be another factor. He had to figure it out. After exiting the tunnel, he reached the next location. The tunnel disappeared behind him as if it had never been there before. ¡°Found it. There¡¯s a streak of black spiritual essence!¡± Himmel Soan soon found the abnormality. The black spiritual essence! Chapter 490 - : Black Worm It was a tiny streak of spiritual essence, not much different from ordinary spiritual essence. That was why Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t noticed it until now. That spiritual essence changed slightly when the tunnel closed. If he hadn¡¯t been examining himself, he would have overlooked the abnormality again. Although he had found it, he didn¡¯t know what to do with it. ¡°Should I destroy it? Will there be repercussions?¡± He couldn¡¯t say for sure. At least nothing had happened so far. He didn¡¯t know about the future. He was worried that the spiritual essence would run wild inside him. ¡°Firey, can you sense the streak of spiritual essence in me?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Yes, I can. Do you mean that black worm? It¡¯s so disgusting! Want me to get rid of it?¡± said Firey. She had been in a deep sleep recently. Having switched back to her original form, she didn¡¯t have much to do. Therefore, she slept soundly and was woken up just now by Himmel Soan. ¡°What¡¯s this place? Master, when did we get here?¡± She finally noticed her surroundings. ¡°We¡¯re inside the ancient demonic god¡¯s tomb. Did you say ¡®a black worm¡¯?¡± Himmel Soan asked her. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a black worm!¡± Hearing Firey¡¯s reply, Himmel Soan fell silent again. A black worm? It looked like a spiritual essence to him. He didn¡¯t think Firey was lying. If she called a worm, it meant she saw it as a worm. Maybe the problem was with him. After all, the worm was in his body. Maybe it had affected him, making him think that the worm was spiritual essence. That was why there was a discrepancy between their cognition. Himmel Soan drew in his breath. If a worm was planted inside him without alarming him, this tomb would be more complicated than he had expected. Was a worm put inside everybody who entered here? Why? Himmel Soan felt something was wrong. It smelt like an elaborate conspiracy. However, he couldn¡¯t tell exactly what it was, at least not for now. ¡°Keep an eye on the worm and kill it when I tell you to,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°No problem!¡± Firey didn¡¯t understand why her master wanted to leave a worm inside him. Since he had given her the instruction, she would do as she was told to. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m setting out.¡± Himmel Soan ignored the worm because Firey was watching it for him. He trusted her ability. As for why not kill the worm now, Himmel Soan had his reasons. This worm only appeared after he entered the tomb. If it was part of a plot, killing it might alert certain parties. He didn¡¯t want to disturb anybody. He was here to find the demonic god. It would be a pity if he was kicked out because of killing a worm. ¡­ As soon as he left that spot, the bald demon¡¯s group arrived. ¡°Let¡¯s set up here for an ambush,¡± said the bald demon. ¡°Is that necessary? ¡°We¡¯ve already come so far. I think we should keep moving!¡± Imm was perplexed. Despite their different opinions, Imm halted and listened to the bald demon. Before, he would have left already. Having seen the bald demon¡¯s ability, Imm had begun to admire their team leader. His capability aside, the bald demon knew this place like the back of his hand. Therefore, Imm stopped opposing him. ¡°You saw earlier that the other two teams have joined hands to work against us. ¡°We¡¯re about to find our first prize. Do I need to remind you what they¡¯ll try to do? ¡°If we want to have a smooth journey, we must take them down! ¡°We also need a scout. I don¡¯t suppose anybody here wants to volunteer.¡± The bald demon explained to both Imm and the rest of his group. They were on the same team now. If what the bald demon said was true, they indeed had to get rid of the groups behind them. It was for their own good! Moreover, they needed a scout. They felt the bald demon knew this place well, so they believed everything he said. Since he mentioned needing a scout, the journey would become risky from now on. Even the bald demon didn¡¯t want to take on such dangers and wanted someone else to explore the way. The rest of the team also agreed to ambush the other groups. They didn¡¯t want to explore the way for others. Everything was ready. They were now waiting for Ould and Hirba¡¯s groups. They didn¡¯t need to wait for too long. The tunnel opened again, and the other two groups showed up. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ould was shocked. The bald demon had already left when they arrived at the arena. Why was he still here? It almost seemed that the bald demon was waiting for them. ¡°Do you want to kill us?¡± Hirba asked coldly. ¡°Why would I do that? I need you alive!¡± The bald demon laughed. Why would he kill his scouts? That would be a waste! ¡°Why are you still here, then?¡± Ould pressed. The bald demon said he wouldn¡¯t kill them, but who could know if he was telling the truth? Both Ould and Hirba were alarmed. ¡°Your group seems to have lost three members.¡± Chapter 491 - Primal Magma Hirba realized something was off. The bald demon¡¯s group had fewer members than it started off with. After double-checking the group members, he saw that three of them were missing. Everybody was there when the bald demon¡¯s group left the arena. Where were the three demons? ¡°It¡¯s an ambush!¡± Hirba sensed the danger and wanted to retreat, but the tunnel had already disappeared. ¡°There¡¯s no other way. We have to fight together!¡± Ould said grimly. They had reacted in time, but that couldn¡¯t change the fact that the bald demon¡¯s group was more powerful than them. The two groups were soon defeated. Five minutes later, Ould exhaled his last breath and fell to the ground. ¡°I guess Ould had more cards up his sleeves than I thought. That was quite a battle!¡± The bald demon wiped the wounds on his face. He didn¡¯t win the battle unscratched. If he hadn¡¯t kept his guard on, Ould probably would have killed him already. Luckily, he withstood Ould¡¯s little tricks. The battle was over, and there was no such danger anymore. ¡°Bring them all to the next location!¡± said the bald demon. They soon arrived at the next stop. This place had no road. The exit was five hundred meters away, but there was no road. Beneath them was bubbling magma that was fifty meters deep. Ordinary magma wouldn¡¯t hurt them, but the magma here would be anything but ordinary. The heatwave alone could melt them. ¡°Captain, what¡¯s this place?¡± one of the demons asked. ¡°The magma here is said to be the primal magma, and no one dares set foot in it. If you fall in, you¡¯ll be burnt into ashes, and even your soul will be destroyed,¡± the bald demon explained. The demons all fell back, fearing that they might fall. Imm asked, ¡°How can we get to the other side? If you need a scout, it means there are roads here.¡± Earlier, the bald demon talked about needing some scouts, but there was no path here, and below them was the magma. Did that mean there was an invisible path? Why else would they need somebody to explore the way? The bald demon knew the inside of the tomb well, so he wouldn¡¯t have led them to a dead end. Hence, it was possible that his speculation might be true. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve guessed correctly. There¡¯s an invisible road, but it changes position every day. ¡°No one knows what that road looks like, which is why we need some scouts.¡± They had already come this far. There was no need for the bald demon to keep the secret from them. He told everybody what he knew. Imm was confused again. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you ask everybody to go with you at first? ¡°The exit is five hundred meters away, and there are only twenty-three of them. Will there be enough of them to get us over there?¡± That was right! Twenty-three scouts. Could they find the invisible road? They had a lot more members before this. If they hadn¡¯t separated, they would have over fifty people here to look for the road. ¡°Fifty? Do you really think they¡¯d have listened to us? ¡°Other groups are in this tomb, too. ¡°Although we¡¯ve chosen different tunnels, they¡¯ll also have to solve this problem. ¡°If my deduction is correct, it should be happening now.¡± As soon as he said that, a small section of a road suddenly appeared. What? How did that happen? Wasn¡¯t the road invisible? Why did this section show up? No one had explored anything yet. Seeing that they were confused, the bald demon explained, ¡°The road is shared by everybody who enters this tomb. ¡°If someone finds the road elsewhere, we¡¯ll see it on our end, too. ¡°They¡¯ve all explored the way willingly. Isn¡¯t that better than forcing these people to be our scouts? Shared? How did that work? The other demons didn¡¯t want to believe the bald demon, but they knew it was the truth. Only frequent visitors to the tomb would know that. At first, they thought the bald demon only knew a little more information than them, but they didn¡¯t feel that way now. If he knew such things, he must have been here before and knew the tomb well. Why would he need a team? If he came here often, it meant he was capable enough to enter alone. The others couldn¡¯t think of a reason. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I won¡¯t explain anything. You can think whatever you want. ¡°If you want to leave my team, feel free to drop out, but I¡¯m not responsible for your safety after that. ¡°I have my own secrets. I don¡¯t need to explain them to you.¡± The bald demon¡¯s tone grew cold. Only then did they realize that the bald demon had helped them a lot in the tomb and saved them from a lot of trouble. If it weren¡¯t for him, they wouldn¡¯t even be qualified to enter the tomb. Who were they to ask the bald demon about anything else? ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± After their brief discussion, the road extended for another ten meters. They immediately followed the bald demon. Meanwhile, Himmel Soan was right beneath the magma. ¡°The primal magma, is it? It¡¯s not as frightening as it sounds,¡± Firey said curiously. She was the heart of the volcano, so she felt at home in the magma. She had been absorbing the energy the whole time. After arriving at this location, Firey switched back to her human form and jumped into the magma, taking Himmel Soan with her. The temperature would have injured him, but with Firey around, the magma felt like a hot spring. Shortly after they went in, the bald demon arrived. They heard everything the bald demon said. Chapter 492 - Scouts Firey was thinking about the primal magma while Himmel Soan¡¯s mind was on something else. He was thinking about his original group members. He had saved them once. The last thing he wished to see was them dying here, but there was nothing he could do. They were on their own. Maybe they had found another way to avoid this obstacle. Himmel Soan stopped worrying about them and went on soaking in the magma, which helped with his recovery. It was the same as absorbing spiritual essence. ¡­ Above them, the demons didn¡¯t notice anything because none of them was in the mood to look around. After all, the magma could kill them instantly. They didn¡¯t want to watch death in the face. The magma alone almost forced them to flee. Therefore, no one noticed Himmel Soan and Firey. ¡°I guess this is it,¡± said the bald demon. They had moved forward by a hundred meters, with another four hundred meters to go. The road hadn¡¯t changed for fifteen minutes. Either all the other demons had died from trying to solve this problem, or they had given up. It was time to use their scouts now. ¡°Let them explore the way for us.¡± As soon as the bald demon said that, a demon was pushed to the front of the line. ¡°Sir, please let me go. I don¡¯t want to be a scout! I¡¯m begging you!¡± The demons woke up at this point. Their abilities had been restrained, and they had no way to fight back. They could only do as they were told. Their faces went pale when they learned they were going to be scouts. It was a death trap, but they found some hope when the road appeared. If somebody else solved the problem, they wouldn¡¯t need to explore the way anymore. However, the path was suddenly cut off. From now on, they would need to find it at the cost of their own lives. Naturally, they didn¡¯t want to do that. But did they have a choice? Of course not. They could only beg the bald demon, hoping he could spare them. It was a futile move. All their pleading landed on deaf ears. ¡°Get moving, or I¡¯ll throw you into the magma. If you¡¯re lucky, maybe you can get to the other end in one go. The chance is right in front of you. Although it¡¯s a long shot, it¡¯s better than nothing. Just think about it!¡± The bald demon fed a little hope to the scouts. If they didn¡¯t start moving, they would be dead for sure. If they put their lives on the line, they might still have some hope. Unless one was an idiot, one would know how to choose. The bald demon didn¡¯t rush them. He knew they would choose the latter. That was the ideal situation for him. As expected, the demon chose to explore the path. He closed his eyes and made two steps forward. Instead of falling over the edge, he stepped on solid ground. The invisible path soon appeared under his feet. The demon became much more hopeful. If luck was on his side, maybe he could reach the other side. It was too much to hope for, but he still held onto it. Maybe luck really was on his side. He walked for a full hundred meters without falling into the magma. ¡°Great! I think I¡¯ll make it!¡± He summoned up his courage and took another step forward. However, fate seemed to be playing a joke on him. He had just found some courage when the cruelest thing happened. He lost his footing and fell over the edge. He didn¡¯t even have time to scream before disappearing out of sight. He fell into the magma. ¡°What¡­¡± The others saw this and didn¡¯t know what to say. Now that they had lost the first scout, a second one was needed. The other demons became nervous. None of them wanted to be the next. Ould stepped forward and bellowed, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop treating us like toys!¡± The bald demon seemed confused. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re toys¡­¡± Ould laughed out loud. His laughter was full of disdain. ¡°If you are familiar with this place, then you should also know how to get to the other side. ¡°You¡¯re only making us explore the way because you enjoy this. It¡¯s like a game to you! How can you be so cruel?¡± The bald demon was surprised, but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. He only seemed perplexed. He shrugged, saying, ¡°How should I know that? If I did, why didn¡¯t I lead you to the other end? I¡¯m not enjoying anything. You¡¯re only saying this because you don¡¯t want to be the scout. ¡°I see. Wasn¡¯t that man your brother? Is that why you¡¯re so angry?¡± Those words felt like a dagger in Ould¡¯s chest. Yes! The bald demon was right! The first scout was none other than Muld, Ould¡¯s younger brother. He was dead because of the bald demon! Ould thought he had accepted death, so he didn¡¯t react when Muld was chosen, even if he was his brother. He knew he might be the next. It wouldn¡¯t make a difference because they would all die sooner or later, but when Muld fell, Ould saw the smirk on the bald demon¡¯s face. He looked like a cat playing with his prey. Ould immediately realized what was going on. If the others believed him, maybe it would become the end of the bald demon. However, no one would believe him. Chapter 493 - Strange Man in the Magma ¡°I see. It¡¯s all part of your plan, isn¡¯t it? Fine. I¡¯ll be your next scout.¡± Ould marched toward the spot where Muld had fallen over the edge. Didn¡¯t the road end there? Had Ould forgotten about it? Before the others could remind him, Ould jumped over the edge, too. ¡°I lied to you, idiot. I won¡¯t give you what you want. Goodbye!¡± Ould disappeared in the magma. The bald demon¡¯s face went livid. He was furious, but he couldn¡¯t vent his rage. The others all noticed it. When he turned around, the demons behind him, including Hirba, were scared. They thought they had a slim chance to survive, but in the end, it was only part of the bald demon¡¯s game. No one could take it. However, there was nothing they could do. ¡°You¡¯re next. Explore the road for me. I won¡¯t repeat my order. Feel free to copy Ould. You can all jump over the edge like him, but you¡¯ll only get yourself killed. ¡°Will you all choose death over life?¡± The bald demon asked coldly. He had stopped playing nice. He gave up that facade when Ould jumped. Why should he be nice? The others would have to follow his order no matter what. ¡°Sir, I¡ª¡± The demon trembled, trying to beg for his life. The bald demon cut him off. ¡°Anybody who throws him into the magma won¡¯t need to explore the road. I¡¯ll even add them to my group.¡± The captives were intrigued. They could be the next scout, which might get them killed. Would they accept that fate? Of course not! But what else could they do? They were just a bunch of lambs heading for the slaughterhouse. However, the bald demon had just given them a little hope. If someone could throw that demon into the magma, they wouldn¡¯t need to explore the road! Everybody was tempted, but one of them was more decisive than the others. While the rest were hesitating, he took action. He was Hirba! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to do this for myself!¡± After an insincere apology, he kicked the other demon over the edge. He then turned to the bald demon. ¡°Is that all?¡± The bald demon had made the promise, and he was supposed to keep it. Everybody here had heard him. If he went back on his word, no one would trust him anymore. The group might even become divided. That was why Hirba wasn¡¯t afraid of the bald demon. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could be so decisive. You didn¡¯t even blink. I¡¯m amazed! ¡°Since I made a promise, I¡¯ll keep it.¡± He then released Hirba from his restraint. Hirba joined the bald demon¡¯s group without saying a word. ¡°Good. You¡¯ll be our next scout!¡± The bald demon picked another demon from the group. ¡­ In the magma, Ould and Muld were staring at each other in amazement. They couldn¡¯t believe they were still alive, let alone seeing somebody absorbing the magma¡¯s energy in front of them. They were watching none other than Himmel Soan and Firey. Shortly after, the demon kicked over the edge by Hirba also joined them. He was as dumbfounded as the other two. After calming himself down, Muld also wanted to absorb the magma¡¯s energy. Himmel Soan said, ¡°If you want to turn into ash, feel free to try it.¡± Muld trembled. ¡°Sir?¡± Ould asked tentatively. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sir, did you save us?¡± He thought he would be dead for sure. To his surprise, he ended up here. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw Muld was still alive. Both brothers remained silent when they saw Himmel Soan and Firey. They didn¡¯t dare disturb them. Only when Himmel Soan spoke to them did Ould summon up the courage to ask. ¡°Yes, I only saved you in passing. Do you have a problem with that? Did you want to die?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He didn¡¯t particularly like the demons, but he didn¡¯t want to see them getting killed, either. Therefore, he saved them because it was an easy thing to do. He still treated the demons in a nonchalant demeanor though. ¡°Thank you, Sir¡­¡± Ould stopped trying when he realized Himmel Soan didn¡¯t want to talk. He felt lucky enough to be still alive. The last thing he wanted to do was to poke around and upset his savior. Everybody fell silent. Ould looked up. They could hear everything from here and knew what was going on. He never thought Hirba would do such a thing. But still, it was understandable. Nobody wanted to die. ¡°Sir, can¡¯t they hear us?¡± Muld asked curiously. ¡°No.¡± Himmel Soan only gave a one-word answer. Setting up a formation to block all sounds was a piece of cake for him. Moreover, Firey felt at home in the magma. She could block the sounds with a snap of her fingers. This time, Himmel Soan was the one to initiate the conversation. ¡°Why are you here? Do you know what the bald demon wants?¡± Muld wanted to reply, but he didn¡¯t know all the facts. Plus, his brother was here. Ould answered the question in the end, ¡°We¡¯re here for opportunities and rewards! ¡°We don¡¯t know the bald demon well, but he seems to be familiar with this place. Earlier¡­¡± Ould described what happened and told Himmel Soan his speculations. Himmel Soan nodded. He wasn¡¯t surprised because he had heard their conversation. Chapter 494 - : Save Them All Through the conversation, Himmel Soan obtained some general information about the bald demon. He obviously knew this place well, but it didn¡¯t concern Himmel Soan because he could find the demonic god¡¯s string with the dagger. With the dagger in hand, a demon familiar with the inside of the tomb wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll get you up there in a moment.¡± Himmel Soan reassured them before closing his eyes again. He could chat with them while recovering his strength, but he didn¡¯t do so because he would still be distracted to some extent. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have much to talk about with these people. Although he didn¡¯t despise these demons, he didn¡¯t like them either. If this had happened in human society, he would have taught the bald demon a lesson. But now, he only watched in silence. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± The three demons thanked him. Another demon fell down. Ould immediately rushed to his side. Seeing that the demon wasn¡¯t injured, he explained to him what was happening there. More and more demons joined them in the magma. Five. Eight. Twelve. ¡­ When the 22nd demon fell down, there were no more scouts left on the surface. Apart from Hirba, who had joined the bald demon¡¯s team, all other captives had fallen into the magma. They all behaved the same way when they saw Himmel Soan. They were astonished at first and couldn¡¯t believe what was happening, but they all admired him in the end. Himmel Soan never said a word. He acted like a god and let them worship him. Up on the bridge, the bald demon¡¯s team still had a little under 150 feet to reach the other side, the longest distance in the world. They could see the other side, but they couldn¡¯t get there. The group didn¡¯t know how to cover that distance. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Shall we jump?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too far! We¡¯ll never get there!¡± ¡°Are we going to give up here? Damn it!¡± They could jump over 1500 feet outside, but inside the tomb was a different story. If the obstacle was designed in this way, it wouldn¡¯t let anybody bypass it. They could barely cover ten feet in one jump, let alone 150 feet required. So¡­ What should they do? ¡°We can search for the road,¡± the bald demon said casually. ¡°How? We don¡¯t have any scouts left. Are you going to make us do it? No! I¡¯m not going to do that!¡± The other demons were immediately alarmed. That would be suicidal! How was that possible? Why would they sacrifice themselves for others? Never! Everybody objected to the idea. The bald demon wasn¡¯t upset and only said, ¡°It¡¯s up to you. Once we get through this, we¡¯ll find our rewards. But if you don¡¯t want anything, our journey will end here. I¡¯ll dismiss the group, and we¡¯ll go our separate ways.¡± The bald demon sat down. He felt he had said enough. He believed one of the demons would make the right choice. The promise of the reward was too tempting! ¡°Well¡­ Are we really going to leave? We¡¯ve come so far. I don¡¯t want to go. Is there a way to get to the other side?¡± ¡°Yes, there is, if one of us is willing to sacrifice ourselves. Do you want to do that?¡± ¡°Of course not! Who would say yes to that?¡± Shortly after, the demons started discussing with each other. They all wanted to know who would be the next scout. No one wanted the job, but everybody wished the others would do it. Once they found the road, they could leave this place. That was to say, they wanted everything for nothing. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, however. Time ticked by. Two hours later, one of them suddenly shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll go! ¡°It¡¯s just 150 feet! The first scout covered 300 feet. Surely, I¡¯m at least half as lucky as him!¡± The demon set out after making up his mind. Would Lady Luck favor him? His luck ran out only five steps later. He fell right into the magma. ¡°What a pity. I wonder if someone else will make it further than he did.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are only 135 feet to go. If one is lucky enough, he can get to the other side in one go!¡± ¡°Do we have a volunteer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The demons discussed among themselves. They would urge anybody who showed the slightest inclination. Soon, they had another volunteer. He made 50 feet, and there were less than a hundred feet to go. His luck then ran out, however. He fell into the magma when he made another step. There were only nine members left, excluding the bald demon, Imm, and Hirba. They would never volunteer for the job, but one couldn¡¯t say the same about the others. Someone had volunteered when there were 150 feet to go, let alone now. Before long, they were only 30 feet away from the other side, with only six candidates left. No one wanted to be the next scout. They all wanted to find their rewards in the next location. Nobody wanted to die here. Even if there were only 30 feet remaining, they wouldn¡¯t risk their lives. ¡°I¡¯ll search for the last bit,¡± said the bald demon. The others were astonished. The bald demon was the least likely one to volunteer, but he had just offered to do it. How incredible! However, no one wanted to talk him out of it. Chapter 495 - Another Evolution Nobody wanted to meddle with other demons¡¯ business. As long as they didn¡¯t need to take the risk, they didn¡¯t care who was doing it, even if it was the bald demon. After what happened to Ould, the other demons were suspicious of the bald demon, too. Having lost their trust, they didn¡¯t care if the bald demon was dead or alive. ¡°I guess I¡¯m very lucky. Come over here!¡± The bald demon reached the other end in no time. The road was completed. The bald demon remained calm as if he hadn¡¯t done anything. He didn¡¯t seem to worry about falling into the magma at all. Ould seemed to be right. The bald demon probably knew the way. He had the ability to get everybody to the other side, but he enjoyed seeing the others die one by one. He waited till the very last moment to show his hand. However, thirty feet was such a short distance. It wasn¡¯t enough to prove Ould¡¯s theory. Even Imm felt conflicted. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Imm asked. He was there for the rewards, not to become the bald demon¡¯s toy. ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m your captain, aren¡¯t I?¡± The bald demon smiled. ¡°Stop lying. We¡¯ve come so far, and you know we¡¯re going to suspect you. ¡°We¡¯ve seen through your lies. You¡¯d better tell us the truth,¡± said Hirba. The others also looked at the bald demon in suspicion. It was obvious what they were thinking. If the bald demon didn¡¯t give them satisfactory answers, they would sever ties with him. ¡°It¡¯s like what I said. I¡¯m your captain. ¡°I only showed you the possibilities. Those people made their own choices. You saw it. They volunteered to be our scouts. ¡°Why are you questioning me? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± The bald demon didn¡¯t change his mind, but his tone was a little different. He was polite before, but now, he sounded displeased. ¡°If you want to leave, go ahead. I¡¯m heading to the next location.¡± He then turned to leave. Just then, Imm called after him. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m coming with you!¡± The bald demon was perplexed. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Imm nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re dead or alive. It doesn¡¯t concern me. I¡¯m just happy I¡¯m still alive. As for your plan, it¡¯s none of my business. ¡°I only care about how well you know this place and how capable you are.¡± Imm then went to the bald demon¡¯s side. It was as he said. He wasn¡¯t interested in the bald demon¡¯s plan because it wasn¡¯t his business. The most important thing was that the bald demon was familiar with this place, giving Imm enough reason to team up with him. Why explore the place on his own when he could follow a guide? ¡°Count me in.¡± Hirba also joined them. The others all made their choice one after another, opting to follow the bald demon. ¡­ In the magma, nearly thirty demons were sitting there. Although Firey was protecting them, they still felt the scorching heat at first. The temperature soon became merely hot before reducing to warm. In the end, there was no heat at all. They had never expected this. It was so shocking! The bald demon called this substance the primal magma. What did that mean? It meant the magma had been here since the beginning of things. There was primal magma, primal water, primal ice, etc. Everything else was created by these things. If this really was the primal magma, how could it be absorbed? ¡°Master, I¡¯m full! ¡°I want to sleep now!¡± Firey looked at Himmel Soan. She felt so full that she couldn¡¯t digest anything. She needed to switch back to her original form to digest all the energy. However, she notified Himmel Soan first. ¡°Alright. Go get some rest.¡± After Himmel Soan gave his consent, Firey turned back into the heart of the volcano and landed in his hand. Only then did the demons realize that she was the essence of nature. They all had the same question on their minds. The essence of nature had just called him her master. What kind of a being could he be? ¡°Now that the magma is gone, you can leave. I¡¯ve done my good deed of the day when I saved you. I won¡¯t interfere further,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. He didn¡¯t intend to save the demons, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to see them die. Therefore, he saved everybody he could. Now that the magma had been drained, it was time for him to leave. Whatever happened next wouldn¡¯t be his concern. After all, nothing was more important than looking for Gina. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± ¡°Thank you for saving us!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The demons knelt on the ground to thank Himmel Soan. The next second, he vanished into thin air as if he had never been there. Their knees had barely touched the ground, but Himmel Soan was already gone. ¡°That was incredible! He¡¯s like a god!¡± ¡°He could come and go without leaving a trace and has saved us so easily. He has to be a god!¡± ¡°Maybe he is. What do you want to do now? Keep going or leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving! I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore!¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying. I want to find some rewards.¡± Chapter 496 - Doors of Life and Death The demons soon decided what to do next. Some wanted to leave, and others wanted to stay. They all had their own reasons. Himmel Soan was already on his way to the next location. He was examining Firey¡¯s change. She had absorbed so much energy. He was worried if Firey could take so much. However, nothing seemed to be out of place. Back in the Dusk Soul Forest, Himmel Soan had been shocked by how much energy Firey could absorb. It wasn¡¯t a big surprise to him that she had absorbed all the primal magma. Himmel Soan had absorbed a small portion as well, and his strength was back to 1%. If he had absorbed all the energy, he could recover 10% of his total strength. But with Firey there, Himmel Soan did what a father would do and left most of the energy for her. ¡°I think Firey is going to evolve again. ¡°It makes sense. She originated from an ordinary volcano on Earth while the magma here is primal magma. It¡¯s more advanced than Firey¡¯s fire. ¡°After absorbing the energy, her fire will rise to that level, too!¡± Himmel Soan rubbed his chin and smiled. He was happy to see that Firey was alright. While he was thinking about those things, he reached the next location. There were two doors in front of him. ¡°Life¡± and ¡°Death¡± were written on each one. Life and death! Another choice to make. He needed to pick one door. Ordinary people would be at a loss. The two words on the doors would confuse them. Would ¡°life¡± be the safe choice? Would ¡°death¡± lead to their doom? What if the doors were lying? It could go either way, and it would always be a 50-50 chance. However, Himmel Soan had the dagger. He only needed to follow the demonic god¡¯s string. The words didn¡¯t concern him. He took out the dagger and injected a little spiritual essence. Many strings appeared in his vision. Which door did the demonic god choose? Both? The demonic god¡¯s string suddenly split into two. What was going on? Something like this had never happened! How could a string separate into two? That shouldn¡¯t be possible! Could the demonic god have a clone? Even so, they wouldn¡¯t have two strings. Himmel Soan was perplexed. He didn¡¯t know which door to choose. There were only two possibilities, but the wrong choice could lead him onto a totally different path. ¡°The ¡®Life¡¯ door, then!¡± Himmel Soan soon made up his mind and chose ¡°Life.¡± He didn¡¯t feel anything special. It was just a blind guess. Without any hint, guessing was his only option. It wasn¡¯t completely a wild guess though. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t like the word ¡°death.¡± Naturally, he chose ¡°life.¡± He then pushed the door. It was a bleak scene on the other side. The trees were withered, the land was bare, and the sky was dim. The environment couldn¡¯t be more depressing. ¡°Didn¡¯t I choose life? Why is this place so barren? Where am I? Am I still in the tomb?¡± Himmel Soan was confused. It couldn¡¯t be the inside of the tomb because he could see the sky unless it was fake. However, he was certain that this world was real. The law of nature could be applied here. It was the real world. Why would such a world exist in the tomb? Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll take one step at a time.¡± Himmel Soan decided to improvise. To figure out where he was, he needed to explore this place. That was the only way to find an answer. He took a step forward. Just then, he realized his legs were trembling slightly, and he felt tired. He almost couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He calmed down and examined himself. He immediately discovered the reason. He had been getting old ever since he opened the door. Why did that happen? Was it an illusion? No! It was caused by time! Himmel Soan murmured the word. Time could speed up or slow down in this place. It was a variable that could change everything. If he was capable enough, he could reverse the process. ¡°No, I can¡¯t let this happen. I need to do something about it!¡± Meanwhile, Himmel Soan felt a sense of crisis. If he could recover his strength, he would be the most powerful person in this world. What he had now was enough to get through many situations. 1% of his strength was a great deal. Yet he still felt threatened. ¡°If I stay here, I might die!¡± At that thought, he took two steps forward. The sense of crisis diminished, and the aging process slowed down. Yes! That was it! Although he hadn¡¯t figured out how it happened, he knew what he should do. If he stayed in one spot for too long, he would start aging. However, when he moved forward, that process would stop. He would even rejuvenate. No, it wasn¡¯t rejuvenation. He would return to his original state. Gradually, he found out that his surroundings had changed. There was grass on the ground, and the trees had some leaves. He continued walking. Before long, he saw green plants around him. Chapter 497 - Crisis Himmel Soan no longer looked like an old man. ¡°That¡¯s the effect of the door. How amazing!¡± Although Himmel Soan had experienced old age before, this was the first time he recovered so fast. The door of life. Was it a door that could turn death into life? What about the door of death? Would it work the other way around? He couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what would happen if he had entered the other door. The crisis earlier came from death. He really could have died. He couldn¡¯t let that happen before he found Gina. Well¡­ Himmel Soan sighed and took out the dagger. There were much fewer stringers here. It meant he was getting closer and closer to the demonic god. He marched on. Soon, he made the bald demon and his team at the next location. They also spotted him. ¡°You¡¯re from that group!¡± The bald demon was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect to see one of the cannon fodders here. ¡°You have a good memory,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t feel much about most demons, but the bald demon disgusted him. If he and Firey hadn¡¯t been in the magma, all those demons would have been killed. Himmel Soan never liked a cruel person. ¡°How did you get here? Have you been pretending this whole time? ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering why we didn¡¯t see the cannon fodders¡¯ bodies at the door and how they got inside so fast. ¡°It was you. I¡¯ve underestimated you!¡± the bald demon said coldly. He had suspected Himmel Soan before because he was so relaxed when he joined the team. He didn¡¯t seem nervous at all, and his face was as blank as a piece of paper. However, after some examination, the bald demon decided there was nothing special about Himmel Soan, so he just ignored this ¡°young demon.