From the Metropolis to the Strongest in the Cosmos

While the father and son discussed wedding matters, news of the events on Earth was spreading at an incredible speed.

Balin, a master at the Peak of World Realm and one of the nine World Realm experts in the Milky Way Galaxy, had been killed outright. Another master, at the Late World Realm, was required to pay compensation of one hundred quadrillion Galaxy Coins. Kande had also been slain...

As these reports spread, they sent shockwaves through the entire Milky Way Galaxy!

”To think that Balin, a master at the Peak of World Realm, is dead.”

”And Dunklu has to pay Earth that enormous compensation. One hundred quadrillion Galaxy Coins... not even the entire Dunklu family can come up with that sum.”

”This Li Yang is too ruthless.”

...

On a certain planet in the Milky Way, home to one of the eight remaining World Realm powers...

Here, a powerfully built man gazed down at his subordinates and declared in a heavy voice, ”All of you, listen up! From this day forward, you are forbidden from provoking anyone from Earth. I will personally execute anyone who dares to disobey!”

”Yes, Clan Leader!” the many Longevity Realm and Star Lord experts below replied respectfully.

...

Meanwhile, within another World Realm faction in the Milky Way Galaxy...

”Today, the Kunluo Clan establishes a new, strict rule: provoking anyone from Earth is forbidden!”

”Yes, Elder!”

...

One after another, the World Realm factions convened clan meetings, and the agenda was always the same: Do not provoke Earth!

Previously, all the major powers in the Milky Way Galaxy knew of Li Yang. However, in their eyes, he was merely a peerless genius. This interest in Li Yang extended to his home world, and many from across the galaxy treated Earth as a tourist destination, visiting whenever they had the time.

In truth, they held no real reverence for Earth, nor for Li Yang.

After all, Earth was pitifully weak. Aside from Li Yang and Shen Xuan, its strongest expert hadn’t even reached the Law Realm. How could a planet like that possibly inspire reverence?

With that level of power, it was at the absolute bottom of the hierarchy in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Furthermore, Li Yang had risen to prominence too recently—less than forty years ago.

To Star Lords, who lived for a hundred thousand years, and World Masters, who lived for a million, forty years was merely the blink of an eye.

Every expert needed time to reach their full potential.

Therefore, even though they knew Li Yang was a peerless genius, these factions weren’t truly wary of him. They couldn’t shake their impression of him as just a prodigy who had only been cultivating for thirty-odd years.

But now, everything was completely different.

Li Yang had killed a powerful World Master of the Milky Way with but a word, and his victim had been utterly powerless to resist.

Balin’s death signaled Earth’s meteoric rise!

In the minds of the Milky Way’s many factions, Li Yang was no longer just a peerless genius. He was a god of slaughter who could execute a World Master with a single, casual word.

This was what finally instilled true reverence for Li Yang in their hearts.

If even World Realm-level factions could be annihilated on a whim by Li Yang, how could they not revere him?

”We absolutely must not provoke Earth!”

”Anyone who has had past conflicts with Earth must resolve them immediately!”

Throughout the entire Milky Way Galaxy, every faction was terrified. All of them issued strict orders forbidding anyone from provoking Earth.

This time, Li Yang had spared none of the many who had provoked Earth. Even the lightest punishment was to pay a colossal compensation, a sum that emptying their entire treasuries wouldn’t be enough to cover.

This was undoubtedly Li Yang making a statement.

Anyone who dared to oppress Earth would face his furious retribution!

It wasn’t just the World Master and Star Lord Realm factions in the Milky Way, either. News of the events on Earth even spread to galaxies beyond our own.

Nearly every faction that heard the news began to rein in their own members.

Earth, a planet that had once seemed incredibly weak and unremarkable, had, in the blink of an eye, become an object of fear for countless beings. It had even become the new hegemon of the Milky Way Galaxy!

And the galaxy’s impression of the genius named Li Yang had been completely transformed!

...

’From now on, few people should dare to cause trouble for Earth.’

Somewhere on Earth, Li Yang gazed into the depths of space, his expression calm.

In the eyes of outsiders, Earth had always been weak. Even with him around, others paid it no real mind.

That was why he had to make an example of them—the bigger, the better. He had to use slaughter to make everyone revere Earth!

First it was the Yuanlan Clan, then the various factions of the Milky Way... It seemed the results were quite good.

As for whether those factions resented Earth, Li Yang couldn’t care less.

If he hadn’t returned, Earth might have been wiped out before long.

As long as he was there, those factions wouldn’t dare to move against Earth!

...

While the Milky Way and other galaxies were still reeling from the events surrounding Earth, the Li family home was bustling with excitement. Li Yang’s son, Li Dong, was getting married.

Countless people arrived, even from off-world. Anyone with even the slightest connection to the Li family made sure to attend and present Li Yang with a wedding gift.

And why wouldn’t they? With Li Yang’s Talent, he was bound to become the number one expert in the Milky Way Galaxy. If they didn’t curry favor with him now, it would be too late later.

”Dad, Mom, please have some tea.”

The wedding was a lively affair. Their new daughter-in-law, Lin Xiaoya, respectfully served tea to Li Yang and Zhou Yao.

”Time flies,” Li Yang remarked with a sigh.

Before he knew it, his own son was getting married.

”That girl is named Lin Xiaoya. She’s just from an ordinary family.”

”Ordinary or not, marrying Li Yang’s son, Li Dong, makes her status incredibly prestigious.”

”The Lin family has really hit the jackpot.”

”I heard Lin Xiaoya has an older brother. His family’s circumstances were average, so his strength was very weak. But because of the marriage, the Li family just handed over some resources and instantly raised his strength to the Peak of King Level.”

The many factions in attendance watched on.

They were green with envy. Li Yang was practically deified on Earth now, and the recent incident had made every faction in the Milky Way recognize just how terrifying he was!

Who wouldn’t want to be connected to the Li family?

If Li Dong had been willing, countless factions would have lined up to offer him a wife. But to everyone’s surprise, he ended up marrying an ordinary girl.

...

The wedding soon passed, and afterward, the compensation payments from the various factions began to pour into Earth. Not a single faction dared to delay.

For the time being, Li Yang didn’t go anywhere, remaining on Earth to focus on improving his strength.

「In the blink of an eye, more than a year passed.」

Inside an energy pool, Li Yang sat silently in a meditative posture. Streams of energy were continuously absorbed into his body, and the fluctuations of his aura slowly intensified.

After some time, Li Yang finally stopped. The fluctuations of his aura ceased to grow.

’Peak of Star Lord Realm!’

Li Yang sensed his new level of power, and a faint smile touched his lips.

In just over a year, his realm had finally advanced from the Early Stage of Star Lord Realm to the Peak of Star Lord Realm.