296: Lu Chen is revered as the "Lord of the Milky Way"!

“Genesis” Fortress, Core Hall.

This was no longer the command center it once was but had been transformed into a magnificent interstellar council chamber. Through the transparent photon crystal dome, the breathtaking scene outside was clearly visible.

Countless alien starships of various designs were arrayed in neat queues, slowly sailing into the “Genesis” docking port like pilgrims. They no longer brandished their weapons; all weapon systems were dismantled, and shields were down, expressing absolute submission to the fortress's master in an almost naked posture.

These were the transport fleets from one hundred and thirty-seven advanced civilizations from all corners of the Milky Way Galaxy.

What they brought was the first batch of “survival tax.”

Rare antimatter ore, high-dimensional crystal samples, unique biological gene banks... these strategic resources, once regarded as their lifeblood by various races, were now piled high in the “Genesis” cargo hold, which was the size of a planet, like cheap cabbages.

“Good heavens... did these guys empty their entire family fortunes?”

“War Wolf” stared at the frantically jumping resource entry data on the holographic screen, his eyes nearly popping out.

“This is only the first day! Just these ‘tributes’ are enough for us to build another ‘Jiuzhou’ fleet!”

“This is the dividend of hegemony.”

Su Qingying stood by, watching the busy unloading robots, her eyes gleaming with rational light. “When the rules are set by us, the flow of resources is naturally dictated by us. This is why in the universe, there is only a first, never a second.”

And on the throne in the hall.

Lu Chen did not pay attention to the mountains of treasures. He rested his chin on one hand, his gaze indifferent as he watched the alien leaders kneeling below.

Besides the “Prophet” Viren from before, there were now over a hundred new faces in the hall. Some had three heads, some floated in liquid tanks, and some were simply complex electromagnetic waves.

But regardless of their form, the emotional fluctuation they conveyed at this moment was only one:

Awe.

Deep-seated awe.

“Great Leader of Earth.”

Viren tremblingly raised his head as a representative, his body, composed of starlight, appearing somewhat dim under Lu Chen's pressure.

“According to your ‘First Command,’ all civilizations above Level 3 in the Milky Way Galaxy have assembled. Our resources, technology, and loyalty have all been presented at your feet.”

“To thank you for saving us from the nightmare of the Star Devourer, and to express our support for the new order...”

Viren took a deep breath (if it had breath), and his voice became incredibly solemn, even carrying a hint of sacred ritual.

“After unanimous recommendation by all members, we humbly request that you accept a new honorific title.”

“Honorific title?”

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, seemingly showing a little interest.

“Yes.”

Viren slowly raised his hands, as if holding an invisible crown.

“From the Orion Arm to the Galactic Core, from the material world to the dimensional rift. You are the creator of order, the terminator of destruction, and our only protector.”

“You are—”

“**Lord of the Milky Way Galaxy**!”

Boom—!

As these four words fell, all the alien leaders in the hall prostrated themselves simultaneously, emitting a deafening mental resonance:

“Greetings, Lord of the Milky Way Galaxy!”

This immense wave of spiritual energy even penetrated the fortress's barriers, stirring up visible ripples in the vacuum.

At this moment, it wasn't just this hall.

Through quantum broadcast, this honorific title instantly spread to every corner of the entire Milky Way Galaxy. Countless lower civilizations trembled, countless interstellar pirates fled, and everyone understood that this starfield now had a master.

And, a ridiculously powerful master.

Facing this grand spectacle of myriad races paying homage, Lu Chen's expression remained calm, even somewhat cold.

He slowly stood up, his black trench coat flapping behind him. He said nothing, merely stepping down from the throne, walking step by step to Viren's front.

That terrifying oppressive feeling almost caused the starlight on Viren's body to dissipate.

“A grand title, sounds very imposing.”

Lu Chen's voice was soft, yet it clearly penetrated the ears of every creature.

“But I hope you understand one thing.”

“I accept this title not to satisfy my vanity, nor to hear you flatter me here.”

“I accept it because...”

Lu Chen suddenly looked up, and his heterochromatic divine eyes erupted with a dazzling brilliance that no one dared to look directly at!

“Because I want to take this title and confront the one who truly wants to destroy us!”

“If I lose, you will all die.”

“If I win...”

Lu Chen's lips curved into an arrogant smile, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall.

“Then you will truly understand what an honor it is to be a dog for the ‘Lord of the Milky Way Galaxy.’”

The entire hall fell silent.

All the alien leaders were awestruck by these stark, wild, and domineering words. They not only felt no humiliation but instead a strange sense of... security?

Yes, security.

In the dark forest, following a docile sheep only leads to death. Only by following the fiercest wolf king can one get meat!

“We obey your will!”

Viren bowed deeply again; this time, his voice had less fear and more genuine fanaticism. “The direction of your sword's edge is the direction of our charge!”

“Alright, cut the theatrics.”

Lu Chen waved his hand, dismissing these so-called civilization leaders as if shooing flies.

“War Wolf, see them out. And by the way, bring all those ‘tributes’ back to heavenly craft and have them converted into combat power as soon as possible.”

“Yes!”

War Wolf grinned, leading a group of fierce Super Soldiers, and began to herd these alien big shots out like sheep.

The hall quickly emptied.

Only Lu Chen and Su Qingying remained.

“Lord of the Milky Way Galaxy...”

Su Qingying walked to Lu Chen's side, looking at his slightly tired profile, her eyes full of heartache. “Isn't this burden too heavy?”

“Heavy?”

Lu Chen smiled, turned around, and looked at the brilliant galaxy outside the window.

In that distant direction, four hundred light-years away, a cold and powerful malice was approaching at the speed of light.

That was the cleaners.

It was the judgment of a Level 4 civilization.

“Perhaps.”

Lu Chen gently held Su Qingying's hand, feeling that genuine warmth.

“But Qingying, do you know?”

“Before, I thought we were facing the entire dark forest, and we were lonely hunters.”

“But now...”

Lu Chen pointed to the magnificent “Genesis” fortress below his feet, then to the endless wreckage of starships outside.

“I have the entire Milky Way Galaxy as my backing, billions of civilizations as cannon fodder, and I have you and heavenly craft.”

“I think this battle might just be winnable.”

“Not only will we fight, but I will also make that so-called Level 4 civilization...”

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes, the madness of a gambler before going all-in.

“Call me Daddy!”

Su Qingying burst out laughing, and the previously heavy atmosphere instantly dissipated. She rolled her eyes at Lu Chen, playfully chiding, “You're the Lord of the Milky Way Galaxy now, and you're still so unserious.”

“Serious?”

Lu Chen shrugged, pulling Su Qingying towards the depths of the fortress.

“Who serious saves the world anyway.”

“Let's go, it's time to get down to business.”

“Where to?” Su Qingying asked curiously.

Lu Chen stopped, looked back at her, and smiled mysteriously.

“To the ‘treasure vault’ in that old guy's (genesis engine) memory.”

“There, an ultimate weapon capable of turning the tide for us is hidden.”

“Guess what it is?”