Three months have passed since the stormy days of the Empire. It is now officially spring, a time of blossoming flowers and renewal of all living things. However, Earth no longer enjoys its former spring scenery; instead, artificial suns emit a few more rays of gentle light, letting the wind carry the fragrance of a hundred blossoms.
Yet, for the people of the Imperial Capital, this is already a rare warmth.
The three-month harsh winter has passed, and the peaceful yet luxurious days seem to be returning.
But can things truly be so simple, especially when the Empire is in constant flux, with various factions taking turns to stake their positions? A trial within the Imperial Palace eventually led the Emperor to formally declare a split from the Senate—an outcome no one could have predicted, not even the high-ranking Elders, who had poured their energy and efforts into the matter.
The Senate’s momentary confusion gave Yang Hao valuable time. After being rescued from the Imperial Palace, Sir Yang Hao, Lord of the Oracle Autonomous Territory and the Princess’s fiancé, was immediately sent back to his fief. The atmosphere in the Imperial Capital was too dangerous for Yang Hao to recover from his injuries. In contrast, with the presence of experts like Hede in the Autonomous Territory, the Senate could not reach him.
However, soon after Yang Hao left the Capital, news came from the Elder Council that Elder Wu Yi had injected a deadly force into Yang Hao’s body when he removed his hand from Yang Hao’s head during the final moments of the court trial. This deadly force would erupt two months later and was strong enough to kill even a master.
Thus, in the eyes of the Ten Sword Sects, Yang Hao was already a dead man. The word of the Elder Council, with its high status, was naturally credible. Moreover, after Yang Hao left the Capital, all contact with him was lost, leading people on Earth to believe this young man could not escape his fate. In the Empire, no matter how many rising stars emerged, if they weren’t integrated into the Senate’s system, they would suddenly die—an established pattern, so no one cared much.
Moreover, during this time, another shocking news emerged.
The Empire’s army, sent to suppress the rebellion, suffered an unprecedented defeat.
The rebels were divided into eastern and western fronts. Yang Hao’s Oracle Autonomous Territory was on the western front, targeted by the Empire for pacification. Meanwhile, the eastern front, centered around Angel Star, faced a full-scale attack from the Empire.
The Privy Council deployed the Honor Legion, the most powerful force stationed in the Milky Way, along with three family armies as the main attack force. One of the Three Sword Saints was also sent to assist. This army was the most combat-effective force in the Empire and the mainstay of the Milky Way’s garrison.
Yet, such a powerful army suffered a crushing defeat on the eastern front.
In a decisive battle far larger than the Twin Suns Battle, the Honor Legion was ambushed and surrounded by the eastern rebels, losing nearly half their warships. Ten fleets bearing the name of Honor were once again on the brink of annihilation.
Even one of the Three Sword Saints, Muses, was seriously injured in battle with the rebels. He has now been transported back to the Empire and is unlikely to be able to wield his powers for a long time.
The impact of this defeat far exceeded what the battle reports revealed.
The Honor Legion was the main force of the Privy Council stationed in the Milky Way. Their destruction directly led to a vacuum in the Milky Way’s naval forces. Meanwhile, the three family armies of the Ten Sword Sects, who had accompanied the Honor Legion, refused to assist in the critical moment, preserving their strength intact. When the Honor Legion was destroyed, the three family armies responded to the Senate’s call, returning directly to the Milky Way. They assisted the Four Guardian Sword Sects in securing the four acceleration channels between the Milky Way and the universe, monitoring all ships traveling between the Milky Way and the cosmos.
Now, the Milky Way and Earth are under the Senate’s complete control, with no other forces capable of opposing them except the Dan Ding Sword Sect and the Imperial Guard.
This massive change was almost a long-planned coup, but the Senate’s power was too overwhelming for ordinary nobles to dare to voice their anger.
As the military balance in the Milky Way shifted, the Ten Sword Sects’ Chief Assembly convened as the first spring breeze swept over Elder Mountain. However, this time, the main players were no longer the usual eight clan leaders of the Ten Sword Sects. A mysterious woman known as the “Bewitching Beauty,” secretly cultivated by the Senate for over twenty years, suddenly appeared. Cloaked in black, she coldly announced the two grand strategies, “Dragon’s Trap” and “Slaughter.”
These two strategies triggered the first internal conflict in the Ten Sword Sects’ century-long history.
