Above the boundless firmament, the green Qilin surged like mist and gradually vanished into the night.
Only a mocking remark remained, echoing through the air like thunder.
"Rhein, your people have been manipulated, and you didn't even realize?"
Amid the rolling thunder, the King of Qing's power descended out of thin air and scattered into the wind.
For a brief moment, the entire Magic City's electronic devices restored their power supply; the neon lights once again illuminated the darkness, casting their glow onto the coral-like clouds, resembling a dim sea of stars.
Rhein silently stood on the rooftop of the Deep Space Headquarters, his golden heavy pupils devoid of any emotion.
The last words he spoke were not meant as negotiation.
It was because, regardless of the actions of the nine great saints of the Judgement Court now,
Their past achievements remained irrefutable.
They had once been heroes who saved the Human World.
They should not perish so easily.
But now, it seemed there was no room for discussion.
Rhein reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and retrieved an electronic remote control forged from Pure Crystal Stone.
This was the control device for the Heaven's Punishment Plan.
It was also the most cutting-edge alchemy technology weapon under the Judgement Court's command.
But it had now become obsolete.
He gazed skyward, his sight seemingly penetrating the vast clouds, reaching into the darkness-shrouded depths of the Universe, as if he could see the light of burning stars being obscured by an enormous entity, falling into a frigid abyss.
In that moment, Rhein suddenly understood what this Catastrophe had been doing for the past two centuries.
The Ancient Catastrophe occurred two hundred years ago—back then, he hadn't even been born.
It marked the rise and fall of humanity's Golden Age, a time of prosperity jointly created by the husband-and-wife duo Taiqing and Taihua, only to be buried by their most accomplished disciples. Ether Association's various family factions suffered an untold number of casualties, ancient traditions from around the world were severed, and even the Dark World was shattered once.
Taihua took the throne.
The Red King died, activating the Heaven's Punishment Plan just before his death.
The King of Qing bore the murderous intent of these endless stars alone, enduring the weight for the world. This also became a restraint upon him; otherwise, his threat level would rival that of the Ancient Supreme.
An unrestrained Supreme Level combatant—just thinking about it was terrifying.
Rhein's father was a radical within the Ether Association.
He argued that humanity should eliminate every aspect connected to the Ancient God Clan.
This ideology was mocked by Qing and Red Kings alike as the ultimate idiocy.
He should be crowned the King of Fools.
It was a colossal humiliation.
Yet even today, Rhein had to concede one truth.
From beginning to end, the only opponents in the eyes of Qing and Red Kings were each other.
The Red King waged war against the entire world, ultimately falling at Buzhou Mountain, leaving behind a lingering challenge before his death.
That was Heaven's Punishment.
The King of Qing could have avoided it and watched this world face destruction, but he didn't.
Instead, he single-handedly held off the murderous intent of countless stars.
And then spent two centuries unraveling it.
The rivalry between Qing and Red Kings was about to open a new chapter.
"Although our stances differ and our intentions vary, however selfless or selfish the motives may have been, the past two hundred years have undoubtedly been arduous for you. Even though I too believe that using Heaven's Punishment as a means to restrain you was indeed crude, if given another chance, I think I'd still choose to do the same." Rhein placed his hand over his chest and bowed slightly.
Then he turned, speaking into the miniature microphone on his lapel: "Everyone, prepare yourselves from tonight onward. The Judgement Court has revealed a flaw, and Lin Dong and his group will likely pursue us relentlessly."
He paused: "The internal structure of the Ether Association is about to change again."
In the fleeting moment before departure, he cast a cold, steely glance into the darkness.
"The Order of the Hidden, is that it?"
The sea breeze carried the sound of distant tides.
Huai Yin's consciousness returned to his body, and the green Qilin still hovered atop the sky, overlooking the world between sea and heavens. His voice was detached yet tinged with hearty laughter: "Ultimately, I won, as mere stars dare to rival the Sun?"
However, his complexion was dreadfully pale, as though all blood had drained away, and he began coughing heavily.
Even his towering figure seemed to have aged slightly.
His posture appeared hunched.
He turned back, gazing at the two dumbfounded children, chuckling softly: "What's with the surprise? You, too, have stepped onto the Evolution Path. Your future achievements will surpass mine."
Gu Jianlin listened to these words, yet felt a sense of unreality.
It was akin to hearing parents tell you to study hard and aim for Tsinghua and Peking University.
But you'd feel no connection to those words, for such distant dreams feel irrelevant compared to the whimsy of playing with mud.
"When my teacher taught me the Evolution Path back then, he never said it could reach such heights."
Tang Ling said wistfully.
On this night, they had witnessed the true power of a Catastrophe.
No, to be precise, this was no longer confined to regular Catastrophe Level—it was a unique strength belonging solely to this elder, unmatched in history, peerless through the ages.
This was the King of Qing, undoubtedly the pillar of the Human World, able to single-handedly carry the banner of resistance against the Ancient God Clan and deter even the Ancient Supremes from awakening while he lived.
The Human World had long passed down this saying.