Chapter 204: Declaration of War

October 12, 2125. A spindle-shaped spaceship pierced Earth's atmosphere like a meteor, hovering above the original urban circle.

"We are the delegation of the Nine-Star Civilization, representing the will of the Seventh Imperial Prince. Who is the leader of Earth Civilization?"

The huge voice transmitted from the spaceship, causing everyone below to instantly look up.

However, the words from the spaceship's loudspeakers were in the Universal Language of the Cosmos; only a minority among the Earthlings below could understand.

Suddenly—

A streak of light flew to the front of the spaceship, transforming into a tall, thin bald man who spoke indifferently, "The delegation of the Nine-Star Civilization? My lord invites you to come down and speak."

The spaceship opened, and a group of people wearing white robes, hoods, and golden masks disembarked.

The lead ambassador sized up the tall, thin bald man but could not discern his true nature; even the highest-grade detector on his person failed to probe the other's life level, leaving him somewhat surprised.

"Could it be a treasure or secret art from the Previous Civilization?" the Nine-Star Civilization ambassador thought to himself.

The tall, thin bald man merely glanced at the Nine-Star Civilization delegation, then used telepathy to transmit a message to Lin Qing, "My lord, this delegation from the Nine-Star Civilization consists of only Primitive Divine Priests. They have some special technological devices on their persons but pose no threat."

"No need to worry. There was never any necessity for negotiation anyway; just listen."

Inside the vast, bright hall.

Lin Qing sat in the main seat at the top of the hall, leaning lazily against the sofa chair. Looking down at the Nine-Star Civilization delegation, he spoke, "The legendary Level 1.9 civilization, facing our weak planet civilization of Earth, actually sent a delegation to negotiate. Truly unexpected."

"You are that Earth genius, Lin Qing?"

The lead ambassador looked up at Lin Qing, nodded slightly, and said, "Indeed, you have already become a Star Being. I heard you cultivated for only a few years and already possess the strength of the Sixth Layer of the Yu Xingyuan. Truly impressive."

He looked around, "I heard the leaders of Earth Civilization are Qi Lingxiao, Chu Hongjun, and Yi Leina Duo. We come representing the will of the Seventh Imperial Prince. Do those three only send you out to receive us?"

"I am the leader of Earth," Lin Qing said calmly.

"You?" The ambassador sized up Lin Qing, puzzled, "Those three actually elected you as the leader of Earth?"

Lin Qing glanced at him and retorted, "Is the Seventh Imperial Prince's strength the strongest in the Nine-Star Civilization either? Can he represent the Nine-Star Civilization?"

The ambassador frowned slightly, then spoke loudly, "In that case, let us discuss the main matter. This time our delegation came by order, which is also Earth Civilization's luck. Originally, once Earth opened, it would face the fate of destruction, but the Seventh Imperial Prince is benevolent and willing to give you a chance."

"Oh?" Lin Qing raised an eyebrow slightly.

The ambassador tilted his head back slightly and said, "As long as you agree to the Prince's three conditions and sign the contract, the Prince is willing to resolve your grudge with the Yuan Chen Civilization for Earth Civilization and can also guarantee Earth Civilization's continued development."

"Speak," Lin Qing said, looking at the delegation below.

"The conditions are simple."

The ambassador said, "First, you, Qi Lingxiao, Chu Hongjun, and Yi Leina Duo, the four of you, must become the Seventh Imperial Prince's household retainers, sign the contract, and henceforth be loyal to the Prince and obey the Prince's will."

Lin Qing said calmly, "Continue."

The ambassador continued, "Second, all treasures obtained by Earth from the Previous Civilization ruins must be handed over to the Prince. If there are treasures the Prince does not need, they can be returned to you."

"Hmm..." Lin Qing nodded slightly and asked, "And the third?"

"Third, henceforth you may continue to live on Earth. The Prince will also dispatch troops to garrison Earth, and what you need to do is continue exploring Earth's Previous Civilization ruins to retrieve all the treasures the Prince needs," the ambassador said.

