At this moment, Qin Shou, acting as the "villain," naturally didn't unleash his full power but instead merged into the void with a sinister smile.

"Heh, interesting. We'll meet again."

As the ethereal voice resonated across the heavens and earth, the shadow of the Dark Dragon was devoured by the Flame Divine Dragon, scattering the dark clouds and illuminating the sky.

The oppressive terror dissipated with the dispersing clouds, and Ning Xian collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily.

"Divine Beast, did we win?"

"Of course. If that guy kept pestering us, fighting to the death would still leave him in bad shape."

Ning Xian's face lit up with a smile—indeed, the Ancient Divine Weapon Beast did not disappoint.

With Tianjing in hand, one day I will return to the Sword Sect, wielding the prowess of a true powerhouse.

I'll make them realize Ning Xian is no failure!

I will reclaim everything I lost, piece by piece!

...

A thousand miles away, beside a lakeshore.

Fang Bao walked to the water, washed his face, then bent down to take a deep gulp of lake water... Wait, maybe he got the sequence wrong.

Shaking his head, he turned around and looked at Qin Shou skeptically. "Hey, you're supposed to be Earth's Supreme Strong, yet you got chased away like some brat. What's the deal—are you a fraud?"

Qin Shou sneered, "You don't understand. That kid is still of use to me. If you ever encounter him, just keep your distance."

Fang Bao pondered for a moment. He knew that Qin Shou wasn't one to show mercy to the locals.

If he held back, there could only be one explanation.

"Was the whole Tianjing thing your doing?" he suddenly asked.

Qin Shou smiled, reached out his hand, and the Flash Sword in Fang Bao's arms emitted a faint glow. The embedded Light Energy Converter showed rapid progress—its efficiency had soared to 49%.

"What do you think?" he replied with a grin.

Fang Bao covered his face, "I knew it. These weird gadgets—I can't imagine anyone else but you being responsible."

"Forget it, thanks this time, but I need to head back. Go handle your own business!"

With those words, Fang Bao released his giant turtle mecha and prepared to leave.

"Wait."

Qin Shou called out, "I didn't come here just to save your sorry little life. Yesterday I received word—the battle on the Western Continent has reached its peak. The Demon Eye Planet has requested aid from Earth, Drue Planet, and the Giant God Race to jointly fend off the Mirror Planet's offensive.

And coincidentally, this time I've been chosen to lead the expedition to the Western Continent, so..."

"So you want me to tag along?" Fang Bao asked.

Qin Shou nodded, "Correct. Back in the Earth Core World, we worked well together. This time, I'm bringing you along for the Western Continent trip—you'll get a tenth of the profits."

Fang Bao felt a surge of joy in his heart, though his face displayed hesitation.

"This... I've heard Mirror Planet is full of powerful foes, with far more Demigod Realm experts than the Galaxy Alliance. Going with you is too risky—I need some time to think it over."

Qin Shou scoffed, "Drop the lousy acting. A tenth is generous—this is on account of you willingly letting me exploit you before. Otherwise, forget a tenth, you wouldn't even get a dime—I'd conscript you outright!"

Fang Bao: "..."

As expected, even as a Supreme Strong, this guy's shamelessness was unmatched.

...

Earth Base Headquarters.

Fang Bao followed Qin Shou into the base, and everyone he passed greeted Qin Shou with the utmost respect. Fang Bao straightened his back even more proudly as they walked.

"Ahem, Qin Shou, I hear your Mechanical Main City is developing nicely. I've decided to become your right-hand man once I return to Earth and help you expand its influence!"

Fang Bao wore a "selfless and righteous" expression.

Qin Shou's forehead twitched, "...Don't. You're not qualified."

Fang Bao: "..."

Before long, the two reached the office, where Qin Wen and the others had already been waiting.

"Click-click..."

The sound of mechanical parts grinding filled the air as Su Liang strode over with a satisfied smile towards Qin Shou.

"Not bad, Earth's fifth Supreme Strong—truly impressive."

Qin Shou laughed, "Mr. Su, aren't you supposed to be working alongside the principal? How do you have time to visit today?"

Su Liang replied, "With all the undercurrents boiling among the factions regarding this trip to the Western Continent, the principal is worried you'll stir up trouble, so he asked me to keep an eye on you."

Qin Shou: "..."

"Haha, do thank the principal for me."

Qin Shou forced a stiff smile and glanced at Qin Wen.

Qin Wen stared at the ceiling, pretending not to notice.

Qin Long asked someone to keep tabs on you; what does that have to do with Qin Wen?

