“Sanses?”
Su Cha seemed thoughtful upon hearing the name. “Then I’ll go too.”
Before the wormhole was secured, Fog Star and the Galan Empire had an alliance—might as well rekindle some of the goodwill from back then.
Cyril said blandly, “No need to make a special trip. The leaders of each faction will meet shortly.”
Su Cha didn’t have to go, but since Sanses was coming, Ji Tianjin would have to attend—both emotionally and logically.
Su Cha said, “Help me say hello.”
Ji Tianjin nodded and left.
At 10 a.m., Su Cha followed Cyril, led by a staff member, to the temporary conference hall.
Currently, around thirty different factions had arrived, including five super-empires. Anyone who could make it to the leadership level was no simple figure—just glancing around, the pressure in the room was overwhelming.
Others were also sizing them up.
Standing beside Cyril, Su Cha shared the same stunning beauty—but unlike Su Cha, no one would ever associate the word “frail” with Cyril.
The President of the Federation had his gaze lingering on Su Cha for a while. Who knows what he was thinking. A moment later, he retracted his gaze and invited everyone inside.
Su Cha noticed that many of the attendees had brought along peers around his own age. The powerholders from other nations had at least one young person beside them.
The meeting hall was spacious, but after seeing so many thousand-square-meter houses lately, stepping in suddenly made it feel cramped.
Sanses was already seated. Unexpectedly, Xie Rongjue was there too.
Su Cha greeted them quite naturally.
The faint scent of flowers filled the air, bringing an unusual sense of peace and calm. Sanses could tell at a glance that Su Cha had not yet entered the deep awakening stage, but it was probably not far off.
The eyes of others in the room subtly shifted. When Fog Star’s warships had arrived, these leaders had maintained their status and hadn’t gone to the docking bay to watch the excitement. But now, in an enclosed space, the floral scent was unmistakable. Some exchanged glances—no wonder he was so pampered. If their own planets had such a rare treasure who could soothe agitated spiritual power, they’d likely offer special treatment too.
Someone from one of the empires whispered to a friend, “Doesn’t your family have a daughter? Maybe they could get to know each other.”
The friend smiled without responding, but clearly had similar ideas.
Su Cha gave off a sense of being easy to handle—not a deception born from appearance, but rather an aura of detachment and lack of desire. Without exaggeration, in just this short span, he had instantly become the top pick for political marriage among many of the factions.
The atmosphere felt a bit strange until Su Cha’s eyes met Ji Tianjin’s. He visibly relaxed, lifted an eyebrow slightly, and pulled out the chair across from Ji Tianjin to sit.
The burly man next to them, who looked serious but kind, asked, “How old are you?”
Ji Tianjin’s deep voice came from across the table: “Old enough, but not yet at the legal age for marriage.”
Most high-level power holders dislike being interrupted while speaking, but before anyone could chastise him, Sanses shot the burly man a look, and he fell silent.
This meeting had been brokered by the Federation, so naturally the Federation President sat at the head. With hands folded on the table and sitting very straight, he gave Su Cha the impression that he might be even more calculating than Xie Rongjue.
“Let’s get to the point,” he said. Sitting at the front were all top-tier powers. The President smiled. “After four years of stalemate, it’s time to clarify ownership of the wormhole.”
He paused briefly, scanning the room:
“The participants in the interstellar youth tournament this time represent the peak strength of each country’s younger generation. Why don’t we let the tournament results decide the outcome?”
Before the words even fully landed, a sneer was heard—Lien spoke with obvious disdain: “Our Zerg didn’t send anyone to some pointless tournament.”
The President raised one hand to signal for silence. “Those who didn’t register can send their heirs. Of course…” He looked at Lien. “As long as you’re within the age limit, even kings may compete.”
Lien: “So basically, I’m too young. Give me ten more years and no one here would have the right to speak.”
The President’s smile faltered.
Ignoring the jab, he began asking others for their opinions.
The leader of Giant Origin Planet was first to respond, shrugging. “I’ve got no objections.”
This way, Fog Star and the Zerg wouldn’t have an advantage. Just like Lien said, give him ten more years and he could rival the President—but now it was still too early. As for the other one…
The leader glanced at the only person reaching for the snack tray, looking slightly baffled.
