Anastasia frowned, her beautiful face tight with worry. "Last time he disappeared without a single word. If he hadn't left behind the forces he created here, we would have been dead by now. And now he just... returns, as if nothing happened."
Isabela wasn't listening at all. She was swinging her legs on the stone chair, her eyes sparkling. She chuckled to herself, "Last time Brother Huai gave me the most delicious candies. They were sweet and they made my cultivation rise. I should go find him right now."
Marcus sneered at her, crossing his arms. "Last time you actually were a child, Isabela. You're a peak Galaxy Sovereign now. Just accept it and change out of that little girl appearance. Try looking like an adult for once."
Isabela stuck her tongue out at him. "What do you know about Brother Huai, huh? He never even talked to you back then. Pfft! He only talked to me. I know he'll give me even more candies this time, and better ones."
Anastasia pressed two fingers to her temple. She could already feel a headache coming on. This girl was a terrifying peak Galaxy Sovereign who could shatter a star with one palm, and yet she was still completely addicted to sweets and keeping her loli look because Huai once called her cute.
Lao Xuanji stopped laughing and looked toward the ceiling, as if he could still see the giant Tai Chi through layers of stone and space.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"He's back... then the Nether Races are finished."
Anastasia frowned, her arms crossed. "But Xuanji, we shouldn't get our hopes up too much. We still don't know why he disappeared last time. Even his own disciples only said he had gone to find someone."
Her voice dropped. "And that's when the entire plane of Nether Races invaded ours. If he had been here at that time... do you really think all those Galaxy Sovereigns would have died? Do you think the Eternal Sect would have been destroyed? His own disciples died in that war... and he still didn't return."
Everyone's expression darkened.
It was Isabela who broke the silence, swinging her small feet. "At least now we're sure. The Eternal Sect that suddenly rose up in the last few months... that's actually Brother Huai's sect. And the dragons and phoenixes have been sending gifts every single day. That only means their ancestors have returned too."
Lao Xuanji nodded slowly, his eyes serious. "And only he could be the 'Divine Physician' everyone is talking about."
Everyone nodded at that. They all knew just how terrifying Huai's medical skills were in the ancient times. He was called the 'Overlord of Life'. He could literally snatch people back from the clutches of the underworld.
Marcus was the one who finally spoke. "Why don't we contact Nexus? She wasn't here last time. And remember, it was the sovereigns of the Eternal Sect who first suggested we create her."
Lao Xuanji nodded and immediately sent a thought through the network. In just a few seconds, the space in the chamber shook, and a beautiful girl in a long blue dress stepped through a ripple of data. It was Nexus.
She looked around at all of them, a small smile on her face. "So everyone already knows about that person's existence."
Lao Xuanji sighed. "So you already heard everything we just said."
Nexus chuckled lightly. "You should know by now, I know everything that happens in human territory... except for a few specific people. And he is one of them."
Everyone nodded. That made sense.
Isabela leaned forward, curious. "From when did you know about him?"
Nexus looked at her. "From the moment he appeared, actually. He suddenly showed up in the Forbidden Forest of the western region, on Blue Star. He was completely mortal back then. No cultivation at all."
Everyone listened carefully now, not daring to miss a word.
Nexus continued, "Then he started revealing his cultivation. From Nascent Soul to Body Integration, then suddenly to Star Lord, then all the way to Galaxy level. When he was at Shadow Star, the Summoning Beast Pavilion attacked the Shadow Sword Sect. They had betrayed humanity and made a deal with the Nether Races."
She told them everything she had learned from Sovereign Mei Ling — how Huai had killed two Galaxy Sovereigns with his own hands, one from the Nether Wraiths and another from the Nether Shadow Race. She even recounted the conversation she had overheard during the war with the Nether Wraith Sovereign.
The more Lao Xuanji heard, the wider his eyes became. "So... he was on Earth? That ancient ancestral planet?"
Nexus nodded. "Yes. If my calculations are correct, he spent time on that planet. And the Nether Wraith Sovereign himself said they can no longer even find that planet anymore. It's vanished."
Anastasia tapped her finger on the armrest. "Then he is definitely up to something. He was absent for tens of thousands of years, and he was on Earth? I don't think so. He was definitely somewhere else. Somewhere we can't even imagine."
Isabela raised her hand like a student. "Why don't we just go ask him face to face?"
Marcus sneered. "And who's going to ask him? You?"
Isabela rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I have three heads? By the way... besides us, who else knows about his existence?"
