Chapter 639: Ahead of Time

"Ai Sa, Li Pin... are these people out of their minds?"

Outside the Yin Luo Galaxy, the combat-specialized avatars of the Aristocratic Alliance had gathered before an activated Astral Gate. Their eyes were filled with discontent.

Stepping through it would take them straight to the Galactic Core, allowing them to intercept Ai Sa before he reached their headquarters in the Yin Luo Galaxy. They could also rescue the two Tier Six and nine Tier Five Legends still trapped in that region.

However, that wasn't something they actually dared to do! They had to take into consideration the Homo Sapien Alliance's stance. No outsiders or external forces were allowed to interfere in the competition for Astral God Yin Luo's legacy. That was the rule set by the Homo Sapien Alliance.

Rules might not be absolute, but the Aristocratic Alliance was simply too small a faction in comparison. Against an entity of that scale, an alliance comprising only the aristocratic clans of the Yuan Yang Star Domain was nothing.

One misstep and their combat-specialized avatars, entire clans, and even their true bodies in the Astral World would be doomed.

An Astral God spoke with seething hatred. "It's all because of that traitor! If he hadn't defected to Ai Sa with evidence in hand, there's no way Ai Sa would have dared to make a move against our alliance before the third phase even began!"

Another spoke with hindsight. "I've said it before! Schemes like these aren't enough to take down true geniuses. That goes for both Li Pin and Ai Sa. Instead of playing these games, we should have focused on properly nurturing the talents within our own alliance. With our sheer numbers, we might have stood a chance against Ai Sa."

Yuan Xiangguang rebuked in a sharp tone, "Nurturing? Do you really think anyone in our alliance has talent comparable to Ai Sa's? He belongs to the Golden Emperor Clan, a near unique lifeform. Given enough time, his combat power will soar to six or seven hundred thousand.

"At that point, forget the other competitors, even if we descend with our Divine Essence, we might not be able to suppress him. How are we supposed to fight him for the Astral God's legacy then? Denying him the time to grow is our only chance to take him down!"

"Enough," Zi Zhongtian interrupted, his voice grave. "Ai Sa is heading straight for our headquarters. What's the plan? Do we enter the Yin Luo Galaxy to intercept him, or do we scatter and escape, saving whoever we can?"

"Escape?" Ji Fenglei shook his head. "Putting aside how few would actually manage to flee, even if a handful do, once we lose our fortune and fighting spirit, how can our alliance hope to compete against Ai Sa?"

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

His voice deepened. "And don't forget, Yin Luo's will shines over this system. Every action during this period matters in His selection of an heir."

"Then we have no choice but to take the risk," Zi Zhongtian said. "We'll intercept Ai Sa with our combat-specialized avatars."

Shang Jinzhao grimly said, "It might not be a bad gamble. Many high-ranking figures in the Homo Sapien Alliance already dislike the Golden Emperor Clan's Grand Patriarch.

"With their population so scarce, Ai Sa has surely caught his attention. If we manage to set him back and deny him Astral God Yin Luo's inheritance, those high-ranking figures will be pleased. They might just turn a blind eye to our actions.

"Besides, that Grand Patriarch likely wouldn't dare send his avatars to stop us. If he did, those who already dislike him would seize the opportunity to strike. With public outrage against him, he'd be forced to act far more cautiously."

"So you're saying we enter the Yin Luo Galaxy, intercept the crazed Ai Sa who's rushing to fight us ahead of schedule, and gamble that the upper echelons of the Homo Sapien Alliance will handle this matter lightly?" Yuan Xiangguang asked.

Shang Jinzhao nodded. "It's our only option."

An Astral God stepped forward. "Opposing the Homo Sapien Alliance is a sure path to doom. One misstep and our entire clan will suffer the consequences, not just us. The risk is too great. We cannot go along with this plan."

Many others voiced their agreement.

Even if the ambush succeeded, the Aristocratic Alliance would face internal power struggles. Whether the smaller clans could compete with the six major clans remained uncertain.

If they lost, they would still bear the same consequences from the Homo Sapien Alliance. The imbalance of taking the risk without guaranteed benefits left them with only one choice.

These Astral Gods chose to back out.

Yuan Xiangguang gravely asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Another Astral God sighed. "We are. The risk is too great. We will withdraw from the competition for the Astral God's inheritance."

Seeing that they had even proposed to withdraw from the competition, Yuan Xiangguang and the others could say nothing more. They could only watch as those Astral Gods departed.

As the group's size gradually shrank, the others grew restless. If this trend continued, the alliance might fall apart before they even decided whether to intercept Ai Sa.

At that moment, Zi Zhongtian received a message from Astral God Shuo Caihua, a member of the Shuo Clan.

He glanced at it and instantly brightened. "Good news!"

Smiling, he said, "I just received word that the monitoring system covering the entire Yin Luo Galaxy has malfunctioned. Lan Yunguang is working on repairs, but it looks like it'll take some time."

"A malfunction?"

Yuan Xiangguang, Ji Fenglei, and Shang Jinzhao froze for a moment before catching on.

