An Uninvited Guest in the Universe! Lying in Wait to Ambush the Nolan Mountain Family's Ship!

The word "Master" came from the depths of their souls, spoken with genuine sincerity. Lin Yuan had long since become a "god" in their eyes; disobeying his orders was simply unthinkable.

The only thing they could hope for was that Lin Yuan, their master, would treat them well. Otherwise, their miserable lives would have no light left in them.

Their access rights were changed, and the slaves were transferred. With a single "ding," 43.7 billion Black Dragon Coins were gone. Lin Yuan didn't feel the slightest pang at the expense. To others, it might have seemed like an astronomical sum...

But to Lin Yuan, it was merely startup capital. What did Black Dragon Coins matter? Their best use right now was to buy means of immediate combat power.

"Pleasure doing business. If you need anything else, just let me know. I'll make sure you get the best discount!" Wula chuckled, then turned and left.

"Come with me," Lin Yuan said to the 2,036 slaves.

"Yes, sir!"

All 2,036 slaves answered in unison, their voices booming.

Lin Yuan's personal vessel, the Starship, was a peak C-class spacecraft with a spacious interior, just large enough to accommodate the two thousand or so slaves.

Luo Feng hadn't bought any slaves this time, mainly because he had no vehicle to transport them back to Earth. He could return for another trip once the Black Dragon Mountain x81 was operational.

When they reached the control room, Lin Yuan said, "Ika, take us back."

"Yes!"

The Starship, top-level control room.

A vast holographic screen reflected the dazzling river of stars.

Lin Yuan gazed at it in silence, with four figures radiating terrifying auras standing behind him.

These four were the only Star Level Nine powerhouses among this batch of slaves. They might have been little more than cannon fodder in the universe, but on Earth today, they were nuclear weapons capable of suppressing everything.

The other two thousand Planetary Level Nine slaves had been assigned to the lower decks, where the other Star Level slaves were supervising them.

Lin Yuan turned around, his gaze sharp as a blade as he looked over the four of them one by one.

One was a towering giant, three meters tall, with stone-gray skin.

One was a graceful woman with cat ears and a tail.

One was a sinister-looking man with a third eye in the middle of his forehead.

And one was a red-haired young man whose entire body radiated heat.

"You all had names before, right?" Lin Yuan said calmly. "But here, your past is like drifting clouds. From today on, you'll go by the names I give you."

The four shuddered and immediately bowed their heads respectfully. "Please grant us names, Master!"

Lin Yuan's gaze settled on the rocky giant, a member of the Mondo Race, renowned for his strength and defense.

"Mondo Race, your name is Baron."

Next, he looked at the Shadow Cat Race woman, gifted with tremendous speed.

"Shadow Cat Race, your name is Setsuna."

Then came the Three-Eyed Race man, skilled in Spiritual Force.

"Three-Eyed Race, your name is Dia."

Last was the Yante Race youth, who commanded the power of fire.

"Yante Race, your name is Yan Jin."

"Thank you for granting us names, Master!" The four cried out in unison, their voices touched by a hint of barely concealed excitement.

In the world of slaves, receiving a name personally bestowed by one's master meant they were no longer mere expendable tools. It meant they had a chance to become trusted confidants.

Lin Yuan looked at them, deep in thought.

He knew how to manage people. Control Chips alone weren't enough. If he wanted them to fight at two hundred percent of their potential, he had to give them hope as well.

"Don't thank me just yet."

Lin Yuan's voice grew low and enticing. "I know what you're thinking. Slaves are the lowest of the low in the universe. But you're lucky to be following me..."

The four looked up sharply, uncertainty flashing in their eyes.

Lin Yuan gazed through the porthole at the boundless starry sky. "I'm still a fledgling and need you to be my wings. But in time, when I soar and rule the universe..."

He turned around abruptly, fixing the four with a blazing gaze. He spoke each word distinctly:

"If you remain loyal and earn enough merit, then the biological Control Chips in your brains—I will personally remove them!"

Boom!

The words exploded like a bomb in the cramped control room!

Baron, Setsuna, Dia, and Yan Jin—Star Level powerhouses who had struggled through the Killing Field and long since let their hearts die—stared wide-eyed. They breathed rapidly, their bodies trembling!

Remove the chips? Regain their freedom?

This was a hope no slave had ever dared to dream of!

