Star Realm.
Red stayed in her palace as usual, gazing sedately at the boundless starry sky.
Compared to back when Gu Nan was still in Star Realm, Red looked much more haggard. Clearly, the battle with Zuo Zuo back then affected her more than expected.
On this day, a figure slowly appeared in the silent and deserted Sky Palace.
Several shadows simultaneously showed themselves as soon as this figure emerged, blocking the newcomer's way. They were none other than the guards of Sky Palace.
However, the guards quickly retreated again after they saw the figure's face, evidently already quite familiar with the newcomer.
"Someone has come again?" Red was still sitting on her throne, calmly looking ahead, as Wu Gui slowly walked over.
Ever since that battle back then, these two had become good allies.
The weak Star Realm actually attracted many covetous invaders before, and Red's power couldn't withstand too much depletion, so it was only with Wu Gui's assistance that she was able to repel the incoming enemies every time.
Wu Gui didn't answer her directly, instead remarking, "Your guards are getting much better at hiding themselves."
Wu Gui didn't notice these guards revealing themselves even when she just descended. Red had clearly invested a lot of energy in this area.
Red smiled. "Only after spending many years in silence did I realize that I like this kind of environment."
In the past, Red's palace was very lively. But after Zuo Zuo descended and Qian Han's betrayal turned all of her guards against her, only then did the term silence come into being.
Wu Gui, however, didn't smile as she said with a dark expression, "Whether or not you've recovered from your past battles, we are in trouble this time."
The expression on Red's face didn't change much, appearing indifferent. "Who's coming?"
"Gu Nan," Wu Gui spat out these two words with force, her expression a little strange.
Red fell into a very long silence, and only after a long time did she slowly open her mouth, "So it's him…"
When Red heard this name, what came to mind first was still Gu Nan's fleeing figure as he panickedly escaped after blocking a long-distance blow from her many years back. He was barely considered a Star Ruler back then.
But in a little over a decade—the length of a mere nap for Star Rulers—this person had already slaughtered his way back here, with a very different status this time.
Red didn't ask Wu Gui where she heard the news from, because if it was really Gu Nan, the entire Myriad Heavens would know about it as soon as he made a move.
What was Gu Nan's current status?
A powerful core member of the Heaven-God Alliance, the youngest Star Ruler in history, someone who could fight Graceful Heaven's Fang Chaoyun to a standstill…
In a sense, the pressure Gu Nan brought to the two was even greater than the former Zuo Zuo.
At least Zuo Zuo had obvious weaknesses, and Red had prepared a trap to deal with him long in advance, but what weakness did Gu Nan have?
Those who read his background would discover that ever since Gu Nan's debut, he hadn't really suffered any genuine defeats—to still manage to retreat even when facing an opponent whose strength far surpassed his own was undoubtedly a glorious victory.
And due to the existence of the Heaven-God Alliance, even more people would praise Gu Nan if not for the "ten years time limit."
"Have his people already arrived?" Red's gaze swept across the starry sky, and all she saw was divine servants descending from the sky onto every single region.
"It's the same as the rumors said." Wu Gui sighed. "They fear neither injury nor death, and most of them aren't human."
"Where in the world did he find these fellows…? Forget it, I still have to try."
...
Gu Nan stood in the space above the Central Region, accompanied by none other than Red Tail.
"Aren't you going to meet your fellow clansmen?" Gu Nan looked at Red Tail, who was commanding the divine servants to land and start their slaughter. "Guan Hongchen has gone to pick up her family?"
"Yes." Red Tail nodded. "It's not just her… The apostles from Star Realm are all planning to bring some of their friends and family back to the Divine Kingdom."
Gu Nan didn't have much of an opinion on that. He wasn't that short on points, and having the apostles bring back their relatives would obviously be a better way to motivate them.
Only after she finished issuing orders to all the divine servants did Red Tail let out a deep breath. "I… don't know what to say if I see my tribe again."
She certainly did have a few close friends in the tribe, but in theory, these people were all targets to be slaughtered.
"You're the victor now, so say whatever you want." Gu Nan patted her shoulder. "Go on, remember to leave a group of children alive."
Red Tail was stunned, as if she couldn't believe these words were coming from Gu Nan's mouth—when had this one ever shown consideration for others? And he even specifically asked her to spare the children?
"Your Indigo Mound tribe reproduces at a pretty good rate, so we can come back in a few years," Gu Nan added matter-of-factly.
...
Red Tail ended up going to Indigo Mountain, although Gu Nan didn't really care whether she'd heed his words or not.
The claim of leaving children alive was just something he said offhandedly. Who knew what would happen in a few years' time? Besides, whether or not Star Realm would still exist after today depends on Red's attitude.
Just as Gu Nan was thinking, Red's figure unsurprisingly appeared.
"You two actually became a team?" Gu Nan glanced at Wu Gui, who appeared alongside Red, with some surprise.
The current Wu Gui's strength had improved quite a bit from back then. At the very least, she already acquired her own astral world and was Tier 6 at the lowest.
Of course, it was more likely that her astral world always existed, only she finally succeeded in remodeling it, turning it into a Demonic Buddha Kingdom that belonged solely to her.
Even as the reincarnation of a great power, Wu Gui's advancement speed was still ridiculously fast.
It was only when compared to Gu Nan, an even more outrageous fellow, that she was left far in the dust.
Faced with Gu Nan's surprise, Red didn't respond immediately.
Instead, Wu Gui asked, "What do you want? We can give it to you. Must you attack Star Realm?"
"I want human lives." Gu Nan shrugged indifferently. "If you're willing to provide them, I will gladly accept such cooperation."
Red finally revealed a sneer. "Meaning I work hard to raise cultivators and then give them to you to slaughter?"
"No." Gu Nan waved his hand and earnestly corrected her, "It's that you can raise cultivators all you want, and my people can kill them all they want. I don't mind if they resist."
Red's gaze gradually turned icy as it landed on Gu Nan. "Then try it."
Even if she was already heavily injured and had yet to recover; even if Star Realm was merely inherited; even if she hadn't actually managed this plane in a long time… This was ultimately her astral world.
Not just anyone could come and wreak havoc!
Answering the remaining dignity of a Realm Level Star Ruler, an endless red began to descend, enveloping Gu Nan's entire being, as if his world had turned completely red.
"Try it," two calm words traveled out from the red barrier.