Chapter 497: We're going to assault the Ninth-Level Civilization!

Next,

A gray beam of light drifted down lightly from that giant eye.

The target wasn't Qin Hao.

It was the Star Sea King, reduced to a human stick and hanging midair, and the Truth Tribunal, whose logic core was about to collapse into gibberish.

This was to silence them.

"Tsk."

Qin Hao flicked his lips, the smile still on his face, and his right hand snatched violently at the empty air.

The data stream copied just now from the Star Throne spun wildly in his palm, instantly reassembling.

"Killing a patient in front of the attending physician is a serious medical accident; how could I keep my practice if this got out?"

He raised his hand and waved.

A transparent barrier made of countless irregular mirrors appeared out of thin air above the Star Sea King's head.

【Ninth-Level Technology·Causal Reflection Mirror (Modified Version)】

That gray beam representing annihilation struck the mirror.

The beam seemed to slide into a nonexistent bend, oddly refracting at a ninety-degree angle, then shot straight toward a barren star field hundreds of millions of light-years away.

Dozens of star systems in that direction, along with their asteroids and dust, vanished in an instant.

They disappeared cleanly, not a trace left, as if that region had always been void.

After that strike it ended, no further attacks came, and the giant eye disappeared.

The Star Sea King's ashen face instantly turned worse than a corpse's.

He trembled, his teeth biting his lips until they bled gold.

That was the power of apocalypse.

His superior, the lofty Lord of Apocalypse, truly wanted him dead.

Not only did they want to kill him, they wanted to erase every trace of his existence.

"Did you see that clearly?"

Qin Hao dispersed the causal reflection mirror in his hand, then slapped the Star Sea King's already distorted face like patting a watermelon.

"Your boss thinks you've lost face and wants to cancel your accounts. In other words, my benevolent doctor's heart forcibly dragged you back from the gates of hell."

The Star Sea King said nothing.

His gaze was hollow, only his body still trembling instinctively.

The collapse of faith hurts more than bodily torture.

"Alright, don't look like a newly abandoned bride."

Qin Hao pulled two thick, still-warm holographic data books from his pocket, the ones Qin Yue had just printed.

He shoved one into the Star Sea King's lap and slapped the other straight into the Truth Tribunal's flickering light sphere.

"These are your discharge summary and diagnosis report."

"Hold onto them, don't lose them. They detail the surgery just performed, including how much necrotic rule was excised, how much frenzied energy was drained, and…… how many unhealthy control weapons were confiscated."

The Star Sea King mechanically lowered his head.

The bold Song-typeface characters on the cover reading 'Yanhuang Universe Recovery Center Discharge Record' stung his eyes.

He opened the first page.

【Patient: Star Sea King】

【Procedure: Rule Hyperplasia Excision Surgery, Armament Removal Surgery, IQ Recharge Surgery (failed)】

【Post-op Issues: Suggest returning to factory for reconstruction.】

【Total Cost: 1 Star Throne (including all tech patents), 3 Ninth-Level Fleets, 30 Eighth-Level Fleets (already fully offset, non-refundable).】

Each word was like rubbing salt into his wound.

"This…… this is robbery……"

The Truth Tribunal emitted a weak electronic noise, like a radio with poor signal contact.

"Hey, how should I speak?"

Qin Hao raised his brow, pointing at the distant barren star field that had just been erased.

"That's killing. I'm saving lives, charging fairly, deceiving no one."

Having said that, he leaned close to the light sphere, his voice lowered, carrying a creepily persuasive tone.

"Besides, if you go back now, you're returning with work injuries. If you show up empty-handed, your boss will surely have you killed."

"Holding this medical record at least proves you tried; you became this wreck due to irresistible force. What is this? It's evidence for passing the buck."

The Truth Tribunal fell silent.

Although it felt logically off, if they didn't accept this setup, returning would truly leave them only a dead end.

Qin Hao watched the two, now completely subdued, and curled the corner of his mouth in an almost imperceptible arc.

The timing was right.

"Since you're being discharged, as a responsible doctor I ought to leave you something to prevent relapse."

He extended two fingers, two faint specks of light jumping at their tips.

That wasn't energy.

Those were two extremely obscure, highly complex logic code segments.

"Don't move; this is an anti-relapse vaccine."

Before the two could react, Qin Hao's fingers had already tapped the Star Sea King's brow and the Truth Tribunal's core.

There was no pain at all.

The two particles merged like water droplets into the sea, vanishing instantly into the depths of their souls.

That was a thought steel stamp.