¡± Including Himmel Soan in the scout group was part of the bald demon¡¯s plan. He wanted to gauge his actual capability. After all, the first group was meant to fight the guards. The bald demon wanted to see how Himmel Soan fought. However, nothing happened, and the bald demon soon forgot about it. He never expected to meet Himmel Soan again. He didn¡¯t know if he was frightened or pleasantly surprised. ¡°I never pretended anything. I was just being myself. You made too many assumptions. When are you going to move out of my way?¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. He never showed the bald demon any respect, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind it. It was as if he didn¡¯t notice Himmel Soan¡¯s tone. ¡°There¡¯s an armory up ahead, and it has five sophisticated formations. Five of us have to solve them simultaneously. ¡°We don¡¯t want to block your way, but we can¡¯t get through, either. Do you know how to solve formations?¡± the bald demon asked. Including him, only three demons knew how to work a formation, but they needed five. Therefore, they were waiting here for two more demons with the requisite knowledge. It would be great if Himmel Soan could help. That way, they would only need one more demon. ¡°If you knew you would run into these formations here, why did you use those demons as scouts? You were aware that the magma would kill them. You also understood the route, but you lied about it. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you want.¡± Himmel Soan listed all the strange things the bald demon had done and accused him of lying. He had examined the formations that the bald demon mentioned and could solve them all by himself. However, with the bald demon here, he didn¡¯t want to waste so much effort. Moreover, the bald demon could have a hidden agenda. ¡°I don¡¯t care who solves the formation. I¡¯m not doing it. I don¡¯t know anything about formations. Take your time.¡± Himmel Soan then walked to a big rock. As soon as he sat down, he switched to his cultivation mode. Seeing this, the bald demon stopped talking. One should never disturb someone when the latter was cultivating. Although Himmel Soan was pretending to be cultivating, the bald demon still didn¡¯t bother him. ¡°What¡¯s his problem? He acts as if he¡¯s more important than me!¡± Imm was displeased with Himmel Soan¡¯s attitude. He couldn¡¯t stand the other party¡¯s arrogance. To him, he was just an ordinary demon. Why does he act like he¡¯s some higher authority? thought Imm. ¡°If you don¡¯t like him, tell him so yourself. Don¡¯t lash out at me!¡± the bald demon said coldly. First, Himmel Soan gave him the cold shoulder, and now, Imm was complaining. He wouldn¡¯t take that. Hirba asked, ¡°Is there something special about him?¡± That sounded much more polite than what Imm said. Well¡­ They were wondering about the same thing, but how they expressed it was very different. The bald demon glanced at Imm and explained, ¡°He¡¯s a mysterious man. ¡°You all got this far because I led you here, but he has been on his own this whole time. Either he¡¯s very capable, or he knows this tomb as well as I do. ¡°Anybody who knows the tomb well can¡¯t be an ordinary demon.¡± That was all the bald demon said. There were things that he could tell them, but certain things were better left unsaid. Just then, they heard footsteps again. The bald demon looked in that direction. ¡°Ould?! Muld?! How¡¯s that possible? How can they still be alive?!¡± Both Hirba and the bald demon were shocked. Hirba had betrayed them. He also felt guilty when he saw the two brothers. The bald demon was simply puzzled. Chapter 498 - The Gate Ould and Muld had jumped into the primal magma. Why were they still alive? What about the demons behind them? What¡­ Why were they all here? It was the primal magma! Even the bald demon was afraid of it. They had all fallen into the magma, so how could they still be alive? ¡°Baldie, are you surprised? Isn¡¯t this fun? I bet you didn¡¯t see this coming! ¡°Your face is so hilarious!¡± Ould mocked him. The other demons laughed at the bald demon, too. They had died once. The bald demon didn¡¯t frighten them any more. Moreover, they had the advantage now. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could come back from death. I feel happy for you. Come with me!¡± The bald demon acted as if nothing had happened. He made the whole thing sound so light. Those demons¡¯ lives were worthless to him. Dead or alive, they didn¡¯t mean anything to the bald demon. ¡°Are you going to act like you haven¡¯t done anything? Do you think that¡¯s possible? ¡°We nearly died because we became your scouts. Don¡¯t you realize how serious that is?¡± Muld said indignantly. The others were as displeased as Muld was, but what could they do? They wanted to tear the bald demon into pieces, but did they have the power to do so? ¡°To get through the obstacles, scouts were necessary. Should I have lied to you? Your effort provided us with a shortcut. It wasn¡¯t futile! ¡°Why do you look so resentful?¡± the bald demon asked indifferently. The look on his face was full of disdain. So what if they had returned? They would only become his toy again. He didn¡¯t think they would return from death for a second time. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡± One of the demons wanted to attack the bald demon, but Muld stopped him. As much as he hated the bald demon, now wasn¡¯t the appropriate time to confront the latter because their savior was still here. Muld thought, If he was displeased with the bald demon, he would have done something already, but he hasn¡¯t, so there must be a reason behind it. ¡°If he hasn¡¯t said anything, we shouldn¡¯t do anything either. Behave yourself!¡± Muld reminded the other demon, who immediately calmed down. He then gave Himmel Soan a little bow. Himmel Soan only nodded without saying anything. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to kill me? Do it now!¡± The bald demon smirked. He didn¡¯t think the other demons had the ability to kill him. Although there were over thirty of them, it was just a disorderly mob. This time, no one got angry at the bald demon because their savior was present at the scene. If the bald demon really deserved to die, they didn¡¯t need to do it themselves. In their eyes, he was a walking corpse. Nobody would be scared of an already dead thing. ¡°Baldie, move aside. I¡¯ll get them to the other side. It won¡¯t take long. Once there, you¡¯ll be on your own.¡± Himmel Soan walked up to the passageway. The five formations were similar to the five in Stelladom. Of the five places that made up the formation, Himmel Soan had only visited the Dusk Soul Forest. Through it, he had a rough understanding of other places. He gained insights from none other than the formations. The five formations were intricately related. Of course, five people who knew formations could solve them together, but that wasn¡¯t the ideal solution. The five people could have different goals and might not be able to work as one. Everybody thought they needed five members to solve the formation, but they had been mistaken. If a person was capable enough to control the situation, they could solve all five formations at the same time. That was what Himmel Soan did. The door opened, showing the passageway on the other side. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?!¡± ¡°He opened it all by himself!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was doable!¡± The bald demon seemed inspired as if he had had an epiphany. However, he wasn¡¯t capable enough to see through Himmel Soan¡¯s ability. An epiphany? Of course, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t let that happen so easily. He saw the bald demon as a scumbag who didn¡¯t deserve to live. He was happy to waste the demon¡¯s time. ¡°There. The door has opened. You can go and find your own rewards. It¡¯s all up to you now.¡± Himmel Soan let the demons he had saved look for their own chances. That was all he would do for them. Nothing more. He wasn¡¯t a man of no principles. He wouldn¡¯t help them forever. He had his own business to attend to. ¡°You. Stay.¡± He stopped Hirba, who tried to leave with the others. Hirba had kicked his own group members into the magma. Of course, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t let him pass. ¡°Why are you stopping me? I won¡¯t give in that easily! Talking alone won¡¯t keep me here!¡± Hirba said arrogantly. He was intimidated by Himmel Soan¡¯s capability, but great rewards could be waiting on the other side. The others all went through the door. Why couldn¡¯t he? The more demons that crossed, the fewer rewards there would be. Hirba didn¡¯t want to scrape for leftovers. He chose to confront Himmel Soan. He believed he could force his way through. Chapter 499 - Divine Instrument Hirba studied the ¡°demon¡± that was blocking his way, thinking, No matter how capable he is, if I want to force my way through, he can¡¯t stop me. Hirba suddenly leaped up. He could reach the passageway in an instant. If he could get there, he could pass the gate. But would that happen? ¡°You¡¯re imagining things,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Hirba suddenly realized the situation he was in. He was still in his original spot. Wasn¡¯t he so close to the gate just then? How did he return to this spot? ¡°I have to tell you how disappointed I am by your performance. Were you imagining bypassing me? ¡°It¡¯s a nice thought, but it¡¯s only an illusion. Well, it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± Himmel Soan was ready to go. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Hirba felt humiliated and wanted to lash out at Himmel Soan. He wasn¡¯t going to let the latter leave. The bald demon watched in silence. Nothing seemed to have happened. However, the bald demon deduced from their conversation that Hirba was in a spell-induced hallucination, but he had no idea when Himmel Soan cast that spell. It was only when he heard the conversation did he realize that. That ¡°demon¡± could create illusions, and he was very good at it, giving him the creeps. What if the death of those demons had all been an illusion? It seemed to be the most reasonable explanation. If it really was an illusion, it would be so terrifying. How capable did that ¡°demon¡± have to be? No! He wondered if Himmel Soan himself was an illusion. The tomb was such a mysterious place. What he knew was only the tip of the iceberg. What if the tomb could create this elaborate illusion? The bald demon let his imagination run wild. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. If something didn¡¯t make sense, his imagination would fill the gap. Himmel Soan would be amazed if he knew what the demon was thinking. To teach Hirba a lesson, Himmel Soan took out his divine dagger. He was serious. ¡°What are you going to do with that tiny dagger? Don¡¯t make me laugh. It¡¯s more like a toothpick!¡± Hirba laughed at Himmel Soan¡¯s dagger. He didn¡¯t expect to see such a thing. He decided he would grant Himmel Soan¡¯s death wish. ¡°A toothpick? You¡¯ll lose your teeth!¡± Himmel Soan narrowed his eyes and saw the strings coming out of Hirba. There were so few. Hirba had no family or friends. The strings only represented the lives he had taken. There were so many demons! Himmel Soan decided not to show him any mercy. He raised the dagger. ¡°You¡¯re such a fool!¡± Hirba had been waiting for an opening. Himmel Soan had cast a powerful spell on him earlier. He didn¡¯t want to be affected again. Now that he could tell illusions and reality apart, Hirba couldn¡¯t be bothered to see what Himmel Soan was doing. He charged at him. His palm brushed past Himmel Soan. He would have hit his target if Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t dodged at the last moment. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡± Himmel Soan swiped the dagger across the air above Hirba¡¯s head. He then turned to leave. Killing someone was that easy for Himmel Soan. There was a price for using the divine dagger. The pressure was posed by the law of nature. The harder it was to kill somebody, the bigger the pressure. It was the same way with Himmel Soan, but the pressure meant nothing to him. He had killed Emperor Baih without breaking a sweat. Hirba was nothing in comparison. Himmel Soan could hardly notice the pressure. However, he still needed to remove it because it would burden him when enough was accumulated. Thy Baih didn¡¯t use the dagger because he didn¡¯t know how to remove the pressure or use it properly. One thing led to the next, and Himmel Soan ended up having the dagger. It almost felt like destiny. ¡°What did you do? Why do I feel life is leaving my body? You¡­¡± Hirba sounded terrified. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but his body felt so heavy. His mind was fading. Gradually, Hirba¡¯s world became dark. He would never wake up again. The bald demon frowned. ¡°What was that? Why did Hirba die so suddenly? Was it his ability or the dagger? ¡°What kind of a dagger can do that? ¡°If it really was the dagger, it means it is a divine instrument!¡± The bald demon analyzed. Hirba¡¯s death wasn¡¯t worthless. It helped the bald demon make a rough estimation of Himmel Soan¡¯s capability. ¡°How can he have a divine instrument?¡± Imm couldn¡¯t help but ask. Hirba¡¯s death didn¡¯t affect him at all. He only saw it as a show. As long as it wasn¡¯t him, he didn¡¯t care who died. He only cared about Himmel Soan¡¯s dagger. Chapter 500 - Demonic Gods Descendant ¡°Anyone else?¡± Himmel Soan tilted his head and asked lightly. The bald demon looked at the dagger in his hand, trying to figure out what it was. ¡°What¡¯s that dagger?¡± Imm asked greedily. If he could have a dagger like that, his family would recognize his ability. ¡°It¡¯s a divine dagger.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t find it necessary to hide that fact. He had noticed the greed in Imm¡¯s eyes, but the dagger was still in his hands. So what if Imm coveted it? The worst Imm could do was snatch the dagger. However, the demon had no idea how difficult that would be. ¡°The divine dagger?¡± ¡°The divine dagger!¡± Imm and the bald demon said in unison. Although they said the same thing, their tones were utterly different. It was apparent that Imm didn¡¯t know what a divine dagger was. The bald demon sounded astonished. He obviously knew that name. Himmel Soan also recognized that tone. He didn¡¯t expect a demon to recognize a dagger from Stelladom. Although Himmel Soan knew how to use the dagger and the consequences of using it, he didn¡¯t know its history. Since the bald demon had recognized it, maybe he could learn something from him. At least he could find out how other people viewed this dagger, but he couldn¡¯t just blurt out the question. That would be foolish. He and the bald demon were practically enemies now. Why would the bald demon tell him anything? Himmel Soan was still confused when Imm suddenly behaved like a friendly teammate. ¡°Captain, what¡¯s a divine dagger?¡± Imm asked. ¡°It¡¯s a divine weapon. Legend says there are four such weapons in total: a sword, a spear, a dagger, and a saber. ¡°They were all created by the law of nature and contain its power. When they were first made, they were all fragile and weak, but these weapons could grow! ¡°Four very capable beings wielded them at first. Even the ancient demonic god didn¡¯t have one. ¡°Somehow, the divine weapons went missing. ¡°I never thought I would find the divine dagger here!¡± the bald demon explained. There was a greedy look in his eyes as well. Still, he knew he had to be cautious. Hirba had just served as a warning. Although the bald demon kept himself in check, Imm couldn¡¯t wait much longer. ¡°If you want it, come and get it. I¡¯m standing right here. Otherwise, stop staring at it,¡± Himmel Soan said coldly. He didn¡¯t think much of the dagger, but he hated the looks in their eyes. It was repulsive! ¡°You¡¯re very funny. That¡¯s one of the four divine weapons, and by the looks of it, you can wield it. Are you telling us to take it or walk into a death trap?¡± said the bald demon. He was still very calm. No matter what happened, he didn¡¯t forget his top priority. The divine dagger was a great temptation, but it was nowhere near as important as his mission: revive the ancient demonic god. In fact, he was one of the ancient demonic god¡¯s avatars. This place was also his tomb, which was why he was so familiar with it. However, an avatar wasn¡¯t the same as the ancient demonic god himself. The things he knew and his capability were much inferior to the actual ancient demonic god. He was a lesser copy of the real thing. That disadvantage was also demonstrated by the fact that he couldn¡¯t solve the five connected formations. ¡°If you won¡¯t take it, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Himmel Soan saw that none of them wanted to do anything reckless. In that case, he would have to let things be for now. He couldn¡¯t say the same thing about their next meeting. Once he reached the other end of the passageway, Himmel Soan reactivated the formations. The five formations appeared once more. ¡°Damn it! He shut the gate behind him. What should we do now? ¡°Are you just going to stand here and wait for two more members who happen to know formations? That¡¯s impossible?!¡± ¡°Do we have another choice?¡± The demons argued among themselves, but they couldn¡¯t reach any conclusions. They didn¡¯t know what to do. Just then, the bald demon spoke. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Now isn¡¯t the time for quarrels. We should be solving this problem. ¡°He solved the formations all by himself earlier. I¡¯ve been thinking about it. ¡°I have some ideas now and can probably deactivate the formations in two hours. ¡°Anybody who still wants to bicker can leave my team now.¡± As expected, his words had the intimidating effect he expected to create, but intimidation alone couldn¡¯t change anything. What he said caught everybody¡¯s attention. Reopen the door! ¡°Imm, there¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡± The bald demon sent Imm a secret message. Imm was perplexed. What did he want to say? Why couldn¡¯t the others hear it? ¡°Go ahead,¡± Imm replied with a secret message, too. The bald demon was the captain of the team, and Imm had grown to admire his power. He respected him. ¡°Imm, you¡¯re the demonic god¡¯s descendant, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 501 - Library It was a shocking statement. The bald demon had revealed Imm¡¯s true identity. A descendant of the demonic god! Imm was astonished. ¡°How did you know that?¡± There was a murderous look in his eyes. If he really had figured out his true identity, he would try his best to kill the bald demon. ¡°Only a few families can have a special name like yours. Moreover, your attitude and tone gave you away. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to deduce your identity,¡± the bald demon explained. Imm didn¡¯t let his guard down. If anything, he was more alarmed. However, the murderous intention was gone. So far, they were still communicating via secret messages, keeping the conversation between the two of them. Because of that, Imm thought highly of the bald demon. ¡°So? You¡¯ve revealed my identity. What do you want? You must be doing it for a reason,¡± said Imm. The bald man must need that identity if he had pointed it out. Although Imm was the demonic god¡¯s descendent, he couldn¡¯t casually use the identity. He was ready for a negotiation. ¡°I think you¡¯ve guessed it already. Yes, I want to borrow your identity. ¡°It¡¯s the only way that I can get certain things done. Here¡¯s my plan¡­¡± ¡­ On the other side, Himmel Soan arrived at the armory that the bald demon had mentioned. There were only a handful of weapons in it. Countless visitors must have been here before. All that was left now were some unwanted weapons. Many doors appeared at that moment. Unlike the passageway he had just walked through, they were simple doors this time. There were words on them, too. ¡°Library.¡± ¡°Refinement Room.¡± ¡°Classroom.¡± ¡°Treasure Room.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Himmel Soan looked at each of them and felt confused. Wasn¡¯t this place supposed to be the ancient demonic god¡¯s tomb? Why did these rooms have the same names as those of humans? Moreover, how big was this place? The ground he had covered was 1/8 the size of Stelladom. 1/8 sounded like a small fraction, but this place was a tomb. A tomb was 1/8 the size of Stelladom. That was a terrifying size. But it wasn¡¯t the time to think about that. He had to make another choice. Himmel Soan took out the dagger again to examine the demonic god¡¯s string. The strangest thing happened. There was a string leading to every single door. Well¡­ He must have been to all the rooms. Maybe he was the one who had ransacked this place. Himmel Soan hesitated and chose the library. This place might have been cleaned out, but maybe some things were left behind. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think much before choosing to enter the library. Books were the source of knowledge. They contained experiences and methods recorded by people in the past. Himmel Soan always considered knowledge to be the most valuable thing. Although treasures were desirable, with enough knowledge, one could create their own treasures. All treasures were man-made, and there would always be something better. It was the same on Earth. Scientists were constantly searching for more knowledge, and so did cultivators. Many cultivators focused on results. They wanted power, but often, they didn¡¯t know how to utilize it. Himmel Soan could compress the Golden Core spiritual essence to release a power that was equivalent to a Nascent cultivator. It was a kind of technique, but people hadn¡¯t done enough research in this area. Himmel Soan shook his head and entered the library. ¡°There are plenty of books here. It seems they prefer weapons over books.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t think they made the wrong choice. To some people, all they wanted were weapons. Some might even want less than that. It all depended on how perceptive one was. ¡°What books can I find here? ¡®Herbs¡¯, ¡®Demons¡¯¡­¡± Finally, he spotted a book called ¡°Starain.¡± The title immediately caught his attention. Starain was what the Demon Continent used to be called. This continent should have been resided by humans like Stelladom. How did it become the land of demons? What happened? Himmel Soan opened ¡°Starain.¡± ¡°Here on Blue Star, there are five continents: Stelladom, Starloud, Starlune, Starain, and Star¡­¡± Himmel Soan was perplexed. The name of the fifth continent had been wiped away. Only a part of it remained. Had somebody done it on purpose? There was too little information for him to reach any conclusions. He concentrated on the book and kept reading. ¡°Starain is a continent on the north. It has that name because¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Himmel Soan soon flipped through the book. The content was all about Starain. He couldn¡¯t determine if Starain really was what the Demon Continent used to be. He needed to find answers elsewhere. He then picked up another book called ¡°Demons.¡± Maybe he could find something there. He opened the book to find all the pages covered with black ink. It was as if somebody was deliberately hiding everything. Chapter 502 - Found You What happened? Himmel Soan was confused. Did someone do it on purpose? He soon figured it out. This place was the Demon Continent now, and everybody who lived here was a demon. He was in the ancient demonic god¡¯s tomb at the moment. Therefore, a book that commented on the demons couldn¡¯t be allowed to exist here. Some demons might stumble on it and not like what they saw. Himmel Soan sighed. What happened to the book was understandable. It would be nice if such a thing was avoided, but seeing it happen wouldn¡¯t change anything, either. Himmel Soan only felt sorry for the book. If he could figure out the link between Starain, the Demon Continent, and the demons, maybe he would find his way to the other continents. He wanted to search for Gina, not stay here! ¡°It seems that finding the demonic god is my best bet.¡± Himmel Soan soon formed a plan. He would find the demonic god and speak to him. He left the library and went into a garden. It was a pleasant place that reminded him of spring. What¡­ It would be a nice garden if he were on Earth now. However, this was the Demon Continent. Why would such a garden exist here? Himmel Soan was utterly confused. They saw piles of bones when they first arrived. Then, the capital was so foggy, but the environment of this place was in stark contrast to what he had seen before. If this place was heaven, the capital city was hell. However, why was there a garden in a tomb? Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t come up with an answer. Ding! He heard a pleasant sound and recognized the instrument. It was a zither, a musical instrument from Earth. Why could he hear its sound here? Himmel Soan followed the music. As he walked, he was surrounded by more and more flowers. All the colors seemed to have turned this place into a fairyland. Ding! Somebody kept playing the zither. Himmel Soan turned a corner and saw Gina. ¡°Gina? ¡°Why are you here, Gina? ¡°I finally found you!¡± Himmel Soan burst into tears. However, she didn¡¯t seem to hear him and was still playing the zither. Himmel Soan was confused, but he kept walking toward her. It was Gina, his cultivation partner. She disappeared 500 years ago. Finally! He found her! ¡°Gina, it¡¯s me, Himmel Soan. Please talk to me!¡± Himmel Soan was excited. However, she didn¡¯t respond to his voice. It was as if she couldn¡¯t hear him. He halted and didn¡¯t dare take another step. If he moved closer, he would see her face. However, he was too afraid to do that. ¡°Master! Master! ¡°Wake up!¡± A voice distracted Himmel Soan. Who was that? It sounded so familiar¡­ Right¡­ It was his daughter! What? Since when did he have a daughter? Himmel Soan¡¯s mind was a mess. He sensed something was off. ¡°You¡¯re not Gina! Who are you?!¡± Himmel Soan questioned the person. He must have been confused for some reason. The only thing that could have that effect on him was this person. He had called Gina¡¯s name over and over again, but that person never responded. It couldn¡¯t possibly be her. Who was it, then? ¡°Master, wake up!¡± He heard Firey¡¯s voice again. ¡°Firey, is that you? Why are you telling me to wake up? Am I asleep? Where are you?¡± Himmel Soan tried to communicate with Firey. He didn¡¯t know how to do that, but since he could hear her voice, there must be a way to talk to her. Shortly after he asked the questions, Firey answered, ¡°I just woke up and found you unconscious on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am, but there are a lot of books! ¡°It looks like a library!¡± The library? A lot of books? ¡°Am I still in the library?¡± Himmel Soan suspected he might have been in this state after reading that book on demons. He thought he had left the room, but he had fallen into an illusion instead. It took him by surprise. Only an extraordinary illusion could entrap him and simulate a figure that resembled Gina. He almost walked into a trap. Luckily, he had Firey¡¯s help. Even if Firey hadn¡¯t alerted him, he would have woken up on his own in a short while. No illusion could replicate Gina. That was why in that illusion, she had her back to him and never responded to his questions. He had already grown suspicious. In a few moments, he would have noticed the abnormality. Being woken up in advance was a good thing. He was now aware that it was an illusion. However, he didn¡¯t know how to get out. He didn¡¯t know how to break out of this illusion. ¡°Firey, try to burn the book next to me!¡± Himmel Soan suggested. The book ¡°Demons¡± had put him in this illusion. If it was destroyed, maybe he could return to the real world. Chapter 503 - Advanced Illusion ¡°Of course. That¡¯s something I¡¯m very good at!¡± Firey set the entire room on fire. Her fire was clean and created no smoke. The whole room was devoured by flames. She seemed to have forgotten that Himmel Soan only told her to burn the book next to him. Firey didn¡¯t care about that. She just wanted to burn everything. ¡°Master, it¡¯s done. The room is clean. When are you going to wake up?¡± Firey was confused. She had burned everything, but why hadn¡¯t her master woken up? Himmel Soan was wondering about the same thing. Was it not the book? He fell into this illusion after reading ¡°Demons.¡± Firey said she had burned down the whole room. She would have told him if the book was still there. Instead, she said the room was clean, which meant there was no book left. ¡°Firey, did you see a black book before starting the fire?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°What black book? I don¡¯t think so!¡± Firey said affirmatively. Himmel Soan was at a loss. He trusted her because just like him, she had a photographic memory. She couldn¡¯t have remembered it incorrectly. Either the book wasn¡¯t related to the illusion, or it had disappeared. Had the book turned into an illusion? Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t see anything out of place. ¡°The book and the illusion¡­ Will I get back to reality if I destroy this place? Is the illusion created by that figure?¡± Himmel Soan studied the person from behind. It resembled Gina, but it wasn¡¯t her. It never would be. He charged at the figure. Since it was a fake, he showed it no mercy. The figure dissipated, but he was still in the illusion. ¡°Firey, burn that worm inside me!¡± That was Himmel Soan¡¯s second guess. Maybe that worm was the reason that he was in an illusion. After the books, the worm was the only option left. ¡°Alright!¡± Firey blew at Himmel Soan, burning the black worm to ash. Meanwhile, the illusion that Himmel Soan was in began to crumble. Soon, he opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to have you here.¡± Himmel Soan hugged Firey as soon as he woke up. Firey chuckled. ¡°Nice job.¡± Himmel Soan complimented her and asked, ¡°How are you doing?¡± Having absorbed the primal magma, Firey had evolved again. ¡°I think my fire has become purer. It¡¯s like something that exists naturally. It¡¯s also much hotter than before!¡± Firey grinned. The fire was Firey¡¯s toy. Now that it had become purer, it meant her toy had been upgraded. That made her very happy. ¡°That¡¯s good. Keep up the good work. How long does it take for you to evolve?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Before Firey went dormant, Himmel Soan estimated that it would take her a year to wake up again. He went into that illusion only days after Firey went dormant. Her evolving process was as long as when he was unconscious. ¡°Five months, I think. The magma is quite obedient, and I soon got used to it,¡± said Firey. Five months? ¡°Was I unconscious for that long?¡± That was much longer than he thought. In the illusion, it only felt like a few hours. The five months passed in the blink of an eye. Himmel Soan rubbed her head. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Do you want to switch back to your original form?¡± Firey shook her head. ¡°No, I want to stay with you. ¡°If anything happens, I can protect you. ¡°I¡¯m very strong now. I can fight off all the bad men!¡± Firey waved her hands around. Himmel Soan smiled. He took her hand, and they left the room. The place outside the library wasn¡¯t a beautiful garden. Rather, it was a bleak land. The wind was cold, and the moon was reading. They seemed to have come out of the tomb. ¡°What¡¯s this place?¡± Himmel Soan took out the dagger, and the demonic god¡¯s string appeared. He also saw a few other powerful strings. It seemed that he was getting closer to the demonic god. However, he had slept in the library for five months. He didn¡¯t know if the demonic god was still here. ¡°We need to hurry up!¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°Great!¡± Immediately, flames appeared around Firey. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll speed us up! ¡°Ouch!¡± Himmel Soan clonked her in the head, and the fire disappeared. He said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t abuse your power like that. ¡°You must learn to control when and how to use your power. ¡°You tried to speed up. Which direction did you want to go? ¡°We don¡¯t know our surroundings. Don¡¯t make reckless moves.¡± Firey pouted, feeling wronged. She mumbled, ¡°Alright.¡± Himmel Soan studied his surroundings. It was like a hell version of the Dusk Soul Forest, only that it was much smaller. Chapter 504 - Red Moon and Fog The trees here were short and sparse. The red moon and the red earth could creep one out. The ancient demonic god¡¯s corpse and the demonic god should both be here. Himmel Soan concluded. This was more like the place where demons would reside. The capital city was filled with objects of human civilization. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t believe it was the invention of the demons. They couldn¡¯t have created such an advanced civilization. Maybe the demons invaded Starain, turning it into the Demon Continent. Those were only his speculations though. There was no way to verify that theory. He could only speculate. ¡°Maybe this is the most dangerous place so far,¡± said Himmel Soan. The place he had just come out of didn¡¯t seem like a tomb. It felt more like a place suitable for human beings. The whole thing felt like a test. He had just passed one of the trials. ¡°Is that wind? Firey, I need your fire!¡± Himmel Soan immediately took action. It was the right decision. As soon as the fire was lit, the wind stopped. Even the shadows around them backed away. ¡°Master, what are those?¡± Firey was confused. She only noticed the shadows moving away but never saw who was controlling them. She asked if Himmel Soan knew what it was, but he shook his head. He had no idea what those things were. He saw the same thing as Firey, which was how the shadows backed away. Therefore, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have an answer either. ¡°Keep the fire. If it goes off, they¡¯ll jump at us right away. ¡°Darkness is the most dangerous thing. Let¡¯s not take that risk.¡± Himmel Soan concluded. After the illusion, he became much more cautious. He was gathering information here to find Gina. If he ran into danger or trouble here, he would be wasting this great opportunity. If the unknown creature was afraid of fire, he would keep it lit. ¡°Master, how about I burn this place down?¡± Firey played with the ball of fire in her palm, sounding excited. Himmel Soan only moved his finger, and Firey cringed. She didn¡¯t want to get clonked again. She only made a suggestion! ¡°We can¡¯t burn the place down. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about this place or those things. We don¡¯t know if they¡¯re afraid of the fire or simply dislike it. ¡°Maybe they only backed away because the sight of the fire felt unpleasant. ¡°To survive in this place, we need to keep the status quo and understand our surroundings first. We can then make some changes according to what we find,¡± Himmel Soan told Firey. Firey nodded repeatedly. Although she hardly remembered anything, she behaved like a good kid. Himmel Soan sighed. Their journey resumed. Before long, they saw blue flames floating in the air. ¡°Ghost fire?¡± Himmel Soan was intrigued. ¡°I think I can absorb them!¡± Firey felt she had found a treasure trove. There were tens of thousands of balls of fire here. Anybody else would stay away because it looked so creepy. However, Firey didn¡¯t feel that way. Rather, it was like going back home! ¡°One more to go! Done!¡± Firey absorbed all the flames in less than ten minutes. Himmel Soan¡¯s face twitched. The girl had absorbed both the magma and the ghost fire. It was such a rewarding trip for her. He was glad at her progress. He would be happy as long as she was happy. He had become a father through and through. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± As soon as he said that, the sky dimmed, and heavy fog filled the woods. ¡°Is this what the daytime is like? Firey, hold onto me. Don¡¯t let go!¡± Himmel Soan moved to Firey¡¯s side and held her in his arms. The fog was so heavy that he could barely see her. He was so worried that they might be separated in this fog. Gina had disappeared from his world and was still not found. He couldn¡¯t lose Firey. ¡°That¡¯s alright, Master. I¡¯m here!¡± She released a ball of fire, dissipating the fog around them a little. It gave them some room to rest. ¡°Firey, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright.¡± Himmel Soan held her tightly in his arms. He feared losing his daughter. ¡°I¡¯m totally fine!¡± Firey grinned. ¡°Yes! Glad to hear that. This place is so strange.¡± Himmel Soan finally had some time to analyze his surroundings. At night, the place was dimly lit by the red moon, while in the daytime, the heavy fog enveloped the world. That was how strange this place was. There were ¡°things¡± in the fog. If Firey¡¯s fire hadn¡¯t pushed the fog away, maybe the ¡°things¡± in the fog would have separated them. ¡°Master, will the demonic god really live in such a place?¡± Firey was perplexed. ¡°Maybe. Maybe not.¡± Himmel Soan caressed the dagger and pondered. He was still trying to analyze the environment. If the days and nights were always like this, they could only continue their journey at night. Was there a pattern? Could they make use of it? ¡°Firey, what do you think of the surroundings?¡± Himmel Soan tried to find some inspiration from her. He couldn¡¯t figure it out all by himself. More importantly, he wanted to know if Firey would see it from a different angle. ¡°Burn it! Let¡¯s burn this place to the ground!¡± Chapter 505 - Fog Ghost Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. Once more, she demonstrated that all she knew was to burn everything. He should have seen it coming. This time, he didn¡¯t reject her suggestion. Instead, he considered its feasibility. ¡°We can try that, but we¡¯ll wait till nightfall.