Su Cha was unwrapping a candy. When his eyes met the leader’s, he thought he wanted some too and pushed the tray closer.
The Giant Origin leader shook his head. Aside from the unique scent, the boy’s strength wasn’t intimidating.
Maybe, like the Zerg, he had to hit a certain age before his potential showed.
It couldn’t be blamed on shortsightedness—Su Cha’s spiritual power was too gentle. No one would find it threatening.
“I agree as well.” Another quickly voiced support. Anything that could disrupt the alliance between major powers was worth it.
Fog Star and the Zerg were the only two factions present who hadn’t brought contestants. If they wanted to compete, it would have to be their heirs.
Just as Lien was about to snap again, Su Cha suddenly said, “I’ve got no objections.”
He agreed so quickly that it caught off guard even those who’d been pushing for this outcome. And Cyril didn’t seem opposed either.
With candy still in his mouth, Su Cha said lazily, “Even if we objected, it’d just come down to majority rules anyway.”
The President’s smile became strained. That was indeed his plan.
As long as Fog Star and the Zerg’s chances of winning could be weakened, and their alliance with the Galan Empire fractured, the Federation stood to gain the most.
Whatever the case, the goal had been achieved. The proposal to let the tournament decide control of the wormhole was passed unanimously.
The competition committee moved fast. That afternoon, they released a new set of rules:
Each planet would send one team, consisting of one to three members. Each contestant would wear an extreme protection device. If a life-threatening injury occurred, the device would activate automatically—meaning instant elimination.
Naturally, more members meant better chances. But for teams with more than one member, if even one person was eliminated, the whole team was out. If you wanted teammates, you’d have to be absolutely confident in their strength—or risk ending the match before it began.
The new venue would be announced in three days.
In the meantime, organizers would prepare the safety gear.
Once the rules were out, all factions began urgently selecting their representatives.
The President of the Federation even personally led a motivational rally, putting away his usual smile and speaking with sharp authority: “You must win this battle.”
They already held every advantage. If they couldn’t win even now, it’d be hard to justify.
“For the Federation!” The contestants’ eyes burned with resolve.
Similar rallies occurred in all thirty-plus factions.
Ji Tianjin was without a doubt going to represent the Galan Empire. Sanses quickly finalized the roster: Ji Tianjin, Di Yuansi, and Liu Xiqin.
Xie Rongjue didn’t say anything particularly rousing. He just adjusted his glasses and said blandly, “This is essentially a universe-wide broadcast. The Empire always pursues victory. Don’t disappoint.”
After he left, Rong Shao began upgrading and checking equipment while working quickly. “Looks like His Majesty is going for a power-offense strategy.”
This tournament would be a full-force showdown—leaning heavily toward personal combat ability.
Nearby, someone from another faction yelled “Victory is ours!” nearly drowning out Rong Shao’s voice.
After the outburst faded, Wu Shui suddenly frowned. “I wonder what Su Cha’s doing?”
Everyone else was selecting and rallying teams. Fog Star didn’t even have options.
She wasn’t the only one with the question. Though she was worried, others had a bit of schadenfreude. Fog Star and Galan had crushed them on the interstellar battlefield—this was finally their chance for payback.
Meanwhile, the person at the center of attention was in the mansion, packing.
Cyril stuffed a few extra items into his bag. “Candy box is in the inner pocket. Three jackets. Most of the likely venues are rainforests…”
Su Cha had only eaten one candy on a whim, but Cyril had already stocked up plenty.
“There’ll be warships patrolling above the venue. I’ll send Land. No need to worry about safety.” As he spoke, he shoved two kneepads into the bag.
The doorbell rang.
It was Ji Tianjin who arrived. When he saw the floor scattered with clothes and food, he paused for a moment and asked, “What are you doing?”
Su Cha replied, “Packing things to do spatial compression.”
Everyone outside probably thought that Fog Star would be at least a little dejected, but who would’ve guessed they were calmly tidying up like this.
Ji Tianjin chuckled and got to the point: “Once we enter the arena, let’s team up first.”
Su Cha guessed that the Galan Empire would probably send three people. Teaming up would clearly be to his advantage, he didn’t refuse the offer and nodded. “Okay.”
The corners of Ji Tianjin’s lips lifted. He knew when to act relaxed, but he was never pretentious when it mattered. Being around him always felt easy and comfortable.
