Chapter 263: The Beauty of the East

“Indeed!” Yang Hao’s eyes sparkled. This move had never been used by anyone before. Today, he had learned a very practical technique in this bar.

However, Yang Hao’s crisis was imminent. If he didn’t retreat immediately, that spatial net shimmering with strange light would envelop him.

Old Jack had shown some restraint, not completely cutting off Yang Hao’s escape route. His intention was clear: if Yang Hao simply left the bar, he would not be pursued.

But Yang Hao had no intention of retreating. A brilliant smile spread across his lips, completely erasing the previous gloom of a vagabond. He quietly raised his fingers, and in an instant, dozens of sword beams flashed through the air. With unimaginable speed, they shot toward Old Jack’s spatial net, creating another opening on the existing spatial rift.

Silver light erupted. Between Old Jack and Yang Hao, the layers of space that had been repeatedly sliced finally revealed their terrifying visage.

“What?” Old Jack was so shocked that his hands trembled. His ghost blade could create twenty spatial rifts, a feat achieved after decades of hard training. He had always believed the power of these rifts was within his control. Usually, anyone who could recognize or even just understand the net would have no choice but to retreat or perish.

But Yang Hao did the exact opposite. Not only did he not retreat, but he also expanded those spatial rifts.

Those twenty rifts were no longer just cracks—they became gaping voids. Before them was no longer a spatial net, but a temporal vortex.

This was no longer a game.

Seasoned adventurers who lived on the edge of danger knew how perilous temporal vortices were. Once a vortex appeared, it would suck in all living beings. If one was lucky, they might be randomly transported to an unknown time and space. But more often than not, the vortex would tear the life form into shreds.

And now, there were twenty temporal vortices inside the bar.

Old Jack only hesitated for half a second before he suddenly realized what was happening. “Run!! Run!!”

Even he, a Saint Domain expert, couldn’t escape the vortex’s pull. Naturally, the surrounding adventurers had even less chance of survival. But Old Jack’s warning came too late. The twenty vortices had already become a reality. The immense suction force made it impossible for anyone to move.

The bar’s interior was torn apart under the疯狂 suction. Small objects were drawn into the vortex, glowing like stars. The radiant light of time illuminated the entire building like a galaxy.

The bar’s interior was torn apart by the frenzied suction. Small objects were drawn into the vortex, glowing like stars. The radiant light of time illuminated the entire building like a galaxy.

“Do you want to die?” Old Jack shouted angrily at Yang Hao. “Are you insane?”

“The louder the commotion, the more likely the Republican military will notice,” Yang Hao replied calmly.

“Madman! You’re a madman! We’re all going to die! All of us!!”

Despite his Saint Domain power, Old Jack was helpless. His body was slowly being pulled toward the vortex. “Such temporal vortices—who could possibly control them? Not only will we die, but everything on this planet will be sucked away! Only a god could stop this. Damn it!!!”

Feeling that the spatial fluctuations were now strong enough to be detected by instruments far beyond the star system, Yang Hao extended his hand and said softly, “I’m not a god.”

From Yang Hao’s palm, a vast force emanated, actually halting the suction of the temporal vortices.

“Ha!” Yang Hao roared, and the brilliance of the Saint Domain peak was so intense it forced people to close their eyes.

When everyone in the room opened their eyes again, they were stunned to find that the twenty temporal vortices, which had moments ago resembled the traps of death, had completely vanished into thin air.

The bar’s lights were dimmer now, with several fixtures blown out. The room was a mess, with all the tables, chairs, glasses, and bottles knocked over, as if struck by a tornado.

But none of that seemed to matter anymore. The once arrogant adventurers stared at Yang Hao with blank expressions.

What kind of vagabond was this? He had not only defeated Old Jack, who possessed Saint Domain power, but had also extinguished twenty temporal vortices with a mere wave of his hand. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Yang Hao, however, remained calm. He looked at his palm and was quite satisfied with his performance. He had merely tested his control over space.

In the past, he had often seen Hede split space with a single axe strike, but Yang Hao himself had known little about space. Now, Old Jack had given him an opportunity to learn how to master spatial techniques.

