Departure, Time-Space Administration Bureau

Inside the imperial study, dragon saliva incense curled up from the gilded beast furnace, yet it could not soothe the tension and oppression permeating the air.

The green jade teacup in Hua Qiang's hand crashed onto the rosewood desk with a clang. Scalding tea splashed across the precious shark-silk memorials, spreading into large dark stains.

He stared fixedly at Yan Ruyu before him, whose expression was grave. His Adam's apple bobbed, but for a long while, he could not utter a word.

"Y-you mean it?"

Hua Qiang's voice was hoarse as sandpaper scraping together, and his knuckles had turned white from gripping too hard.

"Our universe is called the Desolation Universe, and every living thing in it... is merely 'livestock' raised by someone else?"

Yan Ruyu's pale fingers lightly stroked the Star-Pattern Jade Bracelet around her wrist. The faint glow flowing across it made her features seem all the colder and sharper.

She sighed softly and raised her hand, drawing a dazzling star map in the air. Countless points of light gathered like fireflies, outlining the contours of a vast galaxy.

"Young Master, do you know why our star domain has never been able to break free from the shackles of the Desolation Universe?

Why does an inexplicable 'Heavenly Path Cleansing' occur every ten thousand years?"

With a tap of her fingertip, a region on the star map suddenly lit up with a crimson radiance.

"Because this seemingly boundless galaxy is nothing more than a 'private pasture' under that great lord's name."

Hua Qiang staggered and braced himself against the desk, a chill creeping up the back of his neck.

He suddenly recalled the many years of anomalous phenomena recorded in the historical annals of the Heavenly Court.

The "meteor" that had inexplicably fallen a thousand years ago had actually