Lin Qing glanced at him and asked, "Just these conditions?"

The ambassador smiled and said, "Indeed, only these conditions. The Seventh Imperial Prince is benevolent, generous, and has a heart that tolerates people. Even though your Earth Civilization is weak, the Prince is willing to recruit you. You only need to give up some treasures that do not rightfully belong to you, solve all current troubles, and become subjects of the Nine-Star Civilization's Imperial Prince."

Speaking to this point, he sighed, "Such a fortunate event is rare even in the universe. In the future, you must work hard for the Prince to repay the Prince's grace."

His manner of such lamentation left Lin Qing somewhat stunned.

This ambassador of the Nine-Star Civilization seemed to think this from the bottom of his heart, truly believing these conditions were Earth Civilization's fortune, as if it were some tremendous good deed.

Indeed, in their eyes, the day Earth opened was the day of civilization's destruction. At this time, this Imperial Prince proposed these demands. Although it turned them, these Earth strong ones, into cattle and horses, it could indeed save Earth Civilization.

What household retainers... isn't it just because they can explore Earth's treasures that they want them to be servants?

"Four copies of the Four-Star Contract, the Prince has already prepared them."

The ambassador smiled, "You should be fortunate. Only a noble identity like the Prince's can obtain such precious Four-Star Contracts. Without the contract restrictions, you would not even have this opportunity to be loyal to the Prince."

He flipped his hand, taking out a stack of contracts emitting a strange aura, and said, "The contracts are here. Let those three come together to sign."

"Sigh..."

Lin Qing suddenly sighed, slowly shaking his head, "Should I say this is the common disease of high-level civilizations? So arrogant, yet so foolish."

"Hm?" The ambassador's eyes changed, "What do you mean?"

He had thought these ignorant Earth natives might refuse, but not to the point of tearing off the face and insulting them to their faces!

"Pitiful worm."

Lin Qing glanced indifferently at the Nine-Star Civilization delegation below, then, as if swatting away a fly, casually waved his hand.

"Boom!"

In an instant, a violent dark-gold energy exploded fiercely, raging like a storm and tsunami, surging wildly. The terrifying energy rolled straight over, crushing the Nine-Star Civilization delegation.

"You... No!!"

The ambassador's eyes were filled with utter horror. Merely feeling this terrifying power, he knew his meager strength and high-tech devices were meaningless against such might!

He could not understand... How could an Earth native who had cultivated for only a few years, estimated to possess only the strength of the Sixth Layer of the Yu Xingyuan, unleash such terrifying power that could kill him with a wave of his hand?

He could understand even less how this Earth native dared to tear off the face and kill the Seventh Imperial Prince's delegation of the Nine-Star Civilization!

The Seventh Imperial Prince's conditions clearly brought life to Earth, yet these stupid Earth natives not only refused but also made an enemy of the Seventh Imperial Prince?

However, he had no time to think about these problems; under the sweep of the terrifying power, he had already completely turned to nothingness.

"Clean and tidy. Very good."

Lin Qing looked around the empty hall and revealed a slight smile.

"Killed them all?" Yi Leina Duo appeared in the hall, frowning slightly, "Negotiations between two sides, slaughtering the envoys... isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Lin Qing smiled and said, "Nothing inappropriate. They weren't here to negotiate in the first place."

"It was destined to tear off the face anyway; indeed, there was no need to disguise it." Chu Hongjun also appeared in the hall and said, "According to the plan, to anger the Seventh Imperial Prince, slaughtering his delegation is indeed a good method."

Qi Lingxiao also strode in boldly. He did not care about these things requiring brainpower; he merely looked at the intact hall and exclaimed, "Lin Qing, your strength is really becoming more and more outrageous. Just now, such a strong power explosion occurred, yet you could control it so precisely, completely without damaging this hall?"

