Chapter 633 585: Acting Sovereign, the Angler

「In the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country.」

Ever since the Sovereign relinquished his authority, the Angler had become the interim administrator of the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country.

At first, he found Ron's temporary decision hard to believe.

'That high and mighty, arrogant nephew of his... he always held power firmly in his grasp. How could he possibly give up control over such a vast cosmic domain and willingly retreat behind the scenes?'

'Does he have something more important to do?'

'Is he following the footsteps of fate?'

'Is he following the footsteps of the legendary new god, Candela the Time Giant, to search for opportunities within the First Civilization Cosmic Country? Only something that momentous could make his nephew temporarily relinquish his power over the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country.'

But recently, rumors had been circulating among the Nirvana Powerhouses.

Three high and mighty new gods—the renowned Withered Queen Huang Ji, Creator Uncle Herakrode, and the Light of Enlightenment Bertutan—had all fallen in the heart of the First Civilization Cosmic Country. Their Divine Countries had shattered, and all of their followers had perished. There were even rumors that Lord Ron, the Sovereign of the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country who had previously followed them, had also fallen, and that his famous "Destiny," known throughout the Star Sea, was no more.

'Absurd!'

'If the Sovereign had truly fallen, how could the True King Hall, which relies on Ron's power of destiny to function, still be operating? And how could the fated connection I share with Ron through our bloodline still exist?'

'These baseless rumors spreading through the Star Sea are simply preposterous!'

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However, these rumors had indeed caused some problems for the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country.

The powers on its borders were growing restless.

Within the Cosmic Country, some with ulterior motives could also no longer restrain themselves.

A Cosmic Country was not a single galaxy, nor a single civilization. The Angler had rarely involved himself in politics over the years. Only after taking charge did he discover that power and authority were merely the superficial aspects of ruling it. The country's domains were scattered like stars, with far deeper complexities hidden beneath the surface. To pull one thread was to unravel the whole.

And the annual True King Council existed precisely to handle these sorts of messy affairs.

Only this time, it was not Ron seated on the throne, but the Angler.

"Wave King, these are the tax and treasure ledgers from the Ten Thousand Vaults Star Realm, the Treasure Star Domain, the Somnolence Star Domain, the Whitelock Star Domain, and others for the past year."

"Set them aside for now."

The Angler waved his hand.

'These tax and treasure ledgers have already passed through multiple layers of inspection by my subordinates before reaching me; they're guaranteed to be accurate. Making me review them is just a formality. Actually reading and deciphering them in detail would be a waste of both time and energy, and I just don't have the patience to go through them one by one.'

'Who knows how long I'll even be this temporary king?'

'Focus on the big picture and let go of the small details. That's the principle of being a regent.'

"Wave King, Assassination Star has been making moves this past year. Their internal power struggle is nearly complete. Should we intervene?"

'Assassination Star?'

The Angler mulled it over for a moment before giving his reply.

"Heh, that young whelp from Assassination Star, Blast River Rock, certainly has some skill. To seize control of an intelligence network spanning three Cosmic Countries with only the power of a General-rank Nirvana... who would believe he doesn't have a powerful backer? It's a bit too late to intervene now. Never mind. Have King Night-Wraith dispatch a sliver of his consciousness to find the right moment and infiltrate them. The coup on Assassination Star is within an acceptable range of outcomes. However, from this point forward, any power operating within the borders of the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country must be under the complete control of the True King Hall."

"Understood."

"Wave King, Lord Hundred Eyes of the Hundred Eyes Star Domain requests permission to use the ultimate treasure, Thousand Silk Strands. Do we approve?"

Besides handling political affairs, being the interim Sovereign had its perks. Controlling the allocation of the Cosmic Country's ultimate treasures and resources was one of the most lucrative. The Angler had already been nearing the end of his life. Even with the life-extending Fruit of Life that Ron had previously gifted him, he could at most live for another thousand years. But now, with the countless rare artifacts and treasures of this vast Cosmic Country at his command, the Angler could control access to them, procure suitable benefits for himself, and also interfere with his subordinates' requests. His prestige was at an all-time high.

"Thousand Silk Strands?"

"Inform him that the Hundred Eyes Star Domain does not have enough Contribution Points to apply for the use of this ultimate treasure. However, Lord Hundred Eyes has been diligent and conscientious for the last millennium. Grant him special approval to use it for three years. The corresponding Contribution Points must be paid back in full at a later date."

There were countless similar political matters.

One by one, they were all dealt with effectively.

As the council drew to a close, the Angler rubbed his aching brow. 'This True King Council is far more draining than any battle,' he thought. 'I'd rather be back drifting through the Cave of the Stars. The days I spent searching for treasure might have been tedious, but at least I didn't have to worry about every single thing. This Cosmic Country is enormous, and I have to personally manage every major event in every single Star Domain!'

Suddenly, high within the True King Hall, a river of silver began to flow. The power of destiny materialized from thin air, coiling into a ring that connected head to tail above the grand hall.

Destiny!

The six-armed Ron stepped out of the ring, appearing in the Royal Hall.

The Angler froze.

'Damn it!'

'I just finished dealing with all the political matters, and you decide to come back now? What perfect timing! Are all powerhouses who play with fate like this?'

Despite his internal complaints, he still lowered his head.

"Sovereign."

'He's even more unfathomable this time,' he thought. 'He must have found some greater opportunity in the depths of the First Civilization Cosmic Country. He might even be a 'New God' by now.'

Below in the True King Hall, more than thirty core Nirvana Powerhouses and over a thousand core Holy Hall members all bowed their heads.

"Sovereign."

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Ron was dead. The one who had returned was not Ron, but Shi Ming, who had seized both his destiny and his power.

Clad in a silver royal robe, he nodded and unceremoniously sat on the throne the Angler had vacated, looking down from on high at the numerous General-ranks, Sealed Kings, and the thousand or more members of the Holy Hall.

Shi Ming had not returned this time just to get a taste of what it was like to be the Sovereign.

He was here on matters concerning the Star Spirit Race.

Otherwise, he would have had no desire to get involved in the affairs of the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country.

Back then, Ron had annihilated the Star Spirit Race. Aside from their ancestral Secret Realm, whose coordinates he could never find, he had essentially wiped out the entire race. He had even refined the very essences of three Nirvana Powerhouses and nearly ten Holy Hall members, forging them into the ultimate treasure: the Heart of the Star Spirit. That Heart of the Star Spirit had now been returned to Xiaobai, the guardian of the Star Spirit ancestral land. As for the other items Ron had plundered from the Star Spirit Race, they might just hold traces of the power of Sinful Heaven.

Before returning to the ancestral land of the Star Spirit Race, he needed to examine these items to prevent missing any crucial intelligence.

Nearly a thousand of the Sovereign's core followers stood respectfully below the throne.

Now that the Sovereign had reappeared, the rumors of his demise were instantly shattered. The external pressures they faced would lessen considerably, and any upstarts making trouble on the frontiers would surely be crushed with thunderous might!