Chapter 518: The Starry Sky and Familiar Faces

At that moment, the private room door opened softly, and Fang Xing walked in: "Gentlemen, long time no see!"

"It hasn't been that long."

Beta glanced at the visibly nervous old steward and smiled: "Also, congratulations, Mr. Fang Xing, on slaying the Blood Origin Mountain Lord…"

"It was merely a matter of convenience."

Fang Xing sat across from Beta, a hint of concern on his face: "Now that the entire Blood Prison Civilization has put a bounty on me, I'm having a hard time too…"

The old steward seemed ready to speak but held himself back, only muttering inwardly:

'You're having a hard time? The Blood Prison Civilization is having it worse… Their Four-Stage Law Lord, the Divine Emperor, is gone, and now this disaster strikes… It's not you who fear them—it's them who fear you.'

'They desperately don't want to provoke a third-stage Law Lord, but the Blood Origin Mountain Lord was killed by an enemy—if they don't at least pretend to act, their entire civilization will collapse.'

Yet the old steward was certain: before the Blood Prison Divine Emperor returned, the Blood Prison Civilization would take no real action against Fang Xing.

Even if Fang Xing now strolled openly into the Blood Prison Civilization, they'd likely pretend not to see him…

"So, Mr. Fang Xing, do you wish to join the Starry Sky Civilization?"

Beta wore a faint smile: "The Starry Sky Civilization welcomes any human powerhouse. I'm willing to vouch for you— I'm certain the review will be swift; even the Blood Prison Civilization's bounty won't sway our judgment."

"No!"

Fang Xing's expression turned serious: "The Blood Prison Civilization is hunting Fang Yun—what does that have to do with me, Fang Xing?"

Beta nearly spat out his drink, then nodded: "If it's Mr. Fang Xing, then indeed your record is clean—no criminal history whatsoever… the review will be even faster."

At the same time, he finally gained a clear understanding of how thick-skinned a powerhouse could be.

Regarding joining the Starry Sky Civilization, Fang Xing had hinted at it last time.

Later, during intelligence exchanges, he'd expressed his intent—now it was simply a natural progression.

Under the pressure of the Blood Prison Divine Emperor and the allure of a peak civilization, it was entirely reasonable for a wandering powerhouse to join the Starry Sky Civilization.

Once he joined, even if the Blood Prison Divine Emperor broke through and returned as a Fourteen-Stage Dao Master, he could do nothing to Fang Xing.

"Cough… Mr. Fang Xing, this is 'Tai Xu Stone.' After assimilating it, you may enter our Starry Sky Civilization's 'Tai Xu Universe.' I've already submitted the proof—official personnel will contact you shortly."

Beta coughed lightly, and the old steward brought forth a blue gem: "This 'Tai Xu Stone' is of high grade—it allows seamless internet access across most human civilizations without lag… Moreover, within the 'Tai Xu Universe,' you may manifest power up to the peak of a Dao Master, making it an excellent training ground—you needn't fear injury…"

"Thank you."

Fang Xing took the blue gem, his mind stirring.

'The virtual universe can simulate the peak power of a Dao Master? So behind peak civilizations, there truly are Eternal-level beings of the Fifteenth Stage…'

…

"Tai Xu Stone… what is its relation to the Tai Xu Illusion Realm of Qing Yuan Great Realm?"

After leaving, Fang Xing found a deserted planet and sat cross-legged at the heart of a storm.

Then, a thread of consciousness traveled along the assimilated 'Tai Xu Stone,' entering a virtual space.

Whoosh!

The sound of flowing water arose.

In the previously dim space, a single beam of light appeared.

Then, layers of water solidified like building blocks, assembling into a silvery-white room.

"Respected Law Lord Fang Xing, welcome to the Tai Xu Universe."

A voice spoke: "I am your personal artificial assistant—you may call me 'Lulu'…"

Fang Xing looked down and saw a massive sphere formed entirely of water droplets. He was speechless: "Artificial… aren't you an AI?"

"Yes, I am human. In the Tai Xu Universe, using an artificial intelligence is considered a sign of poverty… True powerhouses and the wealthy hire numerous real humans—they never use AI robots…"

The water sphere smiled: "I hope my service pleases you, though you may replace me at any time."

"Fine, you'll do."

Fang Xing nodded, and with a thought, a sofa and chairs materialized.

He sat on the sofa and listened further.

Lulu's voice was smooth: "Respected Law Lord Fang Xing, your citizenship application has been submitted to the Starry Sky Civilization's Immigration Bureau. With the expedited channel and Beta Sky's guarantee, it has been approved… Congratulations—you are now a Noble Starry Sky Citizen."

"Noble Citizen?"

Fang Xing frowned.

