"Is this… the present Earth?"
A voice filled with quiet curiosity echoed.
In an instant, amidst the stormy world, it was as if someone pressed a universal freeze button. The raging winds halted. The torrents of rain stopped. Even the roaring sea grew still and silent.
Time itself appeared to stand still.
"What is that…?"
At that very moment, whether it was the soldiers fighting on the front lines or the countless citizens of the Dragon Kingdom glued to the live broadcast, everyone instinctively lifted their heads.
Their gazes were drawn upward—toward the void.
There was nothing… and then suddenly, seven figures appeared in midair without warning.
Their presence formed a striking and awe-inspiring sight.
Each of the seven wore unique clothing, bizarre and otherworldly by modern standards. Some were clad in radiant divine armor, some wore cloaks that billowed without wind, while others dressed in ancient robes reminiscent of forgotten dynasties. Their appearances clashed sharply with the aesthetics of contemporary human society.
The most eye-catching of them all stood at the center—a black-haired young man.
He had jet-black hair that cascaded freely down his back, framing a fair and strikingly handsome face with an aloof and unreadable expression. He wore a dark ceremonial robe embroidered with a golden blackbird motif upon the collar and cuffs. The embroidery shimmered with divine light.
A majestic and noble aura radiated from him. It was suffocating. Unapproachable.
"They… they look like… humans?!!"
Everyone in the Dragon Kingdom who saw this scene was utterly stunned. Their eyes widened with disbelief.
Despite the strange attire, the familiar features—their eyes, noses, and overall build—made it clear to all watching.
These seven mysterious beings were human.
"But why are they floating in the air?"
"Could they be the nation's final secret weapon?"
Suddenly, speculation ran wild among the people. They clung to that possibility like survivors to a lifeline. Hope bloomed in their eyes.
But the hope was fleeting. Reality quickly set back in.
Even if they were a hidden trump card prepared by the country, could seven individuals really stand against those monstrous giants that missiles had failed to harm?
Could they make a difference?
---
Inside the war command room
Xia Lingwu's brow furrowed. His expression turned grim.
"Who… are these people?"
The commander-in-chief of the Dragon Kingdom's military forces felt an inexplicable sense of confusion. These seven individuals, dressed as if they'd walked straight out of an ancient epic, were utterly foreign.
Civilians might believe they were genetically enhanced super soldiers, state secrets deployed at the last second.
But Xia Lingwu knew better. He was the commander of the Golden Giant Extermination Command Unit. There had been no authorization. No records. No plan.
These people weren't part of their strategy.
"Maybe it's just a bunch of patriotic youths," he muttered. "Built some kind of lift-off tech on their own, thought they'd play hero."
Shaking his head, Xia Lingwu composed himself. Even floating in the air could be achieved with certain propulsion devices. There were precedents.
He didn't suspect anything supernatural.
"Send a message," Xia Lingwu ordered, his voice firm. "Tell them not to mess around. This is a battlefield, not a place for stunts."
"Yes, Commander!"
A nearby officer saluted and quickly rushed out.
---
In the sky above Earth
"Your Majesty Liandi, is this your hometown?"
Six Quasi-Emperors floated behind Shen Lian, eyes full of wonder and curiosity as they observed the blue planet.
Only thirty minutes earlier, Shen Lian had used the Celestial System's teleportation array to traverse the barriers of space and bring them here.
His power left them speechless once again.
The very idea of a mortal returning home across the stars was something out of myth in the Daqian World. Yet Shen Lian had done it in a single breath.
They originally believed that Shen Lian's origin must be from a realm comparable to the Great World of the Universal Domain. But what they encountered…
It was disappointing.
The Earth felt small. Weak. Almost pitiful.
Its laws of nature were incomplete.
Its spiritual energy was barely existent.
"This is indeed my place of origin," Shen Lian replied calmly.
By now, his cultivation was so high, there was no need to conceal the truth. There was no shame in where he came from. His power spoke for itself.
"This place is unbelievably barren," one Quasi-Emperor muttered. "For His Majesty to ascend from here… it's unimaginable."
They exchanged glances, all equally astonished.
Had they been born here, they wouldn't have even started on the path of cultivation. Forget becoming Great Emperors. They wouldn't even touch the outer gate.
"Stop with the flattery."
Shen Lian offered a faint, almost teasing smile.
With a single thought, his Divine Sense swept out and blanketed the Earth.
Instantly, he read the collective memories of every human on the planet.
He understood the present situation clearly.
---
Just then, a thunderous voice rumbled from the earth.
"The seven of you—where the hell did you come from? Still refusing to kneel?"
A golden giant roared up at the sky, its huge eyes locking onto Shen Lian and the others.
Its tone was impatient. Disdainful.
It regarded the human race as inferior. Worthless. Weak.
And these seven floating insects dared to stand in the sky above them?