"The Astral Gate is open. Let's move," Yuan Xinghai said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Once we pass through, we'll officially enter Gaia Civilization's territory." Defeating Gaia Civilization's challenger would mean no other force could stand against the Aristocratic Alliance. "I'm eager to see our young talents in action," Shang Tiange remarked with a smile. "As long as they don't encounter... well, let's just say they're among the finest. Compared to the geniuses cultivated by our various clans, they're undoubtedly at the top." The others nodded in agreement and began moving toward the now-stable Astral Gate. As they approached, Ji Wanfa shot a glance at Si Xing, who was still shadowing them, keeping a watchful eye. He frowned and let out a cold snort. "Hmph." Despite their irritation, they knew better than to act out. Yan Qing, the new leader of the Homo Sapien Alliance, had made it clear that reckless behavior in the Yin Luo Galaxy would not be tolerated. His authority was not something they dared challenge. Suppressing their frustration, they ignored Si Xing as if he weren't there and stepped through the Astral Gate. Watching the members of the Aristocratic Alliance vanish into the Astral Gate, Si Xing felt his heart sink. A deep sense of helplessness filled his gaze. "This is bad." Without delay, he relayed the situation to his superiors. On the other end of the communication were Yu Jianglong, the patriarch of the Yu Clan, and Si Huan, the patriarch of the Si Clan. Additionally, Lin Yu of the Lin Clan appeared as a virtual projection in the conference room. Both the Yu and Si Clans had staked their futures on the Gaia Civilization—or more precisely, on Li Pin. Their reasoning was clear: the Yu and Si Clans had already reached the zenith of what an aristocratic clan could achieve. Any further growth would merely result in producing more Astral Gods to bolster their foundations. To transcend their current status and ascend to the level of a star domain hegemon, they needed one of two things: either an Eternal Solar Flare Astral God or backing from a Cosmic Radiance. This was why they had invested so heavily in Li Pin. "The current leader of the Homo Sapien Alliance, Yan Qing, is not only an exceptionally powerful Eternal Solar Flare Astral God but also the direct disciple of a cosmic powerhouse. "Her background is formidable. She has drawn a strict red line, and anyone who dares to challenge the Homo Sapien Alliance's rules will face her ruthless suppression. Even the Aristocratic Alliance doesn't dare to defy her." Yu Jianglong sighed. "At best, we can only offer material support. The real battle must be fought by Gaia Civilization itself." "Still no word from Li Pin?" Si Huan pressed again. "Doesn't the Yu Clan have close ties with Sacred Child Xuan Ming of the Five Elements Mountain? Has he heard anything?" No one had anticipated that such a promising situation would take such a drastic turn for the worse. "With the Aristocratic Alliance coming in aggressively..." "Their approach is legitimate. We can't stop them," Yu Jianglong said gravely. "Gaia Civilization will have to rely on its own unity. If their cohesion is strong enough, one or two battles won't be enough to shatter their civilization's fortune." Si Huan remained silent. One or two battles might not be enough to break the Gaia Civilization, but their opponents clearly had no intention of stopping there. There would be a third, a fourth, a fifth, and even more, until Gaia's unity and destiny were completely shattered. Just then, a virtual projection materialized in the meeting room. It was Si Yue. Si Yue's expression was strange. "Patriarch... the Gaia Civilization's crisis might have been resolved." Then, realizing her wording was off, she quickly corrected herself. "Or rather, the Aristocratic Alliance is in trouble." "Hm?" Si Huan and Yu Jianglong exchanged puzzled glances. "What do you mean?" Lin Yu was visibly excited. "Could it be that Councilor Li...?" "No," Si Yue responded swiftly. "The Aristocratic Alliance's elite forces are arriving at their next Astral Gate, but outside that gate..." She transmitted a piece of information. "See for yourselves." As the information loaded, the first thing that appeared on the screen was a massive, disc-shaped spacecraft. The moment they saw it, Yu Jianglong, Si Huan, and the others froze in disbelief. "This is..." The Aristocratic Alliance's delegation of over a hundred members, along with their elite forces, had just stepped through the Astral Gate. As the sensation of interstellar travel faded, a sizable Astral Port came into view. It was a decent facility by their standards. However, before they could move toward the next Astral Gate, a colossal disc-shaped spaceship rapidly filled their field of vision. The moment everyone laid their eyes on the spaceship, they all had the same thought. “The Golden Emperor Clan!?" Yuan Xinghai, Shang Tiange, and Ji Wanfa's expressions changed simultaneously. "Ai Sa!?" Why is the Golden Emperor Clan's spaceship here!? "What's going on?" Ji Wanfa asked urgently. Before they could make sense of the situation, a figure emanating a faint golden glow appeared in the sky above the hovering disc. To the high-ranking members of the Aristocratic Alliance, this figure was nothing short of a nightmare. It was none other than the true prodigy of the Golden Emperor Clan. The one who, despite not yet ascending to the Astral God realm, had pushed his Power Level to the ninth tier purely through his innate talent. The one who had crushed dozens of Brilliant Starshine and