A Complicated Situation

Super Seminary, Command Center.

Data and survivor interview records from Huang Village scrolled rapidly across the Giant Electronic Screen, and the atmosphere was extremely grim.

"General, we've more or less verified the situation." Lianfeng stood before the console, her voice tinged with weariness and disbelief. "About a third of Huang Village's residents... have been confirmed missing. No bodies or signs of large-scale combat were found at the scene, only a small amount of... unidentified residue resembling damage from strong acid."

She tapped the controls, projecting several blurry photos taken by survivors on their phones onto the main screen.

The images faintly showed the outline of a woman with enormous Mechanical Wings on her back and exaggerated makeup, suspended in the air.

"According to the survivors' consistent accounts, an Alien Woman wearing heavy, unconventional makeup descended from the sky. Afterward, some villagers underwent physical mutations and became... monsters." Lianfeng paused, then added, "This closely matches the records in our Database about the Demon Civilization turning people into low-tier demons."

Dukao frowned deeply as he stared at the blurry figure on the screen. "Can we identify her?"

"The Energy Fluctuation Characteristics are an extremely close match for known high-ranking demons." Lianfeng brought up another set of data. "Based on her ability to transform large numbers of humans, our preliminary assessment is that the one who descended was very likely... the Demon King, Morgana herself."

A subdued gasp went through the Command Center.

Morgana! She was a terrifying presence that had waged war against the Angel Civilization for tens of thousands of years. Her personal arrival was undoubtedly a sign of impending disaster for Earth.

"But what's strange is..." Lianfeng changed tack and switched the display. Several survivors' faces, still pale with shock, appeared on screen, their accounts clearly transcribed beside them.

"After the demons appeared, a white-haired man in black, who was exceptionally handsome, stepped forward. After that, all they remembered was a blinding flash of White Light. When they came to, the demons, the mutated villagers, and the White-haired Man had all disappeared. Only the empty streets and a handful of ordinary villagers who'd survived remained."

"The White-haired Man..." Dukao mused. "Was it Si Yao?"

"The probability is over ninety percent," Lianfeng replied with certainty. "The time, location, and appearance all match. Given the Precognition Ability he displayed earlier, he very likely foresaw the demons' arrival and then... intervened personally."

Dukao paced across the Command Center with his hands clasped behind his back, deep misgivings written across his face. "It doesn't make sense. Based on our previous encounters, Si Yao is extremely indifferent to Earth Civilization—he could even be said to look down on us. He called us monkeys and said our Life and Death had nothing to do with him. Why would he step in to deal with the demons? It doesn't fit his behavior."

Lianfeng nodded. "There is a contradiction. But there are a few possible explanations. First, the Demon Civilization's extreme disorder and aggression may have crossed some bottom line of 'order' that he represents.

"Second, Morgana's arrival itself may have interfered with or threatened some of his plans on Earth—or his rest.

"Third, perhaps this was something he foresaw and a step that he had to handle personally."

She paused and pointed to a key point in the analysis report. "Whatever his motive, one fact is very much in our favor: Huang Village was spared."

Dukao stopped and looked at her.

Lianfeng explained, "If the one who came really was Morgana, and Si Yao clashed with her, then judging by the usual destructive power of a God-Tier battle, not just Huang Village but the entire region could have been wiped off the map. But in reality, aside from the villagers who were transformed and then disappeared, most ordinary people and the main buildings in Huang Village were left unharmed. That can only mean one thing."

Her voice held a note of admiration. "The scale and destruction of the battle were strictly contained within an extremely small area. Si Yao... kept the situation under control. He has the ability and... the willingness to precisely strike his targets in a God-Tier clash without harming the innocent."

Dukao fell silent. He walked up to the Giant Electronic Screen and studied the survivors' accounts of the "White-haired Man" and the "blinding White Light," his gaze deep and contemplative.

Though this Ancient Great God spoke harshly and had little regard for Earth Civilization, his intervention had objectively prevented an even greater disaster.

