In the Dark Universe.
A streamlined, silver-white spaceship traveled at several times the speed of light.
Before his departure, his father-in-law Kevin had not only refused the Universe Coins Lu Qingshan tried to return, but had instead given him a Machine Race D-class spaceship.
Machine Race technology far surpassed that of human spaceships of the same class. An ordinary D-class ship was worth as much as a D9-class human spaceship, enough to trade for hundreds of inhabited planets.
This gift was truly a weighty one.
Considering the long journey to Ganwu Dojo headquarters, this high-class spaceship would save considerable time, so Lu Qingshan had not declined.
However, he kept this kindness in his heart. Even if his father-in-law sought nothing in return, he would certainly pass this favor on to his younger brother-in-law Kerry in the future.
"Nasus, how much longer until we reach Illusory Color Star?" Lu Qingshan looked at the image of a black dog's head on the main control screen.
"Master, at our current speed, we are estimated to arrive at Illusory Color Star in twenty-six hours."
"Maintain speed." Lu Qingshan closed his eyes.
The journey to Ganwu Dojo headquarters was long, and he planned to temper his disciple Lei Ming along the way. Illusory Color Star was their first stop.
Beside him, Lei Ming, who had already learned the news, gripped his Startling Thunder War Blade tightly, fierce fighting spirit blazing in his eyes.
Time slipped silently away amid the streaming lights of the Dark Universe. The spaceship began to decelerate, and when its speed dropped below light speed, the view outside the windows suddenly brightened.
"Nasus, activate the exterior simulation."
The main screen switched instantly.
Directly ahead, a dreamlike planet came into view.
This was Illusory Color Star.
Cyan, blue, purple, red... countless brilliant streams of light intertwined like flowing ribbons, wrapping the entire planet in an immense rainbow robe of light, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Illusory Color Star..." Lu Qingshan murmured. It was truly a pity that such a beautiful planet had been occupied by fiends.
The spaceship pierced the atmosphere unimpeded. The planet's feeble air-defense system could do nothing to stop it and could only sound shrill, piercing alarms.
That was only because they had not concealed themselves. Had Lu Qingshan wished to hide, this D-class Machine Race spaceship could have slipped in without a sound.
Upon entering the planet, Lu Qingshan's immense spiritual power instantly swept over the entire world like an invisible tide.
A moment later, he spoke. "The intelligence was accurate. One Star Level eighth-stage warrior, one Star Level sixth-stage spirit reader, and one Star Level third-stage warrior. The rest are at the Planetary Level, several hundred of them."
"Teacher, leave them to me!" Lei Ming's gaze was resolute.
"Go." The hatch slid open, and Lu Qingshan watched his disciple leave.
Having absorbed the life force remaining within his body, Lei Ming had stabilized his strength at the Star Level sixth stage and had even touched the threshold of a domain.
With his strength, he was not without a chance against a Star Level eighth-stage warrior. But the enemy also had Star Level allies, especially that spirit reader, who was enough to change the course of the battle.
And this was precisely what Lu Qingshan wanted.
Without the pressure of life and death, how was this any different from training in the Killing Field?
Although he had said he would not interfere, his figure had already silently merged into the void, keeping a distant lock on the battlefield.
His disciple Lei Ming was his money tree. If it truly came to a life-or-death moment, he would rescue him without hesitation.
Illusory Color Star, the central manor.
The manor was luxurious and sprawling. A three-eyed man in black robes had his arms around two trembling women of the Colorful Shell Race, teasing them without restraint. The women endured the humiliation, not daring to resist in the slightest.
The piercing air-defense alarms suddenly rang out, tearing through the manor's decadent music.
A figure flew over at speed, his expression grave. "Modi, someone has forced their way in!"
"What?" Modi violently shoved aside the women in his arms, his face ashen. "Illusory Color Star is territory we purchased legally. Who dares force their way in? Aren't they afraid of being wanted by the empire?"
Since the three of them had discovered and purchased this native planet, this was the first invasion they had encountered.
"Who cares who they are!" A vicious gleam flashed through Liying's eyes. "Kill all intruders without mercy. We must make sure they come here but never return!"
"Hmph!" Modi gave a savage laugh, the scarlet war blade in his hand humming.
Both men instantly soared into the air.
