Dan Booth of the White-Horn Human Clan, who had never found a peer genius to truly spar with, was now utterly blank—his mind had gone numb.
"Huh?" Andrew Han was surprised. "Could it be that I’ve always measured cosmic lifeforms’ power by Egret Hui and Mang Long, and that’s why my expectations were off? Are Egret Hui and Mang Long considered cultivation geniuses too?"
And Dan Booth had just been slapped into the distant cosmos by Andrew Han... By any measure, the gap between himself and Andrew Han was not just a little—it was like the difference between planet and star.
"How could this happen?"
"Andrew Han, Andrew Han," he called out breathlessly, raising both hands and offering a cheerful salute. "No wonder you’re the genius recommended by my own ancestor. You’re sure to enter Chenriver Palace."
"Sorry, I hope I didn’t hurt you just now." Andrew Han expressed concern for Dan Booth’s injuries.
Before Andrew Han struck, no one imagined that the formidable Dan Booth would be so easily defeated!
Andrew Han himself included.
In the rippling energy of outer space, Andrew Han’s cyan robe fluttered. He glanced in the direction Dan Booth had disappeared, then turned to look at the respectful Starlight-tiers of White Bird Star.
Dan Booth exchanged a few polite words, glanced at the Starlight-tiers of White Bird Star, greeted the burly Three-Eye clansman, and then led Andrew Han toward the docking area.
"Andrew Han, we’ve all been talking about you."
"As a native Starlight-tier with such talent and strength, you absolutely must not miss the great opportunity of Chenriver Palace."
Dan Booth flew alongside Andrew Han, sending him a voice transmission.
"Opportunity?" Andrew Han replied, "I looked it up online—Chenriver Palace is the gathering place for the empire’s geniuses. All its members aim to reach the Constant Palace-tier, which is why it’s named that way."
If his body was wounded before, now his spirit had collapsed and his fighting will was shattered.
But Andrew Han wasn’t among them.
He was already at peak Third-Order Constant Light, and Fourth-Order Cosmic Light wasn’t far off... Constant Palace-tier wasn’t distant for Andrew Han.
Whoosh!
"It’s far more than just reaching the Constant Palace-tier." Dan Booth smiled at Andrew Han.
The earlier setback hadn’t made him resentful; instead, he admired Andrew Han even more... Blaming others for one’s weakness is foolish.
In fact, according to the docking zone recorders on White Bird Star and the eyes of the many Starlight-tier beings present, it all happened in just over a single second—Dan Booth, Starlight-tier, instantly became a flickering star in the distant dark cosmos.
He flickered two or three times, then vanished from sight.
...
All the Starlight-tier beings were frozen, their faces blank, transformed into lifelike statues, silently suspended at the edge of the atmosphere.
Unbelievable!
Inconceivable!
Dan Booth's name was known throughout the Eastern Region of the empire's starry sky; every Starlight-tier being present had heard of him. Precisely because they knew Dan Booth, they felt all the more confused, stunned, and utterly shaken!
He was the undisputed greatest cultivation genius of the White-Horn Human Clan in their current era!
Furthermore, Dan Booth himself was Fourth-Order Cosmic Light, able to rival the peak of Cosmic Light!
In short—
Leaving aside Dan Booth's genius status, his raw strength alone was enough to crush every Starlight-tier lifeform on White Bird Administrative Star.
Even if everyone joined forces against him, they likely couldn't harm Dan Booth.
That’s why it was so shocking, so terrifying—Dan Booth couldn’t withstand even Han Dong’s casual, simple strike.
Exactly.
In everyone’s eyes, it truly was a simple strike.
They saw Dan Booth command hurricane Starlight, the white gales seemingly capable of destroying heaven and earth, sweeping in... But Han Dong stepped forward, extended his right palm, turned it slightly, and simply slapped Dan Booth away as if swatting a pebble into a shooting star.
The entire battle consisted of just one simple strike.
