On Peace

Core Star Sector, Command Branch.

On the massive holographic screen, the battle at the Alpha Space Station was being broadcast in real-time.

The command center was dead silent. Everyone stared intently at the screen, not even daring to breathe.

The moment the antimatter bullet struck Ye Chuan precisely in the heart, only to shatter like a pebble hitting a mountain, collective gasps rang out across the entire command center.

"Antimatter bullets... are actually ineffective? Is the target even a biological entity? Could it be some strange object that gained sentience?" a researcher said.

"That's an antimatter warhead capable of annihilating neutron star matter!"

"Quantum locking is useless... spatial compression is useless..." another researcher muttered to himself, pulling up the data.

"His body density registers no value, and his energy signature is zero. It's as if... he doesn't even exist in this dimension."

Augustus stood before the screen, his expression dark.

"According to the information in our database, it's impossible for a cultivator's physical body to be this strong," he said.

"Magical defenses cannot withstand antimatter annihilation either, and it's even more impossible for the kin of Outer Gods to purify Outer God corruption and resurrect humans."

He abruptly turned his head to look at the chief researcher behind him.

"Search! Search through all known civilization databases! Is there any civilization that has simultaneously mastered cultivation, magic, Outer God corruption, and this kind of immortal, indestructible ability?!"

"I've already checked, Minister," the chief researcher said, his face deathly pale.

"None exist. There are a few planets that have birthed these types of powers in their history, but never coexisting in the same era. The gaps between them can even span hundreds of millions of years."

On the screen, the scene changed once more.

Thunderblade ordered the activation of the Spatial Slash. As the pitch-black rift slowly closed, everyone thought Ye Chuan was doomed for sure this time.

But in the next second, black-and-gold chaotic power surged forth, instantly dissolving the spatial rift. Ye Chuan's laughter echoed clearly from the screen.

A boundless black-and-gold mist swept over, instantly swallowing the five members of the Divine Punishment Squad.

Immediately following that, the footage on the screen began to flicker violently, and all the signals turned into chaotic static.

"Warning! Vital signals of the Divine Punishment Squad members have disappeared!"

"Warning! Unable to detect any energy fluctuations in the target area!"

The cold electronic voice echoed through the command center.

The screen went completely black.

The entire command center fell into a deathly silence.

No one spoke; no one moved.

The Divine Punishment Squad, one of the Federation's most elite special forces, a five-man team capable of hunting down level-thirteen Calamity Outer God kin, was just like that... completely wiped out?

They didn't even manage to make a splash.

Augustus closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

He felt such a deep, visceral pain that he could hardly breathe.

He had spent a hundred thousand years single-handedly training the Divine Punishment Squad. They were his proudest subordinates, the sharpest blade of the Federation.

Now, this blade was broken.

It wasn't that the Divine Punishment Squad underestimated their enemy.

It was that the opponent was simply too monstrous, and their side had absolutely no intelligence on him.

A human who appeared out of thin air.

No... was he even human?

Just then, Augustus's personal terminal suddenly rang.

The screen displayed an encrypted communication request.

Augustus took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and accepted the call.

"Augustus." A dignified middle-aged man appeared on the screen. He was the Speaker of the Apocalypse Core Star Sector, and one of the most powerful men in the entire Federation.

"I already know about the total annihilation of the Divine Punishment Squad."

"Speaker, I..." Augustus opened his mouth, wanting to explain.

"There's no need to explain," the Speaker waved his hand, his tone calm but carrying unquestionable authority.

"Now is not the time to assign blame. The most pressing matter is to figure out how to resolve this issue with Ye Chuan."

"Resolve?" Augustus gave a bitter laugh.

"Speaker... the Causality Eraser, the Annihilation Particle Gun, Quantum Locking, the Spatial Slash... we've used every weapon at our disposal. Even the Divine Punishment Squad sacrificed themselves. We simply cannot stop him."

"We can only request the Federation to dispatch stronger combat forces..."

"Then don't stop him," the Speaker said indifferently.

"What?" Augustus's face was filled with disbelief.

"I said, don't stop him," the Speaker repeated.

"From the very beginning, we didn't have an irreconcilable blood feud with him. Kalen was the one who provoked him first, and we were the ones who sent people to kill him first. When it comes down to it, we are in the wrong."

"But Speaker! He killed Kalen, and he killed the Divine Punishment Squad!" Augustus said in agitation. "Are we supposed to negotiate peace with him? Wouldn't that be handing over the initiative to the other side? Where does that leave the dignity of the Federation?"

"Dignity?" The Speaker sneered.

"In the face of absolute power, dignity is worthless. If we insist on fighting him to the bitter end, we will only end up destroying ourselves in the process."

"Our Apocalypse Core Star Sector has always been at odds with other star sectors, and there has been a lot of friction lately. We already lost over half a million planets in the last war. With a person like this, rather than making an enemy, it's better to make a friend."

"Augustus, I order you to personally apologize to Ye Chuan immediately."

"Use the best terms possible to strive for a partnership with him."

"If he wants resources, give him resources. If he wants technology, give him technology. If he wants authority, give him the highest clearance. As long as he does not become an enemy of the Federation, any condition can be agreed to."

"But Speaker!" Augustus still wanted to argue.

"No buts," the Speaker interrupted, his tone leaving no room for rebuttal. "You must execute this. If you screw this up again, don't bother coming back to the Command Branch."

After saying that, without waiting for Augustus to say anything else, the Speaker cut the connection.

Augustus stared at the darkened terminal screen, remaining silent for a long time.

He stood rooted to the spot, looking out the window at the bustling cosmic nightscape, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He had spent his entire life serving the Federation, fighting Outer Gods and all sorts of dangerous enemies.

He had never felt so powerless and humiliated as he did right now.

To actually surrender and negotiate for peace?

With a human?

An entire Star Sector could do nothing against a single human?

But he had no choice. Orders from superiors superseded everything.

"Prepare a ship," Augustus turned around and said flatly to the adjutant behind him. "To the Alpha Space Station."

"Minister, are you really going to apologize?" the adjutant asked cautiously.

"What else?" Augustus gave a bitter laugh. "Are we supposed to wait for him to attack us?"

It was obvious that the opponent hadn't even used his full strength up until now.

No one knew what else Ye Chuan had up his sleeve.

What if he held the power to directly destroy a galaxy? Destroying a few galaxies would be one thing, but if he could destroy an entire star sector, then they would truly be at their end.