Published: February 13, 2025
"Is there any news from over there?"
At a table, four people were seated together drinking, while four others stood respectfully behind them.
If the Old Dean or Ana Yao Han Su were present, they would recognize two of the individuals; they were the ancestors of the Hall People and the ancient tree of the Guirui Star Clan. The other two—an old dwarf and a mysterious figure dressed entirely in black—remained unfamiliar.
Behind the four were the current leader of the Hall People, the former speaker of the Alliance Council, the chairman of the newly established Business Alliance after the split, and another member of a race that was supposed to have vanished.
The voice that spoke belonged to a living fossil of the Hall People, an elder whose age was beyond reckoning.
Since the split from the Su Clan and the Lena People, these old fellows who had previously shunned worldly affairs stepped into the limelight to stabilize the situation and the hearts of their people.
The effect was remarkably good, as they represented the highest-end combat power, not inferior to that of the Old Dean.
Of course, the Hall People believed so.
"They have changed their course, heading towards... according to the star chart established when we were still in the Alliance, deep into the universe," said the elder.
"At the same time, a super-large-scale weapon is being constructed at their Survivor Fortress. There's another piece of news that might interest you. Based on the confidential information transmitted from over there, we believe they are executing a mad plan—they are attempting to merge the Survivor Fortress into a single, ultimate war machine."
The one answering the elder of the Hall People was the mysterious figure in black.
"Xi Huan, is your information accurate? Why do I find this impossible?" The ancient tree shook his head slightly, his neck appearing somewhat stiff.
Merging the war fortress? How could that be easy!
"You shouldn't doubt me, old man. I control all underground organizations, including the Dark Direction, where that Ye Zhongming, whom you once underestimated but is now your nightmare, was involved—it's all under my command."
The elder tree did not move his gaze and chose to remain silent.
When it came to combat power, he feared no one present. But when it came to the foundation and wealth of their entire race...
Just thinking about it made the elder tree furious.
His subordinates, who thought they had accumulated wealth and connections after living for so long, were now nothing compared to others. Even in personal strength, this guy was now on par with him, leaving him without confidence when speaking.
"Is this something to boast about? You only realize their identity when they swagger in to cash in on their last contribution?"
The elder of the Hall People spoke rather bluntly. There was no way around it; the remaining Survivor Fortresses were led by the Hall People, and when it came to combat strength, this elder would be the first, with no one daring to oppose.
Xi Huan opened his mouth to explain that it wasn't his problem, but he fell silent for a moment before continuing, "I think their target is the Slave Clan."
"Actually, that isn't surprising, is it? I've seen records from many occasions where those from the Su Clan and the Library Palace have hinted at this."
The one speaking was the somewhat quiet old dwarf.
His identity was somewhat special; in Divine Artisan City, he was neither a high-ranking official nor a traditional dwarf craftsman—he had no talent in this area. But he was an outlier among the Tarros Red Dwarfs, a scientist considered a top figure in the field of genetic biological science.
When Divine Artisan City fell, he was conducting academic exchanges with the Hall People alongside his research team. After receiving the news, this big shot in the scientific community stared at the images of the city's collapse for an entire day and then took his research team into seclusion at a research institute of the Hall People.