"Hahahaha! I finally did it!"
Three thousand meters beneath the surface, Huosi stared at the dark gate before him and couldn't help laughing.
He had spent a great deal of time revising his earlier research. Now, he had finally produced a working result.
A gate stood before him, covered in complex patterns. It looked like a magic array, yet somehow different.
Just moments ago, Huosi had finally succeeded in connecting to another Material Plane.
In the Magic Universe, this was an unprecedented feat, because even a Chief Sovereign couldn't do it.
That was because the universe itself did not allow the laws of space to exist.
And yet Huosi had done it. He had successfully transformed this universe.
To make sure there were no problems, he had sent two Saint Realm experts through the gate to check the other side.
They had confirmed that the gate led to a Material Plane called the Bailun Plane.
The portal had appeared on a remote island. They had flown to the mainland, made a few inquiries, and hurried back.
"You two can go get some rest."
Suppressing his excitement, Huosi spoke, then quickly spread out his divine sense.
"Adkins, Airlock, Salanna, Alsop, Pulixier, Brent, come see me at once!"
In an instant, Huosi's voice rang in everyone's mind.
The gods were all taken aback when they heard his message, then immediately put aside their work.
Over the years, they had all worked for the Federation, and things had gradually settled into a routine.
Lord Huosi had his own work to do most of the time and rarely met with them.
Even when he did, he met with one person at a time. He had never summoned them all together before.
Everyone hurried as fast as they could. This was the first time Lord Huosi had summoned them all, so something major must be happening.
"Time to get ready to set out for another Material Plane."
Huosi took a deep breath and murmured softly.
The Federation was about to enter an entirely new era.
"Before we begin the meeting, there's something I need to make clear."
In the underground chamber, Huosi looked around at everyone and spoke with a grave expression.
Every god-level expert in the room wore a solemn expression and remained silent.
"Please, go ahead, my lord," Adkins said first.
"Just tell us, Lord Huosi!"
"That's right, my lord!"
The others spoke in turn after Adkins.
Huosi exhaled and spoke gravely:
"What I'm about to tell you is a huge secret. Once you learn it, you'll be bound to me completely. So you can choose to leave now. If you go to a Divine Plane, we may never meet again. If you choose to stay, swear an Overgod oath now, pledging eternal loyalty to me and promising never to betray me!"
"Of course, I've never been stingy with my own people. If you swear the oath, you'll become my true confidants and loyal followers, and you'll receive rewards accordingly."
The others looked startled when Huosi finished speaking. Only Adkins remained unfazed; he had sworn the oath long ago.
As the first among Lord Huosi's subordinates, Adkins had long since decided to dedicate everything he had to him.
Ever since Lord Huosi had saved the two of them all those years ago, that sacred figure and the glance he had cast back at them had remained etched in Adkins's heart.
That was why, many years ago, he had sworn before the Overgod to serve Lord Huosi forever and never betray him.
Apart from Adkins, the others exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of hesitation in the others' eyes.
To be honest, they had all grown stronger to some extent during their time with Lord Huosi.
On the one hand, scientific research had given them a wealth of knowledge. Each of their divine artifacts had been enhanced, and this had also given them new ideas for understanding the laws.
Airlock in particular had greatly refined his techniques by applying some of those ideas.
The more they learned about science, the deeper they wanted to delve into it. Even if they were told to leave the Federation now, they wouldn't want to.
On the other hand, Huosi had also given them some specially made divine artifacts. They weren't as well-equipped as Adkins, but the artifacts were still a great help.
But swearing eternal loyalty was an entirely different matter. An Overgod oath was the highest-level oath in the Coiling Dragon Universe, and even a Chief Sovereign couldn't break it.
Once they swore, everything they had—including their lives—would be decided by Lord Huosi. If he treated them like slaves and gave them no reward at all, there would be nothing they could do.
Until now, their relationship had been more like that of an employer and employees: the employees worked, and the employer paid them.
If they swore the oath, they would become absolutely loyal death warriors, with no room to turn back. Whether they received any pay would depend entirely on their employer's mood.
If they swore today, they would become Huosi's personal property. If he wanted them dead, they would die at once.
If Huosi wanted them to work day and night without rest and give them no compensation, they could only put up with it.