Su Liang glanced at the two, chuckling as he activated the communicator's display. "Alright, our dear Principal Qin, take a look at the list for this expedition to the Western Continent."

Qin Shou focused his gaze and quickly scanned through the thousands of names.

Su Liang pointed at the list, "These candidates were selected per your requirements. Most of them are elites from the Twelve Families of the Federation, as well as representatives from Fengshen Group, Liao Zhai Group, Search God Group, Mountain and Sea Group..."

Qin Shou waved his hand and smiled in satisfaction, "Good, this will do."

Beside him, Fang Bao frowned, "Qin Shou, why did you specifically choose these people?"

Qin Shou answered expressionlessly, "No particular reason. They've never seen the battlefield, and this time I'm just fulfilling their wish."

He cast a glance at Fang Bao and continued, "Don't worry, it's not like I'm sending them to die. Besides, after this trip, you should have the strength to return to Fengshen Group and reclaim what you've lost."

Fang Bao took a deep breath. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it—just don't disappoint me."

Patting Fang Bao's shoulder, Qin Shou activated the communicator's display and began discussing the journey with the team.

A virtual map highlighting the route to the Western Continent appeared.

Qin Shou stroked his chin, pointing to a dark region on the map, "What's this area?"

Qin Wen replied seriously, "This is a necessary path to reach the Western Continent. The locals call it the Demon World—it's an area extremely rich in Dark Energy. No one below the rank of a Holy Artifact Master can approach it. It's rumored to contain Dark Monsters comparable to Demigods, but those are just stories—not confirmed."

"Dark Energy?"

Qin Shou smirked, "This so-called Demon World does look like a perfect spot for an ambush."

"An ambush?"

The others paused in confusion.

Su Liang asked solemnly, "What do you mean?"

Qin Shou smiled without elaborating.

Thanks to the Child Sword Beast by Lin Ke's side, Qin Shou had already uncovered internal information about the Sword Sect.

Since the Demon Eye Planet could seek aid from Earth and other forces, then the Demon Sect controlled by the Mirror Planet would naturally turn to top sects like the Sword Sect for support.

This time, the Sword Sect's leader heading to the Western Continent would be the Sword Saint!

The Medicine King Cave, one of the top powers on the Heavenly Artifact Continent, had approached the Sword Saint Alliance, proposing that major sects band together and ambush reinforcements for the Demon Eye Planet along the Demon World route.

But the Sword Saint rejected the idea; after painstakingly negotiating a ceasefire agreement with Earth, the Sword Sect wouldn't be the first to provoke a war.

Just because the Sword Sect wasn't part of the ambush didn't mean other sects wouldn't join in.

Therefore, this trip to the Western Continent was bound to be interesting.

Qin Shou narrowed his eyes, his fingers gliding over the virtual display, showing Ning Xian's monster-hunting and level-advancing progress.

Within a year, Ning Xian would reach the pinnacle of being a Spiritual Artifact Master.

By then, he'd return to the Sword Sect as a powerhouse, earning their support to learn the Holy Artifact Master's cultivation techniques.

By the time Ning Xian returned, everything would fall into place.

The crowd present stared at the display, bewildered.

"Principal Qin, who is this?" Qin Wen asked, pointing at Ning Xian on the screen.

Qin Shou grinned, "That kid is quite important. Also, gather all the Living Jade within the base and deliver it to me."

"Understood!"

...

The next day.

Sword Sect, Jade Sword Peak.

A massive disc-shaped spaceship sped across the sky. Lin Ke, who had come to find Qin Shou, saw this scene and couldn't help showing a hint of surprise.

"The Earth Demon's spaceship—they've already departed?" Lin Ke frowned.

"Squeak..."

At that moment, the door opened, and Qin Shou poked his head out. Scratching his ears and neck like a mischievous monkey, he appeared before Lin Ke.

"What's up with you today? You look weird," Lin Ke asked, puzzled.

Qin Shou waved a hand with a grin, "Haha, nothing much—just some hiccups in my cultivation. Been feeling itchy, but it'll pass soon."

"By the way, why are you here?" Qin Shou asked.

Lin Ke replied, "I'm heading to the Western Continent with my master soon. I came to let you know."

"Alright, stay safe on your journey."

Saying this, Qin Shou casually pulled out a couple of bananas and handed them to Lin Ke.

"Here, these are from Earth Demon's stash. Have these if you get hungry en route—they're delicious."

Lin Ke stiffened upon seeing the peculiar fruit.

This thing...

"Haha, thanks, Senior Brother Qin."

"No problem, take care!"

Qin Shou shut the door, scratched his neck again, and chuckled, "That girl's really pretty—Lao Qin's taste is top-notch."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.