Indeed, when Yang Hao exerted the power of the Saint Domain peak, those vortices obediently closed up, as docile as pets.

However, what Yang Hao considered perfectly normal left the surrounding people trembling with fear.

Everyone had seen Yang Hao emit the brilliant light of the Saint Domain peak. Although they didn’t know his identity, they at least understood one thing—he was a figure they could never dare to provoke.

The Iron Wolf Mercenary Group recalled their earlier intention to throw Yang Hao out and were now drenched in cold sweat. They stood there, paralyzed, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Fortunately, the suffocating moment didn’t last long. Several patrol ships from the Star Spirit Republican military swiftly arrived above the bar. Five Republican soldiers rushed in, breaking the eerie silence.

“What’s going on?” The Republican officer frowned at the chaotic and ruined scene inside the bar. “Old Jack, what were you doing here?”

Yang Hao was startled, not because the Republican military had arrived so quickly—after all, he had caused all this commotion specifically to attract them.

Whether it was the Galactic Empire, the Oracular Autonomous Territory, or the Eastern Republican Federation, all had strict monitoring systems for spatial fluctuations. A large-scale spatial disturbance could potentially sweep away several planets. Therefore, when such a major disturbance occurred, military forces would inevitably come to investigate.

Yang Hao was somewhat surprised to find that these soldiers were not “they,” but “they” were actually “she.”

The soldiers and officers of the Star Spirit Republican Federation were all women—and not just any women, but stunningly beautiful ones.

Especially the leading officer, whose shiny golden hair was hidden under a steel helmet. Her skin was fair and delicate, her chest full, her waist slender, and her hips voluptuous. In terms of physique, she could easily score a perfect ten. Even more blood-rushing was the fact that the soldiers’ uniforms were form-fitting battle suits designed to accentuate their perfect curves. As the officer began to speak, Yang Hao could hear the surrounding mercenaries swallowing hard.

However, after his initial surprise, Yang Hao quickly understood the identity of these soldiers. In the Eastern Outer Regions, only one place could produce such perfection in such abundance—Angel Star.

During his recent wandering in the east, Yang Hao had gained some understanding of the local situation.

At the time Yang Hao became the lord of the Oracular Autonomous Territory, a rebellion against the Galactic Empire had erupted in the Eastern Outer Regions. Later, the Empire sent a Saint Swordsman-led Glory Army to suppress the rebellion, but they were decisively defeated by the Eastern Allied Forces. This event eventually led to the Senate’s formation of the “Stranglehold” and “Dragon-Slaying” plans.

After defeating the Empire’s suppression, the various star systems of the Eastern Outer Regions united to form the Star Spirit Republican Federation. Due to the scarcity of intelligent humanoids in the east, the federation was primarily composed of adventurer groups and beast tribes. Thus, the core of the Republican Federation was Angel Star.

Given this, it was not surprising that the beautiful women of Angel Star had become soldiers of the Star Spirit Republican Federation.

The scene today was indeed quite strange.

In the past, adventurers and the beautiful women of Angel Star had been hunter and prey. A significant source of income for adventurer groups in the east was capturing the peerless beauties of Angel Star and selling them to the Empire.

But after the formation of the Republican Federation, the situation had completely changed.

The beautiful female soldiers of the Republican Federation gazed coldly at the mercenaries inside the bar. Those battle-hardened mercenaries merely lowered their heads, too afraid to even breathe loudly. The relationship between hunter and prey had completely reversed.

“Hmph? Old Jack?” The officer was somewhat impatient, directly pointing at Jack’s ghost blade.

Her attitude toward the old man was quite good, not only because of Jack’s martial skills but also because the Ghost Blade team had only hunted exotic beasts and never trafficked in humans before retiring.

“Ahh!” Old Jack flicked his wrist, and his ghost blade vanished. A smile appeared on his aged face. “Nothing serious, just a misunderstanding. A few annoying novices came here to cause trouble, but we’ve already driven them away.”

“But we received reports of spatial fluctuations here. What’s going on?”

The officer pursed her lips, and her beautiful face once again caused people to swallow hard.

Old Jack coughed, intending to cover things up with a few lies.

