Over the next three years.
Qian Yu's life became exceedingly simple: find a base, destroy it, seize the resources, and leave.
Again and again, in an endless cycle.
KX-19, wiped out.
KX-23, wiped out.
KX-31, wiped out.
Kachi System Seventh Mining Planet, wiped out.
Cuilan Star Trading Post, wiped out.
Fire Phoenix Training Camp, wiped out.
A black-silver spacecraft, a young man in black armor, and a battle saber.
Over those three years, these few symbols became the nightmare of countless Fire Phoenix Organization members.
Everywhere he went, Qian Yu followed the same procedure: destroy the defense systems first, then unleash Space-Time Control, and finally swing his blade to reap lives.
From outer space to the planet's surface, from the first enemy to the last, the entire process was clean and decisive, never taking more than half an hour.
The administrators of those bases ranged from Cosmic Level First Stage and Second Stage at the start, to Cosmic Level Fifth Order and Sixth Order later on. He even encountered a tough Cosmic Level Ninth Order opponent once, but the outcome was no different.
Once Space-Time Control was unleashed, it did not matter what Cosmic Level stage they were at—they could not move at all.
With a flash of blade light, heads fell to the ground.
Qian Yu's strength became increasingly refined and effortless through actual combat.
Three years ago, his use of Space-Time Control had still been somewhat clumsy. The range in which he could freeze space was only a little over a hundred kilometers, and it could not last long.
But now, though he was still Cosmic Level Third Order, his Space-Time Control could cover a radius of three hundred kilometers.
His comprehension of the Law of Fire also improved steadily.
Though he was still far from fully mastering the Fire Origin Law, his control over flames had become increasingly exquisite. The saber techniques he used in conjunction with them were several times more powerful than they had been three years ago.
He had also taken his first steps into the Space Origin Law.
The only regret was that his cultivation remained at Cosmic Level Third Order.
It could not be helped. Cultivation required resources, and resources required money.
Though he had looted quite a few bases, most of their wealth existed in the form of supplies: energy blocks, crystal cores, materials, ores. Turning those things into cash took time, and time was what he lacked most right now.
However, Qian Yu was not in a hurry.
Three years were but the blink of an eye compared to the lifespan of a Cosmic Level powerhouse.
He had plenty of patience.
Over those three years, the Fire Phoenix Organization's response shifted from initial contempt, to growing concern, and finally to utter desperation.
At first, they treated it as an ordinary act of revenge and sent several patrol teams to hunt him down.
The patrol teams failed to even catch sight of Qian Yu's shadow, while two more bases were destroyed instead.
Then they began strengthening their defenses, dispatching more personnel, and even setting traps at some bases, waiting for Qian Yu to walk into them.
But with a sweep of his divine sense, Qian Yu noticed something was wrong and immediately turned around and left.
No matter how well a trap was laid, it was useless if no one stepped into it. Since Qian Yu would not take the bait, it was nothing more than a pile of scrap metal.
Later, they learned their lesson. Rather than passively defending, they took the initiative.
Headquarters sent out three Hunting Teams led by Domain Lord powerhouses to search throughout the Cui Lang Starfield for Qian Yu's whereabouts.
But the problem was that the Cui Lang Starfield was simply too vast.
Hundreds of star systems, countless inhabited planets, countless interstellar routes.
Trying to find someone deliberately hiding in such a vast area was no different from looking for a needle in the ocean.
Besides, Qian Yu never traveled along conventional routes.
After destroying a base, he would enter the Dark Universe and wander around at random, find some desolate star system to hide in for a few days, then emerge after the heat died down and continue searching for his next target.
Those Hunting Teams chased him for three years without even catching a whiff of his exhaust.
There was even one time when a Hunting Team received intelligence that Qian Yu had appeared in a certain star system and rushed there at full speed, only to find nothing.
After they left, Qian Yu turned around and destroyed a nearby base instead. He had played the trick of luring the tiger away from the mountain to perfection.
