His command was not only issued to General Hua Ge, but also sent to Long Yun. Seeing Yang Hao’s cold expression, even with all his confidence, Hua Ge knew that what they were about to face was a force that even Yang Hao found daunting.
“Could it be!!” A sudden realization struck Hua Ge.
“Yes,” Yang Hao nodded solemnly. “Only a Sovereign can open such a massive wormhole. What we are about to face is the power of the Sovereign himself.”
Yang Hao’s expression was grave, yet calm. What must come will eventually arrive, especially when it was something he had long anticipated.
“Are we really going to retreat?” Hua Ge, now fully aligned with Yang Hao, asked. “Can a single Sovereign really stop our entire army? Is there no way for us to win?”
Yang Hao fixed his gaze on the enormous wormhole appearing in the sky. The power radiating from it was unsettling. Yet, suddenly, a smile bloomed across his face—bright and reassuring, like a flower in full bloom.
“You’re wrong,” Yang Hao said, his eyes shining like stars. “We’ve already won. The moment the Sovereign turned his attention here, our victory was sealed.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because the real attack from the United Galactic Federation isn’t here, nor is it on your star arm,” Yang Hao explained.
“Could it be… in the east?” Hua Ge was completely puzzled. Based on the intelligence he had access to, although the eastern front concentrated the Empire’s main fleet, the United Galactic Federation’s forces there were minimal.
“No,” Yang Hao shook his head and punched Hua Ge lightly on the chest. “At this very moment, my dagger has already pierced the heart of the Empire.”
With that, Yang Hao burst into laughter, like a true victor.
The four hundred Domain-level experts led by Hede were Yang Hao’s dagger. When Yang Hao had subdued General Hua Ge, Hede had already quietly appeared in the capital of the Galactic Empire.
This group of four hundred Domain-level warriors represented nearly all the top martial experts of the United Galactic Federation, including those from Qianlong Pavilion, the Western Autonomous Territory, and the Eastern Star Spirit Republic. Yang Hao had truly mobilized every available Domain-level expert, excluding only Long Yun and himself.
What was strange, however, was that Hede did not directly attack the Imperial Palace. Instead, he launched another assault on the Elder Mountain.
Perhaps even Hede’s Domain-level warriors were puzzled by this. After all, the nominal head of the Galactic Empire was still the former Crown Prince, now Emperor Mian You. If they didn’t destroy the Imperial Palace, their surprise attack would be in vain.
But when they finally reached the summit of Elder Mountain, they were astonished to discover that the once-mighty Elder Council had been so easily defeated. Back then, Yang Hao and Emperor Ying Lie had gone to great lengths, even sacrificing the latter’s life, and still only managed a mutual destruction. But today, Hede had encountered almost no resistance, effortlessly wiping out the Council’s main forces and forcing the remaining Elders into their final stronghold—the alchemy sect’s cave dwelling.
The reason for this easy success was simple: it was a surprise attack.
Back then, Emperor Ying Lie had openly declared his intent to fight the Elders, forcing them to unleash centuries of accumulated power. Although Ying Lie ultimately fell, Yang Hao’s army still managed to eliminate most of the Council’s strength, leaving only two hundred wounded Elders and a few executives saved by the Sovereign.
This time, Yang Hao had sent Hede on a surprise raid on Elder Mountain, a move completely unexpected by the Elders.
Elder Wu Yi had assumed that with the United Galactic Federation’s fleet massing on the border, the eastern front was a feint. The western front, with such a grand display and Yang Hao himself leading the charge, must be the real breakthrough point. Therefore, Wu Yi reported this development to the Sovereign, who was in seclusion, hoping the Sovereign would use his unmatched power to eliminate Yang Hao in one fell swoop.
But Wu Yi had overlooked Elder Mountain, a far more strategically important location. Although the Sovereign’s physical form was no longer there, it remained the Council’s base and the political heart of the entire Galactic Empire.
Moreover, Emperor Mian You himself was being held hostage within the alchemy sect’s cave dwelling.
