This time, Zhong Yun heard clearly. He turned back, his eyes flashing with confidence. "Don't worry, we won't die. That Wang Jingze thinks he can kill me? He thinks too little of me."

Though spoken with a joking tone, Yu Daoqing could feel his powerful self-assurance, and a flicker of hope ignited within her. "What do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to take this spacecraft apart," Zhong Yun said fiercely. "Let me finish messing with this stuff first."

For some inexplicable reason, seeing his confident demeanor brought a sense of calm to Yu Daoqing's heart.

For so many years, she had always been alone. Whether at the peak of her life or when trapped in mortal danger, there had never been anyone to share or bear burdens with her.

Now, with Zhong Yun beside her, she hadn't noticed it much during ordinary times. But at this critical juncture, she realized how incredibly comforting it was to have someone she could rely on and lean against.

"Let me help," Yu Daoqing squatted down.

"Mhm, arrange the energy cores like this..." Zhong Yun assigned her a task, giving her something productive to do so she wouldn't let her thoughts wander.

Transforming the energy cores into bombs wasn't difficult; one merely needed to compromise their outer structure. The massive energy inside, once unbalanced, would naturally detonate. Destroying the outer shell of an energy core was actually quite simple, requiring only a few common components.

Zhong Yun’s act of using energy cores as explosives could truly be called a colossal waste. Energy cores were extremely valuable, and their greatest worth lay in their outer structure—as long as the shell remained intact, it could be recharged repeatedly.

Davo lacked the technology to manufacture energy cores, forcing them to spend enormous sums buying them from the Free Stars annually.

But since they weren't his own property, wasting them didn't sting. Yu Daoqing was truly wealthy; this backup spacecraft held hundreds of thousands of energy cores. Zhong Yun simply bundled ten cores together to create one bomb.

"Do you know about the World Tree?" Seeing the momentary lull in conversation, Zhong Yun picked a topic he thought might interest her. Previously, he had never mentioned the "World Tree." After surviving this shared life-and-death ordeal, he felt their bond had deepened another layer.

"Of course, I've heard of it. The World Tree is the sacred object of us Galan people," Yu Daoqing replied with great yearning in her tone, followed by a disappointed sigh. "It’s a pity that with the annihilation of the Galan Kingdom, the World Tree vanished too. Otherwise, how could we Galan descendants be reduced to this sorry state today?"

"But I did hear a rumor, centuries ago, that a World Tree appeared in a very distant galaxy. I don't know if it's true."

"Is the World Tree that important to us?" Zhong Yun asked.

"More than important," Yu Daoqing said seriously. "The World Tree is the very foundation of our Galan civilization. The flourishing and continuation of the Galan race are inseparable from it. Without the World Tree, we have no root, only existing as we are now—barely clinging to life."

"That exaggerated?" Zhong Yun managed a concealing smile.

"Not exaggerated in the least. If we Galan people had a World Tree now, within ten years, the strength of the entire race would advance a full level." Beneath Yu Daoqing’s hopeful gaze lay endless regret.

Zhong Yun didn't reply. Many secrets he carried, his parents hadn't even told him. Unless absolutely necessary, why reveal them to a woman, especially one whose background was so complex? Even if she was genuinely good to him and close to him, given her identity and current loyalties, telling her about the "World Tree" would inevitably lead her to report it to the Galan Alliance. And what would be the consequence of that? A group of people, whose origins were unknown, seizing ownership of the "World Tree" under the banner of righteousness.

Zhong Yun would never commit such a foolish act. Not unless one day he occupied a high position within the Galan Alliance. Then, the "World Tree" would become his most potent bargaining chip for seizing the Alliance's supreme authority.

"I never told you, did I?" Yu Daoqing murmured softly. "Actually, my identity is the Saintess of the Galan race."

Zhong Yun was extremely surprised; he hadn't expected her to be the Saintess. Saintess was the common term, but they weren't exactly religious leaders. Their duty was to guard the "World Tree" and nurture it with their own unique essence. According to records, a "World Tree" cared for by a Saintess grew faster and possessed incredible capabilities.

Saintesses held very high status among the Galan, second only to the King, the Council Head, and the various Ministers.

Zhong Yun finally understood why, despite her background, Yu Daoqing could become the Galan Alliance's branch leader in the Omi Star System. It turned out she possessed such a unique status. Saintesses were rare across the entire Galan population, appearing with extremely low frequency. Back in the old Galan Kingdom, there were often awkward situations where the number of Saintesses exceeded the number of "World Trees." Zhong Yun estimated that in the present day, there might only be the one Saintess before him left in the entire Galan community.

Considering her status as a Saintess, Zhong Yun felt a stir of interest. In Xiao Ling’s plans, the "World Tree" was a crucial component. If he could gain the Saintess's assistance, the help would be immense.

After utilizing all the usable components, they ended up with ninety-eight small bombs and eight massive bombs, each composed of thousands of energy cores.

"Wang Jingze is really cooperative," Zhong Yun chuckled, looking at the pile of homemade explosives. "Come on, let's go trouble him."

Just like after the Tongguang Star incident, Zhong Yun was never one to sit and wait for death, especially now that he had a Level Ten expert backing him up, and the Mars wouldn't catch up for several more days. How to choose was obvious.

Zhong Yun's plan was simple: eliminate everyone on the ship, then take the Bee Three directly back to the base, or wait for the Mars—either way, they would be safe.

Zhong Yun and Yu Daoqing got busy again. In front of the warehouse door, the two stacked the remaining half—nearly twenty thousand energy cores—with one massive homemade bomb buried underneath. Then, they went to the very back of the warehouse, moved over a hundred metal crates filled with food, stacked them against each other, and wedged them into the gap between the rear bulkhead and the crates.

Zhong Yun pulled out the communicator he used to contact Xiao Ling from his pocket; it was also the remote detonator for these bombs.

The two bodies pressed tightly together, their breaths mingling. Yu Daoqing seemed unaccustomed to their closeness, her face flushing slightly, which only added a touch more allure to her exquisite features. In this emergency situation, Zhong Yun felt a very strange sensation rising in his heart.

"Are you ready?" Zhong Yun asked.

Yu Daoqing nodded. Suddenly, Zhong Yun extended both arms, pulling her whole body into an embrace, and whispered softly into her ear, "Don't be afraid."

This was the first time in her life she had been held by a man, yet Yu Daoqing felt no resistance. She naturally rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in the faint, slightly sour scent of sweat on him, and felt her heart pounding fiercely.

The warmth and softness instantly ignited a spark within Zhong Yun. He squeezed her slender waist tightly, as if trying to merge her entire being into his own body. Yu Daoqing felt like she was about to suffocate, yet this sensation of suffocation made her think that perhaps dying like this wouldn't be so bad.

In this charged embrace, Zhong Yun pressed the switch. Both felt the bulkhead behind them shudder violently, and almost simultaneously, a deafening roar erupted.

The explosion made Zhong Yun’s blood surge, his head ringing loudly. His hands clamped tightly over the ears of the person in his arms.

It took a long moment after the explosion subsided before Zhong Yun released his hands. Yu Daoqing raised her head from his embrace, glanced at him, and her expression became uglier than if she were crying. "What's wrong with you?"

P: The monthly votes are getting further and further behind, but I know it's not anyone’s fault. Many people have already voted, and some are saving their votes for the book they love the most, while some might not even know what a monthly vote is. Regardless, this moment is crucial for 45. Just over a hundred more votes could secure an extra two thousand yuan. If possible, I ask all brothers who still have monthly votes to cast them for 45.