We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

One day later.

Hundreds of thousands of meters above the ground, the Xihe Star Palace stands quietly not far below the thirty-six layers of gale-force winds, at the pinnacle of the world, just as it always has.

Although it has never been revealed to the public, the importance of Xihe Star Palace to the entire Great Xia Dynasty is self-evident.

Because Xihe Star Palace is not only the hub of the Zhou Tian Star Array, but also the place where all the Sun-level Dragon Gate martial arts prodigies are guided to the Dragon Gate and realize the Dragon Gate Transcendence.

At the same time, Xihe Star Palace also has another function.

However, at this time, although it was not the time to receive the Dragon Gate Seed at the Xihe Star Palace compared to ordinary times, the primordial energy of heaven and earth, the power of stars, and the scorching power of the sun on its surface had almost materialized.

The light and flames were so dazzling that they were impossible to look directly at.

It was as if they were undergoing some kind of special ritual, and in fact, that was indeed the case.

Inside a side hall deep within the Xihe Star Palace.

"...Based on the above information, Mr. Jiang, do you still believe that Great Xia will inevitably win in the future struggle?" A clear voice echoed in the antique-style side hall, which combined modern technology with modern aesthetics. The voice was indifferent and ruthless, like the voice of an emotionless artificial intelligence.

that's the truth.

Because of the excessive advancement of technology, if the sound is too realistic, it can easily blur the line between reality and illusion.

This leads to cognitive biases.

"Yes, I'm 100% sure." Jiang Yufan answered with a serious expression, her posture upright and her hands resting flat on her legs at a 90-degree angle.

His voice was relaxed and calm, yet filled with an unwavering belief in victory. His enunciation was clear and powerful, just as he usually was.

“Okay.” The ethereal voice continued, “Let’s move on to the next question, Mr. Jiang, are you willing to cooperate?”

"I'm willing, but please try to do it as quickly as possible if you can."

"Okay, thank you, esteemed Mr. Jiang. May I ask about your teammates..."

"You've already asked this question."

"Okay, thank you for the reminder." The ethereal voice paused for about a hundredth of a microsecond before moving on to the next question: "May I ask you..."

One question after another was asked, including those concerning privacy, which Jiang Yufan refused to answer.

As time ticked by, the question-and-answer session seemed to go on forever, and Jiang Yufan's tone grew increasingly impatient.

But the incredibly perceptive artificial intelligence acted as if it hadn't noticed anything.

Jiang Yufan was, if not completely in control, of this treatment, which resembled interrogation of a criminal; he was certainly used to it.

After all, this matter is just too big.

A mid-stage Moon Embracing Realm martial artist with the potential to reach the Divine Palace Realm, nine Sea Opening Realm martial artists, and Shen Bailian, who is hailed as the future light of the Great Xia Dynasty.

They all perished in this first batch of explorations into another world.

If this matter were to be fully revealed, it would be enough to cause a huge uproar throughout the entire Great Xia Dynasty.

Even a powerful expert at the Divine Palace Realm cannot simply veto the matter and let it pass by, let alone Jiang Yufan, whose martial arts realm is only at the Embracing Moon Realm.

And now, Jiang Yufan is not the only one being interrogated. In addition to those whose mental seas have been severely damaged and who are unconscious, Wang Yuwei, Wei Xin, and others are also being interrogated.

It was less of an interrogation and more of a test to see if the survivors had been corrupted by divinity and thus betrayed the cause, through a series of questions, big data analysis, and human intervention.

There is a factual basis for this, which may sound absurd, but it has indeed been proven through repeated practice.

Once a martial artist is infected by divinity, their behavior will change drastically, with most of the changes manifesting in their mindset and way of handling affairs.

For example, behavioral impairment leading to intellectual decline.

The gods never conceal their thoughts from all living beings. For example, when they say that humanity will perish, it is not just empty talk.

Rather, it refers to what is about to actually happen in the future.

The gods are like this because of their immense power, but the fallen ones, corrupted by divinity, do not possess the power to match their arrogant mentality.

Moreover, to be honest, most people who fall into depravity do so because they are temporarily out of options or due to extreme mental states.

This results in a situation where the corrupt are a mixed bag of good and bad.

Even the more intelligent of the fallen can sometimes make the mistake of being too clever for their own good, for example, by being too hasty or too calm...

Of course, Jiang Yufan understood that this was only one round of testing, and there would be many more rounds of review later on.

