Emperor of the Source

Within the starship, the entrance sealed behind Adrian the moment he stepped inside. The metal contracted with a low hiss, cutting off the void beyond. He found himself standing within a long corridor that stretched deep into the ship's interior, its walls lined with dark, smooth alloy embedded with faint violet runic patterns that pulsed intermittently, giving the entire passage an almost living presence.

Almost immediately, several humanoid figures clad in similar dark armour artifacts emerged from different points along the corridor. Adrian sensed their divine concepts the moment they appeared, and even though none of them activated their domains or revealed their authority directly, he could easily gauge their level based on the strength and refinement of their conceptual essence.

At most, these individuals were at the Mid Rule Stage, their presence disciplined but far from threatening to him.

They did not speak at first, maintaining a silent formation around him, observing him with measured caution. One of them stepped forward after a brief pause, his helmet tilting slightly as though analysing Adrian in greater detail.

Adrian met the faceless mask without expression.

Then, without further delay, the figure gestured down the corridor and spoke in a neutral, controlled tone. "Follow."

Adrian did not resist or question the instruction. He moved forward calmly, walking alongside the armoured figure as they proceeded deeper into the vessel. The corridor extended far longer than its exterior dimensions would suggest, occasionally branching into multiple sections that hinted at the immense internal structure of the ship. Spatial expansion formations. Standard for vessels this size.

After several moments of uninterrupted movement, the leading figure came to a halt before a sealed chamber. With a soft mechanical hum, the door slid open smoothly, revealing a compact interior space.

"This will be your assigned quarters during transit," the figure stated, maintaining the same emotionless tone. "We will arrive at headquarters shortly. Remain here until instructed otherwise."

Without waiting for a response, the armoured figure turned and departed along with the others, leaving Adrian alone within the room.

Adrian briefly observed his surroundings. The chamber was simple in design, containing only the most basic accommodations: a resting platform resembling a bed and a console screen embedded directly into the wall. There were no decorative elements, no unnecessary features, only what was required for functionality.

He exhaled slowly, then moved toward the console.

Without wasting time, Adrian immediately infused a small amount of mana into the system, allowing him to read the runic structures embedded within its framework. The mechanism revealed itself as a hybrid of advanced technology and runic engineering, seamlessly integrating both systems to achieve a level of efficiency that mirrored devices like the UNI-OS. More importantly, it possessed connectivity features that extended beyond internal ship functions.

But this particular console was restricted to only work as an internal communication tool for the ship.

Adrian's fingers hovered over the interface, his Source Eyes flickering briefly as he traced the rune pathways. He identified the suppression nodes, the authentication locks, and the bounded permissions. Within moments, Adrian altered the runes to remove that restriction, his comprehension bypassing safeguards that would have stumped most inscribers for days.

The screen flickered, then stabilised.

Adrian got full access to this device and even identified its network access.

› Void Fang Sect Network — Active Connection

The text appeared in clean, angular script.

These private networks were entirely server-sided systems, and without direct access or an authorised connection, interacting with them was normally impossible. That was why Adrian couldn't use these networks before. But now that he had access to a device already linked to the network, the limitation no longer applied.

Using this connection, Adrian navigated through the interface and opened the forum sections of the Void Fang Sect Network. The data unfolded before him in layered categories, each thread containing fragments of information that, when pieced together, began forming a clear picture of the Virelith Galaxy.

He absorbed everything rapidly, processing the contents.

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The Virelith Galaxy had not always been as empty and controlled as it was now. A million years ago, it had been a developing galaxy, filled with sects, alliances, conflicts, and a natural progression of power structures much like the Andromeda Galaxy. It had been growing steadily, establishing its own equilibrium through competition and cooperation.

Then everything changed with the arrival of Morka.

He was described as a self-proclaimed envoy from a Major Sect, and unlike others who might have established themselves gradually, he had arrived with overwhelming force. He did not come alone, nor did he rely solely on his own strength. Instead, he brought with him vast resources and mercenaries whose power far exceeded anything the Virelith Galaxy could produce at the time.

Rather than consolidating influence slowly, Morka immediately targeted the two strongest factions within the galaxy: the Void Fang Sect and the Obsidian Rift Sect.

Adrian scrolled further, his expression unchanging.