This was a fatal oversight. The secret that the Imperial Palace was an empty shell was known to very few, yet Yang Hao had somehow discovered it.
To suppress the military forces across the territories, the Elder Council had dispatched fifty Elders and two executive Elders to various garrisons, while another fifty Elders and two executives were tied down on the eastern front. Thus, only one hundred Elders and three executives remained at Elder Mountain, including Elder Wu Yi, whose power had diminished to mere Domain-level strength.
Such a force was no match for Hede’s Domain-level army, especially with the inclusion of several immortals from the Hidden Immortal Realm. Though their powers were sealed, these immortals had once been Golden Immortal-level beings—masters of killing, unmatched by any.
In just half a day, the once-supreme Elder Council of the Galactic Empire had been shattered.
Elder Wu Yi, leading the last twenty Elders, retreated to the alchemy sect’s cave dwelling, hoping for a miracle.
But miracles never came.
Just as Yang Hao had said, the moment the Sovereign’s power was displayed on either the eastern or western fronts, the surprise attack was destined for success.
Victory was already in Yang Hao’s grasp.
Hede raised his golden cleaver and coldly surveyed the figures before the cave dwelling.
Elder Wu Yi was drenched in blood. Though his power had diminished to Domain-level strength, in the Sovereign’s eyes, he remained the Council’s leader, holding onto power tightly. But now, no amount of authority could undo the destruction of the Elder Council or the deaths of over eighty Elders.
“Why!” Wu Yi roared in fury. “Why are you here? Weren’t you attacking the western front?”
“Would Yang Hao be so foolish?” Hede replied arrogantly. “Everything in this universe will belong to him. Why would he waste lives fighting his own fleet?”
“Nonsense!” Wu Yi raged. “Do you think the Galactic Empire will simply fall into Yang Hao’s hands? Don’t forget, there’s still an emperor!”
Hede laughed loudly. “An emperor? Still an emperor? Wu Yi, have you forgotten that the Galactic Emperor was killed by the Sovereign himself? Do you really think bringing out the Crown Prince will stabilize the Empire?”
“Mian You is in my hands. I am the master of the world!!” Wu Yi, disheveled and bloodshot-eyed, was nearly delirious. Behind him, the twenty Elders held none other than Emperor Mian You.
Mian You’s expression was calm. Compared to the Crown Prince he had been not long ago, he now appeared far more mature. After losing his father’s protection, he suddenly discovered the many misfortunes of the world, leading him to deeply understand that his cold, emotionless father had always been protecting him.
Mian You had always been weak, manipulated by the Elder Council and the Privy Council, even looked down upon by Princess Xian Lan.
But there had been a recorded conversation between Yang Hao and the Crown Prince back then.
In that conversation, Yang Hao had asked the Crown Prince whether he wanted to be a weak ruler or a dignified individual.
At the time, the Crown Prince had not answered.
But now, he finally answered with action.
As Hede led the Domain-level warriors in a full-scale assault, Mian You was still in the Elders’ grasp. The Elders, dragging Mian You with them, fought while retreating. Blood splattered everywhere, lives were torn apart, yet Mian You remained calm, just like the imperial robes he wore—calm and orderly.
Walking along the blood-stained path of Elder Mountain, Mian You showed no sign of panic. He had finally matured into a true emperor.
But now, at the moment of final confrontation, Mian You knew his time had come.
Perhaps his life had never shone brightly before, but this would be his last chance—to make his final, brilliant stand at the place where his father had staked his life.
“I!” Mian You broke free from the Elders’ grasp and stepped forward. “Elder Wu Yi, the one who informed Yang Hao to launch this surprise attack was me.”
“What?!” Wu Yi, stunned and nearly mad, glared at Mian You. “It was you!”
“Yes, it was me. I sent word to Yang Hao about the Elders’ movements. My envoy ordered the eastern and western fronts to cease fire. It was I who requested Yang Hao to launch the surprise attack on Elder Mountain.” Mian You’s face was like jade, showing no fear.