The scene was clean and decisive; everyone fell silent.
Only now did the energy shockwaves from their clash finally spread to the edge of the atmosphere—like a stone stirring a thousand waves, or pearls striking a jade plate, crashing into the gathered Starlight-tiers.
"Hiss!"
In an instant, a tidal wave of energy surged forth.
It was like a deafening divine sound, exploding across the sky and sending chills through every Starlight-tier being.
Everyone snapped awake, replaced by a thrilling yet numb and complex emotion that echoed deep within and spread throughout their bodies.
"My heavens!"
A newly advanced Starlight-tier being cried out, instinctively raising his fist.
He wanted to blast away the shockwaves.
Rumble... Even the mere residual shockwaves carried immense force. The newly advanced Starlight-tier felt like a lone boat in a raging sea, nearly overturned, and had to use real power just to steady himself.
"So strong!"
He wiped cold sweat from his forehead, as if awakening from a dream.
Meanwhile, the other Starlight-tiers all acted to disperse the shockwaves, exchanging glances—none could find words.
This was the edge of the atmosphere, and White Bird Star itself had a defensive system; the residual energy couldn’t cause catastrophic damage, only stirring up storms and lightning.
"Ahem."
As the highest administrator of White Bird Star, Ken Yu felt extremely uncomfortable.
He had previously thought Han Dong was talented, but nothing more—being from a primitive world, Han Dong surely wasn’t very strong. He hadn’t expected things to turn out so strangely.
It was like a doomsday hurricane suddenly becoming a gentle spring breeze.
Brushing his face, it was ticklish and light.
Gulp.
Ken Yu's Adam’s apple moved slightly; he scratched his chin.
Beside him, White Bird Star’s strongest, a burly Three-Eye clansman, glanced at Ken Yu and reminded him, "If I recall, someone just boasted they could trade a few moves with Han Dong."
"You remembered wrong."
Ken Yu replied with a wry smile.
Now the situation was clear—Ken Yu was no match for Dan Booth, not even for a single round.
And Dan Booth had just been slapped into the distant cosmos by Han Dong... By any measure, the gap between himself and Han Dong was not just a little—it was like the difference between planet and star.
"Heh." The burly Three-Eye clansman gave a meaningful chuckle: "You’re always boasting about being able to go fifty-fifty with others. Maybe think twice next time before claiming you can trade moves with everyone."
Ken Yu immediately wilted, rolling his eyes.
What’s the point of mocking himself?
Before Han Dong struck, no one imagined that the formidable Dan Booth would be so easily defeated!
Han Dong himself included.
In the rippling energy of outer space, Han Dong’s cyan robe fluttered. He glanced in the direction Dan Booth had disappeared, then turned to look at the respectful Starlight-tiers of White Bird Star.
Han Dong was checking to see if something had gone wrong.
"What exactly happened?"
"Could Dan Booth be joking...? But we hardly know each other." Han Dong blinked, standing helplessly in the starry sky, silently pondering.
Setting aside soul and intent, he possessed three Power Traits.
That palm, though it seemed ordinary, actually fused two Power Traits—Blazing and Heavy—plus his own peak Third-Order Constant Light foundation; that seemed to explain things.
After all, one force subdues ten thousand techniques!
Besides Power Traits, Han Dong’s power foundation was also incredibly solid, so such a crushing scene wasn’t exaggerated.
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"However."
Han Dong pondered for a moment.
He couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly: "This Dan Booth... was far weaker than I expected."
The cultivation geniuses of the White-Horn Human Clan weren’t as strong as expected; Dan Booth, for example, was only slightly stronger than Egret Hui of the Nether Clan.
"Huh?" Han Dong was surprised. "Could it be that I’ve always measured cosmic lifeforms’ power by Egret Hui and Mang Long, and that’s why my expectations were off? Are Egret Hui and Mang Long considered cultivation geniuses too?"
Boom!
A distant light flashed—Dan Booth, tattered and battered, returned.
