Inside the spacious hall of the Xingyue, originally designed as a leisure area for noble passengers, the space had now been transformed into a martial arts training ground. Whether this change had been made by Hassan beforehand was unknown, but now it served solely as the battleground for Yisa, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Hawks, and Lemiu, a deputy commander.
Within the hall, aside from Yisa and Lemiu, only the deputy commander Mula and twelve Imperial Hawks stood guard. As Zhang Wen entered, everyone gave a slight nod in greeting. Yisa smiled at him and said, “Mr. Zhang Wen has arrived.”
“Commander Yisa, it’s not yet time for departure, is it? I wonder what brings me here,” Zhang Wen said, glancing at the surroundings and trying to guess her intentions.
Yisa didn’t keep him waiting and said naturally, “I invited you here because your swordsmanship makes you the ideal referee.”
“Hmm?”
“Lemiu insists on sparring with me; otherwise, he will refuse to participate in any future missions. For the smooth operation of the Hawks, I, as the commander, have no choice but to oblige.” As she spoke, Yisa pulled down her silver mask, covering her face and exuding a cold, sharp aura like a sword drawn from its sheath.
Zhang Wen nodded, finally understanding. Truth be told, Lemiu, a martial arts fanatic, was an anomaly in the Hawks. Without his immense strength, his erratic personality would have long been dismissed by the Empire. Despite Lemiu’s repeated transgressions, including secretly using shape-shifting techniques to participate in the finals of the Southern Border Champion competition—not for the sake of the Hawks’ duties but to encounter potential masters and elites—his actions had not gone unpunished. If not for Zhang Wen exposing his identity, Lemiu might still be impersonating someone else.
Despite these incidents, the Empire remained remarkably tolerant of Lemiu, largely due to his formidable strength, bordering on that of a regional overlord. He was also the only one who had ever challenged the King and received verbal commendation. According to Zhang Wen’s knowledge, no other challenger had survived an encounter with the King.
To dethrone the King as the strongest, one must first prepare for death and defeat.
Understanding the situation between Yisa and Lemiu, Zhang Wen didn’t feign reluctance and naturally took his position opposite Mula, ready to witness the duel between Yisa and Lemiu. Such a rare opportunity to observe a clash of titans was also beneficial for Zhang Wen’s own growth.
The only concern was the destructive power of their battle; if they went all out, the first thing to worry about was whether the Xingyue could withstand it.
However, Mula quickly dispelled Zhang Wen’s concerns. He directed the Hawks to bring several large machines, connecting them around the circular hall with thick cables. These cables formed a spiral circuit in the center of the hall, linking to the Xingyue’s native stone energy lines. A visualization device, centered around a native stone, was placed in the hall’s center.
Mula also kindly explained to Zhang Wen, “These are the Empire’s latest Mind Combat Machines. They project the consciousness of opponents onto a shared virtual platform for battle. This allows a realistic simulation of a duel without causing damage to the surrounding environment. As long as the signal can reach, two people millions of light-years apart can engage in battle, and the fight can be projected for more people to witness through the native stone terminal.”
Zhang Wen was naturally familiar with the Mind Combat Machine; he had even tried it once on the spaceship, encouraged by Emily and others. Thinking of this, Zhang Wen’s heart stirred slightly, as if recalling something.
At that moment, Yisa seemed to sense something and turned her head to look at Zhang Wen before opening the hatch of a Mind Combat Machine terminal and lying down inside.
Lemiu, his eyes flashing with excitement and fervor, smiled enigmatically. Although it was a shame he couldn’t fight Yisa, the Northern Border Overlord, in the real world, this virtual battle was still better than nothing. At least it could realistically reflect their respective strengths.
Without hesitation, Lemiu entered another Mind Combat Machine. The machines were activated by the powerful mental energy provided by the Xingyue’s native stone power chamber. A faint glow of energy followed the circuit of cables, eventually stimulating the imaging system in the center of the hall and displaying the virtual battlefield throughout the spacious hall.
Looking at the virtual imaging technology, reminiscent of his own era, Zhang Wen sighed inwardly while confirming his suspicions. It seemed that the time he had entered the Mind Combat Machine to fight on behalf of Emily and the others, defeating the opponent who turned out to be Commander Yisa, was the moment she had first taken notice of him. Was it his good fortune or misfortune? It was probably from that moment onward that Yisa had started paying attention to him.
The Imperial Inheritance Sword Technique was said to be the Empire’s strongest sword art, traditionally reserved for the royal family’s guards. Only the most loyal and powerful warriors could learn it, passing it down through generations.
In the spacious hall of the Stellar Moon, originally designed as a leisure area for the noble passengers, it has now been transformed into a training hall for the strong to spar and cultivate. Whether this modification was prearranged by Hassan remains unclear, but its sole purpose now is to serve as the sparring ground for the Eagle Guard’s Chief Commander, the Northern Realm’s overlord Messiah, and the Eagle Guard’s Squad Leader, Remiu.
Apart from Messiah and Remiu, only the Eagle Guard’s Squad Leader Mura and twelve Eagle Guards are present, stationed around the perimeter for security. Upon Zhang Wen’s arrival, everyone nodded slightly in greeting. Messiah smiled at him, “Mr. Zhang Wen is here.”
“Chief Commander Messiah, it’s not yet time to depart, is it? May I know why I’ve been summoned?” Zhang Wen glanced around, trying to discern the intentions behind the call.
Messiah didn’t leave him guessing for long, “We’ve invited you here because your swordsmanship skills make you the most suitable referee.”
“Oh?”
“Remiu insists on a match with me, or he refuses to participate in future guard missions. For the sake of the Eagle Guard’s smooth operation, as the Chief Commander, I have no choice but to oblige.” Messiah said, pulling her silver mask over her face, exuding a cold, sword-like aura.
Zhang Wen nodded, understanding the situation. Remiu, a martial arts fanatic, is an anomaly within the Eagle Guard. If not for his formidable strength, his disruptive nature would have led to his expulsion from the Empire. Despite his repeated transgressions for personal reasons, including secretly using illusion magic to change his identity to participate in the Southern Realm’s overlord finals—not for the Eagle Guard’s duties but to challenge potential strong opponents, including the King and Messiah—he remains tolerated by the Empire due to his unparalleled strength. He is the only one who has challenged the King and received verbal commendation, a feat no other challenger has survived.
To dethrone the King as the strongest, one must be prepared for death and failure.
Understanding the situation between Messiah and Remiu, Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate and naturally took his position opposite Mura, awaiting the duel between Messiah and Remiu. Such a clash of titans is rare, and witnessing it firsthand could greatly benefit Zhang Wen’s own strength.
The only concern is the destructive power of their combat abilities. If they unleash their full strength, the Stellar Moon’s integrity might be at risk.
However, Mura alleviated Zhang Wen’s concern by quickly deploying several large machines around the circular hall, connected by thick cables to form a spiral circuit in the center, linked to the Stellar Moon’s primal stone energy line, and adding a primal stone core imaging device in the center.
Mura also kindly explained to Zhang Wen, “These are the Empire’s latest developed psychic combat machines. They project the opponents’ consciousness into a virtual platform for combat, allowing for a realistic simulation without damaging the surroundings. As long as the machine’s signal reaches, even two people millions of light-years apart can duel, and the combat can be projected for more to watch via the primal stone terminal.”
Zhang Wen was familiar with the psychic combat machine, having tried it once on the spaceship at the urging of Emily and others. Thinking of this, Zhang Wen’s heart stirred slightly, as if realizing something.
Messiah, seemingly sensing something, glanced at Zhang Wen, then pushed open the terminal door of a psychic combat machine and lay down inside.
Remiu, with an inscrutable smile, showed excitement and fervor in his eyes. Although it was a pity not to face the Northern Realm’s overlord Messiah in a real environment, this method of combat was better than nothing. At least it could truly reflect both sides’ strength levels.
