The Mercury flew back to that peculiar planet. Countless robots descended from the ship. They began to work diligently upon the surface of this land.

Having gained a rough understanding of the Star Sea situation, Zhong Yun made an initial decision: first, find a secure location to settle down and develop his strength. In this chaotic Star Sea, if one's power was insufficient, they could be annihilated in moments. Therefore, strengthening himself was the paramount task.

The countless instruments and raw materials stored in the Mercury's hold, if utilized well, could drastically enhance his capabilities in a short time.

Furthermore, among the eight thousand passengers from the Pearl, many were mech pilots. Arming them would also contribute significantly to the effort. The Mercury possessed ample high-grade mechs—enough to supply several thousand people without issue.

Moreover, Zhong Yun wished to uncover the mystery of that layer of rock on the planet. He always felt that the ring of stone concealed a tremendous secret.

Under the immense pressure of survival, the eight thousand survivors rescued by Zhong Yun all took up posts. To organize them maximally and utilize their potential, Zhong Yun implemented a militarized management system, selecting those with administrative experience to serve as managers.

However, people are seldom compliant, especially those raised in civilized societies. Freedom and democracy were deeply ingrained in their consciousness. For orders they deemed unreasonable, they refused to obey.

As the saying goes, an arm cannot twist a leg. Zhong Yun held absolute authority on the Mercury, supported by Zuo Zhi. Employing subtle divisive tactics, they isolated the uncooperative elements, confining those who refused orders. In contrast, those who performed best in their duties were rewarded.

After this series of maneuvers, all eight thousand people became obedient.

Although Zhong Yun had no prior experience in hands-on management, these methods seemed intuitive to him.

Nevertheless, establishing complete authority required long-term accumulation. Zhong Yun invested considerable thought into these individuals; they were the bedrock of his survival in the Star Sea, naturally deserving of meticulous care.

Among the eight thousand people, there were five thousand women and three thousand men, with over five hundred children and a thousand elderly. Most were not combat personnel, yet the group included numerous experts from various industries.

Ultimately, Zhong Yun could only barely assemble a mech squad of about 150 people, most of whom were novices.

To rapidly improve their combat effectiveness in a short span, Zhong Yun gritted his teeth and had them enter the "Live Combat Simulation Training" for high-intensity drills. Only in near-actual combat scenarios could they quickly forge fighting capability. With everyone working together diligently, a base quickly took shape on the planet. Since the planet held countless high-quality metal ores, Zhong Yun went all out, refining dozens of high-performance alloys. Structures built with these alloys could be described as virtually indestructible.

Once the base construction was finished, Zhong Yun moved the energy core manufacturing machines from the Mercury. The necessary materials for the energy cores could be found nearby. This meant he would never again have to worry about energy shortages.

While the base construction was in full swing, Zhong Yun received an alert. After deciding to settle here, he had established surveillance devices ten billion kilometers away from the planet, forming an exhaustive detection net in every direction. Any approaching spacecraft, from any direction, would be discovered.

Zhong Yun immediately convened an emergency meeting. Present, besides Chu Tiange and his five companions, Ming Yunyu, and Zuo Zhi, were five engineers who had shown exceptional performance during the base construction.

"How many enemy ships are there in total? What is their class?" Ming Yunyu spoke first.

"There are two enemy ships in total. Based on their models, they should be equivalent to Fog Mountain-class battleships," Zhong Yun stated.

The so-called "Mountain Class" referred to the standard first-phase battleships of a mid-level civilization. The naming might differ, but the tier was the same, a fact known to everyone present.

"Then they shouldn't pose much of a threat to us." Upon hearing this, they all breathed a sigh of relief. While they weren't entirely clear on the Mercury's classification, it was at least "Satellite" level, meaning handling two "Fog Mountain-class" battleships should be child's play.

Zhong Yun was not as optimistic as they were. He said in a deep voice, "They are likely just scouts. The true main force has not moved yet. We must prepare for a hard fight."

