Chapter Thirty-Four: The Blood-Soaked Cosmos

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting its glow across Blue Sky’s sharply defined features.

In General Manager Fan’s eyes, the young chairman before him—almost excessively youthful—seemed shrouded in an aura of mystery. One could not truly see through him, only sense an insurmountable distance between them, something that defied reason.

He did not ask why the chairman had chosen him. If the chairman had made his selection, there must have been a reason. All he needed to do was perform every task well in the future, to be worthy of the chairman’s trust; that would be enough.

Blue Sky smiled lightly and nodded. “If you doubt someone, don’t employ them; if you employ someone, do not doubt them. I’ll be honest with you—I’ve already investigated your background. Not just yours, but every senior executive in the company. I know them all inside and out. That’s why I chose you.”

“Th-thank you, thank you Chairman Blue, for your recognition. I, Fan Ming, will exhaust every effort, never failing the trust you have placed in me!” Fan Ming was momentarily stunned by Blue Sky’s words—he hadn’t expected the chairman to explain himself. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but tremble with excitement.

He swore to himself he would live up to this trust!

“Haha, good. But there’s no need to go that far—just do your job well. If your performance is outstanding, I’ll consider increasing your shareholding.” Blue Sky laughed and, seeing Fan Ming’s exhilarated face, waved him off to attend to his work.

Soon, only Blue Sky remained in the office. To be honest, at this moment he was quietly elated.

So this is what it feels like to be a boss—no wonder so many people strive for it all their lives.

Watching his employees or subordinates stand nervously before him, knowing that a single word could determine their fate—this truly was intoxicating!

“Heh, what’s there to be so gleeful about? Is this all you amount to?” White’s voice sounded at the most inopportune moment.

Blue Sky felt a surge of annoyance. Did this guy always have to appear at the very moment he was feeling most triumphant, just to pour cold water over his mood?

His heart was truly bitter…

“For your shameless eavesdropping, I’m honestly at a loss for words,” Blue Sky said helplessly.

“Hmph, you were getting too full of yourself. I simply had to come out and cool you off a little. Enough talk—I’ll show you a scene.” White snorted in dissatisfaction. Suddenly, the lights in the office dimmed, and a three-dimensional holographic projection in the shape of a cube floated before Blue Sky’s eyes.

The scene was packed with people, a surging, black mass whose numbers were impossible to count. Then, as one, everyone knelt facing the same direction. The camera zoomed rapidly outward, revealing the source of their devotion—a towering altar. Upon it strode a majestic man, stern and authoritative, raising a hand to the sky. Instantly, a miniature universe appeared overhead, its celestial bodies tracing mysterious trajectories, as if a secret law was being imparted. Those below watched with intense excitement, exclaiming in reverence.

Then the vision ended. Of course, there was no sound—after all, the secretary was still outside. If such commotion came from the chairman’s office, she would surely be alarmed, and if she saw this, it could spell trouble.

“This is my master’s grand ceremony of imparting the Way, held every century. All cultivators of Blue Jade Star, from stellar-class superpowers down to the old, weak, women, and children—a hundred billion of the human race—bow as one, grateful for my master’s benevolence,” White’s voice came softly, tinged with nostalgia for the glorious days of old. “Compared to my master, what is your paltry achievement worth? What right do you have to be proud?”

“You control nothing but a small, insignificant company, and already you’re puffed up with pride. If that’s the extent of your ambition, you might as well give up on cultivation. This is all you’ll ever be.”

Blue Sky’s face drained of color at these words. Indeed, after all that had happened lately, he had become somewhat carried away, feeling the loneliness of standing at the top. He wasn’t even as eager about his nightly cultivation.

After all, on Earth, there were no other cultivators. He was already at the pinnacle, and as time went on, the gap between him and ordinary people would only grow.

“Have you ever considered that Earth is not an isolated paradise, cut off from the universe? Yes, Earth has not yet been discovered, but do you really think it will remain hidden forever? The universe is not a realm of harmony, and the other races out there are nothing like the yellow or white races of Earth. The races of the cosmos are fiercely aggressive, and especially toward the human race, not at all friendly!”

“Never mind other races—just among humans, while large-scale internal conflict is rare, smaller invasions and even enslavement are not uncommon!”

“Tell me, with Earth’s current scientific and technological strength, who could you possibly contend with? Not other cosmic races, not even the lowest human cosmic nations. Even the most insignificant cultivation planet could send a single person to sweep across the entire Earth!”

“And when Earth becomes someone else’s colony, or worse, a planet of slaves, will anything you now enjoy or possess still exist?”

“Your parents, your family, your relatives and friends, your future wife and children—all might become slaves to others. Will you still feel proud then?”

White’s cold voice echoed relentlessly in Blue Sky’s mind. He listened, chilled to the bone, as if plunged into an icy abyss. Even with his now enhanced physique, his hair stood on end and his back was drenched in cold sweat.

In truth, he had not entirely ignored this possibility. If White could appear on Earth, so could other beings from the universe. He had simply placed White too high on a pedestal, neglecting that other cosmic entities might not be as friendly.

Though he spoke to White without much deference, in his heart he already regarded White as half a mentor. Subconsciously, he imagined other cosmic beings would be much like White.

He had even naively thought that, at worst, Earth would be integrated into the universe as one of many inhabited planets under another cosmic nation—perhaps not such a bad thing for Earth.

Now, it seemed he had been too naïve. From what White said, the laws of survival in the universe were far more brutal than on Earth—cruel beyond comparison.

He had never expected to hear the word “slavery” from White’s lips. From the tone, it was clear that with Earth’s current state, once discovered, it could hardly escape the fate of colonization and enslavement.

It was truly terrifying.

Since meeting White, Blue Sky had never felt such a burning desire for strength as he did at this very moment. Now, genuine fear gripped him—fear that everything White said might come true, fear that those he cared for would become slaves, fear that all the beauty of Earth would vanish utterly.