At the same time.The Governor's announcement was broadcast across the entire Galactic Empire capital within the hour.Marcus Vane stood at the podium in the central square, his face grave, his voice steady. Behind him, the bodies of the dead spies were being carried out of the palace, covered in white sheets that did nothing to hide the reality of what had happened. The crowd that had gathered to hear him speak was the largest the capital had seen in centuries."Citizens of the Galactic Empire," Marcus began, his voice amplified by the public address system. "Today, a great evil has been purged from our midst. For decades, perhaps longer, the Zerg race has maintained a presence within our territory. Their agent, a Zerg Queen of their foul species, infiltrated our political system through the noble house of Varen Thorne. She enslaved his soul. She even enslaved his allies. She planted spies in positions of trust. And she plotted to destroy our great families from within."The crowd mu

"They do. They've asked me to bring you to the headquarters. They wish to speak with you directly.""About what?""Your identity. Your strength. Your intentions. You appeared out of nowhere a thousand years ago, and now you've returned as a Universe Venerable with combat power that exceeds what our sensors can measure. The Council has questions."David considered this. He had no reason to fear the Council. Athena was a being above the Universe Lord realm, and she was bound to him through the Dark Lord's legacy. Even if the Council tried to harm him, which he doubted they would, they would not succeed.But there was another reason to go. The Council represented the highest authority in the human race. If he wanted to move freely through human territory, if he wanted to prepare for the wars that were coming, he would need their cooperation. Or at least their neutrality."Very well," he said. "I'll meet with them."Kael blinked. He had expected resistance. Negotiation. Perhaps even a fig

The peripheral station at the edge of the Holy Land was the largest artificial structure David had ever seen.It hung in the void like a city made of light, its towers stretching for hundreds of kilometers, its docking bays large enough to accommodate entire fleets. Thousands of ships moved through its lanes at any given moment arriving, departing, waiting for clearance. The sheer scale of it was staggering."This is just one of the outer checkpoints," Kael said, noticing David's expression. "The Holy Land itself is beyond that barrier." He pointed toward a shimmering wall of energy that stretched across the void like a curtain of aurora light. "The concealment field. It hides the entire universe from outside view. Without proper authorization, no one passes through."David extended his spatial senses toward the barrier. What he felt made him pause. The concealment was not just a shield, it was a work of art. Layers upon layers of spatial law, woven so tightly that they formed a seaml

Matilda did not answer immediately. She watched David's image move through the palace corridors eight feet tall, white-streaked hair, cold eyes that had seen too much. The records from the portal had been fragmentary at best. His bloodline markers had been detected, but the connection to her was buried so deep that the automated systems had not made the link. If she had not been watching for him specifically, if she had not felt that faint pulse of recognition in her chest, she might have dismissed him as just another rising power.But she knew. She had always known."I know, senior brother," she said finally, her voice quieter than before. "I always thought he was dead. But it looks like he has changed his fate.""You're certain it's him?""The records didn't justify his present image. Even the portal couldn't trace his origin back to me. His blood was extracted from his body when he was thirteen drained by my own clan members so the connection is faint. Almost nonexistent." She hes

David turned his gaze to her. "If I wanted to destroy the human race, I would not need to gain your trust first. I would simply act. The fact that I am sitting here, answering your questions, should tell you everything you need to know about my intentions."Lady Mira's eyes narrowed, but she did not reply.Lord Toren spoke next. "The reports say you achieved Universe Venerable in a thousand years. That is... unprecedented. No cultivator in recorded history has advanced so quickly. How did you do it?""I received an inheritance," David said. "A secret realm. I spent a thousand years there, training. The realm provided resources, fruits, herbs, and combat trials. I used them. I grew. That is all.""A secret realm," Lord Aldric repeated. "Whose realm? Who left this inheritance?""I don't know his name. He died a long time ago. What I know is that the realm was designed to train a successor. I met the conditions. I received the training. The rest is history."It was not the whole truth, b