262: The Gravekeeper Arrives

If he hadn't raised his hand, no one would have even noticed his presence.

He wanted to bid?

Under Governor Su Lei's undisguised death threat, someone still dared to bid?

Which death-seeking lunatic was it? Or was it a plant arranged by Star Lord, trying to forcefully save face?

Everyone's gaze, filled with incredulous confusion, simultaneously turned towards that corner.

"This item has been requisitioned by the Gravekeeper."

Grave! Keeper!

These three words seemed to contain a forbidden magic from ancient times, a power that transcended everything.

It made the bodies of those interstellar magnates, who moments ago had been so overbearing, tremble violently all at once, as if they had heard the death knell of their own civilization being rung.

"Hiss..."

How could they be here?

These Universe specters, who never interfered with the rise and fall of any civilization, only responsible for sweeping away the dust of history and burying the remnants of eras, why would they appear at a black market auction?

Before everyone could recover from this extreme shock, the figure shrouded in a gray cloak slowly extended a hand from beneath it.

It was a hand as withered as a branch weathered for billions of years.

In his palm lay a small hourglass.

The hourglass was not a physical entity, but rather constructed from countless flowing golden sands of light, exuding an eternal aura.

That was the Gravekeeper's will imprint, the death emblem they used to declare final judgment when carrying out their cleanup missions!

The moment this hourglass imprint appeared, Star Lord's massive holographic image, that face which had always maintained divine majesty, for the first time, his expression drastically changed!

If this scene were to spread, it would be enough to trigger a magnitude twelve super earthquake across the entire high-level civilization circle!

"You…"

Star Lord's gentle voice, for the first time, carried a hint of dryness.

"Why are you interfering in this matter?"

"Purgatory is a historical relic from the previous era."

The gray-robed man replied calmly.

"According to Article 3721 of the 'Civilization Heritage Protection Act,' any attempt to commercialize or forcibly occupy it by violent means will be considered a desecration of history itself."

"And desecrators will be, cleansed."

Star Lord's face became incredibly grim, a mix of green and pale.

He had meticulously planned this banquet, setting up an inescapable trap, and his ultimate goal was not simply to humiliate Su Lei.

He intended to use this auction to hand the hot potato of Purgatory to Su Lei in the most legitimate way possible.

Then, he would activate the hidden mechanism already buried deep within the key, allowing Su Lei to be completely devoured and assimilated by the insane resentment, enough to drive a god mad, that had been imprisoned within Purgatory for billions of years, the moment he opened it.

At that time, he would not only eliminate a potential and infinitely dangerous threat without shedding blood, but also gain a perfect Puppet, fused with the cornerstones of three major civilizations, whose power far exceeded imagination.

This was a brilliant plan, killing two or even three birds with one stone.

But now, the sudden appearance of the Gravekeeper was like a hand reaching down from a higher dimension, rudely overturning his chessboard.

These damned historical clean-up crews were like a flock of vultures smelling carrion, always appearing at the most critical moments from the most unexpected corners, using their nonsensical ancient laws to interfere with the progress of reality.

Star Lord's heart was already seething with rage, wishing he could crush this gray-robed man along with the organization behind him.

But he dared not act out.

Because he knew better than anyone what terrifying, indescribable existence stood behind the Gravekeeper organization.

That was truly the definer and maintainer of order, an existence that transcended all civilizations, all Lords, viewing the Universe as a chessboard.

To be an enemy of them was tantamount to a mantis trying to stop a chariot, inviting self-destruction.

"I merely wished to find a suitable custodian for this historical relic."

Star Lord took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the immense fury in his heart, trying to find a high-sounding reason for his actions.

"And Governor Su Lei, as the representative of a nascent civilization and the holder of the other two cornerstones of civilization, is undoubtedly the best candidate."

"Our judgment has nothing to do with the ownership of the cornerstones."

The gray-robed man completely ignored him.

"We are only responsible for maintaining the integrity of history, ensuring it is not polluted by the current ants."

"If anyone dares to pollute or provoke, then we will retaliate with the most powerful force, at all costs!"

He withdrew the hourglass imprint, then slowly turned around, facing the independent platform in the center of the venue.

His deep gaze, hidden beneath the shadows of his cloak, for the first time fell upon Su Lei.

"Governor Su Lei."

"I formally notify you on behalf of the Gravekeeper Council."

"Immediately surrender the other two cornerstones of civilization, the Sand of Time and the crown of wisdom, which you illegally possess."

"And cease all your arrogant attempts to interfere with the course of history."

"Otherwise, you and the Earth civilization behind you will be listed as the highest priority, cleanup targets."

Boom!!!!!!

If his previous words to Star Lord had only shocked the people present, then what he said to Su Lei at this moment was no less than a declaration of judgment, announcing the end of the world, thrown directly at the entire world!

They not only wanted to requisition the key to Purgatory, they also wanted to reclaim all the cornerstones of civilization on Su Lei!

They wanted to completely erase this nascent civilization, which had just emerged and not yet truly stepped onto the interstellar stage, along with its only Protector, from the very root of its existence!

How overbearing! How tyrannical!

How utterly unreasonable!

Su Lei listened quietly.

It wasn't until the other party finished his last word that he slowly rose from the throne constructed of energy crystals.

He extended his right hand and gently made a grasping motion in the Void Realm towards the gray-robed man.

The next second.

That Gravekeeper, who should have been untouchable, found the space around him forcibly solidified by an even more domineering power in that instant!

Immediately after, the gray-robed man, along with a square section of the floor beneath his feet, was somehow forcefully uprooted from the venue floor by an invisible force!

He was thus confined within a square, crystal-clear spatial cage, like a prehistoric specimen preserved in amber, slowly drifting towards Su Lei's independent platform, ignoring everyone's horrified gazes.

Throughout the entire process, the gray-robed man did not put up even the slightest resistance.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that he discovered, to his utter horror, that all his connections with this world, with the river of time, and with the supreme order he believed in, had been forcibly severed in that instant by that seemingly ordinary hand!

He became a thoroughly isolated existence, abandoned by the world.

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