Before dawn, in the deepest hours of the night, the darkness was profound. Wang Xuan skimmed just above the river, the reeds on either bank blurring past as he flew over a hundred miles to the neighboring city—Yuan City.1

His spirit crossed the distance with such swiftness that streaks of light flashed by; moments later, he stood suspended high in the air, overlooking the city bathed in the dim lights of night, his murderous intent now concealed.0

He located his target building effortlessly—the third tallest skyscraper in Yuan City, a seven-star hotel with a rooftop capable of accommodating small spacecraft.0

Wang Xuan didn’t need to search; the man he was looking for wasn’t in a hotel room but on the rooftop. Dressed in black, the figure stood at the edge, a glass of red wine in hand, gazing out at the profound cosmic starscape.0

He seemed to relish the moment, silently toasting to the void, as if celebrating a splendid occasion. “Heh, the superlative world, what can a gathering of several relics do? You’re all still going to die. The Sea of Transcendence is a dead end; countless civilizations have perished there. Rather than that fate, why not kill you all, seize a few relics, and take another path with my old friend.”0

With a tilt of his head, he drained the wine glass, squinting his eyes, awaiting the good news from the stars. According to his calculations, the strike should have already been initiated, and the...1