Remiu entered another psychic combat machine without hesitation. The machine was activated by the powerful psychic energy provided and released by the Stellar Moon’s primal stone kinetic chamber, with faint energy halos exchanging along the cable circuit, eventually stimulating the imaging system in the center of the hall, displaying the virtual combat platform throughout the spacious hall.
Seeing the virtual imaging technology similar to that of his era, Zhang Wen sighed in his heart while affirming his speculation. It seems that the person he defeated in the psychic combat machine for Emily and others was Chief Commander Messiah. Was it good luck or bad? It must have been from that time that Messiah began to notice him.
The Empire’s inherited swordsmanship, said to be the Empire’s strongest, has always been listed as the royal guard’s inheritance technique. Only the most loyal strong to the royal family can learn it, and it is passed down through generations.
A thousand years of inheritance have made the inherited swordsmanship a sect, a sect derived specifically for guarding the Empire’s royal family, the swordsmanship masters.
To attract the attention of the contemporary inherited swordsmanship’s inheritor naturally equals attracting the attention of the Empire’s emperor. The subsequent series of events is easy to guess. With the Empire’s power, it’s not as difficult as imagined to find out who defeated the Empire’s strongest swordsmanship master via the psychic combat machine.
No wonder Messiah appeared in the underground arena of Casares, probably the real purpose was to witness Zhang Wen’s swordsmanship firsthand. This time, Messiah specially recruited Zhang Wen to the capital as the Eagle Guard’s technique consultant, rather than because of the Southern Realm’s overlord competition, it’s more like he had already fallen into the sight of her and the Empire’s royal family.
The more you think about some things, the more complicated they seem. Since it can’t be changed, overthinking is of no use.
…
The strong upward airflow of the Stellar Moon blew up, scattering the island’s broken leaves, dry grass, and stones. In the rising heat, the Stellar Moon ascended straight into the sky.
Amidst the swirling dust, a giant scorpion emerged from the ground. On the vibrant scorpion’s head knelt the fifth overlord of the Infinite Arena, Red Scorpion Hilena, her face as calm as water.
She stared at the shrinking Stellar Moon, her phoenix eyes flickering with light, murmuring in a voice only she could hear, “You think you can escape? I swear by the name of Red Scorpion, I won’t let you escape my grasp, whether you’re Andre or Zhang Wen…”
After the Stellar Moon entered its predetermined orbit, the Eagle Guard team disembarked in a special lifeboat, detaching from the Stellar Moon’s trajectory and heading in another direction. The lifeboat soon docked with the Empire’s pre-prepared stealth battleship, which then absorbed it.
Thus began Zhang Wen’s journey to the capital. The future is full of unknowns.
Although Zhang Wen knew Messiah highly valued him, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. This was the first time he was far from familiar people and things, heading to an unfamiliar capital on an unfamiliar starship. What awaited him?
Zhang Wen vaguely felt that something might happen, but what exactly, he couldn’t figure out at the moment. New environments always mean unpredictable situations, and for things he couldn’t control, Zhang Wen’s character was to avoid them as much as possible. This was why he always maintained a low profile.
Unfortunately, this time he had caught the attention of Messiah and the Empire’s emperor. For the government’s violent and powerful institutions, Zhang Wen knew his stance—non-cooperation meant destruction, so he had no choice.
Although he felt somewhat displeased, the fact was that the world didn’t revolve around his will. Even as a transmigrator, he had no advantage over the people of this world. Those who didn’t adapt to the environment would only make themselves more conspicuous.
So far, Zhang Wen had tried his best to blend into this world, not to appear too special, not to be noticed by the Empire’s upper echelons. Previous situations showed he had been quite successful, and he believed this time would be no exception.
If it was just his swordsmanship and combat skills that were valued, that was fine. He could cooperate with the Empire, giving himself greater value and a voice.
In the independent room arranged by the Eagle Guards, Zhang Wen set aside those useless emotions and began to recall the thrilling battle between Messiah and Remiu displayed through the psychic combat machine.
In terms of combat energy, Remiu had an indisputable absolute advantage. Even in combat skills, Remiu was slightly better than Messiah. However, judging from the duel on the psychic combat machine, Messiah didn’t lose to Remiu. She cleverly showcased her strengths in swordsmanship, using various environments to minimize Remiu’s combat energy while maximizing the power of her inherited swordsmanship. The final result was a draw.
Although the result was a draw, there were several reversals during their battle. Each reversal made the onlookers think the outcome was decided, but both Messiah and Remiu showed astonishing resilience and strength, always managing to unleash a bit more power at the last moment to turn the tide.
Through this duel between the two powerhouses, Zhang Wen also gained some insights into the use of his own strength and combat experience.
It was fortunate that Remiu and Messiah dueled through the psychic combat machine; otherwise, even several starships might now be reduced to debris.
However, the more this was the case, the more puzzled Zhang Wen became. While he had advantages in combat techniques and swordsmanship that Messiah and others couldn’t match, in terms of combat energy and overall strength, he was still far from these realm overlords. Was it worth such attention from Messiah and the Eagle Guard?
Shaking his head, Zhang Wen temporarily set aside these doubts. He began to focus on his internal condition. No matter what, striving to improve his strength was always the right thing to do.
Since the last few times with the women, the Spring Water Technique had entered a new stage, which surprised and delighted Zhang Wen. Now, even facing a super-tier opponent alone, without relying on the underground primal stone veins, he could manage. Anyone who knew the speed of his strength improvement would find it terrifying.
Being alone in the room felt like being in solitary confinement. Even the corridor outside had stationed soldiers and micro-cameras. This lack of freedom made Zhang Wen very uncomfortable, but there was no other way. Perhaps this was just how the military was.
Inevitably, he thought of Emily and Inel, and wondered how Rofre was doing.
The long journey made time feel almost stagnant. It was said that reaching the capital from this galaxy would take at least a week. Zhang Wen found even a day or two of such life hard to endure. Fortunately, his willpower was strong, and he could endure even in such a monotonous and dull solitary life.
On the third day of the journey, the starship reached the Empire’s central Damir galaxy, making a necessary stop at the resource transit planet Tinus for supplies and a brief half-day rest. Zhang Wen was finally granted permission to leave the room, accompanied by Eagle Guards and soldiers, to set foot on the transit planet and get some fresh air.
Perhaps Messiah didn’t want to leave Zhang Wen with the impression of being unapproachable.
Zhang Wen walked out of the starship’s corridor, watching some Eagle Guards head to the nearby energy station to replenish the primal stone energy consumed during the journey. Some female Eagle Guards entered the market not far from the starship’s berth to purchase food and daily necessities. Accompanied by two Eagle Guards, Zhang Wen wandered around, feeling somewhat bored, and said to the two behind him, “I’d like to go to the market over there.”
The two Eagle Guards, one with a square face, golden hair, and a sturdy build named Watt; the other with blue hair and a slightly slimmer build named Sifel, exchanged a troubled look upon Zhang Wen’s request. After Sifel contacted their superior with a small communication device, he said to Zhang Wen, “If Mr. Zhang Wen wants to visit the market, Sifel and I will accompany you. But time is limited; we must return within half an hour.”
Zhang Wen estimated the distance from here to the market, a round trip would take about ten minutes, leaving almost no time to see anything in half an hour. He inwardly laughed at Messiah’s stinginess but didn’t say much. After being cooped up on the starship for three days, even a brief glance at the market and people was better than nothing.
He nodded, and after Watt and Sifel changed into civilian clothes, the three of them walked towards the nearby market.
Tinus, a resource transit planet specially established by the Empire on the interstellar route, serves both official and civilian trade purposes. The name Tinus, according to Empire legend, is derived from an ancient god of balance.
Due to most interstellar ships passing through Tinus, the planet is exceptionally developed and populous. Walking into the market, one can see people from various countries and galaxies, including those from the Federation, the Empire, and the Alliance, making it very lively.
