Him and their stars.

Chapter 2211 I will come back
"I've recorded what just happened. Guess if I'll show it to Fei Fei."

Yu Lian pretended not to hear and just stared intently at the scene in front of him.

In the fragmented light and shadow, a voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation rose and fell in Yu Lian's subjective perception, much like the broken timbre of "Feifei," yet stripped of all emotional realism: "The interactive interface has been attacked by subjective information, the dimensional anchor point has been damaged... misperception... misperception... re-stagnation..."

Very good, they've already established dimensional anchors. The mysticism is indeed quite advanced, but it's also a kind of artificial stupidity!

In the next instant, the scattered light fragments and data streams, like a video being played in reverse, rapidly rewound and reformed. In the blink of an eye, "Feifei" was once again standing unharmed in the same spot.

That face no longer held any human expression, like a delicate doll, perfect and flawless, yet full of empty colors, it was also full of flaws.

"Feifei" tilted her head, her eyes revealing just the right amount of confusion and concern: "I don't understand. This image was generated based on the most peaceful and trusted anchor point deep within your consciousness. I didn't intend to lower your guard, much less to bewitch you; it was simply to improve communication efficiency. Why are you..."

Yu Lian stared at the other person expressionlessly. The spiritual manipulation of information continued unabated.

She never called him "fish" again, suggesting that although he was mentally challenged, he was only mentally challenged to a limited extent.

She stood still, maintaining a safe distance of at least five meters from Yu Lian. Her expression remained lively, but it had completely transformed into an impeccable business smile, and her eyes held just the right amount of politeness and aloofness.

When Feifei gave a speech as the student council president, when she explained things to dignitaries at Navy Day, and when she received the Agomi Award and chatted with various film industry bigwigs, she had the same expression.

Now, she's looking at herself in the same way.

“That’s fine,” Yu Lian said. He knew very well that Fei Fei would never look at him like that, so he wouldn’t feel disrespected.

The Void Crown displayed a very convincing look of confusion, tilting its head slightly: "I really can't understand it."

“Because Feifei is still alive and kicking. That’s why I said the Forbidden Matters School is just lame. They’ve become mentally challenged in such a short time.” Little Grey covered his face and sighed, with a hint of sympathy in his voice. Then he whispered to Yu Lian, “I just hope that you won’t misunderstand us higher spiritual beings because of this guy’s performance.”

If I were going to misunderstand, I would have already done so. Besides, were you just admitting that the Void Crown and you are actually of the same type, or even the same level?
Clearly, the Void Crown opposite hadn't noticed Little Gray's presence. Or perhaps it had noticed but didn't think it was important.

Since it's an artificial intelligence, it's probably only capable of single-threaded operation.

Yu Lian stared intently at the other person: "Speak, what do you want to do now?"

The Void Crown's interactive interface, embodied in "Feifei," gave a warm smile, seemingly wanting to take a step forward. But just as she took the first step, she seemed to remember something and hesitated before finally putting her foot down.

Although it is a single-threaded artificial intelligence, it is still quite adept at understanding human relationships and social interactions.

"I sincerely invite you to step into the future, Yu Lian." Her voice became straightforward and highly infectious, like a meticulously crafted advertisement: "You can let go of your rejection of me and choose to open your mind. You can easily cross that threshold and step onto the side of truth. At your current level, reaching this level is a natural progression. There is no need to seek more rare extraordinary properties and materials, nor to risk reshaping your mental anchor in the warp. All the information I possess will become your knowledge, and you can directly grasp a part of its essence."

She paused, controlling the pace like a well-trained orator, before slowly continuing, "By then, you will undoubtedly be the most powerful individual psychic in the entire realm of civilization, without exception. This is the shared prosperity of the present world you represent and the ancient world I represent. To share in this prosperity is your family's mission!"

Yu Lian pinched Qingming acupoint again: "Family, you ghost family! I'm not a member of the Dawn Royal Family, but I'm their mortal enemy!"

“You ruled the Galactic Empire,” she said naturally. “You also gave the Empire its most prosperous and magnificent era.”

“I’ve already said I’m not a member of the royal family, yet I’ve killed dozens of members of the Dawn Royal Family,” Yu Lian shouted.

"You rule alongside the legitimate emperor of the empire, and you too sit on the throne, addressed as Your Majesty." She continued in a matter-of-fact tone, "The empire's successors regard you as their father and grandfather."

Yu Lian was speechless for a moment.

“Look, this is a case of information pollution. That’s why I said AI is difficult to deal with,” Little Gray said.

Yes! These days, anything can be taken seriously, but who can be more serious than a single-threaded AI program?
"Moreover, this is also your fault. When you led the Dragon King's army, seized the Dragon King's throne, and did the Dragon King's things, you were practically the Dragon King even if you weren't."

Yu Lian was speechless and felt utterly ashamed.

"What's more, you slept with a Dragon King and fathered a bunch of Dragon Kings."

"That's why I said it's all virtual! Why can't you grasp it?" Yu Lian shouted in protest.

