As the Vian military scoured the world hunting the pirates who dared to raid their supply convoys, the Water Star had already jumped toward the A-Sector.

The star chart in Zhong Yun’s hand had been taken from a Blue Forest Empire base deep within the Dead Zone, but years had passed, followed by a cataclysm that ravaged the entire sector. The whole region had undergone earth-shattering changes, rendering this chart obsolete.

However, no matter how the celestial bodies shifted, their coordinates remained constant. Zhong Yun’s real concern was that the jump point leading to the Dead Zone might have also been destroyed in that immense upheaval—that would create a massive problem.

Zhong Yun possessed another star chart, one covering the A-Sector, which he had managed to retrieve from Xiao Ling’s data banks. Xiao Ling’s previous owner had engaged in conflict with the Blue Forest Empire, so possessing an A-Sector map was not unexpected.

When the Blue Forest Empire was at the zenith of its power, the entire A-Sector fell under its sphere of influence. The star system housing its political center was known as the Blue Forest System.

The Water Star was currently positioned within the Blue Forest System, but the jump point to the Dead Zone was located in the Ushi System, situated near the edge of the A-Sector.

There was no direct jump point from the Blue Forest System to the Ushi System; the journey required passing through two intermediate star systems. Despite ten millennia having passed, star-system-crossing jump points generally possessed long lifespans and wouldn't simply vanish so quickly.

Zhong Yun discovered something else peculiar: Xiao Ling’s star chart was significantly more detailed than the map belonging to the Blue Forest Empire, the sector’s native power. Specifically, the mapped stable spatial jump points on Xiao Ling’s chart numbered more than ten times those on the Blue Forest Empire’s map.

He sat at the command console in the main control room, comparing the two charts, marveling at the discrepancies, and couldn't help but ask, "Why is this map so detailed?"

Xiao Ling’s voice came through, "My former master obtained a probe during an exploration of an ancient civilization’s ruins. It can detect the location of hidden jump points."

Zhong Yun froze. Such an artifact actually existed. He immediately sighed in admiration. What a truly divine item this was. In the vastness of the cosmos, jump points were treasures beyond measure, especially natural ones, let alone hidden ones.

In modern cosmic warfare, excluding the hypothetical 'Superstellar-Class' warships capable of spatial jumps—a technology rumored to be held only by super-civilizations—all conflicts revolved around securing control of spatial jump points.

In a sense, interstellar civilization warfare was simpler than ancient conflicts: one merely needed to defend those crucial jump points. Attempting a flanking maneuver across distances measured in light-years was sheer fantasy.

However, the discovery of hidden spatial jump points fundamentally altered the course of warfare. If one side knew the locations of hidden jump points within the enemy’s territory while the opponent remained ignorant, victory was virtually guaranteed.

A spatial jump point is just a single location, but if the enemy can move freely within your borders, appearing anywhere at will, defense shifts from securing a perimeter to defending all of space itself. In such a confrontation, the outcome is decided before the first shot is fired.

Of course, this advantage depends on the relative power between the two sides. If a mid-level civilization challenges a high-level one, even knowing the hidden jump points won't secure a win. The moment the fleet approaches their planet, they will be detected, and a few dispatched warships could annihilate the aggressor.

When the power disparities are slight, hidden spatial jump points become the ultimate weapon for victory. Whoever controls knowledge of more hidden spatial jump points claims the war.

It was the same principle that allowed Zhong Yun to strike a decisive blow against the Hong Xian Federation during the conflict with Davo. By utilizing hidden spatial jump points to launch a direct assault on the heart of their government, he caught them entirely off guard, forcing them to agree to humiliating terms.

It was no wonder Xiao Ling’s previous master could hold sway across the universe and dare to challenge the mighty Blue Forest Empire of that era. With Xiao Ling and such a god-defying artifact, few nations would have warranted his notice. It was a tragedy that he pushed things too far, leading to mutual destruction with the Blue Forest Empire—a lamentable end.

"Then... where is that probe now?" Even with Zhong Yun’s current composure, his voice trembled slightly as he asked the question.

"Hidden somewhere," Xiao Ling replied.

"Where?" Zhong Yun felt his mouth go dry. The exploration detector was too significant; maintaining his calm was impossible. With that device, there would be no corner of the universe he dared not venture into.

Xiao Ling fell silent for a moment, evidently searching its data banks. Zhong Yun’s heart hammered; the main control room was utterly still, without the slightest whisper of sound.

"Apologies, unable to locate the data," Xiao Ling announced.

"Oh." Zhong Yun felt a profound wave of disappointment at the answer.

After a beat, he realized that the probe’s very existence meant there was a chance to acquire it. There was plenty of time; rushing now was useless.

With that thought, his mindset calmed considerably. Simultaneously, he resolved that the moment he settled down, he would transfer the remaining raw stones he possessed into Xiao Ling's systems and reboot her again, hoping to unlock her complete database.

Following that catastrophe, the environment of the entire Blue Forest System had transformed completely, and the established navigation lanes had naturally altered. Both star charts Zhong Yun possessed were now useless.

He would have to remap the sector. Fortunately, the coordinates hadn't changed; only the positions of the celestial bodies were different. He just needed to record the new locations of the stars.