¡± Himmel Soan made the decision. Firey could have a great time! The girl thought her master would scold her as usual, but to her surprise, he said yes. Burn it down! The thought of setting fire to this place excited Firey. The flames around them became more intense. Immediately, they heard screams. Firey and Himmel Soan both looked in one direction. Something resembling a ball of fog was rolling around on the ground while screeching in agony. ¡°Master, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s the thing hiding in the fog,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. There were more than a few such things in the fog, When Firey¡¯s fire suddenly flared up, this particular ¡°fog ghost¡± couldn¡¯t get away in time. Only then did Firey and Himmel Soan see what was in a fog. The ¡°things¡± did exist. How lucky they were! Firey had outdone herself this time. Without her getting excited, maybe they would never find this thing. Himmel Soan slowly approached the fog ghost. Sensing the danger, the creature tried to get away. But that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Himmel Soan and Firey were both watching it, making sure it wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. The fog ghost was only the size of a human head. Himmel Soan paused and observed it. ¡°It¡¯s a tangible creature, but its face is all blurry. I can only make out a mouth. ¡°No wonder they can blend perfectly with the fog.¡± Himmel Soan studied the fog ghost and soon had a theory about how it developed. They were created by the strange spiritual essence here. It only had a mouth, and all it did was swallow. Although it was a small creature, it had plenty of room to grow. That was to say, this fog ghost could grow into a giant. It could swallow Himmel Soan whole by then. Maybe something like that already existed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. You can use your fire. Find out its weakness.¡± Himmel Soan gave Firey the green signal. She was as talented as him. Having her study it wouldn¡¯t make any difference. With the fire, it would be much more convenient for Firey. ¡°Great!¡± Firey took the small fog ghost in excitement and began to study it. Himmel Soan crouched down and felt the soil before scooping some up with his fingers. They were trapped here, so they might as well do something meaningful. For instance, the investigation. Himmel Soan had lived for millions of years while Firey was his daughter and had inherited his talent. They were both top-notch researchers. If they were still on Earth, their scientific research would be all over the news. That was how talented they were. ¡°The soil here is very different from that of the Dusk Soul Forest. ¡°Although they come from the same source, the soil here seems to have been contaminated. But by what? The red moonlight?¡± The soil was as red as the moon, which seemed to be the only explanation. During the day, he couldn¡¯t verify the hypothesis. Himmel Soan then compared the soil to that of the Demon Continent. There was no sophisticated instrument here, but Himmel Soan was. With spiritual essence, he could do things without scientific equipment. ¡°There¡¯s a connection between this place and the Demon Continent. ¡°All three places are connected, but that connection seems to have been severed. Is it because of the barrier in Stelladom?¡± Himmel Soan wondered. Stelladom had been sealed up, with five locations serving as nodes in a formation to enhance that seal. Such a project could create gaps between continents. That seemed to explain a few things, but the red moon¡­ That was something he couldn¡¯t understand. Despite the gap, all the continents should be looking at the same moon and stars. The moon was normal in other places, so why was it red here? Well¡­ He would figure that out when the moon came up. On the other end, Firey was making progress, too. She tested one spot at a time with her fire and recorded how the fog ghost reacted. In the end, she reached a conclusion. The fog ghost¡¯s weakness was a small area under its chin. If that spot was hit, the fog ghost would turn into fog and disappear. After reaching the answer, Firey reported to Himmel Soan. ¡°Well done. That¡¯s all we can do now. We¡¯ll wait for nightfall,¡± Himmel Soan complimented Firey, who hopped around in excitement. Himmel Soan smiled. They only needed the wait for the night. Time flew by. Soon, the moon rose into the sky. It was red, the same as before. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll start the fire now!¡± Firey said excitedly. Chapter 506 - The Bald Demon ¡°Show me what you can do.¡± Once Himmel Soan gave her permission, Firey¡¯s flames went full blast. Everything around them started burning. Even the air seemed to be on fire. No. It didn¡¯t ¡°seem¡± like it. The air was actually burning. To be more precise, something in the air was set on fire. They finally knew why the moonlight was red. There were innumerable tiny red bugs in the air, so tiny that they couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye. Shortly after, Firey¡¯s flames turned these bugs into little firecrackers. They all made crackling noises when they died, but the sounds were so low that they were negligible. However, Firey cared about the noise because they were her achievement. ¡°You¡¯ve made the right choice,¡± said Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t know what to do, so he had to take the risk. Letting Firey have it her way wasn¡¯t a bad choice. Setting fire here didn¡¯t do much damage. If anything, she had done a good deed by purifying the environment. ¡°Master, my fire can solve all problems. We don¡¯t need to overthink it!¡± Firey tried to mimic Himmel Soan¡¯s demeanor, but she was clunked on the forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be a smart ass. Something¡¯s going to happen. Stay alert!¡± Himmel Soan observed their surroundings. The bugs couldn¡¯t be the only creatures here. Their red light didn¡¯t pose any threat. The shadows they saw the day before were real, but they hadn¡¯t revealed themselves yet. It was too early to let their guard down. ¡°Alright. I see¡­¡± Firey pouted. She hadn¡¯t been pleased with herself for two seconds before she got criticized again. What a shame! Suddenly, a shadow flashed by, followed by another. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Himmel Soan recognized them as the shadows from the night before. ¡°Master, they¡¯re so fast!¡± Firey thought she was fast, but she couldn¡¯t even see what the shadows looked like. She had to admit these things were much faster than her. ¡°Watch out! Your left!¡± Himmel Soan shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± Firey instantly sent a streak of energy to her left, hitting one of the shadows. It fell to the ground, screamed, and disappeared. ¡°What on earth was that?¡± Firey was dumbfounded. She couldn¡¯t imagine it simply being a shadow. At first, she thought she couldn¡¯t see its face because it was too fast. As it turned out, the shadow was really just a shadow. It was as peculiar as that fog ghost. Himmel Soan also frowned and took out the dagger. Something seemed to be interfering with it here. He couldn¡¯t see the strings anymore. Even when the strings appeared, they were all tangled together. ¡°The dagger doesn¡¯t work anymore. Should I keep going? Will the two demonic gods be here? ¡°Should I advance or retreat?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. Going back wasn¡¯t an option. Having come this far, charging ahead was his only option. If he fell back here, he would never find Gina. Firey hit another shadow. This time, she didn¡¯t let it get away but finished it off with two more fireballs. The shadow got away the first time because she didn¡¯t land the killing blow. She had learned from her mistake and would always make sure that it was completely dead. Himmel Soan stepped forward, wishing to study the shadow. The next second, it sank into the ground. ¡°What?¡± Himmel Soan and Firey were speechless. They didn¡¯t even have a chance to study it. ¡°Master, something¡¯s wrong. My fire is weakening!¡± Firey suddenly noticed the abnormality. As the controller of the fire, she could sense any changes in it. Right now, it was getting weaker against her wishes. Something else was making it happen. ¡°My fire is gone!¡± said Firey. ¡°Yes, I can see that,¡± Himmel Soan said calmly. He wasn¡¯t surprised. Rather, he felt the fire had been put off much later than he thought. The fire lasted for fifteen minutes. He thought it would be extinguished within ten minutes. Although there was a discrepancy, it wouldn¡¯t affect his plan. The noise would at least attract some attention. Since both demonic gods were here, somebody would notice the fire and be drawn here. That was what Himmel Soan thought. ¡°What are you doing?¡± somebody asked. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Himmel Soan was dumbfounded. It was the bald demon, the team leader of those demons. They had an argument, but Himmel Soan forgot about it after that illusion. He didn¡¯t expect to meet that demon here again. ¡°You? You¡¯re not dead.¡± The bald demon was a little surprised, too. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Himmel Soan was still alive because the latter had the dagger. With that kind of luck, he couldn¡¯t have died so easily. He was surprised that Himmel Soan could find this place. ¡°If you¡¯re alive, why should I be dead?¡± said Himmel Soan. He then tried to gather some information. ¡°What¡¯s this place?¡± Chapter 507 - Divine Weapon ¡°This place? Do you think I¡¯ll tell you?¡± The bald demon laughed. He still remembered their earlier encounter. Although he knew Himmel Soan was capable enough to insta-kill Hirba, he believed it was all because of the divine dagger. Without it, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t do anything. There was no spiritual essence around him, which meant he had little power of his own. He had been so intimidating only because of that dagger. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was only asking. I didn¡¯t think you would give me any answers. ¡°If I don¡¯t ask you now, maybe you won¡¯t have a chance to answer me,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. The bald demon¡¯s eyes widened a little. He glared at Himmle Soan. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The bald demon smirked. That was definitely a threat. Yes, he has a divine dagger, but it doesn¡¯t give him the right to be so arrogant! Himmel Soan was very domineering when solving the formation so the bald demon decided to back off. However, he felt Himmel Soan no longer had the advantage here. ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant. Do you seriously think you can handle me with that dagger? Using it will have consequences,¡± said the bald demon. Although the bald demon didn¡¯t know much about the divine weapons, his understanding was much more than many other demons. For instance, he knew using it had a price. However, the bald demon couldn¡¯t be certain because he didn¡¯t pay much attention when Himmel Soan used the dagger. Everything happened so fast that it was over before he could react. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t do anything out of the ordinary, so the bald demon didn¡¯t know what the consequences were. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but there are no consequences for me.¡± Himmel Soan observed his surroundings again. To his surprise, he couldn¡¯t hear any noise after the bald demon arrived. Maybe it was because of Firey¡¯s fire, but it could also be caused by the bald demon. ¡°No consequences? Well¡­ that¡¯s impossible! You can¡¯t lie about something like that.¡± The bald demon took action. He had spoken so much to Himmel Soan to let his guard down. However, he finally realized the other party wasn¡¯t vigilant at all. Of course, the bald demon wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity. Bang! There was a loud noise. Even the ground shook. Yet, it was just a casual strike made by the bald demon. I didn¡¯t break the divine weapon, did I? No, I don¡¯t think so. ¡°If my Star Hammer can break it, it means my hammer is better, which is impossible! The bald demon thought to himself. He didn¡¯t think Himmel Soan would survive. His hammer weighed a ton, and he caught his opponent by surprise. No one could survive his attack. The bald demon was confident of that. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He suddenly heard Himmel Soan¡¯s voice from behind him. The bald demon¡¯s pupils contracted. What¡­ How was that possible? Hadn¡¯t he crushed Himmel Soan to a pulp? Although he hadn¡¯t confirmed Himmel Soan¡¯s death, no one could withstand his hammer. He was so fast that Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t have gotten away. ¡°Are you so amazed? Did you want to take me by surprise? Do you really think that¡¯s possible?¡± Himmel Soan held the dagger in his hand. If the bald demon hadn¡¯t attacked him, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to him either. Although the bald demon had pushed the demons into the magma, he didn¡¯t think much of it. But once he made a move on him and Firey, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t sit still anymore. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± The bald demon was confused. ¡°Do you¡­ Do you know how to manipulate time and space?¡± The bald demon was suddenly enlightened. If that was the case, he didn¡¯t dare underestimate Himmel Soan anymore. The law of time and space was a method mastered by someone at the demonic god¡¯s level. How could this ¡°demon¡± know it? Was it because of the dagger? The bald demon eventually attributed all unknown things to the divine dagger. After all, it was a legendary item. It seemed to be able to explain everything. ¡°Tell me about this place, and I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± Himmel Soan said casually. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re invincible because you have the divine weapon? ¡°Spare my life? That¡¯s a bold claim! ¡°I¡¯d like to see how impressive that weapon is and how you¡¯re going to spare my life!¡± The bald demon stared at Himmel Soan. He couldn¡¯t underestimate this ¡°demon¡± anymore. To be more precise, he couldn¡¯t underestimate Himmel Soan¡¯s dagger anymore. After all, he didn¡¯t know what miraculous things it could do. He could get himself killed if he got careless. What if he was the one wielding that dagger? The bald demon¡¯s eyes shone greedily. He waved his hammer so fiercely that it seemed to be tearing the air open. It was a testament to the hammer¡¯s prowess. Bang! Bang! There was a string of explosions. The bald demon was merely waving the hammer around, but it already made those loud noises. It was as if he wanted to crush the air around him. Chapter 508 - Ancient Demonic God If the bald demon shattered the space around him, the area would become a void. Of course, he didn¡¯t do that, nor did he have the ability to do so. Still, he was stirring the space around him. That was why he kept waving his hammer. If he continued, Himmel Soan¡¯s skill would be rendered useless. ¡°Is he stirring the space around us? That¡¯s not a bad idea!¡± Himmel Soan analyzed the bald demon¡¯s movements as if he was watching a show. ¡°You know what I¡¯m doing, but you¡¯re not trying to stop me. What a fool!¡± Himmel Soan spoke it out loud, so the bald demon heard him. However, he only found his behavior ridiculous. He realized what I was doing, but instead of taking action, he told me his thoughts. What an idiot! The bald demon laughed. ¡°I actually thought you had some cards up your sleeves. After all, you could keep your dagger, which means you have some abilities. I guess I¡¯ve thought too highly of you. I don¡¯t see anything special in you! ¡°Get ready to say goodbye to this world!¡± He was always cautious around Himmel Soan and was prepared for a battle. If Himmel Soan made any sudden movements, the bald demon would fight back right away. He had been stirring the space around him to sabotage Himmel Soan¡¯s moves. The technique of controlling time and space was so versatile that it could be used for anything from killing a man to hiding oneself. Yet, Himmel Soan just watched as the bald demon disturbed the space. How foolish! The bald demon couldn¡¯t be bothered to mock Himmel Soan anymore. He waved the hammer and smashed it down. Bang! There was a loud thump. The hammer made a five-meter-deep dent in the ground. ¡°Can you survive this attack?¡± The bald demon smirked. He blew away the dust in the air and was ready to collect the divine dagger. The next moment, he was baffled and froze on the spot. ¡°It¡¯s not here. Where is he?¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s body wasn¡¯t in the pit. It was the second time that he had dodged his attack. How was that possible? The bald demon couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°The space was disturbed. He couldn¡¯t have been able to control time and space. Where did he go?¡± He wondered if Himmel Soan had been pulverized by that strike. But then where was the dagger? He couldn¡¯t have destroyed it, too. ¡°Do you want another go? If you want to try again, I can indulge you for a little while.¡± Himmel Soan appeared behind the bald demon. The bald demon broke into a cold sweat. It was just like the last time when Himmel Soan somehow popped up behind him. It meant he could attack him when he wasn¡¯t watching. ¡°How did you dodge my attack? I¡¯ve disturbed the space. You couldn¡¯t have dodged my blow!¡± The bald demon bellowed. He was filled with fear and regret. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t done anything, but the bald demon still felt uneasy. It was as if the other party could kill him with a single strike. ¡°Who told you I had to manipulate time and space? You¡¯re too short-sighted! ¡°Tell me what place this is. I won¡¯t ask again!¡± Himmel Soan said coldly. He didn¡¯t feel the need to be polite with such a scumbag. The bald demon had lied to all those demons and treated them as his toy. He thought very little of other demons¡¯ lives. Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t killed the bald demon because he wanted to know more about this place. He needed some information from him. He would have gotten rid of the bald demon earlier if the latter didn¡¯t have any use. Even if the bald demon gave Himmel Soan the information, he would still get rid of him. ¡°Who are you?¡± The bald demon¡¯s demeanor changed so much that he looked like a different being. His manner and behavior both took a U-turn. ¡°Is he possessed by something, or does he have a split personality?¡± Himmel Soan frowned. He had noticed something was wrong with the bald demon but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was. He only realized now how chaotic the bald demon¡¯s energy was. Maybe he would soon find out the reason. ¡°There¡¯s no point in overthinking it. I¡¯m just curious how a human being could come to the Demon Continent. Even that dagger can¡¯t get you that far,¡± the bald demon said coldly. Himmel Soan said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you introduce yourself before asking me those questions?¡± ¡°This is so interesting. It¡¯s been years since anyone talked to me like that. You¡¯re arrogant, but you indeed have the requisite strength.¡± The bald demon laughed. Himmel Soan only frowned. He and the demon stared at each other as if they were having a competition of some sort. ¡°Is that the essence of nature? I didn¡¯t expect to see such a treasure here. It only makes me more curious!¡± The bald demon looked at Firey, annoying Himmel Soan. ¡°Are you the demonic god or the ancient demonic god?¡± Himmel Soan asked. This demon could tell he was a human and that Firey was the essence of nature. It suggested the bald demon had to be a very capable being. Therefore, Himmel Soan thought about the demonic god or the ancient demonic god. That was the only explanation. The abnormality disappeared as soon as the bald demon arrived. Chapter 509 - Partnership Chapter 509: Partnership ¡°I¡¯m the ancient demonic god. How did you get here?¡± the bald demon asked. He was already thinking about killing Himmel Soan, but he wanted to get all the information he could gather first. He needed some answers from Himmel Soan. ¡°The ancient demonic god? If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you come back to life? Why are you possessing his body? ¡°If I¡¯m correct, now is the critical time for your revival,¡± Himmel Soan said indifferently. It was a wild guess, but he was only probing for information. It would be worthwhile if he could get a thing or two from the demon. If he couldn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t affect him either. ¡°I know what you want to ask, and I can give you all the answers you seek. I don¡¯t even need to ask you any questions. ¡°I only have one request. Work with me!¡± The ancient demonic god cut to the chase. Work together? Himmel Soan was perplexed. Why would a demon boss want to work with him? ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t reply. He wanted to gather information, including on how to leave this continent, but if he could only do so by working with the ancient demonic god, he would have to know how the partnership worked before deciding if he would take it. ¡°I¡¯m the ancient demonic god, and this is my tomb. I¡¯m still in the revival process. ¡°Help me revive, and I¡¯ll tell you everything. How about that?¡± the ancient demonic god asked indifferently. Himmel Soan expected to hear that from the ancient demonic god when he brought up the partnership. The ancient demonic god¡¯s tomb was here while the demon was using the bald demon as a shell. From that, Himmel Soan made his deduction. It got him thinking. ¡°What am I looking at? You¡¯ve brought up the partnership, so the least you can do is explain the situation to me. ¡°Tell me everything first!¡± Finally, he made the request. The ancient demonic god needed to share the information first. Without it, Himmel Soan would never agree to the partnership. At least he needed to know the effects of the ancient demonic god¡¯s revival. He would only consider working with the demon when he had that information. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The ancient demonic god didn¡¯t let Himmel Soan see how anxious he was. That was a minor issue in comparison with the partnership. So what if he needed to tell Himmel Soan certain things? If Himmel Soan chose not to work with him after hearing the answer, he would take action. Right now, he still wanted to win Himmel Soan to his side. ¡°I¡¯m the ancient demonic god and the bald demon is my descendant. He helps me with many things, so I put part of my mind into him. My body lies here. ¡°What else do you want to know?¡± The ancient demonic god only gave a brief introduction about his relationship with the bald demon. He didn¡¯t say much about this place because there wasn¡¯t much to talk about. He then threw the ball at Himmel Soan, asking the latter what he wanted to know. ¡°Your descendant? He¡¯s more like your container. I don¡¯t care what you want to do though. ¡°This place used to be Starain, but it¡¯s the Demon Continent now. What¡¯s going on?¡± Himmel Soan asked. He had always wondered about it. He was going through the Dusk Soul Forest to find Gina. As it turned out, he arrived at the Demon Continent. At first, he thought he had arrived at the wrong place and even suspected he wasn¡¯t on the same planet anymore. After much exploration, he was finally convinced that this continent was Starain. How did it become the Demon Continent? That was what had been bothering him. ¡°Demons and humans are distant relatives. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since this place became the Demon Continent. I can¡¯t remember what happened back then. ¡°It¡¯s as you said. Starain became the Demon Continent. ¡°Any more questions?¡± The ancient demonic god knew the cause of the change, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to go into details because they weren¡¯t related to his revival. He didn¡¯t want to tell Himmel Soan everything, either. It was a precaution. All the information he gave Himmel Soan was a mixture of truth and lies. ¡°Alright. One last thing. How do I leave the Demon Continent?¡± He could see that the ancient demonic god didn¡¯t intend to tell him everything. In that case, he stopped probing into the Demon Continent¡¯s secrets. He just wanted to leave here to look for Gina. ¡°Leave?¡± The ancient demonic god darted around. ¡°I know how to leave, and I can even help you, but you must help me with my revival first!¡± The ancient demonic god had been around for hundreds of thousands of years. He knew all kinds of tricks. As soon as he heard Himmel Soan¡¯s question, he knew what the man wanted. He was looking for a trade. Himmel Soan would help him revive, and he would tell him how to leave. ¡°Master, ignore him. He¡¯s up to no good!¡± Firey frowned. The ancient demonic god was displeased. ¡°I¡¯m a demonic god. You can¡¯t talk to me like that! ¡°My terms have changed now. Give her to me, and I¡¯ll tell you how to leave.¡± The ancient demonic god pointed at Firey. Himmel Soan acted as if the ancient demonic god was telling a story. Chapter 510 - Leave the Tomb Chapter 510: Leave the Tomb ¡°Saying you¡¯re up to no good is an understatement. You must have something to do with turning Starain into the Demon Continent!¡± Firey shouted at the ancient demonic god. She had listened to their entire conversation and knew perfectly well what was going on. For instance, she could tell the ancient demonic god had no intention of buddying up with Himmel Soan. The partnership sounded nice, but it would become a joke when the ancient demonic god woke up. Would he honor the partnership? Probably not! That was why Firey confronted him. ¡°Give her to me, and I¡¯ll show you how to leave. If not, you¡¯ll be my enemy!¡± The ancient demonic god feigned an angry tone. He was secretly pleased because he loved creating dilemmas. It was up to Himmel Soan to make the choice. ¡°I see,¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°You¡¯ve made up your mind, then. Let me guess. You¡¯re giving her to me. ¡°Do it now.¡± The ancient demonic god opinionatedly believed himself to be correct. Himmel Soan suddenly laughed in fury. Being a demonic god, he only had such selfish desires. How superficial! ¡°By ¡®I see,¡¯ I mean I¡¯ve realized what a waste of my energy it is to talk to you! ¡°It¡¯s time for you to die.¡± Himmel Soan drew the dagger, injected his spiritual essence into it, and charged at the ancient demonic god. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± At first, the ancient demonic god found Himmel Soan¡¯s attack hilarious, but he soon stopped laughing. Himmel Soan appeared in front of him as if he knew teleportation. The next second, the dagger was in the demon¡¯s heart. Hadn¡¯t the bald demon stirred the space in this area? How could Himmel Soan still teleport? This shouldn¡¯t have happened! ¡°Why must I manipulate time and space to do that? It¡¯s time for you to die.¡± Himmel Soan had already returned to Firey¡¯s side. The dagger went through the bald demon¡¯s chest. He was dead, and there was no need to say more. ¡­ ¡°Damn it!¡± The ancient demonic god woke up in another body. The bald demon was his best shell and had taken care of most of his affairs. When Himmel Soan killed the bald demon, the part of the ancient demonic god¡¯s mind that was attached to him was also destroyed. Missing that part of his mind wasn¡¯t a big issue. He was weakened for a few seconds at most. The bald demon was much more important. If he was merely a pawn, the ancient demonic god wouldn¡¯t have felt so shaken. He could have as many pawns as he wanted. If one was damaged, he could just pick up another one. However, the bald demon was more than that. He was a tool, a very useful tool. Another tool wouldn¡¯t be as effective as this one. ¡°Imm, hurry up. The bald demon is dead. You¡¯re my only hope now. ¡°I¡¯ll help you improve your capability as soon as I come out. I¡¯ll give you all my power. ¡°You¡¯ll be the next demonic god,¡± the ancient demonic god said indifferently. Imm knelt on the ground in ecstasy. The ancient demonic god never mentioned giving him his power before. He was only going to help Imm make progress, which was already a great temptation. However, it was nothing when compared to having the ancient demonic god¡¯s power. Imm would spare no effort in helping the ancient demonic god recover. Not far away, the demonic god noticed the abnormality and frowned, but he didn¡¯t approach the area. Although he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t. ¡°The ancient demonic god is waking up. I need to find a way to suppress him,¡± said the demonic god. He was distracted for a second, and the seal immediately started cracking. He quickly closed his eyes and focused on the seal again. It seemed to be an ordinary seal, but behind it was a battle between the two demonic gods. The demonic god had stayed in the tomb just to suppress and repair it. The seal was also the key to the ancient demonic god¡¯s revival. The demonic god didn¡¯t have the energy to handle the rumors outside. The seal had become so restless that he had to stay here all the time. The ancient demonic god couldn¡¯t get out, or a bloody war would devour the Demon Continent again. ¡­ Somewhere else in the tomb, Himmel Soan was considering what to do next after taking care of the bald demon. He had no clue at all. Leaving this place could be very difficult. He hadn¡¯t found anything useful from the ancient demonic god. Should he continue his journey in searching for the demonic god? What if the demonic god couldn¡¯t provide anything useful either? It would be a total waste of his time! ¡°Master, why don¡¯t we leave this place?¡± Firey suggested. The environment made Firey upset. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out of here. ¡°Let¡¯s do that. We¡¯ll leave here and go to the edge of this continent. Maybe we can find the answer on our own.¡± Himmel Soan agreed with her. Although he still wanted to investigate this area, Firey didn¡¯t like this place, and Himmel Soan doted on the girl. After all, she was his daughter. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t find anything useful here either. In that case, leaving now might not be a bad idea. ¡°Alright!¡± Firey nodded. Before long, they doubled back and returned to the magma. Firey had absorbed all the magma, and the pool was empty. They walked all the way to the gate. Chapter 511 - Calling Chapter 511: Calling ¡°What?¡± Firey cried out in surprise before leaving the tomb. ¡°What is it?¡± Himmel Soan was a little worried. ¡°Master, I feel something is off.¡± Firey frowned and seemed suspicious. She halted to examine the surroundings. The moment before stepping out of the tomb, she heard a calling. It was as if an invisible power was pulling her back. When she looked for it, the feeling was gone. ¡°Off? How so?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t explain that feeling. It¡¯s so weird.¡± Her answer made Himmel Soan raise his guard. Firey was the essence of nature and was much more acute of their surroundings than Himmel Soan. Her feelings couldn¡¯t have gone wrong. Something must be happening. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t understand though. They traveled through the magma when they first came into the tomb, and Firey even absorbed all of it. She didn¡¯t feel anything strange then. ¡°Close your eyes and integrate yourself with the environment. Feel everything that surrounds you. See if you can find the source of that feeling.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Firey closed her eyes. She took it seriously. Although she couldn¡¯t specify that feeling, she knew it was very important. With her eyes closed, Firey could see sparks around her. It wasn¡¯t an actual fire. Rather, it was the embodiment of the fire element between heaven and earth. Ordinary cultivators couldn¡¯t sense it. Only Firey, the essence of nature, could connect with them. One could say that she was born from the fire element. ¡°The fire element is so dense here!¡± Firey cried out. Himmel Soan found it even more suspicious. Dense? It should be the case when they first arrived here. Back then, it was filled with magma, and the fire element should be thick. However, she had absorbed the magma, and the fire element should have disappeared, let alone feeling dense. ¡°Are you sure the fire element is dense?¡± Himmel Soan asked again. He didn¡¯t need to wait for an answer. He saw the ground cracking open, and a small streak of magma flowed out. The streak was thin and moving slowly. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t spotted it by accident, he wouldn¡¯t have known its existence. ¡°There!¡± Firey opened her eyes and pointed at the crack. She also found the source of that feeling: the magma Himmel Soan had noticed. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be happening!¡± Himmel Soan was perplexed. Firey had absorbed the magma. Being the essence of nature, she would have drained the fire element, too. There shouldn¡¯t be anything left. Moreover, this little amount of magma couldn¡¯t contain dense fire elements. So far, they only knew two things. First of all, the magma had just popped up because the magma from before had been absorbed by Firey. Secondly, there was something strange about the magma. ¡°I get it!¡± Himmel Soan had a bold speculation that could answer his question. ¡°Master, what is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something beneath that crack, and it¡¯s connected to fire. It also created the magma you absorbed earlier. That¡¯s why more magma is coming out. ¡°That thing is also where that feeling comes from. You¡¯re the essence of nature, so anything related to fire wants to get close to you.¡± Firey beamed at him. If she could feel a connection with that thing, it had to be something extraordinary. The essence of nature was cherished by nature. Only something very special could make her raise her eyebrow. According to Firey, she felt something was calling her. It meant the thing was a conscious being. Even Himmel Soan was intrigued. ¡°Firey, maybe this is your chance. If you can make good use of it, your future will be so promising.¡± Himmel Soan felt happy for Firey. It was a one-in-a-million opportunity. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I feel anything before?¡± Firey tilted her head. Himmel Soan had taught her to ask questions when she wanted to know something. ¡°It must be because of the magma. That thing is buried deep under the surface, and the magma covers it. Now that it¡¯s gone, the thing was calling to you. That¡¯s why you can feel it.¡± Himmel Soan walked toward the magma. If he had guessed it correctly, that thing was hidden under this crack. Firey followed him. The closer they moved toward the crack, the stronger the feeling became. She smiled involuntarily. That thing wanted to show it liked Firey, so she smiled before realizing it. ¡°Absorb the magma. We¡¯ll go into the crack.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The magma flowed into Firey like a bird going back to its nest. Although there wasn¡¯t a lot of it, it was much purer than the previous batch. ¡°The magma¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s pure, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s normal. It¡¯s made by that thing and is the essence of magma. What you absorbed earlier was the thinned-down version.¡± Himmel Soan seemed to have predicted it. Ever since he found out that something was hidden beneath them, he knew something like this would happen. ¡°Master, what should we do now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going into that crack to find that thing.¡± He then jumped into the crack. He couldn¡¯t let Firey go in first without confirming that it was safe inside. Chapter 512 - Mural Chapter 512: Mural ¡°Master, wait for me.¡± Firey immediately followed Himmel Soan. Once they disappeared in the crack, it trembled and closed up until it was completely gone as if it had never been there before. There was a loud rumble. Himmel Soan looked up. Firey had landed by his side, and the crack above them had disappeared. ¡°Why is this happening?¡± Firey tried to break the surface above their heads. ¡°Stop. We¡¯ll take things as they come. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Himmel Soan stopped Firey. The crack wasn¡¯t very wide, but this place was quite spacious. This underground cave was so large that Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t see its end. ¡°Hello!¡± Firey shouted, her echo bouncing off between the walls. ¡°This place is too big.¡± Himmel Soan frowned. The ground above them was so thick that it should have caved into the hollow, but a mysterious power seemed to be supporting this place, preventing it from being affected by anything. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t think this cave is formed naturally,¡± Firey suggested after studying the surroundings. ¡°Yes, the wall behind us is very smooth. It looks man-made.¡± Himmel Soan agreed. The signs were so obvious. The wall was as smooth as a mirror. However, it only made Himmel Soan more confused. Who could have dug such an enormous underground cave? What was their purpose? What was the relationship between the owner of this cave and the thing that was calling Firey? Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t help but wonder. He had to be careful about all things unknown. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Himmel Soan made up his mind. The crack had closed up, and there was only a wall behind them. Their only choice was to keep going. ¡°What¡­¡± About twenty minutes later, the passageway narrowed. Firey realized the wall around them had changed. There was a mural on the smooth wall now. In it was a dignified-looking man. Although it was only a painting, the man still struck one as a majestic figure. He looked more like a real person than a painting on the wall. I almost can¡¯t believe it¡¯s a mural, thought Himmel Soan. The pressure created by the mural reminded him of the power of nature. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Himmel Soan urged Firey. He was even more curious about this place. The further down the road they traveled, the more paintings there were on the wall. The contents now included scary-looking monsters. Just like the man, the creatures all had a terrifying quality about them. They also reminded one of something utterly evil. Watching them, Himmel Soan felt like he was looking into the end of the world. Himmel Soan could always remain calm even if the world was getting destroyed in front of him. However, the mural made him uneasy. The journey continued. In the mural, the monsters fell at the man¡¯s feet one after another. In the end, the man¡¯s path was paved with all the monsters, leading him to his throne. At the foot of the hill of dead bodies knelt countless people. They were all worshiping the man. Himmel Soan could almost hear the sound of them singing praises. ¡°The painting is telling a story. ¡°In an ancient era, there lived a capable person. He was the most powerful man of his time. ¡°One day, monsters invaded his world and slaughtered his people. This man wielded his power and killed all the monsters. He then became the ruler that all the people worshiped. ¡°The mural was made as a tribute to him,¡± said Himmel Soan. That was what the mural told him, but he still found it incredible. Despite living for so long, he had never seen or heard of these monsters. He doubted if they ever existed. Was this real history or did the ancient people make it up? Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t say for sure. If it was fictional, the cost was too high. The paintings were so vivid that they seemed to give off all kinds of energy. The painter had to be exceedingly powerful. What capable cultivator would spend their time on such a mural? ¡°When and where did this event take place? Why can¡¯t I remember it?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. ¡°Master, there are no more paintings,¡± Firey suddenly said. They had reached the end of the cave. The mural also ended here. The last image showed the capable man disappearing into a whirlpool. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Himmel Soan decided to treat the mural as a record of an actual event. The whirlpool the man stepped into must lead to a special place. Unfortunately, the other side wasn¡¯t shown in the paintings. The painters probably didn¡¯t know, either, which was why they hadn¡¯t recorded it. ¡°We¡¯ve reached the end of the cave and seen all the paintings, but we still haven¡¯t found the thing that called you here.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t forget their purpose. However, he hadn¡¯t seen anything special so far. When he asked Firey, she only told him that the feeling was getting stronger. They were close, but they weren¡¯t there yet. However, there was no more road. ¡°Firey, can you tell which direction that thing is in?¡± Himmel Soan put the mural aside and focused on searching for that thing. ¡°I think it¡¯s on the other side of this wall.¡± Firey hesitated and looked at the wall at the end of the road. ¡°The other side? Let¡¯s break down the wall, then.¡± Himmel Soan struck the wall with his dagger. Before the blade touched the wall, there was a rippling effect as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. Somehow, he didn¡¯t notice that barrier until he tried to strike the wall. Chapter 513 - Monster with Nine Heads Chapter 513: Monster with Nine Heads The technique shocked Himmel Soan, and he was also stunned by the strength of the barrier. It was so powerful that even the divine dagger couldn¡¯t break it. ¡°We can¡¯t open it¡­¡± Firey didn¡¯t know what to say. She felt conflicted. That thing was calling to her from behind this wall, but she couldn¡¯t get to it. It was like going to the treasure trove but coming back empty-handed. They heard an ear-splitting roar. Turning around, they saw what was behind them. It was a monster with nine different heads: leopard, snake, lion, tiger, wolf, elephant, bird, cow, and human. All eighteen eyes were fixed on Himmel Soan and Firey. ¡°What?!¡± Himmel Soan drew in his breath while Firey jumped in fear before hiding behind him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the monster from the mural?¡± Firey asked the question Himmel Soan wanted to ask. They had seen this monster before. It was among the monsters killed by that capable cultivator in the mural. ¡°It¡¯s real!¡± Only now did Himmel Soan believe the story to be real. The paintings didn¡¯t come from imagination. They depicted something that happened in the past. However, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t understand how the monster could have sneaked up on him. They had walked the cave from one end to the other and never ran into any living creature, let alone such an impressive monster. It seemed to have appeared out of thin air. ¡°It came out of the mural!¡± Himmel Soan soon realized what was going on. The monster in the mural had disappeared and was standing in front of them now. The monster roared again. It sounded like nine beasts growling at the same time. The sound resonated in the cave and made one¡¯s hair stand up. Other people might be scared to death. ¡°Did it come off the mural because I touched that barrier? Is it a defense mechanism used by the ancient people?¡± There was no time for Himmel Soan to think. The monster had opened one of its mouths. The snake¡¯s head stuck out its tongue. A ball of dark green light was forming in its mouth. The energy it contained could destroy anything it touched. The next second, the ball of light came at Himmel Soan. He barely had time to dodge it. When it touched the ground, the ground melted like ice touching fire. ¡°That¡¯s a corrosive poison and can turn a cultivator into a pool of blood!¡± Himmel Soan paled. He had seen various kinds of poison, but nothing was comparable to this dark green light. The ground was also protected by the barrier that the divine dagger couldn¡¯t break. Yet, the poison melted through it. ¡°The ground is healing!¡± Himmel Soan noticed another thing that shocked him. The ground was closing up as he spoke, recovering in a split second. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have believed that the strike had taken place. The monster growled. This time, it was the cow head. The monster then charged at Himmel Soan. Thump! When Himmel Soan and the monster clashed with each other, he grimaced. The monster was so powerful that he felt like he was hit by a mountain. ¡°Master!¡± Firey grew anxious. The monster stood its ground while Himmel Soan stumbled back. He didn¡¯t seem to have any advantage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m alright,¡± Himmel Soan told Firey. He didn¡¯t gain the upper hand, but it wasn¡¯t a big problem. Although the monster was more powerful than he thought, he wouldn¡¯t be defeated that easily. The elephant¡¯s head trumpeted, and the monster tried to smash Himmel Soan with its paw. He grabbed his dagger and quickly moved to another spot. He noticed from the two strikes that the monster¡¯s weakness was its speed. Himmel Soan had accumulated enough experience over the years to defeat it. He moved around and attacked the monster from behind. Clank! The sound of metal hitting metal resonated in the cave. Sparks flew everywhere when the dagger made contact with the monster. The monster had much tougher skin than Himmel Soan expected. The strike only gave it a superficial cut. Meanwhile, the bird¡¯s head opened its beak. The monster suddenly moved much faster and reappeared behind Himmel Soan. He immediately parried its paw with the dagger and moved away from the monster. ¡°This monster will change its characteristics when a different head opens its mouth. The snake has poison, the cow has physical strength, the elephant increases its defense ability, and the bird enhances its speed.¡± After exchanging a few blows, Himmel Soan learned a few things about the monster. It used the cow head in the direct confrontation, and Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t its match at the moment. But its defense and speed weren¡¯t enhanced in that state. Similarly, when the monster used other heads, another aspect would be enhanced, while all the other characteristics would return to their normal level. When the bird¡¯s head raised the monster¡¯s speed just then, it didn¡¯t have as much physical strength as when it clashed with Himmel Soan. ¡°Nine heads and nine modes. Is that it?¡± Himmel Soan studied the monster. He had to use much effort into handling the four different modes. What would happen when it switched to the other five modes? The longer he fought the monster, the more he realized how terrifying the man in the mural was. He had to kill all those monsters to get to his throne. Chapter 514 - Three Heads Chapter 514: Three Heads The monster grew frustrated when its strikes failed to kill Himmel Soan. The cow and elephant opened their mouths together, apparently trying to launch a joint attack on Himmel Soan. It made him jump. It never occurred to him that the monster could use two heads at the same time. If it had the cow¡¯s strength and the elephant¡¯s defense, how terrifying would it be? The cow and elephant roared together, filling the cave with intimidating energy. Sometimes, one plus one could be more than two, as was the case with the nine-headed monster. When the elephant joined the cow, the monster¡¯s strength more than doubled. Hum! The two modes were about to activate together when a loud humming sound filled the air. It seemed to have come from ancient times and suppressed the monster¡¯s power. Ultimately, the monster failed to activate both modes at the same time. It gave a resentful look to the end of the cave, the noise¡¯s origin. ¡°The sound came from the end of the cave. Can it be the thing that was calling Firey? It suppressed the monster. ¡°Is this monster trying to be recognized by that thing? Is defeating the monster our only way to get out of here?¡± Himmel Soan had many assumptions. Anyway, he had a more accurate understanding of the monster now. It could only utilize one mode at a time, so he was essentially fighting the most unthreatening form of this monster. Having nine heads meant the monster had nine modes and nine abilities. If it activated all the abilities at the same time, its power would be beyond imagination. Himmel Soan knew the man in the mural must have fought the monster in its most capable form. Even so, he still managed to defeat it. The more Himmel Soan learned about the monster, the more surprised he was. Who was that man in the mural? What happened in that era? Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t help wondering. ¡°Master, watch out!¡± Firey¡¯s voice woke Himmel Soan up from his reverie. The monster was enraged after being suppressed by the sound. The wolf¡¯s head bared its fangs, and its eyes had a malicious glint in them. The wolf¡¯s head represented savagery. The monster didn¡¯t gain any improvement in its power, but it posed as much threat as any other head. Savagery wasn¡¯t an ability. It was more like an aura. Someone of higher status could have a natural deterrence effect on those that were inferior. Himmel Soan felt he was restricted in every possible way. The monster¡¯s capability remained the same, but Himmel Soan was restrained. Under such circumstances, he was at a disadvantage. ¡°You¡¯ve attacked me repeatedly. Do you really think you can do whatever you want?¡± Himmel Soan was genuinely angry now. He felt the monster was looking down on him. Gripping his dagger, he chose to confront the monster instead of dodging the attack. The blade clashed with the wolf¡¯s fangs. Sparks flew everywhere, and the monster roared in pain. Taking the opportunity, Himmel Soan stabbed the dagger into the wolf¡¯s mouth, but the monster smacked him with its paw. Himmel Soan flew back like a cannonball and only stopped over a hundred meters away. Blood gushed out of the monster¡¯s mouth. The power of the dagger made it impossible for the wound to heal. This time, Himmel Soan gained the upper hand. Although he was knocked away, he only suffered from a minor injury. In contrast, the wolf¡¯s head couldn¡¯t keep fighting anymore. If it hadn¡¯t smashed Himmel Soan away in time, he would have punctured its head and destroyed it for good. The pain drove the monster crazy. It frantically turned to the abilities of the eight other heads. The battle intensified. Their earlier engagement felt like a trial run in comparison. Firey watched nervously. The impact of their single strike could destroy a city. If the cave hadn¡¯t been protected by that barrier, it would have collapsed already. Himmel Soan threw everything he knew at the monster. Their fight created many new holes in the ground. Boom! Himmel Soan found an opportunity to land a successful attack, destroying the bird¡¯s head. The monster lost its second head. The success came at a price. The claws left a mark on Himmel Soan. If he hadn¡¯t dodged in time, his entrails would have been all over the ground. ¡°Master¡­¡± It pained Firey to see this. She had seldom seen Himmel Soan in this state. He had always struck her as an invincible man. It was one of the most difficult battles that he had ever encountered. ¡°There!¡± Himmel Soan made another strike, cutting off the cow¡¯s head. With it, he destroyed the head with the greatest physical strength. The monster finally switched to the lion¡¯s head. The mouth opened, and the energy filled the cave. It seemed to have turned the monster into a god. If any other cultivators were here, they would drop to their knees as soon as they laid eyes on the monster. Himmel Soan was about the only one who could withstand that energy. Even so, he was still affected. He almost felt it was blasphemy to attack the monster. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. I must kill you!¡± Himmel Soan cleared his mind. He knew it was the effect of the monster¡¯s ability. The lion was the king of all beasts. When the lion¡¯s head exerted its power, the beast could command all creatures. The clumsy monster suddenly moved so fast that it was impossible to follow it. Himmel Soan was surprised. That was the ability of the bird¡¯s head, which should be gone already. Thump! The monster waved its paw. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t reacted in time, it would have landed on his head. There was a big hole in the ground¡ªa demonstration of the cow¡¯s strength. Himmel Soan struck back and stabbed the monster in the stomach with the dagger, but the blade only went in for a few centimeters. The elephant¡¯s defensive power made it impossible to severely injure the monster with the dagger. Chapter 515 - Defeat the Monster Chapter 515: Defeat the Monster ¡°Is it a trade-off?¡± The monster was using the lion¡¯s head, but it also had the abilities of other heads. Himmel Soan suspected the lion¡¯s head¡¯s ability was to make trade-offs. When the monster switched to the lion¡¯s head, it could use the power of all eight heads. However, it wasn¡¯t as fast as using the bird¡¯s head alone or as impregnable as the elephant¡¯s head. The lion¡¯s head could do everything, but none of the abilities were at its best. Because of that, the monster became even harder to defeat. Himmel Soan¡¯s advantage was his balanced abilities. He was good at everything and could counteract any type of attack. When the enemy was fast, he could defeat it with his impenetrable defense. When the enemy had good defensive ability, he could defeat it with fierce attacks. As he was a jack of all trades, he was able to get himself out of all kinds of danger. It just so happened that the lion¡¯s head had that characteristic, too. Himmel Soan felt like he was fighting himself, only that the other him was an invincible version. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right!¡± Himmel Soan soon realized that wasn¡¯t the case. He shouldn¡¯t be identifying himself with the monster. He was under the monster¡¯s spell, which affected his state of mind. It had to be the ability of one of the nine heads. He hadn¡¯t seen the ability of the actual head, so he didn¡¯t know which head it was. The spell was cast by the lion¡¯s head instead because it could use the power of all eight other heads. The power was pouring toward Himmel Soan, and the spell was affecting his mood. He could only exert 90% of his actual power. In a battle of life and death, that 10% could make a big difference. ¡°I don¡¯t care how powerful you are. I¡¯ll crush you!¡± Himmel Soan said confidently. Realizing he was under a spell, he soon adjusted his state of mind. Although the effect still existed, it wasn¡¯t detrimental. His eyes shone brightly when he faced the monster. The dagger was suspended in the air, its blinding light seemed to be communicating with nature. The power of nature flowed into the dagger until it was about to burst. ¡°The power of nature shall listen to my instructions!¡± Himmel Soan commanded as if he was a god that was above all natural laws. ¡°Go!¡± The dagger ripped through the air and charged at the monster. The monster realized how powerful the strike was. Although the lion¡¯s head had part of the elephant¡¯s defense power, it still felt threatened. The monster growled. It threw out a ball of dark green light, which was wrapped in red flames. On top of the ball of light was a semi-transparent image of a wolf. The monster had concentrated the abilities of all the heads in this strike. That was the power of the lion¡¯s head. With it, the monster could activate the power of more than one head at the same time. Although it wasn¡¯t as powerful as two or more individual heads put together, it was still the monster¡¯s most powerful technique. With that humming sound, the monster couldn¡¯t activate more than one head at a time. ¡°Master, you can do it!¡± Firey cheered for Himmel Soan. She knew it was going to be the last strike. One of the two would emerge as the winner. She wanted to help but didn¡¯t dare interfere. Himmel Soan had reminded her that the monster only appeared because he struck the wall at the end of the cave. If Firey interfered, maybe more things would happen. Boom! The dagger collided with the ball of light. Their explosion could destroy a mountain. The shockwave nearly threw Firey off her feet. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how powerful the explosion was. The dagger cut through the wolf¡¯s image, the red flame, and into the ball of light. Luckily, the dagger was a divine weapon. Anything else would be pulverized the moment it touched the green light. The dark green light extinguished. Himmel Soan had defeated the monster¡¯s most powerful strike. The dagger struck down at the monster, cutting off three heads at once. The monster only had three heads left now and was significantly weakened. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. He moved closer, grabbed the dagger, and cut down two more heads. ¡°You won!¡± the monster shouted. That was the first time it spoke. Only the human head was left, and the other eight were cut off. ¡°You can speak my language?¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. The monster had been roaring and growling this whole time. He never expected to hear it speak. To his surprise, the monster took advantage of his brief moment of distraction. It turned into a streak of light and disappeared into the wall. ¡°You won¡¯t get away!¡± Himmel Soan shouted. Unfortunately, he was a little too slow. The monster became a mural again. He also noticed something else. Although the monster reappeared in the mural, unlike before, the painting only had one head left. The other eight necks were bleeding. ¡°Why would my battle against the monster change the mural?¡± Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t think of an answer because it was beyond his comprehension. The energy given off by the mural was much weaker now. It shocked Himmel Soan as well. Based on what happened so far, the monster came from the mural and the wounds he inflicted on the actual monster changed the painting on the wall. Who could have had such amazing abilities that gave life to the creatures they painted? If he remembered correctly, they had seen over three hundred monsters on the wall. Could they all come off the wall? One single monster had given him so much trouble. If all three hundred monsters attacked him together, he would have no chance of surviving! Chapter 516 - Emperors Name Chapter 516: Emperor¡¯s Name ¡°Congratulations. You¡¯ve passed the test.¡± Himmel Soan was lost in his thoughts when he heard an authoritative voice that seemed to fill the space between heaven and earth. The sound alone made one want to drop to their knees. The paintings on the wall started trembling violently. The expressions on the three hundred beasts also changed. They seemed to be struggling to get out of the wall. Some of them already stuck their heads out. Hum! Seeing the monsters getting restless, the sound filled the cave again. The barrier reappeared, covered by an ancient language that Himmel Soan didn¡¯t understand. The monsters roared reluctantly and retreated into the mural. ¡°Who are you?¡± Himmel Soan asked. His speculation was correct. Just like the nine-headed monster, all three hundred monsters in the mural could come out of the wall and become real creatures. Without that humming sound and the barrier, they would have brought ruin to this world. ¡°My name is Leela!¡± said that voice. Himmel Soan noticed the fatigue in it. It seemed Leela was the one who activated the barrier to stop the monsters. Wielding that power had made Leela exhausted. ¡°What is this place? What are those monsters? Is the mural a record of historical events? What¡¯s this test you mentioned?¡± Himmel Soan had a million questions. Strange things had been happening since he entered the cave, and he really wanted some answers. ¡°You have a lot of questions, but I can¡¯t answer all of them. Knowing too much will get you killed.¡± Leela sighed before continuing, ¡°This is a multi-space. The crack you went through was only one of the entrances. You¡¯ve left your world without knowing it. ¡°These monsters are all real. An invincible man rose to power in ancient times and became the ruler of all things. Under his reign, all races, from humans to demons, put aside their grudges and coexisted in harmony.¡± Leela was probably talking about the man in the mural. As soon as Himmel Soan thought about that, Leela spoke again as if they could read Himmel Soan¡¯s mind, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m talking about the man in the mural.¡± ¡°Does he have a name?¡± Himmel Soan asked. From the brief description, he could already imagine what a prosperous era that must have been. He couldn¡¯t imagine all the races living in harmony now. The humans and demons saw each other as their archenemies. They couldn¡¯t stand the existence of the other party. To be able to unite all creatures, that man had to be as capable as he was charismatic. ¡°Nobody knows his name. Everybody just called him ¡®Emperor.''¡± That name alone could explain everything. An emperor was the supreme being of the world and could command everything in that world. Hearing Leela¡¯s description, Himmel Soan finally understood what this place was. When Emperor united all creatures, the world prospered. However, there was an end to everything. One day, a dark fog started to appear. As it expanded, the creatures affected by the fog became violent and aggressive. The harmony was gone, and the creatures began to kill one another. There was always bloodshed in the black fog. When Emperor noticed this, the black fog had taken up 365 pieces of land. All lives were annihilated in that fog. Not only that, a portal had opened up in each section of the fog. It absorbed life, blood, and soul until monsters came out. There were 365 monsters in the mural, all a result of the fog. Together, they brought calamity to the world. To protect other creatures, Emperor started a one-man quest to hunt down the monsters. It took him a hundred years to slay all the monsters. Their corpses made a pile as tall as a mountain. He then put his seat on the mountaintop because he wanted to suppress them forever. Himmel Soan already knew some of the events from the mural. He could only imagine how splendid that time had to be and how impressive Emperor was. ¡°Emperor sat in that seat for 9.99 million years. Although we couldn¡¯t see him, we could all sense his energy. ¡°One day, a black hole appeared on the mountain. Emperor entered without coming back out. His energy was gone, too. ¡°Nobody knew what happened. Someone suggested that Emperor had been studying the source of those monsters in the 9.99 million years, fearing they might return.¡± Leela fell silent for a moment. They couldn¡¯t help but lose themselves in the memory of the old days. Emperor¡¯s charisma could take one¡¯s breath away. ¡°A black hole? Did Emperor find the source of the monsters and went inside to destroy them once and for all?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He didn¡¯t know what really happened and could only speculate. ¡°Nobody knows. He had such a noble status that nobody dared approach him. ¡°All we knew was Emperor was gone, and so was his energy. To commemorate him, the creatures of this world recorded his glory in this multi-space.¡± That was how this place was created! Himmel Soan thought the cave had something to do with Emperor, which was why it was so mysterious. As it turned out, it was only built to record Emperor¡¯s great achievements. Himmel Soan was amazed by how powerful the ordinary creatures of ancient times had been. He couldn¡¯t imagine how capable Emperor had to be to subdue them. ¡°Wait. If all the monsters were killed, why are the monsters in these paintings still alive?¡± Himmel Soan found a discrepancy in the story. He had fought the nine-headed monster, and his wounds from the battle hadn¡¯t healed yet. The monster was real. Shouldn¡¯t they have died a long time ago? ¡°That¡¯s the most incredible thing,¡± Leela said solemnly. Chapter 517 - Strange Thing Chapter 517: Strange Thing Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils contracted. All creatures mourned Emperor¡¯s disappearance. They knelt at the foot of the bone mountain for three years to commemorate him. They hoped Emperor would return, but three years passed and Emperor never showed up. It was as if he had never existed. No one could sense his energy anymore. One day, someone suggested they should record Emperor¡¯s great achievements so that the later generations wouldn¡¯t forget about him. Everybody agreed. Many capable beings voluntarily found the necessary materials to build the multi-space. However, strange things began to happen during this process. When they painted the first image on the wall, they couldn¡¯t draw Emperor¡¯s face, no matter how hard they tried. Every time they carved his facial features into the wall, an unknown force would wipe them off. They tried and tried. They tried thousands of times. It took them a hundred years to complete the first painting that Himmel Soan saw. No matter how many times they tried, they couldn¡¯t change the outcome. Emperor¡¯s face would always be wiped off. It was as if he wasn¡¯t part of this world. If the creatures hadn¡¯t admired Emperor so much, they would have given up already. Instead, they kept trying. However, their effort proved to be futile. A hundred years passed, yet the painting of Emperor still hadn¡¯t been completed, but all 365 monsters were finished. The creatures of this world couldn¡¯t understand it. They couldn¡¯t accept the fact that the most important person couldn¡¯t be put up on the wall and be worshiped by all the generations to come. They were about to start on Emperor¡¯s portrait again when the monsters on the wall appeared in this cave. The paintings became alive, and the monsters tried to kill the creatures of this world. The creatures were filled with despair. They had no idea why the paintings would become alive, nor did they know why they couldn¡¯t paint Emperor¡¯s portrait. All they knew was the monsters had reappeared, and Emperor wasn¡¯t around anymore. There was no one around to protect them. Death was upon them. The monsters would slaughter everyone. The creatures lost all hope when they heard a sigh resonating in the multi-space. Emperor¡¯s energy that had disappeared for a hundred years was here again. An enormous bell appeared in the air, chasing the monsters back into the wall. Emperor¡¯s image appeared in every painting. They couldn¡¯t finish Emperor¡¯s portrait in the past century, but now, it was completed in an instant. ¡°What happened after that?¡± Himmel Soan had to ask. It almost sounded like a myth. Although cultivation itself resembled mythology, what Leela described was even more incredible. ¡°Nothing. Once the monsters were sealed into the wall, the multi-space disappeared. The creatures were sent back to where they lived. They had no idea what had happened. ¡°There were all sorts of speculations. Some said the monsters were never dead and the mural helped them to come back to life. Others said the monsters followed Emperor into the multi-space through that black hole. ¡°Everybody had a different opinion. The only thing they knew for sure was that Emperor was gone. Even the mountain of bones and his throne disappeared with him.¡± Leela sounded sorry. Even Himmel Soan sighed. A charming, capable man vanished without a trace. No one knew what he went through or what was going on at the other end of the black hole. ¡°Who are you? Why do you know such things?¡± Himmel Soan asked. Even he didn¡¯t know how many thousands of years ago those events took place. Leela talked about it as if they were there when it all happened, which made Himmel Soan wonder. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m Leela. I don¡¯t know why I know these things¡­¡± Leela sounded forlorn. Himmel Soan¡¯s question made them think. Leela kept murmuring, ¡°That¡¯s right. Who am I? How do I know such things? Why am I here? Why should I tell you? What am I?!¡± Leela¡¯s tone was upset at first but gradually became hysterical. Their state was so strange that the entire cave started shaking with it. They were desperately trying to figure out who they were. ¡°Leela, stop!¡± Himmel Soan shouted. The multi-space was affected by Leela¡¯s emotions and became unstable. The walls were covered with cracks, and Himmel Soan felt doom was upon him. On the other side of the cracks was the void. Even Himmel Soan would die if he was devoured by it. Hum! The bell rang, and the cracks began to heal. That destructive power vanished as well. Leela finally calmed down. ¡°Sorry. I lost control. ¡°Somehow, every time I try to remember who I am, I¡¯ll enter that frantic state. It¡¯s like somebody erased a part of my memory.¡± Leela sounded weak. Those words made Himmel Soan uneasy. Erased memory? What kind of memory would make Leela lose control? It had to be very important! Not only that, but Leela also calmed down because of the bell. Himmel Soan could guess which bell it was. It had to be the enormous bell in Leela¡¯s story. The bell was connected to Emperor and could calm Leela down. In that case, Leela should have some connection with Emperor as well. Himmel Soan was so intrigued. Maybe he could find out what happened to Emperor through Leela. Maybe¡­ A bold idea struck him. Could Leela be Emperor? He couldn¡¯t say for sure because those events took place so long ago. Everything seemed to be shrouded in a fog, and he only knew very little. ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I can. I don¡¯t know the rest. Even if I do, I can¡¯t tell you. ¡°The most important question is: will you continue with the test, or do you want to leave?¡± Leela asked in a majestic voice. Chapter 518 - Special Firey Chapter 518: Special Firey ¡°Continue with the test?¡± Himmel Soan was shocked. Was that nine-headed monster only part of the test? ¡°You¡¯ve defeated that monster, which means you¡¯re qualified to take the test. I forgot who set that rule, but I do remember my job. I¡¯m here to guide the qualified candidates to the next step,¡± explained Leela as if they could read Himmel Soan¡¯s mind. Himmel Soan was surprised. As it turned out, the whole thing was more complicated than he expected. Defeating the nine-headed monster wasn¡¯t even part of the test. It was only the entrance requirement. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how difficult the test would be since that monster was already so hard to defeat. ¡°Would you like to continue, or do you want to stop?¡± Leela asked again. ¡°What will I gain from the test?¡± That was the most important question for Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t ask who designed the test. Leela had said they didn¡¯t know who set the rules. Himmel Soan feared that if he pressed Leela, they would fall into that frantic state again. ¡°I can¡¯t remember. I only know you¡¯ll receive the most generous reward, so much so that it¡¯ll even lead you to become the most powerful being in the world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± Himmel Soan said yes without hesitation. His goal was to become the most powerful person so that he could go anywhere he wanted without being stopped by anyone or anything. ¡°I have a request.¡± Himmel Soan glanced at Firey and asked hesitantly, ¡°Does Firey have to take the test too?¡± Firey was his only concern. He had personally experienced the formidable power of the nine-headed monster. He could deduce that the test would be dangerous and ruthless. If he hadn¡¯t defeated that monster, he would have been killed, and no one would have come to his rescue. The designer of the test wanted to use this merciless method to train the candidates. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if Firey couldn¡¯t withstand the challenge. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t have to. If she isn¡¯t participating, she should leave the multi-space.¡± There were no other options. She had to either take the test or leave. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Firey shook her head, unwilling to leave. ¡°Firey, be a good girl and wait for me outside. I¡¯ll find you as soon as I complete the test.¡± Himmel Soan tried to persuade Firey. She had always followed his instructions. To his surprise, she stubbornly rejected him this time. ¡°No, Master, I¡¯ll never leave you! I¡¯m worried about you!¡± She grabbed Himmel Soan¡¯s arm so that he wouldn¡¯t send her away by force. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous here!¡± Himmel Soan said sternly. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t leave. I can¡¯t let you face the danger all by yourself.¡± Firey insisted. ¡°Master, let me stay here with you. I have a feeling this is very important to me, too. I can¡¯t leave. With me by your side, your life won¡¯t be in danger,¡± Firey whispered in Himmel Soan¡¯s ear. What she said got Himmel Soan thinking. Some ideas were forming in his mind. He didn¡¯t discover this multi-space. Rather, Firey heard the calling and stumbled upon it. Not only that, but after the nine-headed monster came off the wall, it acted as if Firey didn¡¯t exist and only attacked Himmel Soan. Everything pointed to the fact that Firey was receiving special treatment from the multi-space. Himmel Soan suspected he wasn¡¯t given access to the multi-space and only got in because he was accompanied by Firey. If that were the case, maybe Firey wouldn¡¯t be in any danger. ¡°Master¡­¡± Firey tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Leela, can someone leave the test before they complete it?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°There are five parts to this test. After each part, you get to choose whether to continue or to leave. However, you only have one chance to take this test. If you fail but survive the test, you can¡¯t take it again.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. ¡°Alright. You can come to the test with me, but if things get too dangerous, you must leave right away. If you don¡¯t agree, you¡¯ll have to leave me and never return,¡± Himmel Soan told Firey. Hearing that one could back out in the middle of the test made him feel less concerned. Firey would be safe if she followed the instructions and left this place. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Firey beamed at Himmel Soan. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­: Before he could say anything else, he heard Leela¡¯s voice in his head. ¡°She can leave at any moment, but you can¡¯t!¡± Himmel Soan looked around and saw that Firey didn¡¯t seem startled. He was certain that only he could hear those words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Himmel Soan asked in his mind. He believed Leela could hear him. He was right. Leela soon replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but she gives me a familiar feeling. I know she has the right to leave this place. ¡°As for you, I lied. Once you enter the test, you can only pass it or die in the process. You can¡¯t leave in the middle of it. I¡¯ll give you some time to think about it.¡± It seemed Leela wanted Firey to take the test, but Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t tell if that was the result of the familiar feeling or if there was another reason. To keep Firey here, Leela would even tell lies. The test was more ruthless than Himmel Soan imagined. He would die if he couldn¡¯t pass it. ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡± Himmel Soan asked in his mind. ¡°That¡¯s part of the rules. I must make sure all candidates know what they¡¯re facing. You¡¯ll make a choice on your own. I can¡¯t force you to do anything. It¡¯s not the same case with the girl.¡± Leela¡¯s voice sounded like a thunderclap in Himmel Soan¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± To Leela¡¯s surprise, Himmel Soan made the decision without hesitation. It concerned his life and death, and Leela expected him to waver. However, he was more decisive than Leela expected. ¡°I have high hopes for you. I remember I was told if a cultivator wanted to reach the top, the essential thing they must have is a dauntless heart. They had to remain confident even if the sky fell on their heads.¡± Chapter 519 - Test Chapter 519: Test Leela didn¡¯t try to hide their appreciation for Himmel Soan. They didn¡¯t waste any time. Since Himmel Soan had made a choice, the test should begin. ¡°I see you¡¯ve made up your mind. The test will start now.¡± Leela¡¯s voice resonated in the cave. The wall at the end of the cave trembled violently. It slowly parted, revealing a path that was wide enough to let one man pass at a time. ¡°This cave is only the starting point of the multi-space. This path will take you to your first test location.¡± Himmel Soan nodded. That was more like it. The name of the multi-space suggested it should be much more than an underground cave. ¡°Firey, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯m sure we can get through all kinds of tests.¡± Firey smiled happily, not knowing what the test meant to Himmel Soan. Life and death. The test could give him the greatest power or turn him into a pile of bones. It all depended on his performance. They entered the path one after another. Himmel Soan felt the world spinning around him, making him retch. It was unlike what he felt before when traveling through time and space. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. It could be an instant or a thousand years. He lost count of time. It seemed forever before he could see properly again. He was in front of a fragrant garden. The exuberance washed away the disoriented feeling. He quickly looked around to find himself in a meadow. Countless trees grew so tall that they touched the sky. There was a river ahead of him, and on it was a bridge. ¡°Master, it¡¯s so pretty here!¡± Firey appeared next to Himmel Soan and was immediately attracted by the view. This place looked surreal. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t known this was the first test¡¯s location, he would have wanted to live here permanently. No! He soon realized what was wrong with this place. Yes, the view was stunning, but if one looked closely, one would realize there were no signs of life. To be more precise, there were no animals. There was grass, trees, and a lot of flowers, but no animals. It was as if they were all extinct. There were no butterflies on the flowers and no fish in the river. They couldn¡¯t see any birds or running animals, either. ¡°Firey, be careful,¡± Himmel Soan said solemnly. Danger could be hidden in the beautiful scenery. The place could easily make one lose the motivation to keep fighting. One could get lost here forever. If they didn¡¯t keep their guard up, they would be killed so soon that they wouldn¡¯t know what hit them. ¡°Leela, what¡¯s the purpose of this first test?¡± Himmel Soans asked, but there was no reply. Leela seemed to have disappeared. There was only silence. Boom! The river seemed to have been enraged by his voice. The current had been quite calm, but angry waves suddenly rose out of the water. They smashed down at Himmel Soan, who immediately jumped away. Although they were only waves, he could still sense the destructive power. He was even more certain that great danger was hidden beneath the pretty facade. The waves smashed onto Himmel Soan¡¯s previous spot. If he hadn¡¯t dodged in time, they would have devoured him. When the waves receded, the spot where Himmel Soan stood was in a mess. The three-meter deep pit was the demonstration of the waves¡¯ power. ¡°Master!¡± Firey only realized what happened afterward. The waves were so fast that even she didn¡¯t react in time. Boom! The waves charged at Himmel again in the shape of an arrow. The wave before was as fast as a race car, but this time, the wave moved so rapidly that it was almost flying. Himmel Soan dodged again and narrowly escaped. ¡°Master¡­¡± ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Himmel Soan reminded Firey in a whisper. He was sure now that the waves were attracted by sounds. Firey immediately stopped talking. The river calmed down only after there were no other sounds. ¡°This first test seems pretty difficult. The river is dealing me a head-on blow at the first encounter.¡± Himmel Soan chuckled. His strength hadn¡¯t recovered yet. Handling the river was proving to be strenuous. It was only a small part of the first test, and this place was vast. One could only imagine what danger was waiting ahead. Every step could be a trap, which might be an understatement. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Firey said guiltily. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. I didn¡¯t notice it either. I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Himmel Soan rubbed her head and smiled gently. ¡°I guess that bridge is our only way to cross the river.¡± Himmel Soan looked at the river. The seemingly calm river was full of danger. To cross it, the bridge was the only option. Otherwise, the river could turn into the most lethal killer. ¡°Yes!¡± Firey followed Himmel Soan, and they stepped onto the bridge. The waves rolled violently when they were halfway through. The river surged like boiling water. The bridge shook with it, throwing Firey and Himmel Soan from side to side. If they lost their balance, they would be thrown off the bridge and devoured by the water. ¡°The bridge isn¡¯t as safe as I thought.¡± Himmel Soan managed to steady himself. With his ability, of course, he wouldn¡¯t be thrown into the river. He held Firey¡¯s hand and slowly moved forward. With each step, the bridge shook more violently. By the time they almost reached the other end, the bridge was spinning like a spindle. Firey and Himmel Soan looked like they were on a roller coaster ride. Chapter 520 - 520 Guardian of the River 520 Guardian of the River Himmel Soan stood steadily on the bridge. No matter how violently it turned, he showed no sign of falling over. The last bit was the hardest. Finally, he led Firey to the other end. The bridge was only twenty meters long, yet it took Himmel Soan nearly ten minutes to cross it. Each step was harder than the next. He eventually managed to get off the bridge. As soon as he set foot on the other side, the bridge stopped shaking. The river calmed down as if nothing had happened. ¡°We made it.¡± Firey patted her chest. It had gotten so dangerous that she and Himmel Soan¡¯s heads almost touched the water. Even Firey knew if they made contact with the water, something irrevocable would happen. Luckily, they got through. ¡°You made it? You¡¯ve seriously underestimated this place!¡± Someone laughed wholeheartedly when Firey said those words. The water stirred again, and a figure dressed in blue appeared over the river. The figure approached Himmel Soan, moving steadily as if walking on flat land. With each step, the figure became more solid. When it reached the shore, it turned into a handsome man. The look on Himmel Soan¡¯s face became serious. The man was putting him under a lot of pressure. ¡°I¡¯ve switched to this form that matches your capability. The rule says you can only leave this area if you defeat me. Otherwise, you¡¯re dead,¡± said the man. The water rose out of the river and formed a trident in his hand. Each of the three tips gave off a different type of energy. The middle one was flowy like water, the left one was bone-chilling cold, and the right one was as intangible as air. They each represented a state of water: liquid, solid, and gaseous. Together, they gave one a feeling that they could destroy anything. ¡°Are you the guardian of the river?¡± Himmel Soan asked the man. ¡°Guardian? I guess you can say that. I like the way you put it. If you want to get through, you must defeat me. Or you¡¯ll become part of the river and stay here for eternity!¡± The man pointed the trident at Himmel Soan. The water around him surged, following his order as if it was his subject. ¡°I¡¯ll give you credit for passing the bridge. If you had fallen into the water, you wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. The water would devour you instantly. Here on the shore, I¡¯ll fight you as your equal. Although you still won¡¯t survive, you can last a little bit longer,¡± the man said confidently. With a wave of his trident, the water rose toward Himmel Soan. It was going to wrap around him like a cocoon. Himmel Soan took out the dagger and struck the water. The next instant, he paled. The water felt heavier than iron, and even the divine dagger couldn¡¯t get through. Not only that, but the water was also a liquid. As soon as Himmel Soan slashed the current open, the water curtain closed up and flowed toward him again. ¡°Firey, back off!¡± Himmel Soan told Firey to keep her distance while he charged at the man. He had a feeling that he would have no chance of survival if the water surrounded him. To change the situation, he had to defeat the man who was manipulating the water. ¡°Interesting. You¡¯re attacking me.¡± The man sounded pleased. He was excited about Himmel Soan¡¯s move. Grabbing the trident, the man charged at Himmel Soan as well. The trident clashed with the dagger. Thump! It sounded like a god was forging iron. The trident stopped the divine dagger, which had been invincible until now. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such a marvelous dagger. It can even stop my trident.¡± The man was pleasantly surprised. His weapon was formed by the essence of water that came from the river behind him. The water flowing in the river was the True Lunar Water. One drop of it could freeze an entire land. The weapon formed by the True Luna Water was the greatest treasure in this world, yet the divine dagger had blocked its attack. Therefore, the man knew the dagger was extraordinary. In a matter of seconds, Himmel Soan and the man had exchanged hundreds of blows. They moved so fast that sometimes they would disappear from Firey¡¯s sight. She could only hear the sound of their fighting. Firey¡¯s palms were sweaty. She was genuinely shocked. She had always thought she was powerful enough, but only now did she realize the gap between her capability and Himmel Soan¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t even follow the battle with her eyes, let alone take part in it. ¡°If that¡¯s all you have, you¡¯re not good enough to fight me,¡± the man shouted. White fog rose out of the gaseous tip of the trident, filling the nearby area. Himmel Soan was startled. With the white fog, he couldn¡¯t see anything over a meter away. It made him nervous. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary fog. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been about to block his sight. While he stood there, the man disappeared. He put up his guard. He knew the man was hiding in the fog and could attack him at any moment. Hearing something moving behind him, he immediately spun around to parry the blow. As soon as he did that, he realized he had made a mistake. It wasn¡¯t the man but the water that tried to trap him inside. It had been following him the whole time but couldn¡¯t catch up with him when he was fighting that man. Since he had been standing there for a while, the water caught up with him and tried to wrap around him once more. Himmel Soan immediately started moving. That was the True Luna Water. If he were trapped, he would be frozen to the bone and lose this battle for good. Water was that man¡¯s weapon, and the True Luna Water could freeze and destroy anything in this world. Chapter 521 - 521 Difficult Battle 521 Difficult Battle To make things worse, he had made a wrong judgment and concentrated on the water only. If that man attacked him now, he would be doomed. Himmel Soan moved as fast as he could and waved his dagger in the process. That man nodded when he saw this. It might seem that Himmel Soan was randomly waving the dagger, but it wasn¡¯t that simple. He was striking the spots where that man was most likely to attack him. Several times, the man wanted to attack Himmel Soan, but the moving dagger stopped his attempt to ambush him. The seemingly random movement had, in fact, sabotaged the man¡¯s plan. He was amazed that Himmel Soan was calm enough to analyze the situation. ¡°You¡¯re more interesting than I expected, but you seemed to have forgotten about something!¡± The man¡¯s voice came from all around Himmel Soan as if he was everywhere at the same time. Himmel Soan¡¯s stomach lurched. He quickly ran in one direction, trying to escape the fog. ¡°It won¡¯t work!¡± said the man. The fog was also moving. Whenever Himmel Soan was about to run out of its range, more fog would appear in front of him. It was like running in a puzzle and each section of the fog was a puzzle piece. Whenever Himmel Soan was about to leave this ¡°puzzle,¡± the man would put another ¡°puzzle piece¡± in front of him, trapping him inside. Himmel Soan realized his predicament after two minutes. At his speed, he should have run over fifty miles, which was much further than the length of the fog. However, he was still surrounded by the endless fog, which meant that man was controlling the fog surrounding him. ¡°Unless I can teleport myself out of this fog, I¡¯ll never be able to get out,¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He was trapped in the fog, and both his sight and movement were affected. Teleportation wasn¡¯t an easy task. Not only that, but he also noticed something he had always been concerned with. He was reminded of what that man said just then. Fog consisted of drops of water. That man could control water, so he could easily turn the fog into running water. Once that happened, Himmel Soan would be trapped by the water, too. That man could defeat him without breaking a sweat. That was why Himmel Soan had been trying so hard to escape the fog. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s picking up speed!¡± The air felt moist. Himmel Soan could see the water drops with his naked eyes. The fog was turning into running water. ¡°I know it¡¯s futile, but I still have to keep running!¡± Himmel Soan realized what was happening. His running was making an impact. That man had to control the fog to constantly shift positions to trap him. As a result, the transformation from fog to running water slowed down. When Himmel Soan was running at his top speed, that man had to stop transforming the fog and focus on trapping him. Now that Himmel Soan had stopped, that man could focus on the fog again. As a result, the transformation quickened. This seemed to be an impossible battle. Himmel Soan only had two choices. The first was to stand here and let the fog turn into running water, which would kill him. The other choice was to run around to distract the man, but it would only buy him more time. The end was still inevitable. The only difference was one would kill him faster and the other slower. Even so, Himmel Soan had to stall the man. He wasn¡¯t the type to give in and would put up a fight no matter what. ¡°He noticed it!¡± The man smiled as he watched Himmel Soan running around. He had to admit that Himmel Soan was smarter than he expected. Moreover, he also had a strong mind. He could remain calm under the direst of circumstances and analyze the situation to find the optimal strategy. Running around could only slow down the process but couldn¡¯t prevent the eventual death. However, it could buy Himmel Soan some time, which was his best option at the moment. As he had to control the fog, the man couldn¡¯t ambush Himmel Soan. Although his speed was affected by the fog, Himmel Soan was still running faster than the man¡¯s expectations. If he let down his guard, Himmel Soan could break out of the fog, wasting all his effort. Therefore, the man didn¡¯t ambush Himmel Soan. A strange but difficult battle ensued. ¡°You¡¯re much more interesting than I thought,¡± said the man. ¡°Thank you, but the battle isn¡¯t over yet. I¡¯m not giving up!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep running for.¡± The man found Himmel Soan¡¯s confidence ridiculous. His job was to stop anyone from going through. Even if he was pleased with Himmel Soan¡¯s performance, he still wouldn¡¯t show him any mercy. Time ticked away. The battle lasted for an hour. Outside the fog, Firey was feeling anxious for Himmel Soan. She had never seen him put so much effort into a battle. Himmel Soan had always been able to crush his enemies, but ever since setting foot in the multi-space, the battles he experienced had been so difficult. The multi-space was built in ancient times and represented the most advanced power of that era. The creatures of ancient times built the multi-space to commemorate Emperor. They used the best materials and techniques they could find. Ordinary people would be killed the moment they set foot in the cave. It was already a miracle that Himmel Soan could pass the initial test. ¡°You¡¯ve used 70% of your power. You¡¯ll exhaust yourself in no more than thirty minutes. You¡¯ll be defenseless then!¡± It was an accurate diagnosis. Chapter 522 - 522 Final Strike 522 Final Strike ¡°Master¡­¡± Firey¡¯s expression turned serious. She was worried about Himmel Soan. Although she couldn¡¯t see Himmel Soan clearly through the fog, she didn¡¯t think that man would lie about such things. There was no point. It sounded like Himmel Soan was in the worst possible situation. Himmel Soan had used over 70% of his energy. If a cultivator had no spiritual essence left, he would be as defenseless as an ordinary man. Himmel Soan would be at that man¡¯s mercy. ¡°The battle isn¡¯t over yet. How do you know I¡¯m going to lose?¡± Himmel Soan asked confidently. Nobody knew why he still hadn¡¯t panicked. He should have lost all hope, yet he didn¡¯t seem to have noticed it and wasn¡¯t worried about his safety at all. ¡°Having confidence is a good thing, but overconfidence will make you an egoist, the most foolish of men.¡± The man smiled, believing the battle to be over. Even though Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t exhausted his spiritual essence, that man was sure he would win. The fog had almost turned into a liquid form. In ten more minutes, flowing water would fill the air. Even if Himmel Soan was at his best, he wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a fight when the water trapped him. The technique was called the Ultimate Water Region and was the man¡¯s deadliest move. ¡°Are you still not giving up?¡± The man noticed Himmel Soan was running as fast as he could in one direction. Even now, he was still trying to break out of the fog. The man threw more fog in Himmel Soan¡¯s way than before. He believed the other party could never get out of the fog. ¡°This battle is over!¡± Just then, the man heard Himmel Soan¡¯s voice. He realized in surprise that Himmel Soan had disappeared from his sight. A dagger was pressed against his neck. It was none other than the divine dagger. Himmel Soan had somehow sneaked upon him. The battle was over. The man lost. He lost the battle the moment Himmel Soan put the dagger on his neck. He could try to dodge, but no matter how fast he moved, he couldn¡¯t be faster than Himmel Soan¡¯s dagger. ¡°You won!¡± The man smiled bitterly. The fog vanished, and Firey could see them again. ¡°Master!¡± She cried out in excitement when she saw Himmel Soan subdue the man with the divine dagger. It all happened so suddenly. One second ago, the man was so sure that Himmel Soan would lose, and now, the battle was over. ¡°You fought well!¡± Himmel Soan put away the dagger. As soon as the man admitted his defeat, the water stopped attacking him. He wasn¡¯t worried about the man being deceitful. He had subdued him and passed the test. The man had no reason to break his promise. Moreover, Himmel Soan could feel that the man wasn¡¯t at his best. Instead, he suppressed himself to be at the same level as Himmel Soan, just as the rules required him to. If the man wanted to kill Himmel Soan, he could simply exert all his power. Himmel Soan would never be his match. ¡°How did you do it?¡± the man asked Himmel Soan in bewilderment. He still couldn¡¯t figure out how Himmel Soan disappeared from his sight and got so close to him. With that speed, he could have left the fog in an instant and didn¡¯t need to stall for so long. ¡°We have a saying from where I came from: what makes you successful can also be your downfall. The fog helped you to suppress me, but it¡¯s also why you lost the battle.¡± Himmel Soan was in high spirits. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± said the man. He still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around how Himmel Soan did it. ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. When the fog condensed into water drops, they would show my reflection. That was how I won.¡± The man finally understood. When the fog condensed, countless droplets of water filled the air. When there were enough water droplets, they would form curtains of water that appeared all around Himmel Soan like big mirrors. Himmel Soan made good use of his reflections in these mirrors. The man saw Himmel Soan trying to run away from the fog, but it was actually Himmel Soan¡¯s reflection. The real him was hidden elsewhere. That was how Himmel Soan suddenly disappeared from the man¡¯s sight. When the reflection disappeared, the real Himmel Soan was already by the man¡¯s side. ¡°How did you know where to find me?¡± the man asked. Himmel Soan needed to stay out of the man¡¯s sight, but he also had to find the man¡¯s location. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to put the dagger on his throat. ¡°Another saying from my hometown: the villains die because they talk too much. Although it was hard to track you in the fog, your voice revealed your location.¡± Himmel Soan didn¡¯t spend the last hour running around aimlessly. He had been looking for the man. He never gave up and only struck back when it was the right moment. As expected, he turned the situation around and defeated his opponent. ¡°I see¡­¡± The man seemed frustrated. He never thought he would lose like this. He was as capable as Himmel Soan, if not better, but he was a lot weaker in terms of improvising in actual battles. Of course, he would lose the fight. A long while passed before the man smiled with relief. ¡°Congratulations. You won the battle. I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°I was lucky. If the fog had turned into flowing water faster, I¡¯d have been trapped.¡± Chapter 523 - 523 Guardian of Wood 523 Guardian of Wood Himmel Soan didn¡¯t lose his head. He had learned a great deal from the battle. It was more complicated than it seemed. One couldn¡¯t assume they would win just because they were the more capable side. One¡¯s reaction and strategy could change the final outcome. A lion should give all it had, even when fighting a rabbit. Otherwise, they could fail miserably in an easy task. ¡°Since you¡¯ve passed my river, you¡¯re qualified to receive some information on the first test. ¡°The first test consists of five guardians, each guarding one of the five elements. You¡¯ve probably realized by now that I¡¯m the guardian of water. Once you defeat me, anything involving the water element won¡¯t try to harm you again. ¡°To pass this test, you¡¯ll need to defeat the other four guardians. I need to warn you that out of the five, I have the mildest temper. Some of the guardians can be rather blood-thirsty and won¡¯t communicate with you like me.¡± The man told Himmel Soan whatever he could. The first test was to examine Himmel Soan¡¯s potential. To get through the multi-space and gain the ultimate power, one had to have enough talent. If they couldn¡¯t defeat all creatures that were of their own level, they could never challenge the most capable being. All five guardians would lower their cultivation level to fight Himmel Soan as his equal. He could only get to the next test after defeating them. ¡°I get it!¡± Himmel Soan nodded and thanked the man. He then marched on. Firey followed him with a serious look on her face. The battle earlier made her realize how dangerous this place was. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Himmel Soan smiled gently upon seeing her expression. ¡°Master, be careful. I was so worried.¡± Firey took his hand. Back then, she really thought he would lose the battle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t lose. I¡¯ll pass the tests and keep you safe.¡± Himmel Soan squeezed Firey¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± As soon as he set foot on the meadow, Himmel Soan felt something heavy on his chest. It was a similar feeling to when the water guardian showed up. He let go of Firey¡¯s hand and let her step aside. He then scanned his surroundings, waiting for the next guardian to arrive. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to get this far.¡± A man with dark green hair approached them. He stopped when he was ten meters away from Himmel Soan. He raised his brow at Himmel Soan before glancing at Firey. The sight made him pale. Firey was the essence of nature with the fire attribute while the man was the wood guardian. Fire restricted wood. Naturally, he was intimidated by Firey. ¡°Bring it on!¡± Himmel Soan grabbed the dagger and was ready to attack. After the battle against the water guardian, he knew how powerful his enemies were. He won that fight because of his luck. The wood guardian would only be a tougher enemy. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. I¡¯m not like my fellow water guardian. Fighting isn¡¯t my thing. To pass the test, you only need to break my defense.¡± The wood guardian smiled. With a flick of his fingers, a cage made of vines appeared in front of Himmel Soan. ¡°Your task is quite easy. Enter the cage, break it within fifteen minutes, and you win.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Himmel Soan walked toward the cage without hesitation. The wood guardian was taken aback. He asked Himmel Soan, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask what¡¯ll happen if you can¡¯t break the cage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I can do it. Why should I ask unnecessary questions?¡± Himmel Soan said confidently. The wood guardian was surprised. It wasn¡¯t the answer he had expected. He was impressed with Himmel Soan¡¯s confidence. ¡°Good. I hope your strength matches your confidence. I need to warn you: these vines are the Sky Devourers from ancient times. As the name suggests, they can even devour the sky. ¡°Once you enter the cage, you must break it in fifteen minutes. If not, the Sky Devourers will turn you into a puddle of blood. The rule requires me to use the same level of strength as you; the Sky Devourers are the same. The defense of the cage matches your current level.¡± Himmel Soan entered the cage before the wood guardian finished. He then started hacking the cage with the dagger. Sparks flew everywhere. To his surprise, the cage wasn¡¯t affected at all. He couldn¡¯t leave a mark on the vines, let alone break them. Himmel Soan looked at the cage in astonishment. According to the wood guardian, the cage matched his current level. However, the divine dagger couldn¡¯t even leave a mark on it. ¡°Do I have this level of defense?¡± Himmel Soan almost suspected the wood guardian was cheating. He couldn¡¯t break the cage with a defense ability of his own level. Could any cultivator of his level be as tough as the cage? ¡°Apart from growing things, the wood attribute is also connected to tenacity. Metals are hard, but they¡¯re brittle and prone to break. Soil is solid, but it¡¯s not as tough as wood. ¡°The formidable defense ability isn¡¯t the most striking aspect of the wood attribute. Its greatest quality lies in its tenacity that neither the metal nor the soil attribute has,¡± said the wood guardian. He was surprised by Himmel Soan¡¯s decisiveness and thought the latter could easily break the cage. He now realized he had overestimated him. If Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t escape, he would be digested by the cage in fifteen minutes. ¡°I¡¯m only getting started, yet you already assumed you¡¯re the winner. You¡¯re celebrating too early,¡± said Himmel Soan. He looked as charming and confident as before, even when locked in the cage. He wouldn¡¯t give in because he wasn¡¯t a quitter. He would fight till the end. Chapter 524 - 524 Failure 524 Failure ¡°I¡¯d like to see you break this cage.¡± The wood guardian glanced at Himmel Soan. Judging by Himmel Soan¡¯s performance, he didn¡¯t think the latter could break the cage. No matter how confident he sounded, he had to face reality, which wasn¡¯t always what one wanted. Firey activated her fire, sending it toward the cage. ¡°Young lady, I wouldn¡¯t meddle if I were you. Otherwise, the test will become harder. Since he can¡¯t break the cage now, he¡¯ll have even less of a chance if the test is upgraded,¡± the wood guardian told Firey. Firey immediately gave up on trying to help Himmel Soan. She couldn¡¯t interfere because it would make things harder for him. ¡°Firey, just wait there and watch me break this cage!¡± Himmel Soan said confidently. He made hundreds of strikes in the blink of an eye. The blade hit the cage, sending sparks everywhere. Himmel Soan finally realized what was special about these vines. The wood guardian was right. The characteristics of the wood attribute were tenacity and healing ability. His attack on the cage wasn¡¯t completely futile though. Each strike had left a dent in the vines. However, they healed so fast that as soon as the dagger left the surface, the dent would vanish, giving one the impression that they couldn¡¯t be hurt. The vines were so tenacious that he couldn¡¯t break them in one strike, and the healing ability allowed it to mend its wounds over and over again. The two characteristics made sure that Himmel Soan would remain trapped in the cage. ¡°There¡¯s only one way: destroy it in one go. I can only get out in that instant, or the cage will close up again,¡± Himmel Soan murmured. The wood guardian felt a bit of respect for him. Under such circumstances, he could make quick judgments and find the optimal solution. Only someone with a strong mind could do so. Of course, that was as far as his respect would go. Knowing what to do wasn¡¯t enough. The most important thing was to know how to do it. Making his attacks more powerful would be a good idea, but it wasn¡¯t easily done. Everybody knew one could run faster with hard training, but to do that, one needed to train constantly before improving their speed by a marginal amount. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have that much time. He only had fifteen minutes. It wasn¡¯t that easy to increase one¡¯s force in that short a window. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a go!¡± Himmel Soan ground his teeth and made up his mind. He compressed his spiritual essence and injected it into the dagger. Luckily, the dagger was a divine weapon. Ordinary weapons wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the influx of spiritual essence and would fall apart. ¡°That¡¯s not enough!¡± Himmel Soan told himself. He kept compressing his spiritual essence, and the dagger shone brightly. ¡°What?¡± The wood guardian looked at the dagger in surprise. A great amount of spiritual essence had gathered on the dagger. Himmel Soan concentrated it on the blade, amplifying its power. Boom! Finally, the amount of the spiritual essence reached the highest level that Himmel Soan could control. He struck out again. The dagger broke the cage like a hot knife cutting into butter. ¡°It¡¯s working!¡± The blade cut through layers of vines and was halfway through the wall of the cage in a few seconds. Himmel Soan was elated. At this rate, he had a high hope of breaking the vine cage. 1/2 to go. 1/3 to go. 1/4 to go. The dagger cut through 4/5 of the thickness of the cage wall. However, the spiritual essence was drained when there was only 1/5 left, and it couldn¡¯t move any further. ¡°It¡¯s still not enough!¡± Himmel Soan sighed. He was so close to cutting through the cage, but his spiritual essence reserves weren¡¯t enough. He failed again. ¡°What a shame,¡± the wood guardian said. He thought Himmel Soan could break free with that strike, but he failed at the last minute. I gave it my best shot but still couldn¡¯t break the cage. Does it really match the defense ability of my level? Himmel Soan wondered. The cage was impregnable. If a cultivator had that kind of defensive ability, they could defeat anyone of their own level. No cultivator could break this kind of defense mechanism. ¡°Am I going to die here?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. He began to doubt himself. ¡°Master, you¡¯re the best! I¡¯m sure this cage can¡¯t keep you! There must be another way!¡± Firey cheered him up. Her voice made his resolve firm. If he gave up so easily, he wouldn¡¯t be Himmel Soan. There must be a way! ¡°I¡¯ve used all my strength and spiritual essence. To make my attacks more powerful, I only have two options. I can compress my spiritual essence again to reduce the area of the contact surface. The smaller the area, the bigger the pressure and the more powerful the strike. It¡¯s like the difference between punching someone and jabbing a finger into them. My fist can push people away, but my finger can put a hole in their bodies. Another way is to raise my speed. A ball of cotton is harmless, but if it falls from thousands of meters above, it can still crush one¡¯s head! Himmel Soan thought about all the possibilities. To break the cage, he had to increase the power output of his attacks. There were only a couple of ways to do that. He thought about all the feasible methods. He could either raise his speed or compress the spiritual essence. There was no other choice. Raising his cultivation level wouldn¡¯t work because the vines would increase their strength accordingly. Chapter 525 - 525 Break Out 525 Break Out ¡°The cage is too small. If it were a little bigger, I could raise my speed,¡± Himmel Soan said regrettably after looking around the cage. It was impossible to raise his maximum speed in such a short time. However, if he made a dash from hundreds of thousands of meters away, he could add that momentum to the dagger to increase its power. But the cage¡¯s size rendered that method useless. He could only compress the spiritual essence further. Gritting his teeth, he focused on the dagger. He poured out his spiritual essence and concentrated it on his weapon. It wasn¡¯t enough, not even close. Himmel Soan frantically compressed his spiritual essence until it reached the previous state, but he knew it was lacking. He only penetrated 4/5 of the cage wall just then. As his spiritual essence decreased, he would need more of it to cover the same distance. He had to compress the spiritual essence further to break the cage. The dagger was filled with so much spiritual essence that it could explode at any moment. The concentration inside surpassed Himmel Soan¡¯s control. If he lost control of the spiritual essence, it would explode and blow him to pieces. The energy inside the dagger steadily increased. Even the wood guardian felt it and took a few steps back. With a wave of his hand, two wooden shields appeared in front of him and Firey. He made sure neither of them would be injured by the explosion if Himmel Soan lost control. Beads of sweat cascaded down Himmel Soan¡¯s forehead. Compressing spiritual essence was tiring, and he had gone beyond his limit. A general could lead an army of a thousand soldiers, but an army of a million would be beyond his capability. The soldiers would be aimless and become a motley crew. Himmel Soan was that general, and he had to lead an army of a million soldiers. His spiritual essence was running wild and could get out of control at any moment. Blood was oozing out of his eyes and ears, the side effect of exceeding his limits. Firey burst into tears. If this continued, Himmel Soan would die from the exhaustion of his energy. ¡°I won¡¯t fall here! I¡¯m sure I can break this cage!¡± Himmel Soan ground his teeth. His face was distorted, and blue veins popped on his forehead. Although the process lasted for five minutes, it felt longer than five years. Finally, Himmel Soan managed to fully control the compressed spiritual essence. ¡°There!¡± He stepped back until his back was against the cage. He then sprinted for the opposite wall, waving the dagger as he ran. ¡°He¡¯ll make it.¡± The wood guardian concluded. He knew the cage couldn¡¯t stop Himmel Soan. As expected, Himmel Soan broke out of the cage. He slumped to the ground outside and gasped for air. This test was as challenging as the previous one. Himmel Soan kept pushing limits and had gone as far as he could. ¡°You¡¯ve exceeded my expectations.¡± The wood guardian retrieved the cage and left. There was no need to say more because Himmel Soan had passed his test. Just as with the river, the frightening energy from the meadow disappeared. Himmel Soan lay flat on the ground and adjusted his breathing. The test was much more dangerous than it appeared. He felt like he had been racing against death. ¡°Master, I knew you¡¯re the best!¡± Firey lay down next to Himmel Soan. She wanted to persuade Himmel Soan, telling him to withdraw from this test without realizing that he didn¡¯t have the right. However, she didn¡¯t say anything in the end. She knew what Himmel Soan was like. Once he made up his mind, no one could change his decision. ¡°There are five elements. I¡¯ve defeated two guardians. Where are the rest of the three?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. Each element had its own guardian. The river was the wood guardian¡¯s territory while the meadow was the wood guardian¡¯s. Those were the only two places he could see. The other three guardians should be somewhere else. He wasn¡¯t in any hurry. The two tests had exhausted him, and his spiritual essence was almost used up. He needed to recover his strength first. ¡°This place is amazing. I don¡¯t know how these plants grow.¡± Firey enjoyed the brief moment of peace. ¡°Everything that grows needs sunlight, and so do they,¡± said Himmel Soan. He then realized something and sat up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡± Firey stood next to Himmel Soan. ¡°I know where the third guardian is!¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°There!¡± Himmel Soan pointed at the sky. He was pointing at the sun over their heads. It wasn¡¯t the real sun but a ball of fire made by the creatures of ancient times. It operated as the sun to provide light and heat for the plants here. ¡°That¡¯s right! The fire guardian must have something to do with fire, and that sun is the biggest source of fire!¡± Realization dawned on Firey. That ball of fire was the most likely residence of the fire guardian. ¡°I need to recover my strength and move on to the next test!¡± He sat down and started absorbing spiritual essence. The spiritual essence was very dense here. He soon recovered his strength. Maybe it was because of the two trials he had passed, but he could feel the water and wood elements entering his system. Chapter 526 - 526 Fire Guardian 526 Fire Guardian Water could nourish everything that grew while wood represented life and growth in nature. The two elements not only healed his wounds but also replenished his spiritual essence. His strength improved again, and he was closer to his best state. Himmel Soan was elated. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He nodded at Firey, and they flew toward the ball of fire. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to find me.¡± When they got close to the fireball, a red-haired muscular man appeared in front of them. Himmel Soan¡¯s speculation was right. The fire guardian was in that ball of fire. ¡°I¡¯m hiding here, but you still found me.¡± The fire guardian stared at Himmel Soan and said, ¡°No one can stop someone who has a death wish. You voluntarily reached out to me, and you only have yourself to blame.