Interastral Peace Corporation headquarters, Pier Point.
"Welcome to Pier Point, Mr. Yiqing."
Diamond bowed slightly, his posture respectful as he led Wei Qing into a majestic corridor.
At this moment, on both sides of the corridor, employees dressed in matching uniforms stood with lowered heads. Their gazes were filled with awe and curiosity.
As early as twenty-four system hours before Wei Qing's arrival, every employee stationed at the IPC headquarters had stopped their work.
To express their respect, they had long since been waiting here.
Of course, the employees qualified to appear at IPC headquarters were naturally not ordinary staff. At the very least, they were all P36 and above.
Only now, these important figures, who were revered by countless people in the outside world, had all received the highest order from above and stood waiting at the side like attendants.
And the seemingly casual young man before their eyes was precisely the one personally summoned by the Amber Lord.
He was the honored guest whom the IPC, at this moment, had to serve with every resource at its disposal.
"So this is the headquarters of your Interastral Peace Corporation?"
Wei Qing looked around, his gaze sweeping over the expensive decorations and the respectful employees.
"It looks a little shabby. Quite different from the capitalist lair I imagined."
Diamond's smile stiffened slightly, but he quickly recovered as though nothing had happened.
"Mr. Yiqing is joking. Pier Point naturally cannot compare to the elegance of the Xianzhou, but in terms of practicality and functionality, we are still very confident."
"Of course, if you are willing, we can also bring your friends and family from the Astral Express over to enjoy themselves properly."
"The IPC will absolutely ensure that they leave with wonderful memories."
"Forget it," Wei Qing said lightly.
"Just let them wait outside for me. No need to trouble you capitalists."
Then he pointed toward an exaggerated sculpture in the distance.
"But, you call that practicality?"
"That thing looks like someone melted down a pile of credits and cast them directly into a statue."
The faces of several employees behind Diamond immediately turned ugly when they heard Wei Qing's comment.
That sculpture was a symbol of wealth built by the IPC to display its financial power. Normally, it was a landmark that IPC employees took pride in. Yet now, in Wei Qing's mouth, it sounded incredibly vulgar.
Even so, since Diamond did not say anything, the others naturally did not dare speak up to refute him.
"Mr. Yiqing's eye is indeed unique," Diamond said without changing expression.
"This sculpture does indeed carry some immature aesthetic tendencies from the IPC's early development. We have already planned to move it to the historical exhibition area and replace it with an artwork that better embodies the spirit of Preservation."
Wei Qing smiled noncommittally and continued walking forward.
At the end of the corridor stood an enormous amber-colored gate. Upon it was carved an image of Qlipoth striking the world, exuding a heavy, ancient presence.
"Mr. Yiqing. Diamond."
"You have finally arrived."
Taravan, an Emanator of Preservation, had already been waiting for a long time.
At this moment, Taravan was dressed in the IPC's highest management uniform, his expression carrying deep respect.
As another Emanator of Preservation within the IPC, his personal reception here was enough to show how much importance the IPC attached to this meeting.
The moment he saw Wei Qing and Diamond, he immediately filled his face with a smile and walked up.
"Taravan," Diamond said with a slight nod, then stepped aside to let Wei Qing walk in front.
Wei Qing's gaze fell on Taravan. After briefly sizing him up, he sensed that, like Diamond, this person had an incredibly conspicuous aura of the Path of Preservation flowing faintly around him.
It seemed he was also an Emanator.
"It seems the IPC has made quite a show of welcoming me," Wei Qing said calmly.
Taravan smiled.
"Mr. Yiqing, you jest. You are an honored guest personally summoned by the Amber Lord. Naturally, none of us in the IPC would dare neglect you."
"Beyond that, your deeds are no longer a secret within the IPC. We carefully studied the detailed report Lady Jade sent back from Penacony, and we also reviewed long-sealed archives. Our admiration for you has only deepened."
He stepped forward half a pace and respectfully extended his right hand.
"To be frank, regarding your deeds on Planet Qilan back then, especially your confrontation with Lord Ravager Phantylia, the IPC has long had records. It was only that the details were unclear, and we had never been able to confirm them."
"Now that the truth has come to light, we finally know that even back then, you silently removed a great calamity for the universe. Such merit and modesty are truly admirable."
"Your arrival at Pier Point is our honor."
Hearing this, Wei Qing casually extended his right hand and shook Taravan's.
Huh.
It seemed he did not feel anything.
According to the usual plot progression, shouldn't the other party suddenly exert force now, testing him or giving him a show of strength?
Forget it. If you won't do it, then I will.
So, just as Taravan was about to withdraw his hand—
One moment, the atmosphere between them could still be considered harmonious, at least on the surface.
But in the next instant, the smile on Taravan's face froze completely.