No race in the universe was willing to be enslaved. It was a humiliation carved into their bones. And now, this mysterious and powerful master had actually made them a promise?

Even if that promise seemed impossibly distant, even if it might be nothing more than an empty promise...

It was the only light in the darkness!

Thud!

All four dropped heavily to their knees at almost the same time. This time, they struck their foreheads against the floor with such force that even the deck trembled faintly.

"Your subordinates will shield you with our lives! We'll brave fire and water for you, and never hesitate to die in your service!"

Their hoarse cries were filled with unprecedented fervor.

Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction and casually waved a hand. "Go. Rest and recover until you're back in peak condition. I'll have a use for you soon."

"Yes!" The four withdrew respectfully, hope burning in their eyes.

"Yes!" The four withdrew respectfully, hope burning in their eyes.

The Starship sped through the Dark Universe at an astonishing pace.

Nine days passed in the blink of an eye.

The spacecraft had already reached the corresponding coordinates in the Milky Way Galaxy and exited the Dark Universe. Yet now the Starship was circling endlessly through a stretch of empty space like a lost fly.

"So this is the Space Secret Technique Hu Yanbo left behind?"

Lin Yuan frowned at the error data flickering across the screen.

"Don't rush!"

Babata's voice rang in his mind. "This was crafted by my Immortal Level master. Even though tens of thousands of years have passed, it's not something you can enter so easily.

"Follow my instructions. Turn left thirty degrees and accelerate... That's right, there. Cut through the node!"

Under Babata's precise guidance, the Starship circled for a full five minutes before finally spotting the flaw in that faint ripple in space.

Whoosh—

It was like passing through an invisible film of water. The empty view abruptly opened up, revealing a beautiful blue planet floating in the distance, radiating a captivating glow.

They had arrived at Earth!

"Ika." Lin Yuan activated the spacecraft's intelligent system.

"Ika is here."

"From today onward, activate full-spectrum stealth mode and monitor all activity within a million kilometers of Earth in real time. If any unauthorized spacecraft approaches, report it to me at once."

"Understood! Monitoring network deployed."

As the silver-gray spacecraft pierced the atmosphere, a familiar presence washed over them.

After returning to Earth, Lin Yuan didn't choose to enjoy life in a bustling Base City.

He made a brief stop in Jiangnan Base City, placing some of the Planetary Level slaves in key positions as hidden sentries. Then he took his four trusted subordinates and the main force straight to Mars.

Mars, this desolate red planet, became Lin Yuan's new training ground.

It was deserted, free of all the concerns he faced on Earth. Here, he could unleash his power without restraint and become more familiar with the Void Behemoth Clone, growing stronger alongside it.

As for Earth, although Lin Yuan was nowhere to be seen, his legend was everywhere.

The senior leaders of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall and the Thunderbolt Martial Arts Hall had sensed the emergence of a terrifying undercurrent on Earth.

A group of unfamiliar powerhouses, absurdly strong, whose auras alone occasionally left the Wargods trembling with fear.

In the past, Hong and Thunder God might have investigated them to the bitter end, perhaps even demanding to know where this force had come from.

But now?

Once they learned that the force belonged to Lin Yuan, everyone tacitly chose to keep quiet.

No one dared ask where Lin Yuan had found more than a thousand Councilor Level powerhouses, much less who those thirty-two figures even more terrifying than Hong were.

That was the deterrent power of absolute strength!

Life and death lay in Lin Yuan's hands.

Besides, from every angle, Lin Yuan was using this force to build an impregnable defense around Earth. As long as he didn't destroy the planet, he was Earth's guardian.

The days passed in an atmosphere that was both strangely peaceful and quietly tense.

Lin Yuan honed his blade techniques amid the sandstorms on Mars. The Sun God Weapon and the Golden Horned Beast evolved furiously underground, while Earth steadily developed in peace.

Until...

One day, three months later.

Mars.

Lin Yuan was meditating with his legs crossed when he suddenly opened his eyes. At the same time, the Optical Computer on his wrist blared a piercing red alert!

"Warning! Warning!"

"Unknown flying object detected entering the Solar System's alert zone!"

"Comparing spacecraft models... This is a scout ship from the Nolan Mountain Family!"

Lin Yuan slowly rose to his feet, red Martian dust swirling around him. He gazed into the depths of space as a trace of icy killing intent surfaced.

"So you've finally arrived?"

"..."