"The course of history is sometimes controlled by petty individuals; it is better to offend a nobleman than to offend a petty person."

　　When Yáng Zhīyuǎn opened his eyes again, the surroundings were pitch black, and his head throbbed with pain.

　　"What day is it now?" he wondered to himself.

　　The events of that day felt like a nightmare.

　　After talking to Sū Zǐqí, Yáng Zhīyuǎn felt a little relieved, knowing that the five of them had safely reached their destination and were staying overnight in a native tribe.

　　The one who couldn't shake off his lingering worries was Bāo Míngkǎi. He regretted deeply, now that his foot was injured and he couldn't personally witness the significant discovery in human history when Sū Zǐqí and the others encountered aliens outside.

　　Yáng Zhīyuǎn was repairing the instruments in the spaceship, while Bāo Míngkǎi, leaning on his crutch, paced back and forth in front of him, muttering about wanting to go out and meet the aliens, which annoyed Yáng Zhīyuǎn.

　　"Professor Bāo, your foot isn't healed yet. Can't you take a break? There's a saying, 'Fortune leans upon misfortune, misfortune lurks within fortune.' Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise that you're not allowed to go out. I actually think it's best not to go out. There are dangers lurking outside, and staying inside the Kuafu spacecraft is the safest option."Though he wouldn't openly admit it, deep down in Yáng Zhīyuǎn's heart, he envied Sū Zǐqí and the others.

　　After all, the discovery of extraterrestrial life in the vast universe was groundbreaking, and not being able to witness such a historic event in person would leave anyone feeling a bit regretful.

　　Limping on his crutch, Bāo Míngkǎi arrived at the instrument for measuring genes inside the spaceship, tapping on the device. "What good is this instrument to me? I came all this way for nothing. The remains in the Martian lava cave have oxidized into dust, making it impossible to detect DNA. Now, even the extraterrestrials on this planet, I still can't examine."

　　"Professor Bāo, is DNA testing really that important?"

　　"Of course, it's crucial. Through DNA comparison, we can determine the differences between the extraterrestrials on this planet and Earth humans, which is vital for exploring the origins of humanity."

　　After pondering for a moment, Yáng Zhīyuǎn suggested, "It's simple. It's already late now. Tomorrow morning, I'll contact Professor Zǐqí and ask her to get some extraterrestrial skin tissues or hair for you to experiment with when they return. That should solve the problem."

　　If they could get their hands on extraterrestrial hair, they could conduct research. Whether they met the aliens or not didn't matter. With this thought, Bāo Míngkǎi felt a lot more at ease and went back to his room to rest.

　　Seeing the old scholar leave, Yáng Zhīyuǎn breathed a sigh of relief and was about to focus on repairing the instrument panel when Deputy Chief Engineer Zhōu Kè, who had been repairing the engines below, returned to the cockpit.

　　"Captain Yáng, engines two and three are severely damaged. Engine one has just been barely repaired. Are we going to return to Earth tomorrow?"

　　"Just relying on engine one won't enable us to achieve warp speed, but it's more than enough to escape the gravitational pull of this planet. Once the professors outside return tomorrow, we'll head home."

　　As night fell, Yáng Zhīyuǎn and the others returned to their respective quarters to rest.

　　Though it was late at night, the pain in Bāo Míngkǎi's big toe kept him tossing and turning, making it difficult to fall asleep.

　　It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that he finally felt drowsy. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he was startled awake by a rumbling sound in his ears. Opening his eyes and looking around, all he could see was pitch black, but he felt the entire bed shaking and trembling.

　　"What's happening?" Bāo Míngkǎi limped his way, one step at a time, to the cockpit hall.At this moment, Yáng Zhīyuǎn and Zhōu Kè were jolted awake, their expressions bewildered as they hurried to the cockpit and took their seats as well. They peered through the spaceship's viewport, only to be met with an abyss of darkness outside, rendering them unable to discern anything.

　　Yáng Zhīyuǎn attempted to activate the external monitor, but to his dismay, the screen remained blank. Despite his lack of understanding of the situation outside, he sensed a strange force tugging at the spaceship, propelling it through the air.

　　"What in the world is happening?" Yáng Zhīyuǎn pondered as he prepared to start the spaceship. Suddenly, he felt a loss of control over his hands and feet, as if his willpower had been overridden. Though his mind remained clear, he found himself immobilized by an unseen force, firmly anchored to his seat.

　　With a background in the military, Yáng Zhīyuǎn possessed a strong will. Despite exerting all his mental strength to resist the controlling force, his efforts proved futile, as the force only intensified with each attempt.

　　Beads of sweat cascaded down Yáng Zhīyuǎn's forehead, drenching his entire back. This was an unprecedented experience for him, akin to the sensation of sleep paralysis.

　　The force continued to strengthen, exerting immense pressure that made it difficult for him to breathe. Eventually, his vision blurred, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

　　Upon regaining consciousness, Yáng Zhīyuǎn found himself lying on the cold ground, surrounded by impenetrable darkness. Fumbling for his wrist, he sought to activate the light device, only to realize he was clad in nothing but underwear, with his spacesuit nowhere to be found.

　　He rose from the ground, advancing cautiously step by step, his hands groping in the darkness as his eyes struggled to adjust to the environment. His fingertips brushed against a cold, unyielding surface, resembling a stone wall.

　　Continuing his exploration, he encountered a corner of the stone wall, where an iron door seemed to be situated. He pounded on the door, shouting desperately, "Help! Help! Captain Zhōu, Professor Bāo, where are you?"

