Star Luo City was vast. It was said that an ordinary person would need at least six hours to walk from one city gate to the opposite one — and that was assuming they walked in a straight line without stopping. If they took even a few turns, it would take much longer.
The street that directly faced the main city gate led straight toward the imperial palace at the center of the city. Except for the area around the palace, the path was almost entirely straight.
Under the guidance of Foreign Minister Lan Xiao, the members of the diplomatic delegation arrived at the Star Luo Grand Hotel, located near the imperial palace.
Although it was already late at night, the hotel was brightly lit. A welcoming party had long been waiting at the entrance — the reception was clearly meant to be grand and formal.
"I am Fang Renjie, Minister of State Affairs of the Star Luo Empire. On behalf of His Majesty and the Empire, I welcome your arrival."
A vigorous old man, well past sixty, extended his right hand with a warm smile.
Secretary-General Pan Wen forced a polite smile in return and shook his hand.
"Pan Wen, Secretary-General of the Federal Government."
After a brief handshake, they released each other. The smile on Fang Renjie's face faded into sorrow as he spoke gravely:
"This time, it was our Star Luo Empire that failed to provide adequate protection, leading to the heavy casualties in your delegation. For that, on behalf of the Empire, I offer my sincerest apologies — to you and to the fallen. It was our negligence."
With that, Fang Renjie bowed deeply, lowering his posture with great humility.
Pan Wen had been seething with anger all along, but faced with such a deferential attitude, he couldn't vent it outright. He helped the old man back up, fixed him with a steady gaze, and said:
"Some things can't be resolved with a few words of apology. This incident is of great importance. I hope your Empire will give our Federation a satisfactory explanation."
Fang Renjie nodded solemnly.
"You have my word. The Star Luo Empire will definitely punish the perpetrators severely and deliver justice to the Federation and the deceased."
"I hope so," Pan Wen replied meaningfully. Having no desire to continue the conversation, he turned and walked into the hotel.
Fang Renjie stood frozen for a moment before following him in, signaling the staff to begin arranging accommodations for the delegation members.
Each guest was assigned to a luxurious suite with the highest level of service — all expenses covered.
Dozens of healing-type soul masters were already waiting inside the hotel, ready to treat the delegation's injuries the moment they arrived.
Yunze and Gu Yuena were uninjured, so they skipped treatment and went straight to the dining hall.
Ditian had sustained some injuries, but they were minor enough for him to heal on his own; he joined them for the meal as well.
For security reasons, the Star Luo Grand Hotel had temporarily suspended all outside business and was exclusively hosting the delegation.
Thus, within a hall large enough to seat over a thousand people, only a few were dining — the emptiness was striking.
Gu Yuena and Ditian did not sit at the same table. If they had, the food wouldn't have been enough. Their astonishing appetites left the hotel staff wide-eyed — none had ever seen people eat like that.
After finishing first, Yunze returned to his room to rest.
His suite was nearly 200 square meters — lavishly decorated in gold and jade, the kind of room that normally cost a fortune per night.
After a brief glance around, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating as usual, unaffected by the day's events.
For him, the ambush earlier in the day was just another ordinary experience — nothing worth dwelling on.
During the two-month voyage, his soul power hadn't stagnated at all. He was already in the late stage of Rank 39, just a few days away from breaking through to Rank 40.
While Yunze could remain calm, others were not so composed. Many couldn't sleep that night — tossing and turning, haunted by the memory of the day's battle.
Among them were Tang Wulin and the Shrek team; they, too, lay awake, their minds replaying those scenes.
"Just what kind of monster is he…"
Tang Wulin lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, muttering to himself.
He couldn't stop thinking about how Yunze had done it. No matter how hard he pondered, he couldn't find an answer — and that made sleep impossible.
Those two mechas, each possessing terrifying combat power…Those weapons, capable of injuring even Title Douluo…They had left an indelible impression on him.
Just thinking about them filled him with helplessness. Against such power, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance — only death awaited him.
"Those things must have come from his family," Tang Wulin murmured.
Whether it was the mechas or the weapons, they were all at the Title Douluo level — how could a kid like Yunze possibly have made them himself?
If he truly had, Tang Wulin thought bitterly, he might as well bash his head against a wall and die — living would just mean constant humiliation.
"Yeah, that must be it," he reassured himself.
Believing it firmly, his mood improved a little; the sting of inferiority lessened.
"If only my father had left me something too… With his strength, even the most casual item would surely outclass that brat's toys."
Thinking of his god-king father, Tang Wulin felt a pang of sadness. His opponent had a powerful clan behind him, while he had only himself to rely on.
It was impossible not to envy Yunze's family support — but then he reminded himself that his father, a divine being, couldn't stay with him out of necessity, not neglect. That thought soothed his envy.
The gloom faded quickly. Tang Wulin clenched his fists and encouraged himself:
"So what if I don't have a family behind me?"
"Those external things can make him powerful for a while, but they can't make him powerful forever. Someday, I'll surpass him!"
"When that day comes — when I become truly strong — no matter how mighty his family is, I'll still be able to destroy him. No one will be able to stop me!"
With that thought, all his frustration and despair melted away, replaced by determination and renewed fighting spirit.
He resolved to train even harder — to surpass Yunze as soon as possible.
The next morning, at dawn, Secretary-General Pan Wen led Luo Yuhang and several others into the imperial palace to meet the Star Luo Emperor.
To ensure the meeting had sufficient weight, Pan Wen had also gone to see Ditian, hoping the ultimate powerhouse would accompany him.
With such a being at his side, Pan Wen could speak with confidence — and use the attack on the delegation as leverage to demand greater concessions for the Federation.
Ditian hadn't wanted to go, but since Pan Wen was a core member of the Federal Parliament and might be useful later, he agreed — on the condition that this would be the only time.If Pan Wen tried again, he warned, he wouldn't be so polite.
Pan Wen was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing his thanks and promising there would never be a next time.
His decision proved entirely correct: with the deterrent presence of an Ultimate Douluo, the Star Luo Empire made significant compromises.
Pan Wen took full advantage of the incident, using it to the Federation's benefit and exacting a heavy price from the Empire.
When leaving the palace, he actually smiled for once. Turning to Ditian, he said gratefully:
"If Your Grace ever needs assistance, please come to me — I will never delay in helping where I can."
He said it mostly as polite flattery, hoping to build a friendly connection with the powerful being.
But Ditian's reply left him dumbstruck.
"I'll remember those words," Ditian said flatly.
Ditian had agreed to accompany them precisely so that Pan Wen would owe him a favor — something that could later benefit the Dragon-Phoenix Hall.
Since the man had spoken the promise, whether or not he meant it didn't matter — he would not be allowed to go back on it.
Pan Wen gave an awkward laugh, realizing too late how literal Ditian was, and hastily promised again that he would remember.