He felt an indescribable force coming from Wei Qing's palm. It was not pure physical strength, but power originating from the Paths.
Taravan: ?????
What is this supposed to mean?
I didn't offend you, did I?
Taravan was instantly stunned.
Naturally, he understood what was happening. After all, he had once used this method to give others a show of strength too. But this was IPC headquarters. This was his territory.
If anyone was going to do this, shouldn't it be him?
What did this mean?
In an instant, the Path of Preservation within Taravan's body almost instinctively tried to resist this pressure.
However, his power, which was enough to stand firm in interstellar war, vanished like smoke the instant it touched Wei Qing's aura. It did not even manage to stir the slightest ripple.
Taravan's face instantly turned pale. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.
He felt that what he was holding was not a hand, but a Chomper worth 150 sun.
And he himself was merely the lowest-level zombie.
The other party only needed one bite to swallow him whole.
"Mr… Mr. Yiqing!"
Taravan practically squeezed the words out.
His subordinates were beside him. If he collapsed after merely shaking hands with the other party, that would be truly humiliating.
At this moment, Diamond, who stood to the side, was also shaken to the core.
Although he had expected Wei Qing to be extremely powerful, he had not expected the man to dare display his edge so directly inside IPC headquarters.
He quickly took a step forward, his tone earnest.
"Mr. Yiqing, Taravan absolutely meant no offense. If there has been any failure in our reception, the IPC is willing to take full responsibility."
"Just a joke."
Wei Qing slowly released his hand. After all, the IPC's current humble and obedient attitude was still rather satisfactory.
And the instant he let go, the terrifying pressure enveloping Taravan also disappeared.
Taravan immediately steadied himself, barely managing to avoid losing composure in front of everyone.
At this moment, he was completely certain.
The description of this man's strength in Jade's report had not been exaggerated.
In fact, it might even have been conservative.
"Mr. Yiqing… truly lives up to his reputation," Taravan said, still shaken.
Seeing this, Diamond immediately stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Mr. Yiqing, Taravan was merely too excited. He absolutely had no intention of testing you. The Amber Lord's summons is the matter of greatest importance. In that case… shall we proceed to the audience site now?"
After saying this, Diamond even cast a blaming glance at Taravan.
Although Taravan was publicly one of the board members and technically one rank higher than Diamond in position, Diamond was also an Emanator of Preservation and held a special status within the IPC. He did not particularly fear the other man.
Clearly, Diamond had been kept in the dark.
He had not seen the truth. Instead, he believed that Taravan had foolishly tried to test Wei Qing just now and had consequently suffered retaliation.
"Lead the way," Wei Qing said calmly, as though nothing had happened.
Diamond and Taravan both let out sighs of relief at the same time. Taravan no longer dared show even the slightest negligence and respectfully led the way.
…
In a boundless space.
Wei Qing followed the two Emanators of Preservation to Qlipoth's location.
And in this nearly infinite space, a wall that stretched across the end of his field of vision stood silently.
The instant he entered this place, Wei Qing felt a heavy sensation from the foundation of the universe itself pressing toward him. Diamond and Taravan, who followed closely behind, could not help holding their breath, their eyes filled with reverence.
Dong!
A sound of impact rang out at this moment.
Before that wall of the world, a figure so massive that it surpassed the limits of mortal comprehension stood with Its back to them.
That was the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth.
At this moment, Qlipoth was raising that legendary giant hammer, striking the wall of the world before Them in intermittent blows.
Dong!
Another strike rang out.
The sound clearly echoed in the minds of all three.
Diamond and Taravan had already deeply lowered their heads, not daring to look directly upon the Aeon's majesty.
This was the source of the IPC's faith, and also the foundation of their power.
Only Wei Qing remained standing calmly in place, looking up at Qlipoth's back.
The newly born blessing of Preservation within him resonated faintly with the sound of the hammer, but it did not make him feel the urge to prostrate himself like Diamond and the others.
After waiting for several breaths, Wei Qing raised his brow slightly.
He discovered that the two people beside him were still there, showing no intention of leaving.
"Do the two of you not plan to leave? The Amber Lord seems to want to see me, not you."
Diamond and Taravan both stiffened.
They exchanged a glance and saw confirmation in each other's eyes.
Diamond took a deep breath and spoke respectfully.
"Mr. Yiqing, we have no intention of disturbing your meeting with the Amber Lord."
"It is only that, as practitioners of Preservation, the two of us also wish to witness this moment."
Clearly, aside from the IPC's faith in Preservation, this was also one of the reasons they had gone to such lengths to bring Wei Qing here to meet the Amber Lord.
After all, such a scene was not common.
In order to invite Wei Qing, an Emanator of Trailblaze, Qlipoth had not only changed the Amber Era three times, but had also publicly issued an announcement to the entire universe.
