Xiao Hei's Tribulation!

The King-class Battleship was built entirely from top-grade interstellar alloy. Dense runes covered its hull, which gleamed with a cold light. One glance was enough to tell it had cost a fortune. The Sirius Empire's aging ships could not compare; they were in a different league.

The three men leaped forward and turned into streaks of light, vanishing into the battleship like birds returning to their nest.

Inside the control cabin, Star God sprawled in the captain's seat with his eyes closed. "Lock onto the target's location. He was active near Checkpoint 66. Scan for his energy signature and pinpoint him."

"Yes, Captain." Yaksha's hands flew across the virtual displays as he operated the ship, his fingertips tracing streaks of light.

A moment later, a red dot appeared on a three-dimensional holographic projection. It marked Lin Ming's position and was moving slowly. Yaksha narrowed his eyes. "Target locked. He's heading northwest, but he's some distance away."

"Then catch up." Star God leaned back with his eyes still closed, his tone as casual as if he were discussing something trivial. "Move out."

Dazzling blue flames burst from the battleship's stern. The massive vessel shot skyward like an arrow, piercing the clouds and tearing through the air toward the distant red dot. Its speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, it vanished beyond the horizon.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away.

Lin Ming sat cross-legged in a deserted stretch of hills. Earthen mounds and sparse, withered grass surrounded him. A few low-tier beasts peered out in the distance, only to shrink back when they sensed the aura emanating from him.

He turned an ancient-looking Storage Ring in his hand, frowning in thought.

"Resources worth a billion Azure Coins. That's more than everything I accumulated in the Fire Phoenix Empire."