He had figured out that Yang Hao was a truly extraordinary expert, one of the top figures in the world. Such a person could not be arrested in his bar.

But Yang Hao had other ideas. He clapped his hands and straightened his tattered clothes slightly, smiling at the beauty. “It was these people who attacked me.”

“Attacked?” The female officer turned her sharp gaze toward Old Jack and the Iron Wolf mercenaries.

The mercenaries felt their scalps tingling. Engaging in combat using spatial rules was already a violation of the Republican Federation’s laws. If it were someone else, they might frame him, but this vagabond possessed Saint Domain peak power. Framing him would be tantamount to suicide.

After the Battle of Elder Mountain, there were fewer than ten Saint Domain peak experts in the entire universe. If one didn’t want to die too quickly, it was best not to provoke this vagabond.

As the people in the bar cursed their bad luck, expecting to be framed by Yang Hao, the man suddenly changed his tone, jokingly saying, “Well, who asked me to be an imperial spy? These people support the Republic, so naturally they wanted to arrest me.”

Old Jack’s eyes lit up. It seemed Yang Hao was helping them cover up. Although fighting was not allowed, arresting a spy was a different matter.

“Are you an imperial spy?” The female officer and several soldiers quickly entered a combat stance. Their armor instantly covered their exposed skin, even concealing their beautiful faces. A weapon resembling an ancient cavalry spear was attached to the right arm of the armor, pointing directly at Yang Hao.

“That’s right.” Yang Hao looked indifferent. “I came from the planet and was discovered as soon as I arrived. Since you’ve caught me, take me to see your leader.”

“Spy!” The female officer angrily interrupted. “What right does a spy have to see our leader!”

Old Jack found this a bit strange. From the moment Yang Hao entered the bar, he had felt something odd about him. Then he had suddenly unleashed Saint Domain peak power and deliberately attracted the Republican military.

Old Jack quickly glanced at the wanted poster on the wall bearing Yang Hao’s photo, then carefully looked at the vagabond’s handsome face hidden beneath his long hair.

“Ahh!! You’re…” Old Jack staggered, nearly fainting.

Yang Hao gave him a meaningful look.

Old Jack quickly closed his mouth. This was the greatest wealth gained from years of adventuring—knowing when to speak and when to remain silent.

However, Old Jack’s heart was extremely excited. He never expected that this person would come to the bar, and that he himself had fought against him without being killed.

It was practically an extraordinary honor.

In fact, even Yang Hao himself was unaware of how revered he was within the Republican Federation, especially after the Battle of Elder Mountain, when the entire Star Spirit Republican Federation had come to revere him like a god.

Under the Federation’s intense propaganda, people in the east already knew that Yang Hao had once fought the Supreme Being and ended in a draw (the media often exaggerated the facts).

The Star Spirit Republican Federation, which had long been hostile to the Imperial Senate, placed their hopes on finding Yang Hao. People in the Federation generally believed that in the current universe, only Yang Hao could unite the east and west to resist the Imperial Senate.

Yet now, Yang Hao was standing in this bar, but because of his vagabond appearance, everyone had overlooked him.

Old Jack was extremely anxious in his heart but dared not directly reveal Yang Hao’s identity. However, seeing the female officer charging straight at Yang Hao, intent on treating him as a spy, he quickly came up with a plan.

“Wait! This spy might have important intelligence to report to the leader!”

Yang Hao nodded appreciatively at him.

This caused the female officer to hesitate for a moment. After reporting to headquarters, she finally received a clear response: “You, come with us to Angel Star. Whether the leader wants to see you will be decided there.”

Yang Hao raised his eyebrows. What must be faced will eventually come. After so much time spent in depression, it was time to rise again.

After all, the fact that he was still alive was not a burden of guilt, but a responsibility.

From Hunter Star to Angel Star, the space flight didn’t take more than a few hours.

However, Yang Hao was confined to the spaceship by those female soldiers for an entire day. Saying “confined” was actually not quite accurate because the ship holding him was, in his eyes, easily destroyed without any effort.

In fact, Yang Hao quite enjoyed staying here. Whether it was because of the female-dominated nature of the Republican Federation, the spaceship, although not particularly advanced in function or technology, had one major advantage—it was beautiful.

