Chapter 510: Forceful Time Manipulation

Sinnoh Region, on a town street where the wind and snow had just ceased, three tightly wrapped figures moved low‑key through.

To conceal their trail, Huo La and his two companions deliberately donned loose, plain coats, wrapping from head to foot, almost like a rice‑cake, covering their appearance completely.

Paipa, while cautiously scanning the passing pedestrians, lowered his voice and asked anxiously, "Is it really safe like this? Are we sure no one can recognize us?"

Huo La glanced down at their tight disguises, thought briefly, and softly reassured, "It should be fine. Sinnoh isn't currently restricting outsiders; as long as we hide our faces and don't reveal our identities, there shouldn't be trouble."

Bilan still harbored doubt and asked, "Huo La, we abruptly rerouted to Sinnoh… Is the situation here more tangled than Hoenn?"

Huo La sighed lightly, slowed his pace, and explained in a low voice, "Hard to say; in terms of disaster scale, it's far less catastrophic than the floods and fires that ravaged Hoenn, but regarding hidden dangers, Sinnoh's problems are more fundamental."

"Earlier the League received word that Chi Ri, the one the League detained, asked Professor Oak to convey his intention—he voluntarily offered to cooperate with us to completely end all chaos in Sinnoh."

"After careful assessment by Professor Oak and the League's senior officials, they deemed this the best chance to fully resolve Sinnoh's hidden threats. Xiao Chi Ge has already slipped into Sinnoh ahead of us, and we must follow up with support."

He then outlined the next steps: "Because of that, Hoenn's operation can only be postponed for now. I've already sent Xiaoyin ahead to Hoenn to verify the information relayed by Meow Meow, to scout the local situation in advance and pave the way for our later actions."

"That works," Bilan nodded slightly, understanding, "Letting Xiaoyin train alone will be excellent practice for him."

While the three whispered, three figures suddenly blocked the middle of the road, instantly cutting off their path.

Huo La's steps halted, his heart tightened, and he instinctively lifted his gaze.

The newcomers numbered three—two women and a man—hair in vivid, striking colors, all clad in the austere, orderly Galaxy Team Executive uniform, their aura icy and exuding intimidation.

A weighty glint passed Huo La's eyes; he forced down the turmoil within, feigning composure as he said, "Excuse us, could you move? You're blocking our way."

Among them, the only blue‑haired male Executive, Zhen Xing, fixed his gaze on the tightly wrapped Huo La, a confident cold smile curling his lips as he pierced the disguise, "Huo La, our boss Chi Ri wants to see you."

Huo La's expression remained unchanged; he deliberately played dumb, "Huo La? You've got the wrong person. We're just ordinary tourists visiting Sinnoh."

Zhen Xing heard this, neither rebutting nor questioning, not bothering with verbal debate, and simply raised his hand in a detached wave.

In the next second, alleys and shadows on both sides of the street swarmed with a multitude of Galaxy Team members, quickly encircling them, densely trapping the three in the center and sealing every retreat.

Bilan and Paipa's faces hardened, fists clenched instinctively, ready to break out, but Huo La lifted his hand lightly to hold them, signaling the two to stay calm and patient, not to act rashly.

Zhen Xing stepped forward slowly, his tone flat yet unyieldingly forceful, "No more disguises. Whether you admit it or not, whether you deliberately hide your identity, the person our boss wants to see is you."

His gaze darkened as he issued a cold command, "Take them away."

The interior of Galaxy Team Headquarters was spacious and frigid, its furnishings plain and grim; although not an exact replica of Huo La's memory, the overall style felt largely unchanged.

Yet Chi Ri, standing in the hall's center, appeared so unfamiliar it weighed on the heart.

When they previously met in the League, Chi Ri, though composed and cold, stood tall and fierce, his appearance always young and sharp. Now, however, the man before them bore distinct age lines across his angular cheeks, eyes clouded with heavy fatigue, his once neat hair largely turned white with strands of silver interwoven, aging him into a different person.

"Huo La, we meet again," Chi Ri said softly.

Chi Ri spoke in a gentle voice, tone flat and unruffled, revealing no emotion.

Huo La's brows knit tightly, his eyes full of incredulous doubt, and he stepped half a pace forward, asking, "How did you become so aged? It's only been a few months since we last met…"

In just a few months, ordinary people rarely show any signs of time, yet Chi Ri's aging seemed as if he had endured decades.

Chi Ri gave no explanation, merely raising his hand slightly to signal Zhen Xing, Sui Xing, and Huo Xing to stand down.

The three Galaxy Executives said nothing, nodded in unison, turned and hurried away, the great doors closing slowly, sealing all outsiders outside.

The vast headquarters hall instantly held only Chi Ri and the four—Huo La, Bilan, Paipa.

Chi Ri slowly lifted his hand, gently brushing his own hair.

As his fingertips passed, a few delicate silver strands fell softly, drifting onto the cold floor.

Watching this, Huo La's brow tightened further, his inner unease deepening. Such rapid aging could not be explained by ordinary fatigue.

Noticing Huo La's heavy expression, Chi Ri smiled calmly, a hint of detached indifference in his eyes, "No need to be surprised. All this is the price of Forceful Time Manipulation."

"The price of Forceful Time Manipulation?"

Those few words made Huo La's heart jolt, his pupils constricting slightly.

Chi Ri did not pursue the topic further, merely sweeping his gaze over Huo La, Bilan, and Paipa, and asked calmly, "You deliberately infiltrated Sinnoh at this moment—does the League intend to move against me, against the entire Sinnoh Galaxy Team?"

The atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Huo La remained silent for a long while, neither outright confirming nor denying, first nodding lightly, then slowly shaking his head.

"It wasn't us who chose to confront you," he lifted his gaze, staring at Chi Ri, and said calmly, "It was your counterpart within the League, who asked Professor Oak to deliver a message, voluntarily inviting us to Sinnoh."

Hearing the term "counterpart," Chi Ri visibly paused, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes, then he chuckled softly in self‑deprecation, his brows and eyes full of complexity and relief.

"Looks like he also sensed something amiss."