This great hall was salvaged from a starship; its material is merely Fifth Tier, unable to withstand even the power of the Yu Xingyuan's eighth layer.

Yet the power Lin Qing unleashed with that single wave of his hand had already reached the level of the Yu Xingyuan's eighth layer, yet it only annihilated the entire delegation without damaging the great hall at all.

"I've only made a little progress within the Void Great Tomb," Lin Qing said, shaking his head slightly.

Just now, he had unleashed a fraction of the World God's power, but withdrew it before forming a World God body.

In the past, he would not have been able to control such vast energy with such precision.

But after integrating a drop of the Void God Clan's bloodline and developing it to its limit, his control over energy had strengthened significantly.

The Void God Clan was, after all, the master of cosmic energy. "My lord."

A group of intelligent puppets entered the great hall, and the silver-haired woman at their head spoke respectfully: "We are ready. When shall we begin?"

"My avatar is about to finish the Divine Office Trial," Lin Qing said. "Once my avatar returns, we will commence the operation."

His gaze swept across, the corners of his mouth curling slightly upward as he said: "This operation... shall be called the 'Mars Cleanup Plan'."

Mars.

Amidst the boundless wind and sand, the colossal rotating fortress still hung majestically in the sky, slowly turning.

Inside the ancient and mysterious hall.

"Your Highness, the delegation should have already arrived on Earth."

No errors, one sentence, one release, one content, one view!

The red-haired middle-aged man said: "But some stubborn hard bones among those Earth natives fear they will disappoint Your Highness's goodwill."

The Seventh Imperial Prince, seated cross-legged on the platform, glanced at him and said with a faint, mocking smile: "Karl Lei Si, no need to test me. I know you would rather annihilate Earth civilization to cut off future troubles and, conveniently, avenge yourself, correct?"

"I cannot hide it from Your Highness," the red-haired middle-aged man bowed his head slightly. "I simply do not understand. With Your Highness's power, sweeping away Earth civilization is a trivial matter. Even with a Qi Lingxiao at the Yu Xingyuan's ninth layer, there is no threat to Your Highness. Why give them a chance?"

The Seventh Imperial Prince laughed, retorting: "Have you ever seen a civilization ravaged by war?"

"Of course I have," the red-haired middle-aged man nodded.

"Then you should understand that these humans, unable to resist a higher civilization, will willingly serve as laborers as long as they have a mouthful of food and can sustain their lives. No superior conditions are needed; merely the most basic survival threshold. Why abandon such cheap labor?"

The Seventh Imperial Prince said: "The Earthlings should be very clear that once Earth opens, they face the crisis of annihilation. At this moment, with just a trivial condition, they will serve me loyally and become my faithful servants. Why kill them?"

He glanced at the red-haired middle-aged man. "Moreover, those few on Earth are indeed talents. Even waste can be reused; how much more so these talents?"

The red-haired middle-aged man fell silent for a moment, then said: "I fear these Earth natives harbor treacherous intentions."

"Having signed a Four-Star Contract, do they still have room to resist?" The Seventh Imperial Prince sneered. "Even the Ancestor of my Nine-Star Civilization and my Imperial Father could not become Four-Star Cosmic Citizens; they could only purchase standardized contracts through a Two-Star Civilization. Do you think these natives could become Four-Star Citizens?"

The red-haired middle-aged man said in a low voice: "Your Highness speaks the truth."

"Rest assured, that Lin Qing will hand him over to you as agreed," the Seventh Imperial Prince said casually. "Once you reclaim your eye then, kill him or do whatever you wish."

"Thank you, Your Highness," the red-haired middle-aged man immediately replied.

"Widen your horizons and broaden your mind," the Seventh Imperial Prince glanced at him. "In a moment, I will have my new servants kneel and apologize to the dead of your Yuan Chen Civilization. Do not hold a grudge."

Just then, a message was transmitted via the Second Cosmic Network.

