CHAPTER 344: CHAPTER 306: REALLY DELICIOUS

The Celestial Snake King was assassinated!

This news shocked the entire Alliance. Everyone was asking, is this news true or false? And who exactly killed the Celestial Snake King?

The Black Banner Alliance has not given an official response, this kind of silence is actually an attitude in itself.

If it were a rumor, the Black Banner Alliance would certainly refute it.

The Celestial Snake King, a Golden Powerhouse, one of the Ten Kings of the Black Banner Alliance. His abilities and power can be said to place him among the top figures of the Alliance.

An assassination of such a major figure would have a huge impact on the Black Banner Alliance.

The various forces within the Alliance are also extremely curious about this matter.

Who exactly was powerful enough to assassinate a Golden Powerhouse, and one that is the Celestial Snake King of the Black Banner Alliance?

No matter how you think about it, it seems unbelievable.

Even though the specific details have not spread among the general populace, they have already circulated among the elite of the Alliance.

While everyone was curious, many also had other thoughts.

Not assassinating a Golden Powerhouse is an unspoken rule.

Of course, this has nothing to do with morality.

Assassinating a Golden Powerhouse is too difficult.

The superior perception, intuition, and power of a Golden Powerhouse cannot be dealt with by ordinary means.

To assassinate a Golden Powerhouse, one would definitely need to enlist another Golden Powerhouse.

But a dignified Golden Powerhouse, each holding high positions and great power, who would stoop to being an assassin?

If a Golden Powerhouse truly wanted to act, an open challenge would be more straightforward.

Moreover, the total number of Golden Powerhouses is only around three to four hundred. Even with some hidden ones, the number couldn’t be much more.

With such a limited number, the variables are also few.

Thus, everyone has tacitly agreed on a rule: assassination methods are not used for Golden Powerhouses.

The death of the Celestial Snake King made many realize that a Golden Powerhouse could also be assassinated.

Golden Powerhouses mostly hold important positions, wielding immense power. Combined with their long lifespans, they block the path of many individuals.

Many desire to eliminate their obstacles but just haven’t found the right method.

Now, knowing there is an assassin capable of killing a Golden Powerhouse, everyone is tempted. At the very least, they want to make contact and discuss possibilities.

More importantly, all Golden Powerhouses have grown intensely interested in this assassin.

Considering their own safety, Golden Powerhouses naturally want to know who the assassin is.

With so many Golden Powerhouses searching for one assassin, one can imagine how strong this force is.

Hercules, being the Tenth Sage, immediately sensed something amiss.

He wasn’t sure if it was Gao Xuan’s doing. But right after Gao Xuan went to the Planet of Death, the Celestial Snake King died. He could not believe this was a coincidence.

Shao Daoyuan had just died not long ago!

The Alien God’s corpse on the Sea Dragon Star was not yet cold!

The vengeful spirits of Pan and Talos, along with numerous Noble Family experts, were still howling!

Gao Xuan had both the means and the resolve. Other than him, it couldn’t be anyone else.

So, in order to eliminate any future troubles, Hercules got rid of the intermediaries and all the crew members who had contact with Gao Xuan.

He wanted to make sure there would be no trace linking him to the events.

The Black Banner Alliance is no small organization, its overall strength is much greater than the Sea Emperor Star Realm. Not to mention, the nine powerful Golden Powerhouses who each surpass the other in strength.

The death of the Celestial Snake King isn’t just about him; it also concerns the face of the Black Banner Alliance.

If the Black Banner Alliance doesn’t react, others will think of it as weak and incompetent.

Once others form this impression, it will be difficult for the Black Banner Alliance to reverse it.

To maintain the dignity of the Black Banner Alliance, the Nine Kings must severely punish the culprit.

Hercules now fears that if Gao Xuan is caught, it will implicate him.

In order to show strength, the Black Banner Alliance might send troops against him. The Alliance might assist or might stand by idly.

After all, the Sea Emperor Star Realm has become entirely autonomous. Alliance administrative orders are unenforceable there.

In name only, Hercules still needs official recognition from the Alliance for his status.

The current Alliance government is like the ancient Emperor of Zhou, with the major Star Realms as feuding nobles. Their subordinate relationship is nominal; in substance, they’ve nearly separated.

The only difference is that the Alliance, occupying the Central Star Realm, possesses formidable strength. They’ve merely lost the desire to control the other Star Realms.

The distance is too vast, and managing them is extraordinarily difficult. The Central Star Realm also bears a huge financial burden because of this.

Over time, the Alliance government has let the various Star Realms act freely, as long as they don’t openly rebel and openly violate Alliance laws, and nominally submit to the Alliance.

Hercules enjoys being in charge, but when facing a powerful enemy, it’s not as pleasant.

Of course, it’s unlikely the Black Banner Alliance would attack the Sea Emperor Star Realm. Doing so would cross the line. The Alliance would never permit further expansion of the Black Banner Alliance.

As long as the Black Banner Alliance targets the commercial ships of the Sea Emperor Star, it can inflict huge damage on the Sea Emperor Star.

Also, all Golden Powerhouses are investigating the assassin’s identity. That is to say, the highest echelons of the Alliance’s elite are all investigating the assassin.

As the Tenth Sage, Hercules knows well how heated the information in the Dark Web is.

Therefore, Hercules must do all he can to prevent the incident from implicating him.

However, Gao Xuan’s whereabouts remain unknown.

Hercules couldn’t discuss these matters with Helen. He could only wait for news in the Divine King Palace.

For him, no news was good news.

Hercules also knew that the Ninth Sage was a King of the Black Banner Alliance. He just wasn’t sure which one of the Nine Kings.

Hercules even speculated that Gao Xuan might be the Seventh Sage. This suddenly emerged Seventh Sage matched Gao Xuan all too well.