Zhang Wen noticed the market was built along a long street. The street, over twenty meters wide and several kilometers long, was lined with various shops, one after another, selling all kinds of common and rare goods and trinkets. Such a bustling market was something he had never seen before in other places.
The bustling crowd of merchants and tourists from all over was shoulder to shoulder, filling the wide and long market street, with a continuous flow of people as far as the eye could see.
The air was filled with the enthusiastic calls of shopkeepers attracting business, various accents and languages, the bargaining of tourists, the laughter of seductively dressed beauties, the aroma of various spices, and a slight sweat smell, along with the fragrance of wines from different places, all making the atmosphere feel fresh and exciting.
Zhang Wen was very interested in this unfamiliar environment, walking while constantly looking around. Watt and Sifel followed half a step behind, like guards, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
However, none of the three noticed that, over a thousand meters away along the street, on the third floor of a tall building, two pairs of eyes with hidden hostility were coldly observing Zhang Wen walking through the crowded crowd.
“Is it him?”
“It should be.” The man on the right, wearing a gray trench coat and a fedora in the sunny weather, his face shadowed and expressionless, nodded to the person beside him, confirming the target.
The man on the left was clad in black tight clothing, even his eyes covered with black sunglasses, making him look like a cold machine. After observing Zhang Wen from a distance for a while, he skillfully opened the suitcase beside him, took out several tubular pieces, and assembled them into a complex instrument in just three seconds.
To describe this instrument, it might be similar to a sniper rifle from another world’s Earth. In fact, if any Eagle Guard saw this instrument, they would surely exclaim.
The Empire’s forbidden assassin weapon, known as the long-range psychic gun spike, capable of killing from a kilometer away. The long, black cylindrical barrel and the complex circuit primal stone amplifier could amplify the assassin’s psychic energy tenfold, finally activating the combat energy stored in the primal stone, transforming it into an unstoppable combat light spike to shoot out.
The most terrifying aspect is its speed, capable of firing twice in just a third of a second, with no prior warning.
A top assassin with professional training could effortlessly hit a fly-sized target from a kilometer away.
Because of this terrifying effect, the long-range psychic gun spike has always been strictly prohibited by the Empire, and anyone found privately possessing it would be arrested and executed!
But like any order, there are always loopholes or violators. Even though the Empire’s upper echelons have repeatedly strictly prohibited it, it still secretly trades in the black market. However, due to the complex craftsmanship required to make a psychic gun spike and the rarity of assassins truly capable of using it well—finding one in a hundred thousand who can snipe from a kilometer away requires not just vision but also stable hand skills, intuition, and other conditions—the long-range psychic gun spike, though repeatedly banned, has not become widely circulated.
This thing is not easy to obtain even through the black market, and even if obtained, it’s not certain to find someone who can use it, let alone use it well.
The black-clad assassin before us is one such person.
The biggest trump card in the hands of the Black Baron, ranked in the top three on the Empire’s assassin list, known as the Shadow Phantom, an assassin master capable of easily killing super-tier experts from a kilometer away, relies on this long-range psychic gun spike. As long as the target is unaware, it takes less than a third of a second for a silent snipe to cause death.
It is because of this trump card that the Black Baron has given the Empire’s upper echelons such a headache. Repeatedly causing shocking destruction, making the Empire’s bigwigs angry while also feeling a hint of fear.
Now, this trump card is in action again.
Target—Zhang Wen!
The Zhang Wen who has repeatedly thwarted the Black Baron’s plans, who has destroyed the Black Baron’s final scheme. Even with the Black Baron’s deep composure, he feels anger. Like a gambler who has lost everything, a beast trapped in a cage, he is about to unleash his final terrifying revenge.
Since you leave me no way out, then I will destroy you first!
Starting from the Empire’s capital, under the Black Baron’s frenzied planning, a dozen acts of terror are unfolding.
The first to deal with, of course, is the most detestable Zhang Wen.
The black gun spike extends out of the window, not reflecting any light in the sun.
The dark barrel of the gun points towards Zhang Wen’s brow, psychic energy slowly being injected. Known as the Assassin King, the Shadow Phantom locks onto the target, a cold, cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
And at this moment, the protagonist of the event, Zhang Wen, remains completely unaware, happily strolling through the market. He has no idea that a fatal snipe is imminent.
Attracting the attention of the current heir to the Inheritance Sword naturally meant attracting the Emperor’s attention as well. The subsequent events were easy to guess. With the Empire’s resources, it wouldn’t be difficult to trace who had defeated the Empire’s strongest sword master through the Mind Combat Machine.
No wonder Yisa had appeared at the underground arena in Kasares; her true purpose was likely to witness Zhang Wen’s sword skills firsthand. This special recruitment of Zhang Wen to the Imperial capital as a martial arts advisor for the Hawks was less about the Southern Border Champion competition and more about the fact that he had already caught the attention of Yisa and the Imperial court.
Some things became more complicated the more he thought about them, and since he couldn’t change them, thinking further was pointless.
…
The powerful updraft lifted the Xingyue, scattering leaves, dry grass, and pebbles into the air. Amid swirling heat, the Xingyue rose straight into the sky, flying toward the horizon.
In the swirling dust, a giant scorpion emerged from underground. Sitting atop the scorpion’s head was Hilena, the fifth Overlord of the Infinite Arena, known as the Red Scorpion. Her expression was grim.
She stared at the shrinking figure of the Xingyue, her eyes flashing with determination. In a voice only she could hear, she murmured, “You think you can escape? I swear by the name of the Red Scorpion, I won’t let you escape my grasp, whether you are Andre or Zhang Wen…”
In the spacious hall of the Starlight Moon, originally designed as a leisure area for the noble passengers of the ship, it has now been transformed into a martial arts training hall, where the strong can spar and cultivate their skills. Whether this modification was prearranged by Hassan remains unclear, but its sole purpose now is to serve as the venue for sparring between the Eagle Guard Commander and the Northern Realm’s overlord, Messiah, and the Eagle Guard squad leader, Remiu.
Apart from Messiah and Remiu, only the Eagle Guard squad leader, Mura, and twelve Eagle Guards are present, stationed around the perimeter for security. Upon Zhang Wen’s arrival, everyone nodded slightly in greeting. Messiah smiled at him, “Mr. Zhang Wen, you’re here.”
“Commander Messiah, it’s not yet time for departure, is it? May I know why I’ve been summoned?” Zhang Wen glanced around, trying to discern the intention behind the call.
Messiah didn’t keep him in suspense, “We’ve invited you here considering your swordsmanship skills, which make you the most suitable referee.”
“Oh?”
“Remiu insists on a match with me, or he refuses to participate in future guard actions. For the smooth operation of the Eagle Guards, as the commander, I have no choice but to comply,” Messiah said, pulling her silver mask over her face, exuding a cold, sword-like aura.
Zhang Wen nodded, understanding the situation. Remiu, a martial arts fanatic, is an anomaly within the Eagle Guards. If not for his formidable strength, his disruptive nature would have likely led to his expulsion by the empire. Despite his repeated personal transgressions, including using illusion magic to secretly participate in the Southern Realm’s overlord finals not for the duties and tasks of the Eagle Guards but to challenge potential strong opponents, including the King and Messiah, the empire has been remarkably tolerant. This is because Remiu possesses the strength of a realm overlord, if not stronger. He is the only one who has challenged the King and received verbal commendation from him. Other challengers, as far as Zhang Wen knows, have not survived.
To dethrone the King from his position as the strongest, one must first be prepared for the possibility of death and defeat.
Understanding the situation between Messiah and Remiu, Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate and naturally took his position opposite Mura, awaiting the duel between Messiah and Remiu. Such a confrontation between the strong is rare, and witnessing it firsthand could be beneficial for Zhang Wen’s own strength enhancement.
The only concern is the destructive power of their combat abilities. If they were to go all out, the first worry would be whether the Starlight Moon could withstand it.
