In the dim, chilly palace, only Ruby Whitehorn's slow, deliberate voice could be heard—her tone dripping with contempt.
It was as if, in her eyes, Andrew Han was nothing but a feeble native—unworthy of attention, easily crushed, not even worth a glance.
However.
The thoughts of everyone else in the palace were quite the opposite.
"Ruby, that's enough!" The burly youth of the White‑Horn clan stepped forward heavily, stopping a hundred meters from the red‑robed Ruby Whitehorn—a safe distance.
"If Andrew Han is weak, then what does that make us?"
"The cultivation resources provided by Chenriver Palace have been refined countless times and carry no side effects. If your realm advances, you can keep using resources to improve—there's no risk of a hollow foundation."
Normally, for a lifeform to reach Fifth‑Order Creation Light, it takes years of grinding and accumulation—enduring endless ages to reach peak Starlight Tier.
But in Chenriver Palace, things are entirely different!
Vast amounts of cultivation resources and all kinds of training facilities make the progress of cultivation feel like entering a state of warp travel.
Anyone who joins Chenriver Palace is exceptionally gifted—their cultivation soars to the peak in no time!
Simply put, as long as your realm is sufficient, there's no need to waste time—you just rocket straight to the peak of your current tier.
Because the talents are outstanding, because the cultivators are geniuses, and even more so because of the immense significance of that upcoming feast—
Time for those in Chenriver Palace is exceptionally precious—how could it be wasted on endless grinding?
"Mm."
After hearing this, Ruby Whitehorn nodded indifferently.
"Then."
Ruby tilted her head, gazing coolly at her burly clansman. "And what exactly do you mean by all this?"
Under Ruby's indifferent gaze, the burly youth couldn't help but shiver.
The name Ruby Whitehorn echoed throughout the White‑Horn clan.
Even with his imposing stature, how could he not feel fear? Yet some things must be made clear in advance.
He spoke in a deep voice, "Andrew Han is currently at Fourth‑Order Cosmic Light."
From what I know, he's been going back and forth between the Color‑Cloud Palaces and the Starfield Simulation Zone. With vast resources and the tempering of stellar edge light and heat, plus Andrew Han's own talent... Even if his foundation is incredibly strong, he must now be at the peak of Fourth‑Order Cosmic Light."
Little did he know.
Andrew Han was only near the peak, because the stronger your foundation, the harder it is to reach the very top.
A solid foundation means the upper limit of your current realm expands, allowing for greater strength—like an upgraded network storage, able to hold more power.
And because of this—
The burly youth's judgment was off.
Even someone as well‑informed as he was could never have imagined the terrifying depth of Andrew Han's foundation.
Of course, that didn't stop his speculation: "Earlier, Andrew Han defeated Fu Jixue, rivaling the Third Ladder. After his leap in progress, he might even rival the Second Ladder."
Second Ladder!
What does that mean?
Everyone present was moved: "Converted to the Chenriver Tower Name Sequence, Andrew Han would rank somewhere between twentieth and fiftieth."
In fact, they'd suspected this for some time.
But for various reasons, they hadn't wanted to analyze it or couldn't believe it. Only now, it was as if the veil over their minds had been ripped away, leaving the White‑Horn clansmen frozen.
They wanted to refute him, but couldn't find a reason.
Unable to speak, everyone stared at the burly youth's grave expression.
"Ruby, don't you understand yet?"
He couldn't help but take another step forward: "Andrew Han's talent has already surpassed our estimates. I believe that, eighty‑seven star‑years from now, Andrew Han could even battle Sen head‑on."
Yet Ruby Whitehorn remained unmoved.
Ruby Whitehorn's mind was nearly twisted, the flames of jealousy burning away her reason. How could a few words change the spoiled thoughts she’d grown up with?
Seeing this, the burly youth was truly anguished: "Enough, enough, stop! Andrew Han was recommended by our White‑Horn clan—he should be close and friendly with us, but you insist on suppressing and targeting him. What are you thinking?"
"Look at the Pink‑Skin Humans."
"They remain neutral. Even when Fu Jixue lost all his points to Andrew Han, the Pink‑Skin Humans politely negotiated, offering Andrew the cultivation resources he urgently needed in exchange for some points."
His voice echoed through the palace interior.
The dim palace felt stifling, a strange atmosphere spreading in all directions. Everyone fell silent.
That's right.
That’s how things should have been.