"Han Dong, Han Dong," he called out breathlessly, raising both hands and offering a cheerful salute. "No wonder you’re the genius recommended by my own ancestor. You’re sure to enter the River of Stars Palace."
"Sorry, I hope I didn’t hurt you just now." Han Dong expressed concern for Dan Booth’s injuries.
...
Dan Booth’s expression stiffened; his mouth twitched twice, and he coughed, "No, no, I’m fine."
Immediately after—
Dan Booth exchanged a few polite words, glanced at the Starlight-tiers of White Bird Star, greeted the burly Three-Eye clansman, and then led Han Dong toward the docking area.
"Han Dong, we’ve all been talking about you."
"As a native Starlight-tier with such talent and strength, you absolutely must not miss the great opportunity of the River of Stars Palace."
Dan Booth flew alongside Han Dong, sending him a voice transmission.
"Opportunity?" Han Dong replied, "I looked it up online—the River of Stars Palace is the gathering place for the empire’s geniuses. All its members aim to reach the Constant Palace-tier, which is why it’s named that way."
For most beings, Constant Palace-tier immortality is unattainable.
But Han Dong wasn’t among them.
He was already at peak Third-Order Constant Light, and Fourth-Order Cosmic Light wasn’t far off... Constant Palace-tier wasn’t distant for Han Dong.
"No."
"It’s far more than just reaching the Constant Palace-tier." Dan Booth smiled at Han Dong.
The earlier setback hadn’t made him resentful; instead, he admired Han Dong even more... Blaming others for one’s weakness is foolish.
Dan Booth hoped Han Dong would grow even stronger.
There would be plenty of time in the future—if nothing else, he could challenge Han Dong every year.
"I’ll send you the details about the River of Stars Palace."
"Some things can’t be found online," Dan Booth whispered. "The original purpose of the River of Stars Palace wasn’t just to nurture cultivation geniuses... You know, to me, the River of Stars Empire is just a tiny corner of the vast cosmos."
What does it mean to roam the stars?
In Dan Booth’s mind, only leaving the River of Stars Empire truly counted as roaming the stars!
"The great opportunity of the River of Stars Palace reaches beyond the River of Stars Empire, even outside the Tianchen Stellar System!" Dan Booth looked at Han Dong in his cyan robe, smiling. "We’re destined to reach Constant Palace-tier, maybe even Void Cave-tier. The River of Stars Empire is vast, but it can’t contain true power."
He came in a hurry, left in a hurry.
Dan Booth finished everything in one breath and turned to head for his clan’s advanced warp vessel.
He returned to the administrative main star of the Eastern District to report to his elders... Han Dong’s name would surely cause a sensation, even startling the Constant Palace-tier elders.
Click.
The hatch opened.
Dan Booth stepped into the warp vessel, but before closing the hatch, he hesitated, finally unable to resist turning to Han Dong and asking his most perplexing question: "Did you... did you really use your full strength?"
Han Dong nodded sincerely. "Absolutely."
"Good."
Dan Booth’s fighting spirit reignited; he gave Han Dong a careful look, closed the hatch, and activated the warp vessel, leaving the White Bird Star docking area.
Han Dong remained where he was.
Watching as Dan Booth’s warp vessel turned into a streak of light and vanished into the vast cosmos, Han Dong let out a gentle breath: "Seventy or eighty percent... Well, rounding up, I guess that’s close to full strength."
...
Two months later, the Qingshan sped through the stars, returning to Azure Earth.
In the spacious, minimalist control center, Han Dong sat cross-legged in midair, surrounded by mysterious flows of light, his aura entirely restrained, as if all brilliance had been washed away.
"My soul intent—"
He paused for a moment, immersing himself in his consciousness space.
In the boundless darkness of his consciousness space, more than two hundred star maps floated.
At the center of the brilliant star maps, a colorless glass-like crystal spun, occasionally flashing gray-white light, as if containing endless cries.