However, Mura dispelled Zhang Wen’s doubts by quickly directing his Eagle Guards to bring in several large machines. These machines, connected around the circular hall with thick cables, formed a spiral circuit in the center of the hall, linked to the Starlight Moon’s original stone energy lines, and added a display device with an original stone core in the center.
Mura also kindly explained to Zhang Wen, “These are the empire’s latest developed psychic combat machines. They project the opponents’ consciousness onto the same virtual platform for combat and competition through different terminals. The advantage is that it can realistically simulate the duel situation without causing damage to the surrounding environment. As long as the machine’s signal can reach, even two people millions of light-years apart can engage in combat, and the situation can be projected for more people to watch through the original stone terminal.”
Zhang Wen, of course, knew about the psychic combat machines, having tried one once on the spaceship at the encouragement of Emily and others. Thinking of this, Zhang Wen’s heart stirred slightly, as if he had thought of something.
At the same time, Messiah seemed to sense something, turned her head to glance at Zhang Wen, then pushed open the hatch of a psychic combat machine terminal, and lay down inside.
Remiu, with an inscrutable smile, showed excitement and fervor in his eyes. Although it was a pity not to be able to determine life and death with the Northern Realm’s overlord Messiah in a real environment, competing in this way was better than nothing. At least it could truly reflect the level of strength of both sides.
Remiu entered another psychic combat machine without hesitation. The machine was activated under the powerful psychic energy provided and released by the Starlight Moon’s original stone kinetic energy chamber, with a faint energy halo circulating along the cable circuit. Finally, it stimulated the imaging system in the center of the hall, displaying the virtual combat platform situation in the entire spacious hall.
Looking at the virtual imaging technology similar to that of his era, Zhang Wen sighed in his heart while also somewhat confirming his speculation. It seems that the person he defeated in the psychic combat machine when he stood up for Emily and others was this Commander Messiah. Should he consider himself lucky or unlucky? It was probably from that time that he caught Messiah’s attention.
The empire’s inherited swordsmanship is said to be the strongest in the empire, always listed as the royal guard’s inheritance technique. Only the most loyal strongmen to the royal family can learn it, and it is passed down from generation to generation.
A thousand years of inheritance has made the inherited swordsmanship a school, a sect derived specifically for guarding the imperial royal family, the swordsmanship masters.
To attract the attention of the contemporary inheritor of the inherited sword naturally equals attracting the attention of the empire’s emperor. The subsequent series of events is easy to guess. With the empire’s power, it’s not as difficult as imagined to find out who defeated the empire’s strongest swordsmanship master through the psychic combat machine.
No wonder Messiah appeared in the underground arena of Casares, probably the real purpose was just to witness Zhang Wen’s swordsmanship firsthand. This time, Messiah specially recruited Zhang Wen to the imperial capital as the Eagle Guard’s technique consultant, rather than because of the Southern Realm’s overlord competition, it’s more like he had already fallen into the sight of her and the imperial royal family.
The more you think about some things, the more complicated they seem. Since it can’t be changed, overthinking is of no benefit.
…
The strong upward airflow of the Starlight Moon blew up, scattering the leaves, dead grass, and gravel on the island. In a misty rising heat, the Starlight Moon rose straight into the sky, flying towards the horizon.
In the swirling dust, a giant scorpion emerged from the ground. On the vibrant scorpion’s carapace, the fifth overlord of the Infinite Arena, Red Scorpion Hillena, knelt on the scorpion’s head, her face as calm as water.
She stared at the increasingly smaller Starlight Moon, her phoenix eyes flickering with light, murmuring in a voice only she could hear, “You think you can escape like this? I swear by the name of the Red Scorpion, I won’t let you escape from my grasp, whether you’re Andre or Zhang Wen…”
After the Starlight Moon entered its predetermined orbit, the Eagle Guard team disembarked from the ship in a special lifeboat, heading in a different direction. The lifeboat soon docked with the empire’s stealth battleship, prepared in advance by the Eagle Guards, and was absorbed into the belly of the stealth ship.
Thus began Zhang Wen’s journey to the imperial capital. The future is full of unknowns.
Although Zhang Wen knew that Messiah valued him highly, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. After all, this was the first time he was leaving the people and things he was familiar with, heading to an unfamiliar imperial capital on an unfamiliar starship. What exactly was waiting for him?
Zhang Wen vaguely felt that something might happen, but what exactly, he couldn’t figure out at the moment. A new environment always means unpredictable situations, and for things he couldn’t control, Zhang Wen’s character was always to avoid them as much as possible. This was also the reason he had always maintained a low profile.
Unfortunately, this time he had caught the attention of Messiah and the empire’s emperor. For the government’s violent and powerful institutions, Zhang Wen knew his position: cooperate or be destroyed, so he had no choice.
Although he felt somewhat unhappy, the fact was that the world didn’t revolve around his will. Even as a transmigrator, he had no advantage over the people of this world. Those who don’t adapt to the environment only make themselves more conspicuous.
So far, Zhang Wen had tried his best to integrate into this world, not to appear too special, not to be noticed by the empire’s upper echelons. The previous situation also showed that he had been quite successful, and he believed this time would be no exception.
If it was just his swordsmanship and some combat skills that were valued, that was fine. He could cooperate with the empire, giving himself greater value and a voice.
In the independent room arranged for him by the Eagle Guards, Zhang Wen put aside those useless emotions and began to recall the thrilling battle between Messiah and Remiu displayed through the psychic combat machine.
In terms of combat energy, Remiu had an indisputable absolute advantage. Even in terms of combat skills, Remiu was slightly better than Messiah. However, judging from the duel on the psychic combat machine, Messiah did not lose to Remiu. She very cleverly showcased her strengths in swordsmanship, using various environmental factors to minimize Remiu’s combat energy while maximizing the power of her inherited swordsmanship. The final result was a draw.
Although the result was a draw, there were several reversals during their battle. Each reversal made the onlookers think the outcome was about to be decided, but in the end, both Messiah and Remiu showed amazing resilience and strength, always able to burst out with a bit more power at the last moment of disadvantage, turning the situation around.
Through this duel between the two powerhouses, Zhang Wen also gained some insights into the use of his own strength and his experience in facing enemies.
It was also fortunate that Remiu and Messiah conducted their duel through the psychic combat machine, otherwise, even several starships might now be reduced to a pile of wreckage.
But the more this was the case, the more Zhang Wen was puzzled. Indeed, he had advantages in combat techniques and swordsmanship that Messiah and others could not match, but in terms of combat energy and overall strength, he was still far from these powerhouse overlords. Was it worth Messiah and the Eagle Guards’ attention?
Shaking his head, Zhang Wen temporarily put aside these doubts. He began to focus on his internal condition. No matter what, striving to improve his own strength was always the right thing to do.
Since the last few times he had been intimate with the women, the Spring Water Technique had entered a new stage, which made Zhang Wen feel very surprised and delighted. Now, even if he faced a super-tier opponent alone, without the help of the underground original stone veins, he could barely cope. Anyone who knew the speed of his strength improvement would find it terrifying.
Being alone in the room felt like being in solitary confinement. Even in the corridor outside the room, there were soldiers on guard and miniature camera devices. This sense of confinement made Zhang Wen very uncomfortable, but there was no other way. Perhaps this was just how it was in the military.
Inevitably, he thought of Emily and Inel, and wondered how things were with Rofre.
The long journey almost made time feel like it had stopped. It was said that it would take at least a week to reach the imperial capital from this star system. Zhang Wen felt that even a day or two of such a life was hard to endure. Fortunately, his willpower was quite strong, and he could still hold on even in such a monotonous and dull solitary life.
On the third day of the journey, the starship arrived at the Damir star system in the middle of the empire, and made a necessary stop at a resource transit planet, Tinus, for half a day of rest and replenishment. Zhang Wen was finally allowed to leave the room under the escort of the Eagle Guards and soldiers, setting foot on the transit planet’s land for a bit of fresh air.
