Astral Pet Store (WN)

"Look, it's the Supreme Celestial's statue!"

"Ah, isn't he…"

"Hush. Do not mention his name, or something will happen!"

"Is this the Golden Star Zone?"

"Yes. That is the Olos Gate which leads to the inner bay of the Golden Star Zone, where there are countless galaxies and advanced planets. This is a super interstellar jump platform."

"Look, some warships are welcoming us!"

Inside the spaceship—many contestants went to the spaceship's deck and observed the surroundings through the transparent energy shield.

Next to the golden statue that floated in space was an enormous, glamorous glowing ring. Behind the ring were glittering stars that led to another prosperous world.

On the two sides of the ring were a lot of space stations and satellites.

Su Ping had been informed of their time of arrival; he had left the training room in advance to also see that astounding scenario.

The boundless space, the countless spaceships, and the majestic statues… Everything made him feel the vastness of the universe and his insignificance.

They were getting closer and closer to the Olos Gate as the spaceship flew on. They gradually passed the golden statue. Their spaceship—which could accommodate tens of thousands of people—was as unremarkable as plankton!

Very soon, the spaceship was connected to a space station outside the Olos Gate and moved on a specific trajectory. There were many other spaceships that belonged to pirates, adventurers and businessmen.

Ciro then flew out of the spaceship and vanished.

A couple of minutes later, he returned and appeared inside the spaceship's energy shield.

The rest of their journey was smooth. A team of warships approached them and led the way after they passed the Olos Gate.

"That's the Celestial Court's spaceship!"

"Tsk, tsk. They're all subordinates to the Supreme Celestial!"

On the spaceship—many knowledgeable people were amazed by the fleet that was leading the way. They were quite envious; nobody would dare to mess with them if they could work for a Celestial.

Su Ping turned back and looked at the ring with worry. To his astonishment, the stars he had seen back when he was still outside of the ring had disappeared; he was seeing nothing but darkness in the rear. The space stations and warships outside of the ring were no longer there.

I wonder if Green Lady can come in. Su Ping was worried that she might have conflicts with the guards.

However, he then realized that Green Lady was an Ascendant; nobody would stop her as long as she didn't attack, even if she was pushing a planet.

However, he wore a bitter smile since she recalled Green Lady's temper.

"Are we being taken straight to the battlefield?" asked Holy King in the crowd.

He looked quite down. He had lost his confidence ever since the death of Queen of the Seas; his mood was a mix of sorrow and frustration.

The leading Star Lord replied with a smile, "That's right. The battlefield for the contest is the Celestial Court of the Golden Star Zone; you'll be competing there. The Celestial Court is where Lord Supreme lives. Don't talk nor think inappropriately while you're there, because Lord Supreme might feel it."

Everybody seemed to be awed when they heard that.

We can't even think?

How terrifying must Lord Supreme be?

The Star Lord smiled after seeing how obedient those geniuses were. Even the proudest geniuses had to lower their heads in front of Lord Supreme.

No one trained during the rest of the trip. They only looked outside from the deck or their cabin.

Su Ping was also seated on the deck; he was also looking outside while grasping laws. He saw a lot of galaxies and planets as they traveled. Sometimes he could even see buildings and beasts when passing close to some giant planets.

However, to his surprise, the seas of those planets were full of people, mixed with a lot of beasts. It was really difficult to tell whether they were wild beasts or pets.

Time flew.

The spaceship soon reached a portal; they jumped again following the leading fleet.

The group jumped to another galaxy, then jumped again after traveling for a while, reaching their final destination after seven more jumps.

The Celestial Court!

All the people on board the ship were shocked to see the Celestial Court. Even the Star Lords had a weird light in their eyes; they felt awe and respect.

It was an enormous court that stood in space while emitting a golden light!

There were endless stairs beyond the court, which stretched for billions of kilometers. The temples in the court were even bigger than stars; phoenixes and dragons were flying in the periphery. It looked like a space holy land, filled with a futuristic coldness!

Outside the Celestial Court—everybody saw the majestic golden statue again. That place was where Lord Supreme lived.

One of the Star Lords whispered in respect, "We've arrived."

Everybody was holding their breath as they observed. They had only seen photos of Lord Supreme on the Internet; there was very little information about him. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Federation anyway; it was harder to meet him in reality than to meet the president!

Ciro walked out of the cabin at that moment, then stood in front of the group on deck with hands behind his back. His cold face reflected the golden light, and even his cold eyes seemed to be glimmering.

The leading fleet then approached the Celestial Court along with their spaceship, which gradually stopped at a spacious ground beyond the stairs.

The vast open ground was even larger than the void continent where they had fought earlier!

It was so vast that it could contain a hundred Blue Planets!

Many spaceships and men were currently gathered at the square.

"It's the Nes Galaxy!"

"It's the Carlos Galaxy!"

"Are they the other contestants…"

Everybody fixed their eyes on the human beings that currently looked as tiny as ants outside the spaceships. They all looked different, since they belonged to different races. Some had green skin, others were blue-colored, and some had skin as white as snow.

Although they looked different, all of them were human beings; their bodies had simply evolved differently according to the environments they lived in.

The captain of their spaceship gradually docked at a corner of the square.

