The star did not fly directly toward the planet; it merely grazed the edge of its periphery, firing only at the point of closest approach.

With the objective achieved, all engines and thrusters on the Mercury ignited simultaneously. The Mercury possessed immense inherent velocity, and before the enemy could react, she had already cleared a safe distance. This surprise assault was executed in the blink of an eye, eliminating ten enemy vessels without sustaining a single scratch—a classic example of tactical ambush.

Trailing behind, dozens of warships from the Beast Nation, finally roused to action, gave chase relentlessly. Due to varying distances, these ships trailed the Mercury in a long line.

Zhong Yun observed the screen displaying the pursuing enemy fleet, a cold smile touching his lips. If they had remained clustered around the planet, eliminating them would have required a bit more effort. Daring to pursue meant they were eager to die quickly.

He had captured enemy warships before and studied their specifications in detail; he knew them inside and out. Given the Mercury's performance, even a greater number of such vessels would be useless unless they managed a complete encirclement.

The saying "many ants can kill an elephant" held true; no matter how individually powerful, one could not be entirely immune to overwhelming numbers. This was equally valid in space warfare. The Mercury's deck armor, no matter how thick, was not impenetrable. Even a 'Mist Mountain*-class warship, if close enough, could breach the Mercury's hull with its energy cannons.

No commander would be foolish enough to pit a 'Planet*-class vessel against a swarm of 'Mist Mountain*-class ships; it was akin to Linghu Chong forgoing his sword to rely solely on internal energy against his foes. The most formidable weapons of a high-tier warship were not necessarily its thickest armor, but rather its range and speed. Greater range meant the enemy could not reach you before you struck them; superior speed meant the enemy could never close the distance, forced only to absorb damage without the ability to retaliate or escape. With these two advantages, a high-tier warship was virtually invincible against lesser foes, provided it wasn't trapped.

Space warfare was this cruel: only the side with superior technology would prevail.

The Mercury maintained a constant distance of five thousand kilometers from the pursuers. Those behind sped up, and Zhong Yun accelerated accordingly; those behind slowed, and he too decelerated.

The Beast Nation warships abruptly found themselves in a ridiculous predicament: they couldn't catch their enemy, and now, they couldn't even afford to break off the chase. They had transitioned from hunters to cornered prey.

Their only slim chance was the moment the Mercury fired its main guns. If they could intercept her precisely then, perhaps a sliver of survival remained. But they had missed that window.

Every captain in the Beast Nation fleet knew that annihilation awaited them. They were now trapped in a state of limbo, their fates entirely dictated by Zhong Yun's command.

Zhong Yun did not linger. The reason he had risked the ambush and lured the enemy out, rather than using the safer attrition tactic, was to buy time. The base’s defenses were too weak; he was uneasy leaving them unguarded for too long. Taking a calculated risk was necessary.

Once the cooldown period for the main and secondary batteries elapsed, the Mercury began to unleash its fury.

In the main command center of the Beast Nation, Meng Qin watched the central screen tensely. It displayed a star map centered near the Beast Nation's territory, dotted with dozens of moving points.

Suddenly, one red dot representing a Beast Nation ship vanished. Then, seven or eight more disappeared in quick succession. Meng Qin's extremities instantly turned cold, and his heart sank. He had witnessed friendly losses before; in a war a decade prior against the largest neighboring nation, the Beast Nation had lost nearly five hundred vessels, essentially throwing their entire military might into the conflict. But now, their sole opponent was one ship! In less than twenty minutes, they had lost nearly twenty vessels, and horrifyingly, their sacrifices had inflicted no damage upon the enemy.

This reality was enough to strike terror into him; he saw no hope of victory. On the large screen, the remaining red dots representing friendly ships began scattering—they had lost the will to fight and were fleeing. Fierce as the Beast Nation troops were, with the nation teetering on the brink of collapse, facing an unbeatable foe, they finally retreated.