Seeing that Yu Lian hadn't responded, the interactive object on the other side simply opened its arms again. The desolate dwarf planet behind it rippled faintly. Then, a hazy yet magnificent scene filled Yu Lian's vision.

Dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Grand Marshal, adorned with a crown and sash, he sat upon a throne formed from the stars, and the entire universe, all races, civilizations, and the starry sky bowed to him.

"You are destined to rule the Galactic Empire, and you should rule alongside Brunhilde." Brunhilde's figure reappeared in the scene.

She wore the same marshal's uniform as Yu Lian, but in a lighter color, and a void crown. Standing beside the throne, she and Yu Lian looked down at the starry river that seemed to be crawling towards them.

"When you stand shoulder to shoulder, you will be able to suppress all internal and external troubles, bringing an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity to the Galactic Empire and even the entire universe. The most efficient political structure, the least internal losses, and the strongest external deterrence. This is the optimal solution, and this is the vision I have for this era. A powerful, unified, and stable order has the highest positive weight for the survival and development of cosmic civilizations."

She gazed at Yu Lian, her empty eyes suddenly coming alive as if the lights of countless civilizations had flashed within them: "This is true governance. Only unification brings governance; this is the path you truly accept on some level within your heart. You..."

Her body was once again enveloped by an invisible spiritual force, instantly dissipating into a wisp of mist.

This time, a full five or six seconds passed before the interactive object's figure reassembled. She tilted her head, still looking at Yu Lian with a face full of confusion.

"Stop making such a fanatical expression on Fei Fei's face! Didn't the UI designer learn about facial expression management? If you keep doing this, I'll have to switch you to a human operator!"

"They weren't actually fanatical; it was just a textbook example of infectious facial expressions. Although it was a formula, at least the design was flawless. You were just venting your anger," Xiao Hui said, offering a fair assessment.

Fortunately, since she was a perfectly designed artificial intelligence with intellectual disabilities, she was neither happy nor sad. This "Feifei" then changed to a calm and kind expression, speaking softly and gently, as if she were a well-trained primary school teacher.

“You and Brunhilde both agree on this path. Your union will create the greatest era in the history of the galaxy. You don’t need to worry about the tragic ending of the last time.” She spoke before Yu Lian could: “Your understanding of the future is flawed, but this is only a possibility, a simulated world, not a conclusion.”

Well, so you know that's a virtual world line, then why did you insist on treating me like a member of the royal family? So even you, this artificially stupid one-dimensional person, have a limit to your flexibility, right?
"You are destined to ascend to the side of truth. An empire ruled by two gods in partnership will be the greatest vessel of civilization in history. You are destined to create all of this together, unite all human civilizations, and lead all civilizations into a new era."

Her whispers resonated on a spiritual level, painting a moving picture of rule, order, peace, and prosperity.

More importantly, this picture is dynamic. It unfolds in Yu Lian's consciousness, stretching towards the future.

She looked directly at Yu Lian, opened her arms, and smiled again: "You actually know that I don't mind sharing. I just want to see your happiness and see you achieve your dreams."

Yu Lian was momentarily dazed.

At that moment, the real Fifi, the Empress Iwenya whom she had met in the past, and Brunhilde whom she would meet in the future all overlapped in reality.

He saw the new empire he had created.

A unified flag, a unified civilization, a unified universe.

He dwells above the clouds, having long ruled over all the stars and races. Even so, he is by no means a lonely figure high above, bound by supreme power to endless solitude.

Fifi, Brunhilde, and even Annie all ascended to the realm of divinity alongside him. They were lovers, collaborators, comrades-in-arms, and fellow travelers.

They are loving themselves, helping themselves, and together creating a brilliant future that keeps moving forward.

However, before such grand fantasies could take over his mind, Yu Lian had already come to his senses. He wiped the corner of his eye, vaguely feeling a dampness, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Isn't it tempting?" Little Grey laughed. "Even I'm tempted. You should actually admit reality. Deep down, you also want to be a wise and powerful ruler. You're just afraid of being alone."

"You're right. Little Grey, you're right."

Yu Lian sighed, then immediately suppressed his smile. His eyes were sharp, still shining like the light of a newly born star, staring directly at the will of the Void Crown incarnate: "I refuse."

This time, Fifi, the avatar of the Void Crown, once again showed a clear look of confusion, shaking her head and saying, "Why? This doesn't make sense!"

“I already told you to make it smarter!” Yu Lian interrupted it again.

This time, he no longer concealed his psychic power, unleashing the storm of his spiritual structure without restraint. His will ignited countless sharp blades in the void, weaving them into a net that slicing through the illusory existence.

The Void Crown's interface shattered once more, even more completely than before. Amidst the scattering of light fragments, even the dimensional barriers seemed to exhibit chaotic noise.

The humanoid fragments attempted to reassemble, but Yu Lian's psionic storm continued to rage, constantly eroding the process.

