The vast starry sky stretched wordlessly, scattered with countless stars, as silent darkness and vacuum set the dominant tone.
This place belonged to Human Territory, at the border between the South-Sage Ancient Kingdom and the Shen-Huang Ancient Kingdom. Many call it the lawless chaotic star zone, a tangled landscape filled with endless dangers, where countless life races coexist.
At this very moment.
An arrow-shaped starship suddenly passed by, slicing through the void like wind and waves.
This was an exclusive starship of the Star-Sky Humans—distinctive, dazzling. Wherever it passed, starry sky bandits who specialized in robbery trembled in fear, worried about drawing Human attention... These bandits all belonged to subordinate life races, but none ranked even third-rate and were destined to decline and vanish. The Humans would never grant them generous treatment; this was the natural law of competition. Why should their own resources be used to support other life races?
Moreover—
Third-rate life races were still tolerable, but the allegiance of unranked life races was dispensable; whether to accept them depended entirely on the Hall’s decision.
Whoosh!
The radiant starship glided swiftly through space.
In the distance, strange asteroids floated, glowing with faint fluorescence. Their shapes were ugly and uneven, but inside each asteroid lurked Void Rift–Tier lifeforms, eyes gleaming with menace. These bizarre creatures whispered: “A starship like that is always expensive to build, and its upkeep costs a fortune. It can reach hundreds of times the speed of light and even enter subspace travel. I’m certain it must be carrying someone important.”
"Who cares about some important figure? If the Star-Sky Humans don’t grant us a fief, we’ll just have to keep struggling to survive here."
"Don’t blame fate. If the Humans hadn’t taken us in, our entire race would’ve been wiped out long ago. The starless, pitch-dark void beyond Human Territory is far harsher than here in every way."
"That’s true."
"Weak races have no diplomacy. We’ll just wait and see."
"So far, only one third-rate life race exists in this chaotic region: the Awakened Beasts Race. Those damn Quibeasts are arrogant and overbearing, relying on the formal recognition decree from the Humans, and treat us as nothing. This place is so chaotic and barren, largely because of the Awakened Beasts’ secret influence... Look, the starship is turning—sure enough, it’s heading toward Awakened Beasts territory!"
......
At the same time—
Inside the domain starship, crystalline light flowed everywhere, as bright as day.
"Your Highness Andrew Han." The refined, gentle middle-aged man with a deep violet flame mark between his brows seemed like a mighty star, radiating endless light and heat, subtly illuminating the starship’s lounge. "We are responsible for escorting you to the Awakened Beasts Race. Please rest assured, Your Highness."
Seated at the center of the striped long bench in the lounge, Andrew Han opened his eyes. "Thank you. I’ll be relying on all of you from now on."
He looked around, smiling and nodding.
In addition to the powerful figure with a deep violet flame mark between his brows, several Cosmic Eternal Realm experts stood solemnly around, their auras subtly clashing. Even though they tried to restrain themselves, the atmosphere remained heavy and oppressive.
Even a peak Void Rift cultivator would tremble in fear, silent as a cicada in winter.
"Your Highness is too polite."
The middle-aged man, Lu Yang, approached Andrew Han, gently brushing his palm across the striped long bench before sitting down with poise. "If Your Highness doesn’t mind, just call me Lu Yang. From now until you reach the Cosmic Eternal Realm, I’ll be your path-protector. If you have any requests or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to speak up—don’t hold back."
"I will."
Andrew blinked.
He was surprised to sense material changes—the efficiency of molecular motion had increased many times over. As Lu Yang, the path-protector, drew near, it was as if a blazing star hovered beside him, radiating light and heat through countless layers of space.
"Don’t worry, Your Highness," Lu Yang said. "If I withdraw all these subtle phenomena and fully restrain my power, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee your safety at all times. That’s why I keep a trace of power outside for vigilance."
"Oh?" Andrew asked in surprise. "On constant alert? But this is Human Territory—who would want to harm me here?"
He believed there weren’t any cultivators so mad as to go that far.
Beside the bench, Lu Yang shook his head, his crystalline fingertips sliding back and forth along the stripes. "The hidden agents and death-soldiers of other life races—if they ever find an opening, they’d recklessly rush in at any cost... If a lethal assassination happens, there’d be no time to react. I must never relax my vigilance, not even for a second."
"To kill me?"
Andrew was momentarily stunned.
To assassinate a new-generation Human Eternal King within Human Territory, without justification, would violate the tacit taboos among the supreme races.
"Are they out of their minds?" Andrew stared. "No personal feud, no legitimate reason—what benefit could there be in attacking me for no cause?"
Lu Yang looked up, meeting Andrew’s gaze. "Your Highness surely knows there’s no absolute right or wrong among life races—just different standpoints. Who can guess how other races think? No one can predict it."
"That’s true."
After a few thoughtful exchanges, Andrew returned to soul cultivation. His Void Rift soul true-form grew ever larger and more stable, like a vortex, like a crystal diamond, harboring terrifying power.
This was the external manifestation of his Origin Talent.
Because he was revered as an Eternal King, his soul’s Tenacity Origin Talent had replaced the old Consciousness Node system, leaving his mindscape clean and empty. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, a Void Rift–Tier Primeval on the Soul-Will Path would still have countless Consciousness Nodes shining, requiring massive effort to organize.