But unfortunately, reality often defies expectations.
Andrew Han, who shares the White‑Horn clan's stance, was suppressed and targeted by the clan leader's daughter, First Ladder, peak Starlight Tier Ruby Whitehorn.
The Pink‑Skin Humans, who should have been Andrew Han's enemies, instead left each other alone.
"Sigh."
The burly youth let out a long sigh.
He gritted his teeth and took another step, staring intently at Ruby Whitehorn: "This session at Chenriver Palace, our clan is weak. No one can stand alone—only you are publicly acknowledged... Do you really want to lead us against Andrew Han?"
"Hmph."
Ruby Whitehorn curled her lip in boredom.
Oppose Andrew Han?
Just that phrasing made Ruby extremely repulsed.
As the peak of Fifth‑Order Creation Light, with 563 Consciousness Nodes, she was slightly stronger than a lifeform with a single Power Trait Life‑Gene system.
Beyond that, she also mastered profound secret arts.
"Is that all?" Ruby Whitehorn shook her head, her gaze deep and cold, as though she ruled the entire Color‑Cloud Palace. "You may be quiet now."
At those words—
The burly youth couldn't hold back his anger: "You threatened to strip Andrew Han's home planet of its legitimacy, to restrict, invade, and enslave! You did everything to block his cultivation resources—hindering one's cultivation is a mortal enemy. How can you not see the gravity of your mistakes?"
His furious voice rang through the palace, leaving all the White‑Horn clansmen silent.
Danbu, who was somewhat familiar with Andrew Han, stood among the crowd, holding his breath, hoping Ruby Whitehorn would realize her mistakes.
Danbu shook his head inwardly: "If this continues, Ruby Whitehorn will surely face harsh punishment from the clan elders."
Although Andrew Han currently can't match Ruby Whitehorn's strength, his potential is limitless and his talent extraordinary—targeting him without cause is pure folly.
Moreover, Ruby Whitehorn's actions put them all in a difficult position.
"Hm?"
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Ruby Whitehorn lifted her phoenix eyes.
Her crimson robe, blood‑red lips, and scarlet hair all highlighted her chilling majesty—a breathtaking aura surging like ten thousand waves!
It swept out from the depths of the palace!
Ruby Whitehorn slowly rose to her feet!
Faced with this scene, the burly youth felt a chill and gritted his teeth: "This session at Chenriver Palace, our clan has no outstanding genius. Do you really think you're ranked tenth? Without relying on our White‑Horn clan's prestige, you'd only be at the tail end of the First Ladder. Three star‑years of buffer are enough for Andrew Han to catch up to you."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone who'd come to intervene stared wide‑eyed.
This was something that should've been kept secret, never spoken aloud.
"Insolent."
Ruby Whitehorn narrowed her long eyes, stepping toward the burly youth, anger brewing within: "Do you know the price of provoking me...?"
Just then—boom!
A vast, violent aura suddenly surged from the edge of the Color‑Cloud Palace region, as if piercing sun and moon, tearing them apart, burning the nebula!
Brilliant green radiance boiled over, as if cooking heaven and earth!
It swept in from the horizon in an instant, stirring up a tidal wave!
The raging energy swept through like a hurricane, raising a million rainbow beams, shocking countless cultivation geniuses, spanning the Color‑Cloud Palace region—almost collapsing the nebula space!
"Who?"
From each Color‑Cloud Palace came cries of alarm and astonishment.
Starlight quaked, the terrifying aftershocks seemed to split the palace district in two, like a river of stars pouring down from the sky, milky-white threads shattering to dust!
Where the green radiance passed, matter disintegrated!
A green robe fluttered violently, descending upon the Black‑Cloud Palace!
An imposing figure in green robes, exuding dazzling majesty and breath that shattered the Color‑Cloud, descended!
"What?"
The White‑Horn clansmen were stunned, voices lost.
All they felt was the mysterious, unknown green radiance rushing toward the palace, carrying a fierce, sky‑piercing momentum—like a star facing a life‑or‑death choice.
Boom!
The Black‑Cloud Palace where everyone stood seemed to grow infinitely heavier, the air thickened and twisted, the starlight dimmed.
"Ruby Whitehorn!"
"You want me to know my place—I'll give you that chance!"
Andrew Han, clad in green robes, descended upon the Black‑Cloud Palace, his gaze like a prison of divine might piercing ten thousand meters, his words splitting the stars like thunder!