To be honest, comparing mana bars with the Enlightened One's World Noble Phantasm is an experience Yu Lian has never had before, and he really wants to test the depths of the Void Crown.

The ethereal light and shadow struggled to coalesce several times, but failed to restore "Feifei" to her complete form. In the end, it could only barely maintain a blurry humanoid outline.

The blurry light and shadow began to recede, as if trying to blend into the illusory starry sky behind them: "I still don't understand, but I respect your choice. However, I will come back!"

Is this what you call respect?

Beneath Yu Lian's feet, obvious cracks appeared on the dark red ground of the dwarf planet.

However, the blurry light and shadow had long since dissipated, along with all the sense of other spaces created, or all the subjectively constructed visual information, all disappeared behind the edge of the dimension like the receding tide.

It disappeared into deep space, once again fading from all of Yu Lian's senses.

And so, the collapsing dark red rock, the battlefield nearing its end in the distance, the blurry ripples of starlight, and the cold, real vacuum of the universe once again dominated all of Yu Lian's senses.

Everything that just happened seemed like an illusion. An unpleasant dream.

Of course, there's also Little Gray, who never disappears. Miss Robot has always been a very reliable ally, good at keeping you company, and loves being with you.

Her figure slowly emerged beside Yu Lian, much clearer this time. She crossed her arms and looked Yu Lian up and down, with a hint of concern in her eyes.

Her image was actually a simulation, but Yu Lian never doubted her authenticity.

"It will definitely come back. However, thankfully, it won't force a fusion. At least not now."

"Really? Just now? And it will always come back."

"But if it never comes back, is that really what you want?"

"You've observed the future again?" Yu Lian tried to glean something from the robot's eyes, but ultimately found nothing.

Little Grey's smile was neither joyful nor sorrowful: "I have observed countless possibilities, but your ideal will always be there."

"It shouldn't have come back, but I was afraid it wouldn't. Now that it's here, then so be it."

"You're anxious and your mind is in turmoil."

"Because the stars were thrown into chaos first!"

Both the human and the robot seemed to sense an indescribable awkwardness, and they both stopped their trendy conversation. They stared at each other silently, as if preparing to kill each other with their eyes, but after three seconds, they both awkwardly turned their faces away.

"You're insane! You're a real cyber insane!" Yu Lian shouted.

"Well, you started it all, so how are they cooperating with you? I've seen right through you." Little Grey rolled its eyes with a charming and human touch, stomped its foot, and then disappeared again with a silky smooth motion.

Yu Lian took a deep breath of non-existent air, trying to calm his turbulent emotions. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, continuing to mobilize his boundless spiritual energy, letting it gently wash over his tired nerves and blood vessels like a stream.

His spiritual power also spread to the surroundings, guiding every cell to absorb the free energy diffused in the cosmic radiation.

For an eighth-ring psychic, these free-floating energies are everywhere, yet insignificant. But when placed within the infinite scale of the universe, they become infinite.

Yu Lian now roughly understands why the endurance of the Nine Rings "True Gods" is so incredibly strong. This must be what it means to absorb the essence of the sun and moon and live as long as heaven and earth.

Although he is not a true god yet, he has already been able to touch that mysterious feeling.

He longed to experience this natural way again, but soon, a rough and chaotic energy disturbance invaded his spiritual perception.

That was clearly the effect of a ship's engine, and it was an unconventional engine that had undergone green-skinned modifications.

Yu Lian opened his eyes and clearly saw two pirate ships anchored above the dwarf planet. He activated his heat source detectors and scanned the broken cracks on the planet's surface.

Yu Lian looked up at the pirate ship, a slight smile playing on his lips, as he let the detector scan him.

His gaze had traversed tens of thousands of meters, passing through the portholes of the pirate ship, and reached the horrified eyes of the pirates.

"By the spirit of the universe..."

"What exactly did I see?"

"It's a hallucination, it must be a hallucination!"

They acted as if some famous space ghost story had suddenly come true.

However, to be honest, it's quite reasonable for a normal person to have this reaction when they see a human wearing only a thin layer of clothing, standing on a dwarf planet in a vacuum.

Many people never see a few psychics in their entire lives, nor do they understand the power of high-ranking demigods and gods.

Yu Lian's spiritual sense continued to extend, quickly passing the two nearby pirate ships and reaching the edge of the battlefield, landing on a slightly cumbersome large ship behind them.

This pirate ship was clearly converted from a large industrial goods transport ship, and its design was somewhat bulky. The shield generators and turrets were also second-hand and assembled, densely distributed on the thick armor shell, making it look like a hedgehog that was impossible to bite.

This should be the flagship of this pirate group.

In the blink of an eye, Yu Lian's figure merged into the starlight gravity patterns. The next moment, he was already on the bridge of the pirate ship.

The group of ugly, fierce-looking pirates stared at the suddenly appearing Earthling, remaining dead silent for a full half minute before erupting into chaos.

Of course, a considerable number of people also wore expressions as if they were looking at God, which to some extent shows that their mental state is still salvageable. Congratulations!