Su Cha invited him inside for tea.
Not long after, Di Yuansi and Liu Xiqin also arrived. Although Cyril stayed quiet like part of the background, silently organizing the rest of the luggage, his presence still made them feel extremely tense.
Once the backpack zippers were pulled shut, Cyril carried the bags outside for spatial compression.
Only then did Di Yuansi finally recover from the suffocating pressure and say, “So, we’re going with the same tactic as before—feeding the spirit form?”
It was their most familiar strategy, though not necessarily the best option. Considering the video Su Cha had sent, which mentioned his years of sleep, Di Yuansi proposed the familiar approach to accommodate him.
Unexpectedly, Su Cha shook his head directly. “Times have changed.”
Those four years weren’t wasted.
All eyes turned to him.
“Feeding the spirit form used to be our only option because I wasn’t skilled enough in using spiritual power. But now I’ve grown.”
For some reason, from the moment he spoke, everyone already had a bad feeling.
Su Cha crooked his finger at Ji Tianjin, who immediately came over, very cooperative.
Su Cha took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and without warning, grabbed Ji Tianjin’s wrist.
Di Yuansi and Liu Xiqin’s eyes widened on the spot. Oh no—
Su Cha’s fingers slid slightly to ensure direct skin contact.
His fingertips were cool, but a bit of residual warmth lingered. Ji Tianjin’s throat moved involuntarily—as if something inside him had just been pulled away.
When his throat moved for the second time, Ji Tianjin finally confirmed it—something really had been drawn out of him.
…His spiritual power was being drained. The process was like an unconscious invasion. By the time he noticed, his entire arm felt numb.
“I can draw out other people’s spiritual power.”
He could now control it freely. The ‘draw’ wasn’t limited to his own power—it could be used to reclaim and reuse others’ power.
Su Cha added, “But the technique isn’t fully developed yet. It still requires physical contact.”
Ji Tianjin lowered his head. These hands were as beautiful as works of art. Even though Su Cha had already stopped absorbing spiritual power, Ji Tianjin still felt currents surging through his body.
When Su Cha finally let go, Ji Tianjin actually felt a bit of regret.
Su Cha said, “Honestly, it’s kind of indecent. I can’t just go around touching everyone.”
People might think he was being a flirt.
Ji Tianjin calmly suggested, “Cut it off at the source.”
“Hmm?”
“Hit their faces.” That way, no one would question it.
“…”
“Everyone outside is waiting to see us fail. Mercy toward your enemies is cruelty to yourself.”
Su Cha coughed lightly. “That’s probably not appropriate. Also, it takes time.”
After all, absorbing spiritual power wasn’t instantaneous.
Ji Tianjin asked him to summon his spirit form. Glancing at the magnolia, he said, “Remember how it fought the beasts?”
Su Cha’s eyelid twitched, but instead of thinking about what happened a few days ago when he evolved, his mind went back to when he first arrived at Fog Star—when his spirit form used its petals to strike from both sides and knocked out a beast’s fang on the spot.
Ji Tianjin confirmed, “Just draw at that same frequency.”
It didn’t matter if the contact time was short—as long as the frequency was right, the effect would be the same.
The magnolia perked up. Yes, this was its area of expertise.
“…”
Liu Xiqin said, “I have a question about the face-hitting.”
Su Cha’s eyes lit up—finally, someone reasonable was going to speak.
Liu Xiqin said, “If he hits too much, his hands will hurt.”
Di Yuansi, usually quiet, nodded. “What if his wrist gets dislocated?”
Ji Tianjin shook his head. “It won’t. His physical condition isn’t as fragile as it looks.”
The haircut was proof enough—cutting Su Cha’s hair even required using supported telekinesis.
Liu Xiqin pressed her lips together. “Okay, then no problem.”
Di Yuansi adjusted the strategy: “Then Xiqin will scout, I’ll ambush, the captain will control the field, and Su Cha will find the right moments to extract power.”
Ji Tianjin calmly added, “Don’t overdo it with certain forces, but feel free to target anyone from the Federation.”
“…,” Su Cha seriously thought it over. “It’s not right to just randomly extract from anyone, but there are definitely some people who deserve it…” He pulled up a photo from his communicator. “Don’t you think so, Shen Ningze?”
“…,” This time, everyone else went silent.
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