Evan Chu was startled. "Big Brother Jun Yang, what are you doing?"
He wanted to get up and help Lord Jun Yang, but his injuries were too severe. The moment he tried to move, the pain became unbearable.
"This kneel, you must accept!"
At this moment, Trenton Zhan looked at Evan Chu with eyes full of respect.
"It's not just Lord Jun Yang who should thank you—we all owe you our gratitude. You have no idea how devastating it is for the Frostbane Dynasty to lose a powerful legion. This time, you’ve earned merit greater than the heavens!"
Evan Chu’s heart was still far from calm, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that everyone was focused on thanking him, not on probing how he had managed such a feat.
That was fine by him. Earlier, he’d worried about exposing too many secrets of Ninefold Stellar Transformation, but now it seemed he’d been overthinking it.
In reality, of course, Lord Jun Yang and the others naturally had questions about Evan Chu’s heaven-defying technique. But when someone saves your life, how could you go snooping for their secrets?
"Commander Evan Chu, accept our bow!"
Lord Jun Yang had just gotten up when the Blazing Flame Legion’s strategist, leading the deputy commanders, gave Evan Chu another formal salute. Evan could only give a wry smile.
"Everyone, there’s no need for all this ceremony. I believe anyone would have stepped up in that situation—we’re all brothers who live and die together, aren’t we?"
"Haha, well said!"
Evan Chu’s words quickly won everyone’s respect—and made Lord Jun Yang laugh out loud.
"This time, the Phantom-Star Dynasty and Rivengrace Dynasty’s intentions are crystal clear. In this Star-River Dominion, they finally couldn’t hold back—they’re aiming straight for the summit.
I think we can’t afford to sit idle either."
Trenton Zhan’s eyes burned as he looked at Nightdream Ye and spoke.
"Exactly. We should strike while the iron is hot and seize the overlord’s seat in this Star-River Dominion. Now the Rivengrace Dynasty has lost the Sky Tiger Legion, the Phantom-Star Dynasty has lost the Monroe Legion—even if they’re not crippled, they’re in agony. Meanwhile, we still have our strongest forces intact.
We can’t let this chance slip away. Otherwise, when the Dynasty Struggle comes in 136 years, we’ll be starting at a disadvantage."
As soon as Magnus Liao finished, Kade Xing chimed in right on cue.
"That’s right! Every ten thousand years, the Dynasty Struggle rolls around, and every time we’ve been suppressed by the Phantom-Star and Rivengrace Dynasties. Only in recent years have things started to turn around. On top of that, the Frostbane Dynasty has been rising fast—I believe we finally have what it takes to fight for the overlord’s throne!"
Nightdream Ye nodded. "With the Monroe Legion and Sky Tiger Legion utterly wiped out, this really is a golden opportunity. And... if Evan Chu joins the next Dynasty Struggle, it’ll be even more advantageous for him!"
The voices of the four Temple Masters drifted to Evan Chu’s ears, but he didn’t fully grasp what they meant. The gist was: Frostbane Dynasty was preparing to strike at Phantom-Star and Rivengrace, aiming to seize overlord status in this Star-River Dominion.
But what exactly is this Dynasty Struggle in 136 years? Why is it held every ten thousand years? Who hosts it? What’s the point of it all?
"Back then, the Holy Emperor himself stood out in the Dynasty Struggle and gained powerful means that helped lead us forward. If Evan Chu can also..."
As soon as Lord Jun Yang said this, the four Temple Masters and the three Thrones all looked at Evan Chu with excitement. No matter how you measured it, Evan’s current talent and potential far surpassed the First and Second Person from back then!
"Alright, that’s enough for now. Evan Chu still needs to recover, and you all have your own duties—get back to work. Jun Yang, Evan Chu is your responsibility. If you ever blunder into another enemy trap like last time, don’t bother coming back to see me!"
As she left, Nightdream Ye shot Lord Jun Yang a glare that made him tremble.
When Lord Jun Yang first broke through to the Holy Emperor Realm, none of the Seven Thrones dared to challenge him. But just when he was getting cocky, Nightdream Ye showed up, strung him up, and gave him a good beating—he straightened out real fast.
Luckily, nothing major went wrong this time. Otherwise, there’s no way Lord Jun Yang could shoulder all the blame alone.
Still, seeing Lord Jun Yang’s power improve yet again, Nightdream Ye felt deeply gratified. She thought to herself, 'Little brother, you can rest in peace now.'
That’s right—the previous Throne of the Blazing Flame Legion was Nightdream Ye’s own brother, Nightflame Ye. That’s why Nightdream Ye always took special care of the Blazing Flame Legion, and why she once transferred the Frostbane Dynasty’s strongest young talent, Jun Yang, into their ranks.
Now, with Evan Chu’s arrival, Nightdream Ye was once again scheming to bring him into the Blazing Flame Legion. Nightflame Ye had been a prodigy too, and in Jun Yang and Evan Chu, she saw echoes of her brother. That’s why she felt the way she did.
Her earlier words weren’t really aimed at Jun Yang—they were just meant to keep him humble and remind him not to slack off in his cultivation.
One by one, everyone left—except for the Blazing Flame Legion. Since this was the Jun Yang Palace, and Lord Jun Yang hadn’t spoken, nobody dared leave without permission.
"Alright, you all can go now. Prepare for the Succession Ceremony—we’ll hold it soon."
"Yes, my Lord Throne!"
Naturally, the Succession Ceremony was for Evan Chu. The Blazing Flame Legion’s vanguard unit had been wiped out, and only Evan could fill the gap. Even though his cultivation wasn’t yet high enough for the role, no one in the legion dared object.
On the contrary, everyone felt Evan Chu would do better in the position than anyone else—he’d be the most capable, the most steady.
And so, Evan Chu became the trusted Vanguard Commander of the Blazing Flame Legion. Sadly, his subordinates now included only Zilei, the deputy commander, and the four Saint-ranked soldiers who’d survived with him.
The Frostbane Dynasty had strict standards for selecting personnel, so replenishing their forces was always a hassle. It would take time to rebuild.
Everyone left—even Jun Yang and Zilei—leaving Evan Chu alone in the room. He sank his soul into the Chaos World Space, intent on reforging his shattered Nine Elemental Law avatars and rebuilding his body, instantly cleansing himself with Stellar Power to heal his wounds.
Earlier, the thirty thousand exploding stars hadn’t included Evan Chu’s own, so in the sky of the Chaos World Space, the Big Dipper, a dark red demon star, two bloody fiend stars, and ten meteors still remained.
Shua shua shua... Stellar Power and the Wood Elemental Law washed over Evan Chu’s body and soul. Before long, his injuries were completely healed. This incredible recovery energy even astonished Evan himself—he’d never experienced anything like it before breaking through to the Saint Sovereign realm.
But in the next moment, Evan Chu’s attention was completely diverted—he suddenly noticed that his soul avatar was packed with countless starlight dots. On closer inspection, there were thirty thousand of them, and they all felt strangely familiar.
"Are these... those thirty thousand exploding stars? No! They’re thirty thousand Star Souls!"