My Core is the Boss

At this moment, countless citizens of Qin Yuan gazed up at the sky. Many people were confused.

Some young couples even cheered, "Fireworks in the sky!"

Others seemed to understand what was happening, and their expressions turned extremely grim. A light appearing across the heavens in such a way could signify something terrifying. Many immediately went online, waiting for trending topics to tell them what had happened. Others felt a growing unease. Yet what awaited them was not an explanation about the "fireworks," but a bloody, crimson declaration of war.

Brilliant Star, together with the Ancient Wu Kingdom, officially declared war on Qin Yuan.

"They declared war?"

"Brilliant Star declared war? How is that possible?!"

"We're finished! Brilliant Star has entered the conflict!"

The internet erupted. Although Brilliant Star and Arch Star had always been at odds and secretly undermined one another, this was the first time a full-scale declaration of war had occurred. Even during the previous invasion, Brilliant Star had never formally declared war.

└Hahaha! Brilliant Star is the true beacon of civilization. I've finally waited for this day. I'm so happy!

└Only under Brilliant Star's leadership can Qin Yuan have real freedom and true democracy!

A small number of people online cheered. Back when Brilliant Star and Arch Star fought each other, Arch Star had consistently been at a disadvantage. Many people on Arch Star had long admired and worshiped Brilliant Star.

These comments immediately provoked outrage.

└War has always been bloody and cruel!

└If you love Brilliant Star so much, go there yourself!

└Hmph! Our ancestors once defended this land. Today, we can do the same!"

└Back then, we defeated Brilliant Star through our perseverance, indomitable will, and the Eyes of the Sky we found in the desert. Now, not only do we still have the Eyes of the Sky, but we also have a group of cultivators. What is there to fear?

Voices rose and fell endlessly across Qin Yuan's internet. Offline, supermarkets and shopping malls were packed as people began panic-buying supplies.

Then, an official video released by the Ancient Wu Kingdom exploded across Qin Yuan once again.

「Everyone, at 6:06 p.m. on March 7th, Brilliant Star's fleet launched a death strike against Qin Yuan's airspace. In this strike, all of Qin Yuan's Eyes of the Sky were destroyed. You must have seen the brilliant fireworks in the sky? Now, Qin Yuan's strongest shield has been broken. The nation lies completely exposed within the attack range of Brilliant Star's aerospace warships. Raise your hands, abandon resistance, and welcome the Heavenly Army's arrival!」

Everyone who saw the video felt their hearts skip a beat.

"The Eyes of the Sky are gone?"

"Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

This time, everyone panicked. Even the cultivators felt a heavy cloud descend upon them. No one understood the power of the Eyes of the Sky better than they did. It was a terrifying superweapon capable of annihilating Violet Palace cultivators. And now, all of them have been destroyed. How could they not be shocked?

The fact that Brilliant Star had silently wiped out Qin Yuan's strongest weapon in an instant meant that it had grown even stronger than before. It meant that once Brilliant Star's warships arrived, Qin Yuan would have no means of resistance.

War had arrived suddenly. In fact, many people could not understand why it had begun at all. Naturally, they had no idea the demons had already taken complete control of Brilliant Star and ordered it to launch a suicidal assault.

Although the operation succeeded, Brilliant Star itself suffered catastrophic losses and was severely weakened. Its military capability had been reduced by thirty percent. Even plundering Qin Yuan would not compensate for those losses.

Thus, many people had never believed Brilliant Star would launch a large-scale interstellar invasion of Qin Yuan. The cost far outweighed the benefits. Yet now, it had happened.

***

Chaos reigned in the capital. The Seven Martial Stars, twenty patriarchs, the king, and senior military commanders had all gathered within an underground facility.

The white-haired old man appeared both furious and dejected. "How could Brilliant Star do this? Injuring the enemy by a thousand while hurting itself by eight hundred. What benefit does that bring them?"

"Now is not the time to discuss that. We should be thinking about how to deal with Brilliant Star's attack! Their follow-up fleets have already mobilized. In ten days, their army will be at our doorstep. We're finished!"

A young patriarch appeared utterly lost. "It's really over. The Eyes of the Sky are gone. What are we supposed to use against their warships? Have cultivators slash them down with swords?"

