Chapter 700: The King of Divine Might, Chen Chu’s Return

"Commander of the eastern hemisphere, Chen Chu!"

Within the global void network space, established by the Celestial King’s principle power and linked through satellite stations, nine kings sat high upon their thrones.

When the three chief councilors issued the special appointment, most of the kings were momentarily stunned.

One of them, a king who had long been stationed on the Blue Planet, was particularly surprised. "Chen Chu has already broken through to the king level?"

Xie Chen nodded. "That’s right. He broke through just a day ago."

The king who had attended the previous meeting was visibly shaken. "That means... he truly achieved the record of ascending to the mythical level within a year!"

A female king paused before speaking, slightly exasperated. "...Tulus, that’s not the point we should be focusing on.

"With Chen Chu’s ability, his breakthrough to the king level is expected. What surprises me is that he was given this appointment and granted the rank of general."

It wasn’t that this king looked down on Chen Chu, but every individual present was an established powerhouse. Even the weakest among them was at the middle stage of the king level, while figures like Xie Chen possessed combat strength comparable to the peak.

Under such circumstances, appointing Chen Chu to command the eastern hemisphere made it difficult for many to accept.

Xie Chen spoke slowly. "I was also surprised at first. But after you all review his newly updated profile, I doubt any of you will have objections."

"He completed another king-level merit mission?" One of the kings was taken aback.

Anyone with access could view a person’s profile, but that profile was only updated when they made a significant contribution to the Federation, akin to a resume.

As soon as Xie Chen finished speaking, the projections of the kings dimmed one after another as they accessed the internal Federation network. One by one, their expressions turned into sheer shock.

Not only had Chen Chu been successful at world creation, but he had also mastered a supreme law, invaded the Alliance of Gods after breaking through to the king level, single-handedly destroyed four divine regions, and slayed four late-stage mythical-level beings and a peak mythical-level demon king.

All of this was done while facing the power of the divine regions head-on, proving his combat strength to be comparable to a heavenly king.

As the powerhouses of the Blue Planet reeled in shock at Chen Chu’s achievements, Chen Chu himself was staring at the now-blackened screen where the Primordial King had disappeared. The councilor’s last words left him puzzled.

What does grown up mean? Was it referring to him as a person? Or something else? Or... somewhere else?

Cough! What am I even thinking about?

Chen Chu shook his head, quickly dismissing the strange thoughts that had suddenly popped up. Regardless, the Primordial King had assured him there was nothing to worry about.

Yunxiao No.1 had entered the operational range of the Thirtieth Legion, linking to the Federation’s information network.

Immediately, the screen switched to display an official letter from the Federation to promote Divine Might King Chen Chu to the rank of general and appoint him as the Eastern Hemisphere Commander, overseeing all military forces across nations.

Since Chen Chu had yet to confirm a king's title before plunging into the Alliance of Gods, the Celestial Core Think Tank had temporarily assigned him the title "Divine Might" upon updating his records, derived from the honor he had earned when he swept across the southern battlefield: "Unrivaled Divine Might, the Ultimate Prodigy."

"Divine Might King... not bad." Chen Chu murmured the title, finding it not particularly domineering, yet still decent-sounding.

His gaze then landed on the golden characters of "general" displayed to the side, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

In the Federation, military rank correlated with cultivation level and personal merit. Eighth Heavenly Realm cultivators were typically senior colonels. Ninth Realm cultivators were generally promoted to major generals, and mythical kings would hold the rank of lieutenant general.

However, those with outstanding merit could be promoted beyond these norms. For instance, after participating in a mission to hunt down a cult's god and successfully eliminating two avatars while in the Sixth Heavenly Realm, Chen Chu was directly promoted to major general.

Similarly, some peak Ninth Heavenly Realm cultivators stationed as legion commanders were granted lieutenant general ranks. After all, while cultivators were individually powerful, not all were suited for leadership and military command. Most served as high-level combatants rather than strategic commanders.

Furthermore, Chen Chu's appointment only granted him authority over military forces, leaving local government affairs independent of his control.

Nonetheless, even with this limitation, the appointment was nothing short of earth-shattering.

A seventeen-year-old king and general, and Eastern Hemisphere Commander. When Zhang Xiaolan heard the news back home, she would probably rush to pay respects at the Chen Family’s ancestral tomb.

After all, in the family’s recorded history, the highest-ranking official in the past century had been his great-grandfather, who had merely served as a village chief.

Shortly after, the fighter jet landed at the Thirtieth Legion's headquarters. There, Chen Chu made a brief stop, handing over four spatial equipment pieces filled with resources to Mu Jun before boarding the jet once more and taking off again.

Beneath the night sky, a towering silver vortex, spanning a thousand meters, stood between heaven and earth. Around it, the bustling Base City of Passage One was illuminated in the darkness.

The industrial district was ablaze with lights, as countless mechanical factories operated around the clock, manufacturing missiles, unmanned mechs, fighter jets, and ammunition.

Meanwhile, the outskirts of the city were alive with activity. Massive transport aircraft took off continuously, trains shuttled back and forth, and colossal aerial beasts escorted shipments—each laden with vast amounts of ammunition and supplies bound for the Sky Battlefield.