Once the vessel was firmly in place, Ciro instructed, "Time to get off. Don't wander about. Don't say anything inappropriate and do not disgrace Silvy!"

The three don'ts made everybody feel nervous. They followed the Star Lords on their way out of the spaceship, to later stand in their designated area.

They later sensed that other people were giving them dirty looks.

Su Ping realized that the local gravity was a hundred times that of the Blue Planet. Fortunately, he became acclimated to it quickly. As for the other contestants, some fell on their knees, while others trembled. But most managed to quickly regain their balance.

They were all geniuses anyway; it would have been embarrassing if they couldn't deal with a gravitational change.

Once everybody was properly lined up on the square, a brawny black man suddenly flew over. He approached Ciro and said indifferently, "Silvy's representatives are to be arranged in the D-18 Section. You have half a day to rest, and your matches will begin at six tomorrow. Please prepare accordingly."

Ciro bowed and nodded at the man with a rather humble attitude.

All the contestants behind him were really shocked to see that.

Considering his status as a famous general in Silvy, Ciro acted so gently, if not cautiously, in that place. It was obvious that the brawny black man was also an Ascendant, probably much stronger than him!

Once he finished giving instructions, the brawny man waved his hand and said to two Star Lords who answered his call, "Take them to their area."

"Yes, sir."

Both Star Lords nodded respectfully.

Then, they looked at Ciro and said respectfully, "General, this way, please."

Ciro gave a slight nod and asked everybody to follow.

They soon left the square and arrived at the temples by the edge; they had been built in something akin the ancient Greek style, but more extravagant. There was also a lot of metal equipment in the buildings, which made them more modern.

Aside from them, the people outside of the other spaceships gradually went to that place too; it was obviously a temporary place of rest for the contestants of other galaxies.

"General, the D-18 Section is this way." A Star Lord led the group to a massive, independent palace. Still, it was just an insignificant part of that magnificent group of temples.

Ciro nodded. Once the two Star Lords left, he asked everyone to take a rest in the temple and not wander around.

It was the very first time for the contestants to be in such a place, the territory of a Celestial State expert; they would certainly not dare to wander around. They only checked the palace and flew to its top to observe the other temples.

Those who went to the top of the palace were able to see that the contestants of other galaxies were currently settling down in the adjacent temples.

"Do we have to distinguish ourselves in the Golden Star Zone in order to be sent to the stage of the finals as representatives of our star zone?"

"I feel that the trip itself is already worth it. My guess is that not even the regular Star Lords would often have a chance to see this."

"We can boast about having visited even if we're eliminated later!"

"I wonder if it's allowed to take photos here. I want to take a selfie."

"You'll have to ask Ciro. However, nobody will believe you, even if you do take a selfie; you can't prove that it's not fake. Nowadays, it's possible for hackers to create fake videos, let alone photos."

"I wonder if Lord Supreme will make an appearance during the competition. Wouldn't it be great to see Lord Supreme in reality?"

Many contestants were extremely excited.

Very few of them were able to remain calm and composed.

"You're not the least bit excited or anxious, are you?" Su Jin'er suddenly said and approached Su Ping with a fruit plate. They were currently enjoying the breeze on the top of the roof.

Su Ping was observing the scenery, and no other contestant would dare to approach. Claesabe and the others who were close to him were already in other places.

"Why should I be?" Su Ping turned his head and looked at Su Jin'er whose mouth was stuffed with fruits. He thought for a moment, then picked a piece of unknown yellow fruit from the plate and put it in his mouth, which was instantly filled with juice and abundant astral power.

Su Jin'er leaned back ever so slightly, as if unwilling to share her fruits with anyone.

Stuffing herself with fruits, she mumbled, "This is Lord Supreme's place; you'll never have a chance to visit it without this consent. Shouldn't you feel excited?"

Su Ping chewed the fruit. Seeing how defensive she was of her food, he said, "Look at your back."

Su Jin'er turned her head but didn't see anything. She then turned back around and found that Su Ping had picked another piece of fruit. She glared, as Su Ping bit the fruit and chuckled. "Who says I'm not excited? I'm simply not showing it."

Su Jin'er rolled her eyes. "I don't believe it. Tell me the truth… Is your master a Celestial? Or is he a top Ascendant expert working for Lord Supreme?"

Su Ping asked curiously, "Why are you so concerned about me? Are you interested in me? Or, are you scared of my master's revenge?"

Su Jin'er blushed and said angrily, "You're so rude. What do you mean by 'interested in me'? You really are just a barbarian."

Su Ping nodded and casually picked another piece of fruit from her plate while she didn't notice. He said, "We're just like each other. On the other hand, I've always felt that you're slightly strange."

"Strangely cute?"

Su Ping paused and rolled his eyes. "If I were to describe this, you're a lot like one of my employees. You give off the same feeling of…"

His smile suddenly fell, then he looked at Su Jin'er. "You must be a lot older than you look, right?"

Su Jin'er narrowed her eyes, but she soon regained her self control and rose angrily. "I'm not old at all! I'm only 38 years old!"

"You call yourself a girl when you're already 38? You truly are an old woman," said Su Ping.

Su Jin'er was so infuriated that she was rendered speechless.