A hush fell. Andrew Han's gaze was cold and disappointed as he looked at Shawn Xiao, remembering the man he once admired—a bold reformer now twisted by power.
A silence as deep as death blanketed the lawn, broken only by the unreal sight: a city-sized, cyan-blue hand materialized from nowhere, casting a cosmic shadow over the gathering.
Victor Zhang, stooped with age, Warren Wang clutching his single arm, Tanya Li, Lu Yang, and the others—all stared at Andrew Han, dumbfounded, their minds buzzing with terror and awe. In that moment, Andrew's power felt immeasurable, a warning to Shawn Xiao that the sky above Earth was no longer theirs to command.
A rare few martial artists had once glimpsed the Primeval Life-and-Death War at the Yarlowe Frontier, where the cosmos itself seemed unchanged, but people had become strangers to their own ideals.
But isolated news and closed channels left most in ignorance, unable to fathom what 'Primeval' truly meant. In the midst of their confusion, Andrew flicked his finger—Shawn Xiao's knees shattered with a sickening crack, forcing him to kneel before cosmic judgment.
The people of the Ancient Kingdom, on the other hand, all understood.
But the Chenriver Empire's level was ultimately a bit lower.
Andrew Han's voice was cold and absolute: "Earth receives the Chenriver Empire's support for one reason only—because it is my homeworld." The words froze the air, his authority undeniable.
Warren Wang swallowed hard, asking in disbelief, "R-Really? That's a vast nation ruling the entire Galaxis!"
With his limited experience, he couldn't imagine how the once Martial General Andrew Han could possibly command the Chenriver Empire.
But Warren Wang was not the only one.
Everyone present felt their hearts pounding: "Showing disrespect to the Chenriver Empire is a grave crime—it's written into Earth Alliance law."
Even a single stellar system is a vast expanse, nearly impossible for humanity to fully explore in a lifetime—let alone a terrifying empire spanning the Galaxis.
Countless life-bearing stars, all under the jurisdiction of the Chenriver Empire.
Andrew Han turned to Shawn Xiao, his tone decisive and unyielding: "From this day forward, Earth will be managed directly by the Chenriver Empire's Prime Administrative Star, not by your Alliance." The shift was like a cosmic decree, its gravity felt by all.
"Be careful what you say, truly!" Victor Zhang was so frightened his face went pale. He hurriedly added, "Just last year, a Chenriver Empire starship visited us and helped clear our atmospheric pollution and polar greenhouse effect—a colossal vessel a million meters long!"
"Ha!"
Andrew Han hadn't laughed so freely in a long time.
Returning home in glory, yet no one recognizes you.
As Andrew spoke, the colossal cyan hand burst forth from the green lawn, swelling upward until it seemed to touch the sky itself—a vision of cosmic power that left everyone breathless, the meaning of Primeval Hall beyond words.
Relaxed, comfortable, complex yet subtle—dressed in casual home clothes, Andrew Han bent down and plucked a blade of green grass: "To me, the Chenriver Empire is no different from this blade of grass. Disrespecting me is the real crime!"
As his words faded, all was silent again.
They could only watch as Andrew Han casually pinched the swaying blade of grass between his fingers, his manner indifferent, as serene as a stroll in the garden.
Whoosh, whoosh.
That fresh green blade of grass, still clinging to soil, swayed gently between Andrew Han's fingertips.
The early spring wind blew cold around them; everyone stood frozen in place, faces blank, as if trapped like tiny creatures in amber, unable to speak.
But in the next moment, thunder rumbled across the sky—a series of sonic booms tore through the air, and a streak of blazing fire shot through the heavens, splitting the clouds. It was as if flames piled high in the blue sky, leaving all present speechless with awe.
Fire erupted, thunder rolled—a force that seemed to blanket the world.
Piercing the clouds, the air itself shattered—almost as if the very sky was being changed.
Not even the most advanced hovercars or planetary cruise missiles could match the speed of this fiery streak.
"What is that—"
Everyone's expression changed at once: "It's Shawn Xiao, the true controller and Supreme Elder of the New Martial Arts Alliance!"
Although Andrew Han had reached the Stellar Palace Primeval tier, he could not single-handedly raise Earth's cultivation standards. Ascending to the Starlight Tier was truly arduous. Thus, Earth's current standard for the strong was the Fusion Tier—Fusion-Tier experts could look down on the world.
But above the Fusion Tier...
Throughout Earth's history, only Andrew Han and Ning Moli have reached such heights.
Boom.
The distant blaze of fire abruptly changed direction, its flames burning fiercely.
This was the power of a peak Fusion-Tier expert—white clouds burned away to nothing, and in the blink of an eye, the blazing fire was upon them.
"Ha ha, Andrew Han!"
"It's been a long time!"