At his auction, you were free to leave—but if you thought you could slip away unnoticed, you were dreaming.
"What is it?" came a blunt response from inside the suite.
Joe Di's Lawstride was leagues faster than Qin Mutian and the others. By the time he reached Blue Star, they were still nowhere in sight.
Blue Star was scarred with deep ravines, its shattered mountains and rivers resembling a ragged, torn shroud. From those fractured chasms, the aura of slaughter still seeped, heavy and unyielding.
Here, divine spirit energy was out of the question—even the thin wisps of void energy were chaotic and unruly. As for the laws of heaven and earth, they were a tangled mess.
To Sean Chen, Joe Di's response was perfectly normal. There were too many treasures at this auction, and since Joe Di possessed Starshards, it would be strange if he didn't try to buy as much as possible. Sean Chen's main purpose in coming here was to confirm whether Joe Di was still present.
Yet Joe Di was genuinely delighted. He landed by a stream that hadn't dried up, watching a tiny fish dart through the water. Amidst such overwhelming slaughter, this little fish's survival was nothing short of miraculous.
The planet was battered and broken, but not destroyed. Its aura was fading, yet the cosmic laws clung stubbornly to existence.
......
What pleased Joe Di most was the lingering breath of vitality—this world was far from collapse.
A planet this vast should have been the perfect site for Genesis City, far better than anywhere else. But Joe Di understood why it hadn't been chosen—this world had a fatal flaw. Its core laws had been stripped away, and its planetary fate was weak. Even if forcibly restored, it would eventually fall apart again; it was only a matter of time. Besides, even after restoration, cultivation here would remain impossible.
Back then, the cultivators of the Five Elements Universe meant to establish a foothold here, but it was only a temporary plan. Once they gained a grip, they'd move on without hesitation.
But for Joe Di, these issues did not exist. Even if the planet's laws had been stripped away, they could slowly recondense—provided the planetary fate was properly suppressed.
Yet the means to suppress planetary fate was not something just anyone could produce. Even those who owned such a treasure would hardly part with it—it had to be a Creation-grade artifact. And a Creation treasure was likely worth more than the planet itself; who would ever sacrifice it for this world?
Once the planet's laws recondensed, the Creation treasure would fuse entirely into the world, vanishing without a trace. In other words, you'd be trading a priceless artifact for a broken planet whose future owner was unknown—no one in their right mind would agree to that.
What Joe Di didn’t know was that Evelyn Ji, Emperor Ye, and Zi Xiao had all been willing to offer their Creation treasures to restore the planet’s laws. Unfortunately, whether it was Evelyn Ji, Emperor Ye, or Zi Xiao, their treasures were incomplete. Without a complete Creation treasure, the planetary laws could not be restored.
Before they could devise a new plan, the Five Elements Universe's cultivators were wiped out by a coalition from the other universes. The owners of those Creation treasures vanished without a trace.
Joe Di possessed the Heaven's Dominion Altar—a complete Creation treasure from the Jitan Universe. He intended to use it to restore the planet's laws and suppress its fate.
But Joe Di was no fool; he wouldn't reveal the Heaven's Dominion Altar right away. That would be staking a claim, not building a sanctuary—it would be sheer folly.
No matter how powerful Joe Di was, when confronted with the titans of Genesis City, he could only steer clear.
To perfect the planet's cosmic laws, the first step wasn't to bring out the Heaven's Dominion Altar—it was to devise a way to destroy every intruder.
Otherwise, he'd be weaving a wedding robe for someone else.
Kira Ji replied, "The order was issued right after you returned from Box G-X 3315."
Sean Chen nodded. That made sense. He wasn't the only one eyeing Starshards, but only the City Lord had the authority to lock down Genesis City's inner district.
"I'll keep a close watch at the Genesis Gate. If any unfamiliar cultivator appears, I'll immediately..."
Sean Chen waved his hand, interrupting Kira Ji. "It's pointless. That person left long ago; I was already late the first time I came. Even if the City Lord acts, it's too late. Keep an eye on Joe Di instead. As for the cultivator in Box G-X 3315, don't investigate for now."