Eternal Solar Flare Astral God's combat-specialized avatars, the Golden Son—Ai Sa. Ai Sa chuckled, his laughter echoing through the void. "Oh? The Aristocratic Alliance? You're still around?" A look of fear spread on the faces of Yuan Xinghai, Shang Tiange, and Ji Wanfa, along with the Shuo and Ying Clan's Astral Gods' avatars. Behind them, even the Tier Five and Six Legends—who had once been Ai Sa's opponents—couldn't hide the terror in their eyes. Many had personally witnessed Ai Sa's battle against dozens of Astral Gods’ ordinary and combat-specialized avatars. They fully understood just how terrifyingly powerful he was. It was no exaggeration to say that Ai Sa was practically invincible within their social circle, and that only Cosmic Radiance avatars or Astral Gods' true forms could deal with him. Yuan Xinghai asked solemnly, "Ai Sa, what do you want?" "I heard the Aristocratic Alliance has gathered quite a few elites." Ai Sa tilted his head, his gaze shifting past Yuan Xinghai to the group of Tier Five and Six Legends behind him. A devilish smile formed on his lips. "And I happen to enjoy fighting elites." "Ai Sa, don't act recklessly!" Shang Tiange quickly stepped forward, forcing himself to remain calm. "Your Golden Emperor Clan's Grand Patriarch has already declared that you've withdrawn from the race to become Astral God Yin Luo's successor. Are you planning to defy his orders?" "The Grand Patriarch only told me to step down from the competition. He never said I couldn't fight others. Why do you think I stayed in Yin Luo Galaxy? Because I heard there were plenty of strong opponents to challenge! "You were all scattered across the galaxy before, and I couldn't be bothered to hunt you down one by one. It would've been a waste of time. But now..." Ai Sa curled his lips upwards. "You've gathered here on your own!" As soon as he finished speaking, he burst into unrestrained laughter. "This is perfect! Now, all of you—come at me together! Struggle, resist—let me savor the thrill and joy of battle!" "Lunatic!" Yuan Xinghai cursed under his breath. Without wasting a second, he signaled for his people to retreat. "We don't have time to be your sparring partners. If you want a fight, find someone else. We're leaving." "Leave? Did I say you could leave? You dare disregard me like that?" Ai Sa's laughter abruptly stopped. The next moment, a surge of energy flared in his hand. A brilliant light erupted, forming what seemed like a miniature star, rapidly expanding. "Now then! Entertain me. Please me, and perhaps I'll spare your lives. Otherwise..." He made a casual gesture. The rapidly growing energy sphere, already surpassing a Power Level of 200,000, shot toward the Aristocratic Alliance's forces. "Die, all of you." Thanks to Ai Sa's arrival, the Gaia Civilization avoided a catastrophic crisis, but Li Pin remained completely unaware of this. At this moment, he was fully immersed in comprehending the Supreme Secret Art, Galactic Starburst, with the power of the Creation Gold Coin. Meanwhile, in both the Golden and Silver Lands, rumors about him were spreading like wildfire. Some claimed that in just ten stellar years, he had attained the third level of the Supreme Technique. The news sent shockwaves through the Silver Land, prompting many to investigate his background. Many speculated that if this were true, he would be the most promising candidate to reach the fourth level within ten thousand years, potentially completing the Black Abyss Highlord's trial and leading them out of this prison However, others dismissed the claim as mere rumor, insisting that he had only reached the second level. The idea of advancing to the third level in just ten years seemed utterly absurd. Even figures like Shen Duxiu, Wang Fuyun, King Tianyu, and Liu Suxin,, who had already achieved the realms of Brilliant Starshine and Eternal Solar Flare, had failed to cultivate a Supreme Technique to such a degree in such a short time. Some even dug up Li Pin's records with certainty, pointing out that when he entered the Heavenly Prison World, he was merely a Divine Being, not even an Astral God. The idea of a mere Divine Being advancing to the third level of the Supreme Technique in just ten years? To many, it seemed nothing short of a joke. Even the claim that Li Pin had reached the second level of the Supreme Technique sparked widespread skepticism. However, fueled by the aggressive promotion from Dragon Abyss Tower, Worldbreaker Peak, and Stormwind Tower, the rumor gained significant traction. Many who clung to any hope of escaping the Heavenly Prison World began clamoring for Li Pin to confirm the truth of the matter. Despite all of that, Li Pin remained unseen. Thus, as time passed, doubts grew, and some accused him of spreading false hope and deceiving them. The sentiment shifted dramatically, and soon, even individuals from Worldbreaker Peak, Stormwind Tower, Clearheart Society, and the Prodigy Hall—who had genuinely mastered the third level of the Supreme Technique—voiced their intentions to challenge him. They were determined to expose what they believed to be a fraud. At that moment, Li Pin decided the time was right and released a statement. He was open to challenges, even life-and-death battles. However, he made it clear that he would not entertain challenges from weaklings. Anyone who wished to face him had to wager a Supreme Secret Art as proof of their strength and heritage. Those who hadn't even cultivated a Supreme Secret Art, he declared, were unworthy of being his opponents. The announcement sent shockwaves throughout the Heavenly Prison World.