Zhong Yun paused for a moment before processing the situation—it wasn't surprising. He had learned from prisoners that the Beast Nation was established less than twenty years ago, its populace composed entirely of migrants from other states. In the frequently turbulent Sea of Stars, nations rose and fell like fleeting shadows. Under such circumstances, how many citizens could retain a deep-seated patriotism, willing to sacrifice their lives for their country?

Their loyalty was contingent on the nation's strength. Just like the fearless Beast Nation soldiers Zhong Yun had encountered previously, they did not fear death because they knew their families would be cared for by the state upon their demise. But now, facing the imminent destruction of the entire Beast Nation, they were unwilling to perish alongside it. What would become of their families?

Even with these predictions, Meng Qin erupted in fury. He sprang up, roaring, "How dare you desert your posts! I will exterminate your entire families, every last one!"

Meng Qin was inherently a brutal man, and this betrayal nearly drove him past the point of reason. His face contorted, "Guards! Guards..."

He called out several times but received no response, nearly maddened. "Damn it, where is everyone?"

He shoved the door open. The outside was deserted. The guard post that should have been manned was empty. His complexion instantly turned ashen, devoid of color. Seeing this, he finally understood what had happened: his guards had all fled.

"Bastards, you think escaping will save you? You will be hunted down one by one and tortured to death! Hahahaha..." He began to laugh, maniacally at first, then louder and louder, until his frenzied cackles echoed down the entire corridor.

Then, the sound of chaotic footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor. Meng Qin straightened abruptly, meticulously adjusting his uniform, returning to his office, placing his hat squarely on his head, and sitting down at the command console, facing the doorway. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly recalled the many nations he and his brother had obliterated. When occupying those planets, did their kings feel the same way he did now?

The Beast Nation began to collapse like a row of dominoes. Following the flight of dozens of warships, the remaining structures fell one after another.

When he returned to his original post, a communication request came through. He accepted it, and a tall Caucasian man appeared on the screen, his expression deeply subservient. "Mighty conqueror, we wish to surrender."

The language of the sea was quickly deciphered.

Zhong Yun could never have imagined victory would arrive so effortlessly, so simply that he almost couldn't believe it. He coughed lightly and asked, "Are you Meng Shou?"

The man replied respectfully, "Reporting to Your Excellency, I am Laurency, former Deputy Minister of Defense for the Beast Nation. Meng Shou is currently leading troops in battle against the forces of the Green Stone Nation. According to the latest intelligence received, Meng Shou has suffered a crushing defeat, sustaining immense casualties."

"Oh," Zhong Yun arched an eyebrow. From that last sentence, he detected the man's attempt to pledge fealty.

"Who is the highest-ranking military officer currently on the planet?" Zhong Yun relaxed. Meng Shou was defeated, and this faction was surrendering; there was no longer any need to fight this battle.

"It is Meng Shou's own brother, Meng Qin. He is currently under our control..."

Hearing this, Zhong Yun's brow furrowed slightly.

"We mean no harm, Your Excellency. It is just that Meng Qin is Meng Shou's full brother, and he commands a faction of die-hard loyalists. If we do not keep him contained, he might offend you." The man keenly sensed the subtle shift in Zhong Yun's mood.

Zhong Yun looked at him with surprise. This man possessed exceptional observational skills; perhaps that was why he had been sent to negotiate.

"I am not blaming you," Zhong Yun stated. This was the truth; everyone had their own philosophy for survival, and such actions were entirely normal in the Sea of Stars. Although he was indeed repulsed by the act of betraying a superior, "May I ask which nation Your Excellency hails from?" Laurency began his probing.

"I am from Mars..." Zhong Yun replied casually. Saying the word, he felt a moment of distraction, remembering Yu Daoqing. She had asked him the same question about his origin long ago.

"Mars?" Laurency frowned slightly; he had never heard of this nation before.

"Mars. It is a very distant place," Zhong Yun offered a self-deprecating smile. "Now, tell me, what are your terms for surrender?"

Laurency tensed; they had finally reached the crucial part.

The terms for the surrender of the Beast Nation forces were straightforward: First, their lives and property must be guaranteed. Second, they could not be forced to do things they were unwilling to do; if they wished to leave, they could not be detained. Third, no common citizens were to be plundered.