Especially the “Dragon’s Trap” strategy, which almost all eight clan leaders opposed, even leading the usually serene cultivator Lin Zongzhu and Wang Clan’s Haiwang Gong to become furious and confront the Bewitching Beauty.
In the end, the leader of the Shadowkill Assassins rose to assassinate the Bewitching Beauty, attempting to kill her at the Ten Sword Sects’ meeting table. However, at the same time, at least three Elder Council members appeared, obliterating the Shadowkill leader into pieces.
When the bloody remains fell before them, the clan leaders of the Ten Sword Sects realized that today was unlike any other. The Ten Sword Sects were no longer indispensable forces but merely tools of the Elders.
After this meeting, the previously unknown Bewitching Beauty officially replaced the Ten Sword Sects’ Chief Assembly, taking control of the entire Ten Sword Sects’ command authority. From the moment the Shadowkill leader was killed, the Imperial Guard system was completely expelled from the Senate’s power structure.
The two grand strategies of “Dragon’s Trap” and “Slaughter” officially began their crimson curtain.
In the palace, the blood on the platform outside the grand hall had long been washed away. On the light gray stone bricks, carvings depicted dragons representing the royal family, but these dragons were trapped on the ground, unable to move.
It was already deep into the night, but the artificial moon still stubbornly shone here. The artificial moon, stationed in low Earth orbit, always directed its largest illuminated face over the entire Imperial City.
The Imperial City was very quiet, eerily so. In this death-like silence, one could smell waves of blood. Those who had been on the battlefield knew this was not true silence but the brief pause after countless battles.
Emperor Yinglie stood at the top of the ten-thousand-step staircase, his hands lightly resting on the white jade balustrade, overlooking the entire Imperial Capital. This was his city, his world. As the supreme emperor of the Galactic Empire, he commanded billions of soldiers and ruled the four seas. The center of the universe, Earth’s most expansive capital, could only kneel at his feet.
Emperor Yinglie was old. At over eighty years old, even if he had once been strong, he was now somewhat frail. His hands, resting on the balustrade, were bony, with veins protruding under the skin. No one could imagine that this was the same young man who, many years ago, was full of vigor and determination to conquer the universe.
But he had done it. Now, there was only one empire in the universe—that was his empire. But what had Emperor Yinglie truly gained?
Even though his eagle-like eyes had never dimmed.
But could he regain his former glory? Did he truly possess this nation that nominally belonged to him?
Emperor Yinglie stood in the wind, the night wind howling past him, blowing his curly white hair backward, making the old emperor appear as majestic as a lion.
“Qin Feng!”
“Yes.” Qin Feng, dressed in black, emerged calmly from the darkness, standing beside him.
“That,” Emperor Yinglie slammed the balustrade, pointing his finger, “is Ghost You, right?”
Following Emperor Yinglie’s finger was a breathtaking sight outside the Imperial City.
Just beyond the walls of the once-inaccessible Imperial Palace, stood a circle of pale gray beings emitting a faint ghostly glow.
There were a total of thirty-six such beings. Although they resembled humans, they were not truly human. Their bodies were almost transparent, like ethereal shadows. Each Ghost幽 was in the same posture, bowing humbly with hands clasped. Hundreds of meters apart, each Ghost幽 stood, forming a circle surrounding the Imperial City.
The cold wind blew, causing the shadows to flicker, but no one could underestimate these Ghosts. Within ten steps of their circle, nearly a thousand Imperial Guardsmen already lay dead. No one could approach within ten steps of the Ghosts; there was a blood curse, and anyone who drew near would find nothing but death.
“Yes, it’s Ghost You.” Qin Feng said, his face expressionless, as if the thousands of corpses outside were mere illusions. “Among the Nine Elder Council members, Ghost Elder’s only accomplishment over the past few decades has been finding the thirty-six strongest ghost spirits in the world and cultivating them into the Ghost You Group through secret techniques. The barrier they set is said to be unbreakable by anyone in the world.”
“Ah.”
Qin Feng continued, “Tonight, the Imperial Guards have charged twelve times, suffering over a thousand casualties, unable to advance even a step.”
Emperor Yinglie slowly lowered his hand, feeling the icy coldness of the white jade balustrade against his palm. Decades of palace life had gradually extinguished the fire in his heart, leaving behind none of the decisiveness and ruthlessness of his youth. Even seeing these half-human, half-ghost creatures now sent a chill down his spine.