Moreover, the control he had demonstrated showed that, unlike the demons, he wasn't wantonly reckless or indifferent to life.

Dukao gazed out the window. The city lights glittered in the night, but they could not dispel the gloom in his heart.

Lianfeng's analysis made a great deal of sense. But for that very reason, he felt even more powerless.

Earth, a civilization that had yet to leave its cradle, had already been swept into the center of the vortex of the God-Tier Game.

"Your assessment is accurate," Dukao said in a low voice without turning around. "But our previous encounters have already shown that Si Yao is deeply wary of us—he could even be said to... despise us. Lena's rash involvement and our surveillance last time have probably brought the relationship to a freezing point. Approaching him again carries a high risk."

Lianfeng stepped forward and stood beside Dukao, analyzing the situation calmly. "General, the more strained the relationship, the more we need to communicate. Si Yao may be cold, but by intervening this time, he objectively saved more lives on Earth. That in itself is a signal we can interpret: he isn't absolutely chaotic and evil. We don't need him to become an Ally. We just need to make sure he doesn't become our enemy—and perhaps, at a critical moment, that some sense of order or a bottom line will prompt him to restrain other God-level Forces."

She paused, then proposed a specific plan. "I'm the best person to handle a formal, technical exchange. We could start by discussing the Pangu Civilization and Divine Power Encoding, fulfilling his earlier request for information about this era, while also trying to learn more about the demons. Or..."

Lianfeng looked at Dukao. "We could send Qiangwei."

Dukao turned to her, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Qiangwei has spent the longest time with him. They've had six months of initial contact. Though Si Yao still speaks from a position of superiority, at least he hasn't shown the utter contempt for her that he has for ordinary people on Earth," Lianfeng explained.

"Perhaps, in Si Yao's eyes, Qiangwei's Super Gene Activation has taken her, to some extent, beyond the category of uncivilized monkeys. Having her approach him unofficially and on a more personal level to sound him out might work better than formal diplomatic language."

Dukao fell into thought.

Civilizations visited by the demons rarely escaped destruction.

If the Angels intervened in time, they might preserve a spark of life. If they came too late, it meant the end of the civilization.

The situation Earth now faced was far more complicated than expected: the vanguard invasion by the Taotie, the Angels' sudden arrival, the Demon King's personal descent, and this Ancient Old God whose allegiance was impossible to judge and whose power was a mystery...

With the Super Seminary's current strength, even with Sun Wukong on their side, maintaining a balance in the coming God-Tier Game would be a struggle.

Sun Wukong was powerful, but even he couldn't fight several opponents at once—especially when those opponents belonged to God-Tier Civilizations whose technology far surpassed Earth's.

"We need information, General." Lianfeng's voice carried a note of urgency. "We need to know where Si Yao draws the line with the demons and what information he gained from fighting Morgana that we don't have. More importantly, we need to do everything we can to prevent God-Tier Units from fighting without restraint on Earth. The control Si Yao displayed may be exactly what we need to rely on... even if it's only a matter of mutual use."

Dukao's gaze finally hardened. He looked at Lianfeng. "You're right. We can't sit around and wait. We'll pursue both plans at once. First, try to approach him in your capacity as the Super Seminary's technical director and let him know we're willing to exchange information. Be a little more conciliatory. At the same time, have Qiangwei prepare. If the official channel fails, she can approach him in a personal capacity."

He paused, then added gravely, "Tell Qiangwei that this mission is extremely important. Her goal isn't to persuade or recruit him, but to gather as much intelligence as possible and try to establish a channel for emergency communication... in case a God-Tier Conflict breaks out. Earth can't withstand too many God Wars."

"Understood. I'll make the arrangements right away." Lianfeng nodded and quickly left.

Dukao turned his gaze toward the window again. The night was deep.

Dealing with an unpredictable Ancient Old God was like bargaining with a tiger.

But to ensure the survival of Earth Civilization, they had no choice but to take the risk.

They could only hope that the "order" in Si Yao's heart might have at least a sliver of common ground with Earth's basic need to survive.