Perhaps Messiah didn’t want to leave Zhang Wen with the impression of being unreasonable.
Zhang Wen walked out of the starship’s corridor, watching some of the Eagle Guards go to the nearby energy station to replenish the original stone energy consumed by the starship along the way. Some female Eagle Guards entered the market not far from where the starship was docked to purchase some food and daily necessities. Zhang Wen, accompanied by two Eagle Guards, walked around a bit, feeling quite bored, and said to the two behind him, “I’d like to go to that market over there and take a look.”
The two Eagle Guards, one with a square face, blond hair, and a sturdy build, named Watt; the other with blue hair and a slightly slender build, named Sifel, looked at each other somewhat troubled upon hearing Zhang Wen’s request. Finally, Sifel contacted the higher-ups with a small communication device and said to Zhang Wen, “If Mr. Zhang Wen wants to go to the market, Sifel and I will accompany you, but the time is limited, and we must return within half an hour.”
Zhang Wen estimated the distance from here to the market, which would take about ten minutes round trip, so half an hour would hardly allow for much sightseeing. He smiled wryly in his heart at Messiah’s stinginess but didn’t say much. After being cooped up on the starship for three days, it was good to get a glimpse of the market and the people.
He nodded, and after Watt and Sifel changed into ordinary clothes, the three of them walked towards the market not far ahead.
Tinus is a resource transit planet specially established by the empire on the interstellar route, serving both official purposes and as a transit station for civilian trade routes. The name Tinus, according to imperial legend, is the name of an ancient balance god.
Because most interstellar starships pass through Tinus, the planet is exceptionally developed, with a considerable population. Walking into the market, one can see people from various countries and star systems, including those from the federation, the empire, and the alliance, making it very lively.
Zhang Wen noticed that the market was built along a long street. The street was more than twenty meters wide and several kilometers long, with various shops lined up on both sides, selling all kinds of common or rare goods and trinkets. Such a bustling market was something he had never seen before in other places.
There were many vendors and tourists from various places, shoulder to shoulder, filling the wide and long market street, with a continuous flow of people as far as the eye could see.
The ears were filled with the enthusiastic calls of various shops soliciting business, in various accents and languages, as well as the bargaining voices of tourists from different places, the laughter of seductively dressed beauties, the aroma of various spices, and a slight smell of sweat all fermented in the air, along with the fragrance of wines from various places, making everything feel very fresh.
Zhang Wen was very interested in this unfamiliar environment, walking while constantly looking around. Watt and Sifel were slightly behind him, half a body length away, like guards, vigilantly looking around.
However, none of the three noticed that, more than a thousand meters away along the street, on the third floor of a high pavilion, in a window facing the street, two pairs of eyes with hidden hostility were coldly observing Zhang Wen walking in the crowded crowd.
“Is it him?”
“It should be correct.” The man on the right, wearing a gray trench coat and a fedora on a sunny day, his face shadowed and expressionless, nodded to the person beside him, confirming the target.
The man on the left was clad in a black tight-fitting suit, even his eyes covered with black sunglasses, making him look like a cold machine. After observing Zhang Wen from a distance for a while, he skillfully opened the suitcase beside him, took out several tubular parts, and assembled them into a complex instrument in just three seconds.
If one were to describe this instrument, it might be similar to a sniper rifle from another world’s Earth. In fact, if any Eagle Guard saw this instrument, they would surely exclaim in surprise.
The empire’s banned assassin weapon, known as the long-range psychic gun lance, capable of killing from a kilometer away. The long, black cylindrical barrel, along with the complex circuit original stone amplifier, can amplify the assassin’s psychic energy tenfold, finally activating the combat energy stored in the original stone, transforming it into an unstoppable combat light lance that shoots out.
The most terrifying aspect is its speed, capable of firing twice in less than a third of a second, with no prior warning.
A top-tier assassin with professional training can effortlessly hit a fly-sized target from a kilometer away.
Because of this terrifying effect, the long-range psychic gun lance has always been strictly prohibited by the empire, and anyone found privately possessing it would be arrested and executed!
But like any order, there are always loopholes or violators. Even though the empire’s high command has repeatedly strictly prohibited it, it still has a covert trade in the black market. However, because the process of making a psychic gun lance is very complex, and truly skilled assassins who can use it well are extremely rare, one in a hundred thousand can snipe a target from a kilometer away, requiring not only vision but also stable hand skills, intuition, and other conditions, so the long-range psychic gun lance, although repeatedly banned, is not widely circulated.
This thing is not easy to obtain even through the black market, and even if obtained, it’s not certain to find someone who can use it, let alone use it well.
The black-clad assassin before us is one such person.
The biggest trump card of the Black Baron, ranked in the top three on the empire’s assassin list, known as the Shadow Phantom. Capable of easily killing super-tier experts from a kilometer away, relying on this long-range psychic gun lance. As long as the target is unaware, it takes less than a third of a second for a silent snipe to cause death.
It is because of this trump card that the Black Baron has caused such headaches for the empire’s high command. Several times, he has carried out shocking acts of destruction, making the empire’s bigwigs both angry and fearful.
Now, this trump card is in action again.
Target—Zhang Wen!
Zhang Wen, who has repeatedly thwarted the Black Baron’s plans, who destroyed the Black Baron’s final scheme. Even the Black Baron, with his deep and calm mind, felt anger. Like a gambler who has lost everything, a trapped beast in a cage, he is about to unleash his final terrifying revenge.
Since you leave me no way out, then I will destroy you first!
From the empire’s imperial capital, under the Black Baron’s frenzied planning, more than a dozen acts of terror are unfolding.
The first to deal with, of course, is the most detestable Zhang Wen.
The black gun lance extends out of the window, not reflecting any light in the sun.
The dark barrel of the gun points at Zhang Wen’s forehead, psychic energy slowly infusing. Known as the King of Assassins, the Shadow Phantom locks onto the target, a cruel sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
And at this moment, the protagonist of the event, Zhang Wen, is still unaware, strolling through the market with great interest. Completely unaware that a deadly snipe is about to come.
From this point onward, Zhang Wen would begin his journey to the Imperial capital. The future was full of uncertainties.
Although Zhang Wen knew that Yisa valued him highly, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy. This was the first time he had been away from the familiar people and things, traveling on an unfamiliar starship to an unknown capital. What awaited him?
Zhang Wen had a vague feeling that something might happen, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what. New environments always meant unpredictable situations, and for things he couldn’t control, Zhang Wen’s personality was always to avoid them as much as possible. This was also why he had always maintained a low profile.
Unfortunately, this time he had caught the attention of Yisa and the Emperor. For the government’s violent and powerful institutions, Zhang Wen knew his position—if he didn’t cooperate, destruction was the only option, so he had no choice.
Although he felt a bit resentful, that was just how things were. This world didn’t revolve around his will. Even though he was a transmigrant, he didn’t have much of an advantage over the people of this world. Those who failed to adapt to the environment would only stand out more.
So far, Zhang Wen had done his best to blend into this world, avoiding being too special. He hadn’t been noticed by the Empire’s upper echelons, and previous events had shown that he had been relatively successful. He believed this time would be no exception.
If it was just about his swordsmanship and martial skills, there was no problem. He could cooperate with the Empire to gain more value and influence.
In the private room arranged for him by the Hawks, Zhang Wen pushed aside useless emotions and began recalling the intense battle between Yisa and Lemiu displayed through the Mind Combat Machine.
In terms of combat power, Lemiu had an undeniable advantage. Even in terms of martial skills, he was slightly superior to Yisa. However, in the virtual duel on the Mind Combat Machine, Yisa didn’t lose to Lemiu. She cleverly showcased her swordsmanship, using the environment to minimize Lemiu’s combat effectiveness while maximizing the power of her Inheritance Sword Technique. The final result was a draw.
Although the outcome was a draw, the battle between the two had seen multiple reversals. Each reversal made the observers think the battle was about to be decided, but in the end, both Yisa and Lemiu demonstrated incredible resilience and strength, always managing to unleash a bit more power at the critical moment to turn the tide.