Emperor Yinglie smiled bitterly, “Is there truly a time when even heroes meet their end?”
“Your Majesty is a hero.” Qin Feng shook his head, “There is no end.”
“I am a hero, there is no end.” Emperor Yinglie savored these words slowly. He felt a warm current quietly passing through his chest, a mark left by a woman on the once-young Emperor Yinglie. The old man, whose original name was Jaran, but whom no one dared call by that name anymore, had a sharp light in his eyes. No matter when, he was always the emperor ruling over all. Emperor Yinglie nodded, “Sixty years ago, I was twenty, and you were only sixteen. We dared to venture out of the Milky Way in just a small spacecraft, sword pointing to the universe.”
“At that time, Your Majesty said that wherever you had heard of, it would become the domain of the Empire. You did it.”
Emperor Yinglie’s tone was mocking: “Back then, did I ever rely on the Supreme or the Elders?”
“They insisted on helping you, so why refuse?” Qin Feng smiled faintly, memories of the past sweeping through his mind like a spring breeze. “Even without the Supreme, the world still belonged to you.”
“Who would have thought back then that today I would be trapped here by thirty-six Ghosts, unable to take even a step out of the palace,” Emperor Yinglie sighed wistfully.
Qin Feng looked up, his eyebrows raised, his heart shocked beyond measure. Emperor Yinglie had been ambitious for decades, fighting in the south and north, rarely sighing even when fighting to the last man.
But now, could it really be the end of the hero?
This thought momentarily flashed through Qin Feng’s mind before he lowered his head again: “If Your Majesty genuinely intends to leave, allow me to exchange my life for yours.” He spoke these words resolutely and firmly, having already made countless calculations. Qin Feng’s current strength was unfathomable. If he were willing to sacrifice his life and fight the Ghost to the death, there would naturally be an opportunity for the emperor to leave the palace.
“How many steps?”
“Seven steps.”
Emperor Yinglie threw his head back and laughed loudly, his laughter shaking the sky. Even the artificial moon, suspended high in the air like a jade plate, seemed to move a little. Emperor Jaran stopped laughing, his expression serious: “Qin Feng, you are my brother. Could you really only be worth seven steps out of the palace?”
“Your Majesty rules over the four seas, there is nothing you cannot do. If Your Majesty truly wishes to leave the palace, these seven steps are Qin Feng’s life.” Qin Feng said calmly, his hands hidden in his sleeves, unruffled. As if using his entire strength to exchange for seven steps of the emperor outside the palace was already his greatest honor.
And the Ghost幽, whom Qin Feng had always regarded as thorns in his eyes, still stood steadily in the cold wind outside the palace walls. They were now silent, making people doubt whether they still possessed any power. Yet even the first expert within the palace, risking his life, could only tear open seven steps of this barrier, proving that this was indeed an impregnable situation.
Emperor Yinglie took a deep breath, slammed the balustrade, and shouted decisively:
“The long sword is still in my hand!”
“Roar!!” A deafening response erupted from the silent palace. All the hidden Imperial Guards simultaneously unleashed their anger and fury.
The wind shattered, the air also shattered in this astonishing killing intent.
But the Emperor of the Empire had already calmed down. He raised his head and laughed, “A true hero does not show off his bravery as a mere man.” The Emperor turned to Qin Feng, “Back then, you fought side by side with me. With you, Qin Feng, the Imperial Army was invincible. Today, you still stand beside me. With you, Qin Feng, the Senate only dares to set up the Dragon’s Trap, but they dare not kill me.”
Qin Feng gazed at the Emperor’s desolate long hair, his curly white hair fluttering in the wind. Even though the lion of old had grown old, his heroic spirit remained. Qin Feng finally stretched his hands out from his narrow sleeves, saying softly, “How can a dragon be trapped? I am powerless.”
Without waiting for Emperor Yinglie’s command, he turned around on his own and ordered into the dark depths of the palace: “Come, summon the Wind, Flame, Slaughter, Break, and Wolf—Five Imperial Guard Legions—and launch a full-scale attack on the Ghost幽 Barrier.”
Emperor Yinglie listened to Qin Feng’s hoarse voice and felt a surge of blood in his throat. He forcefully suppressed this unpleasant feeling, looked up, and saw countless tiny lives in the vast starry sky, living and dying.
What could a true master of the four seas control?