A dark-red fighter jet with a menacing appearance could be seen in the night sky. Upon verification through the air defense identification system, it glided toward the passage, releasing scorching shockwaves as it descended.

Click!

Chen Chu, dressed in casual black attire, stepped out of the cockpit. Though he had already restrained his aura, an invisible pressure still radiated from him as he walked.

The transcendent energy in his surroundings surged in response to his presence, rising and falling in sync with his breathing as though worshipping him.

A hundred meters away, a Ninth Heavenly Realm powerhouse stiffened at the sight. Not daring to show any negligence, the middle-aged man respectfully hailed Chen Chu. "Greetings, Divine Might King."

Chen Chu gave a slight nod. "I have urgent business on the Blue Planet. Please disable the firepower blockade."

The three passages linking to the mythical world were of paramount importance to the Federation. Each one was not only guarded by powerful cultivators, but also reinforced with intelligent defense systems, providing continuous firepower coverage.

Whether for military transport or king-level personnel, all entries required permission under normal circumstances.

With an air of courtesy, Li Heng replied, "I had already received the order for your passage earlier. The firepower system was disabled upon your fighter jet's approach. You may proceed at any time."

"Much appreciated." Chen Chu smiled faintly. With a flicker of light around his left wrist, he stored the jet into subspace. Then, his figure transformed into a streak of golden radiance, shooting into the silver vortex ahead.

Boom!

The moment he stepped in, the entire passage trembled violently under the pressure of his overwhelming essence.

***

On the Blue Planet, the towering silver vortex of Passage One rumbled, releasing waves of dazzling light that rippled outward in all directions.

Amid the surging spatial energy, a lone figure slowly emerged. His long black hair fluttered despite the absence of wind, exuding an oppressive presence.

A hundred meters away, Xie Chen, who had been waiting in advance, smiled. "Congratulations on your breakthrough. From now on, I should address you as the Divine Might King."

Chen Chu smiled. "Titles like ‘kings’ are just for others to use. You can still call me Little Chen or just Chen Chu."

Despite his immense power, Chen Chu remained humble and respectful toward those who had helped him along his journey. His attitude hadn’t changed with his increasing strength.

Especially toward Xie Chen, who had once helped him secure invaluable resources when he reached the Eighth Heavenly Realm, including Life Crystals and principle-forbidden weapons.

Some of those resources had been granted due to his talent, but there had also been extra allocations—including two additional forbidden weapons that would not have been granted under normal circumstances.

It was precisely because he wielded four such weapons that he had dared to run rampant in the mythical world, slaughtering multiple demon kings in succession. Otherwise, if his only trump card had been the Space-Time Summoning Secret Art, he would have acted with far more caution.

After all, back then, his colossal beast avatar had been comparable to merely an ordinary king-level powerhouse. That level of strength wouldn’t have survived a direct blow from that demon god without suffering grievous injuries.

However, the Celestial King and others had deliberately held back from fully blocking Demon God Deorus’s attack.

They had been aware that Chen Chu possessed the Star Ring, which could withstand that strike. Thus, once Deorus launched his assault, they instead unleashed their full power to shatter one of his principle-infused arms.

Similarly, another demon god had been responsible for severely injuring the rampaging Mech No.1 with a single palm strike, from what Heavenly King Gabriel had briefly mentioned to Chen Chu.

At the time, Luo Fei and No.1 had an excessively high Soul Synchronization rate. To prevent complete loss of control, the Federation powerhouses had intentionally allowed the demon god to inflict severe damage upon No.1 to disrupt its growth cycle.

Although No.1 had been sent to the frontlines to devour flesh and souls for growth, its evolution had to remain in sync with Luo Fei’s own progression. Allowing a demon god to carry out the attack also let them to avoid triggering No.1’s instinctive hostility.

After all, while No.1 lacked independent consciousness, it wasn’t a mere lifeless machine—it retained a portion of biological instincts. This was why it never attacked humans even in its berserk state.

Inside the office, Xie Chen and Chen Chu stood before a massive holographic projection of the Blue Planet, spanning dozens of meters in diameter and displaying numerous red and black dots.

"We’ve already made preparations for the second mythical surge,” Xie Chen explained. “By precisely tracking spatial fluctuations, we managed to prevent any large-scale casualties during the recent worldwide anomaly.

"However, despite our precautions, the random spatial rifts that appeared still caused some disturbances. For instance, the high-pressure energy surges that streamed through these rifts have tripled the concentration of transcendent energy on the Blue Planet in just under a day."

Chen Chu nodded slightly. "That is indeed a concern."

Under normal circumstances, increased transcendent energy would be beneficial to humanity, allowing more individuals to develop cultivation talent.

However, a sudden surge like this posed significant issues, as energy from the mythical world had a stronger effect on creatures with weaker self-awareness and soul control.

The abrupt spike in energy would trigger the mutation and evolution of countless wildlife, transforming them into powerful mutated beasts. Even at level 1, these creatures posed serious threats to ordinary people, especially given their vast numbers.

