78: The Lion King surrenders, when the box is opened

As the various factions prepared to depart, the tense atmosphere at Kunlun City Spaceport finally began to dissipate. The storm of the War Emperor's Mausoleum had passed, leaving behind a new legend and a reshuffled world order.

Lin Tian stood by the boarding ramp of the Long Family's sky aircraft carrier, a silent focal point in the bustling crowd.

"We're returning to Europe," Elizabeth said softly, her earlier playful teasing gone, replaced by a genuine reluctance. The experiences in the mausoleum, especially the genetic resonance, had forged a bond between them that transcended political Alliances. "You... take care."

Lin Tian merely nodded calmly: "You too. This world is about to get a lot more chaotic."

Beside him, Jiang Luoling bowed slightly and respectfully. Her admiration for Lin Tian had already escalated into an almost reverent emotion. He was no longer just a Genius of her generation, but a phenomenon beyond comprehension.

After watching the Rothschild Family's vessel ascend into the clouds, Lin Tian turned his gaze to the other women who had become his allies. Su Zhi, the fiery young woman of the Vermilion Bird Clan, looked at him with a challenging gaze: "Don't think this means I admit you're the strongest. I will definitely catch up to you!" She declared, but her tone had lost its usual firmness.

Lin Tian found it somewhat amusing and simply replied: "I'll be waiting."

This brief and almost gentle farewell was like a quiet interlude, a moment of calm before the next storm. After a series of life-and-death struggles, this was a necessary pause for the narrative and characters to breathe.

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away, within the sacred and solemn halls of the War God Academy.

The Supreme Council was in session. A detailed report on the War Emperor's Mausoleum incident was projected onto the holographic screen. The name "Lin Tian" appeared with alarming and undeniable frequency.

Bai Feng, his body recovering but his spirit already broken, had just finished his debriefing. The Council members were silent, their expressions grave. The Academy's most outstanding Prodigy had not only been defeated but thoroughly humiliated.

However, one person at the table remained perfectly composed.

She sat at the end of the long council table, a woman so beautiful she seemed not to belong to this mortal world. Her name was Bai Zhi. She wore a simple white gown, her dark hair falling like a silken waterfall. Her eyes, clear and profound, were like a tranquil lake, holding a wisdom beyond her years. She was not a Martial Artist in the traditional sense; she was a strategist, a Great Grandmaster of the spiritual Domain, her intellect rumored to be the War God Academy's most formidable weapon.

After reviewing the final data stream showing Lin Tian effortlessly disabling security robots with a string of code, she finally spoke, her voice as calm and clear as her eyes.

"Interesting," she murmured softly, a slender finger tapping the armrest of her chair, "He doesn't just rely on the brute force of an SSS-rank gene. He displayed tactical acuity, absolute psychological dominance, and unfathomable trump cards that even Bai Feng couldn't discern."

An Elder sighed: "He's a monster. The Long Family has produced a true monster."

Bai Zhi shook her head slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile gracing her lips. "No," she gently corrected, "He is not a monster. He is a player who understands the rules of the game on a higher level."

She looked at Lin Tian's frozen face on the screen, a face that was somewhat nonchalant yet utterly domineering.

"Bai Feng's mistake was in treating him as an opponent of the same generation. But this Lin Tian... he's already playing a completely different game." Her gaze sharpened with intellectual curiosity and a hint of excitement, "He has proven worthy of being my opponent. I look forward to meeting him."

Her words, though soft, sent a chill through the entire Council chamber. To be recognized as an "opponent" by Bai Zhi was in itself a supreme honor far surpassing any declaration of war—and, at the same time, an even more terrifying prospect.

Back at Kunlun City Spaceport, just as the Long Family was about to board their vessel, the sky suddenly darkened.

Boom!

A terrifying pressure, vast and primal, like a collapsing star, suddenly descended upon the entire Spaceport. It was a pure, unadorned Aura of power, the primal might of an S-rank Peak Imperial Beast. The air itself crackled under the immense pressure.

A colossal figure blotted out the sun, landing with an earth-shattering crash, the shockwave rippling across the alloy deck. It was a magnificent Golden Lion, ten times the size of Simba, its mane like a flowing river of molten gold, its eyes two burning suns filled with imperial fury.