“Are you willing to hand over your throne?” Wu Yi roared.
“My throne?” Mian You sneered. “Is this even a throne? It’s better to be a deposed emperor than a puppet. Elder Wu Yi, don’t forget—you are the murderer of my father, my teacher, and my sister. Even if I am weak, I will never recognize traitors as my kin!”
“Scoundrel! I’ll kill you!!” Wu Yi, enraged beyond reason, clapped his hands together, turning them white, and lunged toward Mian You.
“Hah!!” Hede roared, swinging his massive axe straight at him.
A dazzling arc of axe-light, brimming with unstoppable force, surged toward Wu Yi.
Wu Yi’s face paled. He turned and struck back with a palm strike, attempting to block the golden cleaver.
But he had forgotten—his strength was no longer what it once was. He was no longer at the peak of Domain-level power. His opponent, Hede, was the legendary figure closest to the Divine Realm, second only to Yang Hao.
The axe strike barely slowed from Wu Yi’s palm strike, rolling over his body with unstoppable force.
“Ahhhh!!!” Wu Yi screamed as he watched his entire arm get severed in an instant.
“Kill!” Hede gave no one a chance. After years of struggle, today was the day for reckoning. The four hundred Domain-level warriors of the United Galactic Federation surged forward, sweeping all the Elders away in mere seconds.
Only the crippled Wu Yi remained, pinned to the ground, unable to move.
Hede slowly approached the entrance of the alchemy sect’s cave dwelling and sighed. “At last, this place returns to the Alchemy Sect.”
Elder Wu Yi glared furiously, helpless.
Before Wu Yi’s eyes, Mian You stepped forward and knelt before Hede.
Hede pulled out something from behind—none other than Yang Hao’s divine artifact, “Shadow Moon.” He placed Shadow Moon on Mian You’s head.
Mian You spoke calmly. “I, the Emperor of the Galactic Empire, hereby pledge allegiance to Yang Hao, the Supreme Ruler of the United Galactic Federation. From this day forth, the Galactic Empire joins the United Galactic Federation and will obey the commands of Supreme Ruler Yang Hao.”
A green glow erupted from Shadow Moon, shooting into space, leaving no trace.
At that very moment, while the universe seemed peaceful, a seismic shift occurred. The mighty Galactic Empire, which had stood for centuries, was no more. The balance of power in the universe had shifted.
Yang Hao had finally become the supreme ruler of the universe.
Elder Wu Yi, witnessing all this, suddenly spat out two mouthfuls of blood. He screamed to the heavens, “Sovereign!! Sovereign!! Master, grant me strength! Master, grant me strength!!!”
With his anguished cry, auspicious clouds gathered in the sky above Elder Mountain, just as they had when the Sovereign appeared before. Elder Hede gripped his axe tightly, watching the sky with tension.
But no one expected the real change to come from below.
As rays of divine light shot down from the sky, illuminating the alchemy sect’s cave dwelling, countless magical artifacts and divine weapons hidden inside suddenly flew out, soaring toward the heavens.
The Sovereign’s figure truly appeared in the sky, surrounded by radiant light. With a single hand, he seized all the divine weapons and cast a calm glance downward.
Hede, who had been glaring defiantly, suddenly spat blood, as if struck by an invisible force.
“Master!” Wu Yi cried in joy.
But what awaited him was the Sovereign’s cold finger. With a single flick, the Sovereign shattered Wu Yi’s skull.
The Elder Council of the Galactic Empire was no more.
“Return and tell Yang Hao,” the Sovereign said calmly, “that in one month, I will face him in a final battle. If he does not appear, I will destroy this realm, this entire universe.”
With that, the Sovereign vanished into the clouds, leaving no trace.
Elder Hede clutched his chest, watching the Sovereign disappear into the sky. Though the Sovereign had not unleashed his full wrath, Hede felt no relief.
One month from now, the final battle between two gods—the ultimate showdown for the universe.
Who would win? Who would rule all?