War? A burning light flashed simultaneously in the eyes of Chu Tiange and the other five. After years away from the battlefield, the mere thought of returning made the blood within their bodies boil hotly.

Among those present, everyone except the few from Dawa looked visibly nervous, having never experienced true warfare.

"We only have one warship capable of fighting; dealing with the military of an entire nation will be difficult," Zhong Yun said, glancing around at the group. "We have over six thousand laborers who could barely form a fleet, but we are severely lacking in warships. The enemy will not give us time to build new ones. The only solution is to capture them from the enemy."

"However, capturing intact enemy warships is not easy," Twenty-One said with a frown.

"I have a way to handle that," Zhong Yun clapped his hands. "This is the situation. Now I will arrange the war matters. Ming Yu Group, Captain Zuo Zhi, while we are away on this expedition, the security of the base is entrusted to you."

Ming Yunyu and Zuo Zhi stood up, mimicking Chu Tiange and the others, and performed a salute. "Yes, Captain."

Zhong Yun then turned to the five engineers. "The progress of all construction projects cannot slow down; they must be completed on schedule."

The five rose and acknowledged.

Next, Zhong Yun addressed Wang Xiaoer. "Xiaoer, after we depart for battle..."

"...the security of the Mercury is entrusted to you. Any issues?"

Wang Xiaoer snapped to attention and declared loudly, "No issues, Captain."

"Very good," Zhong Yun commanded. "As long as we are united and determined, we will certainly overcome any enemy."

Zhong Yun led Chu Tiange and the others out to battle. The defensive systems near the base were not yet complete; he could not allow the enemy to penetrate and threaten the base's safety, so they had to take the initiative.

The Mercury advanced at a normal speed. To avoid startling the two "prey," the Mercury proceeded under stealth mode.

In the main control room, Zhong Yun sat at the command console, looking down at Chu Tiange and the others. All five were staring intently at their operating panels. He asked, "Do you know why I brought you out here?"

"Commander, is it to train me?" Zeng Xiaosan turned around, guessing.

Zhong Yun neither confirmed nor denied. "Have any of you ever been inside the main control room of a battleship before?"

"We were all just cannon fodder. With our lives hanging by a thread, how could we be on a starship?" Ruomeng asked with a wry smile.

Zhong Yun nodded. It was as he had suspected. "I believe you are all exceptionally outstanding warriors. Among our eight thousand people, you six are the only ones who have served in professional military capacities on the battlefield—the only ones I can trust."

"In warfare, no matter how powerful a single mech is, it is difficult to change the course of a war. Only battleships can decide the outcome. It would be too great a waste to keep you merely as mech pilots. I need you to become qualified starship commanders."

The five below exchanged glances, seeing sheer ecstasy in each other's eyes. No soldier ever wished to remain just a soldier; every one dreamed of commanding a vessel. Just like the saying, a soldier who doesn't aspire to be a general isn't a good soldier—it was the same now. Zhong Yun intended to train them into starship commanders; how could they not be thrilled and galvanized?

"I will teach you how to become competent commanders. As for what achievements you make later, that will depend on yourselves. But I believe you will not disappoint me." Zhong Yun looked deeply into their eyes.

"Boss, I will definitely become an outstanding commander!" Zeng Xiaosan was so excited he nearly jumped up. Becoming a starship commander had been his childhood dream, but previously that dream was too distant. Now that it could be realized, how could he not be ecstatic?

"We absolutely will not disappoint you!" the five roared in unison, their voices echoing through the main control room.

Zhong Yun nodded with satisfaction. What he lacked most right now was talent capable of fighting wars. Since none were readily available, he had to cultivate them himself. These six barely met his requirements; it was forcing the issue, but necessary.

The enemy was nearing firing range. Zhong Yun abruptly increased speed. The two enemy battleships soon detected the Mercury. Suddenly seeing a massive warship appear not far ahead, they did not panic. Instead of retreating, they accelerated directly toward the Mercury.