Buzz—
The Void Rift soul true-form spun, rumbling endlessly.
It was like a gear grinding away the heavens, like a millstone suppressing the domain in all directions. Golden-red light filled the deepest part of Andrew’s eyes.
"The purest, most refined power is the strongest."
"No matter how many Consciousness Nodes one has, it doesn’t matter. This single, indestructible soul true-form already encompasses everything." Andrew’s thoughts turned to the five-step integration ladder of the Cosmos Union Tier and the accumulation of the Return-to-Cosmos Tier. He felt an impatient urge—he was only two steps away from true peak power.
No—
More accurately—
He was only a single step away.
Andrew sat cross-legged on the striped long bench, white hair draping his shoulders, eyes gently closed. He had no idea how much time had passed when a soft reminder reached his ears, interrupting his contemplation of Cosmos Union existence—Lu Yang had spoken.
"Your Highness Andrew Han."
"Subordinate life races exist to serve and submit, relying on us Humans." Lu Yang smiled, stood up, and slowly opened the crystalline hatch of the starship. "Ahead is the territory of the third-rate Awakened Beasts Race. Since they are a third-rate life race, basic etiquette is essential. Please, Your Highness, let’s proceed to the core of the Awakened Beasts."
Immediately afterward—
One by one, the Cosmic Eternal Realm experts stepped out of the crystalline hatch, forming two columns. They stood outside, hands folded and eyes lowered, respectfully awaiting Andrew Han’s arrival on Awakened Beasts territory.
The guard squad of a new-generation Eternal King was composed entirely of Cosmic Eternal experts, displaying the profound foundation of the Star-Sky Humans.
"My heavens."
Outside, beneath the vast starry sky, the Awakened Beasts had been waiting for a long time, all marveling in astonishment.
The lower half of a Quibeast’s body resembled an Earth horse, its midsection grew a fleshy circular ring extending outward, about half a meter wide, while its upper body looked like a square stone—so awkward it bordered on grotesque.
They watched as the white-haired youth in a simple Green Mountain Robe stepped out of the hatch, seeming to command the rise and fall of worlds. Wherever his golden-red gaze passed, the Quibeasts bowed in submission.
"Awakened Beasts Race."
Andrew’s gaze gleamed.
What should have been a dark, silent vacuum was actually filled with countless microscopic dust particles, carrying sound waves. With each step, it felt as if he was walking within layered mountains, stretching endlessly forward—no buildings in sight, even at the horizon.
Beside him—
Lu Yang’s voice transmitted, "Your Highness, this is the edge of Awakened Beasts territory. Three light-years ahead lies their core region. From here, they’ll take responsibility for the journey, so you can rest easy."
"Oh?"
"Let’s go, then."
With a barely noticeable glance, Andrew swept his eyes over the guard squad, then looked ahead—each strange six-legged beast-like lifeform bowed low to the ground.
......
Far away, three light-years ahead in the core region of the Awakened Beasts Race—
"Everyone."
"Time is short and the situation urgent, so I’ll be brief." A six-legged beast about three centimeters long and five centimeters tall spoke with a booming voice: "A noble Human guest is about to arrive. You must keep your juniors in check—do not offend the honored guest. If anything goes wrong, not even I can bear the consequences."
Beside him—
All the six-legged beasts listened obediently; each one was a member of the Awakened Beasts Race.
It was well known—
For the Awakened Beasts, the smaller the body, the higher the cultivation.
That deep-voiced six-legged beast was a terrifying existence above the Cosmic Eternal Realm, yet he was extremely cautious, repeatedly warning: "Let me say this up front: normally, I don’t care if you act arrogant, but this time, whoever dares offend the Human guest will be crushed to death beneath my hoof, no mercy."
"That’s all I have to say."
"Don’t blame me if I show no mercy when the time comes."
His tone was stern, growing more solemn with each word. Even the few Awakened Beasts who had complaints didn’t dare speak up.
The valley fell silent.
Towering mountains loomed overhead.
They stood at the entrance of the mountain valley passage, listening to the lecture while occasionally glancing into the distance.
Suddenly, light flared in the distant starry sky. The guest had not yet arrived, but his aura was already present. Lu Yang, path-protector of the new-generation Eternal King, scanned the countless Awakened Beasts, instantly distinguishing millions, finally settling his gaze on the three-centimeter-long leader and giving a barely perceptible nod.
Whoosh—
The tiny Awakened Beast finally let out a sigh of relief.
He quickly raised his hooves, sending out an inaudible sound wave. Instantly, a vast, majestic rainbow radiance erupted from the rear valley, covering sun, moon, and stars, spanning the towering mountains to form a noble Neon Avenue.
"Congratulations to the honored guest upon arrival!"
The Awakened Beast rushed forward, while those behind half-prostrated in midair, like collapsing golden hills and jade pillars.
Whirr—
The Neon Avenue surged outward, reaching Andrew Han’s feet in the blink of an eye. At the same time, the Awakened Beasts lifted their stony heads and cried out: "With the Neon Avenue raised, the Awakened Beasts Race and the entire High Council welcome Human Eternal King Andrew Han!"