¡± ¡°Are you so confident of yourself?¡± Himmel Soan was surprised. Since the fire guardian lived in that ball of fire, he should have witnessed it when Himmel Soan defeated the water and wood guardians. He should have an accurate understanding of Himmel Soan¡¯s strengths. Even so, the fire guardian was still confident in his ability. It meant the battle hadn¡¯t put much pressure on him, showing his capability. Himmel Soan went on guard. ¡°Do you know why I hide in the fireball? It¡¯s not just because I¡¯m the fire guardian. More importantly, I¡¯m the most short-tempered of the five. If anyone challenges me, I¡¯ll destroy them. ¡°I didn¡¯t hide in the fireball because I was scared. It¡¯s just where I cultivate. I¡¯ve set a rule for myself: If nobody seeks me out, I¡¯ll never do anything. But you¡¯re here now, and you¡¯ve just signed your death certificate.¡± As he spoke, the fire element filled the air. Everything seemed to be burning. Fire could raze any and all to the ground. Although the fire guardian hadn¡¯t made any move, his emotions were affecting the air around him. Himmel Soan sensed his energy and realized he was a formidable enemy. Although the fire guardian¡¯s capability had been dropped to Himmel Soan¡¯s level, his energy was far more aggressive. ¡°Fire dragon!¡± The fire guardian bellowed. A fire dragon appeared next to him. The dragon opened its mouth as if it was going to devour everything. The battle started. The fire guardian jumped right into it. ¡°Firey, back off!¡± Himmel Soan told Firey to stay out of the attack range while he drew out his dagger. The air was so hot that everything seemed to be on fire. Even Himmel Soan felt his water leaving his body as if he was going to be roasted to a crisp. The heat was more terrifying than Firey¡¯s. Although Firey was the essence of nature, she was still young and couldn¡¯t master the fire element as well as the fire guardian. Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes glinted. The dagger created a shield, protecting him from the heat created by the dragon. Even so, the heat still made his skin crack. He lost 20% of his body fluid in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy that dragon!¡± Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t passively defend himself. Instead, he launched an attack on the fire dragon. Thanks to the shield, he was able to approach it and cut off its head with one strike. ¡°Interesting!¡± The fire guardian was satisfied with Himmel Soan¡¯s reaction. It would be very boring if the fire dragon had killed Himmel Soan. He couldn¡¯t remember when was the last time he fought anybody. An opponent was so hard to come by, so of course, he didn¡¯t want the battle to end so soon. ¡°I¡¯m the fire guardian; all fire is under my control. ¡°I can set everything on fire. Even you are only fuel to my fire. Inferno!¡± The fire guardian yelled. Himmel Soan felt a ball of fire burning inside him. He was startled. The fire guardian¡¯s control over the fire element had reached perfection. It was just as the fire guardian said: Everything was his fuel. He was going to burn Himmel Soan from the inside out. Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils contracted. In a matter of seconds, he already felt his inside burning. If things continued, the fire guardian would have no need to attack him. The fire alone could kill Himmel Soan. The stance was called ¡°Inferno¡± for a reason. In the realm of fire, everything was the fire guardian¡¯s subject. He could burn and destroy anything with his thoughts. ¡°Stop!¡± Himmel Soan bellowed. Smoke was rising out of his body. If he hadn¡¯t been using all his strength to resist the fire, his internal organs would have been burned to ashes. His forehead was covered with cold sweat from the pain, which was immediately vaporized. In the end, he didn¡¯t have any sweat left because the fire had dried up everything. Himmel Soan tried his best to suppress the fire with his spiritual essence, but his effort was futile. Instead of putting it out, his spiritual essence only fueled it and made the fire even more intense. Although the spiritual essence protected his internal organs from the fire, it was only a temporary relief. Once his spiritual essence ran out, the fire would devour him. His spiritual essence wouldn¡¯t last much longer. In ten minutes, the fire would eat him up. ¡°This fire can burn spiritual essence. No matter how much spiritual essence I activate, I can¡¯t suppress the fire. It will only make the situation worse.¡± Himmel Soan soon realized something. He was only stretching out the time before the ultimate death. He looked from Firey to the fire guardian and made a risky plan. If he couldn¡¯t suppress the fire, how about letting it burn? If other people knew his thoughts, they would consider him mad. Chapter 527 - 527 Master Wont Lose 527 Master Won¡¯t Lose Although the fire could incinerate everything, not resisting it would be suicidal. Only a lunatic would do that. However, Himmel Soan made up his mind. He deactivated his spiritual essence, and instantly, he burned like a torch. He was enveloped by fire. One couldn¡¯t even make out his face. ¡°Is it over already? So disappointing. I thought I would have more fun.¡± The fire guardian sighed. He thought the battle was over. In less than a minute, Himmel Soan would be burned into ashes. The fire guardian expected a fierce battle, but the current situation disappointed him. ¡°Master!¡± Firey was so anxious that she wanted to run to Himmel Soan¡¯s side. The fire guardian stopped her with a wall of fire, preventing her from going closer. There was nothing she could do about the flames. Even as the essence of nature, she couldn¡¯t absorb the fire guardian¡¯s fire. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Himmel Soan started screaming as soon as he gave up his defense. It didn¡¯t sound like any sound a human being could make. The scream made one¡¯s blood curdle, showing the agony he was in. A war was taking place inside Himmel Soan. He had stopped fighting the fire, but that didn¡¯t mean he had given up entirely. Since he couldn¡¯t suppress it, he decided to use the most extreme way. He let the fire burn through himself while concentrating his spiritual essence on one thing: repair. He would repair everything that was damaged by the fire. When his heart was charred, his spiritual essence would flow into the heart and revive it. It was like forging iron. By training himself repeatedly, he was trying to get used to the fire. Although tedious, it was the only way. Himmel Soan had no choice but to fight the fire like this. ¡°There¡¯s no point in fighting me anymore. Kiddo, you¡¯re naturally drawn to fire. Wait. Are you the essence of nature or the essence of fire? Would you like to learn how to control the fire element?¡± The fire guardian ignored Himmel Soan because he considered the latter already dead. Instead, he looked at Firey up and down. He had noticed her from up in the sky as soon as she arrived. The girl had a special energy that made her close to nature. Hence, the fire guardian paid extra attention to her. He wasn¡¯t alone. The fire guardian believed the other four guardians must also have noticed how special Firey was. That was why she hadn¡¯t been attacked even once since the test started. She was special. She resented the fire guardian upon hearing his questions. She glared at him without saying a word. She could still hear Himmel Soan¡¯s screams and didn¡¯t know if he was alive or dead. She hated the fire guardian and would never become his pupil. ¡°You came with that man, so I guess you¡¯re quite close. Unfortunately, he¡¯s going to die. That¡¯s the rule, and no one can change it. ¡°When a cultivator reaches his ultimate level, he can live much longer than ordinary people. All capable cultivators have to go through that process, and no one can avoid death. Many of them have to watch their loved ones die until they¡¯re the only ones left. You¡¯re only experiencing it in advance. ¡°Capable cultivators have to be dauntless and be able to endure loneliness. I know you can¡¯t accept that yet, but you¡¯ll get used to it eventually. Would you like to become my pupil?¡± There was a lonely look in the fire guardian¡¯s eyes. He was talking both to Firey and to himself. It was an inevitable path. Once they reached a certain level, they would become almost immortal. At that stage, they could only watch their loved ones pass away one after another. The fire guardian had been through all of it. He couldn¡¯t accept it at first and tried to save his family from the law of nature. Eventually, he had to accept his fate and reconcile with himself. It took him a long time to reach that stage. He could understand how Firey felt because he had been there before. The reality was cruel; nothing could change it. ¡°No!¡± Firey spoke after a long moment of silence. Her eyes shone as brightly as stars. She looked at the fire guardian and said affirmatively, ¡°Master won¡¯t die! ¡°Your fire can¡¯t hurt him. ¡°I won¡¯t become your pupil. I¡¯ll only follow Master.¡± Firey gradually calmed down. She trusted Himmel Soan. She believed nothing could kill him and would only make him stronger. ¡°Are you still not going to accept reality?¡± The fire guardian shook his head, feeling disappointed. It was obvious that Himmel Soan would die. Having heard his scream, why wouldn¡¯t she accept his failure? ¡°What? The screaming!¡± The fire guardian suddenly realized something. He had talked to Firey for over a minute. He estimated that Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t last for that long in the fire and should be dead by now. However, he was still screaming at the top of his lungs, not sounding any weaker than before. If he was going to die, his voice wouldn¡¯t be so loud. The fire guardian finally realized something. Himmel Soan was still alive! He looked at Himmel Soan, who was still burning like a torch. Chapter 528 - 528 Miracle 528 Miracle ¡°How¡¯s that possible?!¡± The fire guardian couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Being the fire guardian, he knew how powerful his fire was. At Himmel Soan¡¯s level, he couldn¡¯t survive for more than a minute. Two minutes had passed, yet he was still alive. Not only that but he was also suspended in mid-air with his legs crossed. Although he wasn¡¯t in his best state, he wasn¡¯t doing too bad either. His screaming had trailed off, not because he was dead but because the fire didn¡¯t hurt him as much as before. ¡°He¡¯s adapting to my fire!¡± The fire guardian finally realized what was going on. Himmel Soan was getting used to the fire and had developed resistance toward it. The flames didn¡¯t pose as large a threat to him as before, which was why he was so calm now. ¡°He¡¯s tougher than I thought. No wonder you think he won¡¯t lose. However, the battle¡¯s only getting started,¡± said the fire guardian. He admired Himmel Soan for his willpower. Himmel Soan could withstand the fire and didn¡¯t pass out from the pain. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t fathom that kind of willpower. However, the fire guardian wouldn¡¯t stop there. To pass the test, Himmel Soan had to defeat him. The fire guardian took out a long saber made of fire. Its blade was wrapped in flames. Despite the heat, it sent a chill down one¡¯s spine. That was the effect of its killing intent. Even the heat of the flame couldn¡¯t cover it. ¡°This saber can destroy anything between heaven and earth,¡± said the fire guardian. He gripped the hilt and struck down at Himmel Soan. Firey drew in her breath. Himmel Soan was still fighting the flame and wouldn¡¯t have any extra energy to parry the saber. It could easily cut him in half. If he had spared some energy to fight against the saber, he wouldn¡¯t have had enough for the fire. Either way, he would die. It was a choice between being killed by the saber or getting burned to death by the flames. ¡°Master, watch out!¡± Firey cautioned Himmel Soan. She knew it was futile. Himmel Soan must know the fire guardian was attacking him. Unless he could give up on resisting the flames, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. There was no solution to this situation. Even God couldn¡¯t change anything. However, he wasn¡¯t God. He was Himmel Soan, a man who could find hope in despair. The fire guardian thought he could kill Himmel Soan with a single strike. But then, Himmel Soan opened his eyes. Even all the flames couldn¡¯t cover the light in his eyes. Himmel Soan rose to his feet and hit the saber with his dagger. Boom! The explosion was so powerful that the ground shook. The wood and water guardians reappeared. They both set up a shield, blocking the shockwave of the blast. Otherwise, their territories would be affected. ¡°That was a big explosion!¡± ¡°The candidate this time is much stronger than I expected. I didn¡¯t imagine he would last this long.¡± ¡°Although we¡¯ve all dropped to the same level, Fire¡¯s element has its natural advantage. His attacks are very difficult to fend off.¡± The water and wood guardians appeared on the meadow and discussed the battle between Himmel Soan and the fire guardian. Their fighting capability was much lower in comparison as determined by the elements they controlled. Water had healing properties, but when it came to actual battles, it would prolong the fight. The water guardian had stalled Himmel Soan for a long time before he found an opening and won the battle. Wood was a tenacious element and had great defensive ability, but fighting wasn¡¯t its forte. Moreover, the fire element could restrict the wood element, making the wood guardian even weaker in comparison. The fire element was all about burning and explosions. The fire guardian¡¯s combat was of the same style. Even the two guardians couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the battle. ¡°I wonder who will emerge as the winner,¡± the water guardian said. That was what he cared about the most. He appreciated Himmel Soan¡¯s qualities and hoped he could pass the test. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± said the wood guardian. So far, the fire guardian had the upper hand. From their interaction with Himmel Soan, they knew the young man could create miracles. Maybe he could make another one. Up in the air, Himmel Soan swayed after parrying the blow. This move had already seriously injured him. Had it not been for the heat, he would be vomiting blood now. Firey¡¯s speculation turned out to be correct. Himmel Soan had to spare some energy to fend off the saber. As a result, the fire overwhelmed him again. He didn¡¯t have enough energy to repair his body. He couldn¡¯t be in a worse state. ¡°Luckily, I reacted in time. Although it isn¡¯t very likely, if I gave you a little bit more time, you would have gotten used to my Inferno.¡± The fire guardian was shocked by Himmel Soan. That supposedly lethal blow only injured the young man, which was a big problem for the fire guardian. It meant Himmel Soan had become resistant to the fire, the reason why he wasn¡¯t burned into ashes when he fended off the blade. If the fire guardian had spent a little bit more time talking to Firey, Himmel Soan would have gotten used to his fire. The fire guardian was shocked by Himmel Soan¡¯s potential. He had never seen anybody get used to Inferno so fast. Chapter 529 - 529 Die! 529 Die! ¡°Here goes my second stance!¡± the fire guardian bellowed. The flame on the saber turned from red to blue, the same color as the fire burning inside Himmel Soan. The blue blade looked like it could destroy heaven and earth. Even the air couldn¡¯t withstand the heat and contorted. The blue blade seemed unstoppable as it fell toward Himmel Soan. He didn¡¯t even have time to breathe or repair his body before facing the blade again. ¡°I won¡¯t lose!¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s voice had become hoarse. He yelled at the fire guardian. Even with everything that was coming at him, he didn¡¯t give up hope. He clenched the dagger and gave it a hard swing. Cracks appeared in front of Himmel Soan. He was tearing up the space. With his life on the line, he surpassed his limits and pushed his capability to a new level. The crack seemed to be sucking in everything around them. The blade¡¯s energy was slowly devoured when it moved closer. It was a strange collision. Either the saber or the dagger could easily destroy a mountain, but the collision was as silent as a pantomime. The two attacks neutralized each other in the end. One could still sense their destructive power from afar. The fire guardian¡¯s second attack was blocked again. Himmel Soan trembled violently. Only he knew the price he had paid. His internal organs were all charred. If he hadn¡¯t gained some resistance to the flame, he would have turned into a pile of ash by now. ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve intrigued me even more. My next blow is going to be my most powerful one. I¡¯d like to see you try to fend that off!¡± The fire guardian grew excited. This was the battle he wanted. A battle with participants that were well-matched in strength. The fire guardian didn¡¯t get angry when Himmel Soan parried his attack. Rather, he was delighted. ¡°Here comes the third blow!¡± The temperature of the blue flame rose again. The color turned black. There was no light in it, but nothing could withstand that kind of heat. It was scarier than the fire inside Himmel Soan and was also the most powerful flame that the fire guardian could summon. This time, the saber moved so slowly that from afar, it almost seemed still. It was crawling toward Himmel Soan. Yet strangely, it reached him in an instant. It was impossible to describe the movement; it was both extremely slow and extremely fast. Nobody could explain what it was about. The blade was inching toward Himmel Soan but still reached him in the blink of an eye. Himmel Soan¡¯s pupils contracted, and he swung his dagger again, creating cracks. However, they couldn¡¯t stop the third attack. Although the attack¡¯s power was greatly reduced and a lot of black flames were devoured, the blow still landed on Himmel Soan. Boom! The silence ended when the saber made contact with Himmel Soan. The sound was ear-splitting. Himmel Soan flew away like a broken kite and smashed into the ground. ¡°Master!¡± Firey rushed toward Himmel Soan. She didn¡¯t care about the fire cage set up by the fire guardian. She had to get to Himmel Soan, even if she would be killed in the process. Seeing this, the fire guardian had to retrieve the cage. Firey touched Himmel Soan and felt her fingers burn. She was the essence of nature, which showed how high the temperature was. Firey pushed Himmel Soan and burst into tears. ¡°Master, don¡¯t die. You said no one can defeat you. If you die, I don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± Thinking that Himmel Soan had died, she grabbed the dagger without hesitation. She would follow him to the other world. Upon confirming that Himmel Soan had stopped breathing, Firey decided to take her own life. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± the fire guardian shouted. He flicked his fingers, and a chain made of fire knocked the dagger out of her hand. He rushed to her side and scolded her. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear anything I told you before, did you? All capable cultivators will have to see their loved ones die! You¡¯re just experiencing it a little earlier! You can¡¯t kill yourself over such a matter!¡± ¡°Leave me alone! Master is dead, and I don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± Firey shouted. She only wanted to die. Himmel Soan was gone. The third blow had killed him. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to accept a loved one¡¯s death, but you must keep going. You have so much potential. One day, you¡¯ll become the most powerful being in this world.¡± The fire guardian tried to persuade Firey. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. You have no idea what Master means to me. It¡¯s my greatest honor to die next to him!¡± Firey shook her head and wanted to bite off her own tongue. ¡°Listen!¡± Luckily, the fire guardian was watching Firey. He caught her by the jaw and wouldn¡¯t let her bite on her tongue. He glowered at Firey. ¡°I killed your master. Don¡¯t you want to take revenge? Do you think he¡¯ll be happy if you kill yourself? ¡°You should keep training until you¡¯re powerful enough to kill me. You can¡¯t die before you take your revenge! I¡¯m still alive!¡± Chapter 530 - 530 Dont Kneel 530 Don¡¯t Kneel Those words calmed Firey down a little. He was right. He had indeed killed Himmel Soan. If she didn¡¯t take her revenge, he would have died for nothing. However, Firey soon gave up on that idea. ¡°No, Master wouldn¡¯t want me to do that. ¡°He agreed to take the test, but he failed. He wouldn¡¯t blame anyone for what had happened. He wouldn¡¯t hold grudges against anybody. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to cheer me up, but Master is dead. I have no reason to stay alive. Just let me die! ¡°It¡¯s my honor to die next to Master!¡± Firey¡¯s eyes twinkled. She wasn¡¯t afraid of death, and dying next to Himmel Soan was the luckiest thing in her life. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind! I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so great about this man!¡± The fire guardian couldn¡¯t wrap his head around her extreme reaction. He thought Firey was crazy. He even thought himself crazy. He wanted to take Firey in as his pupil. Not only wouldn¡¯t she do that, but she was also trying to kill herself. To make it worse, he was trying to talk her out of it. If this had happened in ancient times, no one would believe it. ¡°You won¡¯t understand. Please leave me alone,¡± Firey said stubbornly. She wouldn¡¯t change her mind. No one could. The water and wood guardians approached them. They felt sorry but didn¡¯t interfere. Although they thought highly of Himmel Soan, the result wasn¡¯t what they had expected. They were here to see Himmel Soan for the last time to show their appreciation for this talented young man. No one noticed the changes happening inside Himmel Soan. He wasn¡¯t dead. To be more precise, he was in a state between life and death. He could be dead the next second, but he could also revive. When the third blow hit him, the two elements hiding inside him resurfaced. They were the water and wood elements. Even Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know that after defeating the first two guardians, his body began to accept the two elements. While he replenished his spiritual essence, he absorbed the two elements as well. However, the two elements had remained unnoticed like quiet hotel guests. It wasn¡¯t until the third blow, when the black flame devoured him, that the two elements started working. They made sure there was some vitality left in him. Of course, that was only made possible because he had gained some resistance toward the fire element. Otherwise, the two elements wouldn¡¯t have time to do anything before the black flame destroyed him. Hence, Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t really dead. His body was adapting to the black flame. ¡°Firey, please don¡¯t do that!¡± He heard the conversation between Firey and the fire guardian. He wanted to let her know he wasn¡¯t dead, but he couldn¡¯t move a muscle. He could only hope the fire guardian could stop Firey. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die!¡± The fire guardian wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. The essence of nature was too precious to be lost over Himmel Soan. Nature itself would be disappointed. She was supposed to be the beloved child of nature. When she grew up, she would become one of the most powerful beings in this world! ¡°Do you think you can stop a person who¡¯s determined to die? Yes, you¡¯re stronger than me. If you want to, you can stop me from killing myself, but you can¡¯t watch me forever. You¡¯ll get careless one day, and I¡¯ll find that opportunity. It¡¯s better if you let me stay with Master.¡± She bent her knees. Nothing ever scared her, and Himmel Soan was the only person she obeyed, but she wanted to kneel at the fire guardian¡¯s feet now. She just wanted to stay with Himmel Soan and die next to him. ¡°Don¡¯t kneel!¡± The fire guardian stopped her. If he let her kneel, he would have to say yes to her request, and he would never say yes. He believed he could always keep an eye on Firey. Maybe she would change her mind over time. ¡°Please, just let me¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kneel!¡± It was the same answer, but it didn¡¯t come from the fire guardian. Firey shuddered when she heard the familiar voice. She looked at Himmel Soan in excitement. He was slowly rising to his feet. Yes, those words came from Himmel Soan. He was alive again. He survived the black flame and came back. He climbed his way out of hell. ¡°He¡¯s not dead!¡± The fire guardian was astonished, and so were the water and wood guardians in the distance. They were thrilled. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t dead. The trial hadn¡¯t ended. ¡°I knew he¡¯ll show us a miracle!¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to watching this battle.¡± They laughed and waited for the battle to continue. ¡°Master!¡± Firey threw her arms around Himmel Soan, her face still streaked with tears. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done wrong?¡± Himmel Soan asked grimly. Firey lowered her head like a child. She knew when Himmel Soan used that tone, he was really angry. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point! The point is you should know what your mistakes are and don¡¯t repeat them!¡± Chapter 531 - 531 Coup de Grace 531 Coup de Grace ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even be having this idea. Even if I¡¯m dead, you should keep going,¡± Himmel Soan said seriously. Seeing that Firey wanted to retort, he knew she didn¡¯t agree with her. His tone softened. ¡°If a person is remembered after they¡¯re dead, their life would mean something. Otherwise, they¡¯re completely gone. ¡°It¡¯s the same with me. When I¡¯m dead, you¡¯re there to remember me. You¡¯re the proof of my existence. If you¡¯re dead, no one would know I¡¯ve ever been here.¡± The speech was too profound for Firey to understand. She couldn¡¯t fathom philosophical theories. ¡°Just remember. Even if I¡¯m dead, you must live on. Or else, I¡¯ll never rest in peace. ¡°That¡¯s not all. Do you remember what I told you about dignity? You shouldn¡¯t be kneeling before anyone, yet you begged him on your knees because you wanted to die. I feel so ashamed of you.¡± Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t bring himself to be angry at Firey. He doted on her and couldn¡¯t even raise his voice. However, what happened today was too important. He never thought Firey would want to kill herself when he was dead. He must get that idea out of her head, or he would always be worried about her. ¡°Master, I¡­¡± ¡°I know what you mean. Just promise me to look after yourself. Trust me. I won¡¯t die that easily.¡± Himmel Soan rubbed her head. ¡°I get it!¡± Firey nodded. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know if she really meant that. He was confident about everything but this. Firey was very difficult to persuade. ¡°The trial isn¡¯t over yet!¡± said the fire guardian. He didn¡¯t want to ruin this touching moment, but rules were rules. He couldn¡¯t change them. To a guardian, the rules were like Himmel Soan¡¯s words to Firey. They held the highest authority that he couldn¡¯t defy. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Himmel Soan nodded at the fire guardian, feeling grateful. If it hadn¡¯t been for the fire guardian, he would be looking at Firey¡¯s dead body now. ¡°Alright! Here comes the third blow!¡± The fire guardian immediately used the same stance. It was his most powerful move. He also activated his flames. The water and wood guardians cursed inwardly. As soon as the flames spread out, the meadow was on fire while steam rose out of the river. Why can¡¯t he fight in the air? Don¡¯t ruin my territory! The two guardians complained in their minds but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Break!¡± Himmel Soan only said one word. What happened next shocked the fire guardian. Himmel Soan was unaffected by the flames. Not only that, but the saber also had minimal effect. He dodged the strike and attacked the fire guardian with the divine dagger. The fire guardian immediately formed a shield with his fire, but it wasn¡¯t working. He realized it when the dagger touched the shield. Himmel Soan almost looked like a different person. The dagger penetrated the fire shield and stabbed the fire guardian in the chest. ¡°I won!¡± Himmel Soan retrieved the dagger and announced in a confident voice. The battle ended almost immediately after it started. Himmel Soan crushed the fire guardian. ¡°How did that happen?!¡± The fire guardian couldn¡¯t believe it. He and Himmel Soan were at the same cultivation level. Even if Himmel Soan was a genius, he shouldn¡¯t have won that easily. However, he had defeated the fire guardian with a single strike. Everything happened so smoothly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my eyes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! The five of us should be able to defeat anybody of the same cultivation level. Even if our opponent has the same ability, the battle should be dragged on. The side that can notice the details would emerge as the winner. How did this man win so easily?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve fought him before. He shouldn¡¯t have the ability to defeat us like that. His cultivation level should be slightly inferior to ours.¡± Both the water and wood guardians were astonished. ¡°Halt!¡± They heard Leela¡¯s voice. Firey, Himmel Soan, and the three guardians all looked up. That was where Leela¡¯s voice came from. They weren¡¯t visible themself. ¡°Firey, you can¡¯t stay by Himmel Soan¡¯s side anymore,¡± said Leela. Firey¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Why?¡± She wouldn¡¯t have it. She wouldn¡¯t leave just because Leela told her to do so. ¡°You¡¯re affecting the fairness of this test. ¡°Because of you, the fire guardian didn¡¯t kill Himmel Soan when he had the chance. As a result, Himmel Soan had an opportunity to regain his strength and get used to the flames. He became resistant to the fire, and the fire guardian couldn¡¯t affect him. That¡¯s why Himmel Soan passed the trial,¡± Leela explained to the three guardians. Yes, Himmel Soan defeated the fire guardian so easily because he could resist the fire. Since neither Inferno nor the saber could harm him, he could withstand the fire guardian and defeat him. That wasn¡¯t fair. Leela was here to make sure the tests were fair and square. To avoid such incidents, it had to take Firey away for the time being. ¡°Do you have any proof? My master won because he¡¯s powerful!¡± Firey retorted. To her, Himmel Soan was invincible. Chapter 532 - 532 Punishment 532 Punishment ¡°The fire guardian made several mistakes because of you. Didn¡¯t you notice that? ¡°First of all, he was distracted during the battle because he wanted to take you in as his pupil. He stopped attacking Himmel Soan, giving him a chance to get used to Inferno. By the time he realized it, Himmel Soan was already able to withstand the saber. ¡°Secondly, after defeating Himmel Soan, the fire guardian was busy stopping you from killing yourself rather than finishing his opponent off. It gave Himmel Soan another chance to get used to the flames. Moreover, he enhanced himself during this process. Do you think that¡¯s fair?¡± Leela had seen everything. Indeed, if it hadn¡¯t been for Firey, the fire guardian would have had several opportunities to kill Himmel Soan once and for all. He wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to recover or strike back. Right now, Himmel Soan¡¯s power had improved again. The black flames had elevated his physical strength to a new level. If he was a piece of iron before, he had been forged into steel. The battle was rewarding to Himmel Soan. ¡°Leela, you¡¯re correct, but I want to explain something. I would have done the same even without Firey.¡± Surprisingly, the fire guardian spoke up for Firey. ¡°My original plan was to burn Himmel Soan to death with Inferno. Chatting with Firey wouldn¡¯t have mattered. ¡°I didn¡¯t finish Himmel Soan off because I thought he was dead. At the end of the day, I lost the battle because I was too careless and proud.¡± He was telling the truth. That was exactly why he had lost the battle. He would have done the same even if Firey weren¡¯t here. ¡°I know that. Otherwise, I would have disqualified Himmel Soan. However, Firey is still an unstable factor. ¡°I¡¯m going to punish you, too. Your weakness is too obvious. Although you¡¯re one of the best fighters among the five, your weakness makes you prone to failure. Absolute capability isn¡¯t the only factor in a battle. One¡¯s willpower and reaction can change the result as well.¡± Leela wouldn¡¯t be challenged. It held the highest authority in this test and could determine if a test would continue. Although Himmel Soan won the battle because he was lucky, luck was also part of one¡¯s capability. Moreover, he had survived the flames of Inferno, proving his potential. ¡°Here¡¯s my decision. Firey has affected the fairness of the test, so she must leave Himmel Soan until the test is over. The fire guardian will teach her how to use the fire element as a punishment for his carelessness.¡± Leela announced its decision. The fire guardian¡¯s eyes lit up. He had always wanted Firey as his pupil. This arrangement fit into his plan. ¡°No! I want to¡ª¡± ¡°I agree!¡± Firey wanted to object to the punishment. Leaving Himmel Soan was worse than being tortured. To her surprise, he cut her off and agreed in her place. She stared at Himmel Soan in disbelief. ¡°Firey, be a good girl. You¡¯re still too weak. You can only improve if you train with the fire guardian.¡± Himmel Soan tried to persuade Firey. He didn¡¯t really care about her capability. He had sworn that he would protect her forever. However, he was worried that she would do reckless things again if something happened to him during the test. Having her leave him might be the best choice. ¡°I¡­¡± Firey gave Himmel Soan one last look before nodding in resignation. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll get stronger and become your most useful companion! I won¡¯t let you down!¡± ¡°I have faith in you!¡± Himmel Soan smiled at her. ¡°In that case, here we go.¡± After Leela said that, a black whirlpool appeared next to Firey. Himmel Soan sensed the scorching heat. Although he could survive the fire guardian¡¯s saber, the heat still made him uncomfortable. That was how hot the whirlpool was. ¡°The fire guardian and Firey will cultivate on the other side. Once Himmel Soan passes the test, I¡¯ll set Firey free.¡± Suddenly, a great force pushed Firey into the whirlpool before she could utter a word. The fire guardian followed her inside. ¡°Finally!¡± Leela sighed and didn¡¯t sound so authoritative anymore. Himmel Soan was surprised. Although he hadn¡¯t known Leela for long, he had never heard it speak in that tone. ¡°I was so scared when Firey wanted to kill herself. Now that I¡¯ve sent her away, I feel so relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if you can¡¯t pass the test and die here, I won¡¯t tell her. I¡¯ll just lie to her, letting her think you¡¯re still training yourself,¡± said Leela. The authoritative tone was only for show. Leela wasn¡¯t angry at Firey for interfering with the test. Moreover, Himmel Soan did a good job. He didn¡¯t create any miracles, but he was impressive enough. That was quite a compliment. The multi-space was built in ancient times when the world was filled with geniuses. Since then, millions of talented beings had stumbled into this place. Leela had seen too many capable beings. Himmel Soan was an impressive cultivator when compared to all those beings. ¡°I feel much more reassured!¡± Himmel Soan nodded. He knew Leela could make Firey believe it. Besides, he never thought he would fail the test. He was confident he would pass and gain ultimate power. ¡°In that case, the test will continue. Himmel Soan, I need to remind you. You only have a 0.01% chance of passing this test. Be careful.¡± Chapter 533 - 533 Dig? 533 Dig? 0.01%! Himmel Soan drew in his breath. He didn¡¯t think Leela was lying. He knew it made that judgment based on his performance so far. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how dangerous the remaining trial would be. He was still taking the first test and had only defeated three out of the five guardians. However, it had been so challenging that he nearly died. That was how difficult the test was. However, Himmel Soan was more curious about Leela¡¯s attitude toward Firey. Leela interfered because Firey wanted to kill herself. None of the three guardians attacked Firey, which showed how special she was. It was all quite suspicious; he wanted to find out why. He didn¡¯t say anything because he knew Leela had left. It came here because of Firey. Now that she was out of harm¡¯s way, Leela had no reason to stay. It must be watching Himmel Soan¡¯s test from above. The water and wood guardians were gone as well. They didn¡¯t stay here and were also watching Himmel Soan from their hidden corners. They couldn¡¯t interfere with the test, whether Himmel Soan passed it or not. The test continued. ¡°I still have to face the guardians of metal and earth. ¡°The personalities and fighting styles of the previous guardians were all related to their element. I think it¡¯ll be the same with metal and earth. ¡°Metal is the most aggressive element of the five, and the metal guardian should have the most powerful attacks. Earth is solid and hard to penetrate. The earth guardian won¡¯t be as tenacious as the wood guardian, but his defense will be much harder to break,¡± Himmel Soan murmured, analyzing the remaining two guardians. The first three battles made him realize that the guardians were on the same level as him, if not better. To defeat them, he must use his advantages to attack his opponent¡¯s disadvantages. His physical strength had been improved, and so had his combat ability. He had a better chance of winning, but he still needed to make some plans in advance. ¡°I¡¯ll find the earth guardian first. His attacks will be weaker than his defense. It¡¯ll be easier for me.