I could have ignored it if I didn’t know Gao Xuan, but since I do, I can’t help but feel suspicious.

The most critical thing is that the Seventh Sage also told him that Pan was an Evil God’s believer, and should not be trusted.

After that, Pan was killed by Gao Xuan.

Hercules does not believe it was a coincidence. However, he has his concerns and does not want to confront Gao Xuan directly about this.

He initially planned to resolve matters on Sea Dragon Star and then discuss things with Gao Xuan.

As it turned out, just a few days later, Gao Xuan caused another incident.

Until the matter is resolved, Hercules can’t focus on anything else. He spends all his time in the Divine King Hall.

This Divine King Hall is in itself a powerful marvel and is equipped with a massive quantum light computer, connected to the Celestial Net and the Dark Web.

As long as Hercules sits on the throne, he can collect and process various information, controlling the Sea Emperor Star Realm.

As night falls, Hercules suddenly feels very fatigued. He turns off all the lights inside the hall, and the hall’s elliptical dome becomes transparent, allowing him to look up at the starry sky outside.

The Sea Emperor Star has one large and three small moons, and the night sky often features all four moons. Yet, tonight, not a single moon is visible.

The deep, dark starry sky is only silently illuminated by the twinkling stars.

The hall is enveloped in darkness, and Hercules relaxes a little, shedding the usual stringent sternness he carries.

His relaxed face appears slightly slack, adding a hint of old age and fatigue.

At this moment, Hercules suddenly thought of Pan, the woman who had lived with him for nearly two hundred years.

Although Pan was sharp and proud, in their younger years, they had been sweetly in love.

He couldn’t say when, but they had gradually grown distant, their feelings diluted. When he heard of Pan’s death, he felt no emotional disturbance.

Yet recalling it now, he is filled with emotion.

Hercules couldn’t help but let out a long sigh when suddenly a clear and magnetic voice of Gao Xuan inquired from the darkness, "Uncle, you seem to be in a bad mood?"

The courteous greeting startled Hercules to the point where he was almost in shock. Gao Xuan is back? When did he come in?

It was only when Gao Xuan spoke that Hercules realized Gao Xuan was only ten steps away from him.

The hall, illuminated only by starlight, was indeed dark, yet could not hinder the gaze or perception of a Golden Powerhouse.

Even in his most relaxed state, Hercules should not have allowed Gao Xuan to approach so silently and unnoticed.

His relaxed and fatigued demeanor had been observed by Gao Xuan. This made Hercules even more uneasy.

Hercules gripped the throne’s armrest, silently activating the entire marvel of the hall. The powerful force steadied his heart and restored his calm and composed demeanor.

Hercules asked, "Did you kill the Celestial Snake King?"

"I did."

Gao Xuan replied in a casual and easygoing tone, as if killing the Celestial Snake King was nothing significant.

"Are you the seventh person?" Hercules asked again.

"I am."

Gao Xuan even offered a bright, sunny smile, "Uncle, your insight is truly impressive."

Although praised by Gao Xuan, Hercules was not pleased at all. To him, it felt more like sarcasm. Gao Xuan’s attitude was genuinely earnest, leaving Hercules with no grounds to complain.

Hercules paused before asking, "Why have you come to my home? What exactly do you want?"

This question was extremely important; if Gao Xuan did not provide a satisfactory answer, Hercules would turn hostile and take action.

In the Divine King Hall, equivalent to a dual Golden Domain, Hercules was confident he could match a top-tier Golden Powerhouse in battle.

Even if Gao Xuan concealed his strength, he could at most be an Initial-tier Gold.

Hercules was confident he could destroy him in the Divine King Hall.

"Of course, it’s for Helen."

Gao Xuan laughed and asked in return, "What else could it be for?"

"The Sea Emperor Star Realm?"

"Divine King Hall? Golden Apple? Netherworld King’s Saber?"

Hercules was even more silent. He only had four powerful Golden Marvels, the Divine King Hall, the Netherworld King’s Saber. The Storm Crown had been given to Helen.

The Golden Apple Tree would take several hundred years before it bore apples.

A direct bloodline of the cosmos, with such meager possessions, truly a paltry state of affairs.

What was even more alarming was that Gao Xuan was clearly aware of his possessions. Helen knew nothing, so she couldn’t have told him.

Hercules found it harder and harder to see through Gao Xuan, growing increasingly apprehensive.

"Uncle, we’re practically family, so let me be frank. I desire much, much more."

Gao Xuan smiled as he told Hercules, "Apologies, but your possessions hold no interest for me."

Hercules felt a bit embarrassed and angry, but he could sense Gao Xuan’s sincerity. The other truly didn’t care about his possessions!

"Great things take time."

Gao Xuan sighed, "A great person once said, to achieve greatness, one must broaden their vision and open their heart."

What Gao Xuan really wanted to say was: How could a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?

He just didn’t want to embarrass Hercules.

Hercules was very displeased. He did not like Gao Xuan’s way of speaking, polite yet exuding a confidence and arrogance like an emperor, as if born superior.

He disliked even more that Gao Xuan was preaching to him. A dignified Golden Powerhouse, a descendant of Zeus’ bloodline, the master of the Sea Emperor Star Realm, did not need anyone to instruct him.

"These words are a bit too abstract."

Gao Xuan noticed Hercules’ dissatisfaction and said, "Uncle, let’s discuss something realistic."

Hercules, expression stern, said, "You’ve said all there is to say, what else is there to discuss?"

Gao Xuan interrupted Hercules, "I know where the Sea God Trident is."

Hercules was taken aback; his stern and solemn face suddenly squeezed out a smile: "Gao Xuan, come sit, let’s discuss this at length."