One had to know that the Amber Lord had always been indifferent to the outside world. Even though the IPC had spent all this time licking after Them with everything they had, Qlipoth's attitude toward the IPC had never changed.
If one had to name the last time Qlipoth acted outwardly, it was when They went to kill the Aeon of Propagation, Tayzzyronth.
Therefore, everyone in the IPC was extremely curious.
Now that the Amber Lord had invited this successor of Trailblaze, what exactly did They intend to do?
Seeing that Wei Qing did not seem to object to the two of them staying, Diamond immediately stepped forward and began speaking devoutly to the Amber Lord on his own.
"Lord Qlipoth, the guest You summoned has arrived."
Hearing this, Qlipoth's movements paused slightly.
The giant hammer, powerful enough to shatter stars, stopped suspended in midair before slowly lowering.
The enormous figure began to turn, and an indescribable pressure instantly filled the entire space.
Diamond and Taravan involuntarily fell to their knees, their bodies trembling violently.
Qlipoth's gaze landed on Wei Qing.
In that instant, Wei Qing felt the blessing of Preservation within him resonate violently, as though it had found its source.
Mm.
And then there was nothing.
Qlipoth seemed to have frozen, remaining still for a long time without any further movement.
But this was an Aeon after all. Even Wei Qing did not dare be careless, so the three of them simply continued waiting.
No one knew how long passed before Wei Qing finally could not hold back anymore.
"Gentlemen, it seems your Amber Lord has frozen?"
His voice was especially clear in the silent space. Diamond and Taravan both trembled when they heard it.
"Mr. Yiqing, please be careful with your words…"
This was Diamond's voice. He still chose to wait.
But Taravan on the other side seemed a little anxious.
He stepped forward and respectfully addressed the enormous figure.
"Great Amber Lord, Your faithful followers are here. The guest You summoned, Wei Qing, Emanator of Trailblaze, has answered Your call and arrived."
The space once again sank into silence. Only the wall of the world seemed to pulse soundlessly.
Wei Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. He could sense that Qlipoth's gaze was still fixed on him.
Finally, an ancient voice sounded.
Irrelevant personnel, leave.
This voice was not directed at Wei Qing. It was clearly aimed at Diamond and Taravan.
Diamond and Taravan both shook, obviously not expecting the Amber Lord to intend to drive them away.
After all, judging from past experience, as long as one did not touch the wall Qlipoth was building, They did not care about anything.
Diamond continued speaking.
"Great Amber Lord, we are Your most loyal followers. The Interastral Peace Corporation has always upheld Your will and protected the continuation of civilization. We merely wish to—"
However, before Diamond could finish speaking—
Leave.
Qlipoth's voice rang out again, this time carrying unquestionable authority.
Before Diamond and Taravan could say anything more, a tremendous sound rang out.
Dong!
Qlipoth brought the hammer down into the void.
Diamond and Taravan's expressions changed drastically. Heavy amber radiance erupted around them, the manifestation of the Path of Preservation being pushed to its limit.
The two attempted to build defenses, but before this absolute power, they were like paper.
"Pff—!"
"Gah—!"
Under an attack that Qlipoth had clearly held back on, the two Emanators were instantly gravely injured.
They were like people struck head-on by a starship's main cannon, their bodies flying backward beyond their control.
Diamond felt as though an entire star system had slammed into him head-on. Every inch of his bones wailed. The power of Preservation circulated frantically through his body, trying to repair the damage, but it was far from able to keep up with the speed of destruction.
Taravan's situation was even more miserable. He had already suffered spiritual damage from his earlier handshake with Wei Qing, and now that he had taken this heavy blow as well, his consciousness nearly scattered on the spot.
In the blink of an eye, only Wei Qing and Qlipoth remained facing each other from afar in this sacred space before the wall of the world.
Wei Qing still stood in place, looking thoughtfully in the direction Diamond and Taravan had disappeared.
"Hiss. I thought Aeons were all fairly indulgent toward their own Emanators," he said lightly.
"So this is how You treat Your number-one bootlickers? Seems the Aeon of Preservation doesn't have a particularly good temper either."
The blessing of Preservation within Wei Qing was still faintly resonating, but it did not fluctuate in the slightest because of Qlipoth's act of driving away Their Emanators.
He could sense that Qlipoth's strike just now had been very pure in purpose. It was simply to clear the area, with no extra anger or displeasure.
Now Wei Qing's curiosity had truly been stirred completely.
"So, now the irrelevant personnel have all left."
He raised his head and lifted his voice.
"Respected Amber Lord, You went through so much trouble to call me here. Surely it wasn't just to make me watch You build a wall?"
Successor of Trailblaze.
You are very special.
