Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Earth's situation had settled into a delicate calm, with undercurrents of turmoil beneath the surface.
The Taotie invasion had not stopped, but they seemed to have temporarily reined in their aggression, as if waiting for something.
After a brief period of rest, Xiong Bing Lian had once again thrown themselves into intense training and the suppression of regional conflicts.
At the command center aboard the Juxia, General Dukao's brow remained furrowed.
Pan Zhen had come after all.
The Guardian God of Lieyang Civilization had not gone directly to see the "culprit" behind the incident, Mr. Si Yao. Instead, he had quietly arrived aboard the Juxia and appeared in Dukao's Office.
There was no grand procession or deliberate show of pressure. Pan Zhen simply stood there calmly, clad in ancient Dark Gold Armor. His expression was composed, and his eyes were deep as an abyss, yet he exuded an imposing aura that made one's heart tremble.
"General Dukao." Pan Zhen's voice was calm and emotionless. "Regarding further support for the Black Great Wall Project, I think we need to reassess things."
Dukao's heart sank.
Here it came. The thing he had feared most had happened after all.
Pan Zhen had not brought up Xuan Tian Ji directly. Instead, he had started with the Black Great Wall. That put Dukao under even greater pressure than a direct accusation would have.
It meant Pan Zhen was elevating this matter to the level of strategic cooperation between civilizations.
"I regret what happened to General Xuan Tian Ji," Pan Zhen continued, still speaking in an even tone. "He acted rashly and offended someone he should not have. He brought this outcome upon himself."
It sounded as if he was admitting fault, but Dukao did not