"That is a matter for your Zhu Clan," Shu Feng said icily. "Leave. Don’t stay here."

Zhu Binglan’s body trembled as tears streamed down her face. She turned to Zhu Chenyu and pleaded desperately, "Chen Yu, I’m begging you, please help me! I don’t want to go to the Hong Building. I really don’t want to go."

Zhu Chenyu’s brow furrowed, and she sighed softly. "My dear husband, just take her in. Let her serve as a handmaiden. If she ends up in the Hong Building, it truly is a fate worse than death. Father sent her here hoping you could save her life."

Zhu Binglan’s body trembled, her eyes flashing with ecstasy. "Thank you, Chen Yu! Thank you, Chen Yu!"

"Fine," Shu Feng said flatly. "You can stay. You may withdraw now."

"Yes, Master!"

Zhu Binglan responded respectfully, then gritted her teeth and retreated to a side room.

Zhu Chenyu gave Shu Feng a teasing look. "Having the fifth-ranked beauty of the Qianyuan Republic as your female slave... does it make you feel especially excited? A great sense of accomplishment?"

Sensing the danger in her tone, Shu Feng quickly said, "Not at all! Having you all is more than enough for me."

"Alright, I’ll be going. You get some rest."

Zhu Chenyu gave a charming smile, planted a light kiss on Shu Feng’s cheek, and promptly left the room.

The Gate Valve Noble Families of the Qianyuan Republic had extremely strict family codes. Unmarried daughters of the direct lineage were absolutely forbidden from spending the night in a man’s room. Of course, some of the Gate Valve Noble Families were not particular about this, but the overwhelming majority placed great importance on it.

In his room, Shu Feng set up a powerful barrier and summoned Luna to stand guard before entering his Base Space.

"Source Energy +550,000!"

Shu Feng tossed the two black stone bowls into the resource decomposition pool. With a SIZZLE, he gained another 550,000 Source Energy.

"Defense Divinity +2, Power Divinity +1, 13 units of Divine Essence Gold."

Shu Feng tossed the wreckage of the Semi-Divine Artifact into the resource decomposition pool, and another line of information promptly appeared.

’550,000 Source Energy! Immediately synthesize three units of Holy Soul to help Su Mi evolve!’

At Shu Feng’s command, a vast amount of Power of Soul within the Well of Souls began to rapidly condense and purify, ultimately forming three transparent, pure Holy Souls that merged into Su Mi’s cocoon.

The moment the Holy Souls merged into the cocoon, a terrifying devouring force erupted from within, frantically absorbing Source Energy.

The remaining 400,000 Source Energy was almost instantly depleted, rapidly devoured by Su Mi’s cocoon. Traces of a terrifying aura began to brew within it.

A fervent glint flashed in Shu Feng’s eyes. ’Once Su Mi breaks out of her cocoon and completes her evolution, she can advance to become a Spirit Saint!’

Spirit Saint Level experts were among the top powerhouses in the Three Great Realms, terrifying existences second only to Divine Spirits and Demigods. The strongest expert to have appeared on Blue Star to date was a Spirit Saint. Once Su Mi advanced to the Spirit Saint Level, Shu Feng would instantly become one of the most powerful figures on Blue Star.

Shu Feng couldn’t summon the Void Demon Duke Lamata on Blue Star, and both the Famous Gun Beast [Illusion Dragon] and the Inverted Cross Synthesis Beast had their weaknesses. Only with the birth of a true Spirit Saint could the Yuanhai Shu Family truly become a powerful Noble Family in the Qianyuan Republic.

A fervent glint flashed in Shu Feng’s eyes. ’I’ve already advanced to Spirit Venerable. Ordinary Half-Saints are no longer a match for me! I should be able to contend with some of the weaker Spirit Saints, which means I can finally learn the secrets of the different realms.’

「Moonlight Canyon, inside a pavilion.」

The Four Extremes Spirit Saint, Wu Zhongchao, sat in the pavilion, quietly savoring fine wine as he watched his three beautiful wives frolicking in the distance.

"Greetings, Spirit Saint!"

Shu Feng said, bowing before Spirit Saint Wu Zhongchao.

Wu Zhongchao smiled faintly. "A Purple Spirit Cloud... truly remarkable! You are indeed worthy of the title ’strongest genius of this generation’ in our Qianyuan Republic. Sit."

Only then did Shu Feng take a seat beside Wu Zhongchao.

Wu Zhongchao chanted an incantation and pointed a finger. A pale yellow Sound Insulation Barrier materialized, completely enclosing them.

Wu Zhongchao asked blandly, "Shu Feng, do you know why so many prominent figures of our Blue Star Human Clan have betrayed their own country and race?"

Shu Feng replied, "Wealth, authority, women, Power, and a longer life."

Wu Zhongchao chuckled. "That’s only part of the reason. Many of these powerful figures of the Human Race lack for nothing, except perhaps a longer life. A good number of them even possessed patriotic hearts, yet they still ended up betraying their country and their people. Do you know why?"

"I do not," Shu Feng said.

Wu Zhongchao said, "It’s because they were already killed by themselves."

’Killed by themselves?’

Shu Feng looked confused, wondering if he had misheard or if Wu Zhongchao had made a mistake.

"The great secret I am about to share with you is the world’s most guarded secret."

"Of the Three Great Realms—the Void Demon Realm, the Erosion Realm, and the Human Realm—the Void Demon Realm is a High-level Realm. Our Blue Star, in fact, belongs to a Low-level Realm."

"According to intelligence obtained from the Void Demon Realm, whenever an intelligent being is born there, there is a high probability that a soul projection of them will be born in other realms."

"When a being from the Void Demon Realm enters a realm containing its soul projection, it can easily discover its counterpart’s existence."

"Those experts from the Void Demon Realm need only kill their other self in our Blue Star Realm, and they can easily take its place, becoming that other self."

"When an expert from the Void Demon Realm kills their counterpart in our realm, they can take its place and become a person of our realm. Likewise, if a person from our realm can kill their counterpart in the Void Demon Realm, they can also take its place and become that other self."

"So, no matter how we fight, the only possible outcome for us is defeat. That’s why many of the powerful experts among the Blue Star humans have lost heart and defected to the Void Demon Clan!"

Just like that, Wu Zhongchao slowly unveiled the world’s greatest secret before Shu Feng’s very eyes.

’So that’s how it is. No wonder so many of the Human Race’s prodigies suddenly betrayed their own people without any reason. They were already Void Demons.’

Shu Feng suddenly felt that all his lingering questions had been answered.

Shu Feng frowned. "Does that mean our resistance is meaningless?"

"How could it be meaningless?"

Wu Zhongchao chuckled. "The realms that the great clans of the Void Demon Realm—like the Parasitic Spider Demon Race, the Devouring Ghost Demon Clan, the Blood Demon Clan, the Dragon Demon Clan, and the Ghost Demon Race—once called home were also devoured. It was only through the birth of Divine Spirit Level experts within their ranks that these powerful races were able to secure their place in the brutally competitive Void Demon Realm."