As the Sovereign challenged Yang Hao to battle, Yang Hao himself was in a perilous situation, for he too had received a “gift” from the Sovereign.
Indeed, the Sovereign’s wisdom far surpassed that of the Elder Council. At least, Yang Hao’s multiple decoy strategies had failed to deceive him.
The Sovereign still focused his gaze on Elder Mountain, yet for reasons unknown, he did not save the Elders’ lives, seemingly having abandoned the Elder Council entirely.
But far away in the western arm, in the Lian’ou Star Arm, the Sovereign had prepared an unprecedented gift for Yang Hao.
A dragon.
“That’s right,” Yang Hao said, sensing the distant dragon roars emanating from the wormhole. He turned to the bewildered General Hua Ge. “Looks like our troubles are just beginning.”
As Yang Hao finished speaking, the wormhole erupted in chaos. Surprisingly, the first thing to emerge was not a dragon, but waves of energy. This was already beyond comprehension—such massive energy waves could obliterate entire fleets.
After the energy waves dissipated, various dragons poured out of the wormhole.
Green dragons, red dragons, black dragons, white dragons, wind dragons, and more—all known dragon species, regardless of strength or rank, appeared in full force.
From the moment the first dragon emerged, General Hua Ge began trembling. After a short while, he could barely stand, collapsing into his chair, his face pale with fear.
The western United Galactic Federation forces were terrified. They disregarded the retreat orders and turned their ships around, fleeing toward their base at the Sanjinghai star system.
It was understandable—no matter how strong a soldier’s mind was, such a sight would shatter it.
Because from that wormhole emerged a full thousand dragons.
A thousand dragons!!!
Though these dragons were sealed, retaining only one percent of their original power, they were still upper-tier divine beings. Their dragon auras, roars, and even dragon magic were humanity’s greatest fears.
Almost all human fleets began fleeing, whether from the United Galactic Federation or the Galactic Empire. They scattered, activating their reverse-core engines to maximum, hoping to escape the area as quickly as possible.
Because after a thousand dragons appeared, the Lian’ou Star System would become a prison—a true dragon prison!
While millions of soldiers panicked to the extreme, their leader Yang Hao remained calm, even excited, as if facing a true opponent, clenching his fists in anticipation.
Seeing so many dragons, Yang Hao couldn’t help but admire the Sovereign’s imagination. That old man had truly thought of this move—gathering dragons from various realms, and implanting seals in their minds to make them obey his commands.
The Elder Council had done something similar before, but only with four weak wind dragons, costing dozens of Elders’ lives. Eventually, Yang Hao had used his Soul Spring potion to break the seals, restoring the dragons’ freedom.
But today was different. With over a thousand dragons, unless Yang Hao could break all their seals at once, he would likely be torn apart.
So for now, retreat seemed the best option.
General Hua Ge thought the same. He had already issued the order to retreat, commanding the ships to jump away at maximum speed.
But just one second after issuing the order, Yang Hao vanished from Hua Ge’s command chamber, transforming into a blazing streak of fire, charging headfirst toward the thousand dragons.
It was perhaps the most spectacular scene in the universe. Yang Hao, gripping his silver axe, became a massive trail of fire, fearlessly charging into the dragon swarm.
Though a thousand enemies stood before him, he charged forward alone.
If no one descends into hell, who will?
General Hua Ge stared blankly at the fiery trail across the dark cosmos. The entire fleet watched that blazing light. Everyone knew Yang Hao was doing this to buy time for the fleet.
If no one stopped these dragons, the thousand-dragon legion could annihilate all the ships in just a few hours, and the universe’s most powerful fleet would perish alongside them.
Millions of lives would be lost in this battle.
This was the Sovereign’s deadly scheme.
But this was no longer a world of solitary gods. A new god, a new faith had emerged—one who would not allow his followers to die needlessly.
Thus, Yang Hao hurled himself into the thousand-dragon legion like a bomb.
Hua Ge’s heart swelled with emotion. He finally understood why the universe needed Yang Hao to lead it—because this man’s power was not for himself, but for all other lives.