That night, the Dragon’s Trap was set. The Emperor of the Galactic Empire was trapped within the Imperial City by the thirty-six Ghosts. The Imperial Guard Legions attacked the barrier more than two hundred times, with the Wind and Slaughter Guard Legions completely annihilated, suffering thousands of casualties.
The thirty-six Ghosts remained unscathed.
The troubles were not limited to Emperor Yinglie alone.
Outside the Dan Ding Sword Sect, the battle had lasted nearly a month. The bones and blood here had closed off all the surrounding roads. Even the Dan Ding Sect’s signboard had turned black-red.
The Wang Clan and the Light Sword Stream of the Ten Sword Sects had revealed their full strength. Although their main forces had been nearly wiped out by Yang Hao before, the remaining forces were still like waves, surging toward the Dan Ding Sword Sect’s gate, determined to turn this place into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
But strangely, the Dan Ding Sword Sect, which usually had at least a thousand people stationed, was now sparsely populated. In the Ten Sword Sects’ attack, only Long Yun, clad in heavy armor and wielding a broadsword, and Xie Fengting, whose face was becoming increasingly pale and whose face mask was smeared with blood, remained.
The sons and disciples of the Wang Clan and the Ten Sword Sects, whether swordsmen or sword masters, each had their own unique skills. The swordsmen attacking the gate were not even masters of the great sword. But relying on their numbers, they wanted to overwhelm the two who were barely holding on.
This wave of attack had another thirty swordsmen charging forward, stepping on the blood of their peers. But no matter what sword techniques or killing moves they used, when they reached Long Yun, they could not stop that giant’s simple, clean sword strike. Just a downward slash, the least flashy move, yet it repeatedly succeeded in Long Yun’s hands.
Five swordsmen in that wave were thus cut in half by Long Yun.
But at the same time, they also left various wounds on Long Yun’s body. Even his ancestral heavy armor was cracked.
On the other side, Xie Fengting’s battle was even simpler. Most of the corpses on the ground were killed by Xie Fengting. Without such a sword saint guarding the gate, Long Yun alone could not withstand the Ten Sword Sects’ wheel tactics.
Whenever enough people surrounded Xie Fengting, he would loosen the fist he had been clenching, and the divine short sword in his hand would immediately emit a dazzling light. The gorgeous sword light of “Aurora” would dart through the air like a fine needle, making it impossible to defend against.
But this wave of swordsmen was from the Light Sword Stream, who were from the same school as Xie Fengting and knew the characteristics of Aurora best. Seeing the sword light scattering in all directions, these people immediately raised several reflective shields in front of them for defense.
This method of using reflective shields to defend against Aurora was something Yang Hao had used before, considered the biggest weakness of the Aurora sword technique.
But Xie Fengting had already reached the Saint Domain, and his strength was far beyond what these minor swordsmen could withstand. Seeing the Light Sword Stream raising their reflective shields, Xie Fengting immediately let out a long roar. In an instant, every fine thread of light darting through the air erupted with dazzling brilliance, like stars shining brightly. Amidst a series of惨烈的 cries, the reflective shields were pierced, and the disciples of the Ten Sword Sects were riddled with blood-curdling holes, their red blood spurting out like arrows.
With this final strike, the noisy battlefield returned to calm. But in front of the Dan Ding Sword Sect’s gate, another thirty corpses of the Ten Sword Sects lay.
After repelling the attack, Long Yun and Xie Fengting showed no sign of happiness. They lowered their heads and retreated back toward the sword sect.
The Ten Sword Sects’ attack on the Dan Ding Sect was not intended to eliminate them with these third-rate characters but merely to pin down the Dan Ding Sword Sect members, not giving them any chance to catch their breath. In other words, the ones who died in this wave were merely cannon fodder.
But the key point was that the Senate did not mind losing some cannon fodder, but the Dan Ding Sword Sect could not hold out for much longer.
“Old Long, congratulations,” Xie Fengting tried to lighten the mood, although stepping through the blood toward the sword sect’s manor was not easy. “I see your strength has improved rapidly. Maybe after some time, you can break through the Saint Domain.”
Long Yun turned his head, helplessly looking at Xie Fengting: “Even if I break through the Saint Domain, I’m still stuck here. As for you, every time you break their reflective shields, you suffer internal injuries. Even with your Saint Domain strength, how many times can you endure? If this continues, even these third-rate characters can cause you to rupture your meridians.”
