155: Reunion

Patter... Patter... Transparent water droplets suddenly fell from the dim starry sky, and the sound of pitter-pattering rain echoed.

This was a scene that couldn't be more ordinary.

But at this moment, a group of people looked as if they had seen a ghost.

This was outer space!

The leaders of several mercenary groups couldn't be bothered with the Dark Destruction Legion warriors they were holding captive; they gripped their weapons tightly and looked around warily.

Even the man in black had a solemn expression.

He knew that water-element Transcendents could change the environment to a certain extent, but in a place like this, on such a large scale, it was simply unimaginable.

At the very least, with his S-rank power, he was far from being able to achieve this.

"I am a retainer of Diels, the vice president of the Star Mechanic Association. I am here on his orders to settle a private grudge. I do not know which master has arrived, but I ask that you grant us some convenience."

"Is there anyone else?"

Amidst the flat voice, a warp device formed in the void, and three figures slowly emerged.

"What do you mean?"

Hearing this, the man in black was stunned.

"I mean... whoever is behind you, call them all over. It'll save me the trouble of dealing with them one by one."

As the ripples dissipated, a man playing with a brilliant crystal in his left hand spoke indifferently.

Behind him, one person had his hands in his pockets with a nonchalant smile. The other had his arms crossed, looking every bit the part of a master.

It was Zhang Huaiyuan and his two companions who had rushed over.

After reaching the range of his mental power, he couldn't wait for the starship to travel and directly used Void Creation to arrive ahead of time.

That light rain in space was naturally created by him changing the surrounding environment.

And unlike their leisure...

The man in black felt the hair all over his body stand on end, and he looked at the three with terrified eyes.

Even though the other party didn't seem to emit any aura, he could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within them, enough to destroy heaven and earth.

"Sirs... I am an honorary disciple of Master Carlton, the 'ruler of wind' from the Imperial Transcendent Association. I wonder if you three lords know..."

The man in black couldn't help but swallow, his voice becoming unconsciously respectful.

"Tsk tsk... ruler of wind, what a grand title. Wind has no form and no shape; since when does someone dare to call themselves the ruler of wind?"

Kols tilted his head and laughed.

His ability was the Gods Chosen-level 'Will of the Wind God'; in terms of the use of wind-element transcendence, no one could surpass him.

This was clearly directed at him!

"Your Excellency, leave this person to me."

"Fine. Sailos, those guys are yours then."

Zhang Huaiyuan looked at the Dark Destruction Legion warriors tied up in a line in their hands. The empowerment stone in his hand rotated, and beams of cluster lightswords appeared out of thin air, slashing down violently.

"Aaaah...!"

Several arms flew into the air, blood gushing like a fountain, and the leaders immediately let out shrill screams.

A cold light flashed in Zhang Huaiyuan's eyes as he said coldly, "Leave none alive."

"No, wait... spare them for now. When the brothers wake up, leave it to them to handle."

"Understood, Your Excellency."

"Mm."

Zhang Huaiyuan nodded and didn't pay any more attention to the battle, flying straight down.

These were two 3S-rank powerhouses; there were few in the entire Empire who could be their match.

He waved his hand to manifest hundreds of medical robots to transport the heavily injured and unconscious Dark Destruction Legion members back to the starship for treatment.

Only then did he step into the voyager generation iii command ship with some hesitation.

As soon as he entered, he saw a short-haired woman in a green combat suit looking at him with a complex expression.

Her clear and beautiful face bore no traces of time, remaining just as it was back then.

Zhang Huaiyuan's eyes flickered slightly as he stole a glance at the data panel.

Favorability: 82 (If you encounter danger, she is willing to risk her life to save you).

"Oh... it's actually this high."

He immediately felt relieved, and a slight smile appeared on his previously hesitant face:

"Eldest Miss, it's been a long time."

"You still remember that my favorite sound is the rain?"

Unexpectedly, her first sentence was an unrelated answer.

"Of course."

Although it felt a bit strange, Zhang Huaiyuan still nodded and said as a matter of course:

"You mentioned it at the auction of the Traveler Merchant Guild branch on Blackstone Star. I can even recite those complex knowledge tomes from memory; I naturally wouldn't forget something like this... Uh..."

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed that her favorability first rose from 82 to 85, but quickly dropped back to 83.

"Since your memory is so good, do you remember what you promised me before leaving Blackstone Star?"

An Yu suddenly tilted her head slightly, her gaze a bit strange.

"Hmm...?"

Zhang Huaiyuan was stunned upon hearing this, suddenly recalling the conversation before his departure:

"Can you tell me, will we be able to survive this disaster safely?"

"...Of course, at the very least, our Dark Annihilation will be safe and sound, I promise."

"Uh..."

His expression froze, and he smiled somewhat awkwardly, "Of course I remember. Look, although it's a bit late... haven't I come back safely? This... from a consequentialist standpoint..."

"As expected, you haven't changed at all..."

Seeing his reaction, a flash of softness crossed An Yu's eyes. Her lips curved into a beautiful arc as she stepped closer, opened her arms for a brief, gentle hug, then quietly drifted back to her original position and smiled:

"Welcome back."

"But don't call me 'Eldest Miss' anymore. You are now the Head of State of the Free Star Alliance, a name equal to the Empire. I can't afford that title. Call me by my name or call me Xiao Yu, like Uncle Qin and my father."

"Alright."

Zhang Huaiyuan looked at An Yu with her faint smile. Recalling the hug just now, he felt a slight strangeness in his heart.

Just as he was about to say something more, the light screen on his right wrist suddenly lit up, and a calm female voice sounded:

"Your Excellency, Mr. Kols' interrogation methods are too crude. According to your requirements, to save time, I have directly used the other party's communication device to lead Diels, the vice president of the Imperial Star Mechanic Association, and Carlton, the ruler of wind, to the Free Trade Star in the Iron Dome Galaxy."

"If you set out now, you are estimated to arrive one hour before them."

"Is the efficiency this high..."

Zhang Huaiyuan was slightly surprised, but he didn't think much of it and just nodded with a smile:

"Good work. By the way, Statue of Liberty, is the pressure of forcibly occupying the Imperial system high? If it feels like a burden, you can withdraw now."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency."

The voice in the light screen softened slightly: "However, I have not detected any counterattack from the Brain. In contrast, since your true body is here, you need to be more careful."

"The Emperor of the Empire's strength is far ahead of all Transcendents. I have assembled the Wings of Freedom legion to rush to meet you at the fastest speed. Until they arrive, you must be careful."

"The Brain didn't resist..."

Zhang Huaiyuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he had some guesses in his heart.

After a moment of thought, he spoke: "Statue of Liberty, send a message like this to Emperor Luo for me... no, send it to the Brain, and then have it forward it to Emperor Luo."

"Understood, Your Excellency."

"Mm."

Zhang Huaiyuan nodded, turned to An Yu, and smiled: "Let's go, back to the Dark Annihilation base. I'll get justice for you all."

...