"A malfunction, you say? That means none of the battles in the Yin Luo Galaxy will be recorded for now. What an unfortunate turn of events."

"This system has run non-stop for dozens of stellar years without maintenance. A malfunction was bound to happen."

One by one, they exchanged knowing smiles, their words carrying a shared understanding that needed no explanation.

In the next moment, they strode toward the Astral Gate leading to the Yin Luo Galaxy.

Just before stepping through, one of them asked, "Should we inform those who just left?"

Ji Fenglei calmly replied, "Everyone must bear the consequences of their choices. As Astral Gods, they should understand this better than we do."

The "they" he referred to wasn't limited to the departing Astral God Clans. It included everyone present as well.

Hearing this, the Astral God in question let out an awkward chuckle and fell silent.

In an instant, four Eternal Solar Flare's combat-specialized avatars, sixteen Astral God's combat-specialized avatars, and over forty additional Astral God's avatars surged forward, stepping into the Astral Gate.

As they emerged, the overwhelming presence of dozens of Astral Gods filled the Galactic Core region.

Upon seeing them, the Astral Gods of the Shuo, Ying, and Lin Clans finally let out a sigh of relief. They had feared the Aristocratic Alliance would retreat in the face of Ai Sa's power, leaving them to fend for themselves.

The alliance could leave, but with their main bases rooted in the Yin Luo Galaxy, where could the three major clans possibly run? Fortunately, the situation hadn't reached its worst.

"Elder Zi!" Shuo Caihua stepped forward at once. "Our people are monitoring the situation. Ai Sa and his subordinate faction will be here soon."

"Don't let the battle take place here." Zi Zhongtian waved his hand sharply. "We strike first! We fight them at Planet Storm! It's the most suitable battlefield."

Shuo Caihua responded enthusiastically, "Elder Zi, we'll follow your command!"

With dozens of Astral God's avatars, nineteen ordinary combat-specialized avatars, and four Eternal Solar Flare combat-specialized avatars, this force was formidable.

Even without their Eternal Solar Flare Divine Weapons, the four Eternal Solar Flare combat-specialized avatars wielded power far beyond ordinary Astral God combat avatars. They might not have reached the full tier nine standard of 400,000 Power Level, but they weren't far off.

With this lineup, conquering the Yin Luo Galaxy was well within reach.

The group stepped through the Astral Gate once more, arriving at Planet Storm. This was a necessary checkpoint on the way to the Aristocratic Alliance's base in the Yin Luo Galaxy.

This gas giant, with a diameter of over 300,000 kilometers, was famous for the terrifying storms that perpetually raged across its surface. Its internal structure was strikingly similar to that of a star. If not for its slightly smaller size and insufficient pressure to trigger nuclear fusion in its core, this planet would have already transformed into a radiant star, shining brightly in the cosmos.

Yuan Xiangguang, Ji Fenglei, Shang Jinzhao, and Zi Zhongtian led their forces to Planet Storm. Before they could even begin laying out their strategy, Ai Sa and his vast faction of followers and subordinates had already arrived.

Their sheer size and number of experts were no less formidable than those of the Aristocratic Alliance.

The two sides encountered each other in the blizzard, locked in a tense and direct confrontation.

However, Ai Sa did not immediately order his subordinates to attack. Instead, he boarded a spacecraft and broke away from the main force.

"A bunch of schemers who only know how to slander and plot in the shadows," Ai Sa said coldly. "Compared to that arrogant fool Li Pin, who at least fights in the open, you lot from the Aristocratic Alliance are even more despicable."

"Heh, slander?" Yuan Xiangguang chuckled. "Aren't we just stating facts? Ai Sa, you really are short."

"You're courting death!" roared Ai Sa, who quickly floated out of his vessel.

He claimed to be 1.3 meters tall, but in reality, he might be shorter than that. His frame was small, yet no one dared to underestimate the power he possessed.

He spread his arms wide and declared, "Even Li Pin dared to challenge all of you at once! That alone speaks to how utterly useless you are! So, I'll make you understand the price of angering a prodigy of the Golden Emperor Clan!"

Zi Zhongtian, Yuan Xiangguang, Ji Fenglei, and the others exchanged glances. "You said it yourself."

Without the slightest hesitation or sense of shame, they charged forward together, surrounding Ai Sa.

Ai Sa showed no fear. "

Hahaha

! entertain me to your heart's content!"

He met them head-on, his fluctuating energy surging to a level beyond anything a normal being could possess.

With sheer might alone, he overwhelmed the combined presence of the gathered Astral Gods.

"All show and no substance! There's no way you can fully control that massive energy!" Zi Zhongtian roared.

Just then, Shuo Caihua's face turned taut as he received an urgent report.

"Our latest intel says that Li Pin has already left Gaia! He's opened every Astral Gate and used the Divine Treasury Hall's authority to head toward this region at full speed! If nothing unexpected happens, he should be—"

Buzz, Buzz!

Before he could finish, a silver light streaked across the horizon.

It was the Divine Treasury Hall's Judiciary flying vessel, capable of short-range speeds rivaling an Astral Gate's teleportation.

Li Pin... had arrived.