Although Yang Hao’s own Doomsday-class battleship was very large, most of the space was reserved for the inverse-core device and weapons, leaving the cabins for people quite small. But here, it was completely different. Even for a spy like him, the room was spacious, about dozens of square meters in size. The room was uniformly painted in Angel Star’s unique star-blue color, adorned with various intricate patterns, extremely luxurious. There were soft sofas inside, covered with the fur of spirit beasts, and a terminal connected to the central AI could browse all the information from the Eastern Domain.

This was no prison—it was a well-equipped hotel.

Yang Hao was happy to stay here and could read through all the major news from the Eastern Domain in recent years.

After spending the entire day reviewing the materials, Yang Hao sincerely regretted that although he held a high position as the lord of the western territory of the Empire, he had paid too little attention to the east.

In just one year, the eastern outer regions of the Empire had undergone such a tremendous transformation.

This area had once been a wilderness, a perfect colony for the Empire to plunder exotic beasts, minerals, and women. There were almost no high-tech centers here, and the population of intelligent beings was scarce.

But within just one year, a vast Star Spirit Republican Federation rapidly emerged, centered around Angel Star. The Federation encompassed thousands of star systems in the eastern outer regions, gathering a large number of intelligent beings.

The technological centers, commercial centers, and administrative centers also rose rapidly, like a miracle. It had taken the Galactic Empire centuries to develop, but the east accomplished it in just one year.

And the one who achieved all of this was the most revered “leader” in the east.

Yang Hao stared blankly at the leader’s photo on the screen, his heart filled with mixed emotions, unsure of what to say.

This was a woman with the most perfect appearance in the entire universe, yet she had become the supreme leader of trillions of people and the goddess worshipped by countless men.

Suddenly, Yang Hao was eager to see her.

As he wished, the cabin door opened. Actually, by the sound, it seemed to have been kicked open by someone in a temper.

“Does a spy need to be brought to the capital?” It was indeed a very annoying voice.

A young man entered first, wearing a strange square official’s hat. His face, which was somewhat passable, was always filled with contempt and pretentiousness. When he walked, his arms and legs swung widely, making one wonder if his limbs might break.

“Director Sizhe,” the female officer respectfully said, “this spy claims to have important information to report to the leader. The fleet headquarters instructed me to bring him directly back.”

“Leader! Who is the leader? She is our goddess. Can a mere spy just meet her at will?” The man called Sizhe exaggeratedly waved his hands.

Yang Hao only glanced at him once and immediately determined that this man was the type who was disliked by both men and women, yet had an overinflated sense of self-worth.

Indeed, Sizhe pretended to be a romantic as he lecherously smiled at the female officer: “Of course, you’ve been loyal and diligent. I will definitely report this to the leader. Wait for your promotion.”

One couldn’t help but admire the mindset of the women of Angel Star. Long-term hardship had allowed them to maintain a calm demeanor in the face of both honor and disgrace. The female officer nodded slightly but said nothing more.

Sizhe rushed toward Yang Hao. Seeing Yang Hao’s tattered clothes and long, disheveled hair, he didn’t even bother to look closely, turned his head away in disgust, and quickly asked, “You’re the spy?”

“Do you like to talk nonsense?” Yang Hao put down the terminal, stood up, and was a full head taller than Sizhe, with a much better physique.

The female officer blinked at Yang Hao, as if hinting for him to sit down, because Director Sizhe disliked anyone taller than himself, especially a vagabond.

Yang Hao raised his eyebrows with a smile but did not move.

“Why does a spy want to meet the leader?” Indeed, Sizhe ranted loudly, “A small imperial spy wants to meet our goddess?

Is she someone you can even see? People like you are only fit to stay with street vagabonds and adventurers who crawl into beast dens.”

“Then who should the goddess be with?” Yang Hao asked calmly.

“Of course, it should be me!” Ignoring the sighs of those around him, Sizhe loudly declared, “Only someone like me, a talented individual, is worthy of standing beside the goddess and highlighting her divine beauty.”

“The goddess loses her luster because of you…” Yang Hao softly said.

“What did you say?” Sizhe was stunned. He couldn’t believe a prisoner would dare to speak like this.