¡± Himmel Soan decided to fight the earth guardian next. ¡°Where is he, though?¡± He was at a loss. He was surrounded by soil. It was the ground he walked on and the riverbed beneath the water. However, he never saw any signs of the earth guardian. Where was his opponent? He had set his target but couldn¡¯t find him. I can¡¯t dig a hole in the ground until I find the earth guardian, can I? Himmel Soan asked in his mind. Wait. In the ground! The ground was where he could find the most earth element. Maybe that was where the earth guardian hid! Himmel Soan punched the ground, opening it up. ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re destroying the environment!¡± A bald, stalwart man appeared next to Himmel Soan. He scratched his head and complained. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Despite his majestic appearance, the man¡¯s face was covered with dust, which seemed rather funny. ¡°Are you the earth guardian?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. I¡¯ve been listening to you for a long time. ¡°Why are you so stubborn? Can¡¯t you move a bit further? There¡¯s a mountain a few hundred kilometers away. That¡¯s my territory. Why are you digging here?¡± The earth guardian seemed like an approachable character. Himmel Soan wanted to smile when listening to him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you here?¡± ¡°Your battle with Fire was so loud that I had to come here to watch. I was on my way back when you started digging. Do you want to fight me? I¡¯m here,¡± the earth guardian mumbled. Immediately, he sensed Himmel Soan¡¯s ambition. ¡°Slow down. My trial isn¡¯t combat-related. You like digging, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s great because my test has something to do with that. Come to my territory first. Wood is a stingy guy. He¡¯ll be mad at me if we destroy his place.¡± The earth guardian walked away. Himmel Soan was perplexed. The earth guardian gave him a delusional feeling. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would have thought the earth guardian was an ordinary mild-tempered man. He then heard the wood guardian behind him. ¡°I¡¯m stingy? Just you wait! I¡¯ll cover your mountain with my trees!¡± The earth guardian seemed to have heard that. He picked up his paces and sprinted off. They arrived at the earth guardian¡¯s territory in no time. The mountain was so tall that Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t see its top. ¡°What¡¯s the test?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you? You¡¯ll be digging. We¡¯ll each choose a direction. The first person to dig through this mountain wins.¡± The earth guardian then took out two shovels. ¡°One for you, one for me!¡± ¡°Are you sure this is a test?¡± Himmel Soan was dumbfounded. That sounded so ridiculous. Digging through a mountain? However, the earth guardian seemed so serious that Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Young man, don¡¯t underestimate this mountain!¡± The earth guardian found a spot and raised his shovel. Seeing this, Himmel Soan grabbed the other shovel and started digging. Clank! The shovel made a crisp sound when it made contact with the mountain, surprising Himmel Soan. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary mountain. With Himmel Soan¡¯s power, he should be able to cut into the mountain with an ordinary shovel. Yet he had used 10% of his maximum strength, but he couldn¡¯t even make a dent. ¡°I told you. It¡¯s not as easy as you think.¡± The earth guardian seemed to have anticipated this. Only then did Himmel Soan realize what he meant. Chapter 534 - 534 Double Torture 534 Double Torture The mountain was about the size of Mount Tai on Earth, but it was so much tougher. With Himmel Soan¡¯s current capability, he couldn¡¯t make any impact, which was quite shocking. ¡°This is a test of my physical strength and tenacity, isn¡¯t it?¡± Himmel Soan asked the earth guardian. The earth guardian nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s very clever of you to notice that right away. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the aim of this test. You must keep digging. The shortest time in history was two days. ¡°He didn¡¯t rest for a moment in those two days and used his full strength in each strike.¡± The earth guardian kept digging as he spoke. He had reduced his cultivation to Himmel Soan¡¯s level and couldn¡¯t dig much faster than the latter. It was probably the longest and most tiresome test of the first trial. Himmel Soan had that feeling as soon as it started. He couldn¡¯t take a break for the next two days and had to exert his full strength with each blow. The idea alone made one tired. That was the historical record. If Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t as talented as that person, it would take him three or even four days to complete the trial. He could only imagine how exhausted he would be. More importantly, Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t digging alone. He had to compete with the earth guardian. He could still see the guardian, but once he dug into the mountain, the earth guardian would go out of his sight. He wouldn¡¯t know how far the latter had achieved. He would be wondering if he was fast enough to win the competition. The question was a torment on his mind. With the strain on both his body and mind, if he didn¡¯t have a strong will, he would soon break down. ¡°I won¡¯t lose!¡± said Himmel Soan. While he was talking, the earth guardian had dug 10cm into the mountain. Himmel Soan knew he had to catch up with the guardian. He concentrated his spiritual essence on the shovel. The ordinary-looking shovel glowed as if it was made of white jade. Clank! Sparks flew everywhere. He almost exerted his full power. If the shovel landed on someone, they would be finished. However, it had minimal effect on the mountain, and the dent was only 1cm deep. Neither spoke again, both of them focusing on the digging. The earth guardian was close to the earth element, which made him a lot more efficient than Himmel Soan. In less than fifteen minutes, he disappeared into the mountain, leaving a human-sized opening behind him. Himmel Soan had dug over 22 yards, but his forehead was covered with cold sweat. He had lost count of how many times he had waved the shovel. The impact cracked his palm. It hadn¡¯t been long, but he already felt tired. What he didn¡¯t know was that when he disappeared into the mountain and was busy digging the tunnel, an honest-looking, bald man was lying on the ground on the other side of the mountain. It was none other than the earth guardian. ¡°Earth, you¡¯re so sly!¡± The water guardian appeared next to him. ¡°That¡¯s not being sly. That¡¯s how my trial is designed,¡± said the earth guardian. He looked into the distance. ¡°Wood, if you¡¯re here, stop hiding. You¡¯re on my territory. You can¡¯t hide from me.¡± The wood guardian appeared. ¡°You always ask the candidates to compete with you, but you never do any digging. You only lay here and pretend to regret your failure. You¡¯re so cunning.¡± The wood guardian rolled his eyes. This wasn¡¯t the first time. He and the water guardian were used to this scene. ¡°My trial is to prepare the candidates for what¡¯s coming next. Apart from physical strength and tenacity, they also need to have perseverance. ¡°If he can¡¯t stand digging blindly and wants to come out to see how I¡¯m doing, he¡¯ll be considered giving up the test. I¡¯ll eliminate him right away. ¡°You, of all people, should know. Without perseverance and the ability to withstand loneliness, a cultivator will never grow,¡± the earth guardian said seriously. His trial was the easiest and hardest of the five. It was a test of one¡¯s willpower. If Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t get through this process, he would fail. If he couldn¡¯t withstand the loneliness, lost confidence, or worried about being slower than the earth guardian, he would come out to check up on the earth guardian. Doing that would make him fail the test. The test was both on his body and mind. In the next couple of days, all he would see was the shovel and empty tunnel he had dug. One could only imagine the torment, especially when he had a competitor. If his opponent moved faster, all his effort would be futile. The idea alone would make one waver. ¡°Who could have known that you¡¯re the most cunning one of the five? So many people have been set up by you.¡± The wood guardian shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not my fault. They fell for it because they weren¡¯t clever enough. Apart from all the things I said before, there¡¯s another layer to my test, but none of the candidates have ever noticed it. I¡¯m so disappointed!¡± The earth guardian sighed. The other two guardians were confused. Another layer? Even they didn¡¯t know anything about it. Although the five guardians all lived here, they didn¡¯t have a lot of interactions. The mutual promotion and restraint between the five elements made them uncomfortable when they stayed together for too long. If they hadn¡¯t been impressed with Himmel Soan, they wouldn¡¯t have shown up here. They had no idea what the other layer was. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the wood guardian asked. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you. It¡¯s up to that young man to find out.¡± Chapter 535 - 535 Doomsday 535 Doomsday ¡°Is this the passageway that leads to the other world?¡± Himmel Soan stared at the black whirlpool and asked in a grim tone. Passing the tests of the multi-space had almost cost him his life. Ever since then, Himmel Soan had been traveling the world. Apart from recovering his strength, he was also searching for the Emperor¡¯s trace. The longer he searched, the more flustered he felt. The Emperor had indeed left some traces behind, but they were invisible to ordinary people and were hence lost in history. Apart from Himmel Soan, no one could see them. As he was wearing the Emperor¡¯s Broken Jade from the multi-space, he was able to sense the traces left by him. They were in the form of nine ruins, and each site was as dangerous as the multi-space. The test could easily kill a man. However, he managed to pull through and collect all the broken jade pieces. He now had a completed Emperor¡¯s Jade and had reached the Quasi-Emperor stage. ¡°Master!¡± Firey felt uneasy as she looked into the black whirlpool. She had also come a long way and was most capable of being next to Himmel Soan. She was the only one who could join him in battles because other people couldn¡¯t withstand his power. In this world, Himmel Soan had reached an invincible stage. ¡°Based on what I found in ruins, the Emperor¡¯s cultivation level has reached the upper limit that this world can contain. When the 365 monsters came to this world in ancient times, the Emperor single-handedly killed them. After that, he went into seclusion. ¡°He discovered the other world, which was where those monsters came from. This world is a farm created by that world, and we¡¯re all under observation. At the end of each era, they would send monsters to destroy our world. After that, they would plant seeds and start a new cycle.¡± That was recorded in the Emperor¡¯s notes. After discovering the secret, he went to the other world, trying to change the fate of his own world. Many eras existed before his time. This world had gone through numerous cycles. In each era, talented beings would be born, but none of the eras survived. The world was destroyed over and over again. New life forms would start from scratch, building a new civilization. According to the Emperor, hundreds of civilizations had existed in this world before. Some developed their scientific technology, while others believed in magic or cultivation, but none of them survived. This world had been destroyed hundreds of times. To avoid the tragedy from happening again, the Emperor went to the other world. This world should have been destroyed a long time ago. Those monsters were the signs of the apocalypse. They were only scouts. An army of monsters from the other world would soon arrive. However, they didn¡¯t expect the existence of the Emperor, an invincible cultivator. He killed 365 monsters all by himself, severing the link between the two worlds. Moreover, he even made his way to the other world, trying to change the fate of his own world. Himmel Soan could imagine how fierce the battle must have been. Because of Emperor, the other world hadn¡¯t attacked this world for the past ten million years. However, Himmel Soan knew the Emperor had failed in the end. When he found the Emperor¡¯s Broken Jade, he heard a sigh, which told him what happened to the Emperor. He failed to destroy the other world and couldn¡¯t end the cycle. He only postponed doomsday for ten million years. Tomorrow, the other world would slaughter all creatures in this world, destroying everything. Himmel Soan decided to go to the other world. He couldn¡¯t let this world end. His friends were still alive. If this world ended, they would all be killed. Himmel Soan wanted to follow the Emperor¡¯s path, go to the other world, and end this cycle once and for all. The black whirlpool was the entrance. Realizing that he couldn¡¯t destroy the other world, the Emperor left this portal, hoping someone would pick up the mission one day. The multi-space and the trials were all set up by the Emperor before his death as a sign of hope. ¡°Firey, I¡¯m going to the other world. You can¡¯t come with me,¡± Himmel Soan said solemnly. Firey stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Master, are you leaving me behind?¡± ¡°Yes. You have to stay!¡± Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t give Firey a chance to say no. This was very likely a one-way journey. Even Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have the confidence to come back alive. Even the Emperor had failed, which showed how dangerous the other world was. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t as capable as the Emperor, so he would have an even slimmer chance. He was ready to die in the other world. Even if he couldn¡¯t destroy that world, he would follow the Emperor¡¯s steps and postpone the other world from attacking this one. Firey would be the hope he left behind. With Firey¡¯s talent, she would eventually be the next Emperor and even rise beyond that, becoming an immortal that the Emperor himself could only speculate about. Only an immortal could destroy the other world. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have much time. The other world would launch the attack the following day. He had to go to the other side and stop those creatures from invading this world. He didn¡¯t have time to cultivate and had to leave Firey behind. While he fought over there, Firey would have enough time to cultivate. Firey was so close to reaching the Quasi-Emperor stage. Given enough time, she could definitely reach the Emperor stage. Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t sure about her becoming an immortal being, but he hoped that would happen. Chapter 536 - 536 Guards 536 Guards ¡°But¡ª¡± Firey wanted to argue, but Himmel Soan waved her off. ¡°No buts. I¡¯ve made up my mind. You must stay here. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be very upset, and I won¡¯t have you around me anymore!¡± Firey fell silent upon noticing Himmel Soan¡¯s determination. She knew no one could change his mind and understood why he wanted her to stay behind. Knowing that his chances of coming back were quite slim, he wanted to reserve some hope for the future. If he died, Firey wouldn¡¯t want to live anymore, but she would only take her own life after finishing his task. She was the hope of the entire world, and all creatures¡¯ lives depended on her. ¡°I see. Master, please come back safely!¡± Firey bit her lip and finally decided to stay. For the first time, she wished she wouldn¡¯t be so helpful. If there was no need to fight against the other world anymore, it would mean it had been destroyed and that Himmel Soan was alive. All along, Firey hoped she would be useful and would impress him with her talent, but it was different this time. ¡°I will. Have faith in me. I¡¯ll be back. Have I ever disappointed you?¡± Himmel Soan rubbed her head. He then entered the whirlpool leading to the other world. He wished he could succeed, but the odds were against him. He didn¡¯t have much confidence. As soon as he stepped into the black whirlpool, he felt everything spinning around him. He was the most capable being in this world, yet the whirlpool could still affect him. It showed how powerful the force was. Blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth. Although he hadn¡¯t arrived in the other world yet, he was already injured. Only someone at the Emperor stage could travel through this whirlpool. A Quasi-Emperor was still not powerful enough. It all showed how dangerous the other world was. The trip there was already pushing Himmel Soan¡¯s limit. ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°He came here alone! He must have a death wish!¡± He heard malicious voices. Startled, Himmel Soan wanted to strike back. He soon realized where the noise came from. They weren¡¯t aimed at him. To be more precise, they didn¡¯t belong to this time. They were remains of ancient times. When the Emperor entered the black whirlpool, he was immediately attacked by the capable beings of the other world. These voices were left at that time. The impact of that battle still lingered here. The spinning feeling finally went away, and he saw an empty world. ¡°Is this my destination?¡± Himmel Soan murmured. This strange world made him nervous. The air was heavy with the stench of blood. It was as if the battle in ancient times had lasted until now. ¡°An intruder!¡± A shout suddenly came. Himmel Soan activated his spiritual essence, revealing the two creatures. They looked exactly like the nine-headed monster he had fought in the multi-space. The only difference was that they were more powerful. ¡°Our ancestors¡¯ prophecy was true. The ant from that world would come here again. This guy is from the other side. Damn it! Those livestock are trying to murder their masters again!¡± said monster A. ¡°We¡¯ve guarded this path for tens of millions of years; he¡¯s finally here. According to our Patriarch, if we kill him, we can extract the essence of this world from him. We won¡¯t need to maintain this world anymore, and the era-long cycles can stop,¡± monster B said excitedly. They had been guarding this place for too long. Even for an immortal, it was a long time. The unending cycle could finally be over. Himmel Soan speculated something from their conversation, but he couldn¡¯t say for sure. So far, he had learned there was a Patriarch in this world, whose capability was beyond comprehension. Moreover, he had anticipated someone would come here from Himmel Soan¡¯s world and had put the two monsters here to guard the entrance. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t know what that ¡°essence¡± was. He had a feeling it had something to do with the survival of his world. ¡°I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let you send any information!¡± Himmel Soan bellowed. He struck down, instantly killing monster A. A Quasi-Emperor had the power to crush these doormen. The monsters here used to be the rulers and looked down upon Himmel Soan¡¯s world. Although they knew his cultivation level, they still talked about him as if he weren¡¯t there. ¡°How dare you attack us?!¡± Monster B seemed terrified. He was surprised by Himmel Soan¡¯s determination, which reminded him of that ruthless man from ancient times. He behaved the same way when he came here, attacking them right away. Back then, monster B was only a junior cultivator. He knew that the man was very powerful, but he didn¡¯t get involved in that battle. He only learned recently that only the most capable people in that world dared to come here. ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy this world, and you¡¯re all going to die. You must pay for what you have done to my world!¡± Himmel Soan shouted. He then smacked monster B, killing him instantly. Just like that, he took out two capable beings. There was no hesitation. Himmel Soan knew his task wouldn¡¯t be so easy. The monsters¡¯ level made them some of the most capable cultivators in his world, but here, they were average. His real enemy was the Quasi-Emperor and the Patriarch. He was sure the Patriarch, who was also at the Emperor stage, had something to do with the Emperor¡¯s failure back then. Moreover, the Patriarch had anticipated that somebody would take the same path as the Emperor. In that case, there might be other traps waiting for him. Killing the two monsters wouldn¡¯t be enough. Chapter 537 - 537 Improvise 537 Improvise ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Himmel Soan heard somebody shouting. His speculation was correct. The two monsters were only vanguards who held the first defense line. There was a second line of defense behind them. The monster there had detected his arrival. Not only that, but the monster had reached the Quasi-Emperor stage and was almost as capable as Himmel Soan. ¡°The Patriarch worries too much. He used to say when the passageway opened, a significant change would happen in this era. The visitor would be the only one who could threaten the existence of our world. ¡°To my disappointment, I only see a Quasi-Emperor here. That¡¯s just preposterous.¡± A figure landed in front of Himmel Soan. It was another nine-headed monster but far more powerful than the first two. ¡°Members of the ten royal families have been taking turns to guard this passageway, and all I see is you, an ant. That¡¯s just disappointing,¡± said the monster. Ever since the Patriarch made that prophecy, the ten families had been guarding this passageway so that nothing would threaten this world. The monster didn¡¯t expect to see someone like Himmel Soan here. Himmel Soan was a Quasi-Emperor, but that wasn¡¯t enough. All ten families had one or two Quasi-Emperors. Although rare, there were still dozens of them, whereas Himmel Soan was the only one in his world. The monster thought he could crush Himmel Soan single-handedly, not to mention there were so many of them. ¡°Ant? Do you really think you can defeat me?¡± Himmel Soan¡¯s face darkened, and his tone was cold. A sword appeared in his hand, left for him by the Emperor. The bell he heard in the multi-space came from a little bronze bell, which was a pendant hanging at the end of the hilt. That was how capable the Emperor had been. Even the pendant on his weapon could maintain the peace of the world. ¡°Emperor¡¯s sword! It seems you have something to do with that relentless man many, many years ago. He invaded our world and killed five Quasi-Emperors. Do you want to do the same now?¡± All nine heads shouted at him together. It was the peak state of a nine-headed monster. Nine heads would activate their abilities together, exerting all the power the monster had. Each head had its specialty. Nine heads represented nine forms, and together, they gave the monster its full power. Immediately after that, the monster appeared in front of Himmel Soan. The dark green ball of light almost became black. The snake head hadn¡¯t spat out the venom yet, but Himmel Soan already felt dizzy. That was the kind of power a nine-headed monster had when it reached its maximum potential. Even at his current level, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t completely block the snake¡¯s toxin. ¡°Is that all you have? You¡¯re nowhere near as capable as that man. I¡¯m only using the ability of one head, and you¡¯re already in a fluster.¡± The monster guffawed. He was there when the Emperor came to this world. His race used to have two Quasi-Emperors. The other one was older and stronger than him. However, that monster was killed by the Emperor with a single strike. Compared to the Emperor, Himmel Soan was nowhere near as impressive. ¡°Ten thousand swords!¡± Himmel Soan bellowed. The Emperor Sword turned into ten thousand swords and was suspended in midair. They moved in unison, dissipating the snake¡¯s toxin before flying toward the monster. ¡°You¡¯re using that man¡¯s moves. The two of you are closer than I thought. Still, it won¡¯t change anything. That man has failed, and so will you.¡± The monster remained calm. His nine heads started chanting together. The sound seemed to come from ancient times. All the swords fell apart and reappeared in Himmel Soan¡¯s hand as the Emperor Sword. ¡°What¡¯s that possible?!¡± Himmel Soan was astonished. The monster was also a Quasi-Emperor, so he shouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with his move so easily. However, Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t deny what had happened. ¡°You idiot. That man invaded our world, so of course, we know his skills. Our Patriarch spent a million years to create this technique that can resolve all his attacks,¡± the monster said casually upon noticing Himmel Soan¡¯s surprise. That so-called Patriarch had existed for as long as this world had. Since he had fought the Emperor before, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he could create something to target him. This technique was widely spread around the world. As soon as Himmel Soan used the Emperor¡¯s moves, he would be suppressed. Creatures with lower cultivation levels might not be able to subdue Himmel Soan. However, Himmel Soan had all the disadvantages when fighting a monster of his own level. He had to create something new! The Emperor¡¯s techniques were useless here. To destroy this world, he had to create techniques of his own, something this world had never seen before. That was the only way he could defeat the creatures here. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t use the sword anymore.¡± Himmel Soan put away the Emperor Sword. His eyes looked like two dark pits. No one could tell what was on his mind. His aura also underwent a change. It was a mixture of insanity, kindness, indifference, and bloodthirst. One could see all those emotions in Himmel Soan. Somehow, they blended perfectly together. ¡°Are you trying to create a technique in front of me? You¡¯ll regret it!¡± The monster bellowed and glared at Himmel Soan, feeling humiliated. Chapter 538 - 538 Crushing Defeat 538 Crushing Defeat Creating a new technique was extremely difficult, not to mention doing it in the middle of a battle. It would only make things harder. At his current stage, creating a technique wasn¡¯t all that difficult, but creating one that could counteract the monsters was a different story. The monster knew this as well, so he wasn¡¯t worried at all. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t just stand still and let Himmel Soan do as he wished. The Quasi-Emperor monster was cautious and sinister. Even though he didn¡¯t think Himmel Soan could create a technique that could threaten him, he wouldn¡¯t give the latter any chance. ¡°Kill!¡± the monster bellowed, and all nine heads activated their power. Together with the mountainous size, the monster struck one as a terrifying figure. The cow¡¯s head mooed, and the monster punched Himmel Soan. The power even contorted the air around it. This wasn¡¯t the multi-space but the monster¡¯s own world. Anyone in the Grandmaster stage could destroy the multi-space, but to disturb the space here, only the most capable Quasi-Emperors could do so. This monster was exactly that. He was one of the most capable beings, even in the ten royal families. The punch landed on Himmel Soan¡¯s chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He wasn¡¯t playing the punchbag. When the monster raised his fist, Himmel Soan was trying to apply his new technique in the battle. However, the new move was too weak. It couldn¡¯t affect the monster at all, let alone block his attack. It wouldn¡¯t do! Himmel Soan abandoned that technique. It was good, but it was useless in a battle of this scale. It had to go. If other people outside this world heard about this technique, even the most capable cultivators would fall head over heels for it. However, Himmel Soan discarded it without hesitation. That was how difficult this battle was. ¡°Boy, are you still creating that technique? It¡¯s useless. You won¡¯t withstand my blow. If you kneel at my feet and surrender, maybe I¡¯ll let you live and become my servant,¡± the monster said arrogantly. He had gained the upper hand. Everything Himmel Soan knew came from the Emperor. As long as the monster used the technique of his world, Himmel Soan wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. If one¡¯s cultivation level was steel, a powerful technique would be fire. When the fire was hot enough, it could turn the steel into formidable weapons. If not, the steel would be wasted or only become fragile weapons. The monster¡¯s technique was powerful fire, whereas the technique created by Himmel Soan was weak fire. Only an adequate technique would make sure Himmel Soan could exert his full power. The technique used by the monster was called Omnisma. It took their Patriarch a million years to create it. Himmel Soan had to develop a technique to counteract Omnisma in the short period of this battle. That was impossible! ¡°I¡¯ll never surrender. How do you know I¡¯ll lose? I¡¯m going to kill you and turn your world upside down!¡± Himmel Soan said decisively. He hadn¡¯t lost hope. Even if the monster put a knife to his neck, he wouldn¡¯t give in. This was a battle between two worlds. He couldn¡¯t retreat. If he did, his own world would be destroyed. ¡°How stubborn. You¡¯re quite talented. I thought I could train you. But turns out, you¡¯re such an idiot. You¡¯re throwing your life away for a livestock farm. Do you seriously think you can destroy my world?¡± The monster laughed. He found Himmel Soan too foolish. The elephant head took over. As if trying to show Himmel Soan the huge gap between the two worlds, the monster charged at him. It was a straightforward head-on collision. The monster only had one aim: crush Himmel Soan with sheer force. Himmel Soan spat out a mouthful of blood again. His internal organs had been shaken loose. He tried the second technique he had created, but the result was the same. It made no impact on the monster. Once more, it was a technique that would make Grandmasters envious. But facing a Quasi-Emperor, it was fragile as a piece of paper. ¡°See that? That¡¯s how much more powerful I am!¡± The monster guffawed. In the next thirty minutes, he attacked Himmel Soan in various ways, like a cat playing with a rat. Himmel Soan was injured repeatedly, and he abandoned one technique after another. In the end, he was grievously wounded. If he hadn¡¯t been a Quasi-Emperor, he would have been killed by the monster already. It was the most difficult battle he had ever experienced. His forehead was covered with cold sweat. Every part of his body groaned in pain. Boom! Himmel Soan was knocked away for hundreds of kilometers. His 360th technique had failed. It still couldn¡¯t counteract Omnisma. It would take an ordinary person a few hours to cover that distance by train, but a Quasi-Emperor could travel that distance in an instant. Before Himmel Soan could steady himself, the monster appeared next to him and knocked him away once more. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t even have time to activate his new technique. Chapter 539 - 539 Twelve Quasi-Emperors 539 Twelve Quasi-Emperors Even Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t withstand the repeated blows and injuries. His clothes were stained with blood. ¡°Boy, you can¡¯t hold on for much longer. What makes you think you can stand up against my world? I can kill you all by myself! Your challenge is a joke!¡± The monster grew more frantic. He punched Himmel Soan repeatedly. Himmel Soan spat out mouthfuls of blood, and many of his bones were broken. Although he could repair his injuries right away, it was taking a toll on him. Each recovery would cost him spiritual energy. Once it ran out, he wouldn¡¯t be able to treat his wounds anymore and would eventually die. Battles between Quasi-Emperors were always long. At this level, no one could instantly kill their opponent. However, with what had been happening, Himmel Soan could keep fighting for no more than a day. His spiritual energy reserves would run dry, and he would be powerless to do anything. One hour passed. Two hours. Three hours. ¡­ Himmel Soan lost count of how many times he had tried. Still, he couldn¡¯t do anything about Omnisma. His energy was running out, and he swayed like a candle flickering in the wind. ¡°When I kill you, everybody will be amazed by my achievement. I¡¯ll be the most capable Quasi-Emperor in the ten families!¡± The monster guffawed. He thought he was winning. It was only a matter of time before he could kill Himmel Soan. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve won?¡± Himmel Soan asked coldly. The look in his eyes was terrifying. Even now, he still hadn¡¯t given up. ¡°You idiot. Do you think you still have any chance?¡± all nine heads yelled at him. The nine heads then activated their power and concentrated the energy in one strike. The monster wanted to use this formidable strike to crush Himmel Soan¡¯s confidence. Boom! The fist landed on Himmel Soan. The blast was powerful enough to destroy half of the world. Even this world couldn¡¯t withstand its power; the space started cracking. The energy rushing out of the cracks could destroy any Grandmaster. However, the monster was surprised to see the outcome. He hadn¡¯t done as much damage as he had expected. Despite how formidable the strike looked, it only gave Himmel Soan superficial injuries. It was the most powerful strike so far, but the monster didn¡¯t achieve his goal. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it!¡± He heard Himmel Soan¡¯s voice among all the explosions. Immediately after that, Himmel Soan appeared in front of the monster like a shooting arrow. This was the first time that he attacked the monster since the latter used Omnisma. He seemed to be surrounded by countless creatures. They all chanted his name, making his energy increase. Finally, Himmel Soan found the right way. Although the technique was only in its initial form and was nowhere near as formidable as Omnisma, it could still break free from the suppression imposed by Omnisma. ¡°You really created it!¡± The monster was horrified. Himmel Soan had done the impossible and created an unparalleled technique in the middle of a battle. The monster couldn¡¯t help but be envious. The monster knew if he and Himmel Soan switched positions, he wouldn¡¯t be able to pull it off. They exchanged another blow. This time, Himmel Soan was able to exert his full power. Although his injuries affected his performance, he could still fight the monster as his equal. Not only that, but the monster also found it harder and harder to fight Himmel Soan as time went by. Himmel Soan¡¯s technique was improving. The shadows around him seemed to gain a solid form. Because of that, Himmel Soan¡¯s power gradually improved and started to overpower the monster. ¡°How can this be happening? I won¡¯t believe it! It¡¯s not happening!¡± The monster thought he was losing his mind because the battle was beyond his imagination. He thought he could defeat Himmel Soan without breaking a sweat, but things had gotten out of hand. At this rate, he would soon get killed. ¡°Let me help you!¡± ¡°I sensed the energy of that livestock farm. Our Patriarch¡¯s prophecy has come true.¡± ¡°Kill him, and give his head to Patriarch.¡± The battle lasted for a whole day. Seeing that the monster was losing, several authoritative voices rang out in the air. Eleven Quasi-Emperors appeared on the scene. They were the heads of the ten royal families and the most powerful beings below the Patriarch. Together with the one that was fighting Himmel Soan, there were twelve of them. The energy they emanated could affect an entire world. Everywhere, creatures of this world sensed the twelve Quasi-Emperor¡¯s energy. They all prostrated on the ground, facing the direction of the twelve. When the twelve Quasi-Emperors moved in unison, they could destroy anything. Himmel Soan¡¯s heart sank. He hadn¡¯t defeated one Quasi-Emperor yet, and eleven more had shown up. These creatures had more than enough power to kill him. ¡°Brother Gemini, Brother Atroci¡­¡± The nine-headed monster greeted the eleven Quasi-Emperors in excitement. He was thrilled. The entire world was shaken by their battle. The other Quasi-Emperors had finally come here to help him. This world was too vast. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have taken them so long to get here. But they were here now; that was all that mattered. With their help, Himmel Soan didn¡¯t stand a chance. They could crush him like stomping on an ant. Chapter 540 - 540 Hopeless 540 Hopeless ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Quasi-Emperors bellowed in unison and charged at Himmel Soan. A giant hand appeared above him and smacked him to the ground. That was the Quasi-Emperor known as Atroci. The blow took Himmel Soan by surprise at the most critical moment of the battle. There was the sound of drawing weapons. The Quasi-Emperors, known as Gemini, were a pair of twins. One wielded a sword and the other a saber. They moved as one. The sword and saber were closely connected. Their combination created an impact far more destructive than two individual weapons attacking together. ¡°I¡¯ll end his life.¡± Another Quasi-Emperor raised his horsetail whisk. Millions of hairs rushed toward Himmel Soan, trying to strangle him. Each of the twelve Quasi-Emperors had their own technique. Himmel Soan managed to parry the first few but was eventually injured by the following attackers. They were all Quasi-Emperors. No matter how capable he was, he couldn¡¯t fight against all of them. The first wave of attacks made him spit out blood. The nine-headed monster deliberately broadcasted the battle to the entire world. All the creatures in this world saw how Himmel Soan fought the twelve Quasi-Emperors. They were all thrilled. The battle itself was exciting enough, not to mention the Quasi-Emperors were crushing Himmel Soan. ¡°Boy, did you see that? That¡¯s the power of this world. How long do you think you can last when twelve Quasi-Emperors fight as a whole?¡± ¡°Your world is just our livestock farm; the creatures there are our cattle. We can kill whomever we want.