The Eyes of the Sky had always been their faith. The Seven Martial Stars drew their power from them, which was why they had remained unshaken. Even against the mysterious and powerful cultivators, the Eyes of the Sky had displayed overwhelming deterrence and dominance.

This patriarch had grown up listening to stories about how deadly they were. Now that all of them had shattered, he was terrified out of his wits.

Another patriarch said gloomily, "The Eyes of the Sky were a revolutionary weapon. How are we supposed to fight back without it? Forget it. Let's surrender. There's no point resisting anymore."

Unfortunately, the Eyes of the Sky were both Qin Yuan's strongest and only weapons. Qin Yuan was truly finished.

The king's voice was filled with anger and dissatisfaction. "Do you also wish for our people to become livestock? Have the messages and intelligence from Brilliant Star not made things clear enough? Even ordinary citizens in Brilliant Star have become food for the Myriad Demon World. If we surrender, that will be our fate!"

The king, formerly the seventh prince, had grown much more mature through the passage of time.

Information from Brilliant Star never stopped reaching Arch Star. They knew the place had become a living hell. Nearly all of its upper ranks had been infiltrated by the Myriad Demon World. The demon clans controlled their lives and deaths. As for ordinary citizens, they were treated as livestock and transported into the Myriad Demon World.

The newly established Great Interstellar Navigation Company on Brilliant Star specialized in precisely this business. To the demons, humans were merely ingredients.

If Qin Yuan were conquered, no one dared imagine what fate awaited its people. The elites would probably still survive by groveling and enjoying their wealth and privilege. At worst, they would occasionally have to humble themselves. But what about the common people?

In truth, as the seventh prince, he never had a claim to the throne. Life was funny that way. After becoming king, he had always acted cautiously while harboring great ambitions. He did not wish to be an incompetent ruler.

Gongyi Qing nodded. "That's right. We absolutely cannot surrender. Even if we die, we must make the invaders pay a price!"

In the past, Gongyi Qing had not been a direct descendant of the Gongyi Family. Before the world restarted, he had cautiously stood before Qi Yuan's tombstone, repeatedly and respectfully reciting the contents of contracts and secret incantations.

Thus, Qi Yuan remembered him. As a result, the Gongyi Family had elevated and valued him, eventually making him the family head. Perhaps because of Qi Yuan's kindness, he had always retained his original aspirations and pursued something greater. At his level, what material pleasure had he not already experienced? What he sought now was a place in history.

Someone said weakly, "But the harder we resist, the more enraged Brilliant Star will become. Their retaliation will surely be even harsher!"

"If we don't resist, should we simply let the butcher's blade fall?"

"If we don't resist, we die. If we do resist, we still die and perhaps even more horribly..."

"All of the Eyes of the Sky have been destroyed..."

The patriarchs of the Seven Martial Stars quarreled and shirked responsibility endlessly.

The king watched with profound disappointment. He knew they feared that resisting would anger Brilliant Star and invite its retribution. The king then recalled something Qi Yuan had once said. Indeed, the Seven Martial Stars had no real need to exist. Even without them, Qin Yuan could function perfectly well.

Back then, when he had asked Qi Yuan whether he should pull the rug out from under the Seven Martial Stars, Qi Yuan had replied, "How should I know? I'm just a gamer."

The argument continued for half a day. The atmosphere in the hall remained tense, and no conclusion was reached.

After everyone had left, the king looked at the now-aged Gongyi Qing, a sliver of hope in his despairing gaze. "Have you managed to contact Mr. Qi?"

Qi Yuan was their only hope at a time like this. Before this, he hadn't dared contact Qi Yuan for decades. After all, Qi Yuan had once said, "Don't disturb me."

Disappointment flashed across Gongyi Qing's eyes. "I can't reach him. Like a divine dragon, you can see his head but never his tail. I'm afraid the only time we can meet him is when the Martial Arts Tournament begins. Other than that, he seems completely uninterested in anything kingdom-related."

The king sighed, saying absentmindedly, "This time, it's too difficult. Even if Mr. Qi were to intervene, I fear there’s nothing he could do. The Myriad Demon World is simply too powerful. Even Brilliant Star is at their mercy. We can only rely on ourselves. We can't keep placing our hopes on others. Mr. Qi doesn't owe us anything. He's not our babysitter."

Thus, Qin Yuan descended into chaos.