It took nearly a month to exit the Blue Forest System. They encountered no spacecraft until they reached the Ushi System.

The Ushi System was distant from the Blue Forest Empire’s core and had not been severely impacted by the cataclysm, thus remaining relatively well-preserved. This is where the old star chart proved useful.

The jump point leading into the Dead Zone was situated within a base somewhere in the system. Zhong Yun piloted the Water Star and the Mars toward it. Along the way, they finally encountered a squadron of ships.

Because Xiao Ling had followed her master to the Milky Way after the devastation, she was naturally unaware of the current state of the A-Sector. Zhong Yun, hailing from a minor nation in the Y-Sector, was even less informed.

Finally encountering others, Zhong Yun naturally sought information. After establishing communication, he discovered they were pirates. He showed them no mercy, eliminating them swiftly, and in the process, acquired the Ushi System's star chart.

The Ushi System was small, its territory less than half that of the Omi System, and its civilization was underdeveloped—surprisingly, it had no high-level civilizations. This pleased Zhong Yun immensely. He knew he would eventually need to return to the civilized universe from the Dead Zone, and the absence of high-level powers provided a comforting sense of security.

However, the Ushi System was not entirely peaceful; it seemed the entire cosmic civilization had plunged into the mire of war. Conflict erupted everywhere.

With the pirates’ star chart, Zhong Yun’s progress accelerated. Ten days later, they arrived before an immense field of debris—a dense asteroid cluster composed of countless fragments, spanning an area equivalent to a thousand Davo Republics.

The jump point to the Dead Zone was built deep within this asteroid field.

Entering required passage through the jump point; a direct attempt at forcing entry was impossible. The Blue Forest Empire had long treated the Dead Zone as the highest state secret, going to extreme lengths to conceal this base. Dozens of jump points surrounded the perimeter of the debris field, but most were decoys, some even concealing lethal traps.

There was only one true entrance. Choosing the wrong jump point might transport them to an unknown, bizarre location; the unlucky ones would be trapped within the asteroid field forever, as these jump points were unidirectional—entry only, no exit.

Zhong Yun already knew the secret to identifying the genuine entrance. He executed jumps sequentially, first with the Mars, then the Water Star.

On the other side, within an ordinary star system, several hundred million kilometers away, they located another jump point, initiating another transfer.

After the tenth jump, Zhong Yun finally saw the base constructed by the Blue Forest Empire. The sight stirred his heart to the point of near-uncontrollable emotion.

This base rivaled the one in the Dead Zone, its scale unbelievably vast. If the Dead Zone base could be described as a manufacturing hub, this structure was clearly a weapons depot.

Even from the exterior, one could discern countless docking bays, some large enough to accommodate an entire planet, others sized for 'Quasi-Satellite Class' warships.

Regrettably, the entire base was empty. Zhong Yun felt a pang of disappointment. If this facility had been fully stocked, he would instantly possess the strength to contend with the Ge’an Empire.

Alas. He presumed all the warships had been withdrawn during the battle against Xiao Ling’s previous master. He could only wonder if the personnel remained. Would they, like those in the Dead Zone base, have perished due to natural causes?

While contemplating this, he steered the Water Star and the Mars into the port. The instant the two ships entered, the base seemed to spring to life; soft, white illumination flooded the docks.

The Water Star's main computer automatically interfaced with the base's central intelligence. Beep. "Verifying..."

While earning contribution points in the Dead Zone, Zhong Yun had not wasted time and had mastered the language of the Blue Forest Empire. Thus, he could comprehend the base master brain’s speech.

"Verification complete. One Planetary Class, one Super-Satellite Class. Personnel count aboard: six million, three hundred fifty-seven thousand, eight hundred forty-two. One individual possesses Level Four clearance. Total personnel within the base: six million, three hundred fifty-seven thousand, eight hundred forty-two. Highest clearance level: Four."

The base master brain’s voice resonated again, followed by another beep: "Compiling data..."

Zhong Yun let out a breath of relief. It seemed the base personnel had indeed all died. He found it slightly confusing; a base of this magnitude would surely have maintained a substantial garrison—tens of millions at least. Even after all these years, they shouldn't have simply vanished.

The reality stemmed from the Blue Forest Empire’s policies of that era. This base was classified as the highest secret, and the requirements for all workers were exceptionally stringent. Basic conditions were assumed, but one specific mandate applied: every individual entering the base, regardless of gender, was required to undergo sterilization surgery.

Blue Forest Empire law forbade abortion, but given the base's extreme secrecy, departure before the completion of one's term was forbidden, and childbearing presented an insurmountable complication. Hence the decree. Initially targeting only females, the policy was extended to males to maintain the principle of gender equality. Naturally, upon leaving the base, the government would facilitate the reversal of the procedure.

However, this single regulation proved fatal: once the Blue Forest Empire collapsed and this base lost contact with the outside world, the inability to procreate meant that the entire population died out in less than a century. Otherwise, Zhong Yun would not have benefited from this windfall.

P: Today is my mother's birthday; I need to celebrate with her, so this entry will only be three thousand characters long. First Release