The vast starry sky, at the heart of Human Territory, within the very center of the Cosmic Ancient Kingdom.
A mighty star river, stretching nearly thirty thousand light-years, flows endlessly. Yet in this moment, the long river is entirely shrouded in profound darkness.
Buzz!
Chanting seems to rise, singing appears to echo. The Ancient King of the Cosmos bows deeply in solemn ceremony: "May the Human Race endure forever. The Cosmic Ancient Kingdom respectfully welcomes the Supreme's arrival!"
This is no exaggeration.
The mere ripples from the Ancient King's voice alone could instantly annihilate all traces of life from an ordinary Void Rift–tier being!
Yet—
The powerful, majestic tone, under the Supreme's radiance, seems so small and insignificant—merely serving to highlight the sweeping darkness. From the depths of the Archaic Hall, Supreme Ever-Extinction steps forth, gradually enveloping the void, rising from infinite distance and descending from infinite heights, finally manifesting as a plainly dressed, silver-haired elder.
At this moment, the Supreme lowers his gaze.
Time and space freeze in that instant.
"Qin Yi."
Supreme Ever-Extinction spoke calmly, "Do you know why I have come here?"
His presence is boundless and unfathomable, penetrating to the deepest recesses of the heart.
As the Supreme spoke, all things in heaven and earth bowed in submission, responding in turn. Profound layers of supreme sound echoed around the Ancient King.
"Supreme above all, I do not know."
The Ancient King bent low, saluting with utmost ceremony, the corners of his eyes twitching slightly.
Since ascending the throne of the Cosmic Ancient Kingdom, he had not used his true name for so long that he had almost forgotten it in the distant years.
'How strange.'
'Why would the Supreme address me by my true name? Normally, he should call me Ancient King of the Cosmos. This means the Supreme is not here for the Cosmic Ancient Kingdom, but for me personally. What could such a Supreme possibly want with me?'
In a flash, countless thoughts raced through the Ancient King's mind.
Emperors are always the most ruthless, and the best at weighing the scales.
Moreover, the Ancient King of the Cosmos stands only one step below Supreme in combat strength, his intellect and insight far surpassing any ultimate intelligent core. His wise, red eyes flickered with astonishment.
As Supreme Ever-Extinction descended, and as he bowed ever lower, it was as if lightning and thunder pierced body and soul with sudden realization—all at once, the Ancient King understood: he was brushing against some truly extraordinary cosmic secret.
What could it be?
Even as the supreme ruler of an ancient kingdom, he was not qualified to know?
Even—
It compelled the Supreme to descend in person.
The only thing the Ancient King could not fathom was: how could a mere Andrew Han be involved in such a weighty and mysterious secret?
So momentous that it warranted the Supreme's personal descent.
So secretive that even the emperor of this ancient kingdom knew nothing at all.
Immediately, before the Ancient King could think further, Supreme Ever-Extinction, silver hair drifting, stepped out of the boundless darkness with hands behind his back: "In the name of a Supreme, I order you to publicly admit to all ancient kingdoms and apex institutions that the new-generation Eternal King Andrew Han's soul aptitude never collapsed."
In the name of a Supreme?
The Ancient King of the Cosmos looked up in speechless astonishment.
This is the highest level of decree—no one may refuse, no matter the reason, and nothing may delay its execution. All must obey this command, without exception.
"Supreme above all."
The Ancient King answered, "Everything shall be as you wish."
As his words faded—
Seeing the Supreme nod in satisfaction, the Ancient King carefully asked, "Andrew Han's unique way of impacting the Eternal King realm is truly astonishing; he can reshape his talent even outside of realm-advancement moments..."
A cold, distant gaze pierced body and soul.
Noticing Supreme Ever-Extinction's faint displeasure, the Ancient King could only fall silent, inwardly sighing that he had guessed correctly—he had wondered why the Supreme sought him, and now realized it was to erase traces for Andrew Han. This left Qin Yi both bewildered and astonished.
He truly did not know what was so special about Andrew Han to warrant such importance, with a Human Supreme personally intervening to conceal matters for him.
"Remember."
"You must publicly admit, respond clearly, and make no mistakes."
As the Supreme spoke, the all-encompassing darkness that monopolized time and space gradually receded, vanishing into the depths of the starry sky like a retreating tide.
In just an instant—
Supreme Ever-Extinction drifted away.
"Sigh."
The Ancient King, Qin Yi, let out a long breath.
A Supreme personally giving an order—put plainly, he was being made to publicly admit he was wrong. Whether it was an error in observation or a mistake in judgment, any excuse would suffice; the Supreme cared nothing for details, only that Qin Yi must cover up the objective fact that all of Andrew Han's Consciousness Nodes had been wiped out.
"Come on."
"I am, after all, the supreme ruler of an ancient kingdom," Qin Yi frowned helplessly. "Must I truly cast aside my dignity?"
Admit I was wrong?
How could Qin Yi possibly be mistaken? Absurd beyond measure.
In cultivation, in life tier, in vision and learning, he excelled in all respects, possessing extraordinary mastery. Not to mention, he had observed Primeval Andrew Han's soul foundation up close when it was still a composite Stellar Palace tier—far too easy to judge.
In other words—
For such a simple, error-proof matter, he was now to admit fault and respond publicly and unambiguously.
"If anyone else dared demand this, I'd kill them on the spot," Qin Yi muttered. "But that's Supreme Ever-Extinction—if he strikes, I'm the one who dies."
A chill ran down his spine.
He tasted the bitterness of helpless resignation.
The higher one's cultivation and life tier, the stronger the will to survive. After much deliberation, Qin Yi finally let go of his pride: "I once heard a legend circulating through the stars: the Shenro Clan, Lords of Fate, ruled destiny for endless ages, until the river of fate itself favored the rise of Fate Rebels."