“I said,” Yang Hao sneered, “she loses her luster when she stands with you because you’re just a pile of dog shit—the stinkiest dog shit!”

“Damn it!” Sizhe was furious. Without hesitation, he drew his personal particle gun and pointed it at Yang Hao.

Yang Hao coldly snorted. In the next second, the particle gun melted into molten iron.

“Ahhhh!!!” Sizhe screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, staring in disbelief at the molten metal that had burned his skin.

The surrounding female soldiers were shocked and immediately returned to combat form, pointing their iron spears at Yang Hao. No matter how annoying Sizhe was, he was still a high-ranking official of the Republican Federation, while Yang Hao was just a spy.

Yang Hao didn’t even need to draw his Shadow Moon. With a flick of his finger, several sword beams appeared out of nowhere, cutting four spatial vortices in front of the female soldiers.

The starlight-shimmering spatial vortices acted like powerful winches, swallowing the spears silently and pulling the Angel Star soldiers along with them.

“No!” The female officer cried out.

Yang Hao waved his hand, and the four spatial vortices immediately vanished. Although it had only been a day, his progress in mastering spatial laws had far exceeded expectations.

The cabin returned to calm, but the fallen female officer and the still-screaming Sizhe confirmed that a miraculous scene had indeed occurred.

The female officer remained calm. She turned off her protective armor and stood up, asking:

“Who… who exactly are you?”

“I want to see your leader.” Yang Hao simply repeated his request.

“He cannot meet the leader.” The annoying Sizhe roared again, “Quickly, call the guards! Kill him! Kill this spy as soon as possible!”

Yang Hao frowned, and the Shadow Moon trembled within him. This was the first time in a while that he had felt the urge to kill.

However, the so-called Director Sizhe was completely unaware of his impending doom and continued to shout:

“Call the guards! I will throw this man into the beast den and let the monsters tear him apart alive.”

“Seeking death!” Yang Hao glared, and the Shadow Moon burst forth, spinning toward Sizhe’s head.

“Wait!!” A female voice suddenly rang out. With this voice, a lightning bolt as thick as a finger appeared, blocking the Shadow Moon just in time.

Yang Hao snorted, and the Shadow Moon obediently flew back.

The previously stunned Sizhe suddenly saw a group of people entering the cabin and his courage surged again. He struggled to stand up and rushed toward the newly arrived woman, crying out, “Leader, leader, this spy tried to assassinate me! He actually tried to assassinate me!”

The leader of the Star Spirit Republican Federation was revered by the people of the east as the most beautiful woman in the universe, widely worshipped. Although the leader was a woman, she was no less intelligent or capable than any man. In just one year, she had unified the Eastern Outer Regions.

Perhaps, every man in the Star Spirit Republican Federation had, to some extent, secretly loved the female leader.

Sizhe was no exception. From the moment he first saw the leader, he had been madly in love with her. However, the leader was so sacred and untouchable that Sizhe dared not express his admiration.

But after working together for a long time, Sizhe noticed that the leader had never shown any interest in men, which greatly boosted his confidence. Sizhe believed that one day, the leader would recognize his deep affection and even marry him.

Therefore, subconsciously, Sizhe had already regarded himself as the leader’s man, even speaking in a very flirtatious manner: “Leader, this spy dared to want to see you. I will kill him!”

However, none of the people present noticed that their ice-cold leader, who usually showed no emotion, was now trembling all over and her face was pale.

In fact, tears were streaming down her face.

This was shocking. Not only did Sizhe’s brain short-circuit, but others also felt that something was wrong. They had followed the leader for a whole year and had hardly ever seen her lose her composure.

Even more shocking was that the vagabond actually opened his arms toward the leader, as if inviting her to embrace him.

“Dare!” Sizhe was furious, almost wanting to grab a spear and pierce the vagabond, making him understand the difference in their statuses.

But what happened next completely stunned everyone present, more shocking than being hit by tens of thousands of volts of electricity.

Their holy and great leader actually rushed into the vagabond’s arms without hesitation. Not only did she cry like a little girl, but she also kissed him passionately.

She actually… kissed Yang Hao passionately.