Nexus answered immediately, "Mei Ling and Li Beichen."
Marcus snapped his fingers. "So that's why Beichen used his supreme authority last time without any reason!"
Nexus just nodded, and right on cue, the space beside her rippled again. Mei Ling and Li Beichen appeared in the chamber. Nexus had already called them.
Lao Xuanji looked at the two newcomers. "Now, what do you think we should do? He is already here. To him, we are just ants. The power of humanity should be placed in his hands, no?"
Mei Ling and Li Beichen, who had just heard the full story of Huai from Nexus on their way here, exchanged a look. They were only now realizing just how terrifying he truly was.
Mei Ling raised her hand nervously. "Umm... Your Highnesses, you still don't know about some secrets."
That one sentence fell on the room like a bomb. Everyone turned to look at her.
Mei Ling swallowed and spoke quickly. "This lower plane is not as simple as we see it. There are... far more powerful beings living here in secret."
Nexus frowned. "He told me the exact same thing last time."
Lao Xuanji and the others all looked at Nexus. "What does that mean?"
Nexus's expression became grave. "He said there are people from the upper realm hiding in this plane. He didn't know why, but he told me to wait. He also told me very clearly... we have no power against them. Not yet."
Everyone felt as if a huge mountain had just been pressed onto their chests. Fear crept into their hearts. All this time they thought they were on equal footing with the Nether Races. Now they realized they had been fools.
Mei Ling quickly waved her hands. "Actually, it's not that serious!"
Every eye locked onto her again.
She took a deep breath. "We have supporters too, just like the Nether Races do. And right now, His Highness is in a meeting with them."
Anastasia frowned. "A meeting?"
Mei Ling nodded hard. "Yes! My master is also from the upper realm. They have been protecting us from the shadows for these past ten thousand years. And just a few days ago, His Highness Huai protected my galaxy and saved my master's life. Now they are all at a meeting together in the Jade Serenity Palace."
Marcus let out a deep sigh of relief. "So we just... wait for them. What about the other Sovereigns? Are we going to inform them?"
This time it was Li Beichen who answered, his voice firm. "No. Not until His Highness says so."
Everyone nodded immediately after hearing that. If Huai got angry and decided to slap them to death, none of them would even have a chance to resist. It would be devastating.
So they waited.
***
On the other side, inside the Jade Serenity Palace, Huai was already seated upon his throne, with Wuhe sitting right beside him, his shoulder almost touching Huai's as he sat leaned towards huai .
Huai looked down at the three people standing before him — Jing Kong, Lei Zhen, and Su Qingyan.
"Go back and reform your sects," he said calmly. "I am giving you these pills. Use them to help your disciples increase their cultivation. And as for you, Su Qingyan, you go and help your sect as well. Although they are weak now, they should reach the Galaxy Realm soon enough."
He waved his sleeve lightly, and three different space rings flew out and landed perfectly in their hands.
The moment they checked inside with their spirit sense, all three of them were left dumbfounded. Inside were countless immortal-level medicines, pills that glowed like stars, herbs that were extinct in the lower plane, all piled up like mountains.
They all stood together and bowed deeply toward him, their voices in perfect unison. "As you command, my Lord!"
In the next second, the three of them vanished from the hall.
Huai then turned his gaze to Bai Liuli, who was still standing to the side.
"Do you have any way to contact the Immortal Realm?" he asked.
Bai Liuli shook her head. "No, Your Highness. The last time we descended to the lower realm, the Heavenly Dao of the Immortal Realm became angry with every race. It sealed the path completely. We cannot even send a message anymore. Even the path for ascension is closed now."
Huai sighed softly. "So that was the reason the ascension path closed."
He frowned slightly. But in truth, if he wanted to, he could easily create a new path to the Immortal Realm. With his power, he could even tear open the Divine Realm. The Immortal Realm was just a slightly bigger ant in front of him.
He looked back at Bai Liuli. "Don't worry about it for now. Help everyone in the Jade Serenity Palace reach higher realms first." He waved his hand again, and another space ring landed gently in Bai Liuli's palm.
She immediately knelt and bowed. "As you command, Your Highness."
Huai had already sent a single thought to Lin Feng, notifying him about his sister.
***
On the mid-level battlefield, the air was still filled with the smell of blood from the last fight with the Nether bat Clan...
After they both joined the battlefield up to now , they killed countless bats and even became heroes of mid level battlefield, they saved so many humans that their names is now well known in the battlefield. Now all the mid level battlefield is clear , human powerhouses already took control of the area...