However, while the others were still hesitating, Airlock was the first to make his position clear:
"I, Airlock, hereby swear before the Overgod that from this day onward, I will serve Lord Huosi forever and never betray him!"
Seeing the others look at him in surprise, Airlock spoke calmly:
"After spending so much time with him, I trust Lord Huosi's character. I believe he wouldn't treat me like a slave. Besides, whatever he's about to tell us is so important that there must be enormous benefits behind it."
Airlock saw things clearly. On the one hand, he had great faith in Huosi's character. On the other, he had realized something from Huosi's words just now.
The fact that Lord Huosi had suddenly said this meant that the operation ahead would bring exceptionally great rewards.
The gains would be so substantial that Lord Huosi wouldn't dare take even the slightest risk, which was why he was making them swear.
If that was the case, then anyone who joined in was bound to reap enormous rewards.
After Airlock finished speaking, the others exchanged glances. They all understood his reasoning, and one after another, they spoke up.
"I, Salanna..."
"I, Alsop..."
"I..."
Once the last person had finished swearing, they all turned their eyes toward Huosi.
"Good. Trust me—you won't regret the decision you made today."
Huosi nodded with satisfaction. He hadn't been surprised. Then he continued:
"After all this time studying, you should have developed your own understanding of science, and you should know how much it consumes in resources and energy."
"If I were to make a complete copy of the battle armor I'm wearing for every one of you, it would nearly drain the entire plane dry."
"So, for now, I'm the only one with this super armor. But gathering resources and developing our forces on a Divine Plane would be dangerous."
They all listened and nodded firmly. They had all experienced that for themselves.
They weren't capable of making battle armor, but when Huosi had made a battle-armor gauntlet, the resources and divine power it consumed had left them dumbfounded.
"But now, we have another option: going to other Material Planes."
Huosi looked around at them and spoke softly.
"Huh?"
Everyone in the room was taken aback. For a moment, they didn't understand what Lord Huosi meant.
They understood the words "go to other Material Planes" in a literal sense.
But didn't they have to go to a Divine Plane first before they could reach another Material Plane? Was this even possible?
"Not long ago, I successfully developed a space portal that connects to another Material Plane."
Seeing their expressions, Huosi knew what they were thinking. He smiled faintly.
"What? Another Material Plane?"
Adkins shot to his feet, then thought of something and forced himself to sit back down, suppressing his shock.
"And this is only the first one. My plan is to use space portals to bring one Material Plane after another under our control. With the support of these material resources, we can develop science further, until we leave even the Divine Planes in awe..."
Huosi launched into an impromptu sales pitch.
Of course, even knowing that some of it was a sales pitch, the others were still excited.
That was because this promise wasn't an empty fantasy. It was a hope grounded in reason and evidence.
"Now, pass on the orders. The Federation will begin a full-scale mobilization. In three months, the Federation's first Expeditionary Army will depart!"
As the God-Level Council's orders went out, the Federal Council began a continent-wide mobilization, and every department sprang into action.
Planes took off and landed one after another. Trains on every route ran day and night without stopping.
At the temporary forward base, food, clothing, and other basic supplies were transported from warehouses, along with weapons from the various munitions factories.
The military's most elite several hundred thousand troops gathered as quickly as they could. If there had been any other countries left on the continent besides the Federation, they would have been scared stiff.
During this time, Huosi had kept busy as well. He had specially arranged for several special reconnaissance units to go ahead to the Bailun Plane and conduct a thorough investigation.
Preliminary findings showed that the plane was about the same size as the Yulan Plane, but it had a vast ocean covering more than seventy percent of its surface. The remaining thirty percent was divided between two continents.
Each continent was home to a god-level expert, and the Plane Guardian was a Lowgod.
Of course, that was only what they knew on the surface. There might be hidden experts, but Huosi felt that this intelligence was enough for now.
The Federation on the Yulan Plane began preparing for its expedition. Meanwhile, on the Bailun Plane, at Chiyan Mountain—
Crimson light flickered in bursts as white mist rose and formed a barrier.
Deep within the magma, a golden palace stood, radiating an imposing presence.
A black-robed man sat inside the palace, stroking an adorable golden kitten in his arms.
At first glance, it looked like a heartwarming scene—if you ignored what the kitten was thinking.
"Damn it! Damn that Alikui'en! He turned me into a cat! Ah!!!"
Before you continue