Over the past three years, the Fire Phoenix Organization suffered devastating losses.
According to incomplete statistics, more than thirty bases were destroyed, losses amounted to hundreds of billions of Ganwu Coins, and countless organization members died.
More than thirty Cosmic Level powerhouses alone had been killed.
This loss was enough to make the Fire Phoenix Organization's upper ranks bleed.
Yet they could do nothing about Qian Yu.
They could not beat him. Sending anyone below Domain Lord level was simply sending them to their deaths, while sending Domain Lords or stronger would not catch him.
They could not catch him either. Though Qian Yu's spacecraft was only C-class—yes, he had changed ships midway through—he never confronted pursuers head-on. He always struck and left immediately, never lingering for battle.
They could not defend against him, either. With Space-Time Control combined with the Ninefold Fire Domain, Qian Yu's offensive power was simply too terrifying.
Unless every base had a Domain Lord powerhouse stationed there, there was no way to stop him.
But how many Domain Lords did the Fire Phoenix Organization have in total? Aside from the eighteen directors, there were practically none. Even if they sent them all out, there would not be enough to go around.
And so the stalemate dragged on for three years.
Finally, the matter alerted the Fire Phoenix Organization's true leader, Pan Xi.
Beth Planet, Cui Lang Starfield. Fire Phoenix Organization headquarters.
Inside that magnificent giant palace, the atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.
Pan Xi sat high in the seat of honor, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed as his gaze swept across the trembling upper ranks below.
"Three years."
Pan Xi spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, yet it sent a chill down everyone's spine.
"In three years, thirty-seven bases have been destroyed, losses have exceeded hundreds of billions of Ganwu Coins, and more than ten thousand people have died."
His gaze settled on a Domain Lord director.
"And you led three Hunting Teams in pursuit for three years, yet you did not even catch sight of the man's shadow."
The Domain Lord director trembled all over. "Please calm your anger, my lord! That brat is simply too cunning. He never takes conventional routes. Every time, he wanders through the Dark Universe at random, and we have no way to lock onto his location..."
"Enough."
Pan Xi cut him off, a trace of impatience in his tone.
"A Cosmic Level Third Order escaped slave. Three years ago, I considered him a minor character and could not be bothered to deal with him myself. Who would have thought I was nurturing a tiger that would bring disaster upon us."
He fell silent for a moment.
"Pass down my order."
Everyone below immediately raised their heads.
"From today onward, issue a Bounty Order for Qian Yu across the entire Cui Lang Starfield."
"Any person or force that can provide Qian Yu's precise location will be rewarded one hundred billion Ganwu Coins."
"Anyone who can kill Qian Yu will be rewarded one trillion Ganwu Coins, along with one promise from my Fire Phoenix Organization."
"Anyone who can capture Qian Yu alive will be rewarded five trillion Ganwu Coins."
The moment those words fell, an uproar broke out below.
That bounty was already outrageously high.
"My lord is wise!"
The upper ranks answered in unison.
Only Pan Xi could make such an offer. With enormous wealth in his hands and money flowing like oil, he could afford a mere few trillion Ganwu Coins.
The news quickly spread throughout the Cui Lang Starfield.
For a time, countless eyes turned toward this starfield.
Lone wanderers, mercenary groups, bounty hunters, and even some small factions began to stir.
A Cosmic Level Third Order guy was worth five trillion Ganwu Coins?
This deal was worth taking!
At that moment, at the edge of a desolate star system somewhere in the Cui Lang Starfield.
The black-silver spacecraft floated quietly behind a dead planet.
Inside the cockpit, Qian Yu reclined in his seat, browsing something through the Virtual Universe.
Suddenly, one of his brows lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
On the Virtual Universe screen was the Bounty Order that the Fire Phoenix Organization had just issued.
"Provide his location, one hundred billion... kill him, one trillion... capture him alive, five trillion..."
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