Did Panxi Leave?

Time passed, but space was eternally silent. Chen Qing had been sitting aboard the spaceship for nearly ten years!

Thirty-six ripples of water drifted around Chen Qing, now merging and now separating. At last, they swayed around him like lotus petals.

Suddenly, the lights in the spaceship came on. The lotus petals around him trembled, then slowly drew together until they disappeared into Chen Qing's body.

"I can't keep comprehending this. I've already grasped the essence of water. If I go any further, the laws will recognize me!"

Chen Qing felt secretly relieved. Green Lotus was incredibly powerful. Although it was still growing and couldn't comprehend the laws on its own like a clone,

its roots were constantly connected to the Origin Land, allowing it to sense the fluctuations of the laws directly. Add in the guidance of the Chaos Stele, and it would surely feel amazing.

"Spirit Butterfly, what's going on?"

Chen Qing stood and stretched as he questioned his intelligent assistant.

"Master, the detector has spotted the target. He just left the asteroid cluster!"

"He left!"

Chen Qing's heart skipped a beat, but he soon relaxed. Ever since he'd learned about the greeting last time, he'd realized he was being a little oversensitive.

His genes hadn't changed, and Quake Seal hadn't improved much. Although he was now a fifth-level Domain Lord, even with the boost from the laws, he still wasn't confident.

On the lawn of the Nine Star Bay manor, Chen Qing lay on the ground, holding Jiang Fang and Yao Rao on either side of him as they quietly enjoyed a peaceful moment.

Over the years, thanks to Green Lotus, Chen Qing had only woken up a few times, so they'd naturally had little time together.

Fortunately, neither woman was the childish type. Sister Fang was always the perceptive, mature big sister, while Yao Rao occasionally acted coquettish, mostly to tease him.

The three of them often lay together, sharing what had happened around them or discussing their latest insights.

From the two women, Chen Qing had also learned about the recent situation. Things had been fine for the first few years. They hadn't made many moves while waiting for Luo Hua to put his plans into action.

A few years ago, the frequent moves by Chen Qing and his two elder brothers had dealt heavy losses to Fire Phoenix's slave trade. Many people began to suspect that powerful enemies were targeting the Fire Phoenix Organization.

Rumors spread everywhere. Plenty of people joined in to take advantage of the chaos, which also made things easier for Luo Hua.

Especially after Krachi approached Pinghai Company. No one knew what kind of hint he'd received, but Fire Phoenix itself had joined the uproar. Now all sorts of unsavory characters had come out of the woodwork.

It seemed Panxi had been dragged into it too. But as long as he wasn't running away, Chen Qing wouldn't worry too much. Judging by the Fire Phoenix Organization's growth, Panxi wasn't the kind of man to give up so easily!

Finance was Luo Hua's battlefield, and it had little to do with Chen Qing and the others. All they needed to do was focus on cultivation.

Hong and Thor were still at the fourth and sixth levels, respectively, but their progress with the laws had been considerable.

Unfortunately, they were both focused on higher laws and had chosen the most difficult path. Without secret techniques to guide them, it was hard to say how far they'd get.

Jiang Fang and Yao Rao were at about the same level, both hovering at the second level. The good news was that they'd mastered the seventh form of the Basics, though they still felt their domains were just a little short.

But they had plenty of time and were under no pressure. They could just take it slow.

"Fourth Brother, why are you just like Third Brother? You disappear for years at a time!"

Before they even came through the door, Thor's booming voice rang out. The others quickly got up to greet him.

"Don't get me started. I woke up from a nap and found my prey had left. I was afraid you'd get into trouble, so I hurried over to warn you."

Thor curled his lip. "I don't see you hurrying anywhere. Don't think I don't know when Yao Rao and the others came online!"

Chen Qing chuckled. "Panxi only just set out. We've still got plenty of time."

Then he turned to Hong, who had been watching from the side. "Big Brother, how do you plan to handle this?"

"If he's coming, let him come. Luo Hua has already taken one cut. Now, while the market is in turmoil, he's buying low and selling high.

"We can use this time to rest and take stock of what we've gained. But once things settle down, we can't let it drag on for too long!"

Chen Qing felt reassured. Sister Fang had mentioned the same thing earlier, but Luo Hua estimated that it would take at least ten or twenty years for the turmoil to die down.

The main reason was that Fire Phoenix was such a tempting prize. Plenty of people were waiting to fish in troubled waters, so Panxi would probably be busy this time.

Once he stabilized Fire Phoenix, he'd likely go vent his frustration. That would be when his guard was down.

By that reckoning, Chen Qing had at least ten years. But he couldn't keep waiting. Plans never kept pace with change, and who knew what unexpected trouble might crop up?

Drip Water Planet was Li's territory within the Fire Phoenix Organization, as well as a famous den of extravagance in the Cuilang Star Sector. The people who came and went were all wealthy and influential.

No one knew how many skeletons were buried there. The air was thick with desire all day long.

"Li, how are things looking?"

Eighteen people of all shapes and sizes sat in a luxurious conference room. They were the directors of the Fire Phoenix Organization.

Li was in charge of business. Hearing his boss's question, he quickly stood.

"Boss, our slave trade has been hit pretty hard. But based on our investigations, the attacks seem to be aimed mainly at four Universe Levels!

"Unfortunately, we haven't received much information each time. All we know is that there are two men and two women, and we don't know their races or appearances.

"But judging by how quickly they respond, they must have a lot of people working for them. It may not be a grudge; there's a greater chance they were hired."

"What about the other areas?"

"Those are mostly fine. We've used this wave of turmoil and the greed of those World Lord forces to finally expand our trade.

"Going forward, the organization's public-facing businesses will grow. The risk is relatively high, though. If things go wrong, we may waste our efforts and lose a lot of resources."

"Hmph! As long as we protect the slave trade, who devours whom remains to be seen! A lot of people have forgotten the bloodshed of those days!"

Panxi wasn't concerned. He'd just have to kill more people. His progress had slowed more and more over the years, so this was a good chance to get some exercise.

"It's been so long. Have the mercenaries behind this really revealed nothing?"

Buffen cautiously glanced at his boss. He'd been stationed on Cuilang Planet for a long time and was usually responsible for this sort of thing. It seemed he couldn't avoid it now.

"Boss, the situation is a complete mess. We've been able to rule out the major powers, but other people have deliberately spread false leads. Our investigation has turned up nothing, so we can only ask you to take charge!"

"Useless!"

Seeing Buffen flinch, Panxi was pleased with the force of his presence, but didn't continue berating him.

"What about the Seventh Prince?"

"Boss, the Seventh Prince left a few years ago. We don't know when he'll return."

Buffen answered even more carefully, afraid his boss might suddenly lash out.

"But I asked his servants. It was just a routine visit, and there's a record of it in the past, so he probably wasn't involved!"

Panxi nodded without speaking. He looked around, then let his gaze fall on another person.

"Krachi, what's going on with that Virtual Universe branch company?"

Krachi laughed confidently. "Don't worry, boss. We've baited the hook well. They just don't want to deal with us because of their reputation. For now, they've got their hands full with the financial situation!"

"Good." Panxi nodded, then rose like a mighty lion. "Then let's teach these jackals a proper lesson."