The crowd was still gasping when Xiao stepped forward, his right hand drenched in the blood of the prince whose skull now looked like a crumpled tin can. The corpse twitched once before falling still, and silence took the entire arena like a wave of death.
Xiao didn't say a word. He simply looked up, eyes glowing like a dying star. Everyone in the crowd lowered their heads. Not from respect, but primal terror.
The VIP stands erupted. Royal guards jumped down, cloaked in golden armor, weapons drawn. The King's advisors began shouting orders. Even the Queen covered her mouth in horror.
But none of it mattered.
Because at that moment… the sky cracked.
A thunderous roar boomed across the entire capital. It wasn't lightning. It wasn't a natural sound. It was a spaceship descending from orbit—no, not just any ship.
It was the Royal Galactic Dreadnought.
A giant slab of obsidian metal, ten kilometers long, with city-level firepower. The sky turned black as it hovered over the arena. Every noble, every general, every soul dropped to their knees.
Then a voice echoed across the world.
"I am the Cardinal Emperor."
The voice was calm, but each syllable felt like it pressed down on the soul, like being stared at by a god.
"This boy… this Xiao… is my grandson."
People screamed. Several fainted. A few old nobles puked blood on the spot.
The King of this star system fell to his knees, his face pale, all thoughts of rebellion gone. The Queen began sobbing, realizing how close they had been to offending the Cardinal Bloodline.
Then the Emperor's voice struck again.
"He is the Prince of the Cosmic Human Civilization. And anyone… anyone… who lays a hand on him, speaks against him, or even thinks of opposing him—"
The sky pulsed.
"—will be erased from existence."
Thousands of drones descended, each projecting a galaxy-wide broadcast. Across planets, moons, space stations—people watched as the bloodied Xiao stood alone in the arena, surrounded by corpses.
"This is not a declaration. This is LAW."
"Let it be known: Xiao is above your kings, your emperors, your sects, your planets. You are not even worthy to lick the dirt off his boots."
The sky dimmed. The Dreadnought began ascending.
But just before it vanished into the clouds—
A column of light beamed down.
A woman stepped out.
She wore a veil of white flames. Her hair flowed like cosmic winds, and her eyes burned with something ancient. She wasn't just beautiful. She was terrifying. Divine.
The arena went silent again.
She walked toward Xiao.
Then bowed deeply.
"Your Highness. I have come to escort you to your rightful throne."
Xiao blinked.
The face-slapping wasn't over yet.
From the stands, several famous young geniuses and arrogant cultivators dropped their jaws. They had mocked Xiao earlier. One of them—a high-ranked noble youth—tried to escape quietly.
Too slow.
Xiao didn't even move.
The woman raised a finger. The youth exploded into a rain of blood.
"Trash should know their place."
Another one tried to speak up.
"This must be fake! He—he's a nobody! A country bumpkin!"
Xiao smiled.
"Oh? Am I?"
He raised a finger.
The ground cracked. The youth was dragged underground by black chains that appeared out of nowhere. Screams echoed, then silence.
The woman chuckled.
"Your Highness still has your charming touch."
Xiao sighed. "This place stinks. Let's go."
The woman nodded.
The entire arena was now a grave.
The King prostrated himself, pressing his head to the dirt.
"Your Highness… please… forgive our sins…"
Xiao paused. Looked down. Then he smiled coldly.
"You had your chance."
He flicked his fingers. The woman waved her hand.
An orbital strike was called in.
BOOM.
Half the royal palace disintegrated in a blinding flash.
From orbit.
The message was clear:
No one slaps my face and lives.
Minutes later, aboard the Royal Ship.
Xiao sat in silence as the woman poured him tea. They passed through a warp gate, heading to the capital of the galactic empire.
"You were holding back, weren't you?" she asked.
Xiao looked at her.
"Always."
The tea steamed. The stars stretched like threads as the ship entered light-speed.
"Good," she whispered. "Because the real monsters are waiting for you up there."
"Let them wait," Xiao replied, eyes closed. "I'll tear them down too."