Yang Hao had transcended the divine, surpassed the Sovereign, becoming the guardian god of all beings in the universe.
Hua Ge’s eyes welled with tears, but soon his body froze in shock. Near the wormhole, Yang Hao and his Divine Axe erupted in a blinding silver light, like a supernova explosion, blinding all who looked.
At the same time, a thousand dragons unleashed their breath attacks on Yang Hao.
A thousand dragon breaths.
Hua Ge watched helplessly as the silver light around Yang Hao was overwhelmed by the black dragon breath, swallowed in darkness, seemingly vanishing forever.
Hua Ge paused, then rushed to the command console, shouting frantically:
“No retreat! Full speed ahead! Full speed ahead!!!”
Not only his fleet, but even the United Galactic Federation fleet, which had been fleeing moments ago, now regained their senses. The ships that had fled turned around and charged toward the dragon swarm at full speed.
The soldiers had realized the truth—Yang Hao was shielding them from the greatest force, and now they had to fight with their lives to protect their god.
Countless ships recharged their energy cores, unleashing a torrent of firepower onto the thousand-dragon legion. Even though the dragons had bodies a hundred times stronger than humans, they could not withstand such overwhelming assault.
Moreover, the warships charged forward recklessly, ready to collide head-on with the dragons, willing to perish together.
Though the thousand-dragon legion was powerful, their main target was still Yang Hao. Facing such a massive human onslaught, it was practically the entire universe’s military force charging at them. Even with the Sovereign’s seals controlling them, the thousand dragons instinctively retreated.
The light of the Divine Axe pierced through the black dragon breath once more.
With one mighty swing, Yang Hao cleaved the thousand dragon breaths and the wormhole itself in two. Radiant, holy light poured from his body like a waterfall, illuminating the dark cosmos.
Yang Hao raised the Divine Axe high, soaring rapidly into the sky like a rising moon, bathed in infinite glory.
That radiant light stirred the faith of all who beheld it.
Watching such an unbelievable scene, a soldier’s voice echoed from somewhere on a warship: “The Supreme God! The Supreme God!!”
This voice, transmitted through the fleet’s communication network, spread to every warship. Soon, all United Galactic Federation forces were roaring in unison.
“The Supreme God! The Supreme God!!”
“The Supreme God! The Supreme God!!”
General Hua Ge, trembling, saluted Yang Hao, a radiant star in the cosmos, and shouted into the communicator: “The Supreme God! The Supreme God!!”
Whether Imperial or United Galactic Federation forces, they all became one voice: “The Supreme God! The Supreme God!! The Supreme God!!!”
Amidst the cries of “Supreme God” echoing across the star arm, the Sovereign’s seals once again activated the thousand dragons, driving them to chase after Yang Hao. The dragons flapped their wings, following Yang Hao like a massive energy storm, heading toward a specific coordinate in the universe.
Yang Hao heard the cries of “Supreme God” resounding across the entire star arm. Suddenly, he thought of how divine power was formed. Those who looked down on life as mere grass, treating all beings as dogs, might become rulers, but they could never become the Supreme God in people’s hearts.
Only with love could one earn the reverence of all life.
This catastrophe was a historic confrontation between Yang Hao and the Sovereign. Yang Hao had seized the people’s hearts and the entire Galactic Empire, while the Sovereign had unleashed a thousand-dragon legion. It was a match of equals.
But the Sovereign had not anticipated that the thousand dragons’ breath would become Yang Hao’s final Dark Baptism. As the heir to the Creator God, Yang Hao had to undergo three Light Baptisms and three Dark Baptisms before the Nebula Flower on his back could bloom, revealing the location of the Creator God’s hidden power.
With the help of all the fleets, Yang Hao finally completed this final Dark Baptism. Only one more Light Baptism remained before his Nebula Flower would fully bloom.
But baptism or not, if he truly fought the thousand dragons, even if he survived, it would be at the cost of mutual destruction. Yang Hao was not foolish enough to let the Sovereign watch from the sidelines, but he could not retreat either—behind him were countless warships and soldiers. If the dragons charged forward, they would slaughter most of them.