Xie Fengting sighed, just about to say a few comforting words, when suddenly his expression changed drastically.
Long Yun suddenly realized, turned around, and slashed his sword backward. Indeed, the head of a high-level assassin from the Shadowkill Group rolled to one side.
But with several puffs of black smoke, four more Shadowkill assassins appeared, three of them in black robes, and even one in purple. That day, Yang Hao had eliminated ten purple-robed assassins from the Shadowkill Group, severely weakening them. Now, each purple-robed assassin was a rare treasure, not to be easily deployed.
This strike was a full-force attack, targeting Long Yun.
The Ten Sword Sects were not fools. They used cannon fodder to numb Long Yun and others for several days, waiting for this opportunity to assassinate. When Yang Hao was absent, Long Yun was the backbone of the Dan Ding Sword Sect. As long as he was assassinated, the entire sword sect would collapse.
The Shadowkill assassination plan was indeed perfect.
Long Yun cut down a black-robed assassin, but another black-robed assassin immediately engaged him. On the other side, Xie Fengting was tightly engaged by two black-robed assassins, unable to come to the rescue in the short term.
The purple-robed Shadowkill assassin, who was to deliver the final blow, shook his sword and transformed into a purple mist. The complete killing intent was hidden within the mist.
Long Yun was first entangled by the black-robed assassin, making it difficult to block with his broadsword, but the sword in the mist was extraordinary.
The Shadowkill Three Kill Theory!
The most outstanding assassination techniques in history, making it impossible to defend or dodge.
The purple mist was like a venomous snake, its tongue flickering as it wrapped around Long Yun. His thick armor was shattered by the killing intent in the mist, scattering to the ground.
Long Yun felt a bone-chilling pain in his back, about to penetrate his skin and enter his internal organs.
And his life force was rapidly fading.
“Invincible Sage! Break!!” A clear voice echoed out, and a silver dragon opened its eyes within the purple mist. With merely a shake of its claws, the purple-robed assassin was flung away.
“Ha!” The master of the silver spear emitted a unique shout of the Imperial Guard, and as the voice landed, the spear tip had already pierced through the top assassin’s throat.
Lan Ling watched as the Shadowkill assassin slowly slid off the spear tip and fell, blood gushing like a fountain into the air.
She did not speak, coldly turning around and riding her Snow Night Star Lion back into the Dan Ding Sword Sect. Today, Lan Ling was still clad in white armor, matching the white cloaks of the Dan Ding Sword Sect, making it hard for others to distinguish her. However, her body was also stained with the blood of the Ten Sword Sects, and on her pale face, there was a determination that had not been there before.
But even on days without bright clothing, people still found Lan Ling’s beauty striking. Even the Ten Sword Sects members probably hesitated to lay hands on her. Lan Ling’s beauty was not the delicate charm of other women, but a kind of freedom and calmness. She just stood there quietly and coldly, capturing the hearts of all men.
However, Lan Ling’s heart had been stolen by a man who was not here.
After Yang Hao left the Imperial Capital, Lan Ling often came alone to the Dan Ding Sword Sect, not speaking much, only standing under the Dragon Tower, letting her Snow Night Star Lion chat with the Wind Dragon.
When the Senate launched the Dragon’s Trap and Slaughter strategies, Lan Ling happened to be in the Dan Ding Sword Sect, so as the commander of the Imperial Guard, she did not rush back but instead helped defend the sword sect.
When Long Yun and Xie Fengting finished killing the Shadowkill assassins and returned to the sword sect, the desolate scene inside made both of them frown, even though they had seen it countless times.
On the usually open space where inner disciples practiced their sword techniques, hundreds of Dan Ding Sword Sect disciples sat. Each of them had a solemn expression and a pale face. Some with weaker cultivation could not even meditate, only leaning awkwardly on the ground. Looking from afar, these hundreds of people seemed to only have the breath of life left, clearly unable to last much longer. These people were the core members of the Dan Ding Sword Sect and the Hao Sword Group, the backbone of Yang Hao’s forces. Yet now, they were listless, far from the bravery they had shown when storming the palace.
“Another wave repelled.” Long Yun slammed his broadsword into the ground with a clang and sat down, not mentioning the near-fatal ambush he had just survived.
“Another day passed.” Zhuge Jian sighed, his expression filled with despair.