"Yes. Our civilization uses a points system—every citizen must contribute. Most remain Low-Citizens for life; only a rare few rise to Mid-Citizens… But you, as a Law Lord, your very joining counts as a contribution. After calculation, you've been automatically promoted to Noble Citizen…" Lulu replied.

'Of course—those with power thrive anywhere…'

Fang Xing mentally grumbled, then asked: "What are my rights and obligations?"

Rights naturally come with obligations.

But often, rights are listed before obligations.

Lulu continued: "As a Law Lord, you gain access to the 'Starry Sky Training Grounds'—the 'Starry Sky Rankings' are also open to you. In our civilization, all Law Lords are listed on the Starry Sky Rankings—you may freely spar and exchange insights with them…"

Fang Xing's eyes lit up.

Environment always mattered.

For a Law Lord to advance, sparring with peers and intellectual collisions were rare resources!

Especially in a virtual universe where injury was impossible!

"Second, the Starry Sky Civilization will provide you with one unit of 'Source Fluid' every century!"

=9+ Shu _ Ba

Lulu's tone carried a hint of envy.

Fang Xing knew Source Fluid was a superior form of condensed Source Power, even higher than Source Crystals—this single unit exceeded the total amount he'd previously scavenged to aid his breakthrough!

And this was merely the 'minimum welfare' granted every hundred years!

"The Starry Sky Civilization truly has deep pockets."

"You now have access to the Starry Sky Mall—purchase anything: ships, treasures, lineages…"

"In the Starry Sky Mall, the primary currency is Source Coins; higher-tier transactions use 'Source Fluid'…"

Lulu explained the Starry Sky Mall, then added: "Finally… as a Law Lord, you've been granted a fiefdom. It has been approved—located in the Ophiuchus Civilization, encompassing ten star systems, over ten thousand habitable planets. You may freely set laws and taxes—as long as they don't violate the Starry Sky Constitution."

"Relevant documents have been sent to you."

…

With a wave, Fang Xing dismissed Lulu. As he browsed the Starry Sky Rankings and the Starry Sky Mall, he marveled at the powerhouses and items: "Indeed… joining a major faction is satisfying. At least the baseline benefits are excellent."

Compared to that, the ten-star-system fiefdom was trivial.

It offered mostly Source Coins and an endless supply of population.

He glanced idly—and suddenly exclaimed: "This star map… feels familiar…"

The starry sky differed completely from planet to planet.

Now, as Fang Xing gazed at a region of his territory, he felt a sense of recognition.

Soon, a more detailed folder appeared before him: "Da Xia Star… Powerhouses: Li Ying, Lin Qianzhu, Si Huanian, Hamilton…"

"So… this is the one I've been looking for."

Fang Xing's expression turned peculiar: "I didn't even pay attention—and now it's already in my hands?"

Two possibilities: one, the Starry Sky Civilization knew the previous Sea Clan Fang Yun had sought this planet, so they dug it out and assigned it to him as a favor.

But this was unlikely. As a peak civilization, they had no reason to grovel before a Law Lord.

Besides, Kui Lan, who inherited the Yuan Yan Palace, wouldn't betray him.

The second possibility: cause and fate!

'I never swore a karmic vow, but I did receive benefits from the Gray Robe Marquis, then killed the Blood Origin Mountain Lord, fulfilling the vow…'

'Thus, the Yuan Zhong Divine Temple, inheriting most of that karma, is karmically linked to me. The Da Xia Star system was just discovered and designated as a powerhouse fiefdom—it's highly probable it was assigned to me.'

'So this is what they mean by "every sip and bite is destined"? The Dao of Cause and Fate is truly terrifying…'

Intrigued, Fang Xing checked the cultivation levels of the familiar names—and found Li Ying, unsurprisingly, was a bottom-tier talent who relied entirely on resources; his current record showed Star Lord-level Stellar Power…

'Cough… not bad… after all, he came from an ordinary planet, but with those encounters, it's a bit excessive.'

Fang Xing muttered: 'Still, in this Source Power system, Stellar-level beings live a billion years—quite impressive.'

'In Qing Yuan Great Realm's Soul Formation stage, they'd be green with envy…'

He continued downward: "Hmm, Lin Qianzhu truly surpassed everyone—he's now a Red Giant-level cultivator? Specializing in Fire Dao… Clearly, his journey to the Yuan Yan Palace greatly honed him…"

The rest were just filler—they'd broken through to Star Lord level but meant nothing to Fang Xing.

"Then… the Yuan Zhong Divine Temple?"

"Forget it—I now have the superior Blood Origin Mountain. The Yuan Zhong Divine Temple can be left as a gift to the Da Xia Star lineage…"

As for reuniting, Fang Xing had no interest.

(End of Chapter)