The central point of Xihe Star Palace.

Several A4-sized, ultra-clear light screen projections, like stars in the night sky, are scattered in every corner of the room, yet with an inherent order.

The images shown depict a group of martial artists being interrogated.

Other scenes depict the landscape of a sea of ​​nothingness, playing repeatedly at a thousand times the speed.

The scene depicted is of Jiang Yufan, Wei Xin, and other survivors being inexplicably attacked in the Sea of ​​Nothingness, as recorded by the black box on their helmets.

"Eh~"

Hai Ruyuan frowned, let out a long sigh, propped his head up with his right hand, and sat quietly in the chair, his eyes becoming increasingly cloudy.

The sun was shining brightly here, but his melancholy seemed to affect the surrounding environment, or more accurately, it changed the surrounding environment.

Compared to before, it has become much more desolate.

"How is the situation?" A three-dimensional projection, draped entirely in black robes and with indistinct features, suddenly appeared not far from Hai Ruyuan. The figure glanced at the interrogated survivors and said softly:
"Among these survivors, were any fallen ones found?"

"No." Hai Ruyuan shook his head, rubbing his temples with a headache. Suddenly, he felt an unprecedented pressure and collapsed wearily into the chair.

"But we're almost there on the timeline." The black-robed figure's voice betrayed neither sadness nor joy, for it was produced entirely through vibrations in the air, not by the mouth.

"The impact of this matter is too great. There's not much I can do right now, so you need to give me at least some useful information, otherwise I won't be able to explain myself."

From their conversation, it was clear that the person shrouded in black robes was also a powerful expert at the Divine Palace Realm, and held a high position in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Otherwise, he would never have shown such an indifferent attitude in front of Hai Ruyuan, the person in charge of the Great Xia Dynasty.

It's more accurate to describe the way colleagues interact than the way friends interact.

Furthermore, the figure shrouded in black robes used the word "交差" (jiāochā), which often refers to a subordinate responding to a superior's instructions.

A Divine Palace Realm expert is already the ceiling of power on the entire Earth Origin Star.

There are even higher-ups above them.

Given the current unified state of the Great Xia Dynasty, those who can be addressed as superiors by a Divine Palace Realm expert must possess either strength or corresponding political status. "Hmm, if that's the case, there is indeed something puzzling about this." Hai Ruyuan nodded, and with a slight thought, a light screen approached the two of them and rapidly expanded.

By the time it reached the two people, it had already shrunk to the size of a person.

The scene then played at a thousand times faster speed, finally stopping at the moment when the third martial artist at the Embracing Moon Realm completely perished, inexplicably crumbling into dust.

"I only want the result," the figure in black robes said calmly, sparing with his words.

"As you can see, it can cause a Moon Embracing Realm martial artist to suddenly perish, and turn into dust without the other two Moon Embracing Realm martial artists, including a top martial arts prodigy, not even noticing."

Can you do it?

“No.” The figure in black robes calmly shook his head and continued, “However, this does not rule out the possibility that he is a Fallen One. Hurry up and give your conclusion; we’re in a hurry.”

"Damn it, can't you change your temper?"

"If you have nothing to say, I'll hang up."

"Damn it!" Hai Ruyuan cursed abruptly upon hearing this. For someone who loved telling riddles, this reaction was like swallowing a bitter pill, leaving him speechless with grievances.

Looking at the impassive, black-robed figure, he could only say helplessly, "Only gods could accomplish such a thing, but..."

"But the warrior armor didn't give any warning, right?" Before Hai Ruyuan could finish speaking, the black-robed figure interrupted him.

"Don't respond to me!"

"Ok."

As a technological marvel of the Great Xia Dynasty, the Warrior Armor is an armament designed to amplify the combat power of warriors at the Sea Opening Realm. Naturally, it also has certain preventative measures against divine power/divine substances.

Of course, this preventative measure is merely an early warning, followed by a quick withdrawal from the battle.

It does not mean isolating oneself from the influence of divine power.

There is currently no technology capable of achieving this. Even for a powerful expert at the Divine Palace Realm, the only way to treat divine power, a slow-acting poison, is through painful, bone-scraping treatment.

Except for purified divine power/divine substances.

"Based on the original positioning of the general's armor," Hai Ruyuan's eyes flashed with a bright light, clearing away their cloudiness, and he continued:

"At that time, Jiang Yufan and others should have been at the Boundary Bridge. According to the existing data, the power of the Star Ring World's world will is not enough to deeply interfere with the Boundary Bridge."

