Back at the temporary base of the second team, Zhou Muzi hugged his arm and asked, "In-laws, what's so happy about this? Please share it with us so we can also feel the joy." He smiled, "Brother has now mastered the second technique of hammering, which gives him greater confidence when advancing into the magic race's stronghold." "Really? That's wonderful—let's celebrate then." Genji Kiyoko held a sharp dagger in her hands, her magical tool that could expand into a flying sword or shrink down to the size of a dagger, making it very convenient to use. She demonstrated a few movements and said, "We haven't had your fish sashimi for a long time—would you like to try it?" Honestly, including Qin Feng, everyone found the so-called Sun Kingdom cuisine rather unappealing, but Kiyoko's personally prepared sashimi was always highly praised. Qin's eyes lit up. "That sounds great. With the magic race being so cooperative lately and all of us having been tired for several days, it's definitely worth treating ourselves to something special." "Then let's go prepare right away." Zhou Muxi released his grip on his arm and pulled Qingzi along to find the other sisters. Yet, Qin Shao's expression grew increasingly irritated, muttering to himself, "First let's have a proper meal, then we'll feast on you all—wah-hah!" Having been busy suppressing the demonic forces for so long, everyone's daily routines had become irregular. Though he always managed to squeeze in a quick encounter with a certain woman amidst his busy schedule, these were always brief and unsatisfying. All other cultivators would receive one day of leave and reconvene here at the same time tomorrow. Qingya watched the women busily engaged and shook her head, sighing, "Really, how could they manage a celebration banquet at such a crucial moment?" "You have a complaint," Qin Shao suddenly appeared behind her, saying, "Then go enjoy yourselves—though I don't remember inviting you." It wasn't that he was stingy; after dinner, there were still several important activities scheduled. With her being such a constant source of interruptions, it simply became inconvenient. "Hmph," she said, "so you're trying to make me leave—I'll just stay right here." "The elegant Inspector raised her head with pride, "I'm going to taste your girlfriends' cooking—can't you manage that?" "Can't." He didn't hold back at all. "Qin Feng, you're quite bold," Qingya stomped her feet in frustration, "Don't think that just because you've got the Heaven's Hammer, you can disregard me as your superior. Even though you're the team leader of the second squad, you're still my deputy." "Hmph. Go on, say what you like," he replied, arms behind his back, humming an unhealthily sweet tune, and strolled off with a light, cheerful step. Once a mage lord ascends to the rank of king, they are granted a planet as their fief. Since the larger planets have already been assigned, it is now gradually coming down to the medium and smaller ones. This is one of the key reasons why the mage lords need to expand rapidly—otherwise, the next generation of kings will have no land to claim. The king of Crystalline Planet is named Saktos, who became a king three centuries ago and was then granted this planet. The planet currently hosts around ten thousand mage lords, with over 90% of them being large cockroaches, dragon sharks, and leopard mages. With only a population of around ten thousand, and a military force of five thousand, the kingdom holds only a modest presence in the Mage Realm. An elder mage lord enters the royal hall, bows respectfully to Saktos seated on the throne, and says, "Your Majesty, the army is ready and awaiting the signal from Earth." Saktos's face lights up with excitement. "Excellent," he replies, "Order the troops to be ready for immediate departure." "To conquer a planet is indeed the greatest honor a King-level demon can achieve. Though he has already conquered several planets, compared to Earth, they all pale in significance. Earth is home to billions of humans, abundant in resources, and most importantly, humans maintain a strong connection with the Celestial Realm. For thousands of years, demons and the Celestials have been at odds; since the last Holy-Demon War, demons have been consistently at a disadvantage—now is the perfect time to challenge the Celestials. Moreover, the Celestials' relaxed attitude toward Earth's affairs has emboldened Sakhtos. He has completely overlooked his previous losses and never blamed Mirel for them. The thought of having billions of humans serving as his slaves fills him with exhilaration. According to the Demon Realm's regulations, any planet conquered grants the conqueror thirty years of dominion—during this period, both the population and resources belong exclusively to the conqueror." …a large round table laden with an array of exquisite dishes. Qin Shao couldn’t help but be excited, yet his enthusiasm waned slightly upon seeing the unexpected guest. “Hey, why are you still here?” he asked, unconvinced. Qingya picked up a piece of stewed meat, took a slow, deliberate bite, and chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. “Of course I’m here as a guest,” she said. “Your female friends have warmly welcomed me.” “But I never said I welcomed you,” he huffed. “You’re not counted in. Every dish here was prepared by them, so they have more authority than you do.” The elegant Overseer, not treating herself as an outsider, immediately found a seat and took charge of opening a bottle of red wine, sniffing it thoughtfully before saying, “Excellent—top-tier European wine, rich and aromatic. I like it.” Qin Shao sat down with a huff, truly feeling that everywhere she went, she was the one who couldn’t be missed. If only he had known earlier, he’d have kept her with the team, every day sharing the charm of his blossoming friend, and life would have been far more comfortable. Qingya felt it was necessary to ease the atmosphere and changed the subject, saying, "By the way, have you decided who will go on the mission to the magical realm?" She raised an eyebrow. "I haven't quite settled on it yet." "That shouldn't be difficult at all—just pick the strongest individuals and form a small team, shouldn't it?" She said this with calm indifference, as though it were a matter of course. Qin Feng shook his head and said, "It's not as simple as you imagine. How do we divide the strongest among them—should we only consider their rank? If we did, then neither you nor I would be included. Don't look so surprised—your rank in the Inspection Office is actually the lowest, and that's a fact." Qingya immediately deflated, knowing perfectly well that Qin Shao had just stated the truth. He added, "If we go by actual strength, you, me, the Director, and Tao Chua are widely recognized as the top four. I and the Director have no issues with joining. The key is you—should you participate, Tao Chua will certainly join as well. But if he joins, will you still be willing to come This is indeed a rather troublesome issue—Chen Jie has never participated in Qingya's affairs, which has always been her consistent practice.