Through this clash of two powerful beings, Zhang Wen also gained some insights into the application of his own strength and experience in facing enemies.
Fortunately, the duel between Lemiu and Yisa was a virtual one through the Mind Combat Machine; otherwise, even several starships might have been reduced to debris.
The more he thought about it, the more puzzled Zhang Wen became. Although he had advantages in combat techniques and swordsmanship over Yisa and others, in terms of combat power and overall strength, he still had a significant gap compared to these regional overlords. Was it worth Yisa and the Hawks paying so much attention to him?
Shaking his head, Zhang Wen temporarily pushed aside these doubts and began focusing on his internal condition. No matter what, striving to improve his strength was always the right path.
Since his previous intimate encounters with the women, the Spring Water Technique had entered a new stage, which surprised and delighted Zhang Wen. Now, even without relying on underground native stone veins, he could barely handle a super-tier opponent alone. Anyone who knew about his rapid strength improvement would find it terrifying.
Being alone in the room felt like being confined. Even in the corridor outside the room, there were guards and miniature surveillance devices. These feelings of restriction made Zhang Wen very uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do. Perhaps this was just how the military operated.
Inevitably, he thought of Emily, Yinel, and wondered how Lofray was doing.
The long journey made time seem to stand still. It was said that it would take at least a week to reach the capital from this star system. Zhang Wen found even a day or two of this life unbearable. Fortunately, his willpower was strong, and he could endure even in such a monotonous and dull confined life.
On the third day of the journey, the starship reached the Darmir star system in the middle of the Empire. They made a necessary stop at the resource transfer planet Tinush for supplies and a brief rest. Zhang Wen was finally granted permission to leave his room with the company of the Hawks and soldiers to get some fresh air on the transfer planet.
Perhaps Yisa didn’t want to leave the impression of being inhumane.
As Zhang Wen exited the starship’s corridor, he saw some of the Hawks heading to nearby energy sources to arrange for the replenishment of the native stone energy consumed during the journey. Other female Hawks went to the nearby market to purchase food and daily necessities. Accompanied by two Hawks, Zhang Wen wandered around, finding it somewhat boring, and said to the two behind him, “I want to take a look at the market.”
The two Hawks, one with a square face, golden hair, and a strong build named Watt, and the other with blue hair and a slightly lean build named Siffel, exchanged hesitant glances upon hearing Zhang Wen’s request. Finally, Siffel contacted their superiors using a small communication device and said to Zhang Wen, “Mr. Zhang Wen, if you want to take a look at the market, Watt and I will accompany you, but we have limited time. We must return within half an hour.”
Zhang Wen estimated the distance from here to the market; a round trip would take about ten minutes, so half an hour would barely allow him to see anything. He inwardly smiled bitterly at Yisa’s stinginess but said nothing. After being confined on the starship for three days, being able to see a bit more of the market and people was a relief.
He nodded and waited for Watt and Siffel to change into civilian clothes before the three of them walked toward the nearby market.
Tinush was a resource transfer planet specially established by the Empire on the interstellar navigation route, serving both official and civilian commercial purposes. According to Imperial legends, Tinush was the name of an ancient god of balance.
Due to the frequent passage of interstellar navigation starships through Tinush, the planet was exceptionally developed with a large population. Entering the market, one could see people from various countries and star systems, including the Federation, the Empire, and the Alliance, making it very lively.
Zhang Wen noticed that the market was built along a long street. The street was over twenty meters wide and thousands of meters long, with various shops lining both sides, selling all kinds of common or rare goods and trinkets. Such a bustling market was something he had never seen before.
There were many merchants and tourists from different places, all jostling together, filling the wide and long market street. Looking around, one could only see a continuous flow of people.
The sounds of shopkeepers enthusiastically calling out to attract customers, with various accents and languages, and the bargaining voices of tourists, the laughter of provocatively dressed beauties, the aroma of various spices mixed with a slight sweat, and the scent of wines from different regions all fermented in the air, making everything feel fresh and new.
Zhang Wen was very interested in this unfamiliar environment, looking left and right as he walked. Watt and Siffel followed half a step behind him, like bodyguards, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
However, none of the three noticed that over a thousand meters down the street, in a third-floor window of a tall building facing the street, two pairs of eyes with hidden hostility were coldly observing Zhang Wen walking through the crowded crowd.
“Is that him?”
“There’s no mistake.” The man on the right wore a gray trench coat and a jazz hat even on a sunny day, his face hidden in shadow, making it impossible to see his expression. He nodded to the person beside him, confirming that the target was correct.
The man on the left was dressed in a black bodysuit, with black sunglasses over his eyes, making him look like a cold machine. After observing Zhang Wen from a distance for a while, he skillfully opened a briefcase beside him, taking out several tubular parts and assembling them into a complex device in just three seconds.
If one had to describe this device, it might be similar to a sniper rifle from another world. In fact, if any Hawk saw this device, they would surely cry out in alarm.
In the spacious hall of the Stellar Moon, originally designed as a leisure area for the noble passengers of the ship, it has now been transformed into a training hall for the strong to spar and cultivate. It’s unclear if this modification was prearranged by Hassan, but its sole purpose now is to serve as the sparring ground for the Eagle Guard’s Chief Commander, Messiah, the overlord of the Empire’s northern frontier, and the Eagle Guard’s squad leader, Remiu.
Apart from Messiah and Remiu, only the Empire’s Eagle Guard squad leader, Mura, and twelve Eagle Guards are present, standing guard around the perimeter. Upon Zhang Wen’s arrival, everyone nodded slightly in greeting. Messiah smiled at him, “Mr. Zhang Wen, you’ve arrived.”
“Chief Commander Messiah, it’s not yet time for departure, is it? May I know why I’ve been summoned?” Zhang Wen glanced around, subtly trying to gauge the intentions behind the summons.
Messiah didn’t let him ponder too long, stating naturally, “You’ve been invited here because your swordsmanship level is deemed most suitable to act as a referee.”
“Hmm?”
“Remiu insists on a match with me, or he refuses to participate in future guard actions. For the smooth operation of the Eagle Guard, as the Chief Commander, I have no choice but to oblige,” Messiah said, pulling her silver mask over her face, exuding a cold, sword-like aura.
Zhang Wen nodded, finally understanding. Remiu, a martial arts fanatic, is an anomaly within the Eagle Guard. If not for his immense strength, his troublesome personality would have likely led to his expulsion from the Empire. Despite frequently stepping out of line for personal reasons, including secretly using illusion magic to participate in the southern frontier overlord’s final match not for the Eagle Guard’s duties but to challenge potential strong opponents and figures like the King and Messiah, the Empire still tolerates him due to his strength as a frontier overlord and even beyond. He is the only one to have challenged the King and received verbal commendation from him. Other challengers, as far as Zhang Wen knows, have not survived.
To dethrone the King as the strongest, one must be prepared for death and failure.
Understanding the situation between Messiah and Remiu, Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate and naturally took a position opposite Mura, awaiting the duel between Messiah and Remiu. Such a match between the strong is rare, and witnessing it firsthand would be beneficial for Zhang Wen’s own strength enhancement.
The only concern is the destructive power of their combat abilities. If they were to go all out, the first worry would be whether the Stellar Moon could withstand it.
However, Mura dispelled Zhang Wen’s doubts by quickly having his Eagle Guards bring in several large machines. Through pulleys, they connected a series of instruments around the circular hall, linking them with thick cables to form a spiral circuit in the center of the hall, connected to the Stellar Moon’s primal stone energy line, and added a primal stone core imaging device in the center.
Mura also kindly explained to Zhang Wen, “These are the Empire’s latest developed psychic combat machines. They project the opponents’ consciousness into the same virtual platform through different terminals for combat and competition. The advantage is that it can realistically simulate the duel without causing damage to the surrounding environment. As long as the machine’s signal can reach, even two people millions of light-years apart can engage in combat, and the situation can be projected for more people to watch through the primal stone terminal.”
