Hu Ge had spent the day accompanying his cousin to several slave gladiator matches, during which they also negotiated quite a few potential business deals.
Just as the two were preparing to leave, content with the day's outcomes, a group of uninvited guests appeared in their path.
"Haha! Isn't this little Hu Ge? What a coincidence, we really are destined to keep meeting!"
A young man with a single horn and clad in dark gold battle armor stepped out from the crowd, grinning as he approached.
It was none other than "Sixth Brother," whom Hu Ge had previously run into at the interstellar docking port.
"What now? Little Hu Ge likes watching slave matches too? Why don't we have a round ourselves?"
The sight of this man made Hu Ge feel instantly irritated. He had no desire to acknowledge the provocation and turned to walk around him without saying a word.
But Sixth Brother, as if unwilling to let things go, stepped in front of him again.
"Hey now, little Hu Ge, that's no way to behave. You can ignore me, sure, but are you going to ignore the Seventh Prince's presence too?"
"The Seventh Prince?"
Hu Ge's brows furrowed. He cast a wary glance past the man, scanning the crowd behind him.
Not far away stood a young man dressed in black robes, with golden hair, jade-like skin, and a pair of translucent white dragon horns. He was watching them as well.
Hu Ge had actually noticed this person from the start. As a direct descendant of the Ortega family, he knew exactly who the young man was.
But seeing him walking with someone like Sixth Brother, Hu Ge had tried to avoid unnecessary trouble by pretending not to recognize him and quietly leaving.
Now that Sixth Brother had publicly revealed the prince's identity, Hu Ge could no longer feign ignorance.
"Your Highness the Seventh Prince, it's an honor. Welcome to Lanka Star!"
Suppressing his discomfort, Hu Ge stepped forward and offered a courteous greeting.
He had already heard that the Eternal Empire was sending a representative to attend the upcoming banquet for the family's ancestral lord. He just hadn't expected it to be this Seventh Prince.
This prince was unlike his royal siblings.
Not only was he of imperial blood, but he had also recently become the disciple of a powerful and immortal god from the Lan Ting Universe Nation.
With this backing, his status in the Eternal Empire far surpassed that of most other princes—he could even rival certain Domain Lord–level generals in influence.
Hu Ge could afford to ignore Sixth Brother, but he absolutely couldn't afford to ignore the Seventh Prince.
"Hehe, Hu Ge, is it? I've heard of you—the rising star of the Ortega family. Quite the title!"
The Seventh Prince gave a nod and a faint smile, his tone laced with subtle mockery.
"Keep it up. The future of Ortega rests on your shoulders!"
Hearing the prince's mocking tone, Hu Ge's polite expression stiffened.
This so-called "Rising Star of Ortega" was just one of many hollow nicknames—gossip spread by certain factions in the family trying to undermine his reputation in front of the elders.
He had dozens of such titles, all meaningless.
Yet now, to hear this particular nickname echoed by the Seventh Prince—and in such a mocking tone—made it clear that the prince's apparent friendliness was only surface-deep.
Sure enough, the prince's next words backed Hu Ge into a corner.
"I heard you two were planning a duel? Perfect timing. I didn't get my fill earlier—mind if I watch?"
Though the words were politely phrased, his tone left no room for refusal.
"Uh…"
Hu Ge was momentarily at a loss.
If it were any other prince, it might have been easier to handle. But the unique status of this Seventh Prince meant Hu Ge had to tread carefully.
He shot an annoyed glare at Sixth Brother, then forced a strained smile.
"Your Highness… the slaves I have aren't exactly elite material. But if you're interested, I can have the arena arrange a few more proper matches for your entertainment."
"Oh?"
The smile on the prince's face faded. He leaned in slightly, voice tinged with amusement. "But what if I want to see you two duel?"
"Your Highness… what do you mean by that?"
Even Hu Ge's temper had its limits. His polite demeanor cracked as he looked at the prince, voice stiff and defensive.
"It's an honor to have you attend the family patriarch's banquet. If we've failed to extend proper hospitality, please say so directly—I'll go invite the patriarch himself to apologize!"
Sensing that Hu Ge was about to lose his temper, the prince quickly raised his hand to placate him, softening his tone.
"Heh, no need to overthink it. I'm just here to watch—nothing more."
He paused, then pulled a strange weapon from his spatial ring—metallic, shaped like feathered wings.
"Here. I won't watch for free. This is a mid-grade Tier-3 psychic weapon—Sky-Rending Wings. It'll be the prize for the winner."
"How about that? Fair enough compensation for your performance?"
"A Tier-3 mid-grade psychic weapon?!"
Even Hu Ge—owner of an entire high-resource planet—was briefly stunned.
A weapon like that was worth at least 10 billion Eternal Coins, equivalent to several years' worth of profits from Thunderstorm Star.
And the Seventh Prince had just tossed it out to spice up a gladiator match.
Tempted as he was, Hu Ge didn't want to dance for others like a performing monkey.
Just as he was about to decline, Sixth Brother, who had remained silent until now, suddenly stepped forward, clearly sensing his hesitation.
"Nineteenth Brother, don't be so quick to refuse. Weren't you always after that female from the Yun Guang tribe? How about I wager her control rights?"
Hu Ge's throat caught mid-sentence. His eyes locked onto Sixth Brother.
"You mean it?"
"Of course. With the Seventh Prince as witness, would I dare lie?"
With confirmation, Hu Ge's expression shifted several times before finally hardening with resolve.
"I want control over Ice Lan and all the Yun Guang slaves in your possession. Agree, and I'll fight you. Otherwise, we can just stand here all day."
"At worst, we wait for the Domain Lord banquet. I doubt you'd dare make a move on Lanka Star before then."
"Heh, you really drive a hard bargain."
Sixth Brother glanced at the two slaves standing behind Hu Ge—Old Wu and Qi Yuan—then nodded.
"Alright. You brought two slaves? I'll choose two of equal strength. Let them fight."
"If you win one match, you get Ice Lan's control. Win both, and I'll hand over all the Yun Guang."
"But if you lose both…"
His smile turned icy. "Then I want unrestricted mining rights to Thunderstorm Star—for the next 100 years."
"So that's what this is all about…" Hu Ge sneered.
He thought for only a moment before nodding firmly.
"Fine. I accept."