"Understood," Kira Ji answered.
Sean Chen didn't need to investigate further. Too many people were trying to track down the person who bid with Starshards. If others knew the cultivator using Starshards was in Box G-X 3315, countless people would flock here looking for him.
Now, he had to face the problem of explaining why he hadn't caught the person in Box G-X 3315. In others' eyes, they'd probably think Sean Chen had already apprehended him. Yet he had gained nothing and only brought trouble upon himself.
But the cultivator in Box G-X 3315 was truly formidable—so decisive. After obtaining the Cosmic Edge, he immediately used a puppet as a substitute and left the suite. The only question was: how did he manage to escape?
At his auction, leaving was possible, but slipping away unnoticed? That was just wishful thinking.
......
Joe Di's Lawstride technique was far faster than Qin Mutian and the others. By the time he reached Blue Star, they still hadn't arrived.
Blue Star was riddled with ravines, its shattered mountains and rivers resembling a piece of torn, tattered cloth. From some of those jagged crevices, a lingering aura of slaughter still seeped out.
Here, not to mention divine spirit energy—even the sparse traces of void energy were chaotic and disordered. As for the planetary laws, they were in complete disarray.
It was easy to imagine what had transpired here.
Yet Joe Di was delighted. He landed beside a small river that had not yet dried up, watching a tiny fish still swimming in its waters. With such intense slaughter lingering in the air, this little fish's survival was truly extraordinary.
The planet was indeed severely damaged, but it hadn't been destroyed. Its planetary aura was dissipating, yet the cosmic laws stubbornly persisted.
What satisfied Joe Di most was that this planet still held a breath of vitality—it was not on the verge of collapse.
For a planet so vast, Genesis City should have been built here rather than anywhere else. But Joe Di understood why it hadn’t been. This planet had a fatal weakness: its core cosmic laws had been stripped away, and its planetary fate was thin. Even if forcibly restored, it would eventually collapse again—it was only a matter of time. Moreover, even after restoration, it was unsuitable for cultivation.
Back then, the cultivators of the Five Elements Universe planned to establish a base here, likely as a temporary measure; once they gained a foothold, they would have moved on.
But for Joe Di, these problems did not exist. Even if the cosmic laws had been stripped from the planet, they could still slowly recondense—as long as the planetary fate was suppressed.
However, the item needed to suppress planetary fate was not something ordinary people could produce. Even those who had it would be reluctant to use it—it must be a Creation-grade treasure. Such a treasure was likely more valuable than the planet itself; who would be willing to sacrifice it just to stabilize this world?
Once the planet’s cosmic laws recondensed, the Creation treasure would completely merge with the world and vanish. In other words, you’d be trading a Creation-grade treasure for a broken planet whose final owner was still unknown—no one would ever agree to that.
What Joe Di didn’t know was that Ning City, Ye Mo, and Zi Xiao had all been willing to offer their Creation treasures to restore the planet’s laws. Unfortunately, whether it was Ning City, Ye Mo, or Zi Xiao, their treasures were incomplete. Without a complete Creation treasure, the planetary laws could not be restored.
Before they could come up with a new plan, the cultivators of the Five Elements Universe were wiped out by a coalition of other universes. The owners of those Creation treasures all disappeared without a trace.
The Creation treasure Joe Di possessed was the Heaven's Dominion Altar. This altar, from the complete set of the Jitan Universe, was precisely what he intended to use to restore the planet’s laws and suppress its fate.
But Joe Di wasn’t foolish enough to bring out the Heaven's Dominion Altar right away. That would be staking a claim, not building his own territory—it would be utter stupidity.
No matter how strong Joe Di was, when facing the powerhouses of Genesis City, he could only keep his distance.
To restore the planet’s cosmic laws, the first step wasn’t to produce the Heaven's Dominion Altar, but to find a way to eliminate all intruders.
Otherwise, he’d just be making wedding clothes for someone else.