689: King, guilty, death penalty...

Ku Li Pa was no longer the young Kuli who carried bags at the docks.

Having elevated his strength to the Epic-grade, he naturally understood what a Two-World War was.

As countless mechs, giant star destroyers, and three thousand Star-Patrolling Realm experts flew into Emerald Dragon Star, a guess arose within him that even he found terrifying.

With some difficulty, he averted his gaze from those beings whose magical technology was completely different from Emerald Star's, resembling more the 'technological' creations described in ancient records.

His eyes, as he looked at Yang Dian, were filled with despair, regret, and an emotion he couldn't quite articulate or comprehend.

"You are not the God of our Emerald Star, are you?"

As the hoarse voice emerged from Ku Li Pa's mouth, the Elf Princess and Harpy Queens, who had not looked up since kneeling, all raised their heads, gazing at Yang Dian with a trace of disbelief.

The Centaur Chieftain took down the longbow hanging on her body and drew it to a full moon, the arrow pointing directly at Yang Dian.

Yang Dian looked at the Centaur Chieftain with a hint of appreciation.

Ku Li Pa was a remarkable individual.

But among his many confidantes, only this Centaur Chieftain, who helped him become who he was, caught Yang Dian's eye.

The other Elf Princesses, Mermaid Princesses, and Harpy Queens?

They were merely ants with the intelligence to think.

Taking two steps forward to the city wall, Yang Dian watched a pink fairy Dragon being dragged into a star destroyer, a faint smile on his face as he said,

"I never said I was the God of Emerald Dragon Star, did I?"

Mechs whistled across the night sky, and under the scattered lights, giant cities vaguely rose in the distance.

"Moreover, does it matter to your ideals whether I am a God from another world or not?"

"My… ideals?" Ku Li Pa murmured twice, suddenly recalling the youthful exuberance he felt when he first received the Legacy of Battle Qi and left the docks.

To ensure workers were no longer exploited, nobles no longer stood above all, and commoners were no longer as lowly as ants... When did he become a high and mighty noble?

When did he start treating soldiers as consumables to achieve his own goals?

Was it truly because he was pushed into it by the masses, unable to back down, that he declared war on the Dragon Clan?

Was it because of others?

Or was it because of his increasingly strong 'self-esteem,' or perhaps, desire?

In a daze, he saw the concerned gaze of the Centaur Chieftain beside him.

He vaguely remembered that the Centaur Chieftain seemed to follow him because of his ideals.

He vaguely remembered that his ideals were formed under Yang Dian's guidance.

"Will you allow the Human Race, or the Hundred Races, to live the life you spoke of?"

Turning his head to glance at the disoriented Ku Li Pa and the various noble scions beside him, each with their own thoughts, Yang Dian snapped his fingers:

"It depends on their performance."

As his voice fell, a mech landed beside Yang Dian, its dark visor glowing with a crimson light, and Ya Zi's voice followed:

"Commander, the Maple Leaf City rescue operation has concluded. A total of 23,531 Human Race survivors, 573 Elves, 133 Centaurs, 74 Dwarves, and 23 Harpies from Emerald Star have been rescued..."

"Additionally, three Dragon eggs and 8,396 Demonic Beast eggs of various kinds were discovered, and countless resources collected."

"The Expeditionary Force Machina Legion has expanded 3,600 kilometers outward from Maple Leaf City, and the expansion distance is still increasing. 72 gold mines, 36 silver mines, and 133 iron mines have been discovered..."

"11 special Spiritual Ore mines have been found and are being prepared for excavation..."

"36 intelligent races have been discovered, along with 332 affiliated small Blessed Lands..."

"Please instruct us on how to mine Emerald Star's mineral veins and how to treat the intelligent life on Emerald Star."

As Ya Zi's words fell, the entire city wall instantly became utterly silent.

Only the faint hum of the Machina from the Expeditionary Force Base and the cautious breathing of the crowd occasionally broke the stillness.

Surveying the crowd, who seemed to be awaiting judgment, Yang Dian also thought of Lizardmen Alien Planet and Strange Star.

Before these two planets became a part of the Huaxia Blessed Land, their planet cores were shattered by him, and the planets lost their potential for development.

The amount of Spiritual Qi they could convert daily before becoming worlds remained the same after becoming Blessed Lands.

Unless new planet cores were born again, regaining their potential for development.

'So, should I directly shatter the planet core, conduct destructive mining, and quickly drain Emerald Star's resources?'

'Or should I preserve the planet core, slowly mine the planet's resources, and implement a sustainable development strategy?'

While contemplating, Yang Dian also made clear his judgment for the intelligent life on Emerald Dragon Star.

"Just like on Tiannan Star, establish a Moral Tribunal."

"Judge the wicked, treat the morally excellent kindly, and treat ordinary people who have neither committed evil nor done good equally."

Ku Li Pa, who had recovered his composure, looked at Yang Dian with a complex expression, bowed slightly, and inquired,

"Respected God from another world, by what standard will the morality you speak of be measured?"

Ku Li Pa had no intention of fighting Yang Dian to the death.

Let alone Yang Dian, he wasn't even a match for the steel islands in the sky.

Every time he saw the protruding muzzles of the steel islands, he felt his Soul tremble, as if being locked onto and attacked would mean instant death.

Since resistance was futile, what he could do was naturally pledge his sincere allegiance.

Considering how Emerald Dragon Star treated the Alien Planet inhabitants left on the Dragon Star after the Two-World War, and Yang Dian's—or rather, the 'War Puppet's'—attitude towards intelligent life demonstrated by rescuing the Maple Leaf City survivors, he felt that as long as they were obedient, the Hundred Races of Emerald Star should be able to continue living on Emerald Star.

Perhaps even better than under the rule of the Dragons.

Looking at Ku Li Pa, who had quickly adjusted his mindset, Yang Dian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

'This little Kuli has truly grown, hasn't he?'

'In just a few years, not only his strength but even his mindset has matured to this extent…'

Amidst his emotion, Yang Dian continued, addressing Ku Li Pa's question:

"Morality, of course, will be measured by our preferences."

"Helping others is good; deceiving others is bad."

"Saving lives is good; killing is bad."

"Wanton slaughter is a sin; avenging one's parents is considered good."

"Framing others requires re-education through labor; repeated incorrigibility is a capital offense..."

After casually stating a few moral standards, Yang Dian finally surveyed the surroundings.

The giant spatial gate in the sky had already closed.

The number of star destroyers and Star-Patrolling Realm ships was limited, so it was impossible to dispatch a large quantity to Emerald Dragon Star.

The current number of starships that had entered Emerald Dragon Star was already sufficient to suppress the planet.

War robots continued to fly out from the Expeditionary Force Base, entering Emerald Dragon Star.

With guns, war robots could be killing machines.

With wrenches, war robots could also be engineering machines.

Emerald Dragon Star was in its official period of grand development; no matter how many came, it could absorb them all.

'Emerald Dragon Star and Emerald Dragon God, who once made me cautious, have finally fallen into the trap, haven't they?'

Amidst his emotion, Ya Zi manipulated two mechs to fly onto the city wall, arriving before the old king.

"Tantin Const, the former king of the Maple Leaf Empire, enslaved and massacred the populace, raped pregnant women; he is guilty."

"According to the audit of the Huaxia Moral Tribunal, you are found guilty and sentenced to death..."