As he spoke, Xie Chen manipulated the planetary projection before him. "The first and most intense wave of shockwaves has now passed, and a total of 10,200 rifts have been detected. Most of these rifts were temporary, appearing briefly before disappearing. Only around 1,000 rifts were relatively stable.

"With intervention from military powerhouses worldwide, most of these passages have been forcibly destroyed. Only a dozen level 10 passages have been preserved, awaiting stabilization before further exploration. If the locations they connect to hold strategic value, they will be kept. If not, they will be forcibly annihilated.

"Beyond that, this invasion brought forth a mythical-level entity, along with seven level 9 and thirty-seven level 8 colossal beasts, as well as a number of aliens. All colossal beasts have been eliminated. Seven aliens were captured alive and are currently being interrogated to see if any useful information can be extracted.

"The Blue Planet is no longer what it was fifty years ago." A faint smile appeared on Xie Chen’s face as he spoke, but it quickly turned solemn. The planetary projection then shifted, revealing a darkened region.

"This is a newly forming stable passage, classified at level 13. Its structural integrity is strong enough to allow heavenly-king-level lifeforms to pass through. This is also why you were summoned back.

"If a titan-level colossal beast emerges from this passage upon its formation, you and the others will need to repel or eliminate it before proceeding to explore what lies beyond. If the location on the other side poses a threat to humanity, you and Heavenly King Ariste will work together to destroy it."

Xie Chen also provided details on other kings stationed as reinforcements or tasked with defending key locations. By the time they finished discussing everything, more than an hour had passed.

Combined with the classified reports from the Celestial Think Tank, Chen Chu now had a comprehensive understanding of the situation on the Blue Planet.

Based on data from ancient alien ruins, as well as patterns observed during the mythical surge fifty years ago, analysts predicted that this shockwave phenomenon would last for around ten days.

Before Chen Chu had even returned, a global strategy had already been finalized by nine mythical kings, Heavenly King Ariste, and the heads of over thirty major military bases.

The entirety of the Blue Planet had been divided into eastern and western hemispheres based on spatial fluctuations, further separated into over three hundred defense zones.

Six kings were designated as relay points, their forces spreading outward. Twenty-one Ninth Heavenly Realm powerhouses, over fifty Eighth Realm cultivators, and hundreds of Seventh Realm experts had also been deployed into these zones depending on their danger level.

Meanwhile, Chen Chu and Ariste were primarily responsible for acting as a deterrent and overseeing operations—meaning that under normal circumstances, there wasn’t much for them to do.

With the debriefing complete, Chen Chu took his leave, preparing to return to Wujiang City. A level 10 spatial passage was forming there, and he intended to check on both its status and Chen Hu.

"Calling Celestial Central Control Tower, requesting permission for Yunxiao No.1 to pass through the barrier."

[Control Tower acknowledges. The containment barrier will be opened in three minutes...]

As the electronic voice echoed, the invisible barrier in the sky slowly split apart, revealing a rift stretching hundreds of meters wide. Through it, the night sky beyond could be seen.

Whoosh!

With fiery shockwaves erupting from its rear, the dark-red fighter jet shot into the air, piercing the barrier rift at supersonic speeds and vanishing into the night.

At 8:00 PM, under the glow of the Chen Family’s courtyard lights, Chen Hu—standing six meters tall with a burly frame and a face covered in thick black beard—was excitedly throwing punches into the air. With every punch, the very air before him exploded, sending violent shockwaves rippling outward.

At the doorstep, Zhang Xiaolan stood with a troubled expression, watching the scene unfold. Before leaving the house this evening, her second son had been perfectly normal. Yet by the time she returned, he had turned into a giant, complete with an overgrown beard.

Had she not developed a stronger mental fortitude over the years, she might have fainted on the spot.

At that moment, Chen Hu, towering as high as a two-story building, suddenly stopped and looked down at Zhang Xiaolan, his deep voice rumbling. "Mom, when is Bro coming back?"

Zhang Xiaolan shook her head. "Not so soon. Didn't Colonel Guan say this earlier? Your brother is coming back from the mythical world. He won’t arrive until at least tomorrow."

Chen Hu had nearly gotten himself into serious trouble today. The hidden security protecting him had been forced to reveal themselves, explaining everything to Zhang Xiaolan and assuring her that Chen Hu was fine.

To further calm her down, the Eighth Heavenly Realm powerhouse who had been watching over Chen Hu also revealed that Chen Chu would be returning soon, and that he had a way to restore Chen Hu to normal.

However, the powerhouse had been tactful enough to omit the fact that Chen Chu had already broken through to the mythical level.

Even so, the mere news of Chen Chu's return had left both Zhang Xiaolan and Chen Hu overjoyed. They had been waiting anxiously in the courtyard ever since, as Chen Hu couldn't fit inside the house.

Growing bored, Chen Hu suddenly noticed a streak of light flashing across the sky. "Mom, look! There's a plane up there!"

Before Zhang Xiaolan could respond, Chen Hu’s sharp vision allowed him to lock onto the aircraft, and his excitement surged. "Mom! That plane is flying straight toward our house! It's gotta be him!"