Chapter 1054: Return of the King

Far from the nine-colored tree, atop a mountain peak, two figures shrouded in mist observed the distant battlefield. One had horns on his head, while the other had a third eye on his forehead. Their gazes were fixed on the chaos unfolding in the distance.

"The situation is worse than we imagined. Has this planet truly risen from the ashes?" the horned man said gravely.

"We aren't occupied just yet. Should we try to ambush the nine-colored tree?" the three-eyed man asked.

"Didn't you see the layer of light surrounding the nine-colored tree? That's spatial energy. And with that Heavenly Emperor controlling it, any attempt to ambush it would likely be futile," the horned man replied, frowning.

"But—"

"What's more, that fool earlier merged his truesoul with his silver tree to create an avatar to infiltrate that palace—and we haven't heard a thing since. It's clear the palace is dangerous. Do you really want to test its defenses yourself?" the horned man retorted.

The three-eyed man hissed in frustration. "It's only been ten thousand years. How could this planet have changed so much? How many Stellar powerhouses are here now?"

The horned man narrowed his eyes. "This planet has become extremely troublesome. I suspect that the Superior's legacy has been divided among the people here."

"What?" the three-eyed man exclaimed in shock.

The horned man nodded to himself. "Otherwise, how could so many Stellar powerhouses suddenly emerge out of nowhere? To win now, we'd have to use our stellar cannons to blow up the planet. But if we do that, the powerhouses here will go berserk, and we'll suffer heavy losses trying to escape. It's not worth it."

The three-eyed man pondered for a moment. "Are you suggesting we retreat now? But the king..."

The horned man smirked coldly. "Do you still think the Superior can be called king in this state?"

The three-eyed man's pupils contracted as he stared at the horned man. He opened his mouth to argue but ultimately held his tongue.

At that moment, a beam of white light descended from the sky, enveloping the entire planet. The horned man and the three-eyed man looked up in astonishment.

"Is that... a signal from the king? Ordering us to retreat immediately?" the three-eyed man asked, shocked.

"How is that possible? When did the Superior return to the starship?" the horned man muttered, equally stunned.

The two exchanged bewildered glances. Meanwhile, all the Darkborn on the battlefield also paused, their expressions filled with confusion.

"Retreat!" one of the Darkborn shouted.

With a loud crash, the three Darkborn fighting Xia Yu'er, Zhang Lingjun, and Lan Yaoguang broke away and shot into the sky as they escaped from the atmosphere.

The two hidden Darkborn also frowned and followed suit as they flew into the void.

In space, the three Darkborn battling Madam Rouge, Liu Miaoyin, and the Divine Emperor also tensed up. They quickly disengaged and flew toward the source of the white light.

Meanwhile, the eighteen Darkborn fighting the three Qing Grandmasters all frowned as well. With a loud boom, they broke away and fled into the distance.

The three Qing Grandmasters didn't pursue them. They sensed that some of the Darkborn had infiltrated the planet, and several had yet to reveal themselves. They couldn't risk leaving the planet undefended, as more enemies might be lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

Madam Rouge, Liu Miaoyin, and the Divine Emperor also chose not to chase. Instead, they assisted the Dazheng forces in dealing with the remaining sandworms before returning to Yongding.

Back in Yongding, the citizens and soldiers cheered, chanting, "The Heavenly Emperor is invincible!" After all, Xiao Nanfeng had been the first to kill a Darkborn during this incursion.

The women quickly gathered around Xiao Nanfeng, but he remained silent—this was merely his soulless physical body. He swiftly guided it back to the palace.

With a loud creak, the palace doors closed. The women didn't mind; they knew what Xiao Nanfeng was doing and didn't disturb him.

From inside the palace, Xiao Nanfeng called out, "The Darkborn we captured earlier is yours to interrogate. Extract as much information as possible. We need to be prepared."

"Understood!" the Dazheng officials chorused, as did the three women.

The three Qing Grandmasters flew into Yongding.

The Yuqing Grandmaster asked, "Has Xiao Nanfeng yet to emerge from seclusion?"

Madam Rouge nodded. "My husband's current plans are of utmost importance. We cannot afford any mistakes. The Darkborn may return, so we ask that you continue to guard this planet with us for a while longer. As for the captured Darkborn, we'll share any information we uncover with you."

The three Qing Grandmasters glanced at the palace where Xiao Nanfeng was secluded, their brows furrowed. In truth, they had long wanted to leave the planet and venture into the depths of the universe. The fate of this planet mattered little to them, but it was still their birthplace. If they allowed it to be destroyed, it would leave a flaw in their hearts, leading to future tribulations in their cultivation.