A logic seed named 【Fear and Dependence】.

It normally does not activate.

But whenever the two faced the concepts of return to zero and destruction, the seed would quietly tell them: 【The Universal Alliance cannot save you; only the Yanhuang Civilization holds the sole path to survival.】

After they returned to headquarters, the seed would spread like a virus, subtly infecting those around them and even the vast Level 9 Civilization network.

"All right, the paperwork is done."

Qin Hao clapped his hands, turned around, and pursed his lips at the distant pile of scrap metal.

"Seeing Buddha off to the west, it wouldn't be right to make you walk back."

All that remained of the dismantled 【Stellar Throne】 was its skeleton, and the Truth Court's shattered 【Logic Scale】 floated over, swaying gently.

The exterior was still the same, looking quite intimidating.

But its core had long been hollowed out by Qin Yue.

"I've installed a new engine for you; it may not match the original, but it's eco‑friendly."

Qin Hao said with a smile,

"This is our Yanhuang Civilization's specialty Love Power Furnace—remember not to run it too fast, or it'll fall apart."

Actually, it's a simplified version of the 【Controllable Return-to-Zero Reactor】.

Not only is it a super bomb that can be detonated remotely at any time, it's also an eavesdropping device running at full power.

As long as those two drive this heap of scrap back to the Alliance headquarters, the entire Level 9 Civilization's internal communications become a live broadcast for Qin Hao.

"Get on board, you two."

Qin Hao made a gesturing invitation, "Don't keep your boss waiting."

The Star Sea King tremblingly crawled into the throne that was nothing but a shell.

He glanced back.

That man stood beneath the gorgeous starry sky, smiling like a devil.

"Go……"

The Star Sea King's voice hoarse, "Hurry…… go……"

Two flagships vanished in an instant.

"Everyone's got it!"

Qin Hao suddenly turned, raised his right hand toward the over three thousand newly surrendered civilization representatives behind him and the fully armed Yanhuang fleet.

"Those are our VIP clients! Set up a farewell ceremony!"

"Yes!!"

The prepared Xie Xi Ling pressed the launch key.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless beams of multicolored energy shot up into the sky.

This is not an attack.

It's a salute cannon meant to make noise.

The sky‑filling energy fireworks exploded in space, forming a huge line of common‑language text:

【Warmly celebrating the Star Sea King and the Truth Court's recovery and discharge! Welcome back next time!】

"This service attitude leaves nothing to be desired."

Qin Hao nodded in satisfaction.

Until those two ships completely disappeared from radar, the sky‑full of fireworks gradually faded.

The once bustling star field slowly grew quiet.

Xie Xi Ling led the group of surrendered civilization representatives, honestly parking the warship on the outskirts, each shrinking their necks, not daring to breathe.

That spectacle was a blast; now the show's over, it's their turn to face this Overlord.

Qin Hao's carefree smirk receded like a tide.

He turned his gaze, sweeping over his own children, over the fervent scientists, and finally rested on the Miracle Garden operating at peak capacity.

A weighty pressure like a mountain spread from him.

"The act is over."

Qin Hao's voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Did you all see that strike from the Lord of End?"

Qin Wu clenched his fists: "I saw it. It's strong—just a casual blow can erase rules."

"That's right."

Qin Hao lifted his head, looking toward where the giant eye had appeared, a flicker of cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Did we win this time, or win big?"

"But that's only because we hit them with an information gap and caught them off guard."

"If the Lord of End's true form descends, or the Universal Alliance launches all its forces… the present Yanhuang Civilization still can't stop it."

That suffocating pressure made everyone's scalp tingle.

The foundation of a Level 9 Civilization, after all, lies there.

"But……"

Qin Hao shifted his tone, flipped his palm, and the core data light cluster stripped from the Truth Court and the Star Sea King slowly surfaced in his hand.

"That was before."

Now the teaching materials are ready, the samples are ready, and even their secret codebook I have.

He clenched his fist tight, crushing that ball of light hard, turning it into countless streams of light that shot into the database of the Xuanyuan Sword.

Qin Yue! Qian Yin!

Here!

All computing power at full throttle! Let me analyze these ninth‑level technologies!

I will, within a week, replace all our shields, engines, and weapons!

Qin Hao's voice rang like a great bell, shaking the star river.

Since they don't want us to live, we'll change our way of life.

Notify the entire civilization and prepare.

This G‑37 branch is too small to hold us.

He suddenly waved his hand, pointing toward the direction in the depths of space that symbolizes supreme authority.

We will assault the ninth‑level civilization!