So Yang Hao had no choice but to flee—with the thousand dragons in pursuit.
He traversed countless stars, dragging such a massive tail behind him. It was quite a spectacle. Yang Hao didn’t know how many stars were reduced to cosmic dust under the dragons’ impact.
Fortunately, his destination was nearby—a coordinate etched into his mind. It was the location the Golden Dragon God had thrown at him during his trial.
Yang Hao had no intention of wasting effort subduing the thousand dragons. He would return them to the Golden Dragon God. Since the Golden Dragon God had created them, let him deal with them.
At the edge of the Empire’s core region, there was a rarely visited asteroid field. The number and size of the asteroids were staggering, pulled by the gravity of nearby planets, hurtling through space at high speed.
Such an asteroid field was a deadly hazard for interstellar navigation and fleets, so Imperial fleets avoided it at all costs. No one ever came here.
Thus, no one knew that behind the asteroid layer was a constellation shaped like a golden dragon, formed by eighteen golden stars without life. These eighteen stars surrounded a massive golden black hole.
By all logic, a black hole should be black, as its immense gravity would absorb all light, leaving only a black vortex.
But this black hole was golden.
And Yang Hao knew that this golden black hole, along with the eighteen golden dragon-shaped stars and the massive asteroid field, spanned all realms.
In other words, at this coordinate in every realm, there existed such a star system and such a golden black hole.
“Dragon God!! Come out quickly! Your descendants have come to see you!” Yang Hao shouted, transforming into a ball of light and shooting into the golden black hole’s vortex.
The dragon swarm behind him crashed through countless asteroids, which would have been deadly to warships but were nothing more than a punch to the dragons.
The massive scale of a thousand dragons caused the eighteen golden stars to tremble, their orbits subtly shifting.
The Golden Dragon God suddenly appeared outside the black hole, blocking Yang Hao’s path. Seeing the storm-like dragon swarm, he roared, “What’s going on?”
“The divine劫you mentioned has side effects,” Yang Hao said, no longer in a rush, halting his body and pointing at the dragon swarm. “Your descendants, the perfect divine race you created, are now under the Sovereign’s control, becoming his henchmen.”
The Golden Dragon flapped his wings, flying higher. With his wisdom, how could he not see the special seals implanted in the dragons’ minds?
“Roar! Roar!!” The Golden Dragon roared in fury.
Even the universe trembled from his anger.
Dragons were the proudest divine race in the cosmos, all because of the Golden Dragon God. As the projection of the Creator God from another world into this realm, he had always maintained a neutral and observational role.
Yet he had still made changes to this world—for instance, creating dragons in his own image. Thus, dragons were considered the proudest and most perfect among all divine races.
Proud dragons never bowed their heads, let alone allowed themselves to be controlled.
Seeing his own people obeying the Sovereign’s commands, the Golden Dragon God was furious beyond measure. His dragon roars exploded across the star system.
Yang Hao hid near the black hole, secretly smiling. This was exactly the result he wanted.
The Sovereign’s schemes and manipulations were useless here. The Golden Dragon God might allow the universe to perish, but he could never tolerate his own people being humiliated.
As the saying goes, a god may be killed, but never disgraced.
With a casual flick of his claw, the Golden Dragon God sent out a silver glow mixed with colorful light from his golden black hole. These rays drifted over the thousand-dragon legion.
The dragons roared in agony, but black mist exploded from their heads.
Yang Hao clearly felt the dragon race’s spiritual power rapidly increasing in this star system. The seals implanted by the Sovereign in their minds were effortlessly broken by the Golden Dragon God.
Such power was simply beyond comprehension.
Soon, all the dragons regained consciousness. Seeing their Dragon God before them, they immediately knelt at the feet of the stars, chanting strange words, seemingly begging for something.
But the Golden Dragon God paid no heed to them. He turned, shrinking his massive body, and flew to Yang Hao’s side.
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