"You have gone too far!"

The T9 Oracle-grade Lord of Treasure-Rich Starfield erupted in fury.

He had never imagined that an imperial legion would dare attack his territory so openly, much less under an accusation that everyone present understood to be a political excuse. His palm swept downward, carrying enough power to crush the advancing army in a single blow.

At his level, killing ordinary Divine-grade experts was no more difficult than trampling insects. Even a T7 Oracle-grade expert would struggle to survive a direct strike from him. Logically, no one within the imperial legion should have been capable of resisting that palm.

Yet just as the attack descended, a dazzling treasure light burst from the center of the army.

A pitch-black spear suddenly appeared.

The terrifying aura of a peak-grade Primordial Supreme Treasure spread across the starfield, causing the surrounding laws to tremble. The person controlling the spear was the strongest commander within the expeditionary force, a T8 Oracle-grade legion commander.

By relying upon cultivation alone, the commander was not the Starfield Lord’s equal. The difference between T8 and T9 could not ordinarily be crossed by courage or military experience.

However, Daniel had lent him the black Divine Spear before the operation began.

With that weapon in his hands, everything changed.

The spear thrust forward. Its point tore through the descending palm force as though piercing a thin sheet of paper. The attack capable of slaughtering an entire legion shattered instantly, while the spear continued forward without losing momentum.

"You dare attack the army of the Eternal Empire?" the commander roared. "You are courting death!"

The Divine Spear erupted with a terrifying tide of spear intent.

In an instant, countless black spear projections appeared throughout every corner of Treasure-Rich Starfield. They rose from the void, from shattered planets, from the gaps between worlds, and from the darkness beyond the defensive formations. Like an endless black tide, they surged across the entire territory.

"Impossible!"

The Starfield Lord’s face changed dramatically.

He was a T9 Oracle-grade powerhouse, yet a T8 commander had destroyed his attack in a single exchange. Even more terrifying was the aura of the black spear. The weapon carried a power that made his instincts scream in warning.

He raised his hands to defend himself.

Only then did he realize that a black spear had already pierced his chest.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

The Starfield Lord attempted to summon his laws, but the next instant, countless spear projections converged upon him from every direction. They pierced his body until he resembled a figure covered in black thorns.

His Life Origin began to collapse.

The destructive power within the spear did not merely damage flesh. It ground away his Great Dao foundation, erased his Divine Soul, and annihilated the life imprint hidden within his Origin. Every method of revival was severed one after another.

Within moments, the T9 Oracle-grade Lord of Treasure-Rich Starfield was dead.

Not even a fragment of his Divine Soul remained.

The legion commander who had personally launched the attack stared at the empty space in astonishment. Although he had known that Daniel’s weapon was powerful, he had not expected it to kill a T9 Oracle-grade expert with such ease.

"As expected of the weapon bestowed by that lord," he murmured. "Its power is truly terrifying."

Then he raised his voice so that it echoed throughout the entire starfield.

"The Starfield Lord is dead! Those who surrender will be spared. All remaining inhabitants are to evacuate immediately. The imperial legion will conduct a complete cleansing of this territory."

The ordinary members of Treasure-Rich Starfield had already lost every trace of courage.

Their greatest protector had died before their eyes. If a T9 Oracle-grade expert could not resist the black spear, what could the rest of them accomplish? They rushed toward their vessels, activated escape formations, and fled the starfield in every direction.

The imperial legion advanced without obstruction.

Once the inhabitants had withdrawn, the soldiers began destroying every palace, fortress, treasury, cultivation ground, and defensive formation belonging to Treasure-Rich Starfield. Planets were shattered. Sacred mountains collapsed. Ancient halls that had stood for millions of years were reduced to ruins.

In less than half a day, the entire starfield had been devastated.

The once-prosperous territory became a wasteland filled with fractured worlds and drifting debris. Its spiritual veins had been severed, its headquarters erased, and its foundations destroyed so thoroughly that rebuilding was no longer realistic.

* * *

Treasure-Rich Starfield had fallen.

The news spread across the Eternal Empire like a cosmic storm.

Countless factions and powerful experts were shaken. The Lord of Treasure-Rich Starfield had been a T9 Oracle-grade powerhouse. If even he had failed to stop the imperial army, what chance did ordinary factions possess?

Those who had witnessed the battle claimed that the Starfield Lord had died without leaving behind so much as a trace of Divine Soul. His death had been absolute and horrifying.

The destruction of the territory was equally complete. Treasure-Rich Starfield was no longer suitable for habitation, much less for supporting a major power. From that day forward, there was virtually no possibility that its faction would recover.

Fear immediately spread among every independent power whose territory lay near an imperial legion.

No one knew where Dorek’s armies would strike next.

No one knew which faction would be accused of concealing Tribulation-Ash corruption, and no one wished to discover whether their own defenses could resist Daniel’s black spear.

Within the Imperial City, private discussions erupted in every noble residence.

"Prince Dorek is far more ruthless than we imagined."

"He destroyed one of the ten greatest powers without hesitation. Compared to him, the political schemes I once considered impressive now seem like children’s games."

"Who can still stop him? Who would dare oppose him openly? The moment a faction resists, its entire starfield may be erased."

"Many princes will probably abandon Alvin and secretly submit to Dorek now. At the very least, surrender may keep their maternal clans from suffering the same fate as Treasure-Rich Starfield."

Their predictions quickly became reality.

After the destruction of Treasure-Rich Starfield, numerous princes who had relied upon powerful maternal factions withdrew their support from Prince Alvin and turned toward Dorek.

Their submission was not without conditions, but the exchange greatly favored Dorek. In return for protection, he gained the unrestricted right to mobilize their resources, including high-stage Oracle-grade combat forces, military fleets, information networks, and enormous reserves of wealth.

While political tension filled the Imperial City, the western starfield legions continued obeying their deployment orders. One after another, they established camps near the capital.

Several vast armies now stood outside the city walls.

The Imperial City had fallen beneath Dorek’s military shadow. No faction dared oppose him publicly.

Inside the Holy See, the news of Treasure-Rich Starfield’s destruction and the arrival of the legions caused the hearts of many experts to sink.

The situation could no longer be misunderstood. Dorek’s armies had surrounded the capital and could enter at any moment. If the legions broke through the Holy See, none of Alvin’s supporters could expect a favorable end.

Many experts began wavering. Loyalty and promised wealth suddenly seemed far less important than survival.

A number of senior elders, however, had served Alvin too long to change sides safely. They could only attempt to calm him.

"Your Highness, we must not lose control of ourselves," one elder said solemnly. "Dorek may have destroyed Treasure-Rich Starfield and surrounded the capital, but he still does not dare order his armies directly into the Imperial City. Even if he did, entering the city is not the same as conquering the Holy See."

The elder continued, "You still hold the central administrative authority of the empire. No matter how many soldiers Dorek commands, he must consider the consequences before attacking you. We need only remain steady until the imperial temple ceremony. Once that day arrives, our arrangements will give us victory. The closer we come to the decisive moment, the more important it is to prevent Dorek from taking further reckless action."

Another elder offered a more humiliating proposal.

"Your Highness should issue an official proclamation condemning Treasure-Rich Starfield for concealing Tribulation-Ash corruption. Publicly support Dorek’s operation. If he believes we have submitted temporarily, he may refrain from striking us before the ceremony."

Prince Alvin clenched his teeth.

"I have endured enough. I have lowered my dignity again and again to satisfy that man. Now he is standing on my head, and you still tell me to endure. Tell me, exactly how much longer must I continue swallowing this humiliation?"

No one in the hall could answer him.