Chapter 800: Meeting Again

Gladiator Arena Command Ship. Guanceshi.

Fenisi returned here, the professional smile on her face vanishing instantly; the maneuvering with the VIPs just now had left her exhausted.

"How is the situation?"

She asked Moruige.

"The betting volume for the new round has surged, already exceeding the peak before the interruption! The audience's emotions are basically stable, and the focus has shifted to speculation. The gift package distribution program is ready. As for the VIPs... they have been temporarily appeased, but the Frost Clan and Tailong have strong murderous intent, especially toward those tall Xiuluo Holy Indigenous."

Moruige reported quickly.

Fenisi rubbed her brow and looked at the central screen, which was still showing static.

"It's still not stable enough. Cidangli is a fence-sitter, Fenika could erupt again at any time, and the Frost Clan and Tailong are powder kegs... maintain the current situation until the trail of the Xiuluo Holy Star is found."

First Defense Zone Inner City Center Building.

As the Sage was Devoured, Yingzhou exhaled. The Sage had been eliminated, and the remaining Cyberk soldiers were nothing more than machines with self-awareness; victory was now only a matter of time.

It was time to end this war and lift the stone hanging in the hearts of the Xiuluo Holy people.

As for the intelligence he had obtained... things had to be done one step at a time; even if he were anxious, it would be useless.

Just as his foot was about to step out of the room.

Hum!!!

A beam of pure golden light instantly enveloped Yingzhou's entire body.

Yingzhou felt as if he had been cast into the purest ocean of psychic energy; every cell was cheering and leaping, and the fatigue from the previous battle and the slight ripples deep within his soul were rapidly calmed under the radiance of this light.

The light came quickly and went just as quickly.

When his vision cleared, Yingzhou discovered he had not walked out of the room, but was instead in a strange space.

Beneath his feet were flowing golden light patterns, and all around were blurred boundaries of light; he could see neither walls nor the scene outside.

The entire space was so quiet that only the sound of his own heartbeat remained.

And in the center of the space, a figure stood silently.

He was a human shape formed by countless streams of flowing golden light.

Emperor?! How could he...

Yingzhou's heart gave a violent jolt, and a trace of doubt rose in his mind.

"Do not worry, Yingzhou. Our conversation will not take long."

A voice sounded directly in Yingzhou's mind, and the Emperor's body, composed of light, turned slightly to gaze into the depths of the endless void.

"I have temporarily isolated those prying gazes. All the 'eyes' cast toward this place have been blocked outside by a barrier."

Yingzhou instantly understood where that mysterious power that had isolated the entire planet just now had come from! It was the Emperor who had acted!

"But this isolation is not permanent."

The Emperor's voice pulled Yingzhou's thoughts back.

"It can only buy limited time. The laws of the universe are cold and realistic; if Human Civilization wishes to truly stand tall, rather than huddling in a corner praying for protection, it must possess the power sufficient to defend its own truth."

The Emperor's gaze fell back upon Yingzhou.

"You have done well, Yingzhou. You have protected your world and found your own 'path'."

"Igniting hope from the Ashes of despair, upholding the radiance of humanity in the face of cold logic, anchoring the will to protect amidst the temptation of power... your growth has exceeded expectations."

A sense of emotion rose in Yingzhou's heart; his style of conduct did not conform to the style of Warhammer, yet he was actually able to receive the Emperor's approval? This was somewhat inconceivable to him.

"Emperor, I only did what I had to do."

"The blood of the Xiuluo Holy cannot be shed in vain, and the dignity of humans cannot be trampled upon."

"The crisis of the Xiuluo Holy has been resolved. Next, we will rebuild our home and accumulate strength."

The Emperor's light flickered slightly, as if nodding.

"Rebuilding your home is the foundation. But in accumulating strength, where does the direction lie?"

"Cowering in the cradle of your home planet, you will never be able to touch the true starry sky."

"Truth is only within the range of the cannons! Peace is only built upon the military force sufficient to deter any covetous person!"

Yingzhou pressed his lips together.

The Emperor's words pointed straight to the core!

Yes, was merely holding onto the Xiuluo Holy enough?

The universe is vast, and the weak are prey to the strong. Without the power to go out, without a Sharp Blade to guard the shipping lanes, the Xiuluo Holy would always just be a piece of fat waiting to be slaughtered!

"You mean..."

Yingzhou spoke tentatively.

"We must go out? Possess our own fleet? Our own interstellar power?"

"Exactly. The victory of the Xiuluo Holy is only the starting point. The fire of humanity should not be extinguished on a single planet."

"The legion in your hands is a spark, not a cage. They need a broader battlefield and need to face the baptism of the star sea."

"And you, as the guide of this spark, need to cast your gaze toward the sea of stars."

The Emperor raised a hand made of light, pointing toward the blurred halo behind Yingzhou, pointing toward the starry sky of the Xiuluo Holy.

"The limiter is broken, which will attract more gazes—benevolent ones, malicious ones, greedy ones... the Xiuluo Holy can no longer stay out of it."

"Passive defense will always have its limits. Only by taking the initiative to strike, carving out human territory in the star sea, establishing the order of Human Civilization, and spreading your philosophy can you truly protect everything you wish to protect."

"Everything requires you to explore it yourself, so that you can know what you truly want."

"I understand, Emperor! The Xiuluo Holy is our root, but it is definitely not the end! We will use this as a starting point to build a fleet, train soldiers, and learn the rules of the star sea!"

"We will make the voice of humanity resound throughout this starry sky! And make any covetous person pay the price in blood!"

"The reason I tell you this is to let you know that everything is not over yet; what you face subsequently is not only external threats, but also some internal problems."

Yingzhou nodded slightly; he understood the Emperor's meaning to some extent.

"Emperor, although I have no experience, I will do my best."

"Very well."

The Emperor's voice began to grow ethereal, and the halo surrounding him also began to slowly dissipate.

"I have bought you time. How you use this time to turn the spark into a raging fire... depends on you yourselves."

The Emperor's light swept over Selina, who was standing quietly to the side.

"She has Devoured the Logic Core of Cyberk, containing immense potential and risk. Guide her, and make good use of this power."

"When you are ready to take that step..."

The Emperor's figure grew increasingly faint, "The wrath of Human will ignite the sea of stars."

Just as the Emperor's figure dissipated, Yingzhou heard a whisper from the Emperor for no apparent reason.

"I hope you will not disappoint that one's expectations. If they had grown up together back then, would they have..."

The Emperor's final words dissipated into the air.

The golden space faded away completely, and Yingzhou found himself standing once again in the dilapidated corridor of the Center Building, with the metal floor beneath his feet and the air filled with smoke and dust.

Everything that just happened felt like a dream.

But the more powerful psychic energy surging within his body, the steadily burning flames on the Greatsword in his hand, and the words he had just heard, all told him—that was no dream.