"The enemy commander is a capable person," Zhong Yun told the five inside the Mercury. "When suddenly encountering a powerful enemy at close range, never panic. Even more so, never turn around. Doing so will only make you a target. The most correct choice is to charge the enemy."

"The fact that the enemy could evade your sensors and only be detected at this close range means they are either a stealth vessel specialized in ambush, or their class is higher than yours. If it’s the former, there’s still a fight. If it’s the latter... then it’s just your bad luck."

At this moment, the two enemy battleships opened fire. Their shots impacted the Mercury, exploding in two small bursts of sparks.

The five watched him. Zhong Yun ignored the impacts. Such attacks couldn't even scratch the Mercury's paint, and he had no intention of returning fire yet.

"Commander, why aren't we firing back?" Xiaosan couldn't help but ask. After boarding the ship, they had changed their form of address, no longer calling Zhong Yun 'Captain' but 'Commander.'

"It's not time yet," Zhong Yun shook his head. He watched the main screen, which displayed the distance between the Mercury and the enemy. As the distance rapidly closed, the enemy's barrage grew more intense.

The Mercury's energy shields activated. A beam of light cannon fire struck the silver energy shield, creating ripples but causing no damage to the Mercury's hull whatsoever.

"War is actually quite simple. It depends on who has more advanced warships. Strategy only becomes useful when strengths are relatively equal," Zhong Yun remarked.

By now, the distance between the Mercury and the enemy was less than a thousand kilometers.

"Prepare—" Zhong Yun waved his hand and gave the order calmly.

A panel at the front of the Mercury opened, revealing a colossal cannon muzzle. The silvery-white energy shield surrounding it vanished. A rain of fire poured onto the Mercury, but Zhong Yun gave the command:

"Fire." As he gave the order, the space before the massive muzzle subtly distorted. Almost simultaneously, the two enemy battleships opposite suddenly went silent. They continued to charge toward the Mercury in that eerie fashion.

The five staring intently at the large screen felt a sense of confusion. First, the cannon fire from the Mercury seemed to have failed, and then the enemy vessels went dead in the water. Had the enemy's cooldown cycle ended? Or had they exhausted their energy?

The Mercury slightly adjusted its course, evading the charging enemy ships. It made a U-turn and pursued the two enemy vessels, which were still flying straight ahead.

Two massive mechanical arms extended from the Mercury and clamped onto the two enemy battleships.

"You all go now. Be careful," Zhong Yun said to the five.

The five exchanged glances—it was too bizarre. How could the enemy ships be captured so meekly by the Mercury? They couldn't fathom it.

Since Zhong Yun had given the order, the five could only obey. They split into two groups: Chu Tiange and Twenty-One, the strongest, paired up; Ruomeng, Xiaosan, and Yu Wan formed the third group. They proceeded to the launch bays, boarded their respective mechs, and carefully entered the enemy ships via the mechanical arms' access points.

Entering an enemy ship for the first time, they were extremely tense, maximizing their focus as they advanced slowly with tacit coordination.

Soon, they discovered the strangeness: they could not see a single enemy figure along the way. They proceeded unimpeded, arriving at the enemy's main control room.

Despite the strangeness, they breathed a sigh of relief. Once the main control room was secured, the battle would be won.

Using the decoder Zhong Yun had given them, they opened the door to the command center, leveling their weapons inside. What they saw made them gasp in shock.

In the main control room, every seat was occupied, but every person's body was slumped at an unnatural angle, as if already dead.

A search of the ship revealed thousands of corpses in the launch bays. It turned out everyone had rushed to the launch bays, apparently intending to board mechs for combat.

At this point, the five were utterly awestruck by Zhong Yun's inscrutable methods. Eliminating every person on the ship silently, without damaging the vessels—this was unheard of. No wonder Zhong Yun had been so confident about capturing these two ships; he truly did it.