Zhuge Jian and Maya both stayed by the inner disciples but were helpless. No matter what methods they used, they could not revive these comrades they regarded as brothers.
The desolate scene moved even Lan Ling’s icy face: “Without medicine, how much longer can these people hold on?”
Zhuge Jian lowered his voice, trying not to spread the atmosphere of fear: “Two weeks, they can only hold on for two weeks at most. The martial arts of the Dan Ding Sword Sect must rely on medicine to sustain them. Without medicinal ingredients, they can’t hold on for long. We’ve already finished all our reserves, and we can only last two weeks at most. If the Oracle doesn’t send medicine soon, I’m afraid… some of the weaker disciples have already lost their cultivation and can’t be saved…”
Long Yun spat blood onto the ground, his eyes red with hatred: “I don’t know how that damned妖姬 obtained this information, but she has blocked all the entrances to the Milky Way, preventing any ships carrying medicinal ingredients from the Oracle Autonomous Territory from entering. Without the medicine, how can we produce medicine? Are we just going to stand by and watch them die?”
“This is the Slaughter strategy,” Xie Fengting gazed blankly at the sky, whether in admiration or contempt, “The YAOJI doesn’t even need to lift a finger. As long as she cuts off your supply of medicinal herbs, the entire Dan Ding Sword Sect will collapse, and Yang Hao’s entire foundation will be destroyed.”
“Almost all the planets in the Milky Way no longer produce medicinal ingredients. Nearly all the materials must be supplied by ships from other regions.” Zhuge Jian said, “The three family armies of the Ten Sword Sects and the Four Guardian Sword Sects have been dispatched to block the entrances to the Milky Way.” The ships from the Oracle Autonomous Territory cannot enter, and there is no news at all. The Senate’s two grand strategies of Dragon’s Trap and Slaughter are truly formidable. Probably within a month, the Emperor and the Dan Ding Sword Sect’s power will vanish without a trace, while they suffer no losses at all.”
Long Yun stroked the hilt of his sword, muttering, “I’ll break out.”
“Taking hundreds of immobile people with you?” Xie Fengting decisively rejected, “Breaking out would only mean dying earlier. Staying here means being slowly strangled. It seems we really have no way to survive.”
“There is.” Zhuge Jian said.
“What?”
“As long as we’re alive, we can wait for one person.” Zhuge Jian’s expression was filled with unwavering confidence, “We never gave up on him before, and now he won’t abandon us either.”
Zhuge Jian’s words, though not loud, struck each person’s heart like a heavy hammer, even awakening the inner disciples who were struggling to survive. Their dazed eyes lit up with hope.
These people had once risked their lives to rescue the imprisoned Yang Hao.
And now, they firmly believed that wherever Yang Hao was, he would never abandon them.
“What else can we do?” Xie Fengting finally turned his gaze from the sky.
“Wait for him to return.”
Lan Ling gently stroked her spear, the silver, sacred glow enveloping her. After the bloody battle, she returned to her tranquil and calm self.
The Galactic Empire had existed for hundreds of years, but even a hundred years ago, the Empire’s territory was still limited to the vicinity of the Milky Way. The main problem that had always plagued the Imperial Army was the issue of interstellar travel time. Even though they had mastered the technology of warp drives and wormholes long ago, such speeds were still insufficient for the astronomical distances measured in light-years.
This problem was only resolved with the emergence of the AI brains. Large-scale AI brain arrays eventually found a way to allow ships to directly cross cosmic space in a way that defied natural laws, reaching their designated destinations.
This was the prototype of the acceleration stations now spread throughout the universe’s major galaxies.
The so-called Acceleration Space Station is a massive spaceport floating in the universe. Within this spaceport, there are several large-scale platforms. Spaceships requiring acceleration simply need to enter one of these platforms, where they undergo an immense concentration of energy. This process enables the spaceship to travel directly from one acceleration station to the next station’s port.
After a long period of development, most large-scale galaxies now have at least one acceleration station. Traveling from the outer western regions to the outer eastern regions of the universe—nearly crossing the entire empire—requires passing through sixty such acceleration stations.
Strategically speaking, the acceleration stations within each galaxy are of utmost importance. Controlling these acceleration stations equates to controlling all the passageways through that galaxy. In several key hub locations, if movement becomes blocked, the entire universe’s spacecraft transportation network would be paralyzed.