Zhang Wen, of course, knew about the psychic combat machines, having tried one once on the spaceship at the urging of Emiris and others. Thinking of this, Zhang Wen’s heart stirred slightly, as if realizing something.
Messiah, as if sensing something, turned her head to glance at Zhang Wen, then pushed open the door of a psychic combat machine terminal and lay down inside.
Remiu, with an inscrutable smile, flashed excitement and fervor in his eyes. Although it was a pity not to have a life-and-death match with the northern frontier overlord Messiah in a real environment, competing in this way was better than nothing. At least it could truly reflect the level of strength between the two.
Remiu entered another psychic combat machine without hesitation. The machine was activated by the powerful psychic energy provided and released by the Stellar Moon’s primal stone kinetic chamber, with a faint energy halo circulating along the cable circuit. Finally, it stimulated the imaging system in the center of the hall, displaying the virtual combat platform situation throughout the spacious hall.
Looking at the virtual imaging technology similar to that of his era, Zhang Wen sighed in his heart while somewhat confirming his speculation. It seems that the person he defeated in the psychic combat machine for Emiris and others was Chief Commander Messiah. Should he consider himself lucky or unlucky? It must have been from that time that Messiah started paying attention to him.
The Empire’s inherited swordsmanship is said to be the Empire’s strongest, always listed as the royal guard’s inherited art. Only the most loyal strongmen to the royal family can learn it, and it is passed down from generation to generation.
A thousand years of inheritance have made the inherited swordsmanship a sect, a sect derived specifically for guarding the Empire’s royal family, the swordsmanship masters.
To attract the attention of the contemporary inheritor of the inherited sword naturally equals attracting the attention of the Empire’s emperor. The subsequent series of events is easy to guess. With the Empire’s power, it’s not as difficult as imagined to find out who defeated the Empire’s strongest swordsmanship master through the psychic combat machine.
No wonder Messiah appeared in the underground arena of Casares, probably the real purpose was to witness Zhang Wen’s swordsmanship firsthand. This time, Messiah specially recruited Zhang Wen to the imperial capital as the Eagle Guard’s technique consultant, rather than because of the southern frontier overlord’s match, it’s more like he had already fallen into the sight of her and the Empire’s royal family.
The more you think about some things, the more complicated they seem. Since it cannot be changed, thinking too much is of no benefit.
…
The strong upward airflow of the Stellar Moon blew up, scattering the leaves, dead grass, and gravel on the island. In a misty rising heat, the Stellar Moon rose straight into the sky, flying towards the horizon.
In the swirling dust and mist, a giant scorpion emerged from the ground. On the bright, almost dripping scorpion armor, the fifth overlord of the Infinite Arena, the Red Scorpion Lady, Hillena, knelt on the scorpion’s head, her face as calm as water.
She stared at the increasingly smaller Stellar Moon, her phoenix eyes flickering with light, murmuring in a voice only she could hear, “You think you can escape like this? I swear by the name of the Red Scorpion Lady, I won’t let you escape my grasp, whether you’re Andre or Zhang Wen…”
After the Stellar Moon entered its predetermined orbit, the Eagle Guard team disembarked in a special lifeboat, detaching from the Stellar Moon’s flight path and heading in another direction. The lifeboat soon docked with the Empire’s pre-prepared stealth battleship, which then absorbed it into its belly.
Thus began Zhang Wen’s journey to the imperial capital. The future was full of unknowns.
Although Zhang Wen knew that Messiah valued him highly, he couldn’t help but feel some unease. After all, this was the first time he was leaving the people and things he was familiar with, heading to an unfamiliar imperial capital on an unfamiliar starship. What awaited him there?
Zhang Wen vaguely felt that something might happen, but what exactly, he couldn’t figure out at the moment. A new environment always means unpredictable situations, and for things he couldn’t control, Zhang Wen’s character always tried to avoid them as much as possible. This was also the reason why he had always maintained a low profile.
Unfortunately, this time he had caught the attention of Messiah and the Empire’s emperor. For the violent and powerful institutions of the government, Zhang Wen knew his position: either cooperate or be destroyed, so he had no choice.
Although he felt somewhat uncomfortable, the fact was that the world did not revolve around his will. Even as a transmigrator, he had no advantage over the people of this world. Those who did not adapt to the environment would only make themselves more conspicuous.
So far, Zhang Wen had tried his best to integrate into this world, not to appear too special, not to be noticed by the Empire’s upper echelons. The previous situation also showed that he had been quite successful, and he believed this time would be no exception.
If it was just his swordsmanship and some combat skills that were valued, then it didn’t matter. He could cooperate with the Empire, giving himself greater value and a say.
In the independent room arranged for him by the Eagle Guards, Zhang Wen put aside those useless emotions and began to recall the thrilling battle between Messiah and Remiu that he had seen through the psychic combat machine.
In terms of combat energy, Remiu had an indisputable absolute dominance. Even in terms of combat skills, Remiu was slightly better than Messiah. However, judging from the duel on the psychic combat machine, Messiah did not lose to Remiu. She very cleverly displayed her strengths in swordsmanship, using various environments to minimize the power of Remiu’s combat energy while maximizing the power of her inherited swordsmanship. The final result was a draw.
Although the result was a draw, there were several reversals during their battle. Each reversal made the onlookers think the battle was about to be decided, but in the end, both Messiah and Remiu showed amazing resilience and strength, always able to burst out with a bit more power at the last moment of disadvantage to turn the situation around.
Through this duel between the two strongmen, Zhang Wen also gained some insights into the use of his own power and experience in combat.
It was also fortunate that Remiu and Messiah conducted their virtual duel through the psychic combat machine, otherwise, even with several starships, they might now be just a pile of wreckage.
But the more this was the case, the more puzzled Zhang Wen became. Although he had advantages in combat skills and swordsmanship that Messiah and others did not, in terms of combat energy and overall strength, he was still quite far from these strongmen with the strength of a frontier overlord. Was it worth Messiah and the Eagle Guard’s attention?
Shaking his head, Zhang Wen temporarily put aside these doubts. He began to focus on the situation within his body. No matter what, striving to improve his own strength was always right.
Since the last few times he had been intimate with the women, the Spring Water Technique had entered a new stage, which made Zhang Wen feel very surprised and delighted. Now, even if he faced a super-tier opponent alone, without relying on the underground primal stone veins, he could barely cope. Anyone who knew the speed of his strength improvement would find it terrifying.
Being alone in the room was like being in solitary confinement. Even in the corridor outside the room, there were soldiers on guard and miniature camera devices. This feeling of lack of freedom made Zhang Wen very uncomfortable, but there was no other way. Or perhaps this was just how the military was.
Inevitably, he thought of Emiris and Inel, and how things were with Rofre.
The long journey almost made time feel like it stood still. It was said that it would take at least a week to reach the imperial capital from this star system. Zhang Wen felt that even a day or two of such a life was hard to endure. Fortunately, his willpower was quite strong, and he could still endure even in such a monotonous and dull solitary life.
On the third day of the journey, the starship reached the Empire’s central Damir star system, making a necessary stop at the resource transit planet Tinus for supplies and a brief half-day rest. Zhang Wen was finally granted permission to leave the room under the escort of the Eagle Guards and soldiers, stepping onto the land of the transit planet for a bit of fresh air.
Perhaps Messiah didn’t want to leave Zhang Wen with the impression of being unapproachable.
Zhang Wen walked out of the starship’s corridor, watching some of the Eagle Guards go to the nearby energy station to replenish the primal stone energy consumed along the way. Some female Eagle Guards entered the market not far from where the starship was docked to purchase food and daily necessities. Zhang Wen, accompanied by two Eagle Guards, wandered around, feeling quite bored, and said to the two behind him, “I’d like to go to that market over there and take a look.”