They had just reached the sky when a powerful surge of Origin Force erupted a thousand kilometers away.
"This is bad! That's where Third Brother is!" Their expressions changed drastically, and they shot away as streaks of light.
But in the end, they were a step too late.
When they arrived, all they saw was the headless corpse of a Star Level third-stage warrior lying on the ground. His hideous head had rolled to one side, its eyes wide open, unable to close in death.
Not far away, a one-horned youth holding a war blade watched them coldly. The blood dripping from his blade's tip looked especially glaring beneath the rainbow light.
"Star Level sixth stage?"
"You've got some nerve, daring to kill my brother!"
"Brat, who are you? Why did you force your way onto Illusory Color Star and strike such a vicious blow?"
"Whoever you are, you're definitely dying today!"
Lei Ming's appearance put Modi and Liying on their guard. They did not fear someone at the Star Level sixth stage, but for him to have barged straight in, his spaceship had to be at least C2-class.
Liying's Spiritual Force instantly spread out, covering a thousand-kilometer radius and carefully probing every inch of space.
"There's no one else!" Liying's voice traveled directly into Modi's mind through his Spirit Power.
"He's alone? A mere Star Level sixth stage-how dare he!" Modi burned with rage.
Lei Ming snorted coldly. "Stop searching. I'm the only one here. If you can't kill me, you'll be the ones to die!"
Before his words had faded, Lei Ming burst into motion. The ground beneath his feet exploded, and he turned into a bolt of lightning that tore through the air, the Thunderclap Blade in his hand aimed straight at the spirit reader Liying.
"A tier-three Force Weapon! Liying, be careful!" Modi warned sharply.
"Hmph, let me see what he's worth!" Liying remained completely composed, rapidly retreating as thirty-five blood-red flying knives appeared out of thin air, each as thin as a cicada's wing, their edges gleaming with cold, dark-blue light. With piercing whistles, they blanketed the sky as they shot toward Lei Ming!
Each flying knife carried tremendous force, enough to pierce the defenses of an ordinary Star Level fighter.
"Nine Thunder Blades, Third Form!" Lei Ming roared. Dazzling lightning burst from the Thunderclap Blade in his hand, and an intensely condensed azure blade light swept outward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A dense succession of explosions merged into one.
Sparks flew as all twenty-five flying knives were knocked away by this ferocious slash.
Yet under the guidance of Liying's powerful Spirit Power, the flying knives instantly regrouped in midair. All thirty-five merged into a giant sword a hundred meters long, which cleaved viciously down at Lei Ming's head.
Clang!
Lei Ming held his blade horizontally to block. An immense force surged from the blood-red giant sword, forcing a muffled grunt from him as even the air beneath his feet erupted in sonic booms.
"Nothing special. Die!"
Modi's savage laughter sounded behind him.
A bloody blade light slashed viciously toward Lei Ming's back like a blood python choosing its prey to devour.
Boom!
Unable to evade, Lei Ming took the ferocious slash squarely on his back. Fortunately, his Origin Force battle armor blocked it, and he only spat out a mouthful of blood, but the tremendous force sent him flying violently away.
Yet another unexpected turn occurred.
As he flew backward, Lei Ming forcibly twisted his body in midair at an uncanny angle. Borrowing the impact of Modi's slash, he accelerated instead of slowing and shot toward Liying once more.
Nine Thunder Blades, Fourth Form.
Lei Ming let out a roar.
The Thunderclap Blade gave off a piercing crackle as its violent lightning instantly compressed and condensed. At the same time, a purple halo suddenly appeared within three meters of Lei Ming.
"What is that?"
Before he could react, the purple halo passed through Liying's mental barrier without any obstruction and, beneath his horrified, despairing gaze, slashed viciously through his neck.
Splurt!
Blood shot skyward, and a head flew high into the air.
The giant sword formed from twenty-five flying knives lost the support of Spirit Power and instantly disintegrated, clattering to the ground.
"Liying!"
Modi's eyes widened in disbelief. He had thought his sneak attack had succeeded, only to end up bringing about Liying's death instead.
The three brothers had ruled this region, yet in the blink of an eye, two had been slain, leaving him alone.
"You little bastard! I'll cut you into ten thousand pieces!"
Modi went completely mad.
The third, vertical eye on his forehead snapped open.
(End of chapter)