The current situation isn’t quite that severe, but it’s getting close.
In the Milky Way galaxy, there are four acceleration space stations, located respectively at the east, south, west, and north positions, serving as the mandatory passageways for all spacecraft entering the galaxy. However, the previously orderly stations have now become chaotic and noisy. Countless spacecraft are waiting on the outskirts of these acceleration stations, resembling dense clusters of small floating boats.
Since the defeat in the Eastern Front campaign, these four accelerated space stations have fallen into the hands of the Ten Sword Style. Originally, the four major sword sects that guarded the Yuanshan Hill have now been stationed at the four space stations, serving as guards and conducting inspections.
Their mission was actually quite simple: to inspect every spacecraft and prevent any vessels bearing the mark of the Oracular Autonomous Territory from passing through, and naturally, to block merchant ships carrying raw materials for pharmaceuticals as well.
Over the past few months, Takumi, who was in charge of transportation on the western route, accelerated activities at the space station, intercepting at least ten batches of Oracles’ cargo ships. The people from Oracles had become nearly frantic, but no matter what methods they employed—even having thousands of individuals secretly carry herbs—the station guards mercilessly blocked them all.
The guardian who accelerated the space station was the Divine Absolution Sword Group, one of the Ten Sword Schools.
This armed group differs from the other families of the Ten Sword Stream, as it originally had no support from any established aristocratic house. The predecessor of the Sacred Sword Order was an ancient knightly order on Chiqiu, which believed in a certain deity and drew power from that faith.
After the Immortal Sect unified the realm, the Supreme Sovereign declared that all gods no longer existed within the universe. As a result, the Divine Pardon Sword Group pledged allegiance to the Supreme Sovereign, seeking to preserve their power. Relying upon boundless faith, they became one of the Four Guardian Sword Sects and obtained the Divine Pardon Sword, one of the Ten Supreme Artifacts.
Over the long years, the Sacred Pardon Sword Group has remained the core force of the Ten Sword Styles. While other sword sects were locked in deadly battles with Yang Hao, the Sacred Pardon Sword Group continually maintained a power capable of subduing all rivals. This very power became the bargaining chip of the group’s leader, Haik.
It was precisely because of such power that Haike felt confident enough to leave only a squad of swordsmen at the Acceleration Space Station. Currently, the Danding Sword Sect has become a trapped beast, while Yang Hao’s fate remains uncertain at the Oracle. It seems no one dares to challenge the defenses here.
Luther, the captain of the squad stationed at the Acceleration Space Station, is Haik’s younger brother and also a Divine Redemption Swordsman. In terms of ability, he ranks between a swordsman and a grand swordsman, placing him at an upper-middle level. Naturally, he cannot match Haik’s strength. However, due to the decline in the Ten Sword Streams’ talents, Haik promised his brother that if he successfully completes this mission, he can be transferred to serve as the vice-commander of the Divine Redemption Sword Corps at any time.
If you’re going to get promoted, you naturally want to bring along your trusted allies.
“This time, it’s all thanks to Grand Swordmaster Luthor; otherwise, how could things be so calm?” Bootlicker A’s specialty was seizing every opportunity to flatter.
“You’re absolutely right. Just look at who the author is—Luthor the Great Swordsman, the future Grand Sword Sage and团长 of Divine Absolution.” Butt-kisser B was skilled at picking up the conversation; no matter what was said, he could twist it into flattery.
A proud smile lingered on Luther’s face. He was truly a favored child of heaven, born into a noble family from the very beginning. There was nearly a twenty-year gap between him and Haik, and Luther, still young, was already hailed as the most handsome expert in the Divine Absolution Sword Group. His image wielding a cross-shaped sword had even been used as promotional material for recruiting new members into Divine Absolution.
Looking at the long line of fleets at the port, Luther didn’t think anything was wrong at all. Instead, he felt quite pleased with himself, believing that it was entirely thanks to his effective management that everything here remained so orderly.
“People from the Oracular Dominion are no better than this,” Luther said disdainfully. “After trying so many ways to force their way through in these past few days, weren’t they all stopped by me in the end?”
“It’s all thanks to you, too. Anyone else would have never noticed those guys using passengers to smuggle herbs. Those rebels are smarter than monkeys,” Brownnoser B chimed in. “As long as Captain Luther is around, even if Yang Hao comes, he’ll find nothing but a dead end.”
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