The Seventh Imperial Prince smiled and said: "The delegation's report has arrived. Let us see... hmm?"

His expression suddenly changed, then became extremely ugly and gloomy.

"Your Highness? What is wrong?" the red-haired middle-aged man asked in confusion.

"Good, very good."

The Seventh Imperial Prince laughed in extreme anger, his aura exploding completely as he gritted his teeth: "These base Earth natives are truly arrogant! They dare to kill my delegation? Seeking their own death? Good, very good. Then I will let them be utterly annihilated... No, I will use a gene virus to reduce Earth civilization to the most base slaves!"

Hearing this, the red-haired middle-aged man was greatly shocked: "The Earthlings killed Your Highness's delegation?"

As an Imperial Prince of a Nine-Star Civilization, his delegation represented his will and his face!

Even if negotiations failed and the delegation's terms were rejected, it would not be a major issue, but daring to kill the delegation meant completely tearing off the mask of diplomacy!

"Your Highness."

The masked guard behind the Seventh Imperial Prince said in a low voice: "Please calm your anger. Earth still has over half a year before opening. We can annihilate it then."

"Hmph." The Seventh Imperial Prince's eyes were filled with cold fury. "These half-years cannot let these vile Earth natives live comfortably. Immediately gather all personnel on Mars, select suitable individuals, provide them with disguise equipment, and let them infiltrate Earth."

He then ordered: "Additionally, have the Seventh Department prepare top-level biochemical weapons. Before Earth opens, I want these lowly races on Earth to die out completely!"

"Yes."

At the command of an Imperial Prince of a Nine-Star Civilization, personnel stationed across Mars gathered.

On the vast crater plain, the wind and sand filling the sky for thousands of li had completely vanished, cleared by an invisible domain.

On the ground beneath the Nine-Star Civilization fortress, hundreds of thousands of beings had assembled, each at least a Primordial Lifeform, with hundreds of Star Lifeforms among them.

The Seventh Imperial Prince stood on a platform extending from the fortress, looking down at the crowd below, his face cold, his voice echoing across the plain—

"I am the Seventh Imperial Prince of the Nine-Star Civilization. This time I have come to the Solar System and stationed here. Our purpose is the same as yours: waiting for the day Earth opens."

"Originally..."

"I had no intention of troubling a weak planet civilization. I was willing, adhering to the ideals of benevolence and peace, to give Earth civilization a chance for survival. Today, I even dispatched a delegation to Earth for peace talks and offered generous favorable conditions."

"But unfortunately... my cherished heart of peace and benevolence has ultimately been defiled."

The Seventh Imperial Prince's voice grew increasingly cold: "That person's name is... Lin Qing."

"As the leader of this lowly Earth civilization, he not only defiled the ideals and vision of peace but also slaughtered my Nine-Star Civilization's delegation!"

"This is an insult and trampling upon my Nine-Star Civilization!"

The Seventh Imperial Prince looked down at the crowd below, his voice filled with cold fury echoing across half of Mars: "As the Seventh Imperial Prince of the Nine-Star Civilization, I hereby declare war on behalf of my Nine-Star Civilization against Earth Civilization! A bounty notice is issued to all Earth humans: we will provide equipment and rewards until this vile civilization is... utterly annihilated!"

"Utterly annihilated!"

"Utterly annihilated!"

"Total annihilation!"

His voice, amplified by the spreading energy, echoed above Mars; the pervasive killing intent seemed ready to transform into a rage that would burn the stars to ash.

Just then—

"Voom..." An invisible wave suddenly spread out, instantly blinding everyone's Second Universe Network login devices.

"Boom!!!"

Immediately following, boundless dark-gold energy exploded violently among the crowd below, as if a terrifying great sun had appeared; under the terrible energy impact, countless people turned to nothingness in that instant!

Then, an incomprehensibly huge palm condensed in midair and slammed down toward the Seventh Imperial Prince!

(End of this chapter)