With a thud, someone fainted.

“Director Sizhe… Director Sizhe…” The surrounding female officers were both shocked and amused, but no one went to help the man. They were too busy watching the leader’s passionate scene.

This was probably the longest and most intense kiss in history, lasting for more than twenty minutes before Yang Hao and the woman finally separated.

Yang Hao sighed, gently stroking the woman’s face, saying, “Shi Mingyuan, you’ve lost weight.”

This caused Shi Mingyuan’s tears to flow again uncontrollably.

The highest leader of the Eastern Outer Regions, the leader of the Star Spirit Republican Federation, the woman worshipped like a god by the people of the east, was actually Shi Mingyuan, the woman Yang Hao had once considered his wife.

This was something that was both expected and unexpected.

Back in the Empire, Yang Hao had already learned that Shi Mingyuan had long returned to Angel Star and was leading the rebellion against the Empire there. But Yang Hao never imagined that Shi Mingyuan would accomplish such a great feat, becoming the ruler of the Republican Federation.

Yang Hao and Shi Mingyuan embraced each other without saying a word, as if time had reversed and they were back in the days of their youth on the planet Laimon.

Their first meeting in the starry sea of Lingfei, their journey through the stars.

Shi Mingyuan had taken a sword strike for Yang Hao and fell into a coma. Yang Hao had traveled to the Bear Star to find the Bear Gall for her.

It was from that moment that the legend of this universe began.

Now, the two met again, and much had changed, even the order of the stars was different.

Shi Mingyuan cried in Yang Hao’s arms for a while before remembering their current surroundings. She wiped her tears and looked around. The few Angel Star female officers had already obediently turned their eyes elsewhere, pretending not to see anything.

Only the few old men who had entered with Shi Mingyuan had their mouths wide open, as if they could fit several eggs inside, unable to close.

Shi Mingyuan playfully pulled Yang Hao’s hand, “You’re so dirty. I’ll take you to bathe,” she said, dragging Yang Hao away from the cabin, regardless of the others’ astonished expressions.

This day was a disaster for all the unmarried men in the east. The scene of Shi Mingyuan and Yang Hao’s reunion was transmitted at the speed of light by the female officers and became widely known throughout the Republican Federation within a few hours.

The news of their holy and great female leader being conquered by a vagabond in seconds and even kissing him voluntarily shocked the billions of male beings in the Star Spirit Republican Federation. The impact was so great that the rate of hasty marriages in the Republican Federation skyrocketed by more than two thousand times within a month.

However, Yang Hao and Shi Mingyuan didn’t care about these things. When the rumors were swirling, the young couple was already enjoying a romantic bath in the famous Blue Pond of Angel Star.

Angel Star was a planet with light blue soil. Legend had it that tourmaline replaced soil, forming the surface of Angel Star. Therefore, the women born here had strong electric defenses on their skin.

This was the natural electric defense of the women of Angel Star. However, this electric defense would disappear when a woman devoted herself completely to a man.

Shi Mingyuan had only lost her powerful electric defense after her intimate encounter with Yang Hao.

At this moment, Shi Mingyuan brought Yang Hao to the Blue Pond behind her residence.

This was the most famous hot spring on Angel Star, located in the middle of the jungle and hills, with a very secluded location. It had always been exclusively used by the highest leader of Angel Star. It was said that the hot spring was rich in unique medicinal herbs, not only making the skin whiter and smoother but also healing injuries. Throughout history, the leaders of Angel Star had used this hot spring to maintain their smooth skin.

Yang Hao was indeed a bit tired. During this period of wandering in the east, he had hardly taken a spaceship, relying on his superhuman strength to traverse the universe, which left his clothes tattered and his body with many wounds from meteorites.

As soon as he entered the slightly milky white hot spring water, the slightly warm water molecules embraced him, making Yang Hao feel extremely comfortable in every limb and bone.

Even so, Yang Hao couldn’t close his eyes and pretend to rest because right in front of him, Shi Mingyuan was gracefully taking off her clothes.

If the people outside knew that their great leader not only served Yang Hao in the bath but also willingly undressed and joined him in the hot spring, who knows how crazy they would go.