Zhong Yun agreed to all conditions.

In return, the Beast Nation forces would withdraw from all military fortresses, surrender all warships, and relinquish control of the government for Zhong Yun’s group to take over.

"We conquered a whole nation just like that?" Zeng Xiaosan's tone was bordering on a dreamlike state.

They hadn't traveled far; Zhong Yun had summoned them after finalizing the agreement with the Beast Nation contingent. Chu Tiange and the others were all visibly stunned. They had witnessed the entire engagement and could not fathom why the enemy would surrender so easily. In their minds, even the formidable Mercury was only one warship and surely could not defeat the entire Beast Nation fleet.

This perspective stemmed from their incomplete understanding of the Mercury's true capabilities; they were new to warship command and had not grasped the profound gulf between high-tier and low-tier vessels.

"Could it be a trick?" Wang Xiaoer cautiously inquired.

"It's possible, but unlikely," Zhong Yun conceded. While the probability was small, such possibilities could not be entirely dismissed.

"Commander, what is the next step?" Chu Tiange asked.

Zhong Yun's eyes flashed. "We take possession of this planet."

"Take possession?" The four were shocked. Zhong Yun's strategy had always been measured and steady; they had not expected him to make such a decisive move. This was a nation with a population nearing one hundred million. They had struggled immensely to manage the eight thousand people previously; how could they govern one hundred million?

"But can we manage them?" Wang Xiaoer voiced his doubt.

"I have my ways," Zhong Yun replied with a mysterious smile—the exact same smile he wore when he captured two warships. Wang Xiaoer, who had been about to argue further, promptly fell silent. Zhong Yun always managed to deliver surprises, and this time would likely be no different. He would wait and see.

"I will go handle the takeover," Chu Tiange quickly settled into his role, stating decisively, "They said they would hand over the military fortresses, right? I'll go check it out."

Zhong Yun considered this and nodded. "Be careful. If anything feels wrong, retreat immediately. I will follow right behind you."

Chu Tiange proceeded with caution, slowly approaching the largest fortress on the planet's perimeter. There were no incidents. He successfully landed; the interior was deserted, save for a dozen personnel waiting to hand over the premises.

Upon receiving the signal of safety, Zhong Yun piloted the Mercury over, descending through the atmosphere until they hovered above the residential zones. At this moment, the Beast Nation officially fell under Zhong Yun's control, the destiny of its hundred million inhabitants now resting in his hands.

Zhong Yun sat regally at the command console; this feeling was indeed satisfying.

After a while, he remembered that the former military officers and government officials of the Beast Nation awaited an audience. Out of prudence, Zhong Yun did not make a personal appearance. He invited them aboard the Mercury, ushering them into a large hall converted from a cargo bay, and communicated with them via video link.

Led by Laurency, all officers and government officials saluted Zhong Yun first. "Esteemed Conqueror, welcome to Planet Gang Zhi."

Zhong Yun looked out at the sea of faces—those permitted aboard the Mercury held positions of some rank, yet there were still over two hundred of them. To govern this nation of one hundred million, he and his core six-person team could not manage alone. However, more than half of these gathered individuals would eventually be dismissed; otherwise, how would he win over the populace and make them loyal to him?

Laurency then presented all the data pertaining to Planet Lan Zhi, including population and corporate information. Even if he hadn't offered it, this information would eventually fall into Zhong Yun's hands; offering it now was merely a demonstration of loyalty. All he needed to do was provide the access codes. Reaching the rank just below the supreme leader in the Beast Nation proved Laurency was undoubtedly a capable individual. In fact, he had originally served in the military of a nation conquered by the Beast Nation before defecting and rising to such a high position. In the frequently warring Sea of Stars, such shifts were commonplace. Since childhood, Laurency understood that strength was the most vital thing in the world; only with power could one's safety and property be guaranteed. Therefore, his defection to Zhong Yun was the most natural course of action. As for Zhong Yun, as long as he could facilitate the smooth takeover of the nation, it didn't matter if he was a villain; at this level, personnel selection could not be based merely on personal preference.