That was why they had found three successors and passed on all the knowledge and resources they had accumulated over the last ten thousand years, hoping that the three women would shoulder their burdens and karma on their behalf.

Of course, the three women might not be able to bear the entire burden themselves, so the three Qing Grandmasters would need to provide additional support.

By guarding Xiao Nanfeng for a while longer, they could help repel the Darkborn and sever their ties to this planet. If they succeeded, they could finally leave for the depths of space. If they failed and the planet was destroyed, no one could blame them for not having tried their best; their karmic debt would be fulfilled in other case.

Therefore, when Madam Rouge asked them to guard the planet for a little while longer, they didn't refuse.

"We promised the primordial altar to do so for some time, and we won't go back on our word," the Taiqing Grandmaster replied.

"We will stay at least until Xiao Nanfeng emerges from secluded cultivation," the Yuqing Grandmaster agreed. "I just hope that he doesn't take too long."

"I will not shy away from this final battle," the Shangqing Grandmaster proclaimed.

The gathered women bowed toward the three Qing Grandmasters in gratitude.

The three Qing Grandmasters nodded back. They eyed Xia Yu'er, Zhang Lingjun, and Lan Yaoguang again. After all, the fact that the three women had already managed to manifest their respective world trees left them shocked. They wanted to inquire as to how they had done it, but ultimately chose not to do so. The three women were shouldering a karmic debt on their behalf, and it wouldn't do for them to get too entangled in their affairs.

The Yuqing Grandmaster said, "We'll be heading back to keep an eye on the Darkborn. We'll share any news that arise."

"Very well," Madam Rouge said, nodding.

The three Qing Grandmasters vanished from sight as they whizzed away.

The gathered women glanced around them and got to work. Madam Rouge began handling affairs of court, while Liu Miaoyin and the Divine Emperor interrogated the captured Darkborn. Xia Yu'er, Zhang Lingjun, and Lan Yaoguang would continue guarding Xiao Nanfeng.

Beyond the heavens, a starship emitted a beam of white light, signaling all the Darkborn to retreat. It then moved away from the battlefield and headed deeper into the cosmos. The other starships scattered in different directions to confuse the three Qing Grandmasters before regrouping at a distant location.

Though the Darkborn were largely puzzled, they quickly followed. They traversed through the stars, moving farther and farther away from Xiao Nanfeng's planet. Eventually, they stopped near a desolate planet.

A hundred starships hovered in the void surrounding a central vessel. Thirty Darkborn gathered nearby, their expressions a mix of excitement, tension, worry, and fear. They all stared at the central starship, waiting.

With a hiss, a door on the central starship opened in a cloud of mist.

"Enter the main hall," a woman's voice echoed from within.

The Darkborn's eyes lit up as they stepped into the starship. None of them spoke; they were each silently preparing their excuses.

They walked through a long corridor before arriving at a large hall in the center of the starship.

The hall was filled with mist and seemingly empty except for them. They waited patiently.

After a while, the woman's voice spoke again, "Why is there only one spare clone in the cloning chamber? Who altered my orders?"

One of the Darkborn immediately replied, "Your Majesty, the clone bodies consume too many resources. After some discussion, we decided..."

Before he could finish, the woman's voice cut him off. "Too many resources? A discussion? Do you intend to override my orders at will, then?"

The Darkborn bowed their heads, not daring to argue.

The woman continued, "Forget it. One body will suffice."

One of the Darkborn hesitated momentarily before asking, "Your Majesty, are you planning to inhabit this clone?"

The woman's voice didn't respond, and no one answered him. He swallowed his questions and waited.

After a while, a metal door hissed open and a woman in white walked out. Her appearance was identical to the Superior's original body, the one Xiao Nanfeng had slain. This woman was a clone inhabited by one of her silver moons.

"We greet our king!" The thirty Darkborn knelt in reverence.

The Superior, now in the body of a clone, walked forward. Though her beauty was unparalleled, no one dared to admire her. They all kept their heads down and avoided her icy gaze.

She approached a throne and waved her hand. A mechanical servant carefully poured a glass of wine and handed it to her. She took the glass and surveyed her subordinates.

The Darkborn held their breath as they awaited her judgment.

After a long pause, the Superior took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Rise."

The Darkborn exhaled in relief as they stood up.

The Superior glared at them coldly. "You knew I was about to break free. Why are you lot the only ones here? Where are the others?"

The Darkborn exchanged uneasy glances: some worried, others angry.

Finally, one of them began, "By the orders of the Royal Alliance, the Darkborn has officially launched an assault on the Milky Way Domain. The others in our faction are en route to the Milky Way."