Chapter 374 – Silence, the Unassimilable Planet Will

“…And there’s also Roya.”

“Oh yes, I almost forgot about him.”

Lu Yuan’s expression was wooden.

He couldn’t imagine the intense upheaval this planet would undergo after today’s events.

Three ninth stage powerhouses from the top ten of the combat power ranking had suddenly fallen in one day.

All three belonged to the Distant Star Federation; their top brass must be losing their minds right now.

Tenth stage…

The number one powerhouse beneath the Starry Sky.

A woman capable of single-handedly holding off three super divine level mechas.

Lu Yuan now truly understood the significance of Lord Tong’s name.

Strong.

Incredibly strong.

It was hard to fathom how such terrifying strength could be contained within Lord Tong’s petite body.

Those five hundred star acupoints were no joke.

When Lord Tong’s natal star diagram lights up…the entire world trembles beneath her feet.

“Actually, I intended for you to take this opportunity to fake your death and lay low for a while…”

Yuwen Tong sliced through a satellite with one slash, annihilated two ninth stage powerhouses with another, then effortlessly sheathed her sword and spoke to Lu Yuan.

“It would save a lot of trouble and give you time to heal and resolve your own issues.”

“Got it.”

Lu Yuan nodded.

He understood what Yuwen Tong meant.

Precisely because the genius that Yuwen Tong valued the most had “died,” she would be so enraged that she’d storm into the Distant Star Federation and wreak havoc.

The Distant Star Federation certainly couldn’t accept losing three ninth stage powerhouses in one blow, but if the Xia State also “lost” one…

Three-for-zero turning into three-for-one might shift many people’s mindsets.

At least, there would be some room for negotiation.

Lu Yuan suddenly realized that when Yuwen Tong brought him to the Distant Star, slicing through satellites and killing people, it wasn’t entirely about avenging him.

Lord Tong probably intentionally caused such a huge commotion, aiming to draw everyone’s focus to herself so that Lu Yuan could fade out of certain people’s sight.

“Lord Tong… is she deliberately drawing fire away from me?”

Realizing this, Lu Yuan’s feelings became somewhat complicated, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on Yuwen Tong’s hand.

Yuwen Tong noticed his small gesture and glanced at him indifferently but said nothing.

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Lu Yuan hurriedly resumed the conversation.

“So how long should I lay low?”

“It largely depends on you,” Yuwen Tong contemplated for a moment before replying, “If possible, I hope you can make it for the next extraterrestrial trial…

But if you feel it’s too soon, you can stay hidden a bit longer. Alternatively, no one will say anything if you choose to remain under the radar indefinitely.”

“Extraterrestrial trial…”

Lu Yuan blinked. This wasn’t the first time he had heard the term.

From what he had gathered, this “extraterrestrial trial” was immensely… no, almost the most important event for all the nations on this planet.

A top priority.

The dominant states of Distant Star, Xia State, and Javier appeared to have cemented their positions through the “extraterrestrial trial.”

“The strength I’ve shown so far ensures that the Xia State senior officials would never allow a ninth stage combat power like me to ‘idle away’ at home…”

Although Yuwen Tong spoke in a relaxed tone about when he should reemerge, and Lu Yuan believed that Yuwen Tong could shield him from all external pressure, he couldn’t stand by idly and make things difficult for Lord Tong.

“When is the next extraterrestrial trial?”

Lu Yuan asked.

Yuwen Tong replied, “The specific date is uncertain, but it should be within this year…”

The year had just begun… it seemed about right. Given his nature, he wouldn’t be able to stay dormant for too long.

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and nodded, saying he understood.

“Oh right, take this.”

Yuwen Tong suddenly produced a potion filled with a mysterious dark red liquid out of thin air and tossed it to Lu Yuan.

“This will replenish your depleted life essence. Once you’ve absorbed it, come and ask me for more.”

“Thank you.”

Lu Yuan accepted the potion from Yuwen Tong, gave it a brief look, and then tucked it into his bosom without examining it closely.

The two stood there chatting for a while longer. Suddenly, Yuwen Tong glanced around and, with an air of indifference, said to Lu Yuan, “Let’s go. It seems they won’t be coming.”

Lu Yuan was curious, “Who won’t be coming?”

As Yuwen Tong led Lu Yuan back in the direction they came from, she casually replied, “The super divine level mechas. To be honest, I was hoping to use this opportunity to reduce Distant Star’s number of super divine level mechas by one or two.”

“Uh…”

…

“Boom-“

Blazing dark blue flames mercilessly scorched the earth, sending waves of heat that distorted the space within dozens of square kilometers.

The roaring sound of engines resembled a thousand thunders simultaneously rolling through the clouds.

A gigantic mecha, nearly a kilometer tall and as majestic as a divine weapon, appeared ready to take off at any moment.

Figures stood silently on the control platform.

Every face was shrouded in thick gloom, expressions so dark it seemed as if drops of water might fall.

“Yuwen Tong has left. Do we need to initiate the interception?”

Silence.

After a long pause, someone finally spoke slowly, “Forget it.”

As these words were spoken, the nearly stagnant atmosphere on the control platform inexplicably relaxed.

It seemed this outcome was what everyone had wanted.