Returning victorious with two intact battleships, Zuo Zhi and the others were incredulous. Especially Zuo Zhi, who, as a formally trained captain, deeply understood the difficulty of capturing enemy vessels.

Unless the enemy surrendered willingly, capturing a battleship intact was next to impossible.

However, Zhong Yun had brought back no prisoners. Initially, Zuo Zhi suspected Zhong Yun had killed all those who surrendered, and his expression turned grim. Such an action would certainly draw universal condemnation in civilized worlds.

But upon questioning Chu Tiange and the others in detail, he learned the truth. He was stunned silent. Did such a weapon truly exist in this world?

Indeed, the Yanbin Empire possessed weapons that could kill the crew without harming the ship, but their effective range was less than one hundred kilometers. Victory or defeat was usually decided before anyone could close within a hundred kilometers, rendering such weapons useless. Thus, no battleship in their fleet was equipped with such weaponry.

According to Chu Tiange and the others, Zhong Yun had ordered the firing just as the enemy entered a thousand kilometers, eliminating all of them. A thousand kilometers of effective range—ten times that of the Yanbin Empire.

Who exactly was Zhong Yun? This question grew ever stronger in Zuo Zhi's mind. He had heard Ming Yunyu say that Zhong Yun originated from a nation in the first phase of a mid-level civilization, yet Zuo Zhi found that impossible to believe.

To possess starships more advanced than those of the Yanbin Empire. To wield weaponry superior to the Yanbin Empire's. If such an individual hailed from Dawa, it would be a cosmic joke.

The greater probability was that he originated from a highly advanced civilization, one whose technological maturity surpassed even that of the Ge'an Empire. Perhaps, he came from an entirely different galaxy.

George would never have conceived that Zhong Yun was indeed from another sector entirely—a planet billions of light-years distant from Planet Omni.

Zhong Yun had the captured personnel from the Fierce Beast Nation identify the vessels. Indeed, both warships belonged to the Fierce Beast Nation.

In preparation for the increasingly ferocious assaults expected, Zhong Yun expedited the construction of his defensive systems, even slowing down progress on other infrastructural developments.

Concurrently, Zhong Yun selected individuals from the eight thousand captives who possessed the aptitude to pilot starships. This proved simple enough; the Zhenzhu had quite a few surviving crew members who, with minimal retraining, could capably handle the duties.

Chu Tiange and Wang Xiao'er were immediately appointed as the first two captains. The remaining four were assigned to the two warships as cadet captains to observe and learn.

To accelerate their readiness, Zhong Yun activated the "War Simulation" function within the "Live Combat Drill" suite. This was a feature upgraded after the Zhenzhu's second restart.

The six of them—Chu Tiange and the others—were constantly linked in combat exercises. Zhong Yun even brought George in as a sparring partner.

As a commissioned captain in the Yanbin Empire, George possessed high tactical proficiency. Space was, after all, perpetually volatile, necessitating five years of mandatory military training for every officer, instilling a profound level of combat literacy.

The command capabilities of the six improved exponentially. Directing over a dozen near-authentic battles daily ensured rapid progress, even for the less naturally gifted. Even the slowest mind would advance at a breakneck pace.

They might lack innate genius for command, but warfare itself was a discipline built on experience. A commander who had never faced true engagement could never evolve into a truly competent leader.

In standard military academies, the concept of a dedicated "Command Major" didn't even exist. Even where it did, it certainly wasn't designed for training starship commanders.

Such courses were reserved only for advanced officer training wings within the active military, enrolling personnel already holding high ranks and demonstrating exceptional potential.

No commander stepped straight into the bridge. They all rose from middle management ranks. Without decades of seniority, coupled with powerful backing, achieving the rank of Captain was an impossibility.

Chu Tiange and his five companions were fortunate to encounter a true anomaly like Zhong Yun, training in an environment—the "War Simulation"—so realistically immersive. Even the most formidable nations could not afford such learning conditions. A single large-scale war exercise consumed staggering resources and capital; actual warfare was unthinkable to sustain.