　　"Captain Yáng, are you awake? We're next door to you," Professor Bāo's voice echoed nearby.

　　Further away, Zhōu Kè's voice chimed in, "Captain Yáng, are you okay? We've been concerned about you since we haven't heard from you."

　　"Professor Bāo, Captain Zhōu, what on earth is happening?""Shh, Yáng Captain, keep it down. We don't want to attract the minotaurs again, or we'll be in for another beating."

　　"What minotaurs? Where are we, anyway?"

　　Just then, from the far end of the nearby road, hurried footsteps echoed, accompanied by a barrage of curses in a language completely unfamiliar to him.

　　The footsteps halted at the iron door where Yáng Zhīyuǎn stood, and with a clang, the door swung open. A menacing figure holding a torch stood in the doorway, leaving Yáng Zhīyuǎn utterly bewildered upon closer inspection.

　　It was a strange creature with the body of a minotaur, standing at least two meters tall, its facial features reminiscent of the Bull Demon King from Eastern mythology.

　　With a sweep of its hand, two more minotaur-like creatures emerged from behind it, wielding clubs as they charged toward Yáng Zhīyuǎn. Initially, Yáng Zhīyuǎn tried to resist, but he was quickly overpowered and knocked unconscious.After the tribal meeting concluded, Gē Xióng, the Chief of the Bear Tribe, led more than forty of his subordinates on camels back to their tribe. Riding at the head of the group was Gē Xióng himself, accompanied by his strategist, Qí Míng.

　　Qí Míng, his face obscured and his voice raspy, emitted an ominous aura.

　　Legend had it that Gē Xióng once stumbled upon the unconscious Qí Míng while hunting in the forest. Qí Míng, nearly dead with a face marred by scars, was saved by Gē Xióng's intervention.

　　Upon regaining consciousness, Qí Míng claimed to hail from the Dragon Tribe, fleeing from adversaries before getting lost in the forest and succumbing to exhaustion.

　　In gratitude, Qí Míng became Gē Xióng's loyal servant, offering counsel and advice with his keen intellect and wisdom. Eventually, he rose to the position of strategist, specializing in guiding Gē Xióng.

　　Returning late from drinking the night before, Gē Xióng spotted Qí Míng dozing off in a chair as he entered the inn's gate.

　　"This guy is still awake," Gē Xióng muttered to himself as he quietly made his way to his room.

　　"My Lord, you're back," came Qí Míng's raspy voice from behind.

　　"Even half asleep, you're as sharp as ever," Gē Xióng teased.

　　Gē Xióng briefed Qí Míng on the day's tribal meeting and the encounter with the Green Clanof Evil Gods. Then, stifling a yawn, he said, "We'll head back to the tribe tomorrow morning. It's late now; let's each retire to our rooms and rest."

　　Upon hearing about the Green Clanof Evil Gods visiting the Gong You Clan, Qí Míng's eyes sparkled with excitement. "My Lord, this is your opportunity."

　　"Please, enlighten me," Gē Xióng responded. Since the failed war with the Dragon Tribe, Gē Xióng had been secretly planning his resurgence.

　　"If I'm not mistaken, these emissaries from the Green Clanof Evil Gods must be enemies of the Dragon Tribe. Tomorrow morning, you won't be able to leave, and you'll likely be summoned to a meeting by the Gong You Clan. I have a suggestion for you: no matter what the Gong You Clan says tomorrow, you must support the Dragon Tribe.""Why's that? Ain't it always been your advice, strategist, to go against the Dragon Tribe?"

　　"The divine plan ain't something to spill. Just trust me," Qí Míng smoothed his goatee and replied.

　　The afternoon forest felt oddly peaceful. Along the quiet path, only the rhythmic beat of their horses' hooves echoed, occasionally accompanied by the chirping of birds. The Windwood Citadel had already vanished amidst the towering mountains behind them.

　　"The strategist hit the nail on the head; these divine beings are indeed foes of the Green Clanof Evil Gods. Their ride has already been snatched by the Green Tribes. But why d'you want me to back Gōng Diǎn? What's the angle here? After the meetin', that Xīn Biāo lad made fun of me, sayin' the sun rose in the west today." Gē Xióng praised Qí Míng's foresight.

　　"My Lord, this here's a heaven-sent chance. Your mighty skills and schemes are about to pay off."

　　"How so?"

　　"These highfalutin fellas from the Dragon Tribe always think too much of themselves, puttin' on a front of righteousness and givin' shelter to them divine beings. Early this mornin', I got a message from the capital via pigeon, sayin' emissaries from the Minotaur tribe is headin' to visit the Gong You and Bai Huo, the two main human clans."

　　"Oh, emissaries from the capital? Is it about them human sacrifices and labor again?"

　　"Apart from that, I reckon them emissaries got other plans. There ain't no secrets from the Green Tribes' spy network. I bet the moment the human-celestial god beings stepped foot in the Dragon Tribe, the Green Clanof Evil Gods already knew, or else they wouldn't have found their conveyance so quickly."

　　"Really? That's not good at all. Defying and tricking the divine beings is a serious offense, and they'll likely send the Minotaur tribes to punish us."

　　"My Lord, it's been too peaceful for too long. Your talents, ambitions, and grand dreams will struggle to come to fruition unless chaos returns. It's only in chaos that you'll find an opportunity!"

　　"You make a valid point. The Bear Tribe has been preparing for years, waiting for this moment. With Gōng You Clan provoking the Green Clanof Evil Gods, we can seize this chance to thrive amidst the chaos and emerge victorious. The future belongs to our Bear Tribe, and the Gong You Clan will surely fall under our control."