These were not insignificant organisations. Even by the standards of a developed galaxy, they had been formidable forces. Their leaders were Peak Rule Stage cultivators who had comprehended high-tier divine concepts, granting them access to eighty percent authority.

This level of authority surpassed what he had observed within the Andromeda Galaxy, where even Peak Rule Stage cultivators typically wielded only seventy percent authority due to their reliance on mid-tier divine concepts. In comparison, the Virelith Galaxy, at least at its peak, had possessed a significantly higher ceiling of power.

And yet, even such strength had not been enough.

Facing the mercenaries brought by Morka, both sects had been defeated. However, instead of annihilating them, Morka had chosen a different approach. He subjugated them, using their strength as the foundation for his own expansion. From that point forward, he made a supremacy declaration and launched a war that consumed the entire galaxy. A war for supremacy that ultimately ended with his complete dominance.

Adrian leaned back slightly, his thoughts aligning as the information connected with what he already knew. The relic planet he had acquired contained remnants of a destroyed sect, along with a garden that dated back a million years.

Now, the origin of that destruction became clear. It had been part of the same war.

Further details revealed that Morka himself was not inherently superior in raw power. He, too, was a Peak Rule Stage cultivator with eighty percent authority, standing on equal footing with the leaders he had defeated. This raised an obvious question for Adrian: Mercenaries of this level of power wouldn't have an indefinite contract, so once the mercenaries he hired completed their contracts, how had he maintained control against the sect leaders who were technically his equals?

The answer appeared soon after.

"Slave artifacts…"

Adrian's gaze fixed on the thread, his jaw tightening imperceptibly.

He read deeper into the explanation, his expression remaining calm but his thoughts sharpening. These artifacts were essentially microchips embedded directly within the brain of a cultivator. They monitored neural activity, specifically the patterns associated with intent. They did not control the individual like a puppet, allowing them to retain their consciousness, skills, and mastery. However, the moment the system detected genuine intent of betrayal, defiance, or even an attempt to remove the artifact, it would activate instantly and destroy the host's brain.

The efficiency of such a mechanism was terrifying.

Even a Peak Rule Stage cultivator would not have the time to react. The activation was instantaneous, occurring at the level of thought itself, long before authority could be used to alter reality or defend against it.

Adrian quickly analysed the implications, identifying both its effectiveness and its limitations. For most cultivators, such a system would be absolute, leaving no room for resistance. However, for someone like him, there were potential loopholes. With techniques like Temporal Veil and his enhanced physical capabilities, he could theoretically move faster than the activation threshold and remove the artifact with his authority before it could execute its function.

But this was a loophole only for beings like him.

For the vast majority of beings, resistance was impossible.

As he read it, Adrian considered another detail that felt unusual. All of this information was openly available within the forum. Despite being a private network, it was still under the control of a sect that had been subjugated by Morka. Logically, such sensitive information should have been erased by Morka himself, right?

Yet it remained.

This suggested that Morka either did not care about the existence of such information or willingly let this information exist so the new generation of the sect would see these things, but ultimately submit to him without other choices.

A deliberate demoralisation strategy. Show them the futility. Let them know escape was impossible.

Adrian also recognised a broader implication. The actions of a single individual from a Major Sect had been enough to reshape an entire galaxy. If such a thing could happen here, then the Andromeda Galaxy was not exempt from the same possibility. The only reason it had not occurred there was likely due to its deeper integration with universal systems like the UNI-Hub and premium networks, which would attract the attention of other Major Sects and prevent unilateral domination.

Closing the console, Adrian concluded that he had gathered enough for now. The information available was largely historical, offering little insight into the current operational structure of the galaxy.

He moved toward the small viewport within the chamber, gazing out at the distorted streaks of starlight created by the ship's velocity.

Adrian's thoughts settled with clarity. If the Virelith Galaxy was to become a safe foundation for his people, then its current state was unacceptable. A ruler who maintained control through enforced subjugation, through a system that eliminated even the thought of resistance, could never coexist with the path Adrian intended to build.

His gaze hardened slightly, reflecting the shifting light beyond the glass.

He had to tread this path carefully. Morka wasn't just a Peak Rule Stage cultivator; he was an envoy from a Major Sect. Someone with confirmed, established connections.