The two Eagle Guards, one with a square face, blond hair, and a sturdy build, named Watt; the other with blue hair and a slightly thinner build, named Sifel, looked at each other somewhat troubled upon hearing Zhang Wen’s request. Finally, Sifel contacted the higher-ups with a small communication device and said to Zhang Wen, “If Mr. Zhang Wen wants to go to the market, Sifel and I will accompany you. But time is limited, you must return within half an hour.”
Zhang Wen estimated the distance from here to the market, a round trip would take about ten minutes, so half an hour would hardly allow him to see much. He smiled wryly at Messiah’s stinginess but didn’t say much. After being cooped up on the starship for three days, even a little more time to look at the market and people would be good.
He nodded, and after Watt and Sifel changed into ordinary clothes, the three of them walked towards the market not far ahead.
Tinus was a resource transit planet specially established by the Empire on the interstellar route, serving both official purposes and as a transit station for civilian trade routes. The name Tinus, according to Empire legend, was the name of an ancient god of balance.
Because most interstellar starships had to pass through Tinus, the planet was exceptionally developed with a considerable population. Walking into the market, one could see people from various countries and star systems, from the Federation, the Empire, and the Alliance, making it very lively.
Zhang Wen noticed that the market was built along a long street. The street was over twenty meters wide and several kilometers long, with various shops on both sides, one after another, selling all kinds of common and rare goods and trinkets. Such a bustling market was something he had never seen before in other places.
There were many vendors and tourists from various places, jostling shoulder to shoulder, filling the wide and long market street, with a continuous flow of people as far as the eye could see.
The ears were filled with the enthusiastic calls of various shops soliciting business, with all kinds of accents and languages, as well as the bargaining voices of tourists from various places, the laughter of charmingly dressed beauties, the scent of various spices, and a slight smell of sweat all fermented in the air, along with the aroma of wines from various places, making everything feel very fresh.
Zhang Wen was very interested in this never-before-seen environment, walking while occasionally looking around. Watt and Sifel were slightly behind him, half a body length away, like guards, vigilantly looking around.
However, none of the three noticed that, about a thousand meters away along the street, on the third floor of a high pavilion, facing the street, two pairs of eyes with hidden hostility were coldly observing Zhang Wen walking in the crowded crowd.
“Is it him?”
“It should be.” The man on the right, wearing a gray trench coat and a fedora on a sunny day, his face shadowed and expressionless, nodded to the person beside him, confirming the target.
The man on the left was clad in a black tight-fitting suit, even his eyes covered by a pair of black sunglasses, making him look like a cold machine. After observing Zhang Wen from a distance for a while, he skillfully opened the suitcase beside him, took out several tubular objects, and in just three seconds, assembled them into a complex instrument.
To describe this instrument, it might be similar to a sniper rifle from another world’s Earth. In fact, if any Eagle Guard saw this instrument, they would surely exclaim.
The Empire’s forbidden assassin weapon, known as the long-range psychic gun spike, capable of killing from a kilometer away. The long, black, cylindrical tube, along with the complex circuit primal stone amplifier, could amplify the assassin’s psychic energy tenfold, finally activating the combat energy stored in the primal stone, transforming it into an unstoppable beam of light to shoot out.
The most terrifying thing is its speed, capable of firing twice in less than a third of a second, with no prior warning.
A top assassin with professional training could effortlessly hit a fly-sized object from a kilometer away.
Because of this terrifying effect, the long-range psychic gun spike has always been strictly prohibited by the Empire, and anyone found privately possessing it would be arrested and executed!
But just like any order, there are always loopholes or violators. Even though the Empire’s high command has repeatedly strictly prohibited it, it still has a secret trade in the black market. However, because the process of making a psychic gun spike is very complex, and truly skilled assassins who can use it well are extremely rare, one in a hundred thousand can snipe a target from a kilometer away, requiring not only vision but also stable hand skills, intuition, and other conditions, so although the long-range psychic gun spike is repeatedly banned, it does not circulate in large quantities.
This thing is not easy to get even through the black market, and even if obtained, it’s not certain to find someone who can use it, let alone use it well.
The black-clad assassin in front is one such person.
The biggest trump card of the Black Baron, ranked in the top three on the Empire’s assassin list, known as the Shadow Phantom. Capable of easily killing super-tier masters from a kilometer away, relying on this long-range psychic gun spike. As long as the target is unaware, in less than a third of a second, a silent snipe can cause death.
It is because of this trump card that the Black Baron gives the Empire’s high command such a headache. Repeatedly causing shocking destruction, making the Empire’s bigwigs angry while also feeling a hint of fear.
Now, this trump card is on the move again.
Target—Zhang Wen!
The Zhang Wen who has repeatedly ruined the Black Baron’s plans, who destroyed the Black Baron’s final scheme. Even with the Black Baron’s deep composure, he feels anger. Like a gambler who has lost everything, a beast trapped in a cage, he is about to unleash his final terrifying revenge.
Since you leave me no way out, then I will destroy you first!
Starting from the Empire’s imperial capital, under the Black Baron’s frenzied planning, more than ten acts of terror are unfolding.
The first to deal with, of course, is the most detestable Zhang Wen.
The black gun spike extends out of the window, not reflecting any light in the sun.
The black muzzle of the gun tube is aimed at Zhang Wen’s brow, psychic energy slowly being injected. Known as the Assassin King, the Shadow Phantom locks onto the target, a cruel sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
And at this moment, the protagonist of the event, Zhang Wen, is still unaware, strolling through the market with great interest. Completely unaware that a deadly snipe is about to come.
The most terrifying aspect was its speed, capable of firing twice in just a third of a second, with no warning beforehand.
If the assassin had received professional training, it would be effortless to hit an object the size of a fly from a kilometer away.
Because of its terrifying effects, the long-range Mind Gun had always been strictly prohibited by the Empire. Anyone found possessing it would be arrested and executed immediately!
But just like any command having loopholes or those who defy it, even after several strict prohibitions by the Imperial high-level authorities, it still had secret transactions in the black market. However, because the craftsmanship required to make a Mind Gun was extremely complex, and truly skilled assassins capable of using it were extremely rare, with only one in a hundred thousand able to hit a target from a kilometer away, requiring not only vision but also stable hand feel, intuition, and other conditions, the long-range Mind Gun, although repeatedly banned, did not circulate widely.
This item was not easy to obtain even through the black market, and even if obtained, it was not easy to find someone who could use it, let alone use it well.
The black-clothed assassin in front of us was an exception.
The Black Viscount’s greatest ace, ranked in the top three on the Empire’s assassin list, known as Shadow Phantom, an assassin expert. He could easily kill a super-tier expert from a kilometer away, relying solely on this long-range Mind Gun. As long as the target didn’t detect it in advance, it would take less than a third of a second for a silent sniper shot to kill them.
Because of this ace card, the Black Viscount had caused great headaches for the Empire’s high-level authorities. He had carried out several shocking acts of destruction, making the Empire’s leaders angry and fearful at the same time.
Now, this ace card was being deployed again.
Target—Zhang Wen!
Zhang Wen, who had repeatedly ruined the Black Viscount’s plans and thwarted his final scheme. Even with the Black Viscount’s deep and calm mindset, he felt furious. Like a gambler who had lost everything, a trapped beast in a cage, he was about to unleash his final terrifying retaliation.
Since you won’t give me a way to live, then I will destroy you first!
Starting from the Imperial capital, the Black Viscount, in his frenzied planning, had launched dozens of terrorist reprisals.
The first target was naturally the most detestable Zhang Wen.
The black gun extended out of the window, not reflecting a single glint of sunlight.
The dark gun barrel pointed at Zhang Wen’s forehead, mind energy slowly injected. Shadow Phantom, hailed as the King of Assassins, locked onto his target, a cruel sneer curling his lips.
At this very moment, the protagonist of the event, Zhang Wen, was completely unaware, happily strolling through the market, completely oblivious to the deadly sniper about to come his way.
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