The Lion Emperor of the African Beast King Hall had personally arrived.

"Who dares to enslave my grandson?!" he roared, his voice transforming into a tangible shockwave that shattered all windows within a one-kilometer radius. He had come to reclaim his descendant and his honor.

The Long Family guards immediately formed a defensive line, their expressions grim. Long Zhanye stepped forward, his own S-rank Peak Aura soaring skyward, ready to meet the challenge. A battle between the world's strongest seemed imminent.

The Lion Emperor's furious gaze swept across the scene, finally settling on the small Golden Lion, Simba, who was nervously hiding behind Lin Tian. Then, he saw Lin Tian, casually sitting on Simba's back, patting its head as if it were a house cat.

The Lion Emperor's world-destroying rage froze.

His sun-like eyes blinked. Once. Twice.

The apocalyptic pressure that had been crushing the entire Spaceport vanished as if it had never existed. His furious, imperious expression instantly melted, replaced by a look of utter, dumbfounded shock, which then transformed into a... fawning deference.

He took a step forward, his massive body rapidly shrinking, transforming into a tall, burly man in golden robes. He jogged over, a brilliant, almost embarrassing, eager smile on his face.

"Little Nine!" he exclaimed, his voice still booming but now full of doting affection instead of rage, "My dear Little Nine, are you alright? Has this... esteemed Young Lord treated you well?"

The entire Spaceport fell into a dead silence.

Little... Nine?

The majestic and powerful Golden Lion Simba let out a low, embarrassed whimper, trying to bury its head in Lin Tian's leg.

The Lion Emperor completely ignored his grandson's shame. He turned to a stunned Lin Tian and bowed slightly, his level of respect forming an absurd contrast with his status.

"Presumably, you are Young Lord Lin Tian? I am Simba's grandfather. Please forgive my rude entrance just now. I heard that my good-for-nothing grandson was... taken away, and I was momentarily overcome with anxiety." As he spoke, he slipped a spatial ring into Lin Tian's hand, "This is a small token of my appreciation, thank you for looking after him. A few tons of Star Source Crystals, a humble offering, please accept it. This foolish boy has been rebellious since childhood; to be able to follow a true Emperor like you is the greatest fortune of his life! From now on, feel free to discipline him as you wish! The more you discipline him, the more promising he will become!"

This scene was so surreal, so unbelievable, almost comical. An S-rank Peak Emperor, one of the top powerhouses on this planet, not only abandoned his grandson but was actively paying the new owner to take him.

Lin Tian glanced at the ring, then at the fawning Lion Emperor. He understood instantly. The Lion Emperor had seen his performance in the mausoleum. He wasn't here to fight; he was here to invest. He was betting on the future, and in his eyes, Lin Tian was the future.

"He's a good mount," Lin Tian said calmly, his expression unchanged as he accepted the gift.

The Lion Emperor's smile grew even wider: "Good! Good! Little Nine, did you hear that? You must serve the Young Lord well!"

After this comical interlude, all external affairs were finally settled.

Lin Tian returned to his private sky aircraft carrier, a mobile fortress named "Nine Heavens." He walked directly to the deepest, safest secret chamber of the ship—a room shielded by a dozen layers of energy fields and quantum-locked alloy.

He dismissed everyone, including Dragon Snow Phoenix and his ever-present new guard, "Phantom."

In the room, there was nothing but a symphonic silence.

Finally, he was alone. He sat down, and with a wave of his hand, two items appeared on the obsidian table before him.

The first was Bai Feng's severed "arm of god."

The second was the ultimate grand prize of the War Emperor's Mausoleum. A cube made of unknown, shape-shifting metal, its surface covered with intricate, shimmering circuitry, as if containing the secrets of a forgotten era.

The pandora's box.

The object for which Bai Feng had sacrificed everything, the legacy of a prehistoric civilization.

Lin Tian's gaze was calm, but deep within his eyes, a massive vortex of anticipation was brewing. The memories from the War Emperor's fragmented soul, the secret of the "Entropy Catastrophe," and the power of the "arm of god"—all clues pointed to this single object.

It held the key.

He took a deep breath, the silence of the room amplifying his own steady heartbeat.

His fingers gripped the latch of the box.