¡± ¡°A livestock farm is forever a livestock farm. No one¡¯s going to help you. We¡¯re going to torture you to death!¡± The Quasi-Emperors spoke one after another. They all laughed confidently. The power of this world was too overwhelming. Although the Emperor had killed a lot of Quasi-Emperors when he came here, there were at least twelve Quasi-Emperors left. The Patriarch didn¡¯t even need to come out because the twelve Quasi-Emperors could overpower him. Himmel Soan spat out more blood and began to feel disoriented. It wasn¡¯t that he was too weak. There were simply too many Quasi-Emperors in this world. He could defeat any Quasi-Emperor in a one-on-one battle. However, fighting twelve at a time was too much. The shadows of the creatures around Himmel Soan began to weep as if they knew the end was coming. There was no hope left. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. His internal organs had been damaged many times. If he hadn¡¯t been able to repair them with his spiritual essence, he would have died a long time ago. He only had 10% of his spiritual essence left because he had to use most of it to treat his wounds. At this rate, he would die within an hour. The twelve Quasi-Emperor teased him like cats playing with a rat. They made casual moves and hardly used any energy. The creatures of this world cheered for their victory. They thought they were invincible. All enemies were like lambs to be slaughtered in front of them. ¡°Die!¡± a Quasi-Emperor bellowed. His voice could shatter the stars. The soundwave hit Himmel Soan, and blood oozed out from all his pores. ¡°Swallow.¡± A universe appeared behind Himmel Soan. It was the technique of another Quasi-Emperor. Each star was a killer move. They crashed into Himmel Soan, knocking him around. If Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t been holding himself together with his spiritual essence, he would have been killed. ¡°Timeless.¡± A streak of strange energy hit Himmel Soan. He began to go back in time. His body gradually shrank until he became an infant. It didn¡¯t stop there. If the process continued, he would disappear forever. His capability was affected as well. His cultivation level decreased, and he eventually became an ordinary person. Seeing this, Himmel Soan bellowed, and the shadows of the creatures around him moved in unison, turning him back to his original state. He felt like he was the twelve Quasi-Emperors¡¯ sandbag. He had less than 1% of his spiritual essence left and was gradually overtaken by despair. He heard some weeping sounds. Gradually, the sounds grew louder. They came from the shadow of the creatures. Behind him, the shadows seemed to have sensed his hopelessness and were crying for him. ¡°That¡¯s so strange. How can he last for so long?¡± The twins were surprised that Himmel Soan was still alive. The shadows behind Himmel Soan also made them uneasy. The techniques of the twelve Quasi-Emperors were of different types, but none of them had something to deal with so many creatures. Himmel Soan¡¯s new technique felt like the ultimate creator. Those creatures just came out of the blue. The twelve Quasi-Emperors were perplexed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s going to die. He can¡¯t withstand our attack for much longer!¡± Atroci smirked. Millions of bubbles appeared around Himmel Soan. They confined those creatures and began to divide his body. Each bubble was a different space. Atroci wanted to confine Himmel Soan in those bubbles and annihilate him for good. ¡°Just kill him. No matter how strange he is, he can¡¯t do anything once he¡¯s dead,¡± said Atroci. The other Quasi-Emperors agreed with him. Regardless of his strength. If he was dead, everything would be over. The twelve Quasi-Emperors struck together. This time, they were ready to kill. They could tell Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t fight back anymore. He had drained his spiritual essence and couldn¡¯t defend himself. When the twelve Quasi-Emperors struck together, even the sky seemed unable to withstand the power. Himmel Soan sensed the destructive energy. Was everything going to end here? Chapter 541 - 541 Protection 541 Protection Himmel Soan refused to take his failure lying down. He didn¡¯t have enough time. If he had, maybe things would be different. All those creatures were trapped. Himmel Soan didn¡¯t have enough energy to sustain this new technique. The twelve Quasi-Emperors were attacking him together. He felt the space around him contort, and time seemed to freeze. He knew he was about to die. ¡°Kill him!¡± The nine-headed monster was exhilarated. Himmel Soan had given him such a hard time. He felt he could finally take his revenge. ¡°This is what death feels like.¡± Himmel Soan closed his eyes. He was so tired that he couldn¡¯t move a finger. A force fell upon him, and he felt his body disintegrate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Firey. I can¡¯t go back. ¡°My children of the Soan empire, I¡¯m sorry. I wish I could see you one last time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± A lot of things flashed past Himmel Soan¡¯s eyes in the last moment of his life. His foster daughter had slandered him. The Soan empire thought he had died and wanted to die with him. The earth was about to end. ¡­ Everything replayed in his head like a movie. ¡°Don¡¯t die!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t die!¡± ¡°You¡¯re our hope.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the future.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Countless voices spoke to him. They were all talking at the same time. He couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. Who are they? Himmel Soan wondered. He was fighting the twelve Quasi-Emperors. One could get injured just by looking in their direction. How could anyone be close enough to talk to him? ¡°You¡¯re the creatures!¡± Himmel Soan soon realized where the voices came from. They were from the creatures that he had created. He was shocked. Although he created the technique, he didn¡¯t expect this to happen. He realized there was something special about the technique when he first created it. The creatures came with the technique, but they weren¡¯t what Himmel Soan had expected. As the battle continued, the creatures became more and more tangible, as if they were going to take actual forms. Even so, they only wept and howled. They never spoke to him until now. Had they gained intelligence? Himmel Soan wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°You can¡¯t die!¡± All the creatures spoke in unison. ¡°I don¡¯t have any strength left, nor can I feel my body. I¡¯ve lost!¡± Himmel Soan said reluctantly. He didn¡¯t want to die either, nor did he want to admit defeat, but he didn¡¯t have any strength left. ¡°No! You haven¡¯t lost!¡± The creatures roared. The voices seemed to shake the world, and an invisible power rushed into Himmel Soan¡¯s body. He was astounded. What was going on? All twelve Quasi-Emperors were sneering at Himmel Soan. His body had disintegrated until all that was left was a head. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he died. Something shocking happened the next second. When they started working on Himmel Soan¡¯s head, the creatures that had been confined by Atroci suddenly appeared next to it. All the creatures shielded Himmel Soan from the twelve Quasi-Emperors¡¯ attack. They died one after another, but the suicidal move successfully stalled the Quasi-Emperors. Himmel Soan¡¯s head remained intact. When a creature was destroyed, a streak of energy would be injected into Himmel Soan¡¯s head. He grew stronger before the spectators¡¯ eyes and seemed to have gained a new life. His body slowly reassembled. In fifteen minutes, he was back to his peak. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± ¡°He revived!¡± ¡°I told you there was something strange about this kid. I was right!¡± ¡°So what? We can kill him all over again!¡± The scene was beyond the twelve Quasi-Emperors¡¯ understanding. Himmel Soan slowly opened his eyes. He burst into tears when he saw the creatures shielding him from the attacks. He knew what had happened. After recovering, he knelt before all the creatures. He wasn¡¯t fighting on his own. These creatures from ancient times had been fighting alongside him. His connection with them had grown stronger as he passed more and more of the Emperor¡¯s tests. Spirits of the capable creatures from ancient times had attached their power to him. As he improved, more and more spirits followed him. They began to wake up when he came to this world. The spirits only existed for so long because they also wanted to destroy this world. The energy here awakened them. During Himmel Soan¡¯s battle against the nine-headed monster, he created an unparalleled technique that accidentally activated the spirits. That was why those creatures appeared behind him. When the twelve Quasi-Emperors tried to kill Himmel Soan, the creatures sacrificed themselves to buy time for him. Now that he was back, all the creatures died. With their spirits gone, they could never come back. Himmel Soan burst into tears. He wasn¡¯t the crying type. Having been a cultivator for so many years, he thought nothing could move him anymore. However, he could help but shed tears for the spirits. Those spirits of ancient times were always worried about their descendants. They lingered for so long because they wanted to protect their descendants from repeating their mistakes. Himmel Soan was their hope. ¡°Thank you. Rest in peace. I swear I¡¯ll destroy his world so that our people can live in peace and won¡¯t need to worry about losing our world again!¡± said Himmel Soan. That was his promise to the spirits. He had to destroy this world, or those spirits would have died for nothing. Chapter 542 - 542 Kill Twelve Quasi-Emperors 542 Kill Twelve Quasi-Emperors ¡°Are you ready to die?¡± Himmel Soan stood up and faced the twelve Quasi-Emperors, whose faces had darkened. Only moments ago, Himmel Soan was at their mercy. Had it not been for the creatures, he would have died already. They couldn¡¯t believe Himmel Soan would ask such a question. ¡°You idiot. Do you think you can threaten us just because you¡¯ve narrowly escaped death?¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± The twelve Quasi-Emperors bellowed. They wanted to repeat what they did earlier to destroy Himmel Soan for good. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Himmel Soan snorted and faded into thin air. The air rippled a little. The next second, he reappeared behind the nine-headed monster from a crack in the air. He then pulled the monster into it. ¡°No!¡± The monster screamed. Himmel Soan¡¯s strength remained the same, but when the monster was pulled into that crack, he felt death was upon him. A Quasi-Emperor was supposed to live as long as heaven and earth. However, the nine-headed monster felt the threat of death. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Your tricks are useless to us!¡± said the other eleven Quasi-Emperors. They wanted to help the nine-headed monster and attacked Himmel Soan at once with their most formidable moves. All their efforts turned out to be futile. Himmel Soan and the monster disappeared into the crack, which then closed up. The eleven Quasi-Emperors rushed toward the spot where the crack had been. Before they got there, the crack reappeared, and the nine-headed monster¡¯s corpse fell out of it. There was hate and reluctance in his lifeless eyes. Everything happened so fast. The Quasi-Emperors reacted as soon as they could, but Himmel Soan killed the nine-headed monster in an instant. It terrified the eleven Quasi-Emperors. They could tell Himmel Soan was different and had become a terrifying foe. ¡°How did he kill Nine Head so fast?¡± ¡°Nine Head fought him for a whole day. He must be exhausted; that¡¯s why this man killed him so easily.¡± The eleven Quasi-Emperors found an explanation for the nine-headed monster¡¯s death. What confused them was that even if the nine-headed monster was exhausted, a Quasi-Emperor shouldn¡¯t have been finished off like that. The unknown made Himmel Soan seem more intimidating. Instead of killing him, they lost a member first. That was unacceptable. ¡°You¡¯re next.¡± Himmel Soan turned to Atroci and vanished again. Atroci got nervous. Himmel Soan appeared behind him, and the crack opened again. Atroci paled when he sensed the energy coming from the void. Of the twelve Quasi-Emperors, he was the most sensitive to skills relating to space. Even his own technique was of the same type. However, he couldn¡¯t tell when Himmel Soan appeared behind him. By the time he sensed him, it was too late. The other ten Quasi-Emperors wanted to help Atroci, but before they knew it, he was a corpse on the ground. Himmel Soan stepped on the body and looked down upon the ten remaining Quasi-Emperors. ¡°Why is Atroci dead?¡± ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Why is this happening? What¡¯s going on with this kid?¡± All the Quasi-Emperors were going insane. The nine-headed monster and Atroci were both dead. Having lost two members, they couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene of that man invading their world. They couldn¡¯t understand how Himmel Soan became so powerful when they were crushing him a moment ago. ¡°It¡¯s your turn next!¡± Himmel Soan ignored their anxiety and pointed at Gemini. The twins were both Quasi-Emperors and their weapons reinforced each other. Every time they waved them, they seemed to stir time and space. The twins moved closer. Together, they were more powerful than two separate fighters. If either of them fought on his own, he would be the weakest Quasi-Emperor of the twelve. Atroci couldn¡¯t put up a fight when he was killed, so the twins were alarmed. No one thought Himmel Soan would drag both of them into the crack. The battle ended in an instant, and there were two more dead bodies on the ground. There were only eight Quasi-Emperors left, and they were losing themselves. Other creatures of this world watched the entire process through the channel that the nine-headed monster set up when he was still alive. They grew hopeless. They had been cheering for the twelve Quasi-Emperors, but they were silent as a mummy now. ¡°Do we need the Patriarch¡¯s help?¡± ¡°Yes! Only the Patriarch can take him down!¡± ¡°Patriarch, where are you? A lunatic is destroying our world!¡± All the creatures of this world cried for their Patriarch¡¯s help. They had no idea how Himmel Soan killed those Quasi-Emperors, but they knew only their Patriarch could deal with him. ¡°Kill!¡± Himmel Soan acted like a fiend. The slaughter began. Before long, only one Quasi-Emperor was alive. He was the strongest of the twelve, which was why he was still standing. Uncien¡¯s eyes were filled with despair. He might be the strongest, but he stood no chance against Himmel Soan. ¡°Patriarch, where are you? ¡°You must be able to sense it whenever somebody in this world calls for your help. I¡¯m sure you know he¡¯s killing us!¡± Uncien howled. It took the Quasi-Emperors a day to get here, but the Patriarch could go anywhere in this world in an instant. The Patriarch should have noticed these deaths, but he still hadn¡¯t shown up. Uncien lost all hope. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the Patriarch here? Does he want this man to kill us all?¡± Chapter 543 - 543 Legend 543 Legend ¡°Die!¡± Himmel Soan ignored Uncien¡¯s cry. They didn¡¯t show his world any mercy when they slaughtered the people there. Himmel Soan struck down the Emperor Sword. Faint shadows of the ancient creatures appeared behind him again. Unlike those that had died for him, these ones behaved more like infants. They didn¡¯t know what was going on, nor did they have any power. They attached themselves to the Emperor Sword and claimed Uncien¡¯s life. Not only that, but these creatures formed a subtle connection with the sword, which then changed drastically. The creatures refined the sword, whose connection with the Emperor began to fade. Himmel Soan¡¯s energy filled it instead. After killing all twelve Quasi-Emperors, Himmel Soan reached the Emperor stage. He was an Emperor now. Somebody laughed wholeheartedly, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. An old man holding a walking stick appeared. The word ¡°Patriarch¡± popped into Himmel Soan¡¯s head. All the creatures of this world felt the same way. The Patriarch was born when this world came into existence. No one in this world knew what he looked like. The strange thing was as soon as he showed up, they all knew who he was. ¡°Are you the Patriarch of this world?¡± Himmel Soan pointed the sword at the Patriarch. The sword had become his and would kill all his enemies for him, ending this tragic cycle. ¡°Patriarch? I prefer to be called Extremity!¡± Extremity beamed at Himmel Soan. Had they been in a different situation, Himmel Soan would have liked an old man with such a smile. ¡°Congratulations, Heart of the World. You¡¯ve become an Emperor, Heart of the World.¡± Those words perplexed Himmel Soan. By the sound of it, Extremity wanted him to become an Emperor. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment. I sensed your presence as soon as you fought Nine Head, but I only watched in silence. I wanted to make sure you were the one I¡¯d been waiting for, and I was right. You¡¯re the Heart of the World.¡± That was the second time he mentioned that name. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Did you call me the Heart of the World?¡± ¡°I see you don¡¯t know anything about it. Let me tell you a story. ¡°Eras ago, the world wasn¡¯t like this. Your world and mine were all part of the same big world known as the Immortal World. ¡°There was a celestial being known as Chaos. He was the most capable being in the Immortal World, and countless powerful creatures were his subordinates. ¡°The world fell into a period of turmoil when a second celestial being appeared in the Immortal World. The two celestial beings fought for thirty thousand years and eventually destroyed the Immortal World. Countless powerful creatures died in the battle. The two celestial beings also destroyed each other.¡± Extremity recalled the legend from eras ago. Himmel Soan could imagine how fierce that battle was. Countless worlds formed the Immortal World, but the two celestial beings destroyed them all. What a terrifying scene. ¡°A lot of worlds were birthed after the Immortal World was shattered, and because of that, the highest cultivation stage was limited to the Emperor stage. No celestial beings appeared after that. ¡°The Heart of the Immortal World also disappeared. Some speculated that it was somewhere in one of the worlds. ¡°99 eras ago, I finally found it in the deserted world.¡± The deserted world was where Himmel Soan came from. ¡°You called me the Heart of the World. What does it have to do with the Heart of the Immortal World?¡± Himmel Soan asked. ¡°Each world has its own Heart of the World. When the Heart of the Immortal World appeared in the deserted world, it combined with the heart there. To be more precise, you¡¯re both the heart of your world and the Heart of the Immortal World. ¡°To become a celestial being, the Heart of the Immortal World is a must-have. It¡¯s the only thing that can provide enough energy. ¡°To obtain that heart, I¡¯ve invaded the deserted world for 99 eras. However, the Heart of the Immortal World became so intertwined with that world that I couldn¡¯t make it mine, even if I owned the entire deserted world.¡± By now, Himmel Soan had realized what Extremity was trying to say. According to him, Himmel Soan was the Heart of the Immortal World. However, the latter had become a human being and came to this world. Extremity must have something to do with it. ¡°That was why you invaded my world over and over again and annihilated the creatures there. To protect that world, the heart became an intelligent being and gradually reached the Emperor stage just to kill you!¡± said Himmel Soan. ¡°You¡¯re very clever. That¡¯s right. Apart from the first era, I destroyed the deserted world another 98 times to make the heart stronger. It¡¯ll follow me here to kill me. Once it leaves the deserted world, its connection with that world will end. When I kill the heart here, it¡¯ll become mine.¡± Extremity looked at Himmel Soan up and down in excitement. ¡°You¡¯ll only turn back to the Heart of the Immortal World after I kill you. With its help, I¡¯ll become the only celestial being in this world!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing the battle?¡± ¡°Of course I am. We¡¯re both at the Emperor stage, and maybe I¡¯m not your match. Everything will be for naught if you kill me. A young man almost did that a while ago. ¡°I think that young man was the heart¡¯s last resort. It won¡¯t turn into a human being unless it has no choice. It must have trained that young man so that he could end the cycle. Unfortunately, he fails. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. ¡°I¡¯m very well prepared. Why do you think there are so many creatures in this world?¡± There was a crazy look in Extremity¡¯s eyes. A black fog rose out of him, soon filling the whole world. The creatures of this world melted as soon as the fog touched them. Their essence was all absorbed by Extremity. Chapter 544 - 544 Emperors War 544 Emperors¡¯ War The creatures here were also Extremity¡¯s cattle! Himmel Soan soon realized it. As the creatures melted, endless life essence filled into Extremity. His power was rising. ¡°Why is the Patriarch killing us?¡± ¡°Damn it! The Patriarch wants to destroy all of us!¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± The creatures couldn¡¯t accept that fate, but their ending had been fixed. From ordinary beings to cultivators, from junior practitioners to high-level ones, no one could escape the black fog. They were all absorbed by Extremity. The creatures were weeping, but there was nothing they could do. The black fog filled the entire space between heaven and earth. They had nowhere to hide. Himmel Soan tried to stop it, but he couldn¡¯t change anything. Extremity had prepared for this moment for too long. All the creatures in this world had his mental imprint, which could be detonated by the black fog. ¡°My world has invaded your world 99 times. Why do you still want to help them?¡± Extremity smirked, surprised by Himmel Soan¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯re not the Patriarch of this world!¡± Himmel Soan said coldly. ¡°I never said I was. I told you I was Extremity right after we met.¡± He felt no guilt for killing all the creatures. To him, these things were meant to happen. The creatures should be honored that they¡¯ve become my tonic. ¡°If I¡¯m correct, you¡¯re an Emperor from the era of the Immortal World, which is why you knew what happened so well. Ever since the Immortal World was destroyed, you¡¯ve been looking for a way to become a celestial being. After discovering the heart in the deserted world, you manipulate the closest world to attack the deserted world over and over again, forcing the heart to come out. You¡¯ve also misled the creatures here, making them think you¡¯re their Patriarch,¡± Himmel Soan said positively. It had to be the case. He could deduce it from what Extremity had said so far. ¡°You¡¯re very clever. Yes, that¡¯s the truth. So what? You can¡¯t stop me from improving my power. Once I devour these ants, I¡¯ll be so close to becoming a celestial being. Even you won¡¯t be my match. You¡¯ll be the last piece of the puzzle I need to become a celestial being. Aren¡¯t you excited? You¡¯ll see the one and only celestial being since the destruction of the Immortal World.¡± Extremity guffawed. Gradually, he rejuvenated, and even his back was straightened. After all the creatures were dead, Extremity became a robust young man. He was reborn and had reached his peak form. An intimidating aura filled the world. There was no life left except for Himmel Soan and Extremity. Their eyes flickered when they looked at each other. The air was ripe with hostility. ¡°Die!¡± Extremity bellowed. He charged at Himmel Soan. His energy posed great pressure on Himmel Soan. Although he had reached the Emperor stage, Extremity was one step from the Celestial stage and was much more powerful than him. With a wave of his hand, Extremity could stir time and space. He seemed to appear in countless universes and was attacking Himmel Soan from the past, the present, and the future. It was an unparalleled technique. The battle was unlike any ordinary battle. Both of them were trying to destroy their opponent until there was nothing left. In other words, Extremity wanted to kill Himmel Soan at the moment he was born. That way, Himmel Soan would never have existed. This was a battle between the Emperors. They went back in time. Himmel Soan finally understood why that Emperor from his world vanished without a trace. Extremity had removed all the traces of his existence. If the Emperor hadn¡¯t left nine remains, no one would know such a genius had ever existed. That was why Leela in the multi-space couldn¡¯t remember a thing about the Emperor. The battle not only killed him, but it also removed the memory of all his loved ones. If Himmel Soan died here, Firey would completely forget about him. ¡°Come out!¡± Himmel Soan bellowed. The shadows of creatures behind him became more apparent. As the Heart of the Immortal World, he could communicate with all creatures of his world. Even his technique involved them. Because of that, he was revived and could kill all twelve Quasi-Emperors. The creatures roared, resisting Extremity¡¯s power. Time and space were frozen. The battle reached a stalemate. ¡°The Heart of the Immortal World is indeed impressive. You¡¯ve only reached the Emperor stage, yet you¡¯re already so capable. You¡¯re so much better than that young man back then. Unfortunately for you, I¡¯ve absorbed the essence of my creatures. I¡¯m almost a celestial being now!¡± Extremity said excitedly. Himmel Soan¡¯s capability was a demonstration of his potential. Extremity knew he could become a celestial being once he absorbed his energy. He had waited for so many eras for this moment. They clashed with each other, both using their most powerful techniques. Any one of those techniques could destroy a world. Even this world couldn¡¯t withstand their battle, and cracks began to appear. This world could fall apart at any moment. No battle could be compared to this one. It was so destructive. ¡°No one can stop me! You¡¯ll be my gateway to becoming a celestial being!¡± Extremity thundered. Chapter 545 - 545 The End (1) 545 The End (1) Himmel Soan was genuinely angry. He fought even harder, acting like a deranged man. He knew he was losing the battle because Extremity was halfway to becoming a celestial being. Still, Extremity hadn¡¯t risen beyond the Emperor stage yet and couldn¡¯t kill him with a single strike. He had a chance. Himmel Soan lost count of time. He might have been fighting for a hundred or ten thousand years. All he could think of was to kill. He had to kill Extremity. However, thinking was easy. At the Emperor stage, he had nearly inexhaustible spiritual energy, but the battle had lasted for so long that it was gradually drained. He was getting weaker. Although Extremity was going through the same process, he was doing much better than him. His capability helped him gain the upper hand every time they exchanged a blow. Gradually, Extremity had all the advantages. ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re my match? I¡¯ve prepared for this moment for so long that even the Heart of the Immortal World can¡¯t defeat me!¡± Extremity yelled. The world finally couldn¡¯t withstand their combined force anymore. It collapsed. Instead of stopping, they went on fighting in the great void. Around them were many spheres, each of which represented a world. Extremity¡¯s world was just one of them. That battle began to affect the other worlds as well. Despite the shield around them, the impact of the battle still disturbed them. Meteorites fell from the sky, the ground cracked open, and tsunamis flooded the land. All disasters seemed to happen together. It was the situation in most of the worlds. Ordinary creatures in those worlds didn¡¯t know what had happened. Why were their worlds ending? Himmel Soan could sense their despair. He sighed and used his spiritual essence to restore peace in those worlds. ¡°What an idiot! You¡¯re wasting your spiritual energy!¡± Extremity laughed at Himmel Soan. Himmel Soan was already losing. Wasting his spiritual essence would only quicken his death. Extremity couldn¡¯t care less about those creatures. They were only ants to him. ¡°As an Emperor, it¡¯s my duty to protect those creatures, especially when they¡¯re affected by our battle.¡± Himmel Soan knew it wasn¡¯t a wise choice, but he had to do it. Although these worlds weren¡¯t his own, he couldn¡¯t let all those innocent creatures die. ¡°All victories come at a price. To become a celestial being, all the sacrifices are necessary! You¡¯re as stupid as that young man!¡± Extremity snorted. He believed he would become the most capable being in this world. All those ants were at his mercy. He could destroy those worlds if he wanted. He couldn¡¯t understand why Himmel Soan helped those ants, nor did he want to. It was the most foolish behavior. However, Extremity was glad to see him wasting his power. Himmel Soan was already losing. With him spending his spiritual essence, he became even weaker. The outcome of this battle was predictable. Still, the battle continued for another ten thousand years. Himmel Soan reached his limit. His face was bloodless, and he had very little spiritual essence left. The battle had lasted for so long that he felt numb. Countless creatures died during that time, but new lives were also created. Ten thousand years was too long. Even the most stable dynasties had been replaced countless times. The battle affected many worlds over and over again. Himmel Soan had lost count of the times he saved those worlds. That only drained his spiritual essence faster. He was so tired that he could barely hold his sword. It¡¯s been so long. My people of the Soan empire are probably dead. How¡¯s the Soan empire now? Is Firey still waiting for me? Has she¡­ Himmel Soan had to stop that train of thought. His mind felt numb after this long battle. ¡°Die!¡± Extremity bellowed. There was a crazy look in his eyes. The battle had reached its end. Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t resist him anymore. In the end, Extremity was going to win. ¡°Watch this!¡± Extremity used nature as his weapon and struck down at Himmel Soan. He was going to destroy him for good. ¡°Is this the end?¡± Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t hold the Emperor Sword anymore. Death was upon him; he couldn¡¯t fight back. ¡°No!¡± A familiar voice brought some clarity to his thoughts. Firey appeared in the void. She had reached the Quasi-Emperor stage while Himmel Soan was fighting. She couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She had already waited for too long. The other world hadn¡¯t invaded the deserted world, but Himmel Soan hadn¡¯t come back either. Firey wanted to know the truth. When she walked through the passageway left by the Emperor, she found the other world had turned into a deserted place. There was no life, and it made her very anxious. Luckily, she sensed Himmel Soan¡¯s energy and rushed into the void to find him. She arrived just in time to see that fatal strike, so she rushed toward Himmel Soan, trying to shield him from the attack. ¡°Firey, no!¡± Himmel Soan screamed with the last bit of his strength, He couldn¡¯t have Firey here. In a battle between Emperors, a Quasi-Emperor would be killed right away. However, Firey acted as if she couldn¡¯t hear him. Even when she was thrown off her balance by the shockwave of the battle, she still regained her footing and kept moving toward Himmel Soan. ¡°Are you going to disobey me now?¡± Himmel Soan couldn¡¯t protect Firey here even when he was at his best, let alone in his current state. Chapter 546-END - 546 The End (2) 546 The End (2) Firey ignored Himmel Soan¡¯s scolding and kept charging forward. Extremity was glad to see this. ¡°She¡¯s very important to you, isn¡¯t she? You¡¯re going to watch her die!¡± Extremity then exerted his full power. Firey was shattered into pieces as Himmel Soan watched. ¡°No!¡± Himmel Soan thought he was going to lose his mind. He wanted to save her but had no strength left. He could only watch her die. ¡°Master!¡± Firey didn¡¯t want to die either. She never reached Himmel Soan. Her body disintegrated until there was nothing left. Master¡­ Himmel Soan would still hear that word. Firey was worried about him till the end. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Even his own death wouldn¡¯t affect him that much. ¡°Damn you! You¡¯re going to pay for this!¡± Himmel Soan was so angry that he was bleeding through his eyes. He could never get over Firey¡¯s death. He couldn¡¯t imagine such a thing had happened. Why could Extremity live after destroying so many worlds, but he was losing his loved ones one after another? Am I wrong? Should I be like Extremity, using other creatures as my stepping stones? Himmel Soan began to doubt himself. Do bad people live longer? Is that the reality? Is Extremity having his way because he¡¯s evil? Am I in this situation because I want to be good? If that¡¯s the case, what¡¯s the point of becoming a cultivator? I¡¯d rather give up now, thought Himmel Soan. ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡± ¡°An Emperor has saved our world. We¡¯ll worship him forever.¡± ¡°No one knows his name. We only know he saved us when our world was falling apart.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll remember his contribution for eternity.¡± Himmel Soan was losing his faith when he heard all these voices. They came from countless worlds. All the creatures he had saved were talking about his great deeds. Although they didn¡¯t know Himmel Soan¡¯s name, they knew he saved them when they were in grave danger. The battle had lasted for over ten thousand years, and many worlds had been affected. Each time, Himmel Soan would intervene, saving the creatures in that world. As a result, creatures in many worlds knew a capable being was protecting them. They all referred to this being as ¡°Emperor.¡± In fact, countless creatures had been worshiping Himmel Soan for the past ten thousand years, but he never noticed them until now. This time when he was losing faith, he finally heard the creatures¡¯ voices. Only then did he know how famous he had been in these worlds. The creatures made statues for him, despite not knowing what he looked like. They came in all sizes and shapes, but he knew they were all depictions of him. Streaks of golden light flew toward Himmel Soan as the creatures worshiped him. His energy began to grow. Not only that, but countless broken pieces appeared in various corners of countless worlds. ¡°What are those?¡± Extremity grew uneasy. These broken pieces felt dangerous. He tried to stop the golden light and broken pieces from approaching Himmel Soan, but all his effort was futile. He couldn¡¯t even kill him. A streak of immortal energy appeared inside Himmel Soan, shielding him from the attack. The broken pieces integrated with Himmel Soan, and he began to understand a lot of things. ¡°I¡¯m a broken Heart of the Immortal World. ¡°The heart was shattered during that great war, and the largest piece fell into the deserted world. Countless creatures are worshiping me now, and their wishing power revived me. ¡°I¡¯ll restore the heart!¡± That golden light was the wishing power, while the broken pieces belonged to the Heart of the Immortal World. After Himmel Soan said those words, the pieces moved faster and he grew stronger. He also seemed surprised. The broken pieces came with many souls. Whenever a soul entered him, one of the shadows behind him would become more solid. The souls belonged to capable beings killed in that ancient battle. The shadows behind Himmel Soan were the uncompleted souls of those beings. Now that the Heart of the Immortal World was pieced together, those souls became intact, too. Before long, the last piece appeared, and the two most powerful souls were attached to it. They were the souls of the two celestial beings. Once the two souls entered Himmel Soan, his cultivation stage began to rise. He eventually became the most powerful celestial being that had ever existed. He became Himmel Soan, the Immortal Emperor. ¡°I see. The two celestial beings fought that ancient battle because they both wanted to become the Immortal Emperor. Only one could take the throne, and neither wanted to give up. In the end, their power fused into the heart, and I became the Immortal Emperor,¡± said Himmel Soan. He suddenly reached out and easily caught Extremity in his grip. With a little force, Extremity was crushed to a pulp like an ant. Himmel Soan then waved his hands, reviving Firey. He was the Immortal Emperor now. Bringing someone back from death was a piece of cake. ¡°Master!¡± Firey looked at Himmel Soan in excitement. She didn¡¯t know what had happened. She was in endless darkness just now, but all of a sudden, she was back. ¡°Silly girl. I told you not to come here.¡± Himmel Soan smiled. A translucent gemstone emerged. It was the Heart of the Immortal World. After becoming the Immortal Emperor, Himmel Soan separated himself from the heart and the souls of the capable beings. ¡°Go!¡± With a wave of his hand, the souls flew into the many worlds. In the first year after the Immortal Emperor took the throne, Himmel Soan, the Immortal Emperor, fused the capable beings¡¯ souls into many worlds and integrated them. Ten thousand years after he became the Immortal Emperor, he combined all the worlds using his heart and created the only True World. The capable beings were revived and came back to guard the True World. The following year, ten thousand creatures paid respect to the Immortal Emperor. He and his daughter, Firey, founded the Soan Empire. Together with the capable beings, they made sure the True World had eternal peace. The original members of the Soan Empire were also revived by the Immortal Emperor and became cultivators. The Immortal Emperor went into seclusion to refine the Heart of the Immortal World. No one but the Immortal Emperor could destroy this world. Immortal Emperor Soan became the legend of the True World.