The leader quietly watched the giant mecha spewing flames before slowly saying, “It looks like Yuwen Tong really has made a breakthrough…”

Heavy, labored breathing could be heard from behind.

The atmosphere became tense once more.

After a while, a harsh voice with a hint of cruelty said, “So what if she has made a breakthrough? This time, during the extraterrestrial trial… she won’t have a chance to come back.”

“Indeed, she has delayed long enough. The Bai family won’t allow her to remain any longer.”

“But she still has a chance to return, doesn’t she?”

Everyone fell silent.

After a moment, the leader spoke calmly, “Then let’s make sure she doesn’t come back.”

Everyone was stunned.

The leader turned around and, without expression, instructed, “Get in touch with the other side for me. The Bai family treasures this talent greatly; I’m sure they’ll be very interested…

Even if they can’t have her…they’ll certainly want to destroy her.”

As he was about to step out of the control room, he paused slightly, then quietly sighed, “What an enviable talent…”

With that, he shook his head lightly and exited the room.

“During this period, it’s best if you don’t go back.”

“I’ll temporarily remove your name from Yellow Bear and seal all related records. This also means you won’t be able to leverage any of Yellow Bear’s strength…”

In the streets of a city within the old city circle, Lu Yuan and Yuwen Tong’s figures appeared quietly.

Lu Yuan silently nodded in response to Yuwen Tong’s instructions and then handed back the six golden wings Flying Bear ID card he had barely warmed to.

“If anything comes up, I’ll send someone to notify you. I’ll take care of Roya’s remains for now. As for exchanging the Phoenix Egg for something, I’ll try my best to arrange it for you…”

Yuwen Tong had thought of everything, leaving Lu Yuan no grounds for complaint, feeling only waves of care and concern from Lord Tong.

After Yuwen Tong finished her instructions, she suddenly stared intently into Lu Yuan’s eyes, unmoving and silent.

Feeling slightly uneasy under Yuwen Tong’s inexplicable gaze, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something else, Lord Tong?”

“Oh, nothing,” Yuwen Tong shook her head and replied casually, “I just wanted to see how long you’d hold onto my hand before you were willing to let go…”

As she spoke, she glanced down subtly.

“Whoosh-“

Lu Yuan jolted and immediately let go of Yuwen Tong’s soft hand. Ah, it felt so good that he had forgotten to release it after landing.

“Impressive, Lu Yuan.”

Yuwen Tong raised the hand that Lu Yuan had been holding, flexed it a bit, and looked at him with a cheerful smile, saying, “You’re the first person who dared to take advantage of me. I have high hopes for you…”

Hearing this from Lord Tong, who had just shattered a satellite and slain two ninth-stage combatants with a single slash, sent chills down Lu Yuan’s spine. He was about to explain when…

Yuwen Tong chuckled lightly and, with a flicker, vanished into the air in front of him. Lu Yuan couldn’t capture any traces of her departure.

Although the sensation of his scalp tingling remained, seeing Lord Tong leave still inexplicably left Lu Yuan with a sense of emptiness.

“How many years has it been since I last held a girl’s hand?” Lu Yuan asked himself.

Counting his previous life, it seemed like ages.

Who would have thought that the next time he had this opportunity, his companion would be the strongest woman on the entire planet?

“This is something I can brag about for years…”

Lu Yuan smiled self-mockingly, took a brief look around, and quickly walked out of the alley.

…

Distant Star Federation, Connaught.

In a foggy swamp, there was a massive crater.

The soil around the crater was scorched, and the moisture had completely evaporated, as if subjected to intense flames.

Inside the crater, three pitch-black aircraft with pitted and peculiar shapes were deeply buried in the mud.

They resembled three mysterious seeds waiting to awaken.

Time passed quietly, like the mist flowing within the swamp.

It was unclear how long had passed.

“Click-“

With the sound of mechanisms operating and a hatch opening, a mysterious and powerful aura began to seep from the crater.

In an instant, all sounds of life vanished from the vast swamp.

The entire area… suddenly seemed lifeless.

“Boom!”

A violent hurricane inexplicably rose from within the crater, causing the mist above the swamp to churn wildly.

At the bottom of the crater, the three aircraft, resembling black meteorites, had now opened.

Three pools of viscous black liquid slowly flowed out from the open hatches.

As the black liquid spilled out, it began to boil and churn violently.

The murky, sticky black liquid continued to rise, as if trying to coalesce into another form.

But this transformation process seemed quite arduous for them.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the three pools of black liquid gave up trying to take form and instead merged together into a single, larger black pool.

Once fused, the larger pool of black liquid began to seep into the soil.

An inexplicable, mysterious, and immense consciousness emanated from the black liquid.

This consciousness was filled with violence, cruelty, and chaos, as if it intended to devour everything.

The ground of the swamp started to tremble, growing more and more intense…

After an unknown period, all the shaking suddenly subsided.

The black liquid that had seeped into the soil re-emerged and split back into the original three pools.

A gloomy, powerful consciousness emanated from the central pool of black liquid.

“This planet is peculiar…”

“I cannot assimilate its will…”

“However…”

“The lifeforms surviving on this planet… are pathetically weak and backward…”