"Even if there was an error in the data, since the Star Ring World discovered the identity of that Moon Embracing Realm expert, they killed him in one strike."

But surely the world's will of the Star Ring World wouldn't have discovered Shen Bailian and the others' identities?

After he finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the central control area.

"So, you mean that on Earth Star today, besides the divine favored ones and ferocious beasts, there is a fourth force?" The black-robed figure looked at Hai Ruyuan's current state and understood what he meant after a moment.

"Yes! That's exactly what I mean. And since the Star Ring World can have a World Will, and Earth Origin Star's energy level is higher than the Star Ring World's, why doesn't Earth Origin Star have one?" Hai Ruyuan said somewhat dejectedly.
"Gaia is estimated to have awakened consciousness and sided with the gods."

"Impossible!" The black-robed figure's answer was decisive, resolute, and extremely powerful, as if he had unwavering confidence.

Hai Ruyuan was stunned for a moment, but his expression remained unchanged, though his heart was filled with turbulent waves.

Why was the other party so certain that it was impossible? As a colleague of many years, he knew the other party's character well; he was always upright and incorruptible, and always had a sour face towards everyone.

"There's one more thing I need to tell you." The figure in black robes seemed to realize something and immediately changed the subject, saying calmly:

"Given your mistake, in order to quell the anger of Xiong Kuohai and Si Buhui, it has been decided that you will be temporarily removed from your position as the person in charge. The corresponding punishment will also be announced. Be prepared."

Although it sounds cold and ruthless, it is indeed the case.

Those powerful figures at the Divine Palace Realm, except for Xiong Kuohai and Si Buhui, felt great sorrow for the sacrifice of Wangchuan, Shen Bailian, and others.

But with more experience, you also...

The Great Xia still has nearly three billion citizens to protect, and an even more severe situation awaits in the future. One sacrifice cannot change the course of history.

Many more people sacrificed their lives in the process, which was a last resort.

Speaking of privileges?

The number of powerful figures in the Great Xia Divine Palace Realm, as well as those top martial arts prodigies in the Embracing Moon Realm who have broken through to the Divine Palace Realm, is unknown to the outside world.

I only know a lot.

The Great Xia Dynasty is in a peaceful era, not because there are no ferocious beast tides, but because there is a group of steadfast warriors who are carrying the burden forward.

For some, Shen Bailian's death was like waking up from a dream.

For the Great Xia, this was already a long-standing habit.

"It's all ready." Hai Ruyuan gave a helpless bitter smile, but within that smile, one could see a faint hint of relief.

……

Blue Star, Goryeo Kingdom, Cheorwon.

Boom! Boom! Rumble—!!!
The cannons roared, like an enraged beast opening its endless maw and spewing out scorching and deadly flames.

The trajectory of the shells ripped through the sky, leaving behind streaks of shocking white light, followed by deafening explosions, as if the whole world trembled at that moment.

The pungent smell of gunpowder permeated the entire battlefield, and the earth seemed to be torn apart by an angry god. Every inch of the land trembled, echoing the low murmur of death.

The sunlight struggled to penetrate this thick barrier, but could only cast dappled and dim light and shadow.

Amidst the hail of bullets, the simply dressed soldiers, upon seeing the steel behemoth approaching, did not cower and flee; instead, they rushed forward like moths to a flame.

Amidst the roaring flames, the giant beast lay sprawled out.

"Command post, command post, this is the front line in Tieyuan." A middle-aged man with a dark complexion held an extremely old-fashioned telephone in his hand, waiting anxiously. Before the call could be connected, all that was left was a series of piercing crackling sounds.

It is clear that communications have been disrupted.

"Damn it!" the middle-aged man cursed under his breath, about to unleash a string of profanities, when he called for the communications officer.

However, the next moment, he suddenly staggered uncontrollably and was pulled outside the shed. Feeling the pull on his arm, he saw a large-eared, lean figure behind him, and immediately became furious, cursing and swearing:

"Skinny monkey, you son of a bitch!"

But the next moment.

Whoosh! Boom!
As a dark shadow streaked across the sky, piercing through the thick barrier that even sunlight couldn't penetrate, it crashed down into the temporary command post where the middle-aged man had just been standing.

"Skinny monkey, I'll thank you for eight generations of your ancestors!" (End of Chapter)