"Bzzzt!"
The next moment, Irina completely lowered her soul defenses.
Capybara didn't hesitate any longer. With a single thought, he acted.
A dark-golden Soul Seal, infused with his Black Hole trait and far more complex and profound, slowly flew out.
It drew closer in midair to the purple-haloed Origin Mark of Irina's soul, which she had released of her own accord. The two intertwined, and finally...
Like a drop of water merging into the sea, they fused completely!
A strange sensation—as if their bloodlines were connected and their souls had merged—rose in both Capybara's and Irina's minds.
They could clearly sense the other's innermost being. A bond closer than anything they had ever known had been forged.
The contract was complete!
The Black Hole's pull vanished completely.
Irina hovered weakly in midair, her aura feeble. But when she looked at Capybara, there was no longer any resentment or hostility in her eyes.
Only a complicated, resigned obedience, along with the irresistible sense of closeness brought on by the contract.
"Master... Irina... pays her respects to her husband."
She lowered her head slightly, her voice gentle, tinged with the weakness and submission that came with having just signed a symbiotic contract.
Capybara looked at her and nodded in satisfaction. "Mm. From now on, you'll be called Xiao Yi.
Go over there and rest. Recover your strength."
He pointed to the broad back of the Golden Horned Beast.
Then he turned toward the livestream camera. (Babata thoughtfully zoomed in for a close-up.)
His mental power conveyed a clear thought, as if announcing it to the entire world:
"Did you all see that? The Zerg Hive has been dealt with.
The Mother Empress Irina is mine now. Earth is safe."
Silence.
Then came a worldwide uproar, as immense as a storm-tossed sea, mingling utter shock, disbelief, relief, and a bizarre sense of congratulations.
Earth's crisis had once again been resolved by this unpredictable capybara, in a way no one could have foreseen.
Every move had been broadcast worldwide through Babata's carefully planned livestream, which had left almost no blind spots.
Like the most thrilling TV drama, it was etched deeply into the hearts of billions of ordinary people around the globe.
At first, there had been nothing but extreme fear and shock. But as each threat was dealt with in a tangible, decisive way, their fear quickly turned into an overwhelming sense of security—and... something close to fanatical adoration.
Inside the War God Palace, as the leaders and powerful figures of various nations fretted over Capybara's unpredictability and the possibility that Earth's future might be "dominated by nonhumans," the public's mood had already undergone a dramatic transformation.
A survey released by an independent public-opinion agency showed that, after the Zerg incident, Capybara's support and approval ratings among ordinary people around the world had soared to an astonishing 80 percent or more!
His supporters came from every age group, social class, and region.
Among those who had once directly faced threats from the Beast Emperors, or who lived on the edge of the Zerg's shadow, support had climbed to nearly 90 percent!
Online, Capybara's fan base grew rapidly across social media.
They called themselves the "Capy Support Group" or "Lord Ye Xiu Guard."
They began making posters, video edits, and even fan works on their own.
Capybara riding the Golden Horned Beast, his imposing air as he casually turned monsters into "spicy strips,"
and his "domineering CEO" attitude when he signed the contract with Irina all became popular topics of discussion.
"Those bigwigs at the War God Palace have been holding meetings for decades. Besides making us hide in shelters, what have they actually done?"
"Look at Lord Ye Xiu! The Thunder Dragon Emperor? Swallowed! The Octopus Beast Emperor? Torn apart!
The East Sea Azure Dragon King? Eaten as spicy strips! The Zerg Hive? Wiped out completely! That's what getting things done looks like!"
"Lord Ye Xiu may not be human, but he's more 'human' than a lot of people! At least he keeps his word and follows through!"
"His demands aren't even that high. He just wants food and drink, and... uh, massages from pretty women.
That's so much better than those endless taxes and conscriptions!"
"Even the terrifying Zerg Mother Empress was brought under Lord Ye Xiu's control!
With him around, Earth is truly safe!"
"I'm starting to think those councilors at the War God Palace are only good for holding meetings and issuing orders. Lord Ye Xiu is way more reliable!"
Comments like these flooded every corner of the internet. The public's reasoning was simple and direct:
Whoever could provide tangible security was the one they could trust.
By contrast, the War God Palace's past helplessness in the face of top-tier threats,
along with its internal power struggles and inefficiency, was now magnified beyond measure.
The pressure on the War God Palace was unprecedented.
"We... seem to have been put over a fire to roast."
One councilor smiled bitterly.
"The public only cares about the outcome, not the process, and certainly not the long-term risks."
Another sighed.
"Perhaps... we really do need to change our approach.
Since we can't oppose him or keep him entirely under our control, then perhaps we should try to cooperate more closely, or even...
accept a limited degree of 'dependence.' That may be the most practical choice for now."
As arguments raged across Earth's internet over "whether Lord Ye Xiu is more reliable than the War God Palace" and "what lies ahead for Earth,"
while the War God Palace scrambled to figure out how to deal with this "supreme ruler" and ordinary people either worshipped him fervently or watched with apprehension—
no one noticed, or rather, Babata deliberately kept the relevant information hidden.
Deep within Mist Island, inside a secret launch bay belonging to the Meteor Starship,
a medium-sized spacecraft was quietly powering up. It had a sleek, streamlined design, a silver-black hull, and a cold metallic sheen.
Its style was completely different from the vessel the Golden Horned Beast had arrived in.
It was a spacecraft Babata had found in the Meteor Starship's inventory, built using Machine Race technology.
Not only was it exceptionally capable, it also had powerful stealth and disguise systems, making it an ideal vessel for space travel.
Inside, Capybara lounged comfortably in a custom-made seat that fit his body.
Several floating screens surrounded the seat, displaying complex star charts and information in the Universal Language.
"Babata, have you confirmed the route? How long will it take to reach the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's official administrative planet?"
Capybara pawed at a screen.
It showed a rough map of the Milky Way Galaxy, with the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's territory highlighted.
"The route is set. Using the spacecraft's built-in Dark Universe drive, we're expected to arrive in one month at Biyan Planet, an official administrative planet near Qiu Long Planet in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire."
Babata's voice came from the spacecraft's main control system.
"The Black Dragon Mountain Empire has official agencies there that handle the purchase and sale of star systems and planets, as well as the certification of their lords."
"One month? Not bad." Capybara nodded.
Interstellar voyages often took years, so one month was already quite fast. That was thanks to the Machine Race spacecraft's advanced capabilities.
"Master, are you really planning to... buy the rights to rule Earth?"
Irina asked gently, curiosity gleaming in her purple eyes.
Though she had signed the Soul Symbiosis Contract, she still retained her independent mind and intelligence.
"Of course," Capybara replied matter-of-factly.
"Earth may nominally be under my protection now, but as far as the universe is concerned, it's still an unclaimed planet.
It's classified as an 'undeveloped native planet' within the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's territory.
According to the rules, those Universe Countries and other powers can legally 'buy' or 'apply for' the right to rule such planets, and even the right to immigrate there."
He pointed to the information on the screen.
"In the past, Earth hadn't been discovered. Or, if it had, Teacher Hu Yanbo used the Space Secret Technique to conceal its coordinates, so nothing happened.
But now, there's been such a commotion. The Golden Horned Beast appeared, and the Zerg Hive was wiped out...
The surveillance networks of those major powers in the universe aren't just for show.
Earth's coordinates and unique qualities have probably already come to the attention of certain forces."
"Rather than wait for someone to come knocking and seize it through force or colonization under the so-called 'universal law,' I'd better make the first move."
Before you continue