The ancient voice rang out again, carrying no emotion.
"Everyone who's met me says that," Wei Qing said, spreading his hands.
"But to receive such an evaluation from an Aeon personally is still my honor."
Qlipoth did not answer.
That colossal body slowly turned back around and once again faced the wall of the world. The giant hammer was raised again, hovering in the air, as if the previous interlude had never happened.
Wei Qing froze.
What was this supposed to be?
After calling him over, Qlipoth just casually said he was special, and that was it?
No way. Was Qlipoth really going to leave him standing there?
Wei Qing was just about to speak again.
However, in the next second—
What rang out was not the thunderous sound of the hammer striking the wall, but a roar from deep within Wei Qing's soul.
Qlipoth did not swing the hammer, yet that suspended giant hammer seemed to imprint itself directly into Wei Qing's mind.
A surge of Preservation power, countless times more vast than the blessing within his body, thunderously poured into his Path.
Blinding amber light instantly burst from Wei Qing's body. The radiance was so brilliant that it even briefly illuminated a corner of this boundless space.
The Aeon of Preservation was blessing him in the most direct manner possible.
This good?
Wei Qing was somewhat surprised, but a free blessing was a free blessing. Refusing it would be stupid.
And so, Wei Qing accepted Qlipoth's blessing without the slightest politeness.
If the IPC people saw this scene, they would probably go mad with jealousy on the spot.
After all, the IPC had chased after the Amber Lord and licked Their boots for who knew how many Amber Eras. Yet all the Preservation Path power they had received in total might not even amount to half of what Wei Qing was receiving now.
"This meeting gift is quite generous," Wei Qing said, feeling the increase in his strength and sounding somewhat flattered.
"Ahem. Lord Qlipoth, You probably did not call me here merely to give me a grand gift, did You?"
Good grief. Once he accepted Qlipoth's blessing, Wei Qing finally started using honorifics for this Aeon.
Qlipoth slowly turned around. This time, what Wei Qing felt was no longer pure pressure, but a deep scrutiny.
For some reason, at this moment, Wei Qing sensed the Path of Destruction within his body begin to stir restlessly.
No way. Is Qlipoth about to turn hostile?
Wei Qing felt a little worried. After all, in terms of Path concepts, Preservation and Destruction could practically be considered polar opposites.
Thinking of this, Wei Qing immediately began activating the Harmony and Order within his body.
That was right. After multiple version updates, Wei Qing's strongest trump cards had now become Harmony and Order.
Although he had indeed failed to ascend into the new Aeon of Order, he possessed all of the Order authority that Xipe had shared with him.
Wei Qing felt that even if he could not defeat Qlipoth, he probably would not be beaten to death either.
However, Qlipoth did not seem to have any intention of attacking.
I have another gift to give you.
Wei Qing froze.
There was another gift?
This Aeon, who was always silent and only knew how to lower Their head and build walls, was actually this generous today?
Could it be that Qlipoth wanted to poach him and make him work for Them?
That would not do. Xipe, his Harmony mother, had treated him well. He would not casually defect.
However, Qlipoth said nothing further. Instead, as if answering Wei Qing's doubt, They raised Their enormous palm.
Immediately afterward, a huge Cornerstone appeared before Wei Qing.
It was not a Cornerstone in the ordinary sense. It was massive, comparable to a small planet. Its entire body flowed with a deep and warm amber luster.
"What a powerful seal," Wei Qing said.
He could sense that within that enormous Cornerstone, some extremely ominous existence had been sealed.
Something huge was definitely locked inside.
Wei Qing was absolutely certain of this.
But Qlipoth did not respond. They merely raised once again that giant hammer symbolizing the will of Preservation.
Dong!!!
This time, the giant hammer truly landed upon the Cornerstone.
And as the Cornerstone cracked open, a heart-palpitating aura instantly surged out.
The second hammer blow followed closely after, landing precisely on the same spot.
Then the third hammer fell.
The entire enormous Cornerstone collapsed before Wei Qing's eyes with a tremendous crash. Amber fragments scattered in all directions, finally revealing the existence hidden within.
It was a corpse so massive that words could hardly describe it.
Insect wings. Segmented limbs. Compound eyes…
Although it had long since lost its life, the corpse still emitted a suffocating pressure.
Countless tiny insect-shaped phantoms wailed across the surface of the corpse, as though telling of some eternal agony.
Wei Qing's pupils contracted slightly.
The Aeon of Propagation, Tayzzyronth.
He recognized the identity of this corpse.
It was the Aeon of Propagation who had once stirred up the Swarm Disaster across the cosmos, and who had ultimately been slain through the joint efforts of Qlipoth and other Aeons.
"This